Read. Sleep. Repeat.

I'm not a contemporary lover. I say this all the time and every time I say it I genuinely mean it. But sometimes I really have this urge to read contemporary books because I want to see something sweet. I want to get away from the bad ass tough chick who rides dragons and has a kick ass ghost as a best friend. Sometimes I don't want to go on a hero quest where the chosen one must navigate perilous lands and treacherous sand pirates who only still pinky toes in the night. This is what compelled me to request Sweet Thing. It's contemporary yes, but I needed something different, something uncomplicated, something with non-high fantasy names and 600 pages of quest and courts. Sweet Thing fit the bill, and to be perfectly honest, while I didn't expect to love it I genuinely thought (from the blurb) that I would at least enjoy the journey. I was wrong. On all counts I. Was. WRONG!

It's not the worse contemp book I've ever read. Not be a long shot; and I'm sure those who thoroughly enjoy contemporary novels will indeed enjoy Sweet Thing. But I have no patience for inner monologuing and naiveté characters and I feel that's all there really was to Sweet Thing.

It started off fine. Mia (our MC) has just lost her father and is moving to New York to run his café. On her flight to NY she mets Will (the only thing that spared this book a .5 rating) who is a musician (sort of like Mia) and who is afraid of flying. They were cute, they were awkward they were characters I thought I could get behind and root for. But I just couldn't! Even when fate throws these two together and Will becomes Mia's roommate. Even when Will turned out to be the sweetest most thoughtful and hardworking person ever I couldn't ship them. Mia, destroyed this story for me. She was grieving the lost of her father and attempting to find her way in life, and believe me I get that and I didn't expect wedding bells in chapter one, I swear I didn't, but I also didn't expect a narrow minded hypocrite to dominate the pages.

Exhibit A:

Mia sees Will on the plane with his guitar case and the first thing she thinks is "starving artist who sleeps with everything he sees". Never mind the fact that she doesn't know him, that's what he looks like to her so that's who he is. And even when he proves that he is actually compassionate, talented, charismatic, romantic and hardworking she still jumped to put him into that ridiculous box.

Exhibit B:

Mia tells Will we can be friends but nothing more from page 1 to page 200-something. From page 1 to 200-something she inner monologues her jealousy when Will doesn't come home, when Will goes out with a woman, when Will starts dating! But then when Will apologizes for hurting her (because obviously it's his fault) she goes into a "God Will I don't care! We will never be together we're just friends!" bullshit campaign.

It's like nonstop tug of war. She'd tell Will they were just friends, then she'd masturbate in front of him while he sings. She'd say, you're like family to me and then she'd sit on his lap to cut his hair. He'd back off, give her some space and say he understands, then she'd throw a pity party about how he was out fucking all of NY (which so wasn't true!).

The only redeemable thing about the whole book were the supporting characters. Everyone at the café, Will (especially) even jack ass the banker helped add a cozy environment and enjoyable dynamics to the story. They are the only reason I finished it. Oh and the sex...the sex was enjoyable. But that's mostly because Mia wan't talking. ;)

This review (and many others) are brought to you thanks to:

Such an adorable yet hot story! Full review to come soon!

I finished this book in 3 hours. 3 HOURS! I wanted to savor it. I swear I did! But this book, this story! It was meant to be devoured! Review to come soon!



Ms. Sophie Jordan, I am going to take a moment to be über creepy and say, you are the most evil, twisted, brilliant, amazing and absolutely FABULOUS woman ever. I think...you may be a genius and I sort of love hate you right now, in the best way possible.....



 

Erm....sorry about that guys but it needed to be said!

If you follow me on twitter you already know I'm going to gush and rant about how completely phenomenal this book is. You know I'm going to squeal and go gif happy and I'm going to start disowning you and damming your cows if you don't pre-order it NOW. But I don't care about what you know. I have to get all this off my chest and you bookish folks are the perfect audience!

I went into Uninvited with average expectations. It had a pretty cover, an intriguing blurb and a new (to me) author. It was only logical for me to go in expecting "oh that's pretty nifty".  Who knew I would finish this book and be a babbling idiot?! That it would be so amazing that I literally had a mid-day dance party where I squealed and yelped at the piece of greatness sitting on my computer? Uninvited was so amazeballs that I took the term "read it in one sitting" and made it literal. I did not move, did not stretch, did not pause, did not snack or take a bathroom break while I read Uninvited. Somehow I managed to devour it in 3 hours and even though I genuinely wanted to savor every word on every page I couldn't bring myself to slow down. I needed to know what was going to happen next. How it was going to happen. To whom it would happen to! I wanted needed to know all of the things and Jordan did a magnificent job of not only answering any questions that popped up, but of keeping me engaged. Not once did I even think "hmm I should take a break from this". Jordan had her claws in me so deep, and as she yanked my feels out of my chest and danced on them I blissfully floated away. I'm telling you guys, she has major skills.

The entire concept of Uninvited is one that was original but also somewhat plausible. Scientist have discovered a gene within people that can tell if they will become a murderer. A simple, test that supposedly can tell you if little Sally down the street will grow up and some day kill everyone in her house. A test that has the power to strip you of you identity, your future and any hope of surviving. Soon the entire country was making this testing mandatory, they were treating these people as though they had already killed a slew of people. They panicked.

When I was earning my license to carry a firearm my instructor asked "If you are alone and someone attacks you what will you do." My reply came hesitantly but I said "I would do my best to protect myself" and his reply has never left me. He said "Wrong. You will be afraid, and you will forget your common sense and panic. There is nothing wrong with fear, but I have to teach you how to see around that fear and not do something stupid."

I felt like this held extremely true for Uninvited. America, was afraid. Afraid of the fact that some "test" could potentially tell who would be a murderer. Who, had the potential to swiftly and without any remorse end them, their families, their friends. And because of that fear America panicked in the worst possible way and did something so stupid that I actually lost a little bit of respect for my country.

After this mind fuck of a concept, Jordan introduced us to characters that made you stop and appreciate their individuality. From Davy's determination and occasional naivety, to Sean's confidence and loyalty, to Gil's completely adorable geek vibe yet brave tendencies! I loved these three so much, and to watch their worlds crumble, no matter how different their backgrounds, it just broke my heart. I wasn't joking when I tweeted that I teared up. In fact, to be completely honest, I found myself whipping away tears on two occasion. Something that I've never done. There was just something so raw, so tangible, about that lack of humanity portrayed in Uninvited and it pissed me off that people could and would do such things to their own. To human beings with rights and dreams and feelings! But it just goes to show how thin that precious veil of humanity, that we all cling to so tightly, is.

Seeing how truly fragile our "humanity" is kind of rubbed me raw. To see someone who has been working so hard, is an A+ student, a music prodigy on her way to Juilliard with not a violent bone in her body be physically branded a killer, just destroyed my heart and pissed me off. Everything she had, her friends, her family, her very future was taken away from her because some crackpot in a white jacket said she has a gene (HTS) that increases the likelihood of her becoming a killer. It was this grouping, this completely ridiculous conclusion that made me tear up by how weak fear can make a country and how one person can gain so much power from that fear. It was just too real, too believable (not the kill gene that was banana's!), too much.

Uninvited has the characters, the plot, the pace and the balls to be one of my favorite books I've read in 2013. It was gritty in places but tried to make light of the bleak world contained within the pages.  The writing was captivating but appropriate for the characters ages, and above all it ended in a way that satisfied me but still made me yearn for the next in the series. Now go pre-order it!

We always talk about the woo's of being the black sheep when it comes to books but for once I'm really happy to be the black sheep! Tin Star isn't a book that a lot of people are going to like. The pace was slow and there wasn't much action but to be perfectly honest I really like this book! This is what first books in a series should be like! Tin Star made me yearn for the next book and I think that says a lot. Full review to come closer to release.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.*

What in the hell did I just attempt to read?! I made it 6 chapters in and had to call it quits. There was NO logic within those first few chapters and to be perfectly honest there was actually a point where I had to go back a page because I thought I had skipped something! The story just didn't flow and I find it extremely hard to believe that after watching (and being disgusted by) women prostitute themselves out, that Emily would be so comfortable to go and screw this random guy because "she wanted to". There was so much potential for this to have been a gritty and emotional story, and maybe it turned into one after chapter 6 but I will never know.

Absolutely adorable! Full review to come soon!

Ok, ok. You guys were right! Full review to come soon.

I've rewritten this damn review 4 times over the past 2 days and I'm tired. Real was a book that had me dying laughing within the 1st 30 pages, and I feel it's only right to reenact my thoughts and feelings in gifs. But not ordinary gifs! The funniest of the funny, so stay tuned my loves, and grab that popcorn.

So Real is the story of this chick named Brooke who is still recovering from a horrific injury that cost her, her shot at the olympics. Very boo-hoo, I'm still raw from being robbed of my dream six years ago. So, Brooke's friend convinces her to go to this "underground" boxing match for this guy who is basically sex reincarnated. A man so damn sexy he made Brooke actually yearn for him...deep down in her belly. A man so fierce and talented, that with one look Brooke about ruined her proper little panties just watching him fight. Who is this man, you ask? Well he is Remy, and this review is all about his and Brooke's "relationship". You see Brooke wasn't the only one to have an invisible party in her pants at the sight of Remy. Up in the ring all sweaty, covered in blood and beating the snot out of some smuck, Remy spotted Brooke in a crowd of hundreds, dressed in a very proper and professional pencil skirt, blouse and bun. You know, the complete opposite of the women who are holding  the "I'm Remy's #1 Bitch" signs are wearing. It went something like this:

But of course he was in the middle of a fight so, his couch was like this

But Remy is so fabulous, he knocked out the guy he was fighting and chased Brooke (who had walked out because she had destroyed her panties). This is where things get interesting. See Remy chases Brooke down a hallway (because that's normal) he then grabs her arm and demands to know her name. Now, personally I would have been all like

Yeah, I know he didn't mean it in a threatening way, but sweetheart you DO NOT grab a woman who is walking away from you. Under any circumstance.

So this is where things get spoilery so I'll tip toe to preserve your experience.

Brooke just graduated college to become an athletic physical therapist. Remy, is an athlete. Do you see where I'm going? No? Remy hires Brooke for her services. THERAPY services, you perv! And even though Brooke has the hots for him and knows business and pleasure shouldn't mix she accepts the job because he is just so hot!

And because he is sooo flipping romantic!

"Your name," he growls, panting, his eyes wild on me.
"Uh, Brooke."
"Brooke what?" He snaps out, his nostrils flaring.
His animal magnetism is so powerful I think he just took my voice. -page 98

 

Personally I would have busted out my can of mace and then kicked him in the nuts but, dagnabit Remy is just too damn sexy for Brooke to notice stranger/stalker danger!

From here things get frustrating...err I mean MORE frustrating. Remy is in the middle of a 3 month-long "boxing tour" and so, as his new employee, is Brooke. Three months. Three months of cutesy flirting, bickering, and enough sexual tension to piss off a nun. Three months of listening to Brooke literally (yes, the real definition of literally) beg Remy to have his way with her. I'm talking flat-out

"So you either come get me tonight to make love to me, or you leave me alone so we can both rest."
I expect this threat to elicit more of a reaction. He's a man. This is an open invitation to uncomplicated sex... -page 127

You are absolutely right Brooke! How dare Remmy attempt to clean up his slut bag ways and demand that you know him before he "takes" you?! What kind of douchebag would make such a ludicrous demand?!



I mean obviously Remy is a selfish and sick bastard. Oh wait

I'm so desperate I rake my nails down his arms as I rub my sex against his hard thigh. Sensations shoot off. I whimper, feeling the coiled tension in his shoulders, the smooth velvet of his chest as he devours my mouth, until, the continued feel of my sex brushing against the rock-hard quad muscle of his thigh makes my insides clench and tighten, and I explode. - page 146
...(further down the page)...
When I'm done, he brushes my hair back and looks positively intimate. His Voice. Intimate. Mild with tenderness.
...(just a bit more)...
I. Hate. Him.

err?



 

So he gives you the first orgasm you've had in months (maybe longer), AND he does so in a completely selfless manner, AND he has the nerve to make sure you enjoyed said orgasm? Yeah. He's the one with the problems here. Obviously. Sadly, from here things only got worse for me.

Remy gets a bit "speedy" sometimes, and I know a lot of readers got to this "revelation" and were all like "ohhh I understand now! All is forgiven!" but we all know that I like to hold my grudges. See Remy was a little like this



 

 

And while his mood swings weren't something I enjoyed they truly didn't define why I really just didn't like him. His macho "don't use your brain, I have mine" attitude sealed that deal for him long before the big reveal.

I guess you could say, the bottom line is that I didn't enjoy this book even half as much as the rest of the blogger community. I would say I can see why some people were heads over heels in love with it, but that would be a lie, and lying is bad. The writing was choppy at times, the characters made me want to blow things up and the plot went from "so bad it's funny" to wow that's "original".

I really had high hopes for Real and while it really sucks that it didn't work for me, at least I was able to have a little fun.

Good evening (in my best Tales from the Crypt voice). Today, in honor of Literary Excursion's Horror October, I'm bringing you my review of Carrie, by the master of scary story tellers....STEPHEN KING. So, sit back, flip on your light, and remember, there may or may not be something lurking under your bed.

 

Now that my fabulous and creeptastic intro is done let's get to the good part. The part where I basically say:

 

Stephen King you are one twisted, sick, and talented SOB and damn you for making me feel and think so darn much!

 

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the story of Carrie and many of you have probably seen the original movie and are planning on seeing the remake. With that in mind remember, the book is always better! And I say that as someone who thoroughly LOVED the movie. It's just, there is something about the way the book was written. The way we see all those varying perspectives. The glimpse inside those brains. It just makes a tangible difference the movie just couldn't attain.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Carrie it is the story of Carietta Carrie White. At 16 Carrie was the butt of every joke, the subject of daily torture and bullying and the child of a seriously fucked up and unstable mother. Now when I say those things, I mean them in their rawest form. Don't think of today's form of bullying. No, for that poor girl today's bullying would have been a walk in the park. And that is not me saying bullying in 2013 is not a very serious and rough experience. But when you compare the fact that Carrie got her very first period at the age of 16, in her crowded CO-ED locker room, had absolutely NO idea what was going on, and was then pelted with pads and tampons while her peers yelled "plug it up" at her, well...you see what I mean. And while that in itself is traumatizing and a whole new kind of evil, that was just the tip of Carrie's daily torture. She was tortured just in school, oh no, that would mean she had two days off to lick her wounds. Carrie was tortured by her classmates, her ENTIRE town (adults and small children included) and her own mother. Stephen King, has one seriously sick and twisted mind to be able to think up the crazy that is Mrs. Margaret White. This woman was the kind of "ultra religious" that I honestly couldn't have thought of by myself. Breast, were a sin. The menstrual cycle, was a sin. Showers were a sin. Swimsuits were a sin. And when Carrie "sinned" she was sentenced to "the closet", which is a lot creepier than I could ever describe.

But then, all that bullying and abuse finally pushes Carrie off the cliff, and the events that follow are some of the most devastating and intense things I've ever read. King has this was of not only making a story "scary" but of implanting you RIGHT there. I know very little about the 70's but, everything about Carrie just felt so authentic! And yes, I know that's because King wrote it in the 70's, but for that to still hold so well so many years later without making you roll your eyes is pretty cool. Not only that, but the fact that he was able to portray how quickly things can change and how, sometimes, it's possible for not a soul to be left to tell you how or why, gave me chills.

I've read It, Pet Cemetery, Fire Starter and Christine by Stephen King, way back when I was in middle school, which means I barely remember most of them. With the exception of It. That book scarred me so deeply I still hate clowns to this day, and I once ripped down half a haunted house trying to get away from one. But Carrie, even with its odd back and forth interviews/quotes writing style, will always remain one of the creepiest and most intense books I've read of his.

For adding another server, Book Likes. It has gotten much faster now. Also, imports are moving faster. Also, they are working on a iOS app. The CEO is super kind. 

 

I think I am starting to like it here.

 

I forgot what it felt like to have somebody care about my input as a site user and reader.

 

It feels nice.

MWAHAHAHAHA!

Love this!

This is my review of The Selection by Kiera Cass. Proceed with caution!

1.5 stars? 1.25 stars? Yeah. 1.25 stars! Full review to come....eventually.

Was going to give this 2 stars but that last 10% really threw me!Full review to come.

Originally posted onThe Archived by Victoria Schwab was one of those books I was sure I would love. It just seemed natural. My bookish twins enjoyed it, the premise was promising, and the reviews (from those I trust) were all awe-inspiring. But it just didn't work for me. Which irks my flipping soul because I REALLY wanted to love this freaking book!I (like most book nerds) fell heads over heels in love with the thought of a book that deals with "a place where the dead rest on shelves like books". That was probably the coolest concept I've ever heard and I itched for the moment when I'd get to experience it. And while the book delivers with its premise, I had a rough time with the characters. Especially Mackenzie, our MC.Mackenzie, or Mac, is a Keeper. A person entrusted with helping the dead (Histories) who "wake up" find their way back to sleep before they somehow escape out into our world and go on a confused killing spree. And this isn't some cake job! She gets punched, kicked, tackled and even stabbed by some of these woken Histories. But she held her chin up and went to work whenever she was summoned, and I loved her drive and badassery for that, but her personality really bugged me. As did almost every other character.Mac's little brother Ben died, about a year ago (hit and run drunk driver) and her family has swept all their thoughts and feelings under a rug about his death. I know everyone handles grief differently and I appreciate Schwabs way of writing a palpable grief but sometimes I was really annoyed by it. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a sibling, nor would I want to. But even I know you can't just ignore his death and have that kind of pain all bottled up inside. Mac often spoke about wanting to shake her mother and yell at her because she couldn't see how badly she was hurting, and all I could think was "hello pot! thy name is kettle!". I get her being upset, I expect that, but the way she handled that grief and anger just didn't rub me the right way. Then she met Wes (a fellow Keeper), and I thought maybe she would start to live, just a little. But of course a boy just made me even more annoyed.I liked Wes. In fact he was the only character in the whole book that I truly enjoyed. I just will never understand how a girl can go from hunting down deranged dead people to "blushing" and feeling "flutters". You're a big girl! Ask him out if you want, but please stop with the stolen glances. It just doesn't fit your persona.Anywho, at the end of the day the writing was great, but this story was just not meant for me. The whole sleeping/waking dead world was really cool, BUT it's chalked full of info dumps and twist and turns. Which isn't a bad thing per se, but when you're already struggling to stay interested, this became annoying.