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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