Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer {book review}

UK cover

I am on Twitter!!! (@unitedcakedom) I am stating that because that is how I learned about the existence of this book. I follow Jodi Picoult and she was re-tweeting peoples responses! 


I picked up a copy at my local grocery store, in hard back! It is rare for me to buy a hardback. I love books, but I have to really want it not to wait until it comes out in paperback. 


Just a flip through the book it had my attention. There are pictures! Well drawn pictures! 


I like the idea of the characters of books having their own world (between the lines) after the book closes. The story was handled very well, for such a complex story line. There are so many questions to be asked about the world in the book and I think most of them are answered! What happens when a character in a book wants more? 


I enjoyed reading this book it's labeled as young adult, but I think today there are so many books that sit on the borderline of young adult and adult. I am nearly 30 and I enjoyed it and I think a young person the age of  10 or so would enjoy it as well. 


It was an entertaining light read that I would suggest to anyone who loves fairy tales! 

I have a couple of niggles; I wanted a few more examples of why Delilah and Oliver liked each other. It felt a bit forced, it's one of my gripes about fairy tales in general. Tangled: Rapunzel was locked in a tour for 16 years! Yet she marries the first guy she meets! I know at the end there is the disclaimer when Eugene says "after years and years of asking I finally said yes" so it implies that she didn't marry him the second she got home. But still! Anyway off track again........ where was I? 


My other niggle was after all this build up (not going to spoil it) it just ends. I guess that is a sign of a good story that I didn't want it to end, but I was physically looking for more pages thinking "is that it?" Maybe there is a sequel? I've never know Jodi Picoult to do a sequel, but there is a first for everything! 


To find out more about what this book is about click here! 
~LiSa

World Book Night!!

April 23rd is World Book Night!!

I am a giver!! Check out this post on my other blog!!

The one I'm better at keeping updated!!!

World Book Night UK

World Book Night USA

I promise to update soon, I've been reading the Game of Thrones series, a romantic comedy, and has anyone heard of Shades of Grey?? Stay tuned!!

Eesoo by Kathleen Boettcher: A Review and Comparison!!

Melanie reviewed this book a while back, but it took me a while to hunt a copy down. It’s out of print, published first in 1990. On the last page there is a form so you can be contacted when the next book was published. It’s ironic because no following book was ever published. Someone somewhere knows why, but we the masses will never know. In the front of the book the author claims there were to be 7 books to follow.


My theory is that she changed her name to Diana Gabaldon While reading this book I just couldn’t help but feel I had read it before. The main characters are so similar to Outlander (book 1) or Cross Stitch (in the UK) it was like dejuvu. If you remember I hated Outlander, which is one difference, I didn’t hate Eesoo.

Here are a few of the similarities: There will be spoilers!!

The heroine: Claire-Nurse; Angela-Doctor (she only got interesting in the last few pages); Both-Spunky character who is a boring marriage. Is forced to marry an exciting adventurous type. Both females drove me crazy with they way they conducted themselves. The hero: Jamie-beat/raped; T’hur-beat/raped, which means they both have reasons for being guarded moody men who need to learn how to love/trust and be loved/trusted in return--by someone who can not only fix them, but understand them. Both are some form of royalty one is to rule the other a duke or something.
As for the story one is about space travel the other time travel, but it gives each story a fantastical feel. And both are slightly overly long. The main characters where one dimensional, but that is common in most romance novels/stories. Romeo and Juliet, Twilight etc… Yay I did it I just put Shakesphere and Meyers in the same sentence. If your main characters are plain they don’t alienate the reader. The reader needs to be able to insert themselves or relate to the main characters.

Going back to Romeo and Juliet it was the secondary characters that really made the story and that’s how I feel about Eesoo. Outlander was horrendous with silly things happening and on more then one occasion things that happened were unbelievable and the secondary characters were nonexistence. Eesoo has some amazing loveable secondary characters!!
Eesoo gives you exactly what it promises to give! Romance, adventure, and mystery! Even though my guesses were right in the end, I wasn’t 100% sure. Which is what I think makes a good story! It also made me laugh out loud sometimes. That's hard to do in a book I think. The writing was very witty! If you ever come across a copy of Eesoo I suggest you grab it up!!

It’s sad that the other books were never written/published. Yet, I hate sagas and series because it usually drags on too long. They ruin a good book. The other thing I like about this book is the name, Eesoo is a creature that looks loveable, but when pissed off becomes a scary monster. The lesson nothing is what it appears to be. That’s what this book is, it isn’t what it appears to be! Love it!!

~LiSa
note: all books were purchased by me and they are my own opinions and views and thoughts! If you disagree or agree with anything I've said please leave a comment I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love - and its threatened loss - the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.

I think after it's third reading this surpasses Pride and Prejudice as my favorite Austen novel. In the past I would have listed them P&P first, Emma second, S&S third and the last 3 are just sorta bunched up together (I do like them, but not like I like these 3) but now I actually think Sense and Sensibility jumps to number 1. These characters feel real, they would have no problem stepping out of the book into the real world. They would fit right in. It's full of betrayal, love children, affairs, second marriages, etc.... It has everything that we love to gossip about now! I am writing as though everyone knows this story already. If you don't you

should!! It's very good!!

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks ~~ A Quick Review

After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.

This book was dumb. It wasn't romantic or in anyway believable. I started it thinking this could go somewhere....but then it didn't. *spoiler* The ending was tied up nicely by killing off the bad guy. How convenient for everyone to have their happy ending.* I haven't read a lot of Nicholas Sparks, but what I have read I have always enjoyed so when this book was given to me I was more then happy to take it. I finished it and was just like WTF? It was just a nothing story, nothing to move me really. I would skip it if I was you, which I'm not you, but if I was I would skip it.
I would second Janet's recommendation of The Notebook or Stacy recommends The Last Song both by Nicholas Sparks!

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble a book review

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble: A New Year. A New Page. A New Reading Group. Five women meet for their first reading group, little realising this social gathering over books and glasses of wine might see them share more than literary debate … and will, in fact, take each of them to places they’d never imagined. Harriet and Nicole are the ringleaders, best friends who can’t quite admit – to themselves or one other – they might be trapped in loveless marriages. While Polly, a determined single mum, finds herself tipped off course by an unexpected proposal. Susan, usually so carefree and happy, is forced to face a shattering reality and Clare, quiet and mysterious, plainly has more on her mind than next week’s book choice. Over the coming year their worlds will intertwine in delightful, unexpected and surprising ways. Stories will be re-written as dreams are made and broken, but through it all they’ll have the Reading Group, with friendship, tears and laughter featuring in every chapter of their lives.    My Thoughts: This was a whole lot better then The Jane Austen Book Club, but still wasn't great. It's an easy chic-lit novel that tugs on heart strings, but nothing that I would go on and on about! Some of the characters were flat and cliche' and others didn't get enough page time. That said I read it pretty quickly so it was definitely entertaining!! My favorite character was Harriet because I felt like she was the only one I related too. Each character had a life lesson to learn and a lot of it had to do with their choices in life and love and of course the consequences. The books they choose each month had little to do with the actual story. The book club was just there in the back ground as a way to connect these women together. Although as I haven't read all the books they read I can't really comment on the impact the books had on the story, it's just from the ones I read it wasn't that obvious. Maybe I just read it too fast. I've made a list of the books they read though as I am interested in a few! Sorry if this post is a bit rambling it's late and I just wanted to get it in as I've already started on a new book!  Would I recommend it? Yes, because although I may not have gotten a whole lot out of it I can see where someone else could. I can see where someone might really relate to one of the women if they happen to have gone or are going through what they are in the story. I really do feel that books effect you differently at different times. Would I give it a second read? Probably not. It is Elizabeth Noble's first novel and is why I chose it. Would I read another one of her novels. Yes I would give another title a go sometime. I actually have one on my amazon wish list: Things I Want My Daughters to Know.

Talking about: FOREIGN FRUIT by Jojo Moyes

Merham is a well-ordered 1950s seaside town: the kind of town in which everyone knows their place (and those who don’t are promptly put in it). Lottie Swift, an evacuee who has grown up with the respectable Holden family, loves Merham, while the Holdens’ daughter Celia chafes against the constraints of the town.
When a group of bohemians takes over Arcadia, a stark Art Deco house on the seafront, the girls are as drawn to its temptations as Merham’s citizens are appalled by them. They set in place a chain of events both within the Holden family and Merham itself which will have longstanding and tragic consequences for all concerned.
Now, almost fifty years on, Arcadia is returning to life, and its inhabitants stirring up strong feelings again. And prompting more than one person to look into their own romantic history and ask: Can you ever leave your past behind?

I am deep down a sucker for a good love story and after reading Jane Austen I have always found most of them, love stories that is fail to make me feel anything. Most love stories feel false to me, I like them to feel real. Ya know? Rattling on again, but my point is that this novel felt real to me. I was completely wrapped up in the characters and their lives. (I wouldn't compare this to Jane Austen I was just using her to make point.)

Foreign Fruit, won the RNA Novel of the Year award for 2003. I can say it was well deserved. I picked this book up for £1 at my local store; I liked it because of the cover. Yes, I do judge books by there cover, I can't help it! I also think it's a stupid saying because if I were to ever write a book I would make sure it had an awesome cover! For the sole purpose of selling it.
Back to the book. I think most people reflect on the choices they have made, good or bad and wonder "what if?" The book mainly follows Lottie's story full of everything that life is made of: love, loss and so on. I like how it shows that love can grow from friendship full of understanding and loyalty and how some are a whirlwind of intense passion. This book has it all. I would say if you, like me, are a sucker for love stories give this one a go!

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith:   This is the journal of Cassandra Mortmain; an extraordinary account of life with her extraordinary family. First, there is her eccentric father. Then there is her sister, Rose - beautiful, vain and bored - and her stepmother, Topaz, an artist's model who likes to commune with nature. Finally, there is Stephen, dazzlingly handsome and hopelessly in love with Cassandra.
In the cold and crumbling castle which is their home, Cassandra records events with characteristic honesty, as she tries to come to terms with her own feelings. The result is both marvellously funny and genuinely moving.

Dorothy Gladys 'Dodie' Smith was born in 1896 in Lancashire and she was one of the most successful female dramatists of her generation. Her first novel, I Capture the Castle, was written when she lived in America during the 1940's and marked her crossover debut from playwright to novelist. The novel became an immediate success and was produced as a play in 1954. She has written numerous other novels but is best known today for The Hundred and One Dalmatians, a story for younger readers.

This is a coming of age story that made me feel 17 again. Thank goodness I'm not 17 anymore, but sometimes it's nice to remember what it was like: to remember the events that changed our view of the world. Cassandra is a lovely character and you can't help but relate to her. Her relationship with her sister and being the middle child are only two of the reasons I felt I could relate. I also remember what it is like to have someone in love with you, but try as you might you do not love them back in the same way.
I am very much in love with this book and am already wanting to reread it. Part of me wonders if I like this book so much because in the introduction, Valeria Grove, tells us that she was an English woman living in America who missed England terribly. I just know what that feels like. In the novel you can tell how much Smith is in love with England. I Capture the Castle is so beautifully written that even if you've never been to England, you will definitely think you have.
I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I wish I had read this when I was a teenager. Definitely one I will be encouraging my daughters to read when they are teenagers, that is if they enjoy reading as much as I do!! I don't know what else to say of this book then to read it.

Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes ~ A Book Review

Dammit,’ she realized. ‘I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.’ Hot-shot magazine editor Lisa Edwards’ career is destined for high-rise New York when suddenly she’s diverted to low-rise Dublin. But what can she do about it? Ashling Kennedy, Lisa’s super-organized assistant, worries about everything from her lack of waist to the lack of men in her life. She’s even anxious about of a little bit of raw fish … Clodagh Kelly is Ashling’s best friend and has her prince, her beautiful kids and a lovely house – everything in fact that Ashling ever wanted. She should be – yet, she’s not – happy.

~Sushi for Beginners: A Novel by Marian Keyes

A novel that is perfect for when you are lounging around this summer. It's my first Marian Keyes novel and I have to say I enjoyed it. For the first time I was guessing who was going to end up with who. In most novels the romances are obvious. Which works for some novels as it's not the main focus of the story. It also looked further into why the characters tended to behave how they did. How their up bringing has made them who they were. One of the characters rebelling against it and another being in denial about it. It made the characters seem more real. Which I like my fictional characters to have a bit of believability and depth. All in all I would say it's a nice easy read and I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax and unwind! Oh and I also like how the title of the book is a bit of a mystery until you get towards the end! So Sweet!!  

Stacy Recommends The Last Song by Nicolas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicolas Sparks

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

My opinion.....
I really enjoyed this book, yes there was a cheesy love story but I thought the book was more about Ronnie and her dad, Steve. Which to me is great since I have not read many books that focus on father/daughter relationships unless it's a corrupt relationship. Reading Nicholas Sparks you expect to cry a little, which I did when I read this book. I also loved the way this book used music. Music is a huge part of this book and I think that music reaches out to people in many different ways, which I enjoyed how music was present and absent from this book all at the same time. I am a little disappointed that there is a movie coming out, starring Miley Cyrus of all people. I will more than likely not be seeing this movie.

Discussion Time!!

Tell us what you thought? The Good Bad and the Ugly!!!

Sorry about the delay! Any suggestions for March? I was thinking Alice in Wonderland? Or another classic?? Just have been in a classics mood. Let us know what you might want to read? In April I was thinking of bringing back a poll so that we have everyone's input!!

A Book Review: I Remember You

I Remember You By Harriet Evans:
The perfect book to curl up with on a long winter's evening. Rich, witty and moving I Remember You is for anyone who likes to dream about a new life -- and for anyone who still remembers their first love. Heartbroken Tess Tennant is leaving London and moving back to her picture-perfect home town to take up a teaching job. It's time for a fresh start, one with warm stone cottages, friendly locals in oak-beamed pubs and of course Adam, her best friend since childhood. But something isn't right in the town: Adam is preoccupied with a new girlfriend and the past is looming large again. So by the time she has to take her class on a trip to Rome, Tess is feeling reckless. Swept off her feet by a mysterious stranger, she finds herself falling in love. But her magical Roman Holiday is about to turn into a nightmare! Back in Langford, as autumn creeps towards Christmas, Adam is gone and everything has changed.Tess has to decide, once and for all, where she belongs and who with.
This is the first title I have ever read by Harriet Evans. It reminded me of Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern which did a much better job of the "best friends fall in love, but both are too scared to say anything until way later in life" story. That being said it was a nice romantic* novel that I think people could relate too. One of the things the author did that I found annoying was that she would introduce a character and tell you something special about them, a personality quirk or something, but then never mention it again because you were suppose to remember the name and the quirk. I couldn't keep them straight. Plus they didn't add that much to the story. I felt that more could have been focused on the two best friends Tess and Adam and their relationship. Which is why you read light romantic novels in the first place. The other thing she did that was annoying was give us back story that the main characters never knew or find out. I don't see why the reader would need to know it if the main characters didn't know it.
If you like best friends turned lover stories this is a book for you! If not I would give it a miss!

*I use the term romantic but not in a Mills Boon romance novel type way.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith -- A Book Review

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, sword fights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

Cross Stitch (Outlander Series) by Diana Gabaldon -- A Book Review

Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century - and a lover in another...In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently, she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish-taking place in 1743. Suddenly, she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds. A wartime nurse, Claire can deal with the bloody wounds that face her. But it is harder to deal with the knowledge that she is in Jacobite Scotland and the carnage of Culloden is looming. Marooned amid the passion and violence, the superstition, the shifting allegiances and the fervent loyalties, Claire is in danger from Jacobites and Redcoats - and from the shock of her own desire for James Fraser, a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. Jamie shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire, and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge - A Book Review by Stacy

Returning home to the snug offshore community of Gray's Island, Washington, after nine years in prison for the attempted murder of the drunk driver who killed her son, Alice Kessler finds that much has changed. For one thing, her intended victim, Owen Wilson, now confined to a wheelchair, has been elected mayor and uses his infirmity to great political advantage: blackmailing police and court officials, green-lighting controversial property developments, and mercilessly intimidating anyone who dares oppose him. Wanting only to lead a quiet life so she can rebuild a relationship with her surviving son, Jeremy, Alice quickly discovers the depths of Wilson's need for revenge when Jeremy is falsely accused of rape. Desperate to clear Jeremy's name, Alice must rely on one of the few people brave enough to stand up to Wilson, recovering alcoholic and former Manhattan district attorney Colin McGinty. He has come to Gray's Island still mourning his wife, who was killed on 9/11, and finds strength in Alice's fierce determination to save her son and put her past behind her. Goudge's skillful storytelling slyly juxtaposes bucolic imagery and congenial, if not particularly complex, characters with an incisively sinister, often surprising tale of secrets kept and promises broken.

** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks -- A Recommendation

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

The Masters Of Time Series by Brenda Joyce - A Recommendation

Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages….
Malcolm of Dunroch has been chosen by the secret Brotherhood, a nameless society of pagan knights sworn to defend mankind. He is a novice to his extraordinary—and dangerous--powers. But he has already broken his vows--for an innocent woman’s death is on his hands. Malcolm is determined to fight his dark sexuality, denying himself all pleasure…until fate sends him another Innocent, the beautiful bookseller, Claire Camden.Desire is the first weapon
Since her mother's murder, Claire has done everything possible to make a safe, secure life for herself in a city where danger lurks on every street corner, especially in the dark of the night. But nothing can prepare her for the powerful and sexual medieval warrior who sweeps her back into his time—a treacherous, frightening world where the hunters and the hunted are one and the same. Claire needs Malcolm to survive, yet she must somehow keep the dangerously powerful Master at arm’s length. For she has no wish to die in his bed like the others—in the throes of dark, forbidden pleasure…

Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages….

A golden man, he is called Black Royce—a battle hardened soldier of the gods. His vows are his life—until he is sent to New York City to protect a Healer from those who would use her powers for themselves. The moment Royce sees beautiful, feisty Allie Monroe, he knows she will be his only weakness—and he is right.Destiny is a dangerous thing
Allie Monroe is more than an heiress. She is a Healer, willing to do anything to save victims of the evil that lurks in the city at night. But alone, she can do only so much—until destiny sends her the darkest Highlander of them all. Then evil strikes and Royce is destroyed before Allie's eyes. Now Allie will do anything to save Royce—even if it means going back in time to a dark, dangerous world to be with him. And confronting their enemies could cost not only their lives, but also their love—for all eternity.

Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages….

Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, has abandoned the Brotherhood and forsaken his vows. Feared by all and trusted by none, he hunts alone, seeking vengeance against the evil that destroyed his son. He has not saved an Innocent in sixty-six years--until he hears Brianna Rose’s scream of terror across centuries, and leaps to modern-day Manhattan to rescue her…
Her Seduction... His Salvation.
Brie spends her time fighting evil from the safety of her laptop—and fantasizing about the medieval Highlander she met just once. She is also a gifted empath. Still, her life is pretty ordinary—until she awakens one night consumed with Aidan’s pain and rage—which she is feeling across centuries! And when Aidan suddenly appears in the city and takes her hostage, Brie cannot believe how dark and dangerous he has become. She knows she should be afraid, but instead, she will fight across time for his redemption… and his love.

A HIGHLANDER DRIVEN BY VENGEANCE.
A dark, ruthless Highlander, the Black Macleod has refused his destiny. His life is revenge for the massacre of his family. His enemies' insults—that he is a man of stone—only amuse him. But Fate is impatient, and when a woman from another time dares to summon him, he cannot resist her powers—or her…THE WOMAN WHO WILL SAVE HIM.
A schoolteacher by day, Tabitha Rose uses her magic to protect others by night. When the vision of a dark Highlander, bloody and burned, appears to Tabby, she knows she has been called to help him, no matter how frightening he might be. But what Tabby doesn’t expect is to be taken against her will to his dark violent time. And when evil begins to stalk her, she realizes she must fight for far more than his destiny—she must fight for her love….

Highland Warriors, sworn to protect innocence through the ages...
Ian Maclean’s arrogance hides a terrible secret—for decades he was held prisoner by demons. Not a day goes by that he isn’t tormented by his darkest fears of powerlessness. Now he is about to sell to the highest bidder a page he’s stolen from the Book of Power—if one women doesn’t stop him. Every Rose woman has her destiny
Slayer Samantha Rose’s latest mission is to recover the stolen page—and get payback from the only man who’s ever rejected her. What she hasn’t counted on is the raging attraction between them—or her growing realization of what Maclean has survived. As the powers of the evil from his past gather, Sam will do anything to help him—even if it means following him into time and facing his worst nightmares with him...

If interested check out more at http://mastersoftimebooks.com/

I have read the first three and can't wait to read the last two.

Emma by Jane Austen -- A Book Review

Description:

Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

(words and picture taken from Amazon)

My Review:
(Spoilers included)
What a great story! Austen wrote that she thought no one but her would like her heroine, Emma. I have to disagree I loved Emma. She’s a bit spoiled and thinks well of herself, but I ask myself is there anything really wrong with that? Being confident and self-assured are all qualities I look for in people. Yet being confident and self-assured can also be called arrogant or conceited. Which can easily be mis-interpreted in some people (Pride and Prejudice). What’s wrong with being happy with who you are? Being a spoiled brat is awful because one could never be satisfied--always wanting more. If you are a little spoiled it can be nice and most people deserve a little spoiling here and there. There are problems if you think you are perfect and think there is no room for improvement. Emma does not think herself perfect. She just acknowledges that she was born to privilege and plays her role of dutiful daughter and neighbor and she has someone making sure her head does not swell to the size of a watermelon…

(Spoilers Start Here)

...Enter Mr. Knightley! I think he gives Mr. Darcy a run for his money!! He is a lot older then Emma, but I think that was common for the time period. Men had to make sure they could afford a wife and home e&…so they married later in life and chose young brides. Which was suitable for the bride as they had the comfort of knowing they had a sensible man to take care of them financial. That they love each other is obvious when her friend Mrs. Weston confides to her that she thinks Mr. Knightley likes Jane Fairfax and Emma gets in a right start and starts rambling that he can’t marry and ruin her nephew’s prospects. Made me laugh. Which is another reason I like this book: it’s comical. Mr. Knightly has been patiently waiting for Emma to grow up. He does not say anything out right about Mr. Frank Churchill except for passing comments of his foolishness. When he realizes that Emma never had any real feelings for him he can’t help himself, but to confess his feelings. It's my favorite part in the book it’s what the reader has been waiting for!!

(Spoilers End Here)

Emma is a lovable character who grows and changes as the story moves on. She's caring to all around her. Except for that nasty Mrs. Elton!! The supporting characters are fun too and I dare say that you may recognize your friends and family in them! I've read it twice now and I can say I will read it again if I ever find a lull. I have tons of reading to get on with, but sometimes you want a carefree love story. Austen is wonderful and I have three more of her books to get to!!

For a full background on the story check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer - A Series Review

Twilight is a series of four vampire based romance/fantasy novels: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. It follows the adventures of Isabella "Bella" Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks, Washington and finds her life turned upside-down when she falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen.
The series is told primarily from Bella's point of view, with the epilogue of Eclipse and a portion of Breaking Dawn being told from the viewpoint of character Jacob Black. Midnight Sun, if published, will be a retelling of the first book, Twilight, from Edward Cullen's point of view.

To read Midnight Sun go to http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/. To read the reviews of the series, click on the comment button below. *Warning - spoilers*