September 29, 2013

Series Sunday: What is a Book Series?



Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.

A book series is a sequence of books, by the same author, having certain characteristics in common that are identified together as a group. It may feature the same main character or a family. Book series are found in almost any genre: paranormal, romance, mystery, thriller, chick lit, erotica, etc. Some of my favorite series that are featured on this book meme are:
  • Blessings 
  • Reverend Curtis Black
  • Maggie and Odessa
  • Women's Murder Club
  • Alex Cross
  • Kinsey Millhone Alphabet

Stay tuned for more reviews on my Series Sunday meme. Share your favorite series too.

 

September 27, 2013

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.


"It was all because of the Berlin Wall. If it wasn't for the Berlin Wall Cecilia would never have found the letter, at the kitchen table, willing herself not to rip it open."
 
~ The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty 

Read along with us at the Chick Lit Book Club on Goodreads. It is our October BOTM.

 

September 23, 2013

The Fault in Our Stars


"Without Pain, How Could We Know Joy? (This is an old argument in the field of Thinking About Suffering, and its stupidity and lack of sophistication could be plumbed for centuries, but suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not in any way affect the taste of chocolate.)" ~ pg. 29

You meet the love of your life in the strangest of places. Seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters (diagnosis: osteosarcoma) and sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace (diagnosis: Stage IV thyroid cancer) meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group. Having cancer is unfair and both teens are afraid of loving each other, knowing time is not on their side. To be with each other hurts—inevitably.

If I ever wanted to write a review full of gifs, this would be it. I am speechless. I cannot pull my thoughts together to form a clear review. No order of words can accurately describe The Fault in Our Stars. I cannot even begin to describe Augustus and Hazel Grace's relationship. Just know that I was all up in my feelings and had to take a reading break when I got that lump in throat right before crying. A couple hours of not reading and the story was haunting me. I had to finish. And when I did? I sobbed. Bookhearts, my only recommendation is that you read The Fault in Our Stars for yourself preferably before the movie releases.


P.S. to John Green: Please write and publish an epilogue to An Imperial Affliction.

Ansel Elgort (Augustus) & Shailene Woodley (Hazel Grace)
Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Published: January 2012
Pages: 198
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

September 20, 2013

First Lines Friday



First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

"You think Martha Stewart shoves her clutter in a gun cabinet?"



 

September 18, 2013

September eMags

September is my favorite month (birthday, fall fashion, bonus-sized magazines and more). I am Living La Vida NOOK with these awesome September eMags:


Writer's Digest ~ Kimberla Lawson Roby Interview

The Writer ~ 10 Common Mistakes To Avoid in Legal Fiction

MacLife ~ Make Your Mac More Secure

Vogue ~ Fabulous Fall Fashion; Girl on Fire: Jennifer Lawrence Gifted, Unguarded and Gorgeous

Marie Claire ~ Fall Fashion: Bags, Shoes, Plaids, Prints, Leather & Lace—What to Wear Now!

Elle ~ Biggest Fashion Issue Ever: 650+ Pages Coats, Shoes, Dresses, Bags

National Geographic ~ Can We Fly?

Ebony ~ We Are TRAYVON

Essence ~ Fall Style Guide: 200+ Hot Ideas for Every Budget

XXL ~ The 150th Issue: Drake Watch the Throne

Rolling Stone ~ The Triumph of Michael J. Fox

Us Weekly ~ Khloe's Private Hell

Entertaiment Weekly ~ Fall TV Preview: Get The Scoop on 119 Shows

  

September 17, 2013

Necessary Lies


"All at once, I felt overwhelmed by the fear they must have felt back then, and by their courage." ~ pg. 12

Picture a small southern town fifty years ago. Fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is a tenant on a tobacco farm. Unlike other young girls her age, she is the head of household. Ivy cares for her grandmother, older sister and baby nephew. With her grandmother's aging, her older sister's mental illness, her baby nephew's slow development skills and her own epilepsy, Ivy struggles to hold it together.

Jane is a newlywed who wishes to be independent and work. To her husband's dismay, she takes on a position as Grace County's newest social worker. Turns out Jane is too nice for social work. Before you know it, Jane becomes emotionally attached to the Hart family and at a crossroads whether to take a step back or risk her career to help clients.

"You haven't been comfortable with the program from the start, have you?" ~ pg. 140

The characters in Necessary Lies are fictional but the Eugenics Sterilization Program is very real. According to the Author's Note, North Carolina sterilized over 7,000 of its citizens. North Carolina is the only state that gave social workers the power to petition for sterilization of individuals. If it weren't for Diane Chamberlain, this program would be unknown to me. Color me thankful to the author for bringing awareness, then color me appalled that so many individuals were affected by this program from 1929 until 1975.

Diane Chamberlain is an international bestselling author. I have read three of her twenty-two novels (The Good Father, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Midwife's Confession). All of the books I've read are highly recommended. The stories are deep, detailed and touch your heart. After reading the prequel The First Lie, I was anxious to see the story unfold and was satisfied with the full-circle ending of Necessary Lies. I will not hesitate to read a Diane Chamberlain novel and hope to catch up on her earlier released novels. I suggest my bookhearts do the same.

Title: Necessary Lies
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Published: September 2013
Pages: 313
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

September 15, 2013

Series Sunday: James Patterson Rant


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.  


My Series Sunday pick is a rant about James Patterson, author of the following series:
  •  Alex Cross
  •  Women's Murder Club
  • Michael Bennett
  • Private
  • Confessions
  • Maximum Ride
  • Daniel X
  • Witch & Wizard
  • NYPD Red
  • Middle School

What happened to James Patterson doing his best to make sure his books are as best as they can be? I see now why Stephen King and other authors have taken shots at him for years. I really wish James Patterson would revamp his writing process. For those unfamiliar, he writes an outline specifying what is to happen in each scene. The co-author submits pages every two weeks or so, then JP re-writes them. I appreciate his willingness to mentor new authors and co-author books to get their names out there. I am sure his process saves lots of time, but is it the best way?

I get the impression that James Patterson is more concerned with quantity over quality. He's admitted to writing four outlines in five weeks. Dude...slow down! I understand writers have streaks but c'mon! Out of all the books published in the last year, only one was a page-turning thriller full of suspense. The others? Not even close. I find myself keeping up with James Patterson's series out of habit, not because I think the books will be worth reading.

Respectfully, sir, this new process of yours is not working. Stop slapping your name largely on book covers when you KNOW it's a flop, JP. Not cool. Not fair. Not considerate. This is not the way to treat your die hard fans. Being the country's top-selling author means nothing if you are publishing 10+ shitty books every year. Stop with the mass publishing of commercial fiction and give us well written thrillers again.
 

September 10, 2013

Calling Me Home


"But this? No. This I can't do alone." ~ p. 14

The beauty shop is a place for women to connect, gossip and form friendships. It is like a match made in heaven when the perfect client meets the perfect hairdresser. So naturally, Isabelle was angry when her hairdresser left with no notice. She was offered Dorrie, the only black woman hairdresser in the place. What would they have in common? Isabelle is an 89-year-old white woman; Dorrie is a 30-something-year-old black single mom.

"That little gap would always be between us, simply because we were different. We'd been conditioned that way." ~ pg. 100

Isabelle has a big favor to ask Dorrie. It's quite the emergency. Isabelle asks Dorrie to drive her from Texas to Ohio, with no clear explanation why. Without hesitation, Dorrie drops everything and flees problems of her own to drive Isabelle halfway across the country. During the road trip (through alternating chapters of present day and 1939-1943), Isabelle shares her story of a forbidden relationship with the black son of her family's housekeeper. Meanwhile Dorrie vents about the current man in her life and her teenage son's bad choices. This journey together changes both of their lives.

Author Julie Kibler, you have written an exceptional debut story about heartbreak, trust, friendship and forbidden love. Calling Me Home has earned a spot in my favorites.

"My favorite stories distracted me from self-pity—temporarily." ~ pg. 125

Watch the Julie Kibler interview below then download/purchase/borrow Calling Me Home. This book belongs in every bookheart's personal library. Thank me later.

 
Title: Calling Me Home
Author: Julie Kibler
Published: February 2013
Pages: 296
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
 
 

September 8, 2013

Series Sunday: Fifty Shades of Grey Stars Cast

(Fifty Shades Trilogy)


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.  

My Series Sunday pick is about the casting of Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Fans have speculated for months about which actor/actress would play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. So tons of Fifty Shades were disappointed (myself included) when news broke earlier this week of the main characters. There is even a petition with over 18,000 signatures! The role of Christian Grey will be played by Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy). The role of Anastasia Steele will be played by Dakota Johnson (Ben and Kate). The big-screen adaptation is set for release in August 2014.

**slow blink**  Do you like the casting?

 

September 6, 2013

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

"Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death."
 
~ The Fault in our Stars by John Green

 

September 4, 2013

Before I Go To Sleep

 
"No treasure house of recollection, no wealth of experience, no accumulated wisdom to pass on. What are we, if not an accumulation of our memories?" ~ pg. 111

Christine Lucas is a 47-year-old anterograde amnesiac who cannot remember her past or form new memories. Her memories are lost every time she goes to sleep. Every time! Her name, age, past, family and friends are forgotten overnight. She heavily relies on her husband Ben and Dr. Nash. But are they telling her the real story or just an easier one? Does it even matter because once she goes to sleep and wakes up, it will all be forgotten anyway. This has been Christine's life for the past twenty years. The story unfolds as Christine tries to find out details of the mysterious accident that left her in this state, and whom she can trust.

"Soon I will sleep, and my brain will begin to delete everything. Tomorrow I will go through it all again." ~ pg. 111

Occasionally, I purposely read a book slow because I do not want it to end. I am not ready to part with the characters. I want to slowly unfold the mystery or storyline. Before I Go To Sleep is that kind of book. It definitely qualifies as a page-turner but was best enjoyed reading at a steady slow pace...until I reached about 91% and kept repeating, "OMG! OMG! OMG!" as I turned the ePages. The ending completely threw me for a loop. And when it was over, I longed for more! Now that I've reached the end, I am only left with the memory of enjoying this good read.

"You seem to be able to retain information while you're awake. But then, when you sleep, most of it goes." ~ pg. 10

S.J. Watson made quite an impression with this debut novel. I don't know where the author got the idea from but it is such a peculiar yet possible way to live. How sad to have no accumulation of memories. What a unique, well-written psychological thriller. Watch the book trailer below to see a hint of the suspense in Before I Go To Sleep.


Title: Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Published: June 2011
Pages: 245
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

September 3, 2013

Mistress


"Murder can be made to look like suicide, and suicide can be made to look like murder." ~ pg. 7

Ben is obsessed with Diana, a woman he can never have, especially since Diana is found dead outside her apartment. Ben's obsession urges him to find out who killed Diana and why. He soon discovers she was leading a double life: a sweet Midwestern girl, and a manipulative mistress in the political world of Washington DC. Someone, presumably Diana's killer, is determined to stop Ben from finding out the truth. And so the chase and hunt begins.

**throws hands up and closes eBook** Yes, that is correct. I didn't even finish reading Mistress. There are way too many books in my TBR pile to waste time reading this disappointment. "Scariest, sexiest standalone thriller" my ass. I made a bad decision reading this standalone book with the ASSumption it would be good.

"When I'm asleep, I can't make any bad decisions." ~ pg. 24

Title: Mistress
Author: James Patterson
Published: August 2013
Pages: 339
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥

 

September 2, 2013

2013 Reading Challenges Update

My oh my! It is already September. Where has the year gone? I have a long list of books to read this year and so little time. Here is an update on my 2013 Reading Challenges.

2013 Reading Challenge
My goal is to read 65 books in 2013. I have read 50 books so far (76% of goal).



My goal is to read 50 eBooks in 2013. I am #LivingLaVidaNOOK with 44 eBooks read so far (88% of goal).



My goal is to read 10,001+ pages in 2013. I have read 12,950 pages so far (129% of goal)!

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.

 

September 1, 2013

Series Sunday: The First Lie

(Prequel to Necessary Lies)


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.


My Series Sunday pick is The First Lie, the prequel to Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain. It is an early glimpse into the life of Ivy Hart. Set in 1958 in the segregated South, Ivy lives with her grandmother and sister on a tobacco farm. Ivy and her best friend Henry often sneak off for adventures. One night it gets real. Spooked from a Ouija board, Ivy is haunted by the possible family secrets revealed.

It is amazing how much this very short prequel piqued my interest. I am super ready for Necessary Lies to release later this month. Well worth the $0.99 for this eShort story.

Title: The First Lie
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Published: June 2013
Pages: 33
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥