Saturday, March 31, 2012

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
Goodreads Rating: 4.09
My Rating: 5 Stars our of 5
Pages: 326


This is one of those rare books where I like the movie cover better than I liked the original cover. When I saw this moving coming out I decided that I needed to read it, my uncle loaned it to me, and I loved it. My dad is a firefighter and the thought of going through what this boy did is heartbreaking. I was told not to watch the movie because it is so devastating for people who were affected by 9/11 and even those not. I haven't decided if I'm going to see the movie yet, but maybe someday.


Goodreads Synopses:


Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.


My review after the jump.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Another Piece of My Heart

Author: Jane Green
Goodreads Rating: 3.60
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 352 Pages


Another book I got on advance from my mom. She brought home the audiobook for me and I got to listen to it (obvo). If anyone else has noticed the cover for One Pink Line, as Dina Silver says "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." As long as she's taking it like a champ. Both books were great, so no complaints here. 


Goodreads Synopses:


From the New York Times bestselling author of JEMIMA J, and THE BEACH HOUSE, comes Jane Green’s most emotional and powerful novel yet:  a story that explores the complications of a woman marrying into a ready-made family, and the true meaning of motherhood. Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts. ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.


My review after the jump!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Clawback

Author: Mike Cooper
Goodreads Rating: 4.00
My Rating: 2.5 Stars
Pages: 380

I won this book as part of Goodreads Firstreads program. I liked the idea of the thriller side of it - hedge fund managers being gunned down. (Not that I thought that killing Hedge Fund managers is a good idea.) But I enjoy thrillers, and anticipated this one was going to be a good one. 

Goodreads Synopses:

After a stint in the Middle East, black ops vet Silas Cade becomes an "accountant"-the go-to for financiers who need things done quickly, quietly, and by any means necessary. Silas is hired by a major player to pay a visit to a hedge fund manager to demand clawback: the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad. But before Cade can tell his client that he got his ten million back, the guy turns up dead.

And he's not the first. Someone's killing investment bankers whose funds have gone south. Silas's scrubbed identity, and his insider's perspective, makes him the ideal shadow man to track down whoever's murdering some of the most hated managers on Wall Street. With the aid of a beautiful financial blogger looking to break her first big story, Silas tracks a violent security crew who may be the key to the executions. But as paranoia and panic spread, he begins to wonder: is the threat coming from inside the game-or out?
With breakneck pacing, nonstop action, and cutting edge details of today's financial intelligence technology, Clawback hurtles to its final twist, a gripping contemporary tale of shady finance, venal corruption, and greed run rampant.
My review after the Jump!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Hunger Games Party

So if you've ben paying any attention to my blog, you will know that my mother works for a Barnes and Noble and I love the Hunger Games. With the movie release being on March 23, Barnes and Noble has decided to host parties the night before and the night of the Movie release. (Basically there is a party on March 21 and March 22, and the movie is out on March 23)

If your local Barnes and Noble is near a movie theater (like in the same shopping center as a movie theater, chances are the party will be on Thursday night and then you can walk over to the theater for a midnight viewing of the movie.) If you aren't sure, your best bet is to call your local Barnes and Noble by clicking here. I'm not sure if other local bookstores will be hosting parties as well, but you can always find out.

I couldn't find a picture of my
from the release party, but this
one shows my fandom in high school.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good"
I think going to the parties are the best because (at least the way my mom does it) its a lot of fun especially when people get dressed up and go all out for it. I have a Mockingjay necklace, and pin that I'm going to wear and I'm even getting my hair done to be dressed like the capitol. It's mean to be a good time where we can let out inner geek out. I remember getting dressed up for when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out (If I can find the pictures I will share them with you). There was the time that I convinced my mother to host a party for Breaking Dawn also, (I met a really great friend that night.

So call your Barnes and Noble or local bookstores to get in on the action, because tomorrow night is bound to be a good time, and if you're lucky enough to have two Barnes and Noble's near you, like myself, then go to both of them! (I have one in a mall with a theater and one that isn't, so I'm going to hit up both!) I know at my mom's store there is going to be trivia and giveaways and all sorts of fun!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Watching For Mermaids

Author: David Roper
Goodreads Rating: 4.33
My Rating: 1 Star
Pages: 194


I won this book as part of the Firstreads giveaways. I love mermaids so I thought this might be interesting. Well, there really aren't mermaids and this author really needed an editor. I have nothing against Selfpubs, but if you're going to do it, do yourself a favor, and have someone -multiple someones- edit your work for basics, such as quotation marks.


Goodreads Synopses:


As a young boy, rounding a bend in a remote Maine cove, Dave Roper stumbled upon two mermaids. No one believed him then. No one believes him now. But he kept watching and wondering: what is imagined and what is real? And while he watched and wondered during 50 years of waterborne life – as a boy, a teen, an adult, a father – what he pulled from the sea was not another mermaid, but the mystery, possibility, romance, joy, fear, and uncertainty that mermaids represent. Based on real experiences, these 30 stories take you on that journey. So fill your favorite mug, settle into that stuffed reading chair, poke the stove a few times, and dive into Dave Roper’s new book, Watching for Mermaids.


My review after the jump.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Open

Author: Andre Agassi
Goodreads Rating: 4.08
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 388 Pages


I borrowed this book from my boyfriend while he was studying abroad and I was determined to finish it before he came back (mostly so I could give it back and have more bookshelf space). I also really like tennis and before college I went to the US Open often. I was excited to get into the head of an amazing tennis player and it was an interesting trip for sure.


Synopses from Goodreads.com:


From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.

Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return. 

And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world’s best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.

Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations—Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer—Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. And he recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.

In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he’s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he’s not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena.

With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, Open will be read and cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi’s game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power.



Review after the jump:

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

First To Die

Author: James Patterson
Goodreads Rating: 3.90
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pages: 424 


If you've been paying attention, you should know by now that I am also a TV junkie. I watch almost every show, and Women's Murder Club was one that I was decently fond of. Having built my "To-Read" list on Goodreads, I added this book because I was curious about the book that started the show. Sadly, this is one of those instances where watching the show skewed how I read this book which was unfortunate, but alas, there is nothing that can be done about it.


Goodreads Synopses:


James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross novels Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, and Pop Goes the Weasel, offers the first of a new series dubbed The Women s Murder Club, featuring a four-woman team that occasionally works outside the system. None of the gritty darkness or frenzied action is lost in 1st to Die, although the female protagonists offer an even deeper emotional context to this suspense thriller. 

Inspector Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department suddenly finds herself in the middle of two horrifying situations: The first is that she s just learned she has an often-fatal blood disease. The second is a double homicide case she s now heading up that involves the murder of newlyweds on their wedding night. Burdened with Chris Raleigh, a new partner reassigned from the mayor s office, Lindsay finds that she has too much to deal with and turns to her best friend, Claire, the head ME on the case. Claire offers helpful advice and human, friendly contact amid a job filled with violence, cruelty, and fear. 

Soon a fledgling newspaper reporter, Cindy, makes contact with Lindsay looking for a career-making story. Although Lindsay can t officially comment on the case, the two women form a rapport, and Cindy joins Lindsay and Claire for their weekly meeting. When a second pair of newlyweds is murdered, and later a third, the investigation leads to a prominent crime writer, Nicholas Jenks, who has a history of spousal abuse and a predilection for kinky, dangerous sex games. With the help of an understanding assistant D.A., Jill Bernhardt, Lindsay tries to make a case against Jenks, who even had an affair with one of the slain women. Eventually Jill joins the Murder Club, and the four ladies share private interdepartmental information in an effort to track and stop the killer before he strikes again. 

The major subplot -- Lindsay's facing up to her illness even while she learns to fall in love again -- carefully compensates for the novel s coarse scenes of brutality. Lindsay Boxer isn t merely an obsessed cop trailing a maniac; she s also a terrified woman confronting the onslaught of disease. The story lines balance out to show us the true mettle of someone who puts the safety of others before her own. 

Again, Patterson s skill for producing furiously paced fiction are evident as the novel breezes by rapidly. The short chapters keep the narrative leaping with increasingly taut plot elements, but there s an emotional commitment that makes our protagonist even more amiable and involving. 1st to Die is a novel that works as an intense series of character portraits that will leave the reader touched and delighted.



Jump and you will find my review!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Author: Alan Bradley
Goodreads Rating: 3.75
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pages: 294


Beside the fact that this title is a total mouthful (both in the sense of pie and being long) it was a wonderful story. I can't rightly tell you why I picked it up because I vaguely remember someone insisting that I read it, but I can't tell you who or why or when-a mystery in itself. As a lover of crime books (I'm in the middle of yet another at the writing of this post) and a lover of crime shows, I can tell you that this book isn't quite like anything I've read before or really encountered. The closest I can get to describing it is the lovechild of, an older, Nancy Drew and Richard Castle from the TV Show.


Goodreads Synopses:


In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”
To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father, a man raising his three daughters alone, is seized, accused of murder. And in a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story—of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower thirty years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: her father is innocent of murder—but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse….

An enthralling mystery, a piercing depiction of class and society, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a masterfully told tale of deceptions—and a rich literary delight.



My review following the jump.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Deadly Storm

Author: Richard Castle
Goodreads Rating: 3.52
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 112


I love Castle the show, so whenever the books come out I get double excited because its my two favorite things, books and tv, all in one, how could I not be excited? I got this book from the library and read it in less than an hour, its a really quick read, so if you're a fan of the show, this was a super easy read. What was best about the timing of this book was getting to be introduced to a character from the book in the show.


Synopses from Goodreads.com:


CASTLE fans rejoice! For the first time anywhere, CASTLE's titular hero Derrick Storm comes to life in the pages of this all-new graphic novel. This "adaptation" of Derrick Storm's first novel adventure takes our hero from the gritty world of the private eye all the way to the globe-hopping intrigue of the CIA. Eisner Award-winning Marvel Architect Brian Bendis and red hot Osborn writer Kelly Sue DeConnick worked closely with CASTLE creator Andrew Marlowe to create the one thing millions of CASTLE fans have been asking for: Their first real Derrick Storm adventure. A wall-to-wall, gritty, witty, globe-hopping detective thrill ride for fans of the hit TV show starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, as well as fans of darn good comic books.


Read the review after the jump!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Hana (Delirium #1.5)

Author: Lauren Oliver
Goodreads Rating: 3.71
My Rating: 4/5
Pages: 64


Although not technically a book, I think this story was really awesome, but you should only read it if you have read the first book in the series. If you choose to read it without having first read Delirium, be prepared to be confused, or at least read my review first. 




Goodreads Synopses:


Lauren Oliver's riveting, original digital story set in the world of her New York Times bestseller Delirium. 

The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing—and even her first kiss. 

But on the surface, Hana must be a model of perfect behavior. She meets her approved match, Fred Hargrove, and glimpses the safe, comfortable life she’ll have with him once they marry. As the date for her cure draws ever closer, Hana desperately misses Lena, wonders how it feels to truly be in love, and is simultaneously terrified of rebelling and of falling into line. 

In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will come to understand scenes from Delirium through Hana's perspective. Hana is a touching and revealing look at a life-changing and tumultuous summer.



My review after the jump!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Rebirth (Aftertime #2)

Author: Sophie Littlefield
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Pages: 379


I read the first book in this series, and I clearly loved (As I mentioned it in my top 5 series). I also love zombies and this book takes the beloved mindless creates and turns them into something new, Beaters, which are zombies that aren't as brain dead as we're used to, and I love it.


Note: Don't forget to check out my ongoing giveaway of One Pink Line by Dina Silver, under the giveaway tab right up top!


Goodreads Synopses:


Littlefield delivers the second title in an edgy new series--the follow-up to "Aftertime." Cass Dollar has her daughter back, but is losing her man. Smoke has forgone their bond for a mission of revenge, leaving Cass in the care of Dor, leader of the survivalist stronghold The Box.


Review Afterjump:

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