Saturday 30 April 2011

Booking Through Thursday - Coming to a Theater Near You

If you could see one book turned into the perfect movie–one that would capture everything you love, the characters, the look, the feel, the story–what book would you choose?

How unfair is that! Only one. Crumbs. Think. think, think! I was desperate for Ella Enchanted to be turned into a film and then it was...and I saw it...and the book had been murdered! So right now I would love to see Ella Enchanted turned into a film worthy of the magical book that it was and not some crazy teen orientated chick-flick.

Friday 8 April 2011

Outlander Book 1 - Post 5

********SPOILERS********

OK Mr Rochester, shimmy over I think one very cute and sweet Scotsman might have just taken your place in my affections.

I am in love with Jamie. He is just adorable. He made sure that Claire had a nice dress to get married in!! Because he wanted it to be as nice as it could be since she didn't want to get married anyway. Please tell me I am not the only soft hearted ninny out there that thought this was just aww worthy to the extreme. The darlin'. And he made sure that they would have time together.

And I am loving all of the little 'moments' between Claire and Jamie that are building up their relationship. It's not just all physical but emotional and tender at points too. Love it!

And talking about the physical aspects there is no getting round the sex. It is there. But I like how it isn't graphic. And I don't exactly get what people are complaining about when it comes to that aspect of the books. Or maybe I just haven't got far enough through the book yet. There are more graphic scenes in Mills and Boon novels for crying out loud. I am getting more of the fade in- fade out impression when it comes to these parts. So yeah, moving on like NOW! Oh, one more point though. Having Jamie being the inexperianced one just makes him even cuter. Ok. Moving on.

And I will say that I couldn't help but laugh at Claire's reaction to having to get married. GET SLOSHED! Yip I think I would react like that too. Getting paralytic before your forced marriage seems like a good plan to me. :-)

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau



Fourteen-year-old Jade feels like a freak-of-nature when she finally gets her first period while trying on an XL tankini at the mall. It gets worse when she runs into handsome Luke Martin in the feminine products aisle while her dad Googles 'menstruation' on his BlackBerry. But "freak-of-nature" takes on a whole new meaning when raging hormones bring on another metamorphosis-complete with scales and a tail. When Jade learns she's inherited her mermaid tendencies from her late mother, it raises the question: if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Pretty much like 'Persephone the Phony', I didn't get this expecting it to be an amazingly, mind melting piece of fiction. It was just for a change. And also because I happened to have just recently got a nice shiny kindle and I was trying it out.

But I actually enjoyed this. I mean, it wouldn't go at the top of my 'Absolutely Awesome Work of Fiction' list but it wasn't too bad. Although the unavoidable angsty-ness was about getting on my last nerve.

What is it with these YA books. So your friend acts a little 'off' with you for a few days. You don't start to freak out at her and start blabbering about not being on the same page and all this guff. I mean really, come on! Or am I just missing that particular girly gene that lives for drama and creates it if there is none to hand *insert eye roll here*

Anyway, it was kind of funky how the author tied in the sprouting a fishy tail with Jade hitting puberty. But I couldn't help but sigh in irritation at this point.It seemed to be blown completely out of proportion. But whatever, maybe this would appeal to a fourteen year old girl reading this. But right here and right now at the age of nearly 21 I just couldn't help but roll my eyes and go 'yeah, whatever'.

Right, onto the good stuff. Now those of us of the disney generation (mainly the girls I would think) would jump at the chance to turn into a Mermaid. Not Jade! And I will say that I found that totally refreshing She FREAKED OUT! I found her reaction realistic (let's face it - I think anyone would freak if they fell asleep with legs and woke up with a fishy tail) and I tip my hat to the author for having no referance at all (that I could see anyway) to The Little Mermaid.

And then there is Jade. I loved that she didn't just sit back and wait for something to happen and for a miraculous solution. She tied everything she could to fix the problem herself.

And I wouldn't recommend boys reading this. I mean, they can if they so wish. But it does deal with a girl starting her period so boys, consider yourselves warned.

A good, quick read, wouldn't read it again though I don't think.

Monday 4 April 2011

Outlander Book 1 - Post 4

********SPOILERS********

Randell punched her!! What the heck! The creep! And he enjoyed it the swine. And he knew that if she was pregnant his treatment of her would have caused her to miscarry. What a complete and utter git.

And even if this is a little unfair I am finding myself disliking Frank because of the actions of his ancestor. But I don't care if it doesn't make sense. I don't like Frank and I HATE Randell right now! The Psycho!!

Anyhoo, moving onto nicer stuff.

Isn't Jame a gent. He is so cute. Sleeping outside Claire's room to keep her safe and not going in with her in case he damaged her reputation. LOVE HIM!!

Shame he wasn't round when Dougal went and carted her off to see Randell *grumble grumble*

Saturday 2 April 2011

Switched by Amanda Hocking

I was pretty surprised when the review I left for this on Goodreads (which will be what follows) received 2 likes. Wow! The power is kind of going to my head. I have never had one of my reviews be 'liked' before and to have one liked twice within 2 days kind of filled me with a warm fuzzy glow. It also made me feel less horrible. You see (as you will know if you read my 'Phantom Diaries' review) I hate giving bad reviews. I really hate it. It makes me feel like a terrible person to totally criticise someones work. Work that they have put time and effort into... See I', making myself feel bad again. But the thing is I just couldn't gel with any of the characters and there was only one character that I actually liked. The others...I couldn't really care less about.

Anyway, here's my review.

Maybe I am being a little harsh but I found most of this book irritating beyond belief. I wanted to hit Wendy's troll mother from the minute she was introduced. And what is it about these YA novels when the characters treat the girl who by all accounts is supposed to be the heroin like she is as thick as two short planks and only has saw dust between her ears. It annoys me when she is there trying to ask questions and she keeps getting fobbed of with 'it's none of your concern' or 'you don't need to worry about it'. And she just accepts it! What!! If I were in her shoes I would be screaming an shouting until someone started treating me like a person and answering my questions. And no one seems to care that Wendy has been uplifted from all that she has known and dropped into a strange life - expected to do things she doesn't even know about. BUGS ME! And then blaming her when she doesn't do them right.

The one character I loved from the get go was Matt, Wendy's older brother. He had the whole older, protective brother thing off to a fine art and when I read that he was the one that named her as a baby I just fell in love with him all the more.

Don't really care about the rest of the characters.

The book just left me irritated, agitated and annoyed beyond belief!

So there it is, my twice 'liked' reviews. And I feel so hirrible...

The Beauty's Beast by E.D. Walker



Lady Kathryn's father has sent her to court to find a husband, but being penniless and disinterested doesn't bode well for her success. Bored by the petty intrigues of court, she finds her loneliness is eased when the king charges her with the care of his newest acquisition: an uncanny black wolf. What the king doesn't realize is his remarkable pet was once Gabriel, his favorite knight, cursed into wolf form by an unfaithful wife.

The beast's too-knowing eyes and the way he seems to understand her every utterance convinces Kathryn the wolf is more than what he seems. Resolving to restore him, she doesn't count on the greatest obstacle being Gabriel himself. The longer he stays in wolf form as a captive of the court, the harder it becomes for him to remember his humanity. And to fight his wolfish urges to maim and kill.

As Gabriel and Kathryn grow to care for one another despite his horrific curse, rumors of an uncanny wolf reach the ears of Gabriel's former wife and her unscrupulous new husband, Reynard. Together, they plan to dispose of the king's pet, knowing if Gabriel ever regains his human form he could strip them of everything they have schemed so hard to gain.

Only Kathryn's affection and determination stand between Gabriel the wolf and Gabriel the man. But when Reynard returns to court, will Kathryn's love be enough to keep Gabriel from exacting a brutish revenge that will condemn the wolf to death?


This was a very interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast story.

Gabriel is a werewolf who has been trapped in his wolf form since he told his wife of his 'condition' and hatched a dastardly plan to get rid of him. The problem is though that the longer he has been in his wolf form the more he forgets his humanity.

Along comes Kathryn (the beauty of the title) and Gabriel finds himself with a reason to regain his humanity.

This was very good. Not difficult to read and like I said before, it is a take on the story that I had never considered before.

There were some part that as I read I couldn't help but roll my eyes, but there are always parts like that in fantasy novels so I expected it before I even started.

A very enjoyable and light read.

Persephone the Phony



AS PERSEPHONE'S MOTHER ENCOURAGES HER to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddessgirls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad?

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.


I didn't expect this to be an amazing work of fiction when I bought it - though there is no denying that the front cover is so cute. But it was a nice little story and a great diversion from the 'serious'-ish fiction that I have been reading lately.

This book is geared towards younger readers, both in the content of the story and the writing style.

It was great fun to pick up all the little bit of Greek mythology that I know of and to know where the author got it from. The idea of the Gods and Goddesses being in a high school with Zeus as the headmaster was just great. I understand that this is aimed at a younger audience but I couldn't help but wish that there was a story that followed near enough this exact storyline but had older characters.

This is mean to be the story of Hades and Persephone - one of my favorite myths - and there is no denying that to pull of any version of the story there should be a slight bit of darkness to it but this was just so...fluffy. Which was good. Don't get me wrong but just not for me.