Sunday, May 13, 2012
Book Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
Title: Goddess Interrupted
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: March, 2012
Softcover: 304 pages
Stand Alone or Series: Series–this is the second in a series.
How I got this book: E-galley from Netgalley
Why I chose this book: I fell in love with the first installment of the series – The Goddess Test – and of course had to continue the adventure in this one.
Synopsis:
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry’s first wife, Persephone.
Review:
This book gives me very conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it had it’s upsides. On the other hand, it had it’s downsides. So let me go over those sides with you.
This story was the kind that could give me butterflies, desperate to see what was going to happen, or leave me staring blankly at the pages, tears threatening to fall. So yes, it could wreak havoc with my emotions. Even though I wasn’t always happy with where the story was taking me, I could never dispute that it wasn’t written well. Because it was.
However, I felt at times that the storyline wasn’t going anywhere, that I was just reading around in circles. Were the characters going to actually do anything?
And the shifts in character?! Some characters acted dramatically different in this novel compared to the first, without any apparent reason.
Also, I want to say a quick something about the problem of the story. It’s one of those problems that is going to keep going down and down until the last moment, when it can finally be brought back up. Sometimes those stories turn out phenomenal, but other times they come out completely unrealistic. Some I’m a little cautious of where the next installment is going to take me in terms of believability.
Forewarning to anyone who hasn’t read this yet: Cliffhangers galore!
So that’s all I really have to say at the moment. I’ll probably remember more later, but for now this will do. The story was okay, not spectacular, not a flop, just okay.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Book Review: Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

Author: Pamela Mingle
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Hardcover: 352 pages
Stand Alone or Series: Series–the first in a series (I think…)
How I got this book: Egalley from Netgalley
Why I chose this book: That shouldn’t be a question for this one. Seriously. Kissing. Shakespeare. The greatest writer of all time. ‘Nough said.
Synopsis:
Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she’d like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England–the world Stephen’s really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lose its greatest playwright.
Miranda isn’t convinced she’s the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it’s her only chance of getting back to the present and her “real” life. What Miranda doesn’t bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.
Review:
So the beginning of this novel went really slow for me. Well, and some parts in the middle. There were several places throughout that could have been snipped up a bit. At first I wasn’t sure who the actual love interest was, because Miranda never actually showed any preference. So I was confused on that point. And then when the actual romance did come around, I felt it was a little too sudden.
The historical parts of the novel, though, blew me away. I’m going to take a stab in the dark and guess that Mingle did a lot of research for this one. From the little obscure details about Shakespeare to the teeth-picking after dinner (yuck) I really felt like this author knew her stuff and wasn’t just bsing it all.
If I convinced myself that the romance wasn’t spur of the moment, it was actually pretty good. The way the characters acted, their emotions, were pretty solid. By the end of the book, I was rooting for them, even though I knew they were starcrossed. (Starcrossed/Shakespeare…get it?)
Honestly, I thought it was a nice quick read, but not deep enough to really spark a flame for me. I’m not sure yet i I’ll stick around for the second installment.
Also…little sidenote I almost forgot to add. This. Cover. Wow, it’s gorgeous. I’m not sure if the clothing actually fits the time period, but it is pretty and I want it.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Book Review: After Hello by Lisa Mangum

Author: Lisa Mangum
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Hardcover: 272 pages
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
How I got this book: Galley from Shadow Mountain
Why I chose this book: After reading the synopsis, I was dying to get my hands on a copy of this book. Why I was surprised by what the book was about (compared to what I thought it would be about) it was a pleasant surprise.
Synopsis:
What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had?
Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot, camera, especially on her first trip to New York City.
Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t–a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold out Broadway show. In New York, there’s always something interesting to find.
When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other–and about themselves when they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate?
Review:
I first want to say that I was totally unprepared for what I read in this book. Reading t his synopsis, I was expecting some cool detective story where the two characters fall in love. Wrong. But that’s okay, because what the story turned into was a jounrey of what happens After Hello.
I’d never really thought about my hellos and goodbyes before, and reading this story brought out a new perspective that I could focus on and try to understand. And when a book gets you thinking like that, then you know it’s a good one.
The realness of the story amazes me as well. I don’t think I could pinpoint any part of the novel that I thought sounded fake or too much. It was all just right, perfect. The falling in love–perfectly crafted. The race around New York City–bedazzling. The highs and lows of emotions–breathtaking.
If I had to say anything negative about the book at all, I would just say that at some points, the story-line would slow down a bit much, making me want to take a break from the story.
I also can’t say that I’m happy about the ending, but that’s a sticky subject. I could read the best book in the world, and the ending could displease me, because the two characters I was rooting for didn’t end up together, or someone I had gotten to know ended up dying. But that’s the way the author wanted it to end for some specific reason, so thus it did. So an ending I don’t like doesn’t always place the book in a negative light.
I can’t think of anything else to say. What really makes this story is it’s profoundness, it’s truth, it’s foundation in reality. A story like that isn’t one you should pass up.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Guest Post: Claudia Gray
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