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Slayers by C.J. Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Janette Rallison. She sure knows how to write a love story. Cute, fun, and plenty of action. It ended VERY openly, so I am anxiously hoping for a sequel. There's no real way this book could stand alone with the way it ended. I AM DYING TO READ THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!
Not a waste of time, not at all. A quick-ish read. Fun!

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Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Read my review at http://writerswriteon.blogspot.com

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Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Book Review: A Touch of Scarlet

A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well... okay. This book was about a girl who keeps getting sucked into a dream world where she becomes a spectator to "The Scarlet Letter", but as the book progresses she gets more and more involved in the story. She even has a few instances of becoming Hester. Then her life outside this dream world also seems to follow someo f the sotry: there's a time when she and then one of her friends gets accused of something and mocked publicly/ shunned for bad or different choices.

I am grateful to Kensington Books for allowing me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

This book dealt with homosexuality, bullying, and trying to find out who you are and become okay with that.

It was... well it was fine. It wasn't spectacular... some of the dream sequences and then their respective mirror happenings in reality were a little forced... The main character was frustrating and you just felt so dang bad for Owen the whole time. Get a clue, dear.

Not a bad book and it is good that more authors are trying to approach the subject of bullying. Even if you don't agree with someone's choices, it is alway unnecessary to be vicious and cruel. It is important that we get the conversation started. There's a quote I love by Dieter F. Uchtdorf (read what that's from here), "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you". I love that. None of us if perfect, what right do we have to mistreat others because their choices are different? I mean, aside from murderers and rapists and such.

I don't know why the full-out fully described make out session is considered okay in books... like, just 'cause they aren't having sex doesn't mean you're not creating the same effect and ideas. So yeah, this book was not clean.

I feel like... well I feel like I wasted my time and I wouldn't read it again. There wasn't anything particularly bad about the way was written, I just didn't like it. One of those nebulous things.
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Book(s) Review: The Sisters Grimm Series

The Council of Mirrors by Michael Buckley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are nine books in this series. They are all about two sisters (and their family and friends) who are descendents of the Grimm brothers. The stories the brothers wrote are actually history and the girls have a destiny to be fairy tale detectives. There is an evil group plotting to hurt the Grimms and trying to destroy the town where all the fairy tale people/ creatures live (and escape since it is a prison). The Grimms have to work together with their friends to stop the Scarlet hand. Puck, Snow White, Prince Charming, and others are all part of the story. Some flat characters from fairy tales are given more rounded personalities and we see a new side to a lot of villains.

A really fun, clean series taking fairy tales and adding details that show a neat twist on some simple stories.

A lot of adventure and even a little, just a very little, romance.

The protagonists are two young girls with very big destinies and the final book wraps it all up very nicely.
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Book Review: Indian Captive

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

AHH! I was searching for this book. I couldn't remember the name of it, but it was one of my very favorite books when I was younger.

I have tracked it down at the library and re-read it. It is as good as I remember. This would be a fun read to get a young tom-boy into reading. It's not girly.

This was such a good book.  It's all about a young girl of a settler's family who gets taken captive by Indians. She hates them and fears them but after living with them she learns their language and grows to respect their culture. She eventually finds that she loves her Indian family.

Clean read... well written... just lovely all around.

Lois Lenski spent a lot of time researching Indian culture and trying to make everything in the book authentic -- and it shows. Even the smallest detail is as accurate as she could make it.  She even has illustrations throughout the book which are neat.

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Book Review: Perfect Scoundrels

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, Ally Carter... you've done it again.

SO good. A lot of suspense, a little romance, and some very smart criminals with great personalities...

Starting way back with "Ocean's 11" and "The Italian Job", I found I love smart criminal stories. There's something I like even better about these books: they steal for a good reason (not that I honestly believe that's okay... I guess stealing is stealing. BUT! In a book... in a story? The justice is sweet).

Kat and her crew of thieves are back together trying to solve another crime. Her cousins and then the random two guys: Nick and Hale. I appreciate that Nick has a small part. I have grown tired of love triangles being the fall back. And Hale. A sigh-able guy. Perfect (and flawed, which only makes him more perfect [I'm telling you, we girls dig that sorta thing]) as always.

Here is the thing that I appreciate MOST about Ally Carter's books: they are clean. She shows that a book can be good, suspenseful, and full of romantic tension without swear words, sex, or lusty feelings. I love it. Anyone of her books: I would not be embarrassed to lend to a friend or wary to let my [proverbial] teenage daughter read. And I definitely wouldn't be embarrassed to have someone know I was reading it.


The other great thing about these books/ the Gallagher girl series: even though the main characters are girls, there are a few things that make them great for guys too: 1. fun male characters, 2. suspense/ intrigue and action 3. the love story doesn't ever overwhelm the real plot.

NOT a waste of time. I love this series and am glad to own it. I will read it again and again.

The only thing I didn't like: This is clearly not the final book. I thought it would be a trilogy and am pretty sure it won't stop there. It could, but there are some clear indicators that it won't. Not that I mind reading more. I just... well I hate waiting to see how it all works out!


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Book Review: Winning Mr. Wrong

Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Everything cliche and typically wrong with some LDS chick lit was present in this book. Every awkward description, every goofy interaction, every cheesy line.

I wanted to like this book, and to be fair as corny as it was I didn't have a hard time reading, I just rolled my eyes a lot.

You might like this book, I didn't. I wish I had spent my time reading one of the other books on my pile.

Book Review: A Midsummer Tights Dream

A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Bwahahaha. Ridiculous. In the best possible way, of course.



Personally, I think the original series, "Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging" was slightly better... but not by much.

This book wasn't as good plot-wise as the first, "Wuthering Tights", but it was cute and funny, silly and lovely.

Can't wait to read the next.

These books are fun and light. Definitely laugh-out-loud books. The content is a little... British-rated so don't expect it to be as clean as an American mid-grade novel. Not filthy, but some swearing in this (totally unnecessary, but what do you do?) and a few little bits that weren't horrid, but not really clean either.


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Book Review: The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet Of The Swan by E.B. White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Hahahahahaha. This was such a cute book and has been placed on my all-time-favorites list. I loved it so much.

Louis is a swan who was born being unable to "beep". His dad and mom worry he won't be able to woo a mate later in life if he doesn't ever develop his voice.

Meanwhile a little boy named Sam, also quiet and reserved, observes the swans and makes friends with them. He saves their lives and te birds grow to trust him. Louis goes to live with Sam for a while to learn how to write so he can communicate. He returns with a slate around his neck. He is so excited to say, "hello" to his parents. Alas, they cannot read.

This book was charming. The writing was very abrupt unless Louis' dad, the cob is speaking. He is very verbose. It was so funny and I found myself laughing aloud and giggling often through the book. It is simply lovely in every way. I highly recommend this book and will be reading it again and again.

A well-written, beautiful book that makes you feel good. A lighthearted novel that is a quick read but makes you a better person by the end.



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Book Review: My Unfair Godmother

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was even better than the first. I love owning this book. I read it at least twice a year.

Janette Rallison is a very good writer that writes fun, easy reads that are always clean. A good love story, lovable characters, a lot of good morals, and a happy ending. Plus she makes it so you know what happens in the future without the need of a ten-years-in-the-future epilogue through a plot twist I just didn't see coming.

The characters in this book are more likable than the first. The main girl is not obnoxious at all. Even when she's acting like a stinker, you get it and you can't hate her for it.

The writing feels like a fairy tale. It's beautiful while still being accessible to younger teens.

I love this book and recommend it to anyone who like light, clean, sweet, fun fiction.

Book Review: Unbroken (A Ruined Novel)

Unbroken by Paula Morris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book's cover (much like "Ruined") is really pretty and captures the mystical and drizzly-day feeling of the book itself.

I did like "Ruined" better. I'll say that upfront. The story seemed more cohesive and Rebecca's part in it was much clearer. It was alos a lot more intense than this book. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but the book itself was just... less.

Anton was back-and-forth in this book just like the first, but it was less justified and more obnoxious this time.  Toby is still psychotic. Aurelia is more obnoxious, nosy, and frustrating. I liked Ling's character and was glad when Rebecca finally confided in her instead of spending (read wasting) half the book waffling over how to get around her friend. I suppose... well, I suppose that's the thing I struggled with most in this book. It's set over the course of a week (spring break) and yet nothing even happens until the eleventh hour (the last full day). So much of the time is spent with the main character wondering about her relationship with Anton, worrying about getting involved with ghosts again and how her dad would be sad/mad/worried/whatever, trying to find a way into a boarded up old house without ever actually even casing the place, and just generally being indecisive.

We meet some great new characters. Raf is very likeable as are his friends, his aunt, and his whole fmaily of "Indians".

The story behind the locket is intriguing, but we spend very little time on it.

Overall, I liked the book but I wasn't wowed by it. I'm not tempted to read it again, or even really to own it like I was with Ruined.

Not a waste of time, but not great, either.

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Book(s) Review: The Mortal Instruments Series #s 1-5

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well. I'm torn really because as much as I enjoyed these books there are a few things that make me not want to read them ever again and make me not want to suggest them to my friends. It all comes down to... "content".

Good golly miss Molly. I've never read a book that was so sexual without actually having full-on sex scenes. I had to skim a lot of the last three books. Like alot. Practically whole pages at a time. Over and over again.

 I have to say that a make out scene rivaling many a sex scene is just as bad. Truly. :( There was sex, too. For whatever reason, the author didn't hold back when it came to make out scenes, but thankfully just let the reader know when characters had sex without a lot of... details.

There is a lot of homosexual stuff, which is not my thing. I don't appreciate it and don't really like reading it. I'm not a bigot. I liked the gay characters. Magnus was one of my favorites, but I just don't want to read about two dudes kissing... and then some.

And language. Not a lot, surprisingly, but definitely some. And a lot of gory violence (and an overuse of the word "ichor" [but that is more of a personal pet peeve]).

I got really sick of Clary complaining about how untrained and unprepared she was and always turning into a dang damsel in distress. It was such a relief to see her finally catch on and be capable of defending herself in this last book.

Jace. Ugh. I got really sick of him. He was sooooo self-deprecating. It got old really, really fast. At first you thought it was endearing that this perfect guy was tortured. And what girl doesn't fantasize sometimes about fixing a guy. We're not necessarily proud of it, but there it is. So, at first you thought it was nice that Clary might be able to fix this tortured boy. Until he wouldn't let her and everything that happened it the first four books just solidified his feelings about how bad or messed up or irreparable he was. So then he'd torture himself by avoiding Clary, and she'd get hurt... it was cyclical.

Okay. So that's a lot of wrong for books I really did like. I was really, really absorbed in this story, in all of the good guy characters... the plot, the love story... it just really grabbed me and I had a hard time putting the books down to go to bed. Jace, Clary, Simon, Alec, Isabelle, Luke, Maia, Jordan, and Magnus are all really great characters. Complex, flawed... and mostly always likable.

If you don't mind language, graphic/ explicit make out bits and homosexual romance then you shouldn't have a hard time reading these books. I can't say I'll ever read them again... I really can't, but I enjoyed the story line A LOT while I read them. If there hadn't been so much stuff that made me uncomfortable then I would read these books until they fell apart. And then buy new copies. And read them until they crumbled as well. They were that good.


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Book Review: The Nightmare Affair

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


What a fun book. I was a little disappointed by how obvious some things were, but pleasantly surprised by what a... well, what a surprise other things were. The end had just enough twists that there was no way I could have predicted it all and I appreciate that in a book. I like to be surprised. As much fun as guessing can be, it's a letdown if you figured it all out ahead of time.

I really liked the characters. Eli especially. He was cute, smart, and good. And Dusty. She was great. She was strong and determined and a little insecure, too. Her best friends was wonderful too. Some of Dusty's teachers were lovely characters... enough so that when one of them died I was sad.

The character descriptions were vivid and believable. I am really excited to read the next book when it comes out in the future. I'd like to see where they go with these characters.

This was a relatively new take on paranormal, which I appreciated. There were werewolves, but no vampires. The book even brought in some Arthurian legend and the take on Merlin was great.

I was disappointed that even though the book seemed clean there was some unnecessary (in my mind) *stuff* just stuck in towards the end. It wasn't like, erotica or anything, but too much info for sure.

The cover is lovely. I really like somewhat artistic/ silhouette-esque covers. They're very contemporary and typically NOT cheesy.


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