The Broke and the Bookish

The Great Gatsby: Book vs. Movie

2013-05-22T11:52:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting for MONTHS for the newest movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby to come out. Since pretty much the trailer was released sometime last year. I must say I was not disappointed.

It has been a couple years since I last read The Great Gatsby so I am a little fuzzy on the details of the book. From what I remember the movie stayed close to the book but there were a few things that were added for the movie or I just forgot.

I loved the flashy-ness of the movie. It was over-the-top but Baz Luhrmann did direct it. The soundtrack is...interesting. Definitely not something from the time period. But it does grab your attention and goes with the "flashy" theme.

And the clothes!! I loved everything Daisy and Jordan wore in the movie! Pretty dresses with sparkles and lots of gorgeous jewlery. Sometimes I wish I could dress like that on a daily basis.

Have you seen the newest adaptation of The Great Gatsby (or any of the movie versions)? What did you think?

Julia's Top Ten Favorite Covers Of Books She's Read

2013-05-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the future Top Ten schedule and how to participate go HERE!

Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

In no particular order, the covers that caught my eye after I did a quick scan of my "Read" shelf in cover mode on Goodreads. Each cover will click through to the Goodread's page. Enjoy my completely impulsive, entirely bias top ten lists of cover based on books that I have read! - Julia

For most of these covers I like how they look (An Affair with Mr. Kennedy, Firelight, Yours Until Dawn, Across the Universe, The Memory of Water), others I liked what they had to say about the story within (Darkly Dreaming Dexter, The Time Traveler's Wife, Cinder, Beyond Heaving Bosoms), but with The Taming of the Duke, there is a story. I literally started reading Eloisa James because those abs on the cover above were haunting my dreams. Every time I passed by the book in Wal*Mart or Borders I would just stare. Literally stop, pick the book up, put it back down... rinse repeat. Finally I gave in to their pull (what was taming those abs? Must be one powerful woman!), devoured the book even though it was the third in the series, and as I made by way through her backlist, Ms. James became one of my favorite authors.

So link up your favorites! Let's enjoy the pretty covers. shall we?

Kelly reviews "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides

2013-05-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Published: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1993

I am a HUGE fan of Sofia Coppola movies, and upon noticing that her wonderful movie The Virgin Suicides was based on a book, I knew that book had to be great.

The five Lisbon sisters are the unnamed narrator's beautiful and mysterious neighbors. The narrator and his friends (teenage boys) are obsessed with every move the girls take and worship the ground they walk on. At first you'd think that the sisters are some perfect, angelic beings, but they're not. It's mentioned that they all have crowded teeth, and some walk duck footed or have upper lip hair. The girls are real people. (They felt too perfect to me in the movie. Kristen Dunst? AJ Cook? Come on.) The Lisbon parents are very overprotective, but when the youngest sister makes a suicide attempt, they become even stricter. I couldn't quite tell why the parents were so fanatic. Was it religion? Or just wanting to protect the girls' innocence?

As time goes on and certain events happen, the girls are put on stricter and stricter lock-down to the point they are withdrawn from school and barely let outside. That's when the girls hit their breaking point and, well, the title comes into play. The book is a haunting look at how a typical white-picket fence community in the 70s reacts to "the year of the suicides" and tried to come together to protect itself. I wanted to know more personally about the narrator. He's telling the story as a middle-aged adult looking back at a year in high school, yet he's clearly still obsessed. I wish we could see more about how the girls' actions affected him in the few years afterward. Reading the book made me realize that the movie, in pure Sofia Coppola form, is too minimal. The book and movie are the same in that the use of dialogue is sparse, but the book gives us much more detail and insight into how the girls lived their lives and for all practical purposes, struggled to survive.

Lori Reviews All the Summer Girls

2013-05-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title: All the Summer Girls

Author: Meg Donohue

Published: William Morrow, 2013

Where I Got It: I received this book from the publishers.

Summary from Goodreads: In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiance the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa is obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, the aspiring writer who can't seem to put down a book--or a cocktail--long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired...again.

In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women being to realize how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier--and the secrets that only now threaten to surface.

My thoughts: I LOVED THIS! A month or so ago, I signed up to receive this book thinking that it would be a nice, relaxing read. I saw that it was coming out on the 21st, so I really wanted to read it before then. And I waited and waited for the book to arrive. I began to worry that it wouldn't get here in time for me to review before it came out. It came a few days ago, just in time for me to make a lot of progress during Bout of Books. But I still wasn't overly optimistic about finishing by the 21st. As you can see, this review is coming out on the 19th. Apparently, I didn't really need to worry because I couldn't put it down.

I found myself relating to something in each of the three friends' personalities and I think that most readers of this novel would do the same. I couldn't help but sympathize with the characters and their struggles. Despite being practically inseparable growing up, each of the characters carries a deep (usually dark) secret about their current lives and one about the fateful night alluded to in the summary. Donohue does a great job of letting these secrets come out in the narrative. Each chapter follows the interior thoughts of one of the main characters, giving the reader a variety of perspectives.

This book was definitely the ultimate beach read. I really wish I had been sitting poolside--if not seaside--as I read this. I felt myself completely relax and get caught up in the story, wondering what would happen next, how things would play out. I came to really care about the characters and what happened to them. Donohue leaves the rest of the story to the readers' imagination, but you get the sense that they will each turn out to be happy.

Bottom line--this was a really fun read that I think many of our readers would really enjoy.

Tahleen reviews: "The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" by Christopher Healy

2013-05-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Title: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom
Author: Christopher Healy
Publisher: Walden Pond Press, 2012

Rating: 4.5 stars

Love fairy tale retellings? Looking for something that will make you laugh out loud? Look no further.

We've all heard the stories. Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel. All saved by the ever-present Prince Charming. But what you might not have known is that Prince Charming is actually not one person. Yes, each princess was saved by a separate Prince, and they all have very distinct personalities. The only thing they have in common is they don't REALLY get credit for doing anything in the stories, since they don't have names. And for some, that's actually a good thing.

So what happens when Cinderella runs away to find adventure, and spoiled but good-hearted Prince Frederic goes after her? He somehow meets up with three other princes, of course: Prince Gustav, Prince Liam, and Prince Duncan. And they set off to find the girl, but end up trying to save the world. (Of course.)

This is one of the funniest and most delightful books I've read in a good, long time. The dialogue is just perfect. I felt like I was reading conversations that actually happened, that I would hear or have in my normal day. Except funnier. Just trust me, it's awesome.

The concept is brilliant too. Four prince charmings, all fairly clueless, teaming up to combine their different (and very specific) talents? Fantastic. And their talents are awesome too! I love that Healy made the princes figure out what their contributions could be, since they all weren't the traditional hero or nearly perfect.

Basically this book has it all. Romance (sort of), great characters, action, and hilarity. I can't wait to pick up its sequel, The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, which is out now.

Disclosure: I got this book from my local library.

A Cocktail & Convo With TBTB -- Book to Movie Adaptions

2013-05-17T08:35:00.002-04:00

Every other Thursday (errrr Friday this week) here at the Broke & The Bookish is A Cocktail & Conversation time. One of the TBTB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends.

Julia Asks:

What is your favorite movie that is based on a book?

Lori says: Ooh! Good one! There are so many books to movies that I have actually enjoyed. But I think I will go with To Kill a Mockingbird. I think that they did a great job of capturing the heart of the story. The music was great. The casting was great. I think shooting in black and white was a perfect choice to bring out the simplicity of Macomb. Gregory Peck absolutely stole the show with his portrayal of Atticus. He got the character right down to the gesture. And, according to IMDB.com, he brought Harper Lee to tears with how much he reminded her of her father--the model for the character. I think that as far as books to movies go, this is definitely one of the best in terms of sticking to the book and in terms of overal cinematic greatness.

Paula says: Oh gosh- I'm going to have to pick two. First off: Coraline. I read the book in college - and even though it's targeted for young adult- it still managed to give me the heebeejeebees. The movie perfectly captured the childhood nightmare quality of Neil Gaiman's book. And from a technical point of view - the fact that it's all stop motion and hand made is so awesome to me. Someone actually knit all of Coraline's tiny clothes!
Second (and more recent): Cloud Atlas. This is my favorite book- I have a quote from it above my book shelf... I've written posts about it here. I was terrified that a movie would ruin it. But no- I was a mess of tears (of joy) the whole time. It brought to life (and brought new aspects to-) a book I have loved so much for so long.

Jamie says: To be honest, very recently I watched Perks of Being A Wallflower and it trumps any of my past favorite book-to-movie adaptions. It was AMAZING and I couldn't have asked for anything better out of a movie. I felt so many FEELS like I did with the book way back when I read it in 2004 (I think). I do think that helped that I hadn't read it recently but remembered the important parts but didn't critique it too closely in the details. But seriously that movie was amazing and even Will liked it and we rarely agree on movies.

For an encore on July 9th we have best & worst book to movie adaptations slated for Top Ten Tuesday! To get your brain warmed up for that tell us YOUR all time favorite book to movie adaptation!

Video Post: Help Paula Get Better at Quick Reviews!

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hey All! Lately I've been discovering that I get a bit too excited about books with people outside of our happy little blog land and I need your help figuring out how to give people 30 second recommendations and not talk their ears off. More in the video below!

Books I mention in the video (and show off for a second) are: Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr. and The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

And that non-stop squeaking in the background is my dog being way too excited about toys... sorry!

Kelly's Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

2013-05-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

For the future Top Ten schedule and how to participate go HERE!

Compared to last week's topic, things are about to get depressing up in here. Today's subject is about books dealing with tough subjects, whether it be abuse, suicide, grief, or just whatever speaks to you personally.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - We get slammed with two tough subjects here: a friend's death and an eating disorder. Before reading this, I never really knew how destructive and complex anorexia could be for everyone involved. Of course, Anderson's Speak should also get a mention here.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins - This is the first book in a trilogy about a girl who gets caught up in a drug addiction and how her choices affect her family, friends, and life. It's very dark and VERY powerful.
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen - When I picked up this book I expected it to be a light, fluffy (and I mean fluffy in a good way) read like the majority of Sarah Dessen's other books, but I was completely wrong. Dreamland is almost scary with its realistic scenarios of domestic abuse.
Hold Still by Nina LaCour - I only read this within the last week but it's one of the most accurate books portraying the grief after death (in this story's case, a friend's suicide). The feelings of depression and despair the main character experiences are completely real.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman - If you ever want a book to completely break your heart, this is it. A car crash is traumatizing enough, but when it kills your entire family and leaves you alone...heartbreaking.
The Fault in our Stars by John Green - While of course all of John Green's books are witty, fun, and full of adventure, they all have a more serious side. This is one of his best, bringing the wake of cancer and it's side effects to life.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay - Though mostly fictional, this book regales the horror of concentration camps during WWII. This particular story takes place in France, and the Nazi monstrosities that were allowed to happen on French soil still haunt the citizens of France to this day.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Almost as much as what went on in WWII, the racial prejudice in America absolutely sickens me. Kathryn Stockett's story of 1960s Mississippi made me nervous, uncomfortable, and scared while reading it.
A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer - Even scarier because it really happened, this is a terrifying tale of an abusive mother, both physically and psychologically.
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - This is another book I thought would be a nice, light read but left me SOBBING by the end. As opposed to The Fault in our Stars, this book looks more at the effect of cancer on an entire family.

Broke and Bookish Book Haul for 4/28 - 5/11

2013-05-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Paula's Book Haul

So this weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year... the Wake County Library Sale. Although I didn't go as many times as last year (I went all 4 days it was open...) I still snagged a whole bunch of books and for only $20 yessss!

My actual haul was 19 books and that was after I told myself to put some back and forced myself to walk past all the pretty old books.

They are (in no particular order):
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
The Glass of Time by Michael Cox
M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber
Raptor Red by Robert Bakker
Dinosaur Planet by Anne McCaffrey (it should be noted that this is now the second book I own call Dinosaur Planet and they are completely different series and oh my gosh how are there 2 campy scifi series out there with "Dinosaur Planet" as their title. Thank you Dear Library Goddess I love you)
Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl
Mr. Toppit by Charles Elton
Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart
Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K Dick
Time out of Joint by Phillip K Dick
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
City of Illusions by Ursula K. LeGuin
From the Earth to The Moon by Jules Verne

Also I need it to be noted that Raptor Red has quite possibly the COOLEST holographic cover in the world and the book itself is told from the perspective of a raptor... so I haven't even read it and it's found a special beautiful place in my heart.

Now to get of the internets and roll around in glee on my new books!

Daisy's Book Haul

Egalleys For Review:
-The Program by Suzanne Young: seriously, this book just sounds like something that I will LOVE!
-Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier: I squealed when I was approved for this, I loved Shadowfell!
-Dragon's Child by M.K. Hume: I am slightly obsessed with King Arthur, so I think I will just devour this book.
-The Lady and the Laird by Nicola Cornick: there's something about men in kilts...
-Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance: there are SPIES! And a lovestory lightly based on Pride and Prejudice! YES!
-Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner: I'm a bit ashamed that I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but I will fix this!
-Once We Were by Kat Zhang: I wasn't fully convinced by What's Left of Me, but maybe Once We Were will spice things up!
-How To Love by Katie Cotugno: it sounds like a perfect summer read, dealing with real issues!
-A Little Night Mischief by Emily Greenwood: it sounds like a really cute historical romance :)
-Once Upon a Tartan by Grace Burrowes: I've said it before, but there's really something about men in kilts..
-All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry: this sounds like it could be really amazing!
-Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris: I really enjoyed Unraveling and after that ending I NEED to know what happens to Ben and Janelle!
-Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I've heard nothing but amazing things about the author's writing and am very excited to read this!
-Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin: LOVED MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH!! SO EXCITED!
-Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund: trusted sources tell me I need to read this series because I will love it, consider it done!

Bought:
-The Hero's Guide To Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy: The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom was SO FUNNY! I totally loved it and am excited to go on more adventures with Liam, Frederic, Duncan and Gustav!
-The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan: it's set in PARIS and it sounds EPIC!
-Icons by Margaret Stohl: ok, so I still need to read Beautiful Creatures, but I've heard REALLY good things about it and decided to just buy this one because it sounded awesome.
-Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: I finally bought this book after all Sarah from Sarah Says Read's recommendations! Now to read it...
-The Originals by Cat Patrick: it's about CLONES! Need I seriously say more?
-The Elite by Kiera Cass: I still need to read The Selection, but I just needed to buy this...

Jamie's Book Haul

I received Tumble & Fall by Alexanda Coutts this week for review from FSG and I AM SO EXCITED. Definitely an anticipated read for Fall 2013. Basically the premise of this book is that there is an asteroid plummeting towards earth and there is nothing anybody can do about it and the book chronicles these last days of these teens who are just waiting for the world to end.

Our Broke & Bookish book haul is inspired by memes like IMM & Stacking the Shelves& Mailbox Monday. This is just our very simple way of doing it collaboratively so we can participate in all of them and not have to choose one.

Lori Reviews Pain Parties, Work

2013-05-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953

Author: Elizabeth Winder

Published: HarperCollins, 2013

Where I Got It: I received this book from the publishers.

I really like Sylvia Plath. I love her poetry--it's so honest and real. Even more than that, I love reading her journals. In her journals, she sounds like any other young college girl. Her concerns are/were my concerns--boys, school, clothes, and her appearance. Yet, you most often hear about Sylvia Plath the depressed artist. While she was this, she also had bouts of normalcy that masked the pain.

That's what Elizabeth Winder seeks to explore in her study of the month that Plath was a guest editor at Mademoiselle magazine in New York. Winder walks the reader through the entire process, day-by-day--what Sylvia did and saw each day of the experience. Plath went into the month extremely excited to become a posh New Yorker. She spent a good amount of her money on buying just the right clothes. These clothes would be sophisticated without trying too hard to make her fit in. She was ready and excited to see the culture of the city. Yet this summer wound up being the summer Sylvia wrote so truthfully about in The Bell Jar.

Winder uses excerpts from Plath's letters and journal, as well as interviews from her fellow editors. All of these portray Plath as a young woman who believed that females could be both smart and beautiful. She was determined to be both. She was not the pained artist who cared nothing about appearance. She cared very much about the things that most 20 year old young women care about. Still, she was quite disappointed and disillusioned by the experience of being a guest editor.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I think that the author did a fantastic job of pulling together various sources to write a detailed description of Sylvia's month in New York. I really like the organization of the narrative--Winder covers the first week before covering Plath's life before the guest editor position, the carries through to the aftermath of the month in New York. She uses a lot of quotations from Sylvia's fellow editors, most of whom could not imagine that Sylvia's life would turn out as it did. Why? Because she seemed so much like them. I like the extra features that Winder includes in the book, such as the text boxes that cover in more detail an aspect of Plath's life, such as talking about Plath's love of paper dolls as evidence of her love of fashion, or the chapter entitled "A Dictionary of Adolescence," which defines some important parts of Sylvia's life.

All in all, I think that this is a great book for anyone who is interested in learning more about Sylvia Plath or for anyone who really enjoys The Bell Jar.

Early Buzz about The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

2013-05-10T05:33:00.000-04:00

So seriously you guys, after I was done squealing over getting my hands on the e-arc of The Bitter Kingdom, I just finished the book I was reading in no time and moved on to this one, because well, I LOVE this series and Rae Carson's writing and I couldn't wait till August to find out what happens to Elisa and Hector!!

I even conquered my fear of reading the last book in a series for this book. This is the level of love I have for this series!

Here are just some quick first reactions upon reading The Bitter Kingdom (a full review will be posted closer to the release date on my personal blog):

-OMG, I just love Elisa! She's such an awesome character and I'm still wowed by how much she's grown over the course of this series!

-HECTOR! *swoon* *sigh* *generally all the things*

-The Inviernos are seriously creepy!

-Loved the council of the three queens! I have so much love for Cosme and Alodia, they are awesome and YES to the women being in power!

I don't want to spoil anything but I do have to say that I am fully satisfied with this ending except for the fact that I'm infinitely sad the series has ended! (This is a plea to Rae Carson to write more books, pretty please?)

You can pre-order this book here and YES YOU WANT TO!

And if you have also had the honor of reading this book early, please let me know! I'm DYING to talk about this book because it brought ALL THE FEELINGS!

My rating: 5+ stars

Bridget Reviews Stalking You Now

2013-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Stalking You Now

Author: Jeff Strand

Published: February 2013, DarkFuse

Summary (from Goodreads): The reprehensible man sits in the restaurant. Laughing with his friends. Entertaining them with a story about his wretched behavior.

He doesn't know that somebody at another table is watching him. Somebody filled with hatred. Somebody waiting for him to be alone. Somebody with duct tape and a gun.

It's a night for vengeance. And a hell of a lot more.

Review: This is a cute little novelette that I got from NetGalley. I’m totally into dark, thriller-y type things, so I thought this would be right up my alley. Don’t get me wrong, I was correct, but not for the reasons I thought.

Like I said (and like you would also think from the description), I thought it would be a dark thriller. Instead, it was more of a dark comedy, and definitely the kind that makes you say, “Wait, what??” and turn back to what you just read to make sure you didn’t read wrong. I thought it was a really clever plot: the guy with the duct tape and gun is the narrator, stalking the “reprehensible man.” However, you’re hit with a twist right away: the reprehensible man is not, objectively, so reprehensible; while you start out thinking that the stalker is seeking justified vengeance, you soon discover that it’s quite the opposite.

I can’t say much more about this without revealing major plot points, and since it probably works out to about 50 paper pages (I read it on my iPad), I imagine it won’t take anyone much more than an hour or so to read.

Bottom Line: I thought this was a pretty good little story. I thought the narrator’s voice was hilarious, and really enjoyed reading it.

I’d recommend this book for: Anyone who needs to amuse themselves for an hour or so with a darkly comedic, thriller-ish story.

Rating: 4 stars

Julia Reviews Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins

2013-05-08T21:37:00.001-04:00

Title/Author: Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
Publisher/Year Published: 2013 by Avon
How I got this book: I got this from the library
Why I read this book: It was the FIRST time I got a Smart Bitches, Trashy Books bookclub book and had time to read it before the book club AND wasn't busy during the live chat!
Rating: 2.5 stars

This was my first foray into Jenkins' work, and it wasn't too bad. I just didn't fall in love with the writing or the characters really (except Alanza, the hero's step-mama) and when you have a love story where the character's development drives the plot like it does here, and you don't enjoy the characters, it makes it a rough read.

Let's SCORE it.

The Story:
It's the 1860s (ish), Mariah is a women pretty much working as a slave to her mom in a dress shop in PA. Something finally pushes her over the edge and she leaves for the safety of her aunt's house, and finally to the new life in California. She goes there, lying about being a widow (lol I almost wrote window), so she can get a job as a housemaid.

Her job is with Logan, a rancher in California who lives with his (awesome) Spanish step-mom breaking in horses and making the women love him with his looks. From there the story moves to focus on their love and how it develops. Over three days.

The story was okay. It wasn't my favorite because I like a little more conflict. It seemed like the characters overcame their obstacles with too much ease for it to be believable. I wanted more tension, more turmoil from Mariah over stepping outside the bounds of housekeeperhood or with Logan realizing that he may want to marry her, an institution he had actively avoided until that point. Since this is primarily character driven, let's look at them.

The Characters:
Mariah is the lead and she goes from meek mouse who lived under the thumb of her mom for 30 years to spitfire in the course of a cross-country train ride. I liked that she had spark, but the transition was hard for me to believe. No matter how much you want to change yourself when you have the opportunity, old ways still seep in. I have experience with this (I've not been trapped in a workhouse for 30 years though).

Outside of that Mariah is a pretty strong woman. I loved she didn't get clingy to the hero. She was very much there to do her job and find her life.

Logan was a little more well rounded from the beginning. His only flaw was that he breaks hearts and didn't want to settle with a woman. And that's all he had to grow from. His other character traits include, grumpy and stubborn (which was really fun to read when he and Mariah butted heads), friend to the natives and wanting Mariah. Not my favorite hero, but he was never a jackass.

The secondary characters were pretty cool, Alanza (the MIL) leading the charge. She was a spitfire ranch lady. She was Logan's stepmom, and I loved that there wasn't that "She was my evil step-mom" storyline from either Alanza or Logan. That was refreshing.

One thing I have to say that was probably my favorite part of this was that the cast of characters contained so much variety. Spanish, African-Americans, Native-Americans. Loved that. And I want to seek out more of these.

The Romance
Eh. I liked when they were fighting with each other. I love sparks flying. And I also loved, like I said, how Mariah didn't get clingy after the sexin'. But overall I was a little cold with the romance. It was just okay for me.

The Execution
This is where it probably loses most of the stars for me. The writing just seemed so cliched at times. The euphemisms drove me up a wall. The whole story itself was rather hurried, in writing and time in the story. The thing took place over a week. I think I would have liked it more if they took their time with the romance. I know it's the west, but I don't know it just took me out of the story. The other thing I had previously mentioned was the seeming lack of consequences. Everything just flew by too perfectly.

The Overview
I can see why people like it. Really, I can. It reminds me of this one series I read based around a family of eight kids in Texas. But it just didn't work for me. I liked the history laced within, and I liked some characters, but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea. It wasn't horrid, just meh. Hence the two and a half stars.

If you want something light that has some interested sparks of history, that flys by fast and "treasures between her legs" don't bother you, check this out. I don't think I will continue this series, but I may try another one of the author's books. The multicultural aspect and finding a historical that isn't set in England are enough reasons to try again.

Tahleen's Top Ten Things to Read When You Need Something Light and Fun

2013-05-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

For the future Top Ten schedule and how to participate go HERE!

This week we're picking our top ten books to read when you need something light and fun. Every once in a while I need something like this, so here are some of my favorites. And surprise, they are heavily skewed toward YA. But I do throw in some cozy mysteries! So there.

1. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. Really, you can get any lighter or more fun than Louise Rennison. These books (the Georgia Nicholson series) are pure silliness, and I love it.

2. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy. I am reading this right now, and it is awesome. Super funny, with completely unique Princes Charming (get it right) who are obviously not perfect but still good guys. And did I mention it is funny?

3. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. This one has a little more depth, but it's still very light and happy. It's a nice pick me up.

4. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison. Sort of a spin-off series of the Georgia Nicholson books, following her 14-year-old cousin Tallulah as she goes through performing arts school. Again, pure silliness, and lots of laughing.

5. Cool Beans by Erynn Mangum. This one is a Christian fiction title so it might only work for Christians, but I love her books.

6. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. If you like your light and fun books with adventure and a bit of danger, and some time travel, this is definitely a great choice.

7. Mai Tai One On by Jill Marie Landis. The first in a new series, this cozy mystery takes place on the island of Kauai and has a troupe of old lady hula dancers. Hijinks ensue.

8. Since You're Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash by Dixie Cash. Another first in a mystery/romance series, these are pretty funny with firecracker characters.

9. Take a Chance On Me by Jill Mansell. Or anything by Jill Mansell. Shenanigans!

10. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. Sure, it's about an alien invasion and there is a TON of crap to unpack with this one (part of why I love it), but it's just so damn funny and fun. The best sci fi out there, in my opinion.

I have to admit, while I was compiling this, I kept wanting to write down super dark and depressing and heavy books and say "No, just kidding. This one is the opposite." Did that happen for anyone else, or am I just twisted?

Anyway, these are all pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on your face. What are your picks?

Library Fines

2013-05-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been using the library for most I've the books I've been reading. I almost always return my books on time. But last week before I could check out Code Name Verty I has a steep $3.10 overdue fine to pay (I think I had two books that were overdue for about two weeks...and the best part is they were both did-not-finish books).

How do you feel when you have to pay your library fines?

I'm always feel slightly embarrassed and feel like I'm doing a library walk of shame. I tell myself the librarians must not mind because over due noon fines = supporting the library. Or maybe the librarians are secretly judging me. I did find out that I can pay my fines online. Next time maybe I will try that, it's less embarrassing!

Tahleen reviews: "Wonder Show" by Hannah Barnaby

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Wonder Show
Author: Hannah Barnaby
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

This was one of the contenders for the Morris Award this year, given to the best debut young adult title (first book to be published by the author in any genre and for any audience). While I can see its merits, I can also understand why it didn't take the main prize.

Wonder Show follows the story of Portia Remini, who has been abandoned by her family and left at McGreavy's Home for Wayward Girls, under the "care" of someone everyone just calls "Mister." It's terrible there, but Portia has learned how to get from day to day, all while hoping to find her file and information about where her father might be. Until something so terrible happens that she knows she needs to get out.

This is how she eventually finds her way to Mosco's Traveling Wonder Show, a sideshow for circuses where "human oddities" are the main attraction. Portia is a "normal," someone who is useless for the show, but eventually finds herself as the apprentice for the ballyhoo, the storyteller that brings in the customers. As she learns to live and work with her new companions, she continues to look for her father, and wonders how long it will take Mister to finally catch up with her.

The way this story is told is not one I typically see in YA literature, but it was very effective. The chapters alternate viewpoints between third-person omniscient and first-person narration for each member of the Wonder Show. Almost every member of the Wonder Show gets a short chapter where they explain how they see the events and the world in general, and their views are not always what a reader might expect them to be. It was illuminating without giving too much of the story away; it was just enough to make us understand their world and their desires a little better.

Readers will also learn a lot about the American history of these sideshows, as well. In the end, the author's note talks about all the real people Barnaby based her characters on, including a pair of conjoined twins, a human pincushion, and giants. It is a fascinating world, one that is usually less than ideal for the so-called "freaks" who managed to make a living not only despite, but because of their physical differences during the Great Depression.

Despite its many merits, I'm not surprised this didn't win the Morris Award, only because it seemed like not enough to me. I wanted to know more about the characters, wanted to go deeper into their lives and further into their story. I also agree with the committee that Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, the winner, was indeed better.

I would definitely recommend this novel to readers who are looking for a darker, grittier realistic or historical fiction novel but isn't too graphic. I was often reminded of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen while reading this, so I would also recommend this to people who enjoyed that book. It's a lighter story than that one, but delves into the dark life of the traveling circus during its heyday.

Disclosure: I checked out this e-book from my public library.

A Cocktail and Conversation With TBTB Gang -- Dream Reading Spots!

2013-05-02T00:30:00.000-04:00

Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is A Cocktail & Conversation time. One of the TBTB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends.

Lori Asks:

Where in the world would you most want to read? (For instance, I want to read at a sidewalk cafe in Paris) Feel free to attach pictures!

Bridget says: I want to read in a reading nook like the one below. I don't care where it is (although I'd prefer it was in my house, obviously). I just want to cuddle up among all those pillows and read for hours.

Bridget's Ideal Reading Nook:

Jana says: First of all, I LOVE Bridget's reading nook picture! I'd love one of those! My favorite place to read is on a boat, or by the water. I love the breeze, the smell, and the water sounds!

Tahleen says: I'd love to go back to Kauai and read there again. I mean, nothing to do with the reading really, but location is everything. This is Tunnels Beach, and those mountains are incredible. (I will forever be talking about Hawaii, and I'm ~~not~~ sorry.)

Where would YOU love to read if you could pick anywhere?

With Our Last 20 Dollars - May Edition

2013-05-01T11:09:00.002-04:00

With Our Last $20 is a feature here at The Broke & The Bookish wherein we answer the prompt of which book we'd purchase with the last $20 left in our pocket for each month -- be it new releases or older books..basically which ever book we'd be so excited to read that we'd be willing to spend the last $20 in our pockets on. I mean, we are The Broke and the Bookish after all. We'd no doubt live up to our name and forgo other things for a new book!

Julia's Pick - Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James (Out May 28th)

Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors, so she it totally an auto-buy for me. Plus I am really into Fairy Tale retellings right now (I am looking at you Scarlet and Cinder), and thus I am curious to see how she weaves in elements from Rapunzel into a historical romance. Also is it bad that I want the hero to be blind somehow? Seriously. The Grimm's Rapunzel is a rough tale...

Jana's Pick - Adorkable by Sarra Manning

I mean, COME ON.

"This novel is about an unlikely relationship, but it's also about roller derby, dogs on skateboards, dogs on surfboards, dogs doing any form of extreme sport, old skool hip hop, riding your bike downhill really fast, riot grrrl, those boys you want to kiss but punch in the face at the same time, dyeing your hair ridiculous colors just because you can, stitch 'n' bitch, the songs that make you dance, the songs that make you cry, being a bad ass, cake, love, death, and everything in between."

It sounds perfect!

Daisy's Pick - And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (out May 21st)

With A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini managed to break my heart into a million pieces, all of those pieces very much in love with this amazing book and even though I know I suck big time for not having read The Kite Runner yet, I'd give my last $20 to have And The Mountains Echoed in my hands. I have no doubt that it will be just as amazing as A Thousand Splendid Suns. And I really love the cover :)

Jen's Pick - The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene

First, the title has "Paris" in it. I would automatically pick this book up in the bookstore. The main character is forced to become a spy and the book takes place during World War II. For whatever reason I really seem to like books that take place during WWII.

Jamie's Pick - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

With the hype that has been surrounding this book and the rave reviews I would definitely spend my last $20 on this one to find out what it is about! I've actually just read it this past weekend but I still wanted to put it as my pick because I had been just WAITING for May to come before it surprised me in my mailbox! ALIENS! END OF THE WORLD STUFF! I really, really enjoyed it!

Top Ten Tuesday -- Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up or Buy A Book!

2013-04-30T00:05:00.000-04:00

For the future Top Ten schedule & how to participate go HERE!

This week we are talking about the words in a summary or topics alluded to that automatically make us pick up a book! We've decided to do a collab post this time!

Jana's Picks:

Italy

I have an obsession with Italy, books set in Italy, Italian characters, etc. I went on a huge vacation there last year, and just fell in love. If a book can give me a small piece of that back, I'm all over it.

Cruise

Books set on a cruise ship are also MY FAVE. I love cruising, and go on a cruise every year. I'm kind of weird when it comes to themed reads, and always want to read a cruise book while on board. If you have cruise book recs, please let me know!

Kimberly's Picks

Snarky

Love a character that has a snarky sense of humor.

Inquisitive

Can anyone resist a character that is curious?

Quirky

I'm quirky, I like my books being quirky, a fun quirky character is irresistible. Luna Lovegood anyone?

Jen's Picks

"road-trip", "travel" and "wanderlust"

These 3 words automatically catch my attention. I love all things travel related, especially if it is an overseas adventure!

And if a book is referred to as "coming of age" or "contemporary" I'll pick it and at least read the back cover to see if I'd be interested in it.

Kelly's Picks

The words "time travel" or "reincarnation" will always catch my attention! Both ideas are fascinating to me and I love discovering different ways authors can play with and flesh out all of the possibilities.

I love music and am immediately drawn to books focusing on the subject. It can either be a book where songs are sort of a backdrop, such as Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, or a biography of a favorite musician/band.

Bridget's Picks:

If I see the words "thriller" or "fast-paced" anywhere in the summary/on the cover, I'll at least strongly consider picking up the book.

Tahleen's Picks

Most books that are set in Hawaii will get my attention. Or books set in the Southwest United States. I like a good road trip novel too. (Apparently I'm not a fan of reading books set in my part of the country.)

Kelly reviews "Blood Between Queens" + giveaway

2013-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle

Hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Publication Date: April 30, 2013 | Kensington Publishing,448p

Twitter Hashtag: #BloodBetweenQueensTour

Barbara Kyle's Thornleigh series about a ficticious family in 16th century England has a new addiction with "Blood Between Queens." I initially giggled at the overly dramatic cover (and perhaps the slight historical manipulation as well, if the two are supposed to be Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots) but after diving into the book, that was all the giggling to be done. This book is so dark! I've never read any others in the series so I can't be sure if all are like this, but Blood Between Queens was abound with attempted rapes, murders, explosions, and sleazy people.

The focus is on Justine Thornleigh, a teenager who through her family ties (I think there is an extensive backstory in previous books in the series) is able to serve Queen Elizabeth I as a spy. Mary Queen of Scots has fled Scotland and is looking for refuge in England. Elizabeth sends Justine as a lady in waiting for Mary with the hopes that Justine will lure a confession of treason out of the Scottish queen. Justine ends up finding herself sympathizing with Mary, as they share much in common. Justine feels the tugging of betrayal between Mary and Elizabeth and it's hard to tell which way she will turn.

As I said before, a good number of the characters were total sleazeballs. There's an edge of creepiness in everyone that feels quite uncomfortable. As weird as that is, I feel like it's accurate - how else could anybody make their way up in harsh world they lived in without being a little cunning and advantagous? Blood Between Queens can be read as a standalone novel, but you really have to read the rest of the series to understand the backstory. I was lost with the entire subplot of Justine's uncle/aunt and father. One other issue I had was with Justine and her fiance....I didn't feel the connection at all. I didn't recognize any spark and he just seemed like a pretty boy. It made me sad because I wanted someone better for Justine! She's a fabulous and complex character. I enjoyed the story overall but just wish I had understood the family history better to get a more complete understanding of the story. Nevertheless, this is still a great read for historical fiction lovers!

Giveaway!

I'm beginning to feel like Santa Claus here with all of the free books I'm able to giveaway to you! Enter for a chance to win Blood Between Queens by leaving a comment below with a way to contact you. You have until May 6th, USA entries only please. Good luck!

Kelly reviews Roses Have Thorns + giveaway

2013-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Publication Date: April 9, 2013 | Paperback; 336p

Twitter Hashtag: #RosesHaveThornsVirtualTour

It's hard to stick out in the slew of books that take place in 16th century England isn't it? Thankfully authors have recently been straying away from the usual suspects (Henry VIII, his wives, Elizabeth I, etc) and focusing on less talked about but equally as key characters. Sandra Byrd excels at this, as seen in her past novels, and has done it again in Roses Have Thorns. This novel focuses on Elin von Snakenborg, one of the closest friends of Elizabeth I. Elin leaves her homeland of Sweden unloved by her fiance and scorned by her sister for England, where through marriage she becomes the highest ranking woman besides the queen. When her first husband dies, Elin (anglicized as Helena) is torn between a personal life and being loyal to Elizabeth. The queen forbids her marriage to a man of low rank, so they marry in secret. Helena and her new husband had at least eight children who they kept away in the country and naturally, as a mother, Helena wants to be with them but is often called away by Elizabeth. When her husband's family is later involved in Catholic plots (remember, Catholicism is a BIG no-no during this time), she once again doesn't know what side to take - her family's or the queen's.

I thought Helena was a fascinating character. Since this book doesn't cover her entire life, I looked her up on wikipedia and found out she lived until 86, dying in 1635. The page also claims that on her death, she had 92 living decedents When you read the book and see how quickly her family in England grows you can definitely believe that! She seemed like a fascinating woman who started her life as the relatively unimportant youngest daughter of a Swedish family and ended as a Marchioness and the closest friend of the queen of England.

Sandra Byrd is a great story teller and makes every character come to life. The relationships are real and there's a wonderful blend of politics, history, and personal stories. This is historical fiction at its best!

Giveaway!

I have a copy to Roses Have Thorns to give away to one of you! To enter, simply leave a comment below with a way to contact you. This giveaway is open only to the US unfortunately, and you have until May 5th to enter!

Broke and Bookish Book Haul for 4/14 - 4/27

2013-04-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Daisy's Book Haul

Bought:
-LOOK AT THE PRETTY SHINY NEW EREADER! :) I decided to trade Sony's first model for their latest and I'm kinda in love with it, though I do feel bad for my poor little ereader... It looks so lonely now, getting no love anymore... But this new one is so much faster and has all those options and can hold A LOT more books!
-Rise by Anna Carey: I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and even though I heard some negative stuff about this one, I'm still reading it!
-Furious by Jill Wolfson: I absolutely love Greek Mythology and hope this will be infinitely better than my last try with the Furies!
-Black Heart by Holly Black: AAAH! I need to read this SOON! I need to know how this awesome series ends!
-Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder: love this series, needed my own copy :)
-Adorkable by Sarra Manning: this just looks like a really fun read!
-A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies: really liked this, wanted my own copy and the cover is gorgeous!

Egalleys for review:
-Love and Other Scandals by Caroline Linden: I love Caroline Linden's writing and this sounds like another sweet historical romance!
-The Devil of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney: there's something about men in kilts!
-How To Lose a Bride in One Night by Sophie Jordan: YES! LOVE HER HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVELS!!!
-Gold by Talia Vance: I really enjoyed Silver, can't wait to see what happens next!
-Faking It by Cora Carmack: Losing It was pretty cute if slightly silly at times, of course I want to know what happens with Cade (who is awesome)!
-Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne: SO CREEPY!
-Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian: I've heard really good things about Burn For Burn (it's sitting on my shelf), really excited to read both!
-The Mad Earl's Bride by Loretta Chase: I usually enjoy Ms. Chase's books, this novella sounds cute!

Our Broke & Bookish book haul is inspired by memes like IMM & Stacking the Shelves& Mailbox Monday. This is just our very simple way of doing it collaboratively so we can participate in all of them and not have to choose one.

Bookish Deals (18)

2013-04-27T11:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! Welcome to today's biweekly edition of Bookish Deals where I (Julia) try to scour the Internet to find you guys an array of deals to fit in with any budget!

So first off, Amazon is having a deal where if you are a new subscriber to their daily Kindle emails, you can get a free book. Apparently, I have heard of some people getting charged full price accidentally though, so make sure that if you do this you don't get charged. If you do, you just have to contact their customer service and they should reimburse you.

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak - $1.99

AZ | BN

Her name is Barbara—in Russian, Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to lovemaking, learning above all else to listen—and to wait for opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.

What Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante—and together the two young women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.

With dazzling details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend—through an enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup to assume the throne of all of Russia.

Impeccably researched and magnificently written, The Winter Palace is an irresistible peek through the keyhole of one of history’s grandest tales.

This one was on my Goodreads TBR pile, so I added it to my nook collection :)

Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake - $.99
AZ | BN

For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker--an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed . . . and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt . . . or be hunted.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson - $1.99

AZ | BN

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Personally, I couldn't stand this book and it was a DNF. But Jamie really liked it. So your mileage may vary.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - $1.99
AZ | BN

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Julia Reviews Everbound by Brodi Ashton

2013-04-26T08:04:00.001-04:00

Title/Author: Everboundby Brodi Ashton

Publisher/Year Published: January 2013 by Balzer and Bray
How I got this book:The library
Why I read this book: The first book was good, and I wanted to see what would happen next.
Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Everbound, the second in the Everneath series, is a book with its pros and its cons. The series delves into a modern day twist on Greek, and really all, mythology. This series is heavily inspired by the Greeks though.

First a summary (spoilers for Everneath if you haven't read that...):
Nikki was supposed to get sucked into the tunnels at the end of the last book, as her time on Earth had run out (long story), but Jack, her long time friend recently turned boyfriend, jumps into the Shades instead of her, taking her place in what is tantamount to being buried alive in Hell.

Pleasant thought that.

Anyway we start this book out with Nikki trying furtively to figure out a way into the Everneath so she can rescue Jack. Her plan? Trick Cole into giving up a part of himself so she can enter the Everneath through the Shop-and-Go. One problem. She doesn't know where Cole is.

The first part of the book is pretty slow and centers around her grief for losing Jack as well as the whole town's grief over losing their caricature of the small town hero. (more on that later). When Cole finally does show up, more passably boring things happen yadda yadda ... then they are in the Everneath, which really is the most interesting part.

I mean really. I could care less about what is going on at the Surface when there is an awesome world to discover in the Everneath, one that has a time limit because Jack can only last so long in the tunnels. It's a great setup!

This is where we run into one of my major nitpicks: the world building aka lack of a use of descriptive language. I noticed that I had a hard time picturing the Everneath. It wasn't until Nikki was describing one of the maze rings that I realized the problem. Here is the sentence that stuck me:

The sight was so unearthly, it took my breath away.

And then no description of what she was seeing follows. The plot just moves forward. How am I supposed to get a sense of setting when you describe a scene as "unearthly"? I have only known Earth from experience, so explaining what she is seeing would be greatly appreciated.

A minor nitpick I have is character development. I think our main leads (Nikki and Cole) are pretty fleshed out and not cardboard. Jack, especially in this book, slips more into a cliche then a character to me. The secondary characters are more like devices to move the plot then anything else. Pawns for Cole and Nikki to use... but that said, I really like the plot.

The plot was what saved this for me. It is such a interesting twist on classical mythos. And just like the myths, bad things happen to our main characters and through the journey, shit happens you can't escape from.

Which brings me to Cole. Oh, Cole. In my first review, I fondly referred to him as "a big fat tool." He is probably my favorite character just because he is so well developed. In this book, he reminded me so much of how I picture Hades. We spend a lot of time with Cole through this book. I don't want to give too much away, so I am not going to talk about the ending. However, I really wanted to and thus there is the spoilers and the spoiler tag with my thoughts on my Goodreads review.

Do I recommend this book? If you liked the first one, sure. It's more of the same along those lines. Though frustratingly written at time, the plot is engaging and I read the book in a day, so it's an easier read.

A serious question for you Cole lovers. I am really interested in hearing why you think that he is better for Nikki then Jack? Is it just because he is more interesting? Because I can understand that. But I just don't see him as relationship material... in any way. At all.

I am interested to see where this series takes us next.

Paula's Top Ten Books She Liked More/Less Than She Thought She Would

2013-04-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

For the future Top Ten schedule & how to participate go HERE!

Alright I figured I would split this down the middle and give you guys 5 books I thought I would like and didn't and 5 books I wasn't sure about and ended up really liking. Here it goes:

Books I thought I would like more than I did:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan and this is often picked as his best novel. But I think this is actually my least favorite books of his. When I finished it I had one of those "what am I missing that everyone else loves" moments.

Timeless by Gail Carriger

I actually just finished this one the other day. It's the last of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series and I had high hopes- but I felt as though it was not as good as the other books and did not provide a strong ending to the series overall

John Dies at The End by David Wong

Another book I finished recently... it's a speculative fiction book written by the editor of cracked- I had very high hopes for this one. And while it still was good and I did laugh quite a lot- I was expecting a new favorite that I would recommend to all of my friends. Instead just felt meh about it and moved on.

Until I Find You by John Irving

It's painful to have your favorite author on part of a list talking about disappointing books. But I guess Irving can't win over my heart with each book he writes. This book was 800 pages of bad. And it was really painful to read.

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

I didn't really have any expectations either way when I started this book- but it was one that always appeared on recommendation lists for me. And well even though I had no expectations for it to begin with... It didn't even meet those.

Books I liked more than I thought I would (yay the fun part!):

The Passage by Justin Cronin

I kept seeing this book everywhere and assumed it was an over hyped not actually that great novel. Then I picked up a copy of it for a dollar at a book sale and then it sat on my shelf for another year before I rolled my eyes and picked it up. And then I finished it in 2 days (it's 800 pages) kicked myself forever for letting it go unread that long

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

^ Read and repeat the story from above ^ seriously- this book hooked me from the first sentence. And then it ripped my heart out in the best kind of way. I thought it would be a good book but I was wrong. It was a great book.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I accidentally read Fforde's second series before I read his first. And so I didn't quite appreciate how brilliant the Nursery Crimes series was without the context of the Thursday Next books. So this series kept getting recommended to me and I half heartedly picked it up because maybe it would be a light read. OH MY GOSH THURSDAY NEXT AND JASPER FFORDE HAVE TOP SPOTS IN MY HEART. Sorry for the outburst. If you are a lover of books, book related humor, and subtle literary jokes... and you haven't read The Eyre Affair (or any of the Thursday Next Series) I highly HIGHLY suggest you go find those books now.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Speaking of Miss Eyre... I might as well mention the actual book. I had to read this book for a college class and I'm not sure what I was expecting. Probably to be bored. But then as I read and analyzed and wrote a paper about it I fell in love with it. Jane is such a spectacular character- in context of the time it was written.. she was fantastically ahead of her time for women. I was expecting boring class assignment book and instead I have now collected 5 copies of it on my bookshelf.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

I know I've mentioned this one before- but I think it works for this TTT as well. When I finished Feed I was not hugely overwhelmed by it. But it's one of those books that works its way into your head. And it has stayed there for years. Whenever I see new and potentially scary advances in technology this book pops into my mind. That's when you know an author has done a great job with a book. And I have developed quite a fondness for it because of that.

The Broke and the Bookish

The Great Gatsby: Book vs. Movie

Julia's Top Ten Favorite Covers Of Books She's Read

Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

Kelly reviews "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Lori Reviews All the Summer Girls

Tahleen reviews: "The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" by Christopher Healy

A Cocktail & Convo With TBTB -- Book to Movie Adaptions

Julia Asks:

Video Post: Help Paula Get Better at Quick Reviews!

Kelly's Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Broke and Bookish Book Haul for 4/28 - 5/11

Paula's Book Haul

Daisy's Book Haul

Jamie's Book Haul

Lori Reviews Pain Parties, Work

Early Buzz about The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Bridget Reviews Stalking You Now

Julia Reviews Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins

Tahleen's Top Ten Things to Read When You Need Something Light and Fun

Library Fines

Tahleen reviews: "Wonder Show" by Hannah Barnaby

A Cocktail and Conversation With TBTB Gang -- Dream Reading Spots!

Lori Asks:

Where would YOU love to read if you could pick anywhere?

With Our Last 20 Dollars - May Edition

Top Ten Tuesday -- Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up or Buy A Book!

Jana's Picks:

Italy

Cruise

Kimberly's Picks

Snarky

Inquisitive

Quirky

Jen's Picks

"road-trip", "travel" and "wanderlust"

Kelly's Picks

Bridget's Picks:

Tahleen's Picks

Kelly reviews "Blood Between Queens" + giveaway

Kelly reviews Roses Have Thorns + giveaway

Broke and Bookish Book Haul for 4/14 - 4/27

Daisy's Book Haul

Bookish Deals (18)

Julia Reviews Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Paula's Top Ten Books She Liked More/Less Than She Thought She Would

Books I thought I would like more than I did:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Timeless by Gail Carriger

John Dies at The End by David Wong

Until I Find You by John Irving

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Books I liked more than I thought I would (yay the fun part!):

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Feed by M.T. Anderson

What about you guys??