Thursday 30 January 2014

Accidents and Incidents

*I was sent this book from NetGalley* 

Goodreads Summary
Sometimes finding love means taking the scenic route ... Living with her faultfinding mother has taught Leslie not to ask for much. Just watch your step, stay on the sidelines, and take what you can get. But she wants a mom who thanks her for cleaning the kitchen instead of yelling at her for missing a spot, and a boyfriend who does more than score her a seat at the popular table-someone who actually notices her sitting there. So when Cain, the school heartbreaker, turns his Carolina blue eyes her way, Leslie can't help but be tempted, even if he's her boyfriend's best friend. Things get even more complicated when Leslie strikes up unlikely friendships with Meredith, Cain's girlfriend, and Dennis, a boy addicted to cigarettes and solitude. Despite his tough exterior, Dennis seems to understand Leslie in a way that no one ever has, and to need her as much as she needs him. For the first time in her life, Leslie feels like she could belong. She's just not sure where.


My Thoughts
This book was ok. The characters were kinda one-sided and just when you thought they would develop some depth, they didn't.  Leslie had no backbone. She couldn't stand up to her mother, boyfriend, or her friends; she just let people walk all over her. Then she meets Dennis and he seemed great, but his character was so flat that I didn't care if they got together or not. Plus the titles of the book has no relevance to the plot. Not anything that I can ascertain anyway. I don't see myself reading this again and that's the real test, right?
 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Vicious

Goodreads Summary
A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later... ( I took out the rest of the summary because I thought it gave too much away.)


In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.


How Do I Feel?
This book came with high praise from several youtubers, so I was really excited to pick it up. The concept was too intriguing to pass up. I enjoyed the early relationship between Victor and Eli. I knew from the start that Victor was unstable, but I didn't see Eli's faults until much later. Once i did, this book upset me. I'm used to watching TV series with psychopaths in them, but this was to a higher degree. This book scared me. Don't let my feelings keep you from reading this though. If you don't mind a psychopath...or three than read this. The book's concept is really interesting and I know there are people out there who will enjoy it.
 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Liebster Award: 2014 Edition

I woke up this morning and discovered that I was nominated for the 2014 Liebster Award! My little blog might get some new eyes. :) I have been nominated by Ajda and Tjasa's Beauty Corner and I could not be more grateful! Thank you!! Be sure to go check out their beauty blog. 

I had no idea what the Liebster Awards were so I did a little searching. Lorraine from Lorraine Reguly's Life made a blog post all about it if you have any questions.

The rules seem to be as followed:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back up to their blog.
2. State 11 facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominator.
4. Nominate 11 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 folowers.
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
6. Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them.

11 Facts about me
1. I didn't enjoy to read until I read the Twilight books and after those I was reading Twilight fics for a couple years before picking up actual books again. 
2.  I am big Red Wings (hockey) fan!
3. Since I am a Red Wings fan I tend to cheer for Sweden and/or Russia (even though I'm Canadian) for Olympic hockey.
4. I watch A LOT of youtube videos. 
5. I am a River Phoenix fan and own almost all of his movies. 
6. I'm 26 and I still don't drive. 
7. I am obsessed with flip flops. If I could wear them all year round I would. 
8. I arrange my closet by colour. 
9. After seeing the episode of Boy Meets World where Cory and Topanga fight over Van Gogh's Starry Night, I fell in love with it.
10. I watch General Hospital everyday! 
11. I love coffee, but suck at making it myself. 

Hope you enjoyed those. :)

Answered Questions 
1. Are you scared of death?
Isn't everyone? I think I have a few years before really worrying, but ya.
2. If you would be able to meet a famous person, who would it be?

I hope it's ok if I pick a few people. I'd love to meet Ellen Degeneres, Josh Jackson, Taylor Swift, and Robert Pattinson. Oh oh and Prince Harry. *blushes*
3. The food you can't live without?

Salt and Vinegar chips. Other foods I could try to make using other ingredients, but I would never get S&V chips right.
4. You won a gift certificate for plastic surgery, what would you change ( the answer can be nothing ;) )?

I would remove the "beauty mark" I have on my face.
5. Your dream honeymoon destination?

I'd love to travel through Europe.
6. Favourite app on your phone?

Instagram.
7. Your favourite memory?

Ever? Umm....I'm sorry I have no idea.
8. Your favourite web store?

Chapters?
9. Favourite book series/ TV series?

Favourite books series would probably be The Infernal Devices. I couldn't name just one favourite TV series, so I will say two that should get more love...White Collar and Wahlburgers.
10.Your favourite childhood cartoon?

I was kinda in love with Aladdin as a child.
11. What or who can you not live without?

I would be devastated if I lost my family and friends. 

 Blogs I nominate  (This took forever!)
 1. Ini's Ravishing Reads 
2. Adventures of a Teenage Bookworm
3. The Two Brains of Book Reviewers
4. The Small Book Blog

5. Yummy Reads 
6. Natflix and Books 
7. Flutters and Flails 
8. A Life Through Books 
9. Book Worm Reviews 
10. Afternoon Bookery
11.  Winding Stairs

My Questions
1. What is your favourite blog at the moment?
2. What was the last movie that you saw?
3. Do you like salty or sweet? 4. What is your dream job? 5. Why did you choose the name for your blog?
6. Do you have a favourite piece of art? If so, what is it?
7. What does your dream man/woman look like?
8. Favourite hot beverage?
9. Do you have a favourite quote? If so, what is it?
10. What would your 6 lotto numbers be?
11. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?


Friday 24 January 2014

The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2)

Goodreads Summary
The story may seems cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle...

My Thoughts
I am loving this series! The Baudelaire children are off to live with their next relative and I loved Uncle Morty. He was a sweet man with a love of snakes. I wish he was in more of the story. 

This book was a bit slower than the first, but still enjoyable. How so? The narrator! He makes these books even more enjoyable than they would have been otherwise. He foreshadows what's to come and does so in such a charming way. I do miss Jude Law's voice though (he is the narrator in the film).

If you have read these books than you know that the narrator will define words along the way. This is a great idea for young readers and would have been really helpful for me growing up, but it became a little annoying.  If you're an adult reading these books the definitions may be a little bothersome, but if you keep in mind the target audience you'll just get use to it. And who knows you might learn a new word.

I can't wait to read The Wide Window!

  photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Tuesday 21 January 2014

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

Goodreads Summary

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

My Thoughts
If you have seen the movie for this series, as I have, than you pretty much know what to expect going into this book. Re-watching this movie recently with friends made me want to read the books (yes all 13 of them) for the first time. I know that there is more to the story than the movie shows us and I can't wait to read the whole adventure.

As a fan of the movie I had great expectations going into this first book and I was quite satisfied. The Baudelaire children were just as charming as they were onscreen and Count Olaf was just as menacing.  Even though I knew what was going to happen I was still excited to see what would happen next. There were differences between the film and the book, but they weren't drastic or bothersome in any way.

If you want to read a series that wont take you very long than this seems to be the one for you. The first book was only 100 pages or so including illustrations. 

 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Saturday 18 January 2014

Nerd Girl

Goodreads Summary
Everyone knows that office romances can be risky, but how much are you willing to sacrifice for love?

Julia Hayes is beautiful, successful, sometimes nerdy, and perpetually single. She lives in Seattle and just landed her dream job at one of the most iconic technology companies in the world.

When Julia embarks on a new career opportunity, a serendipitous event literally throws her in the path of Ryan McGraw, the hot and charming VP. As the attraction grows between them, it's not long before Julia realizes that things are more complicated than they appear.

Nerd Girl is a heartwarming love story about a woman at the crossroads between true love and her career. It's about deciding what’s most important in life and taking chances to get it. But most of all, it's about not letting your mind prevent you from following your heart.


My Thoughts
This book was cute. I read a lot of boy meets girl stories, don't I? Ya I need to read a wider selection in 2014. Anyway...

Julia meets Ryan in an unconventional way and just can't stop thinking about him; we've all been there.
The beginning of their "relationship" was cute, but as time progressed their courting reminded me a little of this toothpaste commercial. You know the one where she sees her entire future with the guy because he smiled at her.


I must note that I don't have anything against fan fiction. I love it and was a reader for years, but this story felt a little bit like a fan fiction to me. The drama in this book never seemed to end. Just let these two be happy already! Fan fiction writers had a tendency to do that too. Maybe that's just the norm in adult fiction these days. Also there was some scenes with forced dialogue, but nothing that I really bothered me.

However, this book did have a lot going for it too. The connection between these two was undeniable. It's this kind of connection that women dream of. Not only that, but the book was funny. Nothing that had me rolling on the floor, but funny. The characters were pretty damn good too. I found Julia to be adorable. She was a nerd, but also a powerful woman. Her twin sister Anna is the free spirit that I wish I could be. Ryan was sexy and sweet. The love scenes were...believable and there were weren't so many that I felt like I should have just picked up a book with Fabio on the cover.

At the end of the day this book was good. I would recommend it to those that like a love story and don't mind a little drama.

 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Friday 17 January 2014

Bevel Down: The Absurd Tragic Memoir of an Okie Meth Head

*This book was sent to me, but I will give an honest review. *

Goodreads Summary 
This is the story of Todd, an intravenous meth addict that lived in Logan County, Oklahoma in the mid 1990's. Written in his own words, the story chronicles the intense events surrounding the tragic climax of his life when he was only nineteen years old. It is an edgy tale of crime, friendship, and love. He relays his story with dark humor and unflinching candor. Some of it is to be believed, some of it surely is not. All in all, Todd paints a stirring and brutal picture of poor young people striving to get by in a world where the odds are stacked against them. He even fancies himself to be a bona fide outlaw, a renegade philosopher among a population of sheepish sycophants. However, his care free philosophy is no match for the harder realities that must inevitably accompany this lifestyle. Everything and everyone will collapse around him, even the woman he loves, until Todd must finally face his demons or be consumed by them. Such is the life of a junkie.



So What Did I Think?
When I first finished this book I wasn't really sure how I felt about it. I knew I liked it, but it wasn't without its flaws. It isn't the typical book you see on my blog. This isn't a boy meets girl story or a young adult novel by any stretch. This is a gritty memoir about a group of young addicts. The reader gets to a chance to see inside the mind of a methamphetamine user.  And before you get all Million Little Pieces on him, the author says up front that not all of the story is 100% true.

When we first meet Todd he is removing the nuts and bolts on a convenience store window so that he and a friend can come back later to rob the place. He's on a five day drug binge at this point. Todd and his friends need money to feed their addiction, so they do what's necessary to make that happen. Is that the right thing to do? No, but they weren't really thinking rationally. These characters are flawed, but that's what made them interesting. They didn't have the best upbringing and maybe that played a part in how their lives turned out. Todd seems to blame society at times. "All too often I found myself dwelling on the injustices of the world. It fed my addictions and provided validation for all of my actions." 

 In the end I found that I wanted more. More Todd. More of his story. We see such a small time frame that I would have loved to know how his addiction started. I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall of this story for just a little bit longer.

**spoiler**


 I wonder if Desmond really did get clean; I hope so. 
 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Thursday 16 January 2014

Losing It

Goodreads Summary
Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, Bliss Edwards decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible - a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

  
My Thoughts
I have to start by saying that I hate this book cover. Garrick is supposed to be her college professor. The guy on this cover looks like a 13 year old model. My apologies to the man who was used for this. If you forget about the cover than you will love this book.

This book was hot! It's an amazing contemporary romance about two people who cannot be together. Bliss is self conscience about starting her last semester of college a virgin, so her friend comes up with a plan to help her lose it. She meets Garrick in a bar and it's electric. They instantly hit it off and she takes him home.


The next morning they both learn about their teacher/student relationship. Uh oh. It wasn't just the sexual tension that made me love this book though. Bliss' nervousness made her hilarious. She said things out of fear that just made me laugh out loud. Yes it's a typical plot, but the characters were so well written that I didn't care.


 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Exciting News

I was recently approached by Bostick Communications with an exciting opportunity.  They wanted to know if I would be interested in being sent books to review.  I of course jumped at the opportunity.  I love books and this will give me a chance to read books that maybe I wouldn't have had access to.  I wanted to make a post on my blog before writing any such reviews.  I will review the books the same way as I do all other (summary followed by my thoughts and a rating), but I will also let you know that it was a copy sent to me.

I know some people may have issues with bloggers reviewing work that they were sent, but I have every intention of giving an honest review. I don't think an author would want me to praise their book up if it wasn't an honest review. If they do than I am sorry.

I just thought I'd let you all know.

Renée

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Crash

Goodreads Summary
Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.

Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.


My Thoughts

I will start by saying that I give this book 4 stars. This will not be a book for everyone. Those who understand that cyclical relationships are not healthy will not like this book. I get that. It's why I can't watch The Notebook the same way I did in high school. However, the love between these two was so palpable that I couldn't help loving this book.

Lucy is a typical teenager. She starts a new school her senior year due to some money issues, but she is determined to not let this drag her down. She isn't a whinny 17 year old like we see in so many books these days.

Jude is a mess. He is just a flat out mess, but when he meets and gets to know Lucy he softens a little. He's had a really (I wanna swear, but I wont) life. He is the reason he and Luce break up so many times. He's insecure about his past and uses the whole "I don't want to ruin you" routine. If I didn't completely believe that these two loved each other, I wouldn't support this (fictional) relationship. If she were a friend I would tell her to run and never look back. Hell even Jude told her that.

I could have done without some of the characters though. Sawyer was an unnecessary element to this story. He just added so much animosity between Jude and Lucy that didn't strengthen the story at all. Then there was Taylor. I would have preferred it if Lucy made no friends than hang out with someone like Taylor.

Nevertheless, this book was written well. I could have done without some of the drama, but that's what you get when you read contemporary. 

 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Tuesday 14 January 2014

If You Find Me

Goodreads Summary

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.



My Thoughts
This book was really really good.

Carey basically raised her sister, Nessa. The then 9 year old little girl basically took over parenting her younger sister when she realized that her mother couldn't/wouldn't do it. Not only that, but she did it in the woods in Tennessee.  Can you even imagine?

This story picks up right before they are rescued and we see how the two little girls deal with a new family, school, peers, and just the normal everyday routine. There were struggles and at times I wondered if they were coping too quickly, but then I didn't care.

Carey was such a strong girl. She raised her sister, taught her to read and write, and then helped once they reached the "real world". She was an incredible character. She not only had to deal with normal teenager issues and feelings, but a past in the woods that changed her. I know I wouldn't have survived what she did. I don't think most people could. 

I would definitely read a book about these characters 10 years later. Will she and Ryan be together? Are Carey and her new sister be close? It would be an interesting read.

Check this book out!

 photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif photo aa-reading-owl.gif

Monday 13 January 2014

Bout of Books 9.0 Wrap Up

Bout of Books

If you ask me the Bout of Books read-a-thon 9.0 was a great success!

I finished 7 books in a week.






Plus one novella.

I also read pages from Iron's Daughter (but I lost interest) and started If You Find Me Sunday afternoon. Both have been counted in my page count even though I never finished them.

My final page count was ... 2,128.


I hope you are as proud of me as I am.

Did any of you read anything good this week?  Got recommendation?  Do share!