Choice Words

I've read plenty of books by Nicholas Sparks. I've loved most of those books. I, for some reason couldn't get through Message in a Bottle, but I am considering giving that one another go. I was quite a bit younger when I tried to read that one. Last night I finished reading The Choice. It didn't take me very long to read. At just over 250 pages, it ranks among the shorter books I've read lately. However, I never felt like the book left the ground. It put down some interesting ground work, but the plot never picked up. Sure, there were some emotional moments, but I didn't feel the typical heartstring tugs that Nicholas Sparks usually invokes. Most of his books have, at some point, left me absolutely sobbing. I read his books expecting a good cry or at least a palpable connection to the characters, but I just didn't get that from this book. I wish I could say that I really enjoyed it, but I don't like to lie. Unfortunately, this book has made it into my "to sell" stack. (Yeah, another stack).

This morning I sunk my teeth (pardon the pun) into the first few chapters of The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz. I've enjoyed the other books in the Blue Bloods series very much, and I hope I enjoy this one just as much. I find this incarnation of the vampire myth to be very interesting.

It's Never Who You Expect

I wasn't expecting to like Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner as much as I did. I didn't expect to be sucked into a murder mystery, but I loved that I was! This book took so many twists and turns it was unbelievable. The resolution took me completely by surprise. The killer was not who I expected it to be at all. I like being surprised. This book was such a find for me. I actually found it at a bookstore on a $3 rack! I love finding things like that. Now back to an author I know and love, Nicholas Sparks. This time it's The Choice. I hope it's a good one!

Happily Ever After

I always love the way Eva Ibbotson comes up with her happily ever afters. They are never easy and they always come so close to not happening at all. She always comes up with creative ways to make things happen in the end, and A Countess Below Stairs is no exception. I loved it! There were some characters in this book who I felt were actually insane. The kind of insane where they should have papers. That made it really fun, though.
Now, onto the next book: Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner.

Stick a Needle in My Eye

This post is a little late. I spent a little time in Ocean Springs, so I'm playing catch-up. I finished the second book in the Gallagher Girls series, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. I liked this book better than the first. This book expanded on the world that the first book introduced. That is as it should be with a series. Each book should expand upon a world that the author introduced in the first book. I think Cameron is turning out to be a very interesting character. I do have the next book in the series, but it is several books down in "The Stack." (Twelve, if I'm not mistaken). Right now I am reading another fantastic book by Eva Ibbotson, A Countess Below Stairs. Her books are always interesting, though most seem to follow the same pattern. The characters and settings of her books are the real draws in all of her stories. She creates both very vividly. That's how she draws in the reader every single time.

[insert spy music here]

I just finished reading I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, the first book in the Gallagher Girls series. One thing I enjoyed about this first book were all the references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I've always been a HUGE Buffy fan, and those references made me smile. I hope the rest of the books in this series live up to the potential that is present in this first book. This first book was really good, but I think there are things that could have been improved. I hope the next book is even better. The next book in the series is actually next in my stack, so we will soon find out. This one is titled, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy.

Gossip Girl: The 1899 Edition

Well, that didn't take me long to finish! In a matter of days, I finished reading The Luxe by Anna Godberson. Since this book takes place in New York City and it follows a group of (mostly) high society girls and guys, it reminded me of Gossip Girl. I've never actually read the series, but I've seen the TV show. This series is a bit tamer, (less drugs, actually none so far) but still full of plenty of shocks and scandals. These scandals might not be what something we'd consider scandalous today, but in 1899, they were enough to get you disowned. I'm interested to see where the series goes from here. A lot of things were left up in the air at the end of this book, so I want to see how things are going to play out. The next book in the series is a few books down in "The Stack," so if won't be long until I get to it!

Next up, I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter.

Here Comes the Sun

Last night I stayed up later than I should have just so I could finish reading The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. The book quickly became impossible to put down (maybe because of ancient Egyptian magic, I'm not sure). Sadie and Carter Kane were swept up in another fast-paced adventure that tested them to their limits, and this is clearly not their last battle. The book ends with the knowledge that an even bigger battle is looming for our globe-trotting siblings. This book was a worthy sequel to the first book in The Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid. There were great new characters introduced and many familiar faces reappeared along the way. My favorite new character in this book was a god named Bes. He's an interesting fellow, to say the least. This book centered around the Kane siblings search for the Book of Ra and their attempt to awake the god. I won't tell you whether they succeed or not (that wouldn't be any fun), however, I will tell you that this book will not disappoint any fans of Rick Riordan. The Throne of Fire is every bit as engaging and addictive as any book in his much lauded Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I, personally, cannot wait for the next installment in this series. I also await the next book in Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series which will be here in the not too distant future!

I've already begun reading my next book, The Luxe by Anna Godberson. I just started reading it this morning and am already more than one hundred pages into it. More on that book next time!

Witchy Woman

I just finished reading The Sorceress by Michael Scott, who has yet again mixed and melded so many fantastical elements into his story that it boggles the mind! Even more unusual characters were introduced this time, a few of them quite unexpected. This book, more than any before it in the series, really showcased how powerful Nicholas's wife Perenelle is. She is a frighteningly powerful sorceress and her foes vastly underestimate her time and again. Technically, she is even more powerful than Nicholas Flamel himself. The twins, Sophie and Josh, are also becoming quite powerful. When they combine their powers they are practically unmatched in their abilities. As they learn more, they will only get stronger. I loved this book, and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I have a feeling that things not as we have thought for the last three books. I believe I see a twist coming, a very interesting twist.