Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Goodreads Summary:
Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like.  Then betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground.  Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified.  Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals.  She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it.  Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...

My Review:
4 out of 5 Stars

In this novel by Sarah Ockler, Hudson Avery is a seventeen year old girl struggling to help out her family after her parent's divorce tears it apart.  She bakes creative cupcakes for her mother's diner and helps out as often as she can but she can't help thinking about everything that she has left behind in her old life... Before her father cheated on her mother and walked out.

Hudson used to know exactly where she was going.  She was going to be a professional figure skater that would be able to travel all over the world and enjoy her dreams, but now she is stuck in her small town taking care of a diner she never wanted to have to be in charge of. 

One day she crashes into the hockey team's captain, Josh Blackthorn, while practicing ice-skating and things begin to take a turn.  She is tempted by starting over and having a second chance at her long remembered dream but as she struggles to find time, she begins to split herself too thin and risks losing people along the way.

Hudson is a delightful main character whose sense of humor makes the novel.  She has hilarious alternate realities in her brain and her creative cupcakes are so charming and inspired.  I really loved her as a main character and found her easy to relate to, even when she was doing things that I didn't approve of.

Out of the other characters that are introduced in this novel, I think that Hudson's little brother, Bug, is probably my favorite.  He is adorably cute and I love his take on the world.  Him and Hudson are presented as this great team and I love their interactions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and could easily relate to Hudson and the problems she was having and thought her friends and family were treating her a little harsh throughout the novel.  But I really understood the confusion Hudson was having over what to do and could easily relate to her problems.

I'm giving Bittersweet 4 stars because I flew through it and was completely absorbed in the story but towards the end I was starting to get frustrated with everyone's lack of communication and didn't really see a point to a large amount of the conflict.  But overall, I really enjoyed it and wouldn't mind reading it again in the future.  I enjoyed how the ending turned out, but for awhile I didn't think it was going to end in a good way so I was nervous for the last couple chapters of the book.

All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1

Creative Team:  Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Scott A. Williams

Goodreads Summary:

The talents responsible for some of Batman's greatest tales, Frank Miller (BATMAN:  THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Sin City) and Jim Lee (BATMAN:  HUSH) team up for the first time to bring you Batman and Robin like you've never seen them before in this reinvention of these classic characters.

All hell breaks loose at the circus as Bruce Wayne and gal pal Vicki Vale witness a young boy's life shattered before their eyes.  Orphaned, Dick Grayson has nowhere to go and no one to turn to -- no one but Bruce Wayne!  Expect action, adventure, guest-stars and the unexpected as Miller and Lee deliver the ultimate tales of the Dynamic Duo!

My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

In this hardback graphic novel, issues #1-9 of All Star Batman & Robin are collected that redesign the origin story of how Dick Grayson became emerged into the vigilante crime fighting world.  Dick Grayson, the youngest member of The Flying Grayson's is left an orphan when his parents are shot while performing in the circus.  Batman immediately sweeps him up and begins to introduce him to his world of crime fighting.

At this point, Batman is well established and is both intrigued and annoyed by the young Dick Grayson who is young but very smart and agile.  Bruce is often surprised at all that Dick can do.  I really enjoy this reintroduction to Robin's origin and find it very interesting.  Batman was a lot more aggressive and brutal in this collection than in many others.  He loves the violence and strives to inflict pain on those he is pursuing.

This collection also includes some guest appearances from other well known comic book characters, such as Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Green Lantern, Superman and a young Batgirl.

I really loved the interactions between Batman and Dick as well as the fact that almost every character has their own narration and voice throughout the issues.  It was really interesting to see not only into Dick and Bruce's head, but also the Joker's, Wonder Woman's and Black Canary's.  What I found amusing, was that Alfred and Bruce are in some disagreement on Bruce's inclusion of Dick and the fact that he is a twelve year old boy and I really enjoy Batman's battle with his mixture of both annoyance and pride when dealing with Dick.

There are some interesting interactions with the women in this book that I found thought provoking.  There is a panel where Black Canary is lip locked with Batman, which I found pretty standard but there is a slightly odd interaction between Wonder Woman and Superman that I thought I should mention.  Wonder Woman goes from cursing Superman to making out with him in the difference of one panel, and what I liked about it is that Superman is left shocked and in awe of what has just happened.

I thought that this was a very good collection and I really enjoyed reading it.  There are parts were Batman's complete disregard for human life (not that he was killing people) both surprising and a bit disturbing.  I know he is dark but I was surprised by some of the things he was doing.  However, I really think that this is a very important collection to read for all Batman fans and also fans of Dick Grayson, it's a great reintroduction into the character and I also love that the old favorites are included as well.

Wonder Woman: Love and Murder

Creative Team:  Jodi Picoult, Terry Dodson, Drew Johnson and Paco Diaz

Goodreads Summary:
"New York Times" bestselling author Picoult ("The Tenth Circle") puts Wonder Woman on a collision course with her long-missing people, the Amazons, in this action-packed story.  After Special Agent Diana Prince is assigned to capture Wonder Woman, her problems are only beginning, as a deadly foe begins to close in on her.

My Review:
3 out of 5 stars


I have always been a huge fan of Wonder Woman and after reading Wonder Woman:  Who is Wonder Woman? I picked up this at my local library.  The book collects issues #6-10 of the 2006 run of Wonder Woman, although you do not need to have read the previous issues in order to understand the story.  This particular volume was intriguing because it was written by Jodi Picoult, who is a well known fiction author and I was interested to see what she would do with the story.

In this collection, Wonder Woman is still battling with her new human identity of Diana Prince, a special agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs.  She is having trouble blending in and being human and is also being ordered to capture Wonder Woman without revealing that she is the one they are after.  As well as dealing with these pretty normal problems, she is also trying to deal with Circe being back and impersonating her to frame her for evil deeds she did not commit.  Things take an even more crazy turn when her mother, Hippolyta, is brought back from the dead and is determined to wage war on the Earth.

Wonder Woman is great as ever in this collection even with the addition of dealing with human problems.  She's struggling with trying to find her place and it's great to watch her try and make her way through the world.  I really enjoyed this collection and I'm very curious to find out more about Hippolyta being back and where she will play a role in the future issues.  I just love how some of the humor in this book, there is a great scene where Nemesis is saving a girl who is falling and Wonder Woman shows him the proper way to save her... And her cat.  

I think that this volume was great and I really enjoyed reading it.  Was it perfect?  No.  But it's a great read for those who love Wonder Woman and I will be reading the next continuation which is Wonder Woman:  Amazons Attack! which is written by Will Pfeifer with art done by Pete Woods.

The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife by Kate Walker

                                               

Goodreads Summary:

He thought she was his mistress...

Recuperating on his private Greek island after a car crash, Andreas Patrakos had no memory of the previous year.  The last thing he remembered was his passionate affair with beautiful Rebecca Ainsworth.

...when, actually, she was his wife

Becca returned to the island because Andreas asked for her.  But she had to hide the truth.  What would happen when Andreas recalled throwing Becca out - on their wedding day - for a reason only he knew?

My Review:

3 out of 5 stars

After a car accident, Becca is called back to Greece to come see her estranged husband.  After not seeing him for a year she doesn't know what he could possibly want with her but when she realizes that he has lost the memory of their separation she doesn't know how she's going to keep her love for him a secret.

Becca is a charming main character and her memories of her time with Andreas are very heart-wrenching and her character is really easy to identify with.  At first, Andreas seems totally over the top and angry but when his thoughts and feelings are shown, we get to see a side of him that has just been hurt and is trying to protect himself.

I really enjoyed the buildup of the book but I found that the ending and resolution of the book was a little too tied together.  A lot of the explanations were too simple for me and while I did predict it would end the way it did, some of the reactions seemed a little unrealistic.  Even though I didn't particularly like how the book resolved the conflict I thought it was understandable because it is a Harlequin novel so those simple plots are a given.  I did enjoy the book for what it was though.

            

While I wouldn't say this was a bad book and I did enjoy reading it, I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this book to someone either.  It was a nice quick read though so I enjoyed it from that aspect.

Absence

So, I know I've been gone.

I've been extremely busy with school, but I will be posting more over the summer.

I have a lot of reviews coming up in the next couple weeks.

Thank you!

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Goodreads Summary:
Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since.  Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief.  Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known.  Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world.  When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.  Are they being betrayed by someone in their circle?  Worse yet:  Is Alison back?  A strong launch for a suspenseful series.

My Review:
2 Stars out of 5


Pretty Little Liars is the first book in the series of the same name and I just recently started watching the television show so I wanted to read the books behind the show.  The book follows for different girls who all have secrets that have been haunting them and are finally coming out in the open.  While I did find the book interesting I will continue to read the rest of the series, I didn't find the characters as likable as the character on the television show.  What attracts me to the series is the mystery and that's what will keep me interested, but none of the girls really appealed to me as characters.  I'm hoping that my thoughts on them change in the future books.

While I did enjoy the book, I was a little disappointed by it, but I have my own reason for reading the books so I will try to finish the series.  I will at least give the next book a try.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

This is the third book in the Mercy Thompson series, my previous reviews are linked below:
Moon Called Review
Blood Bound Review

Goodreads Summary:


I could smell her fear, and it satisfied something deep inside me that had been writhing under her cool, superior gaze.  I curled my upper lip so she could get a good look at my sharp teeth.  I might only weigh thirty or so pounds in my coyote shape, but I was a predator...


Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape - but not her loyalty.  When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.

Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too.  Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her...

My Review:
5 out of 5 stars


In the third installment of the Mercedes Thompson novel, I was just as captivated as I was with the last two.  In this book, Mercy has managed to get herself into even more trouble as one of her closest friends, who happens to be fae, is arrested for murder.  Of course, Mercy being stubborn refuses to let it go and continues to investigate despite everyone's warnings that it is incredible dangerous for her.

Another thing that Mercy is dealing with is her continuing confusion about the two men in her life.  She is terrified of the control both of these men are able to exude over her but she knows she must choose one of them before the competition turns to bloodshed.

As always with this series, it wasn't long before I was frantically flipping pages trying to discover more and more the answers to all the mystery and troubles that Mercy finds herself in.  There was a lot going on during this novel.  I loved this book and have already finished the rest of the series that is out.  I'm a little behind on my reviews, but they should be coming soon.

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series, and I have already reviewed book one:
My review on Moon Called

Goodreads Summary:
Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings.  In return, the average law-abiding citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night.  Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...


Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones.  And now she owes one of them a favor.  Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him.

My Review:
4 out of 5 stars


Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs is the second installment to the Mercedes Thompson series.  Having loved Moon Called I was very excited to start the second book.  I absolutely love Mercy Thompson as a main character and I love her stubborn personality.  In this book, she is once again thrown into danger and this time it has to do with vampires.

I was very excited to hear more about what her being a walker means, it was hinted at in Moon Called, and I'm very glad that they elaborated on that.  While I like Adam more, I love that both him and Samuel are prominent in the book but the romance isn't the main feature.  The main focus of the series is the adventure and mystery and I love that.  Just as the first book did, this book completely caught my attention and I could not put it down.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Goodreads Summary:
Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful.  They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human.  I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

My Review:
5 out of 5 Stars


I really liked this book, it was very attention grabbing and easy to be absorbed into.  And I found that once I started, I couldn't stop reading and I'm planning on reading the rest of the series as soon as possible.


Mercy, the main character, is amazing and I really loved her, with her narrating the story it was easy to become apart of her world, the world with werewolves, shifters, vampires and witches.  What I found the most fascinating was the pack dynamic, it was very interesting to see how the alpha works with the pack and the hierarchy of it.  I'm usually more of a vampire girl, so I was surprised by how much I loved the werewolves.


Anyone who likes fantasy and paranormal stories will love this book.  Let me know your thoughts on the series or if you would be interested in reading it.

Nearly a Lady by Alissa Johnson

Goodreads Summary:

"Lord Gideon Haverston wanted to right his family's wrongs.  So when he promises young Winnefred Blythe the money that his stepmother had cheated her out of over the years, he expects to be greeted as a hero.  But the situation is much more complicated that Gideon expected and the task of taming the untrusting Winnefred much more alluring."

My Review:
3 out of 5 stars


Winnefred Blythe is a woman who has been abandoned almost her whole life and forced to make do with whatever she scrapes together.  She's done exceptionally well for herself under the circumstances, but when Lord Gideon Haverston shows up to repay his family's debt it stirs up both of their lives.  I related strongly to Winnefred's independent personality and her need to do things on her own, and I really enjoyed her confidence when voicing her opinion during a time when women were seen as merely objects.

It took me a very long time to get into this book, and I'm not sure why.  I was about to give up on it, but after checking fellow goodreads reviews I discovered that Nearly a Lady had a lot of great reviews, so I decided to continue reading.  While I do think it got better the more pages I got into it, I only marked it three stars.  I love Winnefred and Gideon as individual character and I was ultimately rooting for them, I was just not fully absorbed into the story.  I do think it was a good read and for fans of the author, worth reading and I would probably have had a higher opinion of it if I had read it at a different time, I was just not completely sold on the story.

As always let me know what your thoughts were on this book if you've read it, and if you haven't let me know if you would be interested in reading it.

Change of Pace

Hello, I've decided to completely rework this blog and dedicate it solely to book reviews and book related information.

Some important things to know:

I read a wide variety of genres (which they tell you NOT to do when you blog), but I just can't help it.  Plus I think it might actually help fellow readers find other types of books to read.  I know sometimes I get in a rut where all I'm reading is one genre and it can get a little formulaic.

Another thing to know is that I organize all of my reading information on goodreads.com my user profile is http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2741883-rose

Now finally, I am completely open to suggestions and am willing to take recommendations on any books people think I should be reading.