Review: Written in the Stars

Title:  Written in the Stars
Author:  Aisha Saeed
Rating:  4/5

Summary:

This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. 

When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Review:

I think it's obvious by now that I love cultural based books, especially when they revolve around family.  This one, while not one of my favorites, was rather well written and the family dynamic was fantastic, as well as the center of the plot.

Naila (and I cannot seem to settle on a pronunciation of her name in my head), is a bright young Pakistani-American teenager who has her whole life in front of her, until her parents take it away in the worst way you can imagine.

In the summary it says that Naila's parents found her a husband in Pakistan, that is an incredibly watered-down version of the events of the second half of the book.  Naila is thrown away like a dog who couldn't behave.  

Arranged marriages are not uncommon in this world, but this one is described in a detail that shocks people like me, someone who has never seen it first hand.  Many times they work out, but just as many times they do not, and this is a devastating example of when family pushes too far.

Review: One With You

Title:  One with You
Author: Sylvia Day
Series: Crossfire (#5 Final)
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws ... and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free ... or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire® saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

Review:

I picked up the first book in this series two or three years ago.  At first, I didn't have high hopes for it; I thought it was just going to be a slightly less kinky version of Fifty Shades of Grey.  I was so wrong!

This series was beautiful most of the time.  I admit the third and fourth books were slow compared to the rest, and I complained in the past about the repetition of relationship issues, but this book more than made up for those instances.

My favorite was the last 200 or so pages when Gideon and Eva finally seem to just click in that magical way we've always been craving.  The ultimate last hurtle for them was amazing as well.  And Lucky was the cutest little sidekick ever.

I really recommend reading this entire series.  There is some sex scenes, sure, but they by far do not overshadow the genuine writing and relationship between characters.

Review: Go Set A Watchman

Title:  Go Set A Watchman
Author:  Harper Lee
Rating:  2.5/5

Summary:

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt.

Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. 

Review:

I was so very stoked for this book to come out as soon as I heard the manuscript was found after Harper Lee's sister died.  I'm not sure I've really ever been so disappointed in a sequel before.  To Kill A Mockingbird was one of my ultimate favorite books, so naturally I was skeptical (as well as the previous excitement) about a book with my favorite characters that had apparently been previously rejected by the publishers.

I hate to say it, but they were right to originally reject it.

Whoever edited this (because come on, we know Harper didn't have a huge part in this decision or edit) did not do a stellar job.  I'm sad that this was the last book she released before her death.  I honestly wish it hadn't been found.

What did you think?  Am I being to harsh about it all?  And rest in peace Harper Lee.

2016 Reading Challenge: A Book Published This Year

A Book Published This Year

I thought it would take me a few more months to find a book published this year that I liked enough to review and include in this challenge, but that's not the case.  Read my review of the book here.

Title: The Girl Who Fell
Author: S. M. Parker
Rating: 5/5
Published:  March 1, 2016

Summary:

His obsession. Her fall.

Zephyr Doyle is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and attending her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…

Terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

Review: The Girl Who Fell

Title: The Girl Who Fell
Author: S. M. Parker
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

His obsession. Her fall.

Zephyr Doyle is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and attending her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…

Terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.


If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

Review:

A book about relationship abuse and control.  I had my reservations at first, but after the first two chapters they were completely gone.  I saw a lot of reviews on Goodreads saying people didn't like it because it wasn't realistic; I imagine they meant because Zephyr is a smart young girl and just because her father left doesn't mean she should have fell into the trap that Alec set.  However, take it from a smart girl who almost fell, it can happen.

This is a subject that girls, and guys, need to be a lot more aware about.  A significant other is not the end all-be all.  Never give up your dreams.

I recommend to all! (Over the age of 16).

Review: Goodbye to Yesterday

Title:  Goodbye to Yesterday
Author:  Wanda E. Brunstetter
Series:  The Discovery (#1)
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A drug addict on the run. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?

Review:

I'm not saying this book is bad, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.  It's novella length, and book one of a six part series about an Amish couple.

I had two major problems with this book:  I hate things involving amnesia, and it moved slower than an Amish buggy (and I'm not being mean with that, I think Amish living is fascinating).  I didn't really realize it had to do with amnesia until the very end, but from what I read the rest of the series is heavily focused upon that aspect.

Overall, not going to read the rest of the series, but may try the author again with a different book or series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough or In a While

Meme by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In a While

1. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson - I literally never talk about this book, and a lot of people don't know it exists.  However, this was the book that made me actually enjoy reading it!  One Mother's Day some 13 or so years ago (I was in seventh grade) I read this entire book in a day and I haven't been able to stop reading ever since.

2. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer - This book is heartbreaking, actually far beyond heartbreaking.  This poor child and everything he went though, and is still going through as an adult survivor of horrific abuse is just amazing.  I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with a weak stomach or under the age of thirteen.

3. I'll Be Seeing You by Lurlene McDaniel - This book is probably my favorite by this author, and I've read the majority of her books (she's written about 80 I think).  These books are always equally romantic, sweet, and heartbreaking in turn.

4. The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks - I love Nicholas Sparks books, he's one of my favorite authors.  This is my favorite book by him and I hope it never gets made into a movie!  Especially because they would never be able to do the son justice and he is a crux of the book.

5. Burning Bones by Christopher Golden - The best book of the best mystery series I've ever read.  Unfortunately these books are extremely rare, so I've only read three of the series.  One day I hope to read them all!

6. Godchild Vol. 1 by Kaori Yuki - My favorite manga series!  It's a murder mystery series.  My favorite mini-mystery in these books is the Alice in Wonderland murders.

7. Bent by Sean Michael - Guilty pleasure, end of story.  This is book one of many.

8. Dancer with Bruised Knees by Lynne McFall - I'm not sure I can ever properly explain why I love this book.  There's not even a summary on the back of the book when I bought it.  You just need to dive right in.

9. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix - Best horror book I've every read!  And yes, I'm counting this above Stephen King books.  It's just so unique.

10. Santa's Angels by Janet Kaderli - I know none of us wants to think about winter and snow since it's finally spring, but this is my favorite Christmas book.  It's just the right amount of sweet.

2016 Reading Challenge: A Book You've Been Meaning to Read

A Book You've Been Meaning to Read

There are probably over 200 books I've been meaning to read, just in the last few years.  For this specific challenge I chose I one I've been meaning to read only for a short time:

The Martian by Andy Weir

Summary:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Mini-Review:

I loved this book since the moment I picked it up and finished it record time (or what passes as record time for me these days).  You can see my full review of this book here.

Review: The Unwanteds

Title:  The Unwanteds
Author:  Lisa McMann
Series:  The Unwanteds (#1)
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination. 

It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation. 

But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artim that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle.

Review:

I love dystopian books.  Ever since The Hunger Games hit shelves I've devoured any other series with that theme.  This is the first book of a series that is six books long so far (I am guessing there will be seven total, because of reasons you will learn in the book!)

I think one thing that really drew me to this series, especially since it's middle school level, not young adult, is its take on art.  Personally, I have tried almost every art medium out there and to think that art can truly come to life like it does in Artime is an amazing concept.  The characters are lovable and once you meet Simber you'll want a giant flying cheetah made of stone for yourself.

I've read up through the fourth book so far, but I admit I got very bored in that book, but that's likely because I was kind of binge reading these and needed a break before going on to the next book.

Other Books in the Series:

Island of Silence (Book 2)
Island of Fire (Book 3)
Island of Legends (Book 4)
Island of Shipwrecks (Book 5)
Island of Graves (Book 6)
Island of Dragons (Book 7 - Not yet published)

2016 Reading Challenge: A Book You Can Finish In A Day

A Book You Can Finish In A Day

Technically I didn't finish this book the same day I started, but that's only because I started it at about 10 pm, and finished it shortly after midnight the next day.  However, I'm counting that as a "day" because it was less than 24 hours by far.

I rather liked the book, and it is a Newbery Award winner:

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Summary:

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently That Weren't My Typical Genre

Presented by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently That Weren't My Typical Genre

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

I don't really do science fiction, pretty much ever.  If I delve into that side of literature I go towards fantasy, but this book was amazing.

2. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

I actually read this as a brand new book, that I requested through the library because it had been on the bestsellers lists (or at least the author had).  I don't typically read mainstream, new releases, but this was kind of hilarious.

3. Breakwater Bay by Shelley Nobel

Just a basic family drama/romance, not normally exciting for me.

4. Awesome Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said by Dan Caddy

This was straight up hilarious, and nonfiction is not my favorite genre by far.

5. If You Feel Too Much by Jamie Tworkowski

Again, nonfiction, but it's from To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), so I had to because I love them, and I loved this.

6. Raising My Rainbow by Lori Duron

Blah memoirs usually, especially whiny ones about how someone is different and life is hard, but I found this rather inspiring.

7. American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Again, memoir, but war.  I love war movies, not typically books.  This was the best book I read in 2015 hands down.

8. Entwined With You by Sylvia Day

I normally find myself embarrassed by reading books that are known to be about sex and not much more, but this series has actual plot and Sylvia Day can actually write, so I make the exception for her.

9. Who Was Alfred Hitchcock? by Pamela D. Pollak

Need I say memoir again?  I'm starting to think I read these more than I think, but this was childrens level.  If you have a child and they don't like nonfiction, introduce them to this series of books, they'll love it.

10. The Terrorist's Son by Zak Ebrahim

Memoir!  Mostly I loved it because it was related to a Ted Talk, and if you don't know what Ted Talks are, then google it.  Now.  Seriously.

Review: The Martian

Title:  The Martian
Author:  Andy Weir
Rating:  6/5

Summary:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Review:

I cannot express how much I truly loved this book.  I would say it was my favorite this year, but considering it's only February, that is setting myself up for a year of shitty reading that couldn't compare.  Oddly enough I was given this book as a present on a first date (awesome, right?), and I started reading it that night.  It started off for me as a book I heard was highly recommended and I wanted to read it before I saw the movie (which now I'm not sure I want to see).  It ended up being amazing though!

Yes, sure, there was a lot of technical science talk, but the humor amidst it more than made up for parts I didn't understand.  I think I would have actually been satisfied if the only point of view the entire book was from Mark, but I did enjoy seeing NASA scramble in the aftermath.

So basically I'm recommending this book to absolutely anyone I can think of who reads and hasn't read it yet.  I've already converted a few people.  Even if you don't normally like science fiction (like me) you should read this!

Review: 5 to 1

Title:  5 to 1
Author:  Holly Bodger
Rating:  2/5

Summary:

In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.

Sudasa doesn’t want to be a wife, and Contestant Five, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. Sudasa’s family wants nothing more than for their daughter to do the right thing and pick a husband who will keep her comfortable—and caged. Five’s family wants him to escape by failing the tests. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Five thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.

This beautiful, unique novel is told from alternating points of view—Sudasa’s in verse and Contestant Five’s in prose—allowing readers to experience both characters’ pain and their brave struggle for hope.


Review:

This book left me wanting a lot.  The first thing that drew me in was the magnificent artwork on the cover, and next that the majority of the book was in poetry.  However, those two points are about the only things I liked about this book.

I love dystopian novels, but this felt as disjointed as an imagined future world seems to be.  The writing was loose and there several grammatical errors that I'm unsure how they passed editing.  The concept was very interesting, especially considering China's one-child policy and the likelihood of this situation (outnumbering girls) will happen in that country.

The first time the author switched points of view I was lost.  The paragraphs were dense blocks of text with little meaning and less emotion.  This story could have gone two ways, and should have chosen one of these paths:  [1] been a short story of no more than 75 pages and only in Sudasa's point of view; or [2] been lengthened by at least 100 pages and have Kiran's point of view more developed.

Lastly, the title is just ridiculous.  It makes the book hard to search for and while it applies to the book well, I think something symbolic of the poems that were mentioned would have been a much better fit.

2016 Reading Challenges

Hello all!  I haven't posted in forever!  So to start off the new year here is a post on the reading challenges I have accepted for this year.  I may accept more depending on what I find.

First, my Goodreads challenge this year is 85 books!  I've already read three:

          

In addition to this challenge (which I do every year), I accepted a challenge my local library put out:

I have not yet begun that challenge, but I'm looking forward to it and I've already chosen several books for some of the categories.

What reading challenges are you doing this year?

I'll start putting up reviews again soon.

Review: Fangirl

Title:  Fangirl
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow Fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it.  She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon SNow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading.  Rereading.  Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go.  She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates.  Cath is on her own, completely outside her comfort zone.  She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand?  Is she ready to start living her own life?  Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


Review:

I don't believe the summary of this book does it justice at all, but that summary and the title are what initially drew me into Cather's world.  I am a long-time reader and writer of fan fiction (for the better part of the last 10 years).  The fact that this underworld was brought into the world of a published book made me far to excited to pass this book up.

When I did finally get my hands on the book (ebook...), I couldn't put it down for very long.  Cath draws in every introvert (like me!) and gathers us together to let us she how she evolves.  She goes from a scared girl who is set adrift by her twin and is ensconced in the world of Simon Snow, to a young adult who is trying to make the best out of her life.

It's also a bit of a plus in my opinion that Simon Snow was obviously Harry Potter (with Baz being Draco Malfoy in my opinion).  This is one of the biggest fandoms I read and I was just so happy with this.

I wish more people knew about fan fiction, but at the same time I like how it belongs to only us, the fans who want to see where the story could have gone if the author had went there.  There is some truly astonishing pieces out there, and I hope some day their author's are like Cath and they go on to publish worlds of their own.

I can't recommend this to everyone, because unless you love the fan fiction world [and are a bit of an introvert], you won't get the same value out of this book.

P.S. - Rumor has it that "Carry On, Simon" is going to be written as a full book.  Who else is majorly excited about that?!

Rating: