My Favorite Reads International Giveaway

Welcome to My Favorite Reads International Giveaway hop hosted by the lovely Kathy of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

Your prize is $10 to The Book Depository.

My favorite books include Pride and Prejudice and the Harry Potter books. My favorite books this year are Obsidian, Delirium, and White Cat. If these books do not appeal to you and you win, please tell me your favorite book/author and if they coincide with my favorites, you are welcome to select that book.

Congratulations, Tanya! Tanya selected Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. 

Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green

The Skinny: A well-written story that makes a reader understand the depths of parenting.

Jane Green wrote one of my favorite chick lit books, Jemima J. When I received Another Piece of My Heart, I was excited to read more of her work. Another Piece of My Heart is not a lighthearted, fun tale. It is a story that can easily be a biography of many parents around the world. In this novel, a woman becomes a stepmother to two young girls. Green documents the relationship between the woman and her children and explores how relationships change and evolve over time.

The characters Green developed are personable and realistic. Andi, our protagonist, is a model parent and the personification of patience.  The two stepchildren are written well and could easily be based on real people. There were several scenes that evoked frustrated growls from me, and I was amazed that Andi was steadily persevering through maltreatment from one of her stepchildren.

The pace of the story is good and the storyline develops smoothly. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the inclusion of the point of view of one of the stepchildren. This addition adds a layer to the story that might have been lost as a result of looking at scenes from a mature lens.

Based solely on personal observation, I hypothesize that being a stepparent is a thankless job. Children can often place stepparents in negative roles and treat them poorly. Children can also adore stepparents and build strong and meaningful bonds. Green has crafted a story that explores both types of relationships and provides readers with an insightful look at parenting, love, and sacrifice.

If you are looking for a story that carefully examines love, relationships, and parenting, then I recommend that you read this book.

On a side note, do the words “stepparent” and “stepchild” seem negative to you? I have always believed this, and I was pleased to learn that Italians share my sentiments. According to my Italian professor, when referring to stepchildren or stepparents, Italians will say, “The children of my wife” or “My mother’s husband.” This is done in an effort to reduce the negative feelings associated with the traditional labels.

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

The Skinny: Each new addition to this once great series is progressively worse than the previous book.

Several years ago, I read the first book in this series, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were great, the story interesting, and the pace perfect. As the series developed, I began to feel like Harris was no longer interested in writing a good story. Each new book was filled with continuity problems and storylines that made little sense. I was hoping that Deadlocked stopped this disappointing downhill slide, but I was hopeful on the verge of foolish.

Deadlocked drags along and does little to push the overall plot forward. Sookie has developed into a vapid and idiotic character. She constantly says ridiculous comments and behaves in irrational ways. Eric, once lively and exciting, is now unpleasant and unlikable. Bill just needs to go away and stop trying to get Sookie to like him. She doesn’t like you, boo. The relationship between Sookie and Eric is so nonexistent that I am surprised Harris decided to include feelings of frustration on Sookie’s part about the inevitable Eric/alpha vamp marriage. Just let it go, girl.

This book was boring. The series is annoying. The characters are worthless. I am upset about the development of the Southern Vampire series. It is apparent that Harris has no integrity or dedication. Her writing exemplifies her lost interest in the Bon Temps vampires. She exhibits little effort in her work and should have concluded this series about six books ago. My frustrations with this series are quite personal, because I become upset when writers do not feel the need to produce high quality work. To me, it seems that Harris is just looking forward to the conclusion of her contractual obligations. No worries, Harris. I’m right there with you.

New Girl by Paige Harbison

The Skinny: Melodramatic and unrealistic

A girl transfers to a prestigious boarding school during her senior year of high school in New Girl. While she adjusts to being the new student, she hears whispers of Becca, the girl whose spot our protagonist filled. Becca has been missing and the school is obsessed with her disappearance. The new girl battles an unstable roommate, a love interest, and the shadow of Becca.

I did not enjoy this book. The initial setup of the story is so unrealistic that I almost stopped reading. The girl’s parents remembered that their daughter wanted to attend this boarding school when she was young, so they have been applying every year since her first rejection notification without her awareness or consent. Apparently her parents are incredibly uninvolved in their daughter’s life and are clueless about her current wishes. To really top off the unrealistic factor, the girl says nothing about her desire to stay at home and smiles and encourages her parents’ ridiculousness.

The characters in this story are unlikable and shallow. The storyline is repetitive and annoying. How many times do we have to read about her emotionally and psychologically unstable roommate doing something terrible? Furthermore, I feel that there should be a limit on the number of times the love interest acts like a contemptibly, inconsequential person.

New Girl is an unsuccessful book. The multiple points of view are poorly written, the main characters are forgettable, and the story is plagued with forced and unnecessary drama. When I finished the story, I did not even realize that the protagonist’s name was not mentioned until the end. I am still unable to recall her name. She is an unmemorable character.

I highly suggest that you do not read this book. You should spend your time reading a story that is creative, interesting, and worthwhile.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 The Skinny: If you have not read this, you should do so immediately.

Fans of young adult literature, book boyfriends, and unique stories will love anything written by Jennifer Armentrout. I first came across her work when I won a copy of Half-Blood. As soon as I read that gem of a book, I was hooked. JLA fed my addiction with Obsidian, a book about aliens. Hot aliens.

If you are thinking that this book is about gangly, green-eyed creatures, you are wrong… so very wrong. Daemon Black is the type of guy who inspires poetry. I am certain that Jane Austen used him as inspiration for Knightley and Darcy. Please excuse my uncontrollable desire for Daemon Black. I will get back to the review now. *waves hand in front of face*

Katy is a book blogger who moves to a new town and befriends her bubbly next-door neighbor, Dee. Dee and her brother Daemon occupy most of Katy’s time as she acclimates to her new environment. As her friendship with Dee develops, Katy begins to notice that there is something a little different about the dazzling duo. 

Obsidian is an excellent story that combines a great story with identifiable characters. Armentrout has truly perfected the ability to craft scenes that make readers emote on behalf of characters. Obsidian is the tantalizing beginning of a series that is determined to be an exceptional addition to young adult literature. I am so bummed that I did not win an advanced copy of Onyx. I am counting down the days until I get my hands on the next installment.

I highly suggest your reading The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It really is that good.

Love in Bloom International Giveaway

Welcome to the Love in Bloom International Giveaway Hop hosted by the lovely Kathy of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

Your prize is $10 to The Book Depository. 

I suggest lighthearted books like Anna and the French Kiss or The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, but you are welcome to select any sweet young adult book.

Congratulations to Meghan R! She selected The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Skinny: Vampires > Humans = a good story

In The Immortal Rules, vampires have assumed control over humans. Allie is a human who scavenges for food, because she is unwilling to register with the vampires to obtain food rations in exchange for blood letting. Allie meets a mysterious man during one of her food rescues and our journey into the world of vampires vs. humans begins.

The book industry is saturated with vampire stories, but I am not complaining, because I do enjoy the fang. Kagawa created a story that uniquely places vampires in a position of authority. It is interesting to see how vampires are no longer hidden or fearful of detection. Humans are the creatures who mould to the shadows.

I enjoyed the development of the story but was frustrated by Allie, our protagonist. She defies the man who is trying to keep her safe and seems reluctant to help him when he is in a situation that requires rescue. I was under the impression that the man fell on his sword for her, but she is dragging her feet to help him. That aspect of the story was underdeveloped, in my opinion, and I am still unsure why she does not feel a sense of urgency in aiding him. She begrudgingly decides to help him, which feels so strange to me.

The Immortal Rules is a good story, and I recommend it to readers who are looking for a different view of vampires. Unlike many current vampire series, these vampires do not fall in love with humans and sparkle in the sun. They are vicious and dangerous predators. I eagerly await Kawaga’s addition to this creative story. 

Unchained by Jennifer Armentrout Cover Reveal

If you have not read a book written by Jennifer L. Armentrout, you should stop reading this post and order one (or all) of her books immediately. She is a talented writer and has an incredible ability to create stories that are unnaturally addictive. Check out her upcoming masterpiece Unchained.

Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

UNCHAINED will be available in mass trade size wherever books are sold on October 16, 2012 and you can pre-order your copies at Amazon, B&N, Book Depository, and BAM

Want a taste of J. Lynn’s adult work and can’t wait till October? You can purchase her contemporary romance, Tempting the Best Man, which is available on B&N and Amazon. Please note that this is an adult romance, which does contain scenes that could be perceived as naughty, naughty and you should be an adult if reading!

Or you can always check out her Young Adult series, The Covenant (Half-Blood) and Lux Series (Obsidian) under the name Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Slide by Jill Hathaway

The Skinny: The title is Slide, so where is all the sliding?

In Slide, Vee struggles with her ability to “slide” into other people’s bodies and observe what is occurring to the person whom she entered. While navigating the difficulties of high school social circles and trying to decrease the amount of attention her moments of loss of consciousness create, Vee discovers that a series of tragic deaths may be more sinister than people believe. She decides to use her ability to uncover the truth.

I was interested in reading Slide, because the premise is unique, and I was looking forward to reading how a young girl copes with her unexplainable ability. My initial interest was quickly replaced with confusion and frustration. The title of the work is Slide, but there is too much attention placed on Vee’s investigation. I understand that Hathaway desired to show Vee using her ability to research events, but it was poorly executed. By the time I finished the book, all I could think was that it should have been deconstructed into two different works. The first book should focus on sliding and the second on the investigation. Placing every element in a single story created a work that felt like a potpourri of ideas.

Though I appreciate Hathaway’s creating a story that is unique, I am underwhelmed by the result. It is apparent that Hathaway is a good writer and is capable of developing a story that is filled with suspense and intrigue. I hope that her next work is more exacting.