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Title: Stake That!
Author: Mari Mancusi
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publishing Date: December 5th 2006
Pages: 288
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Series: Blood Coven #2
Source: Paperback
Goodreads Summary:
Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...
Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.
After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?
Review:
The second book in the Blood Coven series it just as entertaining as the first. The story continues where the first left off and it gets even more complicated.
This book is told from Rayne’s point of view instead of Sunny’s . She is still documenting her journey to become a vampire. She has not given up on this dream; however it is a little messier now because she is the new slayer. So to recap Rayne is the vampire slayer, her twin sister is dating a vampire. Can we say AKWARD! She receives her first assignment and finds herself partnered up with a very hot but grumpy vampire. Can Rayne make this work?
The irony behind the wanna-be vamp becoming the next vampire slayer is almost too much! The idea alone makes me crack up when you add the sarcastic bad girl who doesn’t care about the world outside her own life as the wanna be vamp made vampire slayer to the story it becomes hilarious. Wait there is more, we need to make sure that the story is also told from the sarcastic bad girl who doesn’t care about the world outside of her own life, wanna be made vampire slayer’s point of view. Now I am just rolling in the floor, eyes tearing, can’t catch my breath funny. Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit but I wanted to make sure I was able to make the , THIS BOOK IS FUNNY!, very clear.
So, Rayne discovers she is now the vampire slayer and finds it difficult at first, she really doesn’t want to be the vampire slayer. Rayne finds out she only has to slay bad vamps not her friends. This makes her job a little easier. When she discovers a hot vampire is also working the case and she needs to partner it up, it becomes much better. If you take away the part where they don’t play nice together.
I love Rayne and her point of view. It excites me to have the books switch narration. The character development is already well done but I like being able to feel from both of the sisters. The new character, Jareth , is a great addition to the stories and I can’t wait to see more of him in the future. The romance, the action, the mystery, it’s all here. I can’t express how much I enjoy these books! If you have not started this series, I highly recommend you do if you enjoy the light and fun reads in between the intense books. They are also great for a rainy day read.
Rating:
Title: Strings Attached
Author: Judy Blundell
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publishing Date: March 1st 2011
Pages: 313
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction, Coming of Age
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audio Book
Goodreads Summary:
From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, the tale of a sixteen-year-old girl caught in a mix of love, mystery, Broadway glamour, and Mob retribution in 1950 New York.
When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn't have much. She's fled from her family in Providence, Rhode Island, and she's broken off her tempestuous relationship with a boy named Billy, who's enlisted in the army.
The city doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms. She gets a bit part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show, but she knows that's not going to last very long. She needs help--and then it comes, from an unexpected source.
Nate Benedict is Billy's father. He's also a lawyer involved in the mob. He makes Kit a deal--he'll give her an apartment and introduce her to a new crowd. All she has to do is keep him informed about Billy . . . and maybe do him a favor every now and then.
Review:
I really enjoy historical fiction. I grabbed this one up after discovering it at my local library. It was a very interesting read and I did enjoy it.
The story: Kit is a 17 year old girl off on her own in New York trying to make a name for herself. She recently broke up with her boyfriend, Billy, because of his temper and jealousy. Barely surviving she is approached by her ex boyfriends father, who is mixed up with the mob, and is offered an apartment, a job at a local club as a dancer, and bills paid. The catch, she needs to keep his son happy and safe. The problem.. Kit wants nothing to do with Billy anymore, she is scared of what he can do. Without realizing how quickly she has fallen into a dangerous life, Kit finds herself being paid for, speaking to Billy about marriage, and being accused of being the girlfriend of Billy’s father. She is in deep and doesn’t know how to get out.
The Characters: Kit is a pretty street smart girl for this generation, she grew up in a poor family and has been through a lot. She is a determined girl and very stubborn. I really liked her, the only thing I had a hard time handling was her ease about getting back together with Billy. I had to remind myself that in the 50’s, many girls didn’t know better when their men were big jerks. She really believes he will change. It was easy to want him to change, but being from a mob family I am not sure what one should expect.
In this story we see a lot of different types of relationships between Kit and many characters. Kit and her sister and brother (triplets) Kit and her father, Kit and her aunt, Kit and Billy, Kit and Nate. This was an amazing part of the story. The story does flip back and forth between present and different types of past. The author did an amazing job on the transitions, they were easy to follow and they added so much to the story. The relationships and the family drama is the reason that Kit is in the predicament she is in and it is also those relationships that she will need to escape.
The historical aspect was wonderfully written. I felt I was in 1950, the setting, the style, and the feel of the story really fit well together to make it real. That is what I love about historical fiction, I want to go back in time, feel and live the way they did. Everything fit well in this book and it made it hard to put the book down.
A very enjoyable experience.
Rating:
Title: See You at Harry’s
Author: Jo Knowles
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: May 8th 2012
Pages: 310
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Digital ARC
Goodreads Summary:
Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges - until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal.
Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she's not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn't know he's gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone's world. He's devoted to Fern, but he's annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's calm and positive best friend, there'd be nowhere to turn. Ran's mantra, "All will be well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it's true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.
Review:
I seemed to be picking so real emotional books as of late. I knew this one was going to be tear jerking, I did not expect it to be completely heart wrenching. Phenomenal Book!
The story: Fern, a 12 year girl, fights for her place in the family social ladder. She is one of four kids. Sarah is the oldest at 18 works with their parents at the family diner, 14year old Holden is struggling with admitting he is gay, and 3 year old surprise childe, Charlie is the center of attention. Fern feels she is invisible, everyone has drama but her. Everybody’s world changes when the family of 6 becomes the family of 5.
The characters: Fern is fun, smart, and devoted. She struggles at times with having an annoying little brother, a mother who is always busy, a father who works too much, and older siblings who have their own world and problems. She wants to help everyone but also be left alone. She seemed like the average 12 year girl at the beginning and she matured quite a bit throughout the book.
Fern’s family had a big part to play in this story. The story centered on the family’s grieving process and I felt I could relate to them and felt the tragedy happened to me. The book was raw, unfiltered, and real emotional. The characters were well developed and the relationships were honest.
The issues: The real issue in this book was death and grieving; however many more issues were introduced. They are read issues that many families in our society are dealing with today. The author did a great job on keeping it real, I cried, I laughed, I learned, and I felt that I grew some in reading this book.
Overall this book was AMAZING and SENSATIONAL!
Rating:
Title: Forever in Blue
Author: Ann Brashares
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Publishing Date: January 9th 2007
Pages: 384
Genre: YA Chick Lit
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #4
Source: Hardcover
Goodreads Summary:
With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.
Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.
Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.
Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.
Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.
Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.
Review:
This is the fourth installment in this series and the last summer the girls spend together before they start their separate lives. The girls are now in college and starting their adulthood. The issues in this book are a tad more mature and the girls are starting to really come into adulthood.
The girls go through more issues in this book and learn some very hard issues. Lena starts a new relationship but still can’t get over Kostos. Tibby and Brian hit a real snag in their relationship and Tibby is not sure she is ready for such a commitment in her life. Carmen needs to learn a lesson on self confidence and real quick! Bee has a hard lesson in temptation. After all is said and done will the girls be able to grow up and leave the magic of the pants behind?
I really enjoyed this book and felt it was the proper ending to the series. The girls did a lot growing and still remained friends. They discovered in the end what really kept them going and it wasn’t the imaginary magic of the pants. I know there is a fifth book but I feel this is the ending of the series and the fifth book is a years later book and has its own story and its own ending.
I really enjoyed this series. I am sad to see it go but happy with the end. There is one more book that is set down the road I believe 10 years later.. One more book!
Rating:
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read!
Feature Blog Read It, Read It, Loved It
Q: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?
A:Not really. I participate in a Seasonal Challenge every season so my books are pretty much planned for 3 months. I do sometimes switch them out if I see another one that really catches my eye and the order I read them changes constantly. I do try to read light and fluff between really heavy books and sometimes I will get a sudden urge to read a type of book.
TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads
This Friday's Question:
Book Olympics: In the spirit of the Olympics, which books would you give the gold, silver, and bronze medals to? It can be from any genre, new or old.
hmm. Right now... from recent books read!
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