Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year for More Reading!

I hope that everyone who reads this had a great year and got all of your book goals met! My book goal was 48 books and I ended at 53 books! Even if you didn't meet your book goals in 2010, it's now a new year and I know that all of you can reach your new goals.

My book goal for 2011 is 111 books. I know it's going to be a challenging goal and it's a big jump from my 2010 goal but I really think that I can do it!

Good luck fellow Book Readers!!!

Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help


What's it about?:
Milrose Munce is still alive. Which is more than you can say for most of his friends. No, his friends died, some time ago, mostly in gruesome accidents in the school science lab. Bored Beulah, for instance, fell asleep into a vat of hydrochloric acid. Toasted Theresa caught fire - and roasted for some hours - in the chemical store room. Neither of these girls is very pleasant to look at, but Milrose is extremely fond of them. His mentor is Deeply Damaged Dave, who was carrying a vial of something combustible in his pocket, which - sad to say - combusted. Dave is a master of all things dangerous, and specializes in Milrose's favorite activity: the staging of unwise and magnificent explosions.Milrose is the only one, as far as he knows, who can see these ghosts. This causes some trouble: the teachers witness him talking to the empty air in front of him, and laughing at jokes that nobody else can hear, and slapping non-existent friends on the back. For this Milrose is sentence to receive Professional Help, a nasty business administered by the unhinged Massimo Natica in a hidden room in the school: the loathsome, perilous Den. He and his fellow captive, Arabella, soon discover that they have in fact been caught up in a vast and unspeakably evil plot, which threatens the lives and deaths of everyone they know. Luckily, they have an army of ghosts at their disposal.


My thoughts:

I admit that I had no information about this book before I started reading it besides the blurb. My mom downloaded this for my Kindle because she thought it sounded like something I would enjoy.


I will say that most of the book was very funny but the plot wasn't written well. The story seemed to be rushed and alot of details were missing. Had the author took their time to write this book and make it longer, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Then again, maybe my age had something to do with it. Although I love YA, I feel like this book was written for 10+ and that younger kids would have enjoyed it more..? Maybe, I have no idea.


Needless to say, it was a cute and fast read but not something I will be rereading again. If it's a series, I will probably not be reading the next books. I think there are other books out there that have a close enough plot and are more enjoyable.


Number of Pages: 240

Stars: 2.5

Books Read: 53 in 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Stop Hating E-readers!


Alot of people are talking shit about E-readers (Kindles, The Nook, Sony...etc etc) saying that are are useless rubbish. But guess what? I honestly think more people are reading because of E-readers. I mean, alot of people can't read regular books because of font size and while SOME books come in large print, not every single book does. E-readers allow you to change the font, the lining and even how many words are on one page (at least the Kindle does) for every book. My mom has a Kindle aswell and she has started having eye problems, the Kindle she can see better then regular books. So the font options really help those who can't see aswell as others.

Another point, people who can't get around aswell as others. If they are disabled or even if they live MILES from nowhere much less a bookstore, this gives those people an option to easyly access MILLIONS of books from their computer or even just the device if they don't have a computer.

Or even the people that are just, well, garget crazy. People who won't touch a book because they are too caught up in everything that is technology. The E-readers might appeal to these people more then actual books themself.

Lastly, KIDS. Even though they have Leapster learners, the books they can get are very limited. And while the voice on the e-readers might not be the best, it still gives them the chance to listen to the voice WHILE following along in the book. Sure, you could do the same with a real book and an autobook but that means alot of $ for every single book.

Don't get me wrong, REGULAR books are awesome. I will always read regular until the day I die aswell as read off my Kindle. Regular books will aswell be around and who knows, maybe so will e-readers. It doesn't mean that either one has to die out. It just means they can carry on together in one world. :)

As long as people are reading, I don't care what they are reading off of. If they want to read off of a craved rock or written toilet paper? I don't give a damn because they are reading.

Monday, December 27, 2010

UR by Stephen King


What's it about?:
In his new novella, UR, King is at his unsettling best as he examines the future of the written word - for better or worse. Following a nasty break-up, lovelorn college English instructor Wesley Smith can't seem to get his ex-girlfriend's parting shot out of his head: "Why can't you just read off the computer like the rest of us?" Egged on by her question and piqued by a student's suggestion, Wesley places an order for Amazon.com's Kindle eReader. The [pink?] device that arrives in a box stamped with the smile logo -via one-day delivery that he hadn't requested - unlocks a literary world that even the most avid of book lovers could never imagine. But once the door is open, there are those things that one hopes we'll never read or live through. Firm, gripping, and deftly written by a craftsman at the top of his game, this is King at his crisp, clear, page-turning best.

Disclaimer:
Well first of all, You can only get this book on the Amazon Kindle. It is not available for Hardcover, Paperback, The Nook.....etc etc.

My Thoughts:
This is the first book that I've read on my Kindle and I think if you have a kindle, this book is perfect. Even better if you just received your Kindle and this is the first book you've read on it. It's a very fast read, I want to say it probably took me about 45-60 minutes to read. Also, King explains the Kindle very well in the first few pages of the book. Keep in mind though, this book was written when the 1st or 2nd Kindle was released. But I found it very interesting that he explained the Kindle as I just got it and I'm still in "SHINY NEW READING DEVICE. YAY YAY YAY!!!!" mode.
Anyway, this is def. not one of King's best stories but it was fun to read. I highly recommend it if you are a King fan and you have a Kindle.

Number of Pages: No idea since it's only available as an e-book and Kindle goes by % read instead of page #'s
Stars: 3.5 just because it's a light and funny. Nothing serious at all.
Books Read: 52 in 2010

Friday, December 24, 2010

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare


What's it about?:
A murderer is loose in New York City ...

... and the victims are Downworlder children. Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary's father, may be behind the killings. But if he is the murderer, then what's his true motive? To make matters worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, has been stolen, and the mysterious Inquisitor has arrived to investigate, with his eyes vigilantly targeted on Clary's brother, Jace.

Clary will need to face some terrifying demons and even more terrifying family decisions. No one said that the life of a Shadowhunter would be easy.


My Thoughts:

I really thought that this was a wonderful sequal to City of Bones. In City of Bones, alot of questions are unanswered. In City of Ashes, alot of the questions are finally answered and you learn alot more about the different creatures that live in the Shadowhunter world. However, there are alot of unanswered questions that I have to wait to be answered until City of Glass but that's normal in a series and it's nothing that is going to drive you TOO insane.

There is alot more drama and problems in this book aswell compared to the first book. Which made it a little more interesting. Valentine def. stepped up and got alot more evil while Clary got more confused.

But anyway, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next book in the Mortal Instruments series!

Number of pages: 453
Stars: 5
Books Read: 51 in 2010

Friday, December 17, 2010

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill


What's it about?:
Sooner or later, the dead catch up . . .

Judas Coyne was a collector. The bizarre, the uncanny, the grotesque. A cookbook for cannibals. A used hangman s noose. A snuff film. Many of these objects were gifts from the black-clad fans who made his metal band a legend and made him rich.

But not all. When his personal assistant told him there was a ghost for sale on the Internet, Jude knew he had to have it for his private collection, didn t think twice. He should have. Jude has spent a lifetime evading ghosts -- of an abusive father, of the bandmates he betrayed, of Anna, the suicidal girl he loved and abandoned. But this spirit is different. This one means to chase him to the edge of sanity.


My thoughts:

As most people know, Stephen King is one of my favorite horror authors. So when I found out that his son was also a published horror writer, I had to read this book. Joe def. has his father's creative writing style and character development skills.


Heart-Shaped Box is easily one of the most creepy books that I have ever read. This is the perfect book for everyone who is looking for a good fictional ghost story. HSB will keep you up at night reading and you'll probably have to keep a light on for a night or two. It's haunting, romantic and clever.


Number of pages: 354

Stars: 4.5

Books Read: 50 in 2010

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

14 (Taylor Jackson #2) by JT Ellison


What's it about?:
In the mid-1980s the Snow White Killer terrorized the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Then suddenly the murders stopped. A letter from the killer to the police stated that his work was done.
Now four more bodies are found, marked with his fatal signature. The residents of Nashville fear a madman has returned, decades later, to finish his sick fairy tale. Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson believes the killings are the work of a copycat killer who's even more terrifying. For this monster is meticulously honing his craft as he mimics famous serial murders - proving that the past is not to be forgotten.

*Spoilers*
When a 20 year old case gets reopened, Taylor finds out that her father is part of the biggest crime she has ever had to take on. To add on to that, Taylor is getting married to Profiler Bedwin. But at Taylor's wedding, she gets kidnapped by one of the criminals. Gone for three days right around Christmas, Taylor has to crack this case before all of her loved ones are killed.

My Thoughts:
This is the second book in the Taylor Jackson Series. The books in the series are fictional crime. The first book is called All the Pretty Girls which I read last year and really enjoyed. The books and the characters in the books are very likable but the writing isn't the best. This series is just meant to be a light and fast read. So if you are looking for a crime book that is enjoyable but that you can read in less the a week, def. check out this series.


Number of Pages: 402

Stars: 4

Books Read: 49 out of 48 book goal!

Friday, December 10, 2010

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare


What's it about?:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

My thoughts:
I hadn't heard much about this book before reading it. I just know that people either loved it or hated it for different reasons.

I personally LOVED it. The world Clare dragged me into got me involved and kept me on the edge of my seat. As for the characters, at first they seemed to be way too perfect but sure enough, their flaws came out. Because of that, I ended up loving them. It seems like in alot of YA books that have recently came out, have one dimensional characters that are perfect and everyone loves them. So it was nice to read a book that actually has two dimensional characters and hey, they actually have enemies!


But like all books, you need to read it yourself before you have a real opinion on it. So I recommend checking it out and giving it a real chance. I personally don't think you'll be disappointed. :)


Number of Pages: 485 pages

Stars: 5

Books Read: 48 out of 48!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Quick Update

I'm sorry that this blog has been pretty boring lately. I have just been super busy and I am struggling to finish books with the holidays and everything but I promise to do more reviews as soon as possible :)

On the up side, I am getting an Amazon Kindle for Christmas so I should be able to read alot more and alot faster. More books read means more book reviewed!

Friday, November 26, 2010

NaNo Update!

Needless to say, this was not my year for NaNoWriMo at all. I just didn't have the time but I hope everyone who reads this and is doing NaNo, has done a great job. Even if you didn't get far or you won't finish this year, I respect you for even trying. Writing is a great thing and I totally support anyone who wants to do it :)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Full Dark, No Stars



If you read Stephen King books, then you know how crazy (yet wonderful) his stories and novels can be. Stephen King is wonderful for his Sci-Fi books and his horror books that take us out of our world and put us into kind of..well a "mirrored" world. However, Full Dark, No Stars contains of 4 stories that could happen everyday. All situations in this book are pretty much possible and he takes his characters and makes them react in a way that he believes they would if they were real people in these situations.


A man kills his Wife, A Woman gets attacked on a highway, A guy wants to live longer and doesn't care how and a woman finds out that she doesn't know her husband as well as she thought.


The situations in this book could be happening right now and we don't even know it. To me, that makes this book one of his creepiest. In my opinion, it also makes it one of his best. I highly recommend this book. Esp. you think you have King all figured out already.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Books Read this Year.

If you see something on the list you want reviewed, let me know. :) I will gladly do it.

Haunted By Chuck Palahniuk
The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott
Monster, Vol. 1: Herr Dr. Tenma by Naoki Urasawa
Absolute Boyfriend Vol. 1 by Yuu Watase
IT by Stephen King
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Weirding Hauntings by Joanne Austion
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Tickle his Pickle by Sadie Allison
Uninvited by Amanda Marrone
Life as we knew it by Susan Pfeffer
Carrie by Stephen King
The Dead and The Gone by Susan Pfeffer
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
This World We Live in by Susan Pfeffer
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Love Hina Vol. 1 by Ken Akamatsu
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
1984 by George Orwell
Demon Seed by Dean Koontz
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Blockade Billy by Stephen King
Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide and other Stories
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Blaze by Stephen King
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Rage by Stephen King
What ~the~ Dickens by Gregory Maguire
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
The Sallie House Haunting by Debra Pickmen
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Cujo by Stephen King

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
14 by JT Ellison

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
UR by Stephen King
Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper

Friday, November 12, 2010

What's better then Reading alone? Reading Together!

Are you interested in joining an online book club and reading with online friends? Want to read new books that you have never head of before? What about reading the books on your TBR list with other people?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, try joining my new online book club! We'd love to have you. We will be voting on our first book to read together soon :)

Link:
http://community.livejournal.com/readtogether/

Just join and then fill out the form here to be accepted:
http://community.livejournal.com/readtogether/500.html

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Stephen King Book Winner!

I have decided to annouce the winner of the Stephen King book raffle sooner then planned. The winner is: Fancy Belle Designs! She will be receiving a copy of Misery by Stephen King. If the winner could please email me at sodarlin@yahoo.com. :) Thank you! And thanks everyone who entered. A new raffle will be posted soon so keep an eye out!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

NaNoWriMo

Sorry I have not really been updating lately :( I just have work, school and now..NaNoWriMo! I am way behind in NaNo but I am mainly doing it just to get my novel going. If I can complete NaNo and have at least 100 extra pages for my novel to take off, great. It's just a great for motivating myself to keep working on it this month.

If you are taking place in Nano, how are you doing so far?

Friday, October 22, 2010

What is Your Ultimate Halloween Book?

In your opinion, what is the Ultimate book to read for Halloween? What gets you in the creepy spirit?

If you read Horror books all year around, what is your favorite Horror book?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Book Raffle!


Disclaimer: No one is paying me for this raffle. All prizes will be bought and paid for by myself.

Some of you already know this but if you don't, Stephen King is one of my favorite authors ever. So far I have read 20 of his books and I still have tons waiting on my book shelf to be read. I try to encourage everyone to read at least one of his books to see if you like him.

So, in honor of Halloween (and SK) I am holding a raffle/contest. The winner will recieve one or two of his books bought by me. Interested? Please read the rules below :)

1. You must live in the USA or Canada (sorry)
2. You must be a follower on this blog. You can follow me now if you have not already.
3. You must be 18 years of age or have a parent's permission to enter if you are underage.
4. You need to comment THIS post with:

a.) You're Favorite Stephen King Book & b.) a SK book you are interested in.

OR

a.) What makes you interested in reading one of his books & b.) a SK book you are interested in.

That's it :) Please only enter once. The winner(s) will be picked randomly using random.org on November 16th!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry


What's it about?:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

My thoughts:
Rot & Ruin is offically one of my favorite YA books ever. If you liked The Forest of Hands and Teeth (another YA Zombie Series) then you have to check out this book and upcoming series. TFOHAT doesn't even come close to being as good as R&R.

I like that you actually find how (for the most part) the Zombies came to be and how the towns came to be. I also like that the Zombies are actually the main focus and not just put on the back burner. However, you get a really good feel for the main character, his point of view and his relationships with friends and family. R&R is heart breaking but it is also very hopeful.

If you want to read any YA Zombie series, I recommend giving this book a try. I can't wait until the next book comes out.

Number of Pages: 458
5/5 stars!
44/48 books read!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Questions for my Readers

What do you think makes a good book or a bad book? What drags you into a story and what turns you totally off of a book? Remember that everyone has a different taste in books and I just simply want your opinions.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane


Twenty-five years ago, Dave Boyle got into a car. When he came back four days later, he was different in a way that destroyed his friendship with Sean Devine and Jimmy Marcus. Now Sean's a cop, Jimmy's a store owner with a prison record and mob connections, and Dave's trying hard to keep his demons safely submerged. When Jimmy's daughter Katie is found murdered, each of the men must confront a past that none is eager to acknowledge. Lehane tugs delicately on the strands that weave this neighborhood together, testing for their strengths and weaknesses; this novel seems as much anthropological case study as thriller.

I got into Dennis Lehane when I saw the Previews of the movie Shutter Island. I picked up the book and fell in love with it. I was hoping that it would be the same case with Mystic River and I have to say that I was disappointed. While Lehane has a very simliar style to Stephen King, they both have their hit or misses.

Mystic River had too many unnesscary details that had nothing to do with the plot of the story. Even though the book was only 496 pages, I felt that it could have been done in 300 pages or less and could have been alot better. The details pretty much turnt me off of the book and I had to force myself to finish it. However, the characters were very likable but I could not relate to any of them expect Dave's wife. My favorite character ended up being a douche bag though, of course.

I recommend this book if you can deal with ALOT of details but if not, this book won't be for you.

Request a Review!

Want me to read and review a certain book? email me at sodarlin@yahoo.com with the subject line as "Book Review Request"

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Reading Vs. Sleep

If you like to read and sleep, then I believe you will be able to relate to this one with me.

You just got home from a long evening at work and you just want to relax. So you decide to take a shower and then to get into your soft comftable bed to read that book you have been trying to finish for awhile. Keep in mind, you are wide awake at this point in time.

So, you start to read and you are really enjoying the book. Best of all, you are finally relaxed but far from sleepy. However, after about fifty pages, your eyes are to droup and you find yourself rereading the same paragraph about ten different times before you even realize that you are doing it. You look at the clock to find you have only been reading for about twenty minutes.

Determined, you force yourself to keep reading. After about an hour, you are content with what you have read and the amount you have read. So you put down your book, turn off your light and go to sleep.

The next night you spend thirdy minutes trying to remember where you stopped reading and what you read about the night before. By this time, you are too tired to read even though you were fully awake ten seconds ago.

What wins? Reading or Sleeping?

Friday, September 24, 2010

A Quick & Enjoyable Read

Most of us have gone into a book store to find a quick and enjoyable read. But somehow we end up with a book that is 800 or more pages just because the blurb is so promising. Therefore we end up racing through the book we are currently reading just because we are excited to start this new amazing book we just bought for $25. So we prep ourselves for another sleepless night of reading.

We get bottles of water, juices and a pot of coffee ready. Then we realize we might be hungry later so we run to our nearest gas station to buy a ton of overly priced crappy snacks. Then we procced by laying up on the couch to enjoy our oh-so promising book.

But as soon as you open the book, you start to get cold. So you then close the book and run upstairs to get your favorite blanket.

Now you are ready after wasting an hour to be prepared for this epic book you are about to get lost in.

Here is what happens:










After you push yourself to page 200, you stop and think.

"Okay so this book is dragging and I really don't care about these details but I mean..come on I am already on page 200. So it has to get better!"

And sure enough when you start the next part of the book, the first line is:





You are so happy because FINALLY this book is getting good. You probably look alot like this:


So now that you are finally in your happy place, you drink two cups of coffee and pump yourself up for this WONDERFUL book. Remember, the blurb promised.

So you keep reading:




Now you are just PISSED and wide awake from the coffee you just drank. So now you HAVE to finish the book because there is only 100 pages left.

So you keep reading the book for about 10 minutes and you finally admit, YOU CANNOT DO THIS!

You pick the book that you just finished reading and start to reread it. Until the bookstore opens so you can pick up a quick and enjoyable read.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I'm back ;)

Since I have been MIA for a few months, I am going to revamp this blog and start over with new book reviews. I have deleted all of my old posts to make room for new ones. I am still doing the book challenge for this year though and I must say that I am VERY close to completing this year's book challenge. I might up the book challenge to 60 books instead of 48 books depending on when I complete the next 7 books.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great time reading.