I know it’s not Tuesday… but hey… Thursday starts with a “T” isn’t that close enough? Here’s one for the bitty bots in your life. Happy reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!
From the creators of Little Pea and Little Hoot comes this tidy tale of a decidedly different pig. Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean clean clean that’s all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won’t have it! They say in order to be a proper pig he has to learn to make a proper mess. “Don’t come out until your room is a pigsty ” says Papa Pig. “I won’t have any child of mine going out looking so neat and clean. It’s just not acceptable ” says Mama Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma.
For those of you who were waiting with bated breath for my slew of holiday wisdom, I do humbly apologize for letting you down. I have in fact been otherwise occupied with taking care of not 1 but 2 sick children – Trin and David. (Yes, I’m aware that David is 29 but lets face it, he’s male, so by some sort of wildly mutated gene thing guys have going on; they…at the first sign of sniffling…revert to the age of 2… hence the need for him to moan and me accommodate his moaning with hours of “You’ll be ok honey…I promise…you’re not going to die…it’s just the flu.)
Anyhow… (sorry, got a little long winded there) 1st of all I would like to congratulate the Christmas Contest winner Emma! WooHoo… you go girl. 2nd. Surprise!!! I have a review for you. Enjoy!
“Hold Still” is a very unorthodox book. It’s not really all that happy, it’s got chapters of self-deprecation, and several very emotionally damaging messages from a suicidal girl. Now, keeping that in mind, I want to first explain to you my reasons for reading it, I’ll close with reasons I think you should or shouldn’t read it yourself.
Like Caitlin (the main character of this book) I had a friend whom commit suicide in High School, only I handled in horribly. I shut down, I talked to no one, I curled up in a ball…skipped school, and as result almost failed out. I thought that if I just slept I would eventually forget about it, unfortunately all that got me was 1 short step away from the looney-bin.
So, keeping all of that in mind, when I ran across this book I was instantly intrigued. All of these questions popped up in my head; What did I do wrong? Am I the only one that didn’t know how to handle this? Is there a right way? How in the world does someone write about this? Do they know the answer? How?
So I read it…looking for answers, but what I got was more of an understanding.
As I said before Caitlin’s best friend Ingrid committed suicide and she doesn’t exactly know what to do…or what to say. She goes to school, she gets angry with the teachers she thinks could be more understanding and she pushes away the people that are trying to help her cope. He parents are at a loss, she is at a loss, and most of all she is angry. Ingrid didn’t leave a note, she didn’t explain, she just left…and didn’t consider the people that loved her. Or so she thought.
After finding Ingrid’s journal under her mattress Caitlin starts to realize things aren’t so black and white…that the friend she knew was only half of a person. That the “whole” Ingrid was damaged, and sad…and desperate for someone to really see her.
As Catlin struggles with the truth, she builds herself back up, and eventually finds what she needs to move on.
“LaCour’s” writing was average, but for anyone that has actually committed themselves to reading something so sad, it hardly seems to matter.
I do not recommend this book for the everyday reader…because unless you have had this happen to you…it’s just not going to make any since to you.
I do however recommend it for anyone that does fall into the latter category and has lived through this. Not to punish yourself, not to relive it, but to understand the complexities that YOU were feeling…it’s a hard thing to understand, but to see it in black and white makes you feel a little more normal.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember, when you ask someone how they are…actually listen to the answer.
For a complete book description click image
(3/5)
In case you are interested…here is the book trailer.
I don’t often read funny books…I don’t know why, I probably should, maybe it would jolt me out of the perpetual bad mood I seem to be in these days, but the fact remains, I usually pass up the humor for a good spurge of gore or zombies with anger management issues; so when my husband handed me a book with probably one of the most intriguing titles I have read in a while… I just couldn’t say no.
“The Reformed Vampire Support Group” by “Catherine Jinks” was hilarious. Not in a joke-after-joke-pun-after-pun way, but more the this-is-so-awkward-you-can’t-help-but-laugh-at-it funny. Think “A Fish Called Wanda” meets “Grumpy Old Men” (come on…picture it…got it? Funny isn’t it.)
The plot is written from Nina’s perspective…she’s a vampire (duh) but not the kind we normally think about. No, Nina and her band of vampire misfits are whiney, sickly, paranoid schizophrenics that spend more time in group therapy and fanging helpless gerbils than that do actually living their lives. That is, of course, until Cassimir (the original vamp) turns up ashes in his coffin and Nina decides she just can’t take her pathetic life anymore. Her and friends (Dave the downer vamp, and a Catholic Priest) set out on a mission to track down the slayer and bring things back to order, only… after turning up at the wrong house they get more than could ever bargain for. (Lets just say a very angry puppy shows up.) The entire book is based around the groups fumbling attempts to be better than they are and to stop a slew of crimes that… incidentally they actually caused themselves.
There is an 80 year old granny vamp with bad hips and a crocheting fixation, a prescription sunglasses incident that has Nina a little wobbly, lots of angry bedroom captives, a failed arson attempt, a loopy newbie vamp that hurls while trying to hostage negotiate, creepy basements, and 1 very distressed mail carrier that jumps out of a 2nd story window.
The writing was charming, as if Nina was letting you in on little secret but sparing you the gory details, and the plot was extremely twisty turny but well executed. I laughed out loud several times, and at one point had the most bizarre, in my head, movie playing…but I will whole heartedly admit that I enjoyed it. So much so that I might actually consider reading the brighter side of life more often.
Happy reading my fellow Groupers and remember: if at first you don’t succeed, cower in a corner till the bad man goes away.
Happy Tuesday!!! For those of you looking for a great last minute gift idea for the little ones in your life, here is a cute little book that incidentally is a part of a larger series. I promise I will post a review tomorrow (for those of you that are lost without my witty banter) I actually have it ready today, but I like to keep things on a schedule (Stupid OCD!) So until tomorrow enjoy this little gem!
At the playground, Lulu asks her friend Sam if he wants to play with her. Sam likes Diggers, while Lulu thinks Monkeys is the best game. Sam suggests playing under the castle, but Lulu knows that the top is the most fun. They just can’t agree! And then Lulu asks, “Have you ever played Ladybug Girl?”
As Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, Lulu and Sam save the playground from hairy monsters and big mean robots, and have their very own parade on the bouncy dinosaurs. They figure out that when they work together, they can create fun games that they both like to play.
Here is an oldie but a goodie posted way back in 2006!! I still rings true for me, so I thought I would share it with my new audience. Enjoy!
This Is How I See It!!!
As pathetic as this may be to admit, reading… to me… is a guilty pleasure. I am quite convinced that I am the only person in existence than can blow $100 in B&N in 5 minutes; at the $1.00 table. While some of you are subjected to the addictive thrills of smoking or drinking, I turn to a book for comfort.
When most of us were still small children a movie was released called the “Neverending Story”. Now, while I hate this movie it does enforce my exuberant need for daily literature. This “gimmicky” and “trite” movie simply insinuates that it is possible to loose yourself in a book. While the movie takes an indisputably literal turn, I remain a believer in the disappearance of ones true self through the pages of a book.
I love a rather large selection of authors, however the one that intrigues me the most would have to be Jane Austen. Out of all of the books that I have metaphorically leaped into, hers are my most enjoyable. Let me simplify for you. She uses “Real” women as the heroines of her stories. For example, let me introduce you to Ms. Elizabeth Bennett of “Pride and Prejudice.” While Lizzy is a pleasant looking woman, she is not what you would refer to as a Hollywood starlet, (enter Keira Knightly from the 2005 movie adaptation of the book.) She prefers walking to riding which means that she is constantly covered with mud, she tends to speak her mind, regardless of the appropriateness of the time or whom she is talking to. She often judges people by rumors she hears rather than getting to know them, and lives in an era where it is expected for women to be “accomplished” (i.e.: paint, draw, play the piano,) yet feels no need to bother herself with the structure of those talents regardless of how she is perceived. Lizzy is a women of character flaws and stalwart opinions yet she manages to capture your attention the moment she enters into a room.
Now, here is my point (sorry it took so long) I was partaking in a conversation today with a few men that I work with regarding to the fact that their wives like to read Romance novels. To my amassed amusement they actually believe that their wives read these particular kinds of books because they are “lacking” something at home. Let me set the record straight. While in a few cases, (and please let me stress the word few) Yes, some women enjoy a good trash novel because it gets them in the mood, however the vast majority of women like to read romance novels, (or any other type of novel for that reason.) because the women in the book generally posses at least one quality that they can see reflected in themselves whether good or bad, and for most of us it makes us feel better to know that there is someone else out there that has the same mind set at us. We can read a book and see all the problems and possibilities that come along with the quality and when they day is done; we can close the book and go back to our lives.
When I read a book, I get lost in it. I can hear the characters as if I am standing in the same room with them, and I feel the hustle and bustle of the action that is being portrayed. I can live in a time when I did not exists, visit places I will probably never see, get lost in a language that is no longer used, and feel the splendor of beautifully written words as if they were spoken specifically to me.
I have a very normal life. By some standards a boring life, but to me it is heaven. I don’t want to run away with some guy that will loose his charm after the first kiss, or end up in some twisted triangle of deceit and lies. I want to read a book that even in the faintest of ways I as a person can relate to and understand where a character’s reaction is coming from. Then I want to put my book down, tuck my son in bed and kiss my faithful husband goodnight. To me it is simply a mind journey, not a missed opportunity. So, if you see a women reading something you may view as “Trashy” just remember, at the end of the day it is still just a book.
When I first picked up “The Den of Shadows Quartet” I was nothing more than mildly curious. I have never been a big fan of short stories, my feeling is that if you have spent the time to think out the twist and turns of a plot, then be big enough to write and entire book, but pushing all of my preconceived skepticism to the back of my already full brain I decided…What the hell…give it a try…it’s got vampires how bad can it be?
And then I read the first story…
“In The Forests of the Night” was tofu. A mass of hype, with zero taste, that leaves you nothing but annoyed and hungry after you have already devoured 2 full bowls of the crap. The story followed Rachel/Risika in her vampiry quest to prove herself against her arch-enemy Aubrey. The story had potential to be interesting, it’s just to bad the writing was crap! The entire language and flow of the first story felt forced…as though a new author was trying to prove their uncanny ability to use a thesaurus. It was choppy, it was boring, and while normally I can trick myself into “reading” personality into the characters even my mind refused to do anything but translate the words into monotone High School history teacher mode. (1/5)
The 2nd story “Demon in My View” was much better than it’s predecessor. Plucking a character from the 1st story, (Aubrey) we are again taken on a small journey of self discovery. Jessica isn’t your typical high school senior, she is an accomplished author of a series of vampire paranormal fiction (go figure), and (ironically enough) the target of a much anticipated “vampire” hit. (Note-to-self: never piss off those significantly more lethal than yourself.) She finds herself stuck in a complicated race to save her life and to figure out the mysterious Aubrey. (Whom, by the way I detested in the first book and then jumped the fence and liked in story 2) The plot was much more smooth, and the writing was SIGNIFICANTLY better, the main problem found in this little snippet of a story was the crash ending…so much potential and then BLAH! (2.5/5)
“Shattered Mirror” was by far my favorite of all 4. As a matter of fact, at one point (even though I hate to admit this) I got a little choked up by the visual I had playing in my head (you’ll know the scene when you read it) This story followed a naive vampire hunter named Sarah Vida. After several failed attempts at conquering the ultimate evil she is dragged away (by her more successful hunter mother) for more training and, much to her excitement, a chance to attend a “mortal” school again. She is quickly confronted by not 1 but 2 “friendly” vampires and despite herself is sucked (excuse the pun) into a comfortable “normal” existence of school work and doting boys. It’s just to bad that her mother doesn’t see her new friends as acceptable. She is manipulated, physically torn down, and in the end has to decide to take or keep her own life. It is a story of self evaluation, and despite its quick ending, it was actually a pleasant read. (3/5)
And last, but certainly not least was “Midnight Predator”. I thought this story actually had the most potential to be expanded upon, but again…it reached the dreaded short story, cut quick ending. It followed Cathy/Turquoise/Audra (yes that is 1 person) and her rival Rayvn in their assignment (as hunters) to assassinate the evil she-vamp Jeshickah. The duo is forced to go under cover as human slaves in a wildly written vampire power-play, but shortly after entering the compound both girls quickly learn that their past are back to haunt them…in more ways than one. Turquoise finds herself enamored but those she has pledged to destroy and in the end realizes that she trust them more than she trust herself This particular journey to self discovery had the most fluid writing and the most tied up (still short though) ending. Not bad, just not great. (2.5/5)
All in all the book was…ok. There were quick snippets of emotionally driven writing, but nothing that you could “sink your teeth” into. (Sorry.. I had to do it.) Read it if you have nothing better, but expect no more than airplane fiction…a quick read with a dap of depth and nothing more.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: just because Audra’s Jaguar turned out to be a hot vampire with a kind heart doesn’t mean you should go jumping into zoo cages snickering “here kitty kitty”
Since the 23rd is quickly approaching, I thought it was only fair to repost the Christmas Contest details. For those of you that still haven’t signed up…here you go!!
Tis the season of giving, and in the spirit of this joyous and glittery time of year, I am giving YOU, my dedicated readers, the opportunity to score some FREE SWAG!
That’s right…I’m having a contest, and if you “wow” me with your words, YOU might just walk away with not 1 but 2 books of YOUR choosing. Just follow these few simple steps, and may the best man or woman win!
Entry Guidelines:
1. You must be a member of my Facebook Fan Page. (there is a link located on the right sidebar of my main page, just click and Voila’)
2. You must send me an email at misty@kindleobsessed.com and tell me the following things.
A. What 2 books are you desperate for?
B. What is your favorite book of all time?
C. Who is your favorite author and why?
It’s not necessary to write a novel or an essay… just be honest!
Please be sure to include the following info at the head of your email. 1. Your name 2. Your Facebook name if it is listed differently than the name you provided previously (I will need to verify your fan status) 3. The email address you would like to be contacted through if you are indeed the winner.
Deadline:
December 23rd, 2009
Winners will be announced on Christmas Day
Up Your Chances!!
The more entries the merrier…so as an incentive to tell your friends and family: If I reach more than 150 fans I will name 2 winners, if I reach more than 250 I will name 3!!
Disclaimer: I will not share any personal information with outside companies, not only is it annoying, its just plain rude, and as a consideration to my wallet please keep your book selections to a maximum of $20 each/book.
Simple right? I thought so… everyone likes a little free in their life, why not take the chance!!
Here’s to wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!!
A book to open up your little one’s minds…happy reading!!!
The Curious Garden
For Complete Book Details Click Image
Product Description
One boy’s quest for a greener world… one garden at a time.
While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.
This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.
From time to time every reader drifts away from their comfort zone, whether it be because our numbers have not been reached on the hold list (I really need my gift cards to bookstores soon), or because there is nothing new coming out.
Having already read several of “Dessen’s” novels, but never really finding one that was all that it was hyped up to me, I decided to give “The Truth About Forever” a chance.
Macy (the main character) is stuck in a rut, she has what her mother deams as the perfect boyfriend and can never quite escape from her memories of her father’s death.
The “Wish” Catering company helps out at one of her mother’s open houses and Macy is (for lack of a better word) mystified. She is shocked by the complete flexiblity and chaotic nature of their business; not unlike the cow looking for greener grass.
The Truth About Forever is easily my favorite of Dessen’s novels thus far, with beautifully written characters and the effortless capability to dealve into the true nature of her characters as they are pushed to their breaking points. Even with all of these strengths Dessen still fell short on weaving a plot not held up by the characters, the entire book is centered around Macy and her character development which is lovely to a point, but four hundred pages of one character moving slowly towards a new place in the world is a bit over doing it–there’s a reason I like to stick with the supernatural
More often than not I am drawn into a book by its cover. Yes, I know this is a horrible habit…with the whole “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” mantra people have been spouting for years, but lets be honest, it’s bound to happen. (Which…by the way… is why I think publishers have been paying very close attention to the “1st Impression” readers are presented with on the shelf.) Sometimes this theory works for me, and sometimes it doesn’t. I was pleased that “Fallen” was one of the “positive” outcomes.
Luce is a troubled girl, everything around her is either confusing or overwhelming, which is why she is psychiatricy sentenced to the “Sword and Cross” reform school. (Think lock-down for teenage deviants complete with lots of cameras and an overwhelming amount of stale gray paint.) After being thrust into the “not so loving” hands of her new keepers she finds a few new friends; 1 quirky girl with a rebellious streak, and 1 recently orphaned kleptomaniac with keys to the entire building.
After day one, which includes a horrifying meatloaf in hair cafeteria scene, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious Daniel who looks familiar but she can’t figure out why, but while Daniel is busy flipping her off and making if very clear he’s not interested in her psycho stalker ways, Cam is waiting in the wings…the nice guy, the guy who sneaks her vegetarian approved food and plans weirdly romantic picnics in the cemetery.
Are these cryptic guys really what they seem? One seems so good, while the other seems so evil…
Just when Luce thinks she has things figured out she realizes she is completely wrong…and the chase starts.
There are girls with annoying southern accents, a creepy serpent necklace, a UFC worthy fight in the rain, an avenging angel statue that loses her head, a girl that sees and feels ghost, an epic fire scene, and the sweetest/saddest beach scene I’ve read in a while.
“Lauren Kate’s” writing is perfectly executed, maximizing those lovely angst moments, and keeping us guessing until the end. The plot jumps a couple of times, but nothing that is too distracting, and the ending?…well, that did nothing but make me angry. (Only because the next book in the series in not scheduled to be released until Sept. 2010.)
I genuinely enjoyed this book, and not because I am obsessed with the paranormal, more because it had an original plot and was a fantastic start to the series.
Happy reading my fellow Inmates and remember: Don’t question the weird girl with the pocket knife…if she says cut her hair, just cut it.
Click Image for Complete Book Details
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