Review of Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Published by: Hyperion Book CH         
Pages: 327
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Witches, Demons, and Vampires...oh my. That's what you get in a Rachel Hawkins’ novel along with a myriad of other supernatural creatures. One of the things I liked most about this book is that it doesn't involve only one type of supernatural creature. It involves them all.  What’s better than a war involving witches, demons, shapeshifters, fae, etc. all battling it out?

Spell Bound started off right where Demonglass, the second book in the series, ended. In fact, if you don't remember much from Demonglass I suggest you reread it because I was confused for the first couple of pages until I started to remember everything. Sophie is a main character you won’t soon forget.  The best thing about Sophie is that it doesn't matter what type of situation she is in she always has snark and will have you laughing. She is a very relatable character in that even when she is thrust into battle she is still scared and crying. Often times we have these stone faced, unemotional lead characters that are fierce and lethal. Sophie is definitely lethal but she also has a hard time grasping death and difficult situations.  I love that about Sophie.

This book has lots of action and the plot changes and twists a little more with each passing page. You never quite knew what was going to happen next and therefore it was a very gripping read. I enjoyed this novel even though I had a little problem with the ending. I know it had to end and I understand we can't always have these picture perfect endings, but I feel like one character in general definitely got the short straw. I don't want to give anything away and so I won't say anything more than I wouldn't have chosen the book to end the way it did.

After reading Spell Bound I feel a bit sad that the trilogy came to an end, but also satisfied.   

Review of Bluegrass State of Mind by Kathleen Brooks

Title: Bluegrass State of Mind
Author: Kathleen Brooks
Pages: 274
Source: Free from Amazon (Obtained February 18, 2012)
Format: ebook
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: McKenna Mason, a New York City attorney with a love of all things Prada, is on the run from a group of powerful, dangerous men. McKenna turns to a teenage crush, Will Ashton, for help in starting a new life in beautiful horse country. She finds that Will is now a handsome, successful race horse farm owner. As the old flame is ignited, complications are aplenty in the form of a nasty ex-wife, an ex-boyfriend intent on killing her, and a feisty race horse who refuses to race without a kiss. Can Will and McKenna cross the finish line together, and more importantly, alive?

Don't you love that feeling when a book just clicks?  Bluegrass State of Mind was that kind of book for me.  It was fun, cute, sexy and had just enough mystery and suspense to keep you hooked.   

McKenna Mason is the perfect type of main character.  She was a little feisty, but completely genuine.  She really wanted to do what was right even if it meant putting her life in danger.  I love characters who are willing to stand up for a cause because that is how I like my friends.  Her and Will have insta-chemistry.  The minute the meet you can feel the sparks flying, but their relationship is not easy.  Between the dreaded ex-wife and the homicidal ex-boyfriend let's just say they come with some baggage.  Oh I almost forgot to mention that Will is crazy sexy.  He's a retired NFL player who now runs a horse racing ranch.  You cannot read this novel and not fall in love with him a little bit.     

My favorite characteristic of Bluegrass State of Mind is that it was so sweet.  The people of this small town were quirky and had such unique personalities; you couldn't help but fall in love with the town.  This novel had the perfect southern small town feel for me and that made the story more real.  They one things that I though was a little curious was the crime McKenna witnessed and the aftermath of it.  I understand that it's a delicate situation, but I just feel that in real life it would have been handled differently.  But never fear Kathleen Brooks makes up for it with just the right touch of humor.  The court cases McKenna has to try will give you abs a workout.  They are too funny. 

If you are on the lookout for a great summer read, try Bluegrass State of Mind.  You'll get hooked. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Today I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Blogs/Sites You Read That AREN'T about Books :

I really enjoy cooking and fashion, but both areas I need a little help in.  Therefore, what a better place to look than the blogging community.  Below are some of my favorites.

Food Blogs:

1. This Week for Dinner.  The author of this blog posts a weekly menu and asks others for their menu as well.  She also posts info about food products and amazing recipes.

2. Skinnytaste.  I just discovered this blog through Pinterest and I have already made three of her recipes and I've loved every one of them.  The greatest thing is that they are all low calorie recipes!  Try the Skinny No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie.  It is AMAZING!

3. For the Love of Cooking.  I have followed this blog for a while and I love her recipes.  I have tried many and she always gives me great ideas to switch up some of the regular dinners.  Yesterday's post was Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple-Cinnamon Glaze.  Are you drooling yet?

 

Fashion Blogs:

4. November Grey.  I love this blog because the author throws together thrifted pieces with high end items so seamlessly.  She has great tutorials and also includes beauty tips and recipes. 

5. a fashion love affair.  I just love looking at her outfits.  They are so flippin cute. 

6. Sunset and 5th.  I love the cosmetics tips on this blog.  She varies her post about outfits, accessories, and skin care products.   

7. J's Everday Fashion.  The author is always showcasing the latest trends and will match her outfit to a model wearing the look.  It kind of reminds me of the show "The Look for Less" since most of her pieces are more affordable then the original outfit. 

8. Belle de Coutour.  This blog has the most variety of outfits I've seen.  She pieces together a lot of thrifted items, but also showcases style icons and other tips. 

 

Others sites I love:

9. Pinterest.  If you are not on this site you seriously need to sign up today.  It is so amazing! 

10. Etsy.  You can find everything on Etsy.  The greatest thing is that most items are homemade and not from a chain store! 

Review of Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Title: Pretty Crooked
Author: Elisa Ludwig
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books         
Pages: 368
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 2.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

When life is unfair, what is the first thing you want to do?  Well if you are me then you'd probably start crying because you'd feel so sad and frustrated, but I'm sure most other people would answer that they'd get upset and want to set the wrong right. That is exactly what Willa decides to do when she realises the Glitterati are purposefully harassing the scholarship students.  This storyline is super cute.  Who doesn't want to swoop in and be a hero?  I know Willa's intentions were in the right place, but her execution was not thought out very well.   

I had a hard time believing Willa to be true.  She wanted to fit in and by doing that went against what she knew and her upbringing.  She started to overspending and she knew it was wrong but still did it anyways.  She liked being popular and all the "perks" that went with it.  I did like her, but she just seemed so spacey.  First she doesn't want to believe her new friends are not nice people even after seeing all this evidence and then when she finally does admit they are mean people she comes up with this crazy plan.  Did she really think stealing from her rich classmates and giving anonymous gifts to the scholarship kids was a great plan?  Seriously? 

During with Willa's "Robin Hooding", she somehow caught the attention of Valley Prep's resident hottie.  Aidan comes with a lot of mystery surrounding him.  I thought you'd find more out about him at the end, but that was not the case.  I'm guessing I'll have to wait until book 2 to figure him out some more.  Aidan seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  I love when we meet nice guys in books...they seem more real to me.  I wish we would have learned a little more about him and for the romance between him and Willa to be stepped up a notch.  There relationship was really mild and innocent with just a touch flirtation.    

Along with not finding out about Aidan, I felt that Pretty Crooked just kind of ends.  While it does wrap some things up, there is still a ton of loose ends.  I understand this is a series, but I'd like a little more resolution at the end of the book.  I know some people like big cliffhangers or for one storyline to be continuous completely throughout all of the series.  If that is your fancy, then this book if for you. 

Review of All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: All These Things I've Done Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Narrator: Ilyana Kadushin
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating:★★★★

Summary from Goodreads: In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Do you ever read reviews of a novel and think you are not going to like it, but actually end up really enjoying it?

That is exactly what happened with me for All These Things I've Done.  I wasn't really sure what this novel was going to be abou,t but I got it from my library and thought I'd give it a try.  I went on Goodreads to see what people were saying about this book and I almost returned it without listening to it.  I'm glad I decided to give it a go anyway, despite the not so stellar review.

Apparently I learned something about myself while listening to this book that I never realized before.  I love mafia or mafia-like stories.  I seriously think I'm destined to be a mob wife...heck maybe I'll even run one someday.  I love the scandal that goes along with the mafia and the crazy situation people get in when they have connections. 

Poor Anya.  She tries to live a good and religious life, but her family connections always come back to haunt her.  I thought Anya was a great character.  She thought through situations and always tried to do what was best for her family.  She was a great judge of character and knew when she had to fight and when to back down.  I do wish she would have gotten involved in the family business some more.  I have a feeling that if she would have just stepped up and taken some initiative things would have worked out more smoothly. 

The story itself was engaging with a new "situations" happening all the time.   There were deaths, shootings, poisonings, backstabbing, deceitfulness and jail time.  The romance, however, could have been a little more emphasized as I never really felt invested in it.  I wanted more from it; I never really bought that they were in love.  I wanted to feel the emotion more. 

The narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, was fabulous.  She has narrated many books, including the Twilight Series.  She kept me entertained and engaged throughout the entire story.  This is definitely a book to listen to!   

Top Ten Tuesday

Today I'm participating in Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top  Seven Ten Authors I Would Like To See On A Reality Show:

1. Simone Elkeles.  It would have to be a reality show where she'd get to ogle hotties and then discuss it.  She's hilarious and I would definitely tune in every week to watch her.

2, 3, and 4.  Kristin Cashore, Richelle Mead and Suzanne Collins.  I would love to see them on Survivor.  They write such fierce, lethal heroines that I want to see want they would come up with for themselves.   

5. Cecily von Ziegesar.  She writes about some of the most fashionable people around so I'd like to see what she'd create on Project Runway.

6 and 7. Sarah Addison Allen and Adriana Trigiani.  I'd love to see both of these authors on some reality cooking show.  They both have food in their books that sound delectable and I want to see how they make it.   

That's all I can think of today.  I can't wait to hear about your new reality show stars!

Review of The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

Title: The Boy on Cinnamon Street
Author: Phoebe Stone
Published by: Scholastic Inc.         
Pages: 240
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: A story about a wounded girl and the boy who won't give up on her.

7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?

The Boy on Cinnamon Street was a cute book that had a bit more depth than I originally thought. 

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a fun light read, and while it was fun the main character was also dealing with some serious events that had recently happened in her life.  You don't actually find out what those events were until the end of the book, but you can tell that something bad had definitely happened.  Thougout the novel there are clues as to what might have happened and you can tell that it really affected Louise and she is still struggling with it.  This part was a bit confusing for me as we didn't know what actually happened till near the end. 

Louise was a fun character despite her situation.  She was a little lost and sometimes just odd, but still very likable.  One day she finds a love note and her best friend and her think it's from the pizza delivery boy.  They spend the whole novel kind of stalking him and it is quite comical.  Of course nothing ever turns out like they expected and Louise gets a surprise all of her own. 

I really enjoyed the side characters in this story as well.  They were fun and funky, especially Louise's grandparents.  They added a new dimension to the story and helped us understand Louise a bit more.  I think my favorite character in the whole story was Louise's friend, Henderson.  He was so adorkable that you couldn't help but love him.  I'm kind of jealous of Louise and want to steal Henderson to be my new guy friend.  I need a super nice, sort of geeky, science fiction writer, loyal friend in my life....everyone does right?

While I did enjoy the story, I wasn't crazy about not knowing what was going on until the end.  That is a personal preference of mine as I usually like to not be confused when I read a book.  But if you are ok with a little mystery than I think you'll enjoy this one.