Falling out of Fashion - Karen Yampolsky

TITLE: Fall out of Fashion

AUTHOR: Karen Yampolsky

SUMMARY: In the bestselling tradition of The Devil Wears Prada, Karen Yampolsky's hilarious and disarmingly candid debut goes deep inside the glossy, glamorous, and completely ruthless world of magazine publishing, where bitchiness and betrayal are always in vogue, and this month's hotshots are just one dud issue away from a pink slip and a one-line career obit on Page Six... As a teenager at a prestigious prep school, Jill White studied her roommate's magazines, filled with airbrushed-beyond-recognition photos of whisper-thin blondes who hadn't finished a meal since third grade. She dreamed of one day starting a magazine of her own that would feature women of all sizes and colors--smart, witty, real women with aspirations beyond tinier thighs and shinier hair. - From Publisher

REVIEW: I was sort of expecting something different with this book so it took me a moment to realize that I was going to have to shift my expectations to enjoy this read.

When I had picked this book up I was thinking that it would be a chick-lit romance but it was more a chick-lit story with a splash of romance. The whole story flashes backwards and tells the story of how Jill becomes to be and her whole journey into the magazine scene. It was a good read, once I realized that this wasn’t going to be what I thought. Still, I found it a bit borlng because Jill’s whole life was crammed into a book so we more got snippets of stories and how that molded her… etc.

I probably wouldn’t recommend this book unless you love any sort of fashion story and if you like books that have this format and storyline. I personally like to get sucked into the world rather then feel like I am getting a point by point on a characters life.

All in all, it was okay. Not my favorite and I’m sure in a few months when I look back I may struggle to remember this book’s storyline.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Desires of The Dead - Kimberly Derting

TITLE: Desires of The Dead

AUTHOR: Kimberly Derting

SUMMARY: The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger. - From Publisher

REVIEW: This series has got to be one of the best out there. The style and plot is right up my alley. I love that while it is teen/ya I feel that the characters don't fall into the pitfalls of annoying teen.

The plot for this sequel moves at the perfect pace. I enjoyed how we got to see the repercussions from the first book and how it has affected Violet. Nothing was swept under the rug and I enjoyed reading, and being shown how Violet dealt with the previous event and how these new events affected her and her decisions. Often her choices felt authentic, sometimes a bit stupid (had a few moments where I wanted to yell at her to run the other way), but if she always made the right choice it wouldn't read realistically.

Violet and Jay have to be the cutest book pairing. (Sidenote: am I the only one who pictures Jared P. off Supernatural as Jay??) I liked the course that Derting is taking these two on, I sense some huge moments in the coming books for these two. They are strong, but life isn't always easy on young love. Their relationship in both books seem to add and enhance the story, and again they are just so darn cute!!

The plot was good, however I found the mystery element of it a bit weak and lacking the previous books punch. Bringing in the FBI filled the void that the murder left, at least for me, and again I am loving where Derting is going with this series.

It has such potential for growth and story line progression along with spinoffs into other characters backgrounds. If you haven't picked up this series you need to!

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Howling at the Moon - Karen MacInerney

TITLE: Howling at the Moon

AUTHOR: Karen MacInerney

SUMMARY: Sophie Garou seems to have it all: a great job at a prestigious accounting firm, a closet that rivals a Nordstrom showroom, and a terrific boyfriend who isn't afraid to use the "M" word. There's just one little itty-bitty problem: Sophie is a werewolf-and her time of month has a whole new meaning.

Needless to say, life among yummy flesh-and-blood humans is no piece of steak . . . er, cake!, but regular doses of wolfsbane tea and a mother who runs a magic shop have helped Sophie keep her paranormal pedigree under wraps. Still, when a sexy, golden-eyed werewolf prowls into town, Sophie finds herself struggling to keep her animal impulses in check-not to mention trying to keep things on track with her super hot (and super human) lawyer boyfriend. What's more, someone is threatening to expose Sophie for what she really is. And when her mother is accused of selling a poison-laced potion, Sophie must sniff out a culprit before the fur hits the fan. - From Publisher

REVIEW: My disclaimer for this book is that I have been hunting for it via used book stores and my library. As long time followers of my reviews you know that I am a huge library supporter, not saying I never buy books (there are some that one needs to own) but I generally like to use my library. Originally my library didn't catalog paperbacks, which meant it was a bit of a pain finding some of the lesser known authors and their works. Or you would find the second or third book in a trilogy but never the first. That was the case for this series. But I suppose being out of the reading loop for a bit was good because when I came back there it was, online and available to request. I love that they are working on cataloging all paperbacks. *content sigh* Now onto the review.

The book has a sorta chick-lit feel to it, with paranormal elements. It was so easy to sink into and enjoy - always a plus. Sophie is the sort of heroine that stumbles along into the roll of hero. She didn't really set out to become one but this first book lays the ground work for the rest of the trilogy. With that said because the adventures of this book are so 'out there' from what we know of her I found at times that there was a little cheese factor to it. I could tend to overlook it but I wish MacInerney had taken a little more time to develop that while Sophie had managed to snuff her werewolf traits she wasn't completely in the dark and understood some of those supernatural abilities. At times when the situation called for it Sophie had these skills that she was well aware about but than at other times she seemed so clueless. Of course, one has to give some room when it comes to the first book of a series.

Sophie and her best friend Lindsey had a fun dynamic to them, however I felt like at times Lindsey was a bit callus and didn't always show Sophie those 'have your back qualities'. On the flip side, it is sorta nice having a BFF in a book that is not the loyal, always there type of character. It makes me feel like Sophie is somewhat stumbling through all this new knowledge surrounded by friends and loved ones but at the same time doing it on her own.

The book progressively got stronger, especially once Tom (a hunky lone werewolf) came onto the scene. He brought lots of answers and mystery to Sophie's life. In fact, I think MacInerney did a perfect job in bringing him into the book without making him a huge part of this first book. I want more of him and his story and so curious as to how some of the information he passed on to Sophie will affect the next two books in this series.

All around this book had a few things that irked me (Sophie bouncing from having werewolf knowledge to being clueless and a few plot huhs) but overall I thought this first book has lots of potential. I think, especially with the ending, the second will be a lot stronger and dive more into Sophie trying to figure out some wolfy things.

If you enjoyed Vincent's "Shifters" series I imagine you would enjoy this book as well. It was published back in 2008 so maybe many of you have already read this trilogy, if so I would love to hear your thoughts on this first book.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Booking Through Thursday

Do you read book reviews? Whose do you trust? Do they affect your reading habits? Your buying habits? - Booking Through Thursday

I do indeed read book reviews. I find it an amazing way to keep on-top of upcoming releases, new authors or series that I've never heard about or that have been around for awhile but I have had my head in a hole. For example, if it weren't for Jessica's blog: A GREAT Read I would never have picked up Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, which I have loved reading and is a favorite series of mine.

Generally I tend to trust those reviewers that seem to have the same reading taste as me, that doesn't always mean that I'll 100% agree with their reviews but because I know we have similar tastes there is a comfort there. And when they toss out a new book genre I am more inclined to give it a try. I read because I love getting sucked into a new world, not because it is the 'it' book of the month.

2011 Page Count

January 2011

Total = 0

February 2011

1. Practice Makes Perfect - Julie James = 304
2. To The Edge - Cindy Gerard = 352
Total = 656

March 2011

3. A Lot Like Love - Julie James = 304
Total = 304

April 2011

4. True Love & Other Disasters - Rachel Gibson = 368
5. River Marked - Patricia Briggs = 336
6. The Killing Edge - Heather Graham = 384
Total = 1,088

May 2011

7. Just the Sexiest Man Alive - Julie James = 320
8. Never Cry Werewolf - Heather Davis = 224
9. Dear Prince Charming - Donna Kauffman = 416
11. Nothing But Trouble - Rachel Gibson = 384
12. The Billionaire's Bridal Bid - Emily McKay = 192
13. Carnal Innocence - Nora Roberts = 512
14. Howling at the Moon - Karen Macinerney = 384
Total = 3,776

June 2011

15. Insperable - Brenda Jackson = 304
16. Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting = 368
17. Falling out of Fashion - Karen Yampolsky = 275
18. On the Prowl - Karen McInerney = 384
19. Any Man of Mine - Rachel Gibson = 384
20. Don of the Dead - Casey Daniels = 336
21. Low Red moon - Ivy Devlin = 256
22. Kardashian Konfidential - Kourtney, Kim & Khloe' Kardashian = 256
23. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler = 264
Total = 2,827

July 2011

24. Hard Bitten - Chloe Neill = 368
Total = 368

August 2011

25.
Total = 0

Year Total = 9,019

Alive

My endless apologies for not updating, even a quick fly-by post should've occurred. Way back in November I discovered I was pregnant (very exciting) with our second child, the only problem is the first 3 months are spent in a state of constant nauseousness. Oddly, I couldn't handle even the thought of reading. Mostly I spent the time on the couch watching lots of E! tv (those Kardashian's are addictive) and counting down the days until I'd start to feel human again. Once I was feeling like an actual person there was so much back-log of real life stuff to get taken care of that all reading and blogging was pushed to the side. However, at that point I really should have left a quick note explaining my absence.

I am back now and will start with my reviews again. Of course, they may be a little more sparse, especially once the baby arrives (July).

I have missed you all, missed reading and writing reviews and finding more books to read. I will update my 2010 reading list, however there won't be any reviews for those books. Thanks for the understanding and for sticking around!

Gracling - Kristin Cashore

TITLE: Gracling

AUTHOR: Kristin Cashore

SUMMARY: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Pos friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone - From Publisher

REVIEW: So this would be book number 2 of fantasy for this avid reader. I’m a little shocked I’ve never jumped into this world previously. I love “Lord of The Rings”. I think I was worried they’d use old English and confuse the crap out of me, which is probably easier than I care to admit.

Regardless, this book hooked me early on. The character of Katsa pulled me. I loved her hard edges and refusal to let anyone in. She was in a way her own worst enemy, but it was beautiful watching her open to others and slowly morph and take the power back. Of course when she allowed herself to be vulnerable and got hurt it made that dagger just push in a bit deeper and twist more violently.

The plot was intriguing and I liked how the first few scenes set up for the rest of the book. I originally thought it was simply a rescue mission, a way to introduce the reader to Katsa and her Grace. (Sidenote: the concept of Graces was awesome. I loved that each was unique, some sought after by greedy men and others so useless.)

While the plot and pace was kept up through the majority of the book I found when we were almost finished Part 2 that it hit a bit of slump. The plot or something slipped and I found myself struggling to stay focused. I don’t know if it was the addition of Bitterblue, who I liked, and how all of sudden I was suppose to have the same level of love for her as I did for the others. That wasn’t the case. Thankfully the plot and pace was kicked back up and I didn’t finish the book with that ‘meh’ feeling. The ending was perfect for everything that Cashore had previously set up. In fact there are other books to this ‘verse. Not so much a series of following Katsa but using other characters and building the ‘verse.

Generally I enjoyed this book. However, I don’t know that it would be a series that I would follow, mostly because I am more interested in Katsa & Po, what I am sucker for the main characters.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Rampant - Diana Peterfreund

TITLE: Rampant

AUTHOR: Diana Peterfreund

SUMMARY: Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one attacks her boyfriend-ruining any chance of him taking her to prom-Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient Cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.However, all is not what it seems at the Cloisters. Outside, unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from bone-covered walls that vibrate with terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything. - From Publisher

REVIEW: It had me at killer unicorns. looks around Okay that, is a total lie. I found the killer unicorns a bit ‘odd’ and corny and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read this book. Plus when I think of unicorns I imagine the episode in Supernatural where Dean is rambling about unicorns. It’s hard to take it seriously when Dean Winchester is mocking it. However, putting aside my ‘are you kidding me’ face and deleting all unicorn references from my mind I continued to read about killer unicorns and Alexander the Great.

A brilliant angle, not to mention good use of mythology in having the hunters being virgins in order to kill the unicorns. I like reasons for characters actions and I like tension. I think the build up to any romance is always far more interesting and even when they are together I like the conflict; it gives characters so much depth. With this book Peterfreund mixed the two. Astrid has to remain a virgin in order to fulfill her destiny and that brings in romantic tension, which just makes this ready endlessly happy.

Pacing is something I tend to find with a lot of teen/ya books lacking. Normally the romance is happening quickly, the plot is moving at a constant pace and at times I wish that it would slow down, do some more build up. Of course, the counter argument is that if you only have 288 pages and no deal for a continuation you’ve gotta get stuff done. I found the pacing in this book to be perfect. Lots of information and character build up but at the same time you got plot jumps where something would happen that would take the book to another level.

The book didn’t read as ya, however never did I feel that it took the story to an inappropriate place. The relationships and interactions and reactions to events were spot on. I loved that Astrid wasn’t obsessed with the lead male and that it didn’t distract from the storytelling. That she makes mistakes and sorta bumbles about trying to figure things out. She wasn’t always sure footed and that endeared her to me.

Honestly, this book sums down to one thing and that’s that Peterfreund managed to make killer unicorns into something realistic. There, I said it. Killer unicorns exist. She created a world where at first I was leery and than became a huge fan, not just with the whole killer unicorn angle (though that was awesome) but even the mythology. The girl did research and took things and weaved them brilliantly together. If the whole killer unicorn thing seems a bit odd to you, suck it up. Pick this book up, you’ll love it!

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Kitty Goes to War - Carrie Vaughn

TITLE: Kitty Goes to War

AUTHOR: Carrie Vaughn

SUMMARY: Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They're killer werewolves-and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart--his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness--on her show.

Very bad weather is on the horizon. - From Publisher

REVIEW: This series continues to exceed my expectations. Whenever I go to pick up the new Kitty Norville book I always get some trepidation on whether this book will be the one that leaves me with that uncomfortable disappointment that eats at me. Thankfully it seems with each new installment Vaughn continues to keep up the pace and brings new angles to keep us readers hooked.

What I loved about this installment was that some old characters where brought back. Back in book Kitty Goes to Washington we got to meet the Doctor that exploited Kitty now he's back. While he doesn't make any face time we do get to see his 'work'. I'm so happy that Vaughn tied in previous characters and I loved that angle of using the supernatural in human wars. It adds depth to the book and I'm hoping that we go down this path more and more.

If you haven't picked up the series I highly recommend that you do. The first few books are a bit tedious to get through, however I loved them but I know other reviewers weren't instant fans of this series. Regardless, pick 'em up and enjoy the ride.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to apologize for my absence. I have been reading but had some family emergency's. Everything is good now so I'll be back to writing up book reviews. I'll also be updating my 2010 Page Count list, which is where you will be able to see all the books I've read during my hiatus.