D.O.N.U.T. and M.I.L.K.

The BOOM!!! Gene

2011-11-23T04:09:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. I said I wouldn't post another GoodReads review on here but... I'm feeling lazy so... that's what you're going to get... I'll try not to do it again... but seeing as how I have a lot of studying to do and not enough time to read AND write two different reviews, you might be seeing a few more of them. Anyway, a review is a review, right?

Anyway, remember a while back I posted a link about The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark and telling you all that I think you should read it? Well, the lovely Suki Michelle was kind enough to send me a copy of the book so that I can review it and let you all know what I think. So, without further ado, here's my review of The Apocalypse Gene.

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Oh wow! That ending! Can you believe it!? It was like, "Bam!" Then it was like, "Bang!" And then it was like, "BOOM!" Phew! That was a lot of action! But let me calm down now and actually give you a proper review. This book is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of read. The story was very unique and invigorating! Most of the characters are very relatable and fun to learn more about. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the lore of this novel. There were things in here that you feel you've learned about but then the authors throw in some twists and turns of their own that leave you speechless! This was indeed a very fun, energetic read! Before I read this book, I was in a reading slump. In fact, I haven't read a book in about two months because I just wasn't in the mood to. Most books that are being written today are just not entertaining to me. It's the same story re-hashed over and over again so I just didn't feel the need to read anything. That was before the brilliant Suki Michelle contacted me and asked me if I was interested in reading her and Carlyle Clark's book, The Apocalypse Gene. When she was so kind to offer, I jumped at the chance to. I was completely sold when she said that Carlyle loves anime (and it shows! Read the book so you can see what I mean!). My goodness. I am truly grateful to them both for helping me get over my reading dilemma and for introducing me to a wonderful book!

Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark did an amazing job at writing this book. Their writing style is top-notch! I love how they were able to work their styles together and make it balance into a nicely written novel. The style is not overly complex that you feel you need to take a breather after every sentence because it makes absolutely no sense to you... yet it's structured in a way that makes you think about what's going on in the story and what the characters should do in order to resolve the issues. I think what I enjoyed most about this novel is the story itself. It's quite different. It takes place in this sort of post-apocalyptic world where a terrible disease has spread throughout the entire world. But it doesn't end there! There's so much more to it that I can't say anything else otherwise it will spoil the whole book! Seriously, this is one of those books that I have to be very careful not to say too much or... well, you'll know what's going to happen and I don't want to ruin it for you guys~ <3 The world, the lingo, the gadgets, everything! All of it was so fascinating to me! I wish we had the technology of going to V-School and having a Holo-Sim! Those things sound awesome! (Don't know what I'm talking about? Read the book!) This dystopian book was wonderfully planned out and I am so happy I read it since dystopians are one of my favorite genres. ^_^

And now, as with all my other reviews, I shall talk about characters! We shall start with the two main heroes. The first one: Olivya. I have to be completely honest with you guys... I wasn't a fan. I felt that her character was absolutely shallow. Selfish in every way possible. I didn't like how at first, she only liked Mikah, the male protagonist, for his looks. I believe there is so much more to a person than their physical appearances and, throughout most of the book, that's the only thing she cares about. In fact, even by the end of the book, there's still some of that left. I thought that once the story progressed a bit further, she was going to go through so HUGE character development, and in some ways, she did. There was this scene where she watched over her mother and I thought, "Wow... you are actually showing responsibility and not trying to put the blame on everyone else." I felt that she finally matured. Then Mikah came back into the picture... and she commented on his appearance again. Really, Olivya? You're going to backtrack like that? *Sighs* I just was not taken in to her character. By the end of the book, I didn't find her as annoying but I still feel she needs to go through some major development before I am able to say I enjoy her. Still, she was an amazing fighter and there were times that I liked her spunk. She could be a very great character... if only she stopped being shallow. On to Mikah! I. Love. Mikah. I thought he was a great female lead! He showed actual interest in Olivya and not because she was beautiful or anything! No. It was because he liked HER. Her personality. Her fire. Her everything. Now he's someone I can enjoy! Plus, he was very intelligent, honorable, caring, sweet, fun, you name it! I love how he wanted to do whatever he could to save Olivya and the world he lived in. I really enjoyed him as a character. Olivya could learn a thing or two from him.

Side characters! I can't say too much of them because it'll ruin a lot of plot-points from the book so I will briefly touch upon a few of them. There's Mrs. Wright-Ono, Olivya's mother, and she was pretty cool. She's this no-nonsense type of mother but she could also be quite fun. I liked her a lot. Changarai, Mikah's "father" of sorts, is very loving and wise. Without him or Mikah, a lot of things about the book would make no sense to the reader! I'm grateful for them both! The Neo-Twins, Kaiman and Ash, were simply badass. Ash doesn't say much but he can knock your butt into oblivion! Kaiman... I have a crush on him. He has this... flamboyant air about him, which made me smile, but he also has this tough attitude about him. He can be quite sarcastic, too. And devious! God, I love him! XD There's Ayvilo who kinda annoyed me but I can't say why. Once you read the book, I'm sure you'll get it. I did like how she was able to wield her Nagamaki sword! That was epic! (God, I love the Japanese influence this book has!) Hakim is another character I adored! He has this elegance about him. Such a smooth, gentle, wise talker. I love him! There's Prime... and I can't say anything about him. Just know that he's cool. Then there's my favorite character: Lylobriel. Oh God! I cannot tell you how much I love him! His gentleness, his awesomeness, his... everything! I love him so much. Plus, he truly is a beautiful character. Very intelligent and wonderful and... *Swoons* ...I love him. I wish I could say more! But I can't! I will say this: Lylobriel and Morfexio are the perfect example of what friends should be like. Their relationship was the best one out of the entire book, in my opinion. (Plus, I'm a full-time yaoi fangirl so my brain totally ships them. That's right. I said it. AND I'M NOT ASHAMED OF IT!!!)

This book was a trip! The ups and downs, the craziness of what's happening in the world, the technology going out of whack, the characters losing their minds. It's all a bunch of good, entertaining fun waiting to happen. Like I said, this book is amazing. Besides that one drawback I mentioned previously, this book was such an amazing experience. Would I read it again? Of course! It was amazing and I will always want to re-visit this world that Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark created for us. I am looking forward to the next in the series so much! After that ending and what's coming their way, how could I NOT want to read it!? I will definitely be picking up the next book whenever it is released! I want to thank the authors, once again, for giving me the opportunity to read their book. It was amazing and I truly enjoyed myself. Thank you so very much! As to all who are reading this review right now, GO GET THIS BOOK! I promise you, you will not be disappointed! You will enjoy this book a whole lot! So what are you waiting for!? GET TO READING!

Rules of Constipation!

2011-11-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

This book... was not that great... just letting you know now. I was not a fan at all. This is the last review that I am posting that's on GoodReads. I swear, this will not happen again. I will try to post as soon as I can about those other things I mentioned. In the mean time, enjoy this review of Rules of Attraction by Simon Elkeles.

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Bah... this was just a horrible read. It was the same as PC and I just wanted to hang myself by the time it was over.

Let's see... where to start? I want to make it clear that I didn't completely HATE this book. I was mildly entertain throughout the entire thing which is why I continued the book all the way to the end. However, that doesn't change the fact that I found this book highly disappointing. Where Perfect Chemistry, though a very cliché story about two people who are completely different falling in love with each other, still had some elements that made the book a decent read, maybe not a great read but definitely a decent one, Rules of Attraction was no such book. It took everything Perfect Chemistry was, completely rehashed it, and spat it out to be something that's completely half-assed. If it actually TRIED to be its own unique story, I'm sure it would have been a decent read as well. But no. It's the EXACT same story just told through "other" characters. I was greatly disappointed to see myself reading the same book. Well, enough about that. Let's break this sucker down into the good and the bad.

How about the writing? Was it any good? Yes. It was very good. I don't doubt Simone Elkeles as being a fantastic writer. I enjoy her style quite a bit actually. She knows how to capture a reader's attention from the get-go. Her words flow so smoothly from one scene to the next. I must say that, for those of you who don't know me, I'm a huge fan of transition. Nothing makes me more happy than seeing an author who knows to go from one scene to another without making it seem like the reader missed an entire paragraph of text. So when I came across Simone's books and saw that she knew how to properly show transition, I peed my pants! I was that happy! X3 And that's not the only thing she knows how to do! I know she can tell a story that's suspenseful and intense as well. When I was reading Perfect Chemistry, I was really engaged in the story. Even though it's a story that had been told before, she wrote it in such a way that kept the reader excited to continue on all the way to the end. My only problem with Elkeles is that she was saying the same story all over again with very similar characters. Look, I'm glad that PC went well for her. Really, I am. But does that really give her an excuse to use the same story to gain an even bigger fanbase? Couldn't she be a little more creative than that? Just a little more originality is all I ask for! Another thing that bother me about her book this time around was the fact it included both Alex and Brittany. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them, but I did feel there were in this book a little TOO much. This is supposed to be Carlos and Kiara's story. Alex and Brittany have no reason to be here. Their story is over and done with. They don't need to be hogging up anymore the spotlight. And that little thing with them at the end of the book? What the hell? What was up with that? It's like Alex did a complete 180 back to his roots in the beginning of PC. It was stupid and unnecessary. *Rolls eyes*

And if that wasn't bad enough, she uses similar characters in RoA that she had in PC. *Groans* The only difference with the characters is that they were more obnoxious in this book than they were in the previous one. You have Carlos, the male lead, who was exactly like Alex from PC... EXCEPT HE WAS MORE OF A DOUCHE!!! There was nothing likable about him at all. Anyone who cares deeply about him and only want the best for him, he treats like crap, saying how he can't get close to anyone because he is a bad person. A rebel. A guy who needs no love because he's a "gangbanger." *Scoffs* He's more of a pussy than anything else if you ask me. The worst attitude I have ever seen on a character. Oh, and did I mention he treats women like sluts? Even after he admits to "loving" Kiara, female lead, he still treats her like shit. AND HERE'S THE WORSE PART!!! Kiara bloody accepts that. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? Why she puts up with his bullshit? Oh, because she loves him. It doesn't matter if she gave up her virginity to him to show him how much she cares and to keep him with her forever, which is a very stupid move on her part (no matter how much you like a guy, if he treats you like shit, you don't sleep with him to keep him closer), or the fact Kiara says to him that she doesn't care if he wants nothing with her because she's completely fine with giving herself up for him if it means he'll hold her for a little while... do you hear this bullshit? What kind of weak-willed, male-dependent, little cunt spews out this crap and expects people to take her seriously? It's a shame that most girls think this way. Also, it's a shame because I actually liked Kiara in the beginning. She was tough, didn't care about her appearance (although, she did cared a lot of what others thought about her...), and wasn't your typical girl. But, lo and behold, as soon as a penis comes into the picture (and a loser on top of that), she becomes like ever other female YA protagonist out there. This upsets me to no end. I want to finally see a girl stand up for herself the way she's supposed to. Not throw it out the window as soon as a man comes along. (AND A LOSER ON TOP OF THAT!!!) Jesus, it makes me feel such shame considering I, too, am female. *Sighs and shakes her head* Oh well... what can one do? EXCEPT BITCH AND RAGE ABOUT THE STUPIDITY OF THESE BLOODY CHARACTERS!!! *Snarls* Carlos and Kiara need to be hit by a freaking bulldozer. -_-""""""

Okay, I ranted enough. Time to talk about the good characters in this book. (This might not take long at all... there's really not that many.) I liked Kiara's family. Every single one of them. (Shame they had a shitty daughter.) I really enjoyed Brandon, Kiara's younger brother. He was cute, sweet, and very energetic... if a bit gullible. But, hey, he's six-years-old. I can cut him some slack... for now. *Narrows eyes* I also liked Collen, Kiara's mother. Her "health-freak" mannerisms is something I can relate to and I think anyone who promotes healthy eating is awesome in my book... even if they are a bit irresponsible (more on that in a second). Westford, Kiara's father, was a Super Daddy! He's strong, brave, sweet, kind, caring, loving, understandable, laid-back, and just plain old awesome! He was one of the few who tried to get Carlos to see that not everything is out to get him. He also told him to man up and quit being a pansy... just not in so many words. XD In any case, I really like the daddy. However, I did feel Kiara's parents where a little irresponsible. The fact that they let a total stranger into their house when they clearly know that they have a teenage daughter, don't keep an eye on them, allow them to be alone, and then expect that they don't fool around? Man, those are some pretty poor excuses for parents. Not to mention the rules they have. Okay, some of them are quite good. Like no taking drugs or drinking. But the curfews? Midnight on weekdays and two in the morning on weekends? Shit, I'm lucky if I'm aloud to go out for an hour with someone I barely even know, and even if I was allowed, it'll be around three P.M. I would have to be home by four P.M. the latest! I don't know... it just seems pretty unrealistic to me. As much as I love Kiara's folks, they really are doing a bad job in parenting. *Shrugs*

Yay! We've come to the part I was looking forward to the most!!! Talking about Tuck!!! (God, I love him!) Tuck is Kiara's gay best friend. (By the way, am I the only one who hates the fact that only the girls in YA literature get to have a gay best friend? Why can't the males have a gay best friend? Just because they have a friend that's gay doesn't make them gay. What kind of mentality is that anyway? We live in 20fucking11! Time to get over this whole "I'm too much of a man to wear pink" and get over yourselves! I demand to see a guy with a gay best friend right now!!!) *Ahem* Anyway, Tuck is one (if not only) of the best characters in this entire book! He's so hilarious! Every seen he is in made me crack up! I was always depressed to see him leave because he was, literally, the only character that didn't make me want to slap him upside the head. Even though I liked Kiara's parents, they still did things that made me want to whip out my mallet and bang them with it. Not Tuck, though! Tuck had a great sense of humor, never let anyone get the better of him, and didn't give two shits about what people thought of him. He was truly hardcore and he was a very good friend to Kiara. (Something she wasn't very much of to him but I digress.) He was there to support her even if he though Carlos was a douche. (And the hell he used to give Carlos was the highlight of the book! <3) Oh, man... I cannot say enough good things about his character. He was just... wonderful and amazing! Hell, I would like to read a book about him! I'm sure it would be a lot more entertaining than the crap I just finished reading. In fact, where does Alex Strong live? He's the inspiration for Tuck! Alex, I demand to see you right now so I can gush all over you. Yes, it IS as nasty as it sounds. *Smirks*

Alright, let's wrap this baby up. The book was... eh, okay. It's not a great read. It's not even a decent read. But it is okay. If you're curious enough, I suggest checking this one out of the library first before you buy it. It was very disappointing seeing as how it's the same old story about a boy who's in a gang that falls in love with a rich girl and they have the nasties together. I guess if you love PC, you'll love RoA. If that wasn't your favorite pastry then I say skip it... wait, it's actually worth the read! If only for Tuck! He's too awesome to pass up! *Slaps self* Well, not that the fangirl has been killed, I'll say this. Give it a try but only if you are curious enough. If not, forget it. I read the preview of Chain Reaction that came with my copy of RoA and let just tell you... it's the same story AGAIN with similar male characters AGAIN with a pathetic excuse of a female protagonist AGAIN! It's just... no. Elkeles, I am very disappointed in you. I know you can do better than this nonsense. Please, just try a little harder and then things might actual go well between you and I. You have the potential. Now just get to it! Anyway, that's all from me for now. I'll be coming very soon with another review for you. Stay tuned~ *Cue musical outro*

My Imaginary Lover

2011-11-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

I seem to have... lost my reading bug for a whilst there. I do apologize. I was going through some real life issues that prevented me from giving my all into reading. However, I am back and feeling better than ever! And I know I owe you guys like... a TON of posts that I said I was going to do and just... never got around to doing... Sorry! I am trying to get back into the swing of things. For now, I'm going to post up two reviews that I didn't write whilst I was reading the books. So instead, just this once, I will post the EXACT same review that I wrote for GoodReads. I hope you guys enjoy. ^_^ Better content coming your way as soon as I finish the current book that I am reading! ^_^ Without further ado, here's the book review I wrote for My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day!

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Man, this book was a trip. I spent so long reading it (mostly because life enjoys beating me into a bloody pulp) that I feel I know these characters personally. That I lived with them in this boarding school. That I was about to go squealy fangirl over the yaoi... oh, wait... I did do that... OH WELL! What I'm saying is that I REALLY enjoyed this book. I didn't think that I would considering that this is just not a genre I like. Why in the world would I want to read about high school life/drama? I hated my own, I'm going to read about another's? No, thank you. However, my good friend, Nicole Terazue, read this book and absolutely loved it so I, being one to fully trust in her opinion, went to my library and requested to read it. And, of course, it does not disappoint. I really enjoyed myself reading this book, which is so odd because I hate this genre with a passionate hatred! XD That goes to show you if the author really knows how to write, they can get almost anyone to like their book. Mind you, I still had some problems with it. (You can't expect me to FULLY love a book like this now, can you?) But the problems were very minor and you can easily look over them. It's still a fun, cute, light, fast read and if that's something you like then you should seriously pick this up!

But I'm getting ahead of myself! I still need to talk about this author! Susie Day did an absolutely wonderful job in writing this book. For what it is, it's amazing. The plot is not too complicated or heavy but then again, it's not supposed to be. It's meant to just give you a bit of a break when dealing with your own life by getting involved in the main character's life. I really enjoy Day's writing style. It takes up today's lingo pretty well (but it's British lingo so it could be a bit confusing if you don't know much of English slang). The writing style is simplistic enough to be easy to read but not enough to come across as juvenile. I also liked how the book is formatted. The book includes actual IMs and emails that take place between that characters and I thought that was a nice touch to have in this cute book. There is just one thing about the plot that bothered me, though. I don't like how the reader can figure out who the mysterious "E" is WAY before the characters in the book can. It's set up to be that way on purpose, I know, but it's just dragged out for far too long and it becomes a bit irritating after a while. At least for me it did. After all, no one is that bloody stupid and the fact that Heidi needed to have it shoved in her face after 150 pages of obvious clues... yeah, becomes rather tedious. Other than that, I really have no complaints about the book in general.

Except maybe for a few of the characters. Heidi, main character, is dorky and fun and even a bit charming. I love how she is imaginative enough to create her own boyfriend. That's a trait I highly value seeing as I do it often and I have a friend who does it herself. These are things I love about Heidi. However, when she starts craving actual "boys," she tries whatever she can to get said "boys." Even if they were taken at that moment with one her best friends. I mean, can't you wait until they have broken up or something? In truth, you shouldn't go out with your friends exs to begin with but... that's a touchy subject... I could at least accept this if she wasn't so, "Oh, this is so horrible of me... LET ME DO IT ANYWAY!" Heidi, no matter what you say, you're still a douche if you go for stealing with the boy-toys! *Groans* Plus, she's so bloody stupid! So many things are through right into her face but she needs to be told what's going on in order to finally get it. And even THEN she still DOESN'T get it! DX I just hate when people can take a freaking hint! All in all, she's an okay character. She became tiresome after the whole, "Wait... a boy likes me... I wonder who it is? Is it Drake? Malcolm? Bob? IT MUST BE LUKE!" Bah... what a nuisance. Oh, but she wasn't the only one who got on my nerves! She has this bloody friend called Ludo... and, God, did I wanted to push her out an eighteenth-story! -_-" She was your typical, "Like, ohmigod, I was totally about to have sex with this one guy when, like, I threw up all over him. It was, like, totally gross! Like, EW!!!!!" *Stabs the bimbo* I could not stand her one bit! She drove me mad and the fact that she was boy-crazed just made it that much worse. DX It's a good thing you don't see her too often... though often enough. Another character I had a problem with was Fili. At first, I quite enjoyed her. She is actually pretty cool... that is... until her secret is revealed. I won't say what it is for spoilery reasons but know this: What she did was really fucked up.

But not all the characters were terrible! There were actually characters that are to DIE for. (Okay, maybe not that drastic but they are freaking cute! <3) First I want to talk about is Betsy. She's this kick ass owner of a cafe/shop/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and she's awesome! She gives out great advice that a lot of people (not just the characters) should take into consideration. Plus, she's always calling Heidi out on her crap, which I just adore her for! I really liked her. I also loved this character named Teddy. He is the definition of Super Special Awesome! (Love you, LK~) He has the best sense of humor (really, this entire book does) and he just knows how to be an amazing guy. I would love to get together with him and play video games. Specifically Portal! X3 I would have to say that my favorite character in the entire book was Henry for many reasons. He's sweet, kind, caring, funny, sexy, intelligent, determined, sexy, wonderful, strong, and sexy~ (I like it when things come in threes~ >:3) Also, he reminds me a lot of a certain person that I like to call "Sugar" and I might be a TAD biased towards his character! X3 AND his relationship with Dai is just... *Swoons* ...delicious~ Mmmmmm~ Yaoi~ *Slaps self* Anyway, I should explain something about Dai's character. If you've read my updates, you will see that I started off liking him, then hating him, then liking him again, then hating him again, then liking him again. Basically, I have a love hate relationship with his character. I like him because he can be quite cute and sweet when he wants to be. However, when he started talking about his friend behind her back, I thought that was an ass move. But he gets better and then I'm thinking, "Well, fuck... how am I supposed to hate you now when you're being very sweet with your boyfriend and I'm a yaoi lover at heart?" Bah! It's so confusing. Here's what I think: If he wasn't a gossip, he could be the best yaoi boy ever! Well, next to Henry, of course. But he's a gossip so... make you're own conclusions. I'm getting tired. DX

To sum up: This book is worth the read. It's so light and fluffy that you really just have fun when reading this book. I am so glad I listened to Nicole and picked this up because I was quite pleased with the results. You might like it, too! You just never know. I know this is just what I needed to get me through a rough time. I feel so much better and happy now that I finished this book. And, hey! I got a new yaoi pairing from it as well! Whoo! A productive day! So, readers, go out and check this book if you are looking for something with a light plot and a fun atmosphere. Besides, this is comedy people! Don't you want to laugh? Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, that's all I have to say about this book. I'll be returning shortly with another. Hopefully, it will be as fun as this one was! ^_^

Shadow Kisses: "All About the Buttons" Interview and Bookmark Giv...

2011-11-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

Shadow Kisses: "All About the Buttons" Interview and Bookmark Giv...: *Squeal Moment!* I'm excited to welcome Barbra La Bosco from " All About The Buttons " who has been gracious enough to do an interview and ...

You know you guys want to check out this massive beauty! Go ahead and click! ^_^

Another Awesome Book Debut?

2011-10-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Have you guys heard? There's a new book called The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Michelle & Carlyle Clark. It's going to be a wicked awesome book. I think you all should check it out! Here's a link to go purchase the book! ^_^

The Apocalypse Gene

Books, Biscuits & Tea: 100 follower YA international giveaway

2011-10-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello guys! I know I have been gone for a while but... I had life to attend to. I will explain better in a future post but for now, go and check out this awesome giveaway!!!

Books, Biscuits & Tea: 100 follower YA international giveaway: Hello everyone! I have a special treat for you all - it's been a couple of days since we hit 100 followers and to thank you all the supp...

Barf, Barf!

2011-09-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally started reading again... well, to be honest, I've been reading the same book for the past two weeks. Why is it taking me so long to finish reading this book? BECAUSE IT'S UTTER CRAP, THAT'S WHY! Jesus! The book I am currently reading is Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and it is about the worst book I have ever read in my entire life. Okay... that's an exaggeration. Toilet is the worst book I ever read. But Barf, Barf is tied with Farted hands down. This is a bunch of YA paranormal nonsense thrown together to try and pass itself off as a novel. Do you know the kind of crap I had to sit through? Ugh! It's so vulgar and annoying that I feel I can't even properly tell you about it because there's just so much junk to say!

Let's start off with the terrible writing. There are so many inconsistencies floating all over the place. Fitz can't write for shit. Her writing style is awkward at best. She writes worse than a two-year-old. I am not please with her transitions. There are times when she is writing about one scene and then it just to a completely different scene without giving the reader any notice about it. Also, there are times where it feels like there are parts of the story missing. The gaps between events are so huge you feel like your book is missing pages! Not to mention the plot is mediocre, the characters are shallow and forgettable, and it's the same story re-hashed for your viewing torture! DX Fitz really should try a little harder to be more original and practice writing. The writing is just awful.

As I said, the characters are dull. Nora is a stupid twit that loses all sense of self when the hot guy walks into the room. Patch is a bloody rapist waiting to happen. These two give the word "lust" a new meaning... and if any of you call this piece a crap a "romance," I swear, I'm slapping the stupid out of you. Nothing about this book is romantic. These characters only want to bang the crap out of each other, always rubbing their lower regions against each other, and Fitz has the audacity to call this a romance? Bullshit! What these two characters are experiencing is not love! Nothing about this is love! Also, Nora is one of the dumbest girls ever! She's right up there with Bella and Luce. God, why can't these female protagonists be strong and use their brain? They lose all brain cell usage whenever a penis walks into the room. Ugh! And Patch? How is he sexy? One: His name is stupid. Two: He smirks like a bloody pervert. Finally: He acts all broody when in reality... he's just a pussy. I hate these two with a burning passion.

Don't get me started on the side characters! Vee is a fucking whore that only talks about sex as if that's the only thing in the world and we, as females, can only think about getting laid because, apparently, that's all we're good for. When it comes to Elliot, Jules, and Miss Greene, you know their role from the very beginning. That's another thing this book is big on: PREDICTABILITY!!! You can literally see what's coming next because it's the same story that's been told over and over again! DX Anyway, back to side characters. Elliot is a bloody douche that also wants to get in Nora's pants. Jules is boring as hell. Miss Greene is another pathetic female because she wants Patch's penis. (I don't care if it is a spoiler!) All I'm saying is there are NO good characters in this book. They all suck! Except that waitress lady who was getting under Nora's skin. She was actually smart and I didn't feel as if I wanted to kill her because she only appeared in one chapter. (Wish I could say the same thing about the rest of this garbage.) -_-"

*Groans* God, this book is painful... I just... can't... bring myself to even... LOOK at it! DX This book blows. It's just terrible. There's nothing creative about it, everything you can see coming a mile away, the characters are deplorable, and the writing is just awful! What the hell was Fitz thinking when she wrote this thing? Did she really think this is something people would enjoy reading? Actually, considering the majority of people can't be individuals and have very little brain cells to begin with... she's right. It makes me sad that novels like this are considered to be an amazing book when in reality... it blows more than purple monkey balls. *Shrugs* But, as always, I'm in the minority. If fallen angels, bad angel lore, bad angel puns, and bad writing is something you are into, then go ahead and pick up the book. Make your own decisions on it. I think I'll pass on the rest of this series. It just hurts too much to put up with Nora's stupidity and Patch's rapist mind any longer than I already have.

Anyway, hopefully the next book I read isn't a shitty one. I really need to start reading better books. Oh, and I didn't forget about that children's books post I said I was going to post. I've just been really busy. I'll see if I can put it up tomorrow! In the mean time, I hope you are having a lot more luck when it comes to reading than I have. -_-"

Till next entry! See ya!

Another Giveaway! Link Down Below!

2011-09-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

I know you guys are going to love this. There's another giveaway happening~ So go! Go and click the link! You will not regret it. It's to win Matched by Ally Condie and with it comes a set of earrings. I think it's a cute set so I wanted to share with you guys. Go on and check it out! ^_^

Win Matched with Earrings!

Giveaway Hosted by Book Rat

2011-09-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

That's right! You heard correctly! Book Rat Misty is hosting a giveaway for the book Hades by Alexandra Adornetto. I think it's pretty freaking awesome she decided to do this so I figured I should enter and spread the word anyway I can. (However, I hate Twitter so I'm going to blog about it instead.) Anyway, if you would like a chance to win this book then, by all means, enter this giveaway! Link is provided for you below~

Book Rat: QUICKIE GIVEAWAY!! Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Also, check out the rest of her blog because she does pretty awesome reviews on various genres of books. She also had a YouTube channel where you can see videos of her book hauls and more. All links are on her blog. Go ahead and check it out! ^_^

This is Rain, signing out!

Till next entry! See ya!

Cold as ICE! Plus, UPDATE!

2011-09-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hello again, readers! You might think that I have been gone a little longer than normal. Well, I have an explanation for that. You see, I have been reading. A LOT! I am in such a reading high you will not BELIEVE how many books I have read. (Not that I have a choice. I sprained my ankle so I really don't have anything else to do... *Sighs*) Then why have I not updated this blog? Well, I've been reading a lot of children's books. I felt like being generous so I was reading for We Give Books for the past few days. It's a lovely little website where you read books and for every book you read, one gets donated to a campaign you are signed up for. There's more to it but I'll dedicate a future blog post just for that. For now, just know that I got quite a few books read on that site and it was amazing! Why didn't I post something about each of the books that I read here? Well, this blog is mostly dedicated to novels. I want to learn children's books separated from here. I did, however, write up a review for each book on my GoodReads. If you are curious about what I read then I suggest you look there. If not then... whatever! Anyway, on with what I am currently reading!!!

I went to the library not too long ago and I picked up Ice by Sarah Beth Durst. Now, I have picked up this book from the library twice before but I never got around to reading it. (I'm just slow that way.) Anyway, since my friend picked it up and read and said how much she loved it, I finally decided to pick it up and read it. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did. It is based on the fairy tale East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon and it's very close to the original fairy tale. Granted, Durst took some liberties, such as the story with the munaqsri, but all of the elements with the original fairy tale is still there. And it is just as charming. I read the fairy tale before reading Ice and I found myself really liking it. When I started reading this book, I was in awe with how accurate Durst kept it and even adding little elements herself made it that much more breathtaking! The story! I am really taken with the story. Durst did a beautiful job writing it and her writing style is so amazing! There's some to it... I don't know how to describe it well but it's lovely! It makes me want to squee out in delight. ^_^ I'm so glad to be reading this book!

At first, I was really annoyed with the main character, Cassie. I felt she was so narrow-minded and shallow. (Much like the heroine from the original fairy tale.) She had this annoying habit of questioning everything that was happening. Things that couldn't be proven with science, she doubted. It was annoying at how she tried to make sense of everything that was happening to her despite the fact she was seeing it with her own eyes! DX Another thing that got on my nerves about her was how she couldn't tell whether Bear, her love interest, was really in love with her or using her. If you read the book, you would know that he did absolutely everything in order to please her. He wanted to make her happy no matter what the consequences were to himself. Her immaturity was just so stupid, I wanted to slap her upside the head. Okay... so Bear does something (can't say... it's a spoiler) that was really rotten. I get that. Even I was a bit upset with him after he did that. Hell, if someone did that to me, I'd be pissed for a long time before I got over it. And yes, I do believe Cassie was in the right to be upset with him. However, I don't think it was right of her to say rotten things about him. Even though he did that, he never meant to hurt her and it's very apparent how truly sorry he was. He never meant to wrong her at all. But she acted so immature about the whole ordeal... it was irritating.

So... does she get better? Yes. She does. Right now, I am reading a part where she is very grown up and not acting foolish. I am so glad, too, because she was really starting to get to me. XP She is showing this determination to get things done and she's not complaining one bit! Also, she stopped bitching about Bear, which is a plus. Bear is such a charming character. He shows this undying devotion to Cassie that makes me swoon~ I love him so much. Even though he did that "thing," I still find myself liking him a whole lot because of the true love he shows Cassie. I will say this about the book... I hate that Durst skipped over all those weeks that Cassie and Bear spent together. Those were crucial moments to their relationship and if the reader wanted to see how Cassie warmed up to Bear, they can't because Durst skipped over it. It was annoying. She took the lazy way out to say how much they love each other. Bah!I really wanted to know. *Sighs* Oh well... the book is still good regardless.

There's still more to say about the book but I will leave that for my full review that I will post up on GoodReads. Please, if this intrigues you, go check it out! I should finish the book tonight so the review should be up momentarily. I really think this book is worth the read. It does have some minor flaws, like the skipping over the foundations of their relationship, but it is still worth reading. Borrow it from the library and see for yourself! ^_^ Anyway, I'm off to have me a donut and some milk so that I can get back to reading! Stay tuned for some more reading I will be doing. I got some stupid books and good books to come. (I'll let you know now that a stupid is heading your way. DX) I hope you enjoy the updates! X3

Till next entry! See ya!

The Bloody Scorch "Burnt to a Crisp" Trials!!!

2011-09-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Judging from the title, you can already guess what book I am going to talk to you about this time. That's right! I'm going to talk to you about the awesomeness that is James Dashner's The Scorch Trials. Shall we begin? Yes, we shall~

Dashner is a bloody genius! I LOVE this trilogy! As soon as I saw this book at the library, I had to put aside my book limit (I have a limit because I usually take out twenty books at a time and, trying to finally get to the ones I have home, I decided to go with only five books... thanks to this book... yeah... totally got six. XP) and check this book out right away! As soon as I got home, I began to read it and I am loving it to pieces! The plot is just as engaging as The Maze Runner, the characters are still epic (minus one which I will tell you more in a bit), and the writing is just as intense! Dude, Dashner really knows how to write suspense into his stories! Do you know how many times I was at the edge of my seat, yelling at the book to tell me what's to happen next? I lost count.

I'm loving this plot. Want to know why? Because I cannot predict a single things that's going to happen next! Everything is just so out there that I feel like my head's going to explode! AND IT'S SO GOOD!!! I can't tell you how good it is. However, it's confusing as hell. I'm about 93% done with the book... and I still have no clue as to what's going on! I'm guessing I will find out at the end of the book but still! I want to know! I hate being in the dark! Wah! Dashner! Quit holding out on me! DX There is one thing I was able to predict in the book which regarded the relationship between two characters but that's nothing too big. Dashner kept leaving bread crumbs for the reader so you kinda expected it. Still, considering I'm not too fond of one of the characters, it's just making me want to smack someone. -_-"

Let me talk about the characters a bit. Thomas, still our main protagonist, is awesome as ever. Seriously, he is such a good main character... and not stupid at all! Most of the time, main characters are stupid as hell, but not Thomas! He actually takes the time out to think things through. He doesn't waste time on trivial matters, ever though he goes through quite a bit of them in this book. I mean, he thinks about them but only when he has down time and not when he's about to get his head chopped off. Minho is here, too, and I love him! You should see how badass he is. There are times when he's about to get his head chopped off (and a few other things) but I'm glad to say he's a fighter through and through. God, I love him. He's a character that showed tremendous growth since the first book. (I actually hated him at first but now? LOVE!) Newt! Oh my love, Newt! He is my favorite character and I must say I am SOOOOOOOOOOO happy he hasn't changed a bit. My only disappointment is that he is not in this book nearly enough as he was in the last book. T_T

There are a few new characters, as well. There's Jorge, a Crank (I'm not even going to bother with the explanation... it'll take too long. XP), and he's a bit... annoying. He's not too bad but there are times when he just... I don't know. I suck at explaining things. He's okay. I guess the way he speaks annoys me. *Shrugs* Brenda is another "love interest." As if we needed another one of those. Although, I do like her a lot. She's kickass but has a sort of elegance about her. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it. She kind of goes through a change in the novel but only because she's a Crank and the Flare is taking over her brain. (Curious to know what I'm talking about? Read the book!) She comes through for Thomas a few times and has really taken a liking to him~ *Smirks* Speaking of "love interests," Teresa. *Sighs* I really liked her in the first book... but that's probably because she was hardly in it. In fact, she doesn't show up in this book until about 100 pages in. However, the way she was acting in this book really pissed me off. She's selfish, manipulative, and even bitchy. I don't know... I'm just not liking her character now that she's appearing more often. I'm hoping that now, since things are getting to a certain climax, she'll get better again and she's not as annoying in the last book.

To sum up, READ THIS TRILOGY!!! Okay, I know the third is not out yet but considering how awesome the first two are, I can say honestly that the last one will also be great! I am really looking forward to reading it! Well, that's it for this "What I'm Currently Reading" rendition. I'm not sure what I'll be reading next but I'll let you know once I do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to finish this book and post the full review on GoodReads. I am excited to see what's going to happen in the end! *Flails* It's so exciting!!!

New SHUT OUT Trailer!

2011-09-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! Here I am again with something different. I just finished watching the new trailer for the book SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger and it was amazing! I am here today to show you that trailer! Please enjoy! ^_^

Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society

2011-08-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Again, this post is coming to you late. But this time I have a good excuse! I DID, in fact, remember I had to write this whilst I was reading the book... however, I was running out of time. I only had a few hours left with the book before I had to return it to the library so all I had time for was to read it and then leave. See? I didn't forget this time! It's all the library's fault!!! ... *Coughs* Okay, so it was a pathetic excuse... DON'T JUDGE ME! *Ahem* Anyway, without further ado, on to the review-ish thing.

So this next book I am coming to you today with is called Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society by Adeline Yen Mah. Let's see... I enjoyed the book. I thought it was a unique mixture of the tale of Cinderella with events that happened in WWII. Mah's writing style is a bit simple but considering the massive amounts of historical facts displayed throughout the entire book, I don't fault her. I love this book for showing me the Chinese side to the war. When I was in school, I only used to learn what happened on the American side or the Japanese but never the Chinese. It was a very educational to see how they suffered during that time period. In short, as an educational tool, this book was phenomenal. However, when it came to the fantasy-based storyline and the characters, the story fell a little flat. I suppose the main purpose of this book was to talk about WWII and the Chinese's involvement in it but if that was all it was supposed to do, I don't see why Mah had to try to weave in some fantasy elements which was only two scenes to be perfectly honest with you.

The characters all felt the same. There was no personality distinctions besides one being a great martial artist, one being really smart, and another being brave. The main character, Ye Xian (or CC), was really nothing special. All she did was cry or run away from home and ask stupid questions. Yeah... she annoyed me a little. The other characters all spoke in the same "voice" so there was no way to tell them apart unless the book stated so. I did like Marat because he knew a lot of languages and we all know how much I love that! Anyway, besides Marat (and that's because I'm jealous of his abilities), all the characters were bland, dull, and just plain... boring. Nothing made me connect with them. In fact, whenever the novel didn't inform the reader about what happened during WWII, I was really bored with the story.

Like I said, it was a good book. However, halfway through, you just wish it was over already. I'm not saying it was a bad book or anything, I just expected a little more. And since this was supposed to have some fantasy elements, I was really hoping for some intense magic. All I got was a book scene that shows the past... yay. All-in-all, if you want to learn more about WWII and the involvement of the Chinese then check this book out. If not then... well, that's up to you.

Once again, want to see a more detailed review? Go to my GoodReads account. The link should be somewhere in the sidebar. The next book I talk about is going to be a good one. Want to know how I know that already? Because it's going to be a sequel to a book I already read and let me tell you, the first book was AMAZING!!! I cannot wait to get started on that one! So look forward to it!

Till next entry! See ya!

The Knife of Never Letting Go

2011-08-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yup! More dystopian novels being read by yours truly~ I can't help it. It's one of my favorite genres and I've been meaning to read more of them as of late. So when I heard about The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and how amazing the premise was, I just had to go to my library and read it for myself. However, I am a little disappointed with what's happening within the novel. It's not as epic as I thought it was going to be. The story, dude, is great. I am really into the history of New World and its inhabitants. The plot is not the problem. Neither is the writing, although I do have my complaints about that (more on that later). My main problem are the characters.

Whenever I read a book, I must have my characters being amazing otherwise, I won't enjoy the story no matter how good the plot is. Todd, the male lead, started off as really immature and just plain stupid. A lot of the problems that he encounters happen because of the foolish decisions he makes. There are times when he overreacted to a situation. Like that battle between him and a Spackle, an alien species that are natives in New World, which he had no reason to go apeshit on the poor creature. I'll admit, I'm towards the end of the book right now and he has shown improvement. He's grown, but he did so many stupid things throughout the book that I can't seem to bring myself to like him at all. He's the blame for something really bad that happens... I won't say for spoiler's sake... but know that I am pretty pissed off at him for it. *Twitch*

Another character that got on my nerves: Viola. She starts off not saying a word to anyone. I thought she was a mute which I found to be intriguing. She was mysterious and cool, I thought. Then we got to know her... and my God, did I want to slap her! She was pathetic. Okay, I know she's in a new place and she's scared out of her mind. But when your life is in danger and there are people chasing after you to kill you, you don't just sit around, rocking back and forth, waiting for them to come chop your head off! A lot of the time both Todd, Manchee (more on him in a bit), and Viola nearly died because of how stupid she was acting. However, unlike Todd, she really shows character development. I really hated her at the beginning but now, that I'm almost done reading the book, I can actually say I like her. She made the decision to buckle down, keep her head held high, and try to survive this hell she was tossed in. She's surprising me with how brave she truly is. She's the perfect example of a character that, even if they are scared out of their mind, if they try hard enough, they can face any danger. Plus, she's was awesome when it came to Manchee.

Manchee is my favorite character in the entire book. He's Todd's loyal dog, a dog that comes through for him time and time again. My God! I cannot even begin to tell you how many times he's saved Todd's ass. He is such a good dog. I love him to bits. Words cannot express how truly wonderful he is. Plus, he's an endless amount of entertain throughout the entire book. His simple vocabulary and his honest feelings being expressed throughout the novel shows his genuine love for Todd. I'm really taken with him and it was for him that I was able to continue reading the book. Because, even though I love the story and the mystery hiding behind the villagers of Prentisstown, I couldn't really stand the main characters. It's a good thing they are getting slightly more bearable, though!

Patrick Ness's writing style is... unique. He purposefully write grammatically incorrect to show Todd's lack of education. Now, I'll admit... it's a bit hard to get used to at first. I'm still not quite used to it yet but... I'm able to handle it. What I don't like about his writing style is the need to keep going without pause. He's a genius when it comes to run-on sentences. I know this is what he was aiming for but... I'm not a fan of it. I'm just not. I can handle not using proper grammar and his need to repeat things three times to shown emphasis but when it comes to going on and on and on about something without the use of periods... it irritates me... quite a bit. Just my opinion, of course. Even though I'm not too big on his writing style, I love his ability to tell a story. Such a fantastic story as well! It's well-thought out and it keeps you in suspense. I will say this though... the story seems to drag out slightly. Most of what the characters do in the later half of the book is running away from the army. It is exciting but at the same time... you feel like, "Uh... didn't I read this already?" I love the story but it could have been cut shorter to save from being redundant.

All-in-all, it's a good book. A decent read. I wouldn't say it was the greatest but it's doable. I was expecting a lot more so I am disappointed... especially since it's such an amazing story! *Shrugs* I don't know. You should pick it up and judge for yourselves. It's definitely not a horrible book but I've seen better. Anyway, that's all for now. For a more detailed review, don't forget to read my GoodReads! I will talk more about the problems I've had with the book once it is finished.

Just a quick reminder that the main purpose of this blog is to mark what I am currently reading and what I think about it so far. All proper reviews are done in GoodReads so if you really want to see what I thought about the whole book after I finish reading it, then go there! As for the rest of this series... still not sure if I'm going to read it. It's good... but... considering what happens in the book and how the content hits home for me... I'm thinking I might just skip the rest of the series.

Till next entry! See ya!

Squeaky Books Birthday Bash!

2011-08-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone~ Just letting you know that Squeaky Books will be hosting a bunch of giveaways in celebration of her birthday! You should really go check her out. She does amazing YA book reviews and a ton more. That's including some adult and children's literature. So if you want to read amazing reviews and want a shot at winning some awesome prizes, please click on the link below! You will not regret it! ^_^

The Awesome Maze Freakin' Runner!

2011-08-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the title, I love this next book I am reading. It's a FANTASTIC read! Let me tell you guys something. It's be FOREVER since I last read a book that I absolutely have fallen in love with. Most books written today just... suck. They take the same story and rehash it again and again as if that's what we, as readers, want to see over and over again. *Sighs* You think there would be someone out there to realize we want something new and exciting! Well, I was starting to lose hope. That is... until I picked up this book. ^_^

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a perfect example of dytopian at its finest. There's so many twists and turns and cray outcomes that you are literally turning the next page with such eagerness! You just do not want to put the book down! I know I don't! Trust me. Right now it's so hard putting the book down just so I can give you this update on what I'm reading and my thoughts on it! I so cannot wait to see where the plot goes because right now, I have no bloody clue! That's another thing I love about this book. There's no predictability whatsoever! I can usually guess what's coming next whenever I read a book but with this book, I have no idea! Plus, the writing is amazing! I am in awe at how well Dashner can write! I'll go more in depth with that in my full review on GoodReads!

I have to say that I love ALL the characters in this book. Even the baddies you are supposed to hate. Each and every single character here makes the book so much more engaging! I love reading about them and seeing them grow. Thomas is a wonderful protagonist. I love how strong he can be and how he's always thinking of others. (Not to mention all the little yaoi scenes he has with the other boys. *Smirks*) I enjoy Teresa, the only girl in this novel. Dude, I usually hate girls in books. They always end up being weak and stupid or make the guy character into something stupid. But none of that happens here! Thank God. These two actually have a great relationship going on and it's not about acting stupidly in love or anything. This book is all about the action and I'm lovin' it! XD

My favorite character (I have to talk about my favorites with each book I read. It's a must!) has to be Newt. He is so funny, witty, brave, sexy--everything! I love how he handles himself. He takes the lead when he needs to but also backs down when he knows he can't be in control. He's the perfect balance for someone who needs to be a leader. Also, he's just so caring for the other boys that you can't help but love him! There are a lot of amazing characters in this book but I can't talk about them all in this little update. I'll save that for my full review, which should be posted later on today on my GoodReads! Please look forward to it! ^_^

Till next entry! See ya!

Like Water for Caca!

2011-08-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Oh... my word people. Just a few days ago, I just finished reading this book... and it made my brain bleed. Yeah, I know I'm a bit late with this... I... uh... kinda forgot to write this post whilst I was reading it... *Sweat drop* Well, I'll give you some general opinions about said book that I had whilst reading it. And, as always, you can check out my full review on my GoodReads page! I go into a lot more detail there than I do here. Trust me. *Smirks*

Okay! So we have Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and it's not what everyone makes it out to be. When I first heard about this book years back now, people used to tell me all the time about what a wonderful novel it was. Then, when I was in high school, my friend told me she had to read it for her English class... and told me how much it sucked. Now, I trust my friend's opinion on literature a lot more than I do with random strangers because she has a lot of the same tastes in books as I do. However, I was still curious to see whether my friend was right or not. Off to the library I went!

...why did I ever take out this book? Seriously, people! It was a disgusting, pathetic, brain killing read. The main character, Tita, upsets me so much! I wanted to beat her to a bloody pulp. Everything she decided to do was based on a man. A MAN! She's so bloody weak she can't live without being with Pedro, her love interest. To tell you the truth, I don't even know WHY she wants to be with him. He dumped her, married her sister, got her sister pregnant, treated her like crap, and was over-jealous when Tita found Dr. John Brown, a kind and gentle man who she SHOULD have ended up with, which he had no right to show her! All that crap about him always being in love with her and how he did the things he did was to be closer to her was just that: CRAP! God, I hate this book.

As if that wasn't enough, the entire book centered around food, which I find to be revolting in and of itself, and most of the main talk was disgusting. Mentioning vomit, shit, gas, burps, bugs for food... ugh! It was vile and I do not like reading about such disgusting topics! Not to mention that I don't believe a single thing was written in a love's point of view. It was lust and we all know it! Love!? BAH! No such thing in this book! (Feel free to disagree but that's what I believe to be true.)

The only two things I love about this book was Dr. John Brown and Gertrudis. They were both kickass characters! XD Gertrudis was a tough cookie! She didn't give two shits whether she was supposed to act a certain way to appease her surrounding folk. She did what she liked and I admire her for that. (That horse scene wasn't so bad either! X3) And John was just so sweet. Too sweet for words! I can't express how much I love his character. It amazes me that Tita can be so bloody stupid as to not choose him for her husband! He obviously cared about her a lot more than that no good Pedro. But, alas, women are stupid. It makes me sad to be one. *Sighs*

All-in-all, I don't recommend the book. Only if you have to read it for school, should you. If not then stay away! Oh, but if you're curious, you can always give it a go. See what you might think of it. I warn you now, most of the book is BLAH! You might like John though! I know I did. In fact, I plan to marry him because he was just too awesome to not love completely. ^_^

Anyway, I am now reading a dystopian novel. I love my dystopian~ It never lets me down. I will tell you more about it when I write my next update on what I am reading. Stay tuned because this one is going to be a good one! I can already feel it. >:3

Till next entry! See ya!

What I'm Reaing ATM!

2011-08-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

Well, since I have nothing new to talk about... I figured I should talk about what I'm reading at the moment. Of course, if you guys follow my GoodReads then you should know already but here I go anyway!

Right now, I'm reading Redwall by Brian Jacques. It's a fairly cute book. The main characters are mice! MICE! I haven't read a book where the main characters are centered around animals since grade school! It's just so cute. I love the story as well. It's your classic Good vs. Evil battle plot and I'm loving every minute of it. It takes me back to when I was in fifth grade. Ah~ I miss those days. Anyway, I think that this book is something I'm really going to enjoy.

There's three characters I love the most. Constance, a badger is just so badass. She can just kick you and you'd go flying to the moon! Then there's Basil Stag Hare. He's a nutty rabbit. Seriously, if you know who Zack Fair is then you know how Basil is. He's so bloody adorable! Then there's my absolute favorite! Methuselah. He's a wise old mouse! He knows everything there is to know about Redwall and its inhabitants! I love how intelligent this mouse is. I might be a bit biased towards him because one of his gifts is languages and I'm a bit partial to languages myself but still... XD He can figure things out, too! There's this little riddle in the book that they have to figure out and he does! He's so wonderful!

Anyway, that's all I'm going to say about the book. This is going to be somewhat of a new segment for this blog. I'm not going to write out my reviews here. As I said, I'm posting all my reviews up on GoodReads. However, I will post what my general thoughts are here. Kind of like if I like it or hate it. And if there's any characters that I like. If there are characters that I hate, I'll just hint at it and then let you see on my review. Hopefully this will keep this book blog alive. I'm pretty bad at keeping on top of things.

Also, I did went out to get more books but... I forgot to take pictures. I did make a video though! You should see that video up on my YouTube Page soon enough. I just have to edit it around some. XP Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new idea I have and I promise to take some pictures the next time I go out to get books! And don't forget, check out my GoodReads if you want to stay on top of what I am reading!

Till next entry! See ya!

CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

There's this wonderful YouTuber that goes by the username LexieVamp666 and she's just gain 1000 subscribers! Amazing, right? She really does deserve it. She does fantastic book hauls, wonderful update videos, and (of course) on point book reviews! You really should check her out! And whilst you're at it, check out her giveaway! Here's the video for your viewing pleasure!

This Book Blog...

2011-07-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

...died pretty quick, ne? I don't know what's wrong with me. I set out to do one thing... then I get lazy. My initial intent with this blog was to post myreviews here... but then I got lazy. I still review but I kinda only do it on GoodReads. After that, I just move on to the next book. I don't know why I do that. I could just copy and paste it onto here but... meh. I feel that there's no need to have the same review posted in different places. It's just a waste of time, really. -_-"

So here's what I'm thinking of doing with this blog. (I know I should just delete it but... that'll be a waste!) I was thinking that I should use this blog as an updating thingy with books. (I know. My grasp of words is just amazing, right? >_<) What I mean to say is: whenever I go out to a bookstore or whenever I want to be creative and show you all the books I bought, I'm just going to take a whole bunch of pictures and post it on here for you guys. That'll be epic, no? I'm sure it would be. Anyway, that's what you can expect from me here.

If all you want are reviews, then you can read them on my GoodReads account: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4481312-rain-misoa

Anyway, thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you'll enjoy the change and if you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment... or something. Anyway, talk to you guys soon!

Till next entry! See ya!

Gripped into Books: 300 Followers Giveaway!

2011-05-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Gripped into Books: 300 Followers Giveaway!: "Wooohooo! Today we have reached 300 followers! As you can see I am OVER the moon. With 5 months of blogging, I think its quite an achieve..."

Just wanted to reblog this because this is just amazing for them! Go ahead and check it out! ^_^

Been A While, Ne? And news about a Breathless Giveaway!

2011-03-10T23:58:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I suck... I've be a terrible blogger as of late... I don't know... I just haven't really been inspired to update this thing. Not because I hate blogging or talking about books... just because I really haven't had the motivation to tell you about the new books I have been reading. I have been visiting the library a lot which has lead me to reading a lot of the "now" books. And I must say... they aren't that great... I just recently went to the library and took out quite a few new ones so here's to hoping I have some good ones... even if I don't blog about them. However, I do have a GoodReads account and I notice that I update that more than I do this thing. I should probablly work on that... anyway! Here's the link: GoodReads Account

There... and with that said, I have AWESOME NEWS! Beth Revis, the amazing author of the book Across the Universe, is having a givaway of all five books that was featured in the Breathless Tour. There's a Facebook Page, you can Tweet about it if you are into that sort of thing, and you can see the original blog post on Beth Revis' blog. (You can find the link down below.)

If you want more details, plese clink on the banner that will lead you to the official contest rules. I really recommend you checking it out. These authors are amazing and the books are completely awesome! Do it! It will make you a happy camper!

Birthday Adventure!

2010-11-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hello world! I just had myself the time of my life for my birthday! My birthday is on the 16th of November... so I'm a bit late with this... but that's okay! Here's the video to my adventure! I hope you all enjoy and look forward to more reviews that will be posted throughout the weekend and an update video at the end of it all! Enjoy the adventure!

Book Haul 11/14/2010

2010-11-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! I have a book haul for all of you. Excuse my apperance in this video... I didn't feel like getting dress... and the choppy editing... I went over the time limit. XD Anywho, enjoy!

Wal-Mart Books:
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

eBay Books:
Vows And Honor Book I: The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey
Vows And Honor Book II: Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey
Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey
Learn Japanese New College Text Volume I, II, and III
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days Official Strategy Guide
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Official Strategy Guide

Barnes & Noble Books:
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Rurouni Kenshin Volume 7-10 by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Library Books:
Blue Moon by Alyson Noël
Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Book Review: Wolf-Woman by Sherryl Jordan

2010-11-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

Yay! I am back and with me, another review! WARNING!!! This review contains some spoilers. I tried to keep it spoiler-free but some details did get in so I advise that you stop reading now if you hate spoilers!

Front Cover

Title: Wolf-Woman

Author: Sherryl Jordan

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Release Date: October 24, 1994

Synopsis: Her earliest memories are of the wolves. And of the hunters who kill them and reclaim her to human society—as a slave. Tanith grows up part of a savage, plundering clan, in a world ruled by brute strength, superstition, and animal cunning. Hated and shunned, Tanith flees human society for the more humane company of wolves. The chief's son of a neighboring farming clan offers Tanith the chance to join once again with her own kind, but what will be the stronger—the wavering cry of the human or the steady beating call of the wolf?

This book… PISSED ME OFF TO NO END!!! Argh! I can’t even BEGIN to tell you how much this book made me angry! It was like getting a pair a’scissors and jabbing them into my eyes whilst dipping my lower body into boiling hot lava, having my skin melt off the bone then having someone stab me multiple times in my torso whilst pouring salt into each cut! Actually, no. IT’S WORSE THAN THAT! But enough about me ranting about how much this book made me angry. Let’s dive straight into the review!

Since this book is so short, there was not a lot I could have said without getting some spoilers into the mix. So, from this point out, you might not want to read if spoilers aren’t your thing. I did my best to keeping it to a minimum but I still feel I gave some of it away so stop now if you don’t want to have ANY type of spoilers. You have been warned…

This book is written in the perspective of Tanith, a girl who was raised by wolves. As an infant, she was born into a clan of humans who believed if they leave their child with the wolves for a few days, they would grow up with the knowledge of the wolves. Be it their ways or their language, those children will know it all. Tanith was chosen in her clan to be that child. However, an enemy clan that is run by the chieftain Ahearn, a mean prick who acts as if he’s caring but is really a douche, attacks the wolves Tanith was staying with. He kills them off and, feeling remorse towards the child, for he lost his own daughter when she drowned earlier on, takes the baby in as his “adopted daughter.”

Fast forward to present times, Tanith is shunned from the clan she was adopted into for not only once being from an enemy clan, but of being raised by the wolves. In fact, they mock her constantly by referring to her as “wolf woman.” Tanith doesn’t mind, though. She yearns to be by the wolves for they are the only ones to truly show her compassion. She learns this later on when a life-changing incident occurs. Want to know that incident? Then read the book!

In Ahearn’s clan, there is only one person who treated her as one of the tribe. Her name was Nolwynn, wife and supposedly “only love” of Ahearn. However, she was gravely ill. She tried to rescue her daughter from drowning and injured herself in the process. In short, Tanith did everything to please her, and the rest of the clan, in order to live in peace. Unfortunately, that was an impossible task.

One day, a woman by the name of Morag, Ahearn’s mistress (Little bastard saying that he loves Nolwynn more! What a load of bull!), sends Tanith to go find some fish for dinner, despite it being very late. Tanith does as she’s told so as to not upset the bitch, but little does she know that Morag tells Ahearn that she ran away from home. He goes out searching for her, getting severely injured in the process. What gets on my nerves is that once Tanith returns home and explains to everyone that it wasn’t her fault but Morag’s, nobody believes her and Ahearn casts her away from the village.

There was only one place left for her…

The wolves. They welcomed her with open arms… er… fangs… POINT IS THEY WERE HAPPY TO HAVE HER IN THEIR PACK! Ashok is the alpha wolf, Shula his mate, Zaal and Zeki their cubs, and Kalasin is like the cubs’ caretaker. His mate, Raida, comes along later in the book but I’ll let you read it for yourselves. They weren’t as critical or condescending as the humans. They loved her for her, and for a long time, Tanith lived happily with them.

Until Gibran came along. He’s her so-called “love interest” (Notice how I keep using quotation marks to emphasize certain things. That’s because this book is so full of contradictions you just want to kill someone! Or, at least, I do!) and he came to take her back to his own clan. Originally, Gibran is from a clan different from Ahearn. They are a much more peaceful lot and in order to preserve that peace they and Ahearn exchanged their sons as a treaty between them.

Anyway, he wants to leave and go to his tribe so that Tanith and he could live happily together! Sounds cute, right? WRONG! He’s a two-bit, no good, cheating asswipe that deserves to be shot! Seriously, he claims he loves her but as soon as she’s not around, he’s getting laid by some other chick who wears green (Hey, slut! That’s MY favorite color! Don’t go defiling it by having it wrapped around your body!!!). Her name was Sabra, by the way… retarded name… Anyway, Tanith calls him a liar and… I could say more about their relationship but I feel that if I keep ranting that I might give certain things away. I will say this, however. He blames his infidelity on being drunk… and Tanith seems to be okay with that. Stupid girl…

Well, from here on out the story goes through hell. I mean straight up hell! So many things happen and your mind is left whirling. There’s this huge fight and so much bloodshed… let’s just say I hate the ending of the book. It really was awful! It just leaves you… hurt. I never want to read something this depressing ever again (Watch me pick up some sad, messed up book next.).

I swear there was nothing that amazing about this book. The plot was decent… could have been more. However, all of the characters suck! Well, except the wolves. In fact, the wolves were the only good part of the book.

Jordan knows her wolves! I was completely amazed with how well she knew the actions and the actual living conditions and, one could even say, the rituals of the wolves. That amazed me! I was so fascinated to read those parts of the book that contained new things about wolves that I never knew before. Her writing style is awkward, though. Sometimes you would have to reread a line before you got what was being said. Though, that is only a minor setback. You still are able to see Jordan’s immense knowledge of the wolves.

Ashok is the sweetest of the wolves. He is so calm and gentle that you can’t help but want to put your arms around his fluffy neck! Shula is a kind she-wolf. She watches everyone in the pack as one really would their family. The two alpha wolves are so loyal to one another and affectionate that you wish humans really were like wolves. Zaal and Zeki are a bundle of joy. Raida is a bit on the mean side but she’s also strong and caring when she wants to be. And my favorite wolf is Kalasin. He’s adorable! So playful yet serious… so calm yet upbeat. He’s the perfect balance you could ever want in a mate… Man, I wish I was a wolf!!! *Ahem* Anyway, these are the only characters in the book worth your time.

Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it gets. The rest of the characters… ARGH!!!!! YOU JUST WANT TO MURDER THEM!!! Ahearn is a bastard that lets his bitch, Morag, do whatever she likes. Tallil, the exorcist of the group, is a hypocritical schmuck that forces everyone to believe the wolves are evil. Hrothi, the healer, is another douche.

There's this one character that goes by the name of Camelin. He's a bard that sings stories of every place he has traveled. He is one of the few human characters I like. He's very sweet to Tanith and I think that's awesome. He does have a flw though. When Tanith asks him to sings songs of how the wolves are really kind creatures, he says he can't because he fears them and he can't sing songs about something he doesn't believe in. It's really disappointing because I really did like him.

Gibran… okay… granted, he’s not as bad as the others but he’s still a jerk when it comes to loving women. His reasoning for being in love with Tanith is ridiculous as well. He says that he loves her for she pleases him, has a nice face, and is a good kisser. Now, if that isn’t fickle then I don’t know what is.

Tanith as well, gets on my nerves. She’s not a horrible heroine but neither is she epic. She takes all the crap the clan throws at her and does absolutely nothing! Okay. I get the fact that she is trying to prove to them that she is not evil but still! Throw a punch! Kick them in the nads! Do SOMETHING!!! Another thing that pisses me off about her is that she gives in to Gibran most of the time. I can’t tell you how many times I screamed at the book for her to stop being an idiot. Well, towards the end of the book she gets wiser, so that’s good.

My biggest problem, aside from everything else, is how they treat women in this book—as if they are objects merely meant for pleasing the man in bed. I’m not a feminist or anything but that’s just really annoying! I know that’s how things used to be but damn it! I don’t want to read a book about it! It’s just nerve-wracking! ACK!

I really… really didn’t like this book. It made me very upset and the ending just turned me off to the entire thing. I appreciate the parts with the wolves and how educational it could be but it is so overshadowed with everything else that happens that you kind of forget it’s even there. It’s a decent read but not one I would recommend to take with you everywhere you go.

If you like wolves and want to know a great deal more about it then this book is for you. If you like women being treated like dirt then this book is for you. If you like stupid endings and screwed up logic then this book is for you! However, if all these are a turn off, then STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS BOOK!!! I give it a three out of five, if only in recognition of the wolves.

Hope you enjoyed! Till my next review!

Just to give you guys an idea of what the text looks like.

Book Review: The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins

2010-11-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

Second review! Finally! I really need more time to do this. I can't just keep you people waiting and waiting... or maybe I can... who knows? Anyway, enjoy this next review about a pretty cool book!

Front Cover

Title: The Black Book of Secrets
Author: F.E. Higgins
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Synopsis: A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who trades people's deepest, darkest, secret for cash. Ludlow's job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.
Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experience or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.

What can one say about this book? Well, let us start from the beginning. F.E. Higgins’ book, The Black Book of Secrets, takes place in two distinct locations—one being a gruesome city literally called the City (I wonder where Higgins found such a creative name for her town) and a smaller, more collective town called Pagus Parvus. The two cities are polar opposites in which one brings forth chaos and destruction, whilst the other takes a more subtle approach… though still evil incarnate.

Enter Ludlow Fitch, a young boy born and raised in the City who is terrorized by his parents every second of the day. Being raised since birth to be a low-class citizen, he takes up the business of thievery for the sole purpose of getting his parents off his back long enough for him to breathe. What else could he have done? If he did otherwise, all that would await him at home was a killer beating from his father, with the cheers of his mother in the background. His only escape was to do what he was told whilst staying away from home as much as possible. You know, like any other teenager! Usually the place he ran to was a pawnbroker’s shop inhabited by Lembart Jellico, who plays a minor yet key role in this horror.

One day Fitch’s parents come up with the brilliant idea to sell their son’s teeth. Why? Because teeth back then were worth lots of money. So, for such petty reasons, they call in Dr. Barton Gumbroot (I'm not too fond of the pun either), a psychotic dentist who deals in shady business, like ripping out the teeth from the poor so they could have a decent buck in their pockets. I swear, I don’t care how poor I am. I will never stoop so low as to sell my own teeth for money. Besides that, since there was no novocaine back then, I would be in extreme pain… and I don’t do well with pain.

Apparently, neither do Fitch’s parents since they tell the dentist to yank his teeth out without giving two chickens about it! Dr. Gumbroot then takes his place over the child, drooling as if he was having some sort of arousal out of this, and the father of the child holding down his kid. What kind of parents does this kid have? Not to mention his parents are laughing at every wince he makes. Sickos… Anyway, the poor boy is then in excruciating pain whilst having metal pliers, that’ve been most likely in a drunkard’s mouth, pull hard on his shiny teeth. With blood pouring down his mouth, he gets a stunning realization: He’s going to die right there and then if he doesn't do something!

To make a long story short, he kicks the father, steals the pliers away from the dentist, hits the dentist with said pliers over the head, ignores his mother cowering like a wimp in the corner, and manages to escape from the City to a much gentler, quieter, though equally as vicious, place called Pagus Parvus. It is at this location where he meets Joe Zabbidou, a man shrouded in mystery who carries immense knowledge about frogs… and other stuff, I’m sure. He, too, is a pawnbroker but not like what you have in mind. Sure he buys worthless items from the villagers looking to find some money. However, he also buys secrets!

Every detail of a person’s past and dirty deed they partook in is then written in the Black Book of Secrets. Zabbidou, being an aging man who can no longer handle the hardship of writing stuff down in the book (I’m guessing) hires Ludlow Fitch to do the new data entering. Naturally, coming from a life of poverty, Fitch accepts his new job since it will keep a roof over his head and his belly full. Anybody with a brain would have done so.

Much of the same thing happens afterwards in the story. Joe Zabbidou goes up to a person claiming he could help them be at peace with themselves, that person goes to see him at the dead of night, they tell their story, Fitch writes it in the book, Zabbidou pays them for their secret, and then they go home happy. Simple enough, no? Wrong! Here comes the story’s antagonist, Jeremiah Ratchet, the man who basically owns everything in Pagus Parvus and rules the place with an iron fist! Got to love dictators!

He can’t take the fact that the townsfolk see hope in the form of Zabbidou. He wants them to quake in their boots and tremble in fear with just the mere mention of the name Ratchet. Nearly everyone was in debt with his outrageous prices on rent. This pile of evil nothing even thought up ways to have everyone doing dirty deeds in order to pay him the rent they owed. So, of course, with the new pawnbroker in town buying up the town’s secrets, everyone was paying off their debts. Naturally, this made Ratchet a very unhappy person. He formulates schemes to get revenge and what not which all seems to end in failure. I’m not going to give away any of it but let me just say that the story does make you want to start yelling at the book just so that pathetic excuse of a business man could get it! He was so deliciously evil… I couldn’t get enough of it!

The story is rather unique and it did make me want to continue reading till the end. The plot was a bit sketchy but it makes up for it with detailed characters that have dark pasts and worries that plague their minds. In fact, because of this, it makes you believe that the characters are that much more alive and not just some fictional people who came out of a person’s head, even though they are.

For this to be Higgins’ first book, I am truly impressed. I love how she described each event in great detail and how well she thought out her characters. Such thinking made it out to be a very entertaining book. I also love how she had the book written in two different perspectives. One was of Ludlow Fitch and it was written in first person. During this time of the story, he was saying the story as if he was writing down his thoughts in a diary. The other was written in third person just like any other novel. I thought that this writing style was very unique and it drew me even closer to the book.

However, there are some areas of the book where I felt it was lacking. For example, the character of Joe Zabbidou. She never went into great detail about him. I mean, where did he come from? Why does he buy secrets? How come no matter what happens, he always seems to know the outcome? What? Is he like some fortune teller that can read minds? Is he a seer that has a dream of helping those with horrible pasts? Did he injure his leg because of his former dancing career? I don’t know. Although I love how throughout the entire book he’s nothing but a mystery, I feel that there should have been a bit more explaining about where he came from. He’s still a loveable character. I just find it a bit difficult to fall completely in love with him since I know nothing about him… but that’s just me.

Another problem I saw with this book was its ending. It was more bitter sweet than anything. I was expecting more of an impact than it left me. It really left a lot of questions out in the air which I never did like in stories such as this. You know, like the ending of “Avatar: the Last Airbender.” It’s good, but because of so many questions left unanswered, it leaves a lot of us disappointed.

With all that, however, it is still a very entertaining book and worth the read. Though not the best book ever made, this book still contains a pretty decent storyline with well-developed characters and lots of twisted evil that drags in any person with a taste for excitement... or mental issues. I forget which. I read it in a single day and I was pretty satisfied with the outcome, despite its minor fallbacks. Hey, at least it didn’t make me want to pull my hair out or jump out of a window (Like some books which shall remain nameless for peace’s sake).

All-in-all, I recommend this book to both children and adults alike! Well, young adults. The older ones might not like it too much. Actually, with its sinister opening, I’m sure there are lots of older adults who would find this book appealing! I give this book a four out of five for keeping me happy all the way up to the bitter end! Good job Higgins!

Just look at the black side!
Don't mind the fading... it's a library book...

Book Haul 10/29/2010

2010-10-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Another one for you guys! This one is not that much of a book haul BUT it still has some cool books for you! I'm getting more in the mail and once they arrive, I will be doing another haul for you guys! Yeah... I like books. I'm an addict. Yes! I admit it! Now... time for the healing... Ahhhhhh! Anywho, enjoy!

Wal-Mart Books:
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Book Review: Beauty by Robin McKinley

2010-10-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy everyone! Yeah... I know... I took forever to get this review done... but I had work and I was also distracted by sexy people so of course I wasn't able to post it up! Anyway, I'm here now and the review is down below. I hope you enjoy my very first review on a pretty awesome book! :)

Front Cover

Title: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Author: Robin McKinley
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Release Date: October 25, 1978
Synopsis: An unfortunate nickname. Sixteen-year-old Beauty has never liked her nickname. Thin, awkward, and undersized, with big hands and huge feet, she has always thought of herself as the plainest girl in her family—certainly not nearly as lovely as her elder sisters, Hope and Grace. But what she lacks in looks, she makes up for in courage. When her father comes home one day with some strange tale of an enchanted castle in the wood and the terrible promise he has made to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows what she must do. She must go to the castle and tame the

Beast—if such a thing is possible....

Here is the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty... and the Beast.

Ah! A book by Robin McKinley. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how much I love this woman. Ever since my friend introduced me to her through her Damar series, I couldn't get her books out of my mind. I just HAD to own every single one of them. Beauty is the first book, outside of the Damar series, that I am reading of hers and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

The story revolves around Beauty, a tomboy of sorts that refuses to let anyone tell her what to do and who is a lover of books. Basically, my kind of woman. She lives with her father and two sisters. Her actual name is Honour (I read the UK version, I'm guessing) but after hearing the meaning to her name, she practically said, “Ha! I’d rather be called Beauty!” and by this rather poor attempt at making a joke, she got the name she was called by. Well, we need to have the protagonist come from somewhere!

Beauty lives with her family decked out in riches, because her father was a merchant of good trade. Most of the story from beginning to end is about how she feels ugly and that no man would like her. A bit depressing that a girl would think only of that about herself... and pathetic... but I digress!

There's also some sub-plot about her sisters falling in love and having babies but who cares about that! We only want to know what happens with the main characters, right? Right. DON'T GIVE ME NO LIP!

Anywho, after much happiness of living the good life in the city, where they were deemed as a highly respected family, the family is struck with a series of unfortunate events. (No. I will not read and review those books.) Now, broke and with nowhere to live, Hope's boytoy offers to help the family out by moving them, himself included, to his hometown called Blue Hill. It was in this peaceful village they lived, and you guessed it, peacefully.

Until one stormy afternoo~~ *Slaps self* No. I won't go there. But I'm serious when I say that everything went to hell once the father went out to check on one of his ships that was supposedly destroyed—one of the many reasons to his poverty situation. He lost his way in the woods that was located just outside his backyard... I'm not even kidding. Whilst in the wood, he finds himself at the gates of a gorgeous castle where he takes shelter there for the night and where he discovers the castle is enchanted.

Of course, he does something stupid which upsets the Beast, the ruler and quite-tame owner of the castle. So much for the rumors of a very ferocious monster living in the forest... The Beast conveys to Roderick Huston, Beauty's father, that in order for his life to be spared, he must make the decision to give up one of his daughters. I bet you can see where the story is going to go from here.

Beauty takes her father's place; the only way to break the curse the Beast is under is through love; but of course that's not going to happen in the first chapter. Otherwise, there would be no book... or fairytale for that matter! But to be honest... most of what happened was because of Beauty's stubbornness.

I love the story. It was lovely and put very well together. I also love McKinley. She is truly a fascinating writer. However, this being the first book she has ever written, it wasn't really her BEST work.

The story felt a bit lacking. All it really was about was how Beauty just lived at the castle, refusing to marry the Beast, taking care of her horse (because the horses in this book appeared a lot in the story), and complaining how she was ugly. I've read a few retelling of Beauty & the Beast so I have seen quite an interesting mix of stories. I felt that McKinley could have done so much more than she did.

Where she lacks in plot though, McKinley makes up for it in characters. The characters are so ALIVE in this book. Everything they go through, you go through with them. Huston is one of the most caring fathers I have ever seen in a book. The sisters are always willing to help out their younger sister and also boost up her confidence when she belittles herself. Ger, Hope's boytoy, is so sweet for wanting to help his love's family out and Robbie, Grace's man, is just sexy! But my absolute favorite characters have to be the invisible servants from the castle. Lydia and Bessie. They mostly appeared whenever they went to assist Beauty with a task but when they were there, their dialogue was one of absolute delight. How they made me laugh and wish that they were my servants just so that I could talk to them! (Oh, like you've never envisioned yourself with sla-I mean, servants! Hmm... not a much better word choice... oh well!) They were the most intelligent characters out of the book. Too bad they only appear a few times. Poo!

The Beast! My God! The Beast! He is the sweetest I have ever seen! How gentle! How kind! How epically awesome smex! I wanted to make him mine! In fact, I felt that he was too good for our female lead which is sad because I wanted to really like both. The only flaw I saw in the Beast was how he fell in love with Beauty the moment he laid his eyes on her... and that's not me exaggerating. Seriously, he met her one second and then the next, "Will you marry me?" Pisses me off...

I was most disappointed with Beauty. Here's why: She starts off awesome but becomes really stupid by the end of the book. I mean, at the beginning she shows just how kickass she is! I'm serious! You just think she is cool! But then... you see how really spoiled she is and how much she whines and, dear God, she actually started CRYING because the servants wanted her to wear a dress that she hated and felt she was too ugly to wear.

That's another thing that annoyed me about her!!! She kept going on and on about how UGLY she is! Damn it, girl! We heard the first 892,462,170,398,564,221,375 times! We don't need to hear it again! I am truly sorry for those who actually sympathized with her on her idiocy but I just can't do it. The way she was acting was childish and so for that, she deserves to be turned into a cockroach that needs to be squished!

...but I did like the book! I know. You can so tell by how much I bashed it, huh? No, really. It was a pretty good book. There's not much action but that's not the point of the book. It was to show the romance between our two leads. However, I just wished there was a bit more to see and our female lead didn't turn into a spoiled brat, or more so than normal. The writing was great and the rest of the characters were amazing. McKinley knows how to please and she does not disappoint even in her first novel.

I rate Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast a four out of five. A recommended read for all fans of the fairytale, romance, and people who don't really mind their female leads being complete dumbasses!!!

Four out of Five!

Lighting Fail

Book Haul 10/22/2010

2010-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I might as well post up the video that I did for my book haul. I thought that is would be easier for you guys to watch it on here than to go searching for it on YouTube. See? Aren't I a nice girl? XD Well, anyway, here it is for all its glory!

Library Books:
Kiss & Blog by Alyson Noël
Blue Moon by Alyson Noël
The Pact of the Wolves by Nina Blazon
Wolf-Woman by Sherryl Jordan
The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Ink Exhange bt Melissa Marr
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Wal-Mart Books:
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Ultimate Guide by Mary-Jane Knight
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Barnes & Noble Book:
Fallen by Lauren Kate

There it is! I hope you guys enjoyed and stay tuned for my first review! See ya!

Introduction + Haul!

2010-10-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself. My name is Rain Misoa. I'm starting this blog in order to provide readers everywhere with reviews on various types of books. It's always been a passion of mine to read and write. However, I never really did know how to go about expressing my feelings about certain books. Now I know!

I will be here to provide you with my many differeny views on books that others might not really know how to convey. I already got a few books that will help me in my quest to review books that might be well-known to you guys... or not so much so. It's the not so much so that I am most excited about. I like getting indie authors name's out there to more than those that may know them, if it is at all possible for me to do so. I really hope you guys like what I have to say, and if you disagree with my opinions then that's fine too. Converse here with me and that way we can engage in a very educational debate about our views.

Who am I? Well, I told you. I'm Rain Misoa. Oh? You want to know more about me? Well, I am a huge reader/writer. I like watching anime in my spare time (this includes reading manga as well), learning different languages (I speak English and Spanish fluently, I studied two years of French in school, and I'm in the process of learning Japanese, German, and Italian. I've also studied American Sign Language... would I be too much of a dork if I said that I acutally am trying to learn Al Bhed from the video game Final Fantasy X?), I love Japan and its culture, and I absolutely LOVE Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII. He is the best character of all time!!! I want to collect every single thing of that man to be in my room, nay, HOUSE!!! XD I'm nice... somewhat. As long as you treat me right, I'll treat you the same. If not then prepare for a mean girl to pound you to the ground. I have a bit of a potty mouth... I don't mean to offend... It's just my Tourettes acting up. XP But I am getting it under control which means that I will give awesome reviews even if I am pissed to all hell! XD

Anyway, I think you finally got the idea of the kind of person I am. I don't like following the rules so if there are certain things I am not allowed to do on these reviews/blog thing, more likely than not I will NOT follow them. I want to entertain and express my views without restrictions. Hopefully, that will go over smoothly... hopefully.

Well, that's all for this post. I am in the middle of recording a video for my YouTube account. It's just a quick introduction for what I am going to do and also a haul video. I hope you all enjoy yourselves and that you stick around for future videos and blog posts! Have a wonderful night!

Till next entry! See ya!