Queen of Babble (Queen of Babble, #1) by Meg Cabot

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

What's an American girl with a big mouth, but an equally big heart, to do?

Lizzie Nichols has a problem, and it isn't that she doesn't have the slightest idea what she's going to do with her life, or that she's blowing what should be her down payment on a cute little Manhattan apartment on a trip to London to visit her long-distance boyfriend, Andrew. But what's the point of planning for the future when she's done it again? See, Lizzie can't keep her mouth shut. And it's not just that she can't keep her own secrets, she can't keep anything to herself.

This time when she opens her big mouth, her good intentions get Andrew in major hot water. So now Lizzie's stuck in London with no boyfriend and no place to stay until the departure date written on her non-refundable airline ticket.

Fortunately, there's Shari, Lizzie's best friend and college roommate, who's spending her summer in southern France, catering weddings with her boyfriend, Chaz, in a sixteenth-century château. One call and Lizzie's on a train to Souillac. Who cares if she's never traveled alone in her life and only speaks rudimentary French? One glimpse of gorgeous Château Mirac - not to mention gorgeous Luke, the son of Château Mirac's owner - and she's smitten.

But while most caterers can be trusted to keep a secret, Lizzie's the exception. And no sooner has the first cork been popped than Luke hates her, the bride is in tears, and it looks like Château Mirac is in danger of becoming a lipo-recovery spa. As if things aren't bad enough, her ex-boyfriend Andrew shows up looking for "closure" (or at least a loan), threatening to ruin everything, especially Lizzie's chance at ever finding real love...

Unless she can figure out a way to use that big mouth of hers to save the day.

My Review:

Ok, finally my review, and yes, it comes after I wrote the review for the second book in the series, Queen of Babble in the Big City.

I liked the main character Lizzie to an extend. She was very materialistic, but not in the way you immediately think. She tried so hard to not be that person, i.e. racists, sexist, ageist, etc., that it was a little annoying. She made a point to remind the reader and herself that she didn't think in those terms and she wasn't money hungry. It was mentioned throughout the book so often, that I can't help think that Lizzie does harbor those thoughts on stereotypes, she just doesn't reveal it in person that she does (however, since we are in her mind, we know differently). Despite all this, she was a bubbly fool, but a cute and somewhat lovely bubbly fool.

Lizzie's best friend Shari, I liked her a lot, she told it how it was, but was sometimes a little too harsh. I loved her boyfriend Chaz that absolute most. He was funny, caring, smart, and good looking in a goofy-don't-know-I'm-cute kind of way - my kind of guy. I didn't like Andrew from the start, and that never changed, thank goodness Lizzie started to see things my way pretty fast. I liked Luke right away too, who knew he'd become almost perfect.

As for the storyline, I liked that Lizzie was ambitious enough to do what she needed to do to go and visit her boyfriend in England. Once she realized she was being used, she knew what she deserved and since that wasn't it, she left. I would be just as crazy as she was, taking a quick trip across countries to get to a safe place without being able to get a hold of someone at said safe place. Which, as luck would have it, worked out in her favor.

I'm not sure what else I can say without giving everything away. I'd recommend this book if you are into fashion driven romances, a light read, or are looking for a happy ending.

Favorite Quotes:

“Sometimes we need to take big risks if we want to find out who we are, and what we were put on this planet for.”

“It’s so much easier to walk away than it is to have to explain to someone that you never want to see them again.”

“Did you let him know that if he can't see fit to return your blow job immediately, you will have no choice but to sue?”

Read from December 21 to 31, 2014

Top 5 Genres*: Women's Fiction/Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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China Dolls by Lisa See

China Dolls by Lisa See

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

An exciting new novel set in the "Chop Suey Circuit" of San Francisco right before World War II, from the beloved bestselling author of Snowflower and the Secret Fan and Shanghai Girls.

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace, three girls from very different backgrounds, find themselves competing at the same audition for showgirl roles at San Francisco's exclusive "Oriental" nightclub, the Forbidden City. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family who have deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. At times their differences are pronounced, but the girls grow to depend on one another in order to fulfill their individual dreams. Then, everything changes in a heartbeat with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly the government is sending innocent Japanese to internment camps under suspicion, and Ruby is one of them. But which of her friends betrayed her?

My Review:

This story somewhat reminded me of Mean Girls for the slightly older "oriental" girl (a term used in the book and during that time period, not meant to offend in my review).

So, I listened to this story on an audiobook, and I have to say that Jodi Long did an amazing job narrating. She made the three main characters come alive, she was able to bring through to the listener each individual personality. Well done!

So at first I loved all three girls. These girls were the best of friends, they knew everything about each other (at least they thought they did), they hurt each other, they forgave each other, and they helped each other through some very difficult times. They rose up from the streets to become stars, successful, and well off, a true rags to riches story.

I ended up liking Grace the most, and Ruby was a close second, especially when Grace was being a love sick puppy and pining after the same guy year after year. Grace was ambitious and strong, despite running away from adversity at first, she eventually learned to stay and fight for what she wants. She was mostly carefree and as Ruby and Helen had described, a country bumpkin at times. She really only loved one man her entire life, and that wasn't her father. This love she was chasing had caused many heartbreaks throughout the story but seems to have ended happily.

Ruby was fast and furious. She didn't just want to be a star, she wanted to be THE STAR. She did what she had to to get where she wanted, including pretending to be Chinese when America wasn't fond of the Japanese. She also wasn't afraid to get a little undressed to get ahead, nor was she a prude when it came to taking gentlemen lovers. She had to deal with some hardship because of her ethnicity, but she pulled through with an effervescence that is somewhat refreshing.

Helen slowly became my least favorite character and in the end, I strongly disliked her. She was a sneaky and conniving friend (if you could really call her that). Instead of being content with two best friends, she played one against the other to meet her needs. Her jealously drove her to do some despicable things. She had her reasons, but I don't think that gave her license to be that horrible in the end.



Lisa See does a great job telling these personal stories while retelling some of the most noteworthy historical events ever. She makes me feel grateful for the life I have and the time I live in (no matter how insignificant). I have probably learned more in depth here about Japanese internment camps than I ever did in high school. It must have been a blemish on the United States history because it was briefly covered, almost like they are ashamed to teach us their mistakes. I am embarrassed of their racial/prejudice attitudes throughout history.



I first noticed Lisa See's talent in Shanghai Girls (another decent read might I add).

Favorite Quotes:

“When fortune comes, do not enjoy all of it; when advantage comes, do not take all of it.”

“You cannot refuse to eat just because there's a chance of being choked.”

“Dreamers are born to be disappointed.”

Read from March 03 to 09, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Cultural/China, Adult
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “Duffy,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My Review:

Wow. I read that fast. This book got right to the nitty gritty, kept up the momentum, and ended just as quickly. It was satisfying. There were many times that I related, albeit more about my college experiences (according to Kody Keplinger, I'm a late bloomer). It has been years since I've been in school (yes, I'm admitting to ready Young Adult as a full-fledged adult), but Keplinger wrote this book when she was 17 years old and her book was first published in 2010. I'd say she has probably hit the high school nail in the head.

I have read some people claiming that the upcoming movie doesn't follow the story all that well, but now that I've read it, I'm hoping it isn't. Otherwise, it'd be another "fifty shades" for high schoolers. This story was much darker and serious than the previews portray. It was beautiful in it's own way. If you like the previews because it seems comedic, or reminds you of She's All That, then don't waste your time reading this. Just spend your $10, eat popcorn, drink a cherry coke, and watch the movie. However, if you want to read something with more heart, then read this! Or don't, it's always your choice.

I really liked Bianca, she always told it like it was. Yes, she bottled up her feelings, and found an escape in something destructive, but like Keplinger said, who hasn't fucked up a few times.

"We're all fucking Duffs"

I'm not a big fan of love triangles, and I was getting worried towards the end because I was hoping Bianca would end up with Wesley, but Toby was just too effin' perfect. I could see her dilemma. I'm happy with the way things were wrapped up. No one got hurt, but things worked out.

Bianca's friends, Casey and Jessica were sweet, and they were good friends. We'd all be so lucky to find friends like that.

Wesley was your run of the mill playboy. At first, I didn't care for him too much, but then (way before Bianca figured it out) I realized he was just as lost as she was, trying to find an escape, a distraction. I think I fully fell for him when she realized she had fallen for him.

Toby was your run of the mill good boy. The kind you can bring home to your parents and they'd love him more than you. He was sweet, polite, cute, and boring. Although he was great, I never really felt a strong connection to him.

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I plan on seeing this movie, and I'm hopeful that it is a comedic escape at the time.

P.P.S. So I saw the movie last night and it was hilarious, just like I was hoping. It didn't follow the story all that much, but I was expecting that, it was still good. Although the movie was more comedic, there were some innuendos and underlying issues directly from the book, which I really liked.

In the movie Bianca self-destructed in a different way, her parents were already divorced but it was Wesley's parents who were having issues, Toby was a dickhead (the complete opposite of book Toby - which I was ok with too, since I didn't care for him all that much in the book), and there was a lot more bullying in the movie rather than sexual conquests. I liked Bianca just as much, she was strong and funny, and although I hated to love Wesley at first in the book, I immediately liked him in the movie.

I guess what I'm saying is I'd recommend both the book and the movie if you are remotely intrigued (each for their own reasons). I'd also recommend you experience both without trying to compare them to each other, it makes for a more pleasant experience all the way around.

**One last personal note - you couldn't pay me enough to go back to high school, especially in this day and age of technology!**

Read on February 24, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women's Fiction/Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system

5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

A ballerina, twirling on a wire high above the crowd. Horses, prancing like salsa dancers. Trapeze artists, flying like somersaulting falcons. And magic crackling through the air. Welcome to the Cirque American!

Sixteen-year-old Jules Maroni’s dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps as a high-wire walker. When her family is offered a prestigious role in the new Cirque American, it seems that Jules and the Amazing Maronis will finally get the spotlight they deserve. But the presence of the Flying Garcias may derail her plans. For decades, the two rival families have avoided each other as sworn enemies.

Jules ignores the drama and focuses on the wire, skyrocketing to fame as the girl in a red tutu who dances across the wire at death-defying heights. But when she discovers a peacock feather—an infamous object of bad luck—planted on her costume, Jules nearly loses her footing. She has no choice but to seek help from the unlikeliest of people: Remy Garcia, son of the Garcia clan matriarch and the best trapeze artist in the Cirque.

As more mysterious talismans believed to possess unlucky magic appear, Jules and Remy unite to find the culprit. And if they don’t figure out what’s going on soon, Jules may be the first Maroni to do the unthinkable: fall.

My Review:

I knew it!

**Spoiler Alert!** I knew Novio was the culprit, and I'm still upset about the death of Sam. I cannot believe such a small character but a great one was killed off. I see why Gwenda Bond worked that into the story, and it worked well. It was like a punch in the heart, then to follow that tragedy with a breakup, man! I'm usually not a sucker for fairytale endings (don't get me wrong, I like them sometimes, but...) but I'm so glad this one did. Everyone deserved it, including me.

Ok, now that that is out of my system. This was a great book. I started out with the expectation that this will be set in the circus' hayday, much like The Night Circus or Water for Elephants, but it wasn't. I wasn't upset that it wasn't either.

I think that Jules (MC) was a strong character and although she had many of those traits that can annoy us readers (i.e. being stubborn and selfish, etc.) she used them to become a better person in the end. I liked Remy right off the bat, although I was leery that the author was setting me up only to be disappointed later on. I loved Dita and her uniqueness (her qualities are not often found). I love Sam and thought he was a perfect sidekick to Jules, although he didn't have as big of a role as I would have liked.

Now, onto the characters I didn't care for, Novio & Nan. Novio gave me an eery feeling right away and despite the fact that the author kept trying to steer us away from him as the "villain", I always suspected. Nan, she was a selfish crazy woman, who, had she just been honest with herself and her family, a lot of tragedy could have been avoided.

The great wire walker Bird Millman (1890-1950) was born Jennadean Engleman in Canon City, CO. She starred in Ringling Bros. Circus

Read from October 08 to 21, 2014

Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Romance
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews

The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal, #1) by Jonathan L. Howard

The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

A charmingly gothic, fiendishly funny Faustian tale about a brilliant scientist who makes a deal with the Devil, twice.

Johannes Cabal sold his soul years ago in order to learn the laws of necromancy. Now he wants it back. Amused and slightly bored, Satan proposes a little wager: Johannes has to persuade one hundred people to sign over their souls or he will be damned forever. This time for real. Accepting the bargain, Jonathan is given one calendar year and a traveling carnival to complete his task. With little time to waste, Johannes raises a motley crew from the dead and enlists his brother, Horst, a charismatic vampire to help him run his nefarious road show, resulting in mayhem at every turn.

My Review:

I first chose to read this because it was on the book-clubs list for June. I'm glad I read it. The concept was great, the classic battle between good and evil and the gray area in between. I enjoyed the characters, especially the Cabal brothers. I also enjoyed the ending, although I could tell fairly soon why Johannes wanted his soul back, and I'm ok with it. What made up for the fact that I could understand the outcome was that they don't confirm it until the end and the entertaining story that led us there.

When I first started the book, there were a lot of descriptive words that I did not know, almost as if the author used a thesaurus every couple of words. However, since I was reading this book on my Kindle, I was able to look up the definitions of a lot of those words and I have to say that my personal vocabulary has increased. So, something I thought would drive me nuts about the book, actually turned out to be a good thing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to start the second book in this series!

Favorite Quotes:

"With all the best will in the world, Johannes, you’re as much fun as a leper at an orgy"

"Well, if I ever suffer brain damage, I know there’s always a career waiting for me in local politics"

"Never discuss murder plans with the victim, he reminded himself. It takes all the spontaneity out of it"

Deviant Art Photos by: paisley

Read from June 05 to 30, 2013

Top 5 Genres*: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction/Steampunk, Humor

*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system:
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews

Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet, #1) by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

My Review:

I loved this book, and cannot wait to see the movie (although I am bummed because it seems no one wants to see it with me). Anyways, I enjoyed seeing how they trained Ender because it was different and radical, although you could see why they chose to do it that way. The book also would remind the reader that Ender was just a little kid, which would tug on the heartstrings once reminded of that perspective.

The only part I did not thoroughly enjoy was the ending. I felt that the author tried to wrap things up too quickly, and in such a way that did not completely fit with the flow of the storyline. I know there are additional books in this series, but you can almost guess that the author was unaware of more stories involving Ender at this time.** Oh well, looking forward to the movie!

**Update, I have since read the next two books in the series, including notes from the author, which specifically stated that his intention was to always write Speaker for the Dead and that Ender's Game was just a launching point for the characters. I can see that now, but I still feel that towards the end of this story, he was in too much of a rush to get to the story "he was always meant to tell".

P.S. I also saw the movie in theaters (and many more times at home), amazing!

Read from October 21 to November 07, 2013

Top 5 Genres*: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Classics, Science Fiction/Dystopia
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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Ender's Shadow (Shadow, #1) by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

The human race is at War with the "Buggers," an insect-like alien race. As Earth prepares to defend itself from total destruction at the hands of an inscrutable enemy, all focus is on the development of military geniuses who can fight such a war, and win. The long distances of interstellar space have given hope to the defenders of Earth--they have time to train these future commanders up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high orbital facility called the Battle School. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was not the only child in the Battle School; he was just the best of the best. In Ender's Shadow, Card tells the story of another of those precocious generals, the one they called Bean--the one who became Ender's right hand, part of his team, in the final battle against the Buggers. Bean's past was a battle just to survive. His success brought him to the attention of the Battle School's recruiters, those people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, and generals to save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent into orbit, to the Battle School. And there he met Ender....

My Review:

I loved Ender's Game and I loved this book. In my honest opinion, if you enjoyed Ender's Game you must read Ender's Shadow, and I would recommend reading them in that order as well. If you have seen the movie, Ender's Game and enjoyed it, you should probably pick up both books from the library right now! From Orson Scott Card's afterword, the movie is a "mash-up" of both stories. You can bet your bottom dollar that I'm going home tonight to watch the movie again for the umpteenth time.

This story follows the same timeline as Ender's, therefore you may already know the outline of the story. However, it delves so much deeper into the character of Bean. Bean was a great asset to Ender but we didn't really know much about him, we just understood he was smaller and younger than most of the other characters. Here, we get a much deeper picture of his psyche. He is small and physically develops slower than average, but has developed intellectually beyond anyone's imagination. I won't go into to much detail here, spoilers! It was a pleasure to watch him grow emotionally, and the ending was especially satisfying on that aspect. This story is much more political than I remember Ender's Game being, but it didn't portray a hidden agenda.

As for the characters, I came to love Bean even more the second time around, I still love Ender, Petra lost a lot of respect from me, Graff did at first as well, but redeemed himself at the end, I really enjoyed Nikolai and the effect he had on Bean, and Achilles scared me just as much as Peter Wiggings did.

I'm not sure what else to add besides . . . READ IT NOW!

Read in March, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews

Requiem (Delirium, #3) by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Battling against a society in which love has been declared a disease, Lena now finds herself at the centre of a fierce revolution. But the Wilds are no longer the haven they once were as the government seeks to stamp out the rebels. And Lena's emotions are in turmoil following the dramatic return of someone she thought was lost forever...

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Lena and her best friend Hana, Requiem brings the Delirium trilogy to an exhilarating end and showcases Lauren Oliver at the height of her writing powers - emotionally powerful and utterly enthralling.

My Review:

Alright, I have finally calmed down enough to write this review. However, I'm not sure I can keep out the spoilers, so . . . here goes.

**Spoiler Alert** First, let's start off with Lena. In the first book, I thought she was a sheep who was trying to leave that lifestyle behind. I was annoyed at first, but grew to like her as she evolved. She was a little tougher in the second book, but other than that, mostly stagnate. In the third book, I thought she had become a strong, and smart, heroine. Yes, she had her moments, but you can't fully blame her. I'll get to that when I talk about the boys.

I madly fell in love with Alex's character in the first book. I did feel that Lena had moved on somewhat quickly from him in the second book, but to each their own. Who am I to judge. I had a feeling Alex would show up at the end of the story, and boy was I right, heartbreaking but right. In the third book, I was annoyed with him for playing games with Lena. I know he was hurting too, but sometimes if things are said instead of implied, life would be so much easier. He should have been honest from the beginning.

On to the third corner of this stinking love triangle, Julian. I didn't love nor hate Julian when he was introduced in the second book. However, I did really come to like him in the third book. He had grown so much, much like Lena, and sacrificed so much for her. We all would be so lucky to find someone like that.

Ok, so I was all for Alex and Lena making a life together. Of course, we thought he died, so did Lena, and she fell for a guy who was just as decent. While Alex was acting like a jerk, Julian had stepped up and really stole a piece of my heart.

Now, here is where I threw the book across the room.

The story just ended. Alex confesses his love to Lena and she back. Julian survived the battle and is working away not knowing what has happened with Lena. Sure, on of them is going to get their heart broken, but which one? It's looking like Julian might be dumped, but how? And after everything he has sacrificed? I want to say, stupid Lena, but I suppose you can't help who you fall in love with.

I feel like Lauren Oliver was getting bored with the story too and wrapped things up a little to quickly and messily. Maybe a prologue would have been nice. A great example is Lena's family she left behind, and Hana. I know we are given a hint as to the families whereabouts, but how did they survive when they were so proud? And Hana, the story just ends with her walking away in a wedding dress. If that isn't noticeable, I'm not sure what is. Did her fiance die? Did she escape, and despite having the procedure, become a sympathizer? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!

Alright, enough of my ranting and raving. This was a decent book, and a better trilogy. I'd recommend this book if you like love triangles, and I'd definitely avoid this book if you dislike love triangles. Pretty simple really.

Read from November 14 to 24, 2014

Top 5 Genres*: Science Fiction/Dystopia, Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:


I'm pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My Review:

Humphf!

So, I thought the story was a little slow at first. Then it picked up about halfway through and I liked the chemistry between Lena and Julian, although, I kept thinking that she was moving on a little too fast from Alex. I mean, yes, she thought he was dead, but six months later? I know, I know, you can't help when and with who you fall in love with, but geez, show a little resistance.

Now I know, after that rant, I'll admit I thought Hunter would've been a better match for her if indeed she had to move on (does that make me a hypocrite?)

I was thinking towards the end that Alex has to be alive because there is a third book to read and if this story wraps up too nicely now, what is Lauren Oliver going to write about - having a child in the wilds? I was even more suspicious once Raven mentioned someone from Portland arrived, and I was thinking SHIT! It's got to be Alex. He worked his way back to Lena (Alex is my favorite by far), how romantic, but what about Julian? Then they spring him in on the story in the end and I was more heartbroken for Alex than Lena. Now I think she doesn't deserve him.

Sheesh - maybe I shouldn't have wrote this so soon after finishing the story. I'm somewhat annoyed, both because Lena fucked up and because I'm going to have to get my hands on the third installment sooner rather than later so I can see how this plays out!

Favorite Quotes:

“The flip side of freedom is this: When you're completely free, you're also completely on your own.”

Read from November 18 to 22, 2013

Top 5 Genres*: Science Fiction/Dystopia, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Fiction
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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Delirium (Delirium, #1) by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

My Review:

First off, I want to start by saying I chose this book because it was one of the options in one of my many bookclubs.  I would not have normally chose to read this book on my own.

With that being said, I really enjoyed this book.  Both the girls in the book were naive, but in an innocent way that one could expect growing up in the world they did.  I really liked Alex and his effect on the girls.  I have to admit that up until about halfway through, I was not so sure I would continue to read in the series, but once I got to the end, there is no doubt.  We have all heard that it is better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.  However, with the way this story ended, things could really go either way.  On one hand, Lena was able to love and therefore escape the confining world she lived in, and on the other hand, she lost the one person who made her feel alive. 

My last comment is this, what they were doing to the people to remove their ability to love is straight up lobotomy.  Should things start to lean towards that direction in true life, you can bet your butt that I'd be a invalid or die.

Favorite Quotes:

“You can't be happy unless you're unhappy sometimes.”

Read from June 26 to July 03, 2013

Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy

*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system:
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews