A whole week huh?

Oh geez, I can't believe that I haven't updated in over a week. Wanna know why??? Because Miss Sookie Stackhouse has consumed my life. I am currently on book #5 of the series. I am still totally indifferent about it. I don't love this series, but I do want to finish it.

I haven't read a paper book or anything on my kindle for almost two weeks, but it was because I had an eye infection or something and couldn't wear my contacts and could only wear my glasses. I don't like to read with my glasses because I get headaches.

However, now that I am back to normal, I can't wait to get caught up. I have like 8 books to finish for ARC that are about to expire. Yikes! Maybe I should have participated in this challenge over at Book Crazy. Ah well. I will finish them. I am sure of it.

On a side note, I am going to surpass my original goal of 100 books. Hell I am pretty sure I am going to meet this goal by Labor Day. So I am hereby increasing my goal to 125. And so there you go.

Book Blogger Hop

I thought I would give this a try today. Book Blogger Hop is hosted over at Crazy-For-Books.com. You enter your link and then check out all the other book blogs that are listed so that you can find new and fun blogs to follow. I always like new followers so I thought I would check it out this time.

Each week there is a fun question too, and this week it is:

How many blogs do you follow?

According to my Google Reader, I follow 69 blogs. I do try to read every post as well, but if the book doesn't look to interesting to me I tend to skip that post. However I do follow some friends, mommy blogs, and gardening blogs which I tend to read every post they do.

Well there you go, my first blogger hop! Let's see what happens!

Just Grace and the Terrible Tutu

Just Grace and the Terrible Tutu (ARC)

By Charise Mericle Harper

176 pages

Not on audio at this time

**Second Kindle book :)

Grade B

So listen, I totally get that this is a kids book, but remember this is an advanced reader copy, and it was not only an honor reading this book, it was complete fun! I loved how the author TOTALLY caught the thought pattern and the spirit of a 10 year old. Several times I had to remind myself that I was not reading the diary of a 10 year old.

I also didn't know prior to reading this book that there is a whole series of Just Grace books. And now that I know, and after reading this one, I simply cannot wait to get the rest of the series to read to my daughter. Because frankly, I totally think that little girls can relate to Grace. I know that thinking back, there were so many situations in this book, that take me back to my own childhood. The fact that the author was able to put my childhood thoughts into words, and into actual feelings, caught me, and will always have me as a reader.

Thank you again to the publisher, Houghton Miffin Books for Children. They opened me up to a whole new series of books, and not just me, but my family too. And that my friends, is the heart of everything.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

By Steig Larsson

576 pages

20 hours and 20 minutes listening time

Grade B+

Here is the thing, I have been sitting on this review for a month or so now. A MONTH! And you would think that I would come up with WAY more to say about it than what I am going to. So I am sad to disappoint.

This book did not live up to my expectations. I was expecting SO much more. So much more in depth umph that I got with the first, and mildly with the second books in the series. But I just didn't. Ok now I LOVE Lisbeth Salander; she has got to be the most bad assed female character in any book I have ever read EVER. And I like Mikael Blomkvist. I enjoyed the rest of the characters. But it still just lacked umph.

The thing is, I spent the whole book wishing that what I thought wasn't what was going to happen, because as much as I like being right, with this series, I wanted to be surprised and with the first two books I never knew what the heck was going on. With this one, I always knew what was going to happen next.

So here is the deal, you need this book to finish the series. But this series is just like Back to the Future. The first is the best, the second only bridges the first and the third, and the third is just an oddball, but you need closure. Jumping jiggawatts, I am glad this review is over!

PS, I HATED the ending. Period. There could have been a million and one ways to end it, and the lamest way was picked.

PPS, I also know that Mr. Larsson died before this book was complete. Maybe that is the problem, but either way.....Just think Back to the Future....

A special post, just for my dad

What is it like to read a book on a Kindle?

So far I have probably 18 books on my Kindle. I have been going CRAZY downloading books from the Amazon website, however most of my books have been free. I did click on the wrong book once and had to pay $8 for a book that I didn't mean to, but what ever.

I love that it will fit in my purse. I can take half my library with me everywhere. You can also play on the internet with it, but that is pointless for me because I can do that on my phone.

However, I really like the screen, and I like how easy it is to hold. I thought when I first bought it that I might have made a mistake, but really, I love it. It's crazy light, and like I said, it FITS IN MY PURSE. I take this think everywhere with me. I really do need to get a cover for it though, in case anyone that is reading my blog wants to buy me a present. I am afraid that I am going to scratch the screen soon without one. But I am searching for the perfect one ;)

So my point is, the new Kindle is only like $139 now. Of course they wait until two weeks after I buy mine, and three days after I throw away the box to come out with the new one, and the next model. But it is so freaking worth it. And books are way cheaper on the Kindle. And did I mention, you can carry it in your PURSE. But, dad, since you don't carry a purse you can carry it in your satchel, cause, you know, Indiana Jones carries one ;)

The Twilight Series

Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

By Stephenie Meyer

a bunch of pages

days worth of audio

Grade.........I have a hard time saying because sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it....so yeah.

Ugh....I don't really know where to start. I have read/listened to this series about 100 times. Probably more. And here is the thing. The first time I listened to Twilight, I was like huh? A 100 year old man is sneaking into this 17 year old girls bedroom and spends the night every night? WTF. And what gets me about this book, is that they talk like twice in school got out ONCE which wasn't even a real date, and BAM! they are in love. It really reminds me of the Disney movie Enchanted, where Giselle is in the park with Robert and Robert says "You are going to marry someone after only knowing them one day?" to which Giselle replies, "And tomorrow will be TWO days!" Only in Disney movies and Twilight do the characters fall in love with each other in a matter of hours and with little to no character building.

Then you have New Moon, and surprisingly I TOTALLY related to it. To this day, New Moon is my favorite of the series, which is strange because I am totally Team Edward.

Then you move on to Eclipse and well, hmmm it's well, the fork in the road of the series because Bella has to make the BIG choice...Edward or Jacob. And if you are any girl, duh you would pick Edward. Yes, Jacob is a great guy and in the movie, he is totally hot, but really? Bella was made for Edward.

Finally comes Breaking Dawn which is like the Titanic of the series....Half way through you can see the boat starting to sink, but you just can't get off because you are waaaay to optimistic and keep hoping that the boat won't really sink, but then at the end, well you are gasping for air and hoping a life boat sees you. Breaking Dawn is the ONLY book I have ever read that introduces 900 million new characters all with ridiculous talents and then have it go NO WHERE.

But in the long run, I guess you just have to give it to Stephenie Meyer. She found a way to write a character with no personality willing to destroy her WHOLE eternity to a vamp guy and throw everything else away for him. As we find from New Moon, her entire existence depends on Edward. And then even though Jacob is willing to give her a normal life, she turns that all away, for Edward. And not only does her non-personality written characters attract anything with ovaries, her books are addictive, like completely addictive.

So props to Stephenie Meyer for finding the million dollar recipe.

Lock and Key

Lock and Key

By Sarah Dessen

432 pages

11 hour 14 minutes listening time

Grade B

Dear Ms Dessen, I love you. Sincerely, Randi.

How many Dessen books have a read so far? I don't even know. All I know, is that I am not done, and I cannot wait to start the next. With so many authors you get the same story, different characters. Like Nicholas Sparks, EVERY book I have read of NS has been the same 'lost love finds each other and loses it again, and then finds it again' story. Sophie Kinsella, same thing. So far with Sarah Dessen, she hasn't done that....at least how I take it.

This book didn't fail. 17 year old Ruby, the main character, lives with her mom, however one day, her mom disappears. And a month later, her landlord shows up and sees the terrible mess that she is living in, and calls social services. Her sister Cora, who is ten years older, comes and brings Ruby to live with her. The terribly heart wrenching story that goes on in this book is just completely incredible and beautiful. Sarah Dessen does such an amazing job with the emotions for each of the characters in this book. She really captures it all.

I was terribly impressed with this book, and like I said earlier, Sarah Dessen has a fan for life.

It Started with a Dare

It Started with a Dare (ARC)*

ByLindsay Faith Rech

312 pages

Not available on audio at this time

Grade C-

First off, I would like to announce that not only was this my first book I read on my new Kindle, but it was also my very first Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) that I was privileged to. So I would like to give a super huge wet slobbery thank you kiss to the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Next on my agenda is to tell you about this book. CG is the new girl at school, again. She is trying to make a name for herself so she can be popular at this new school, and somehow manages it. After falsifying almost everything about her, dun dun dun, the truth comes out, and shortly, she has to try and redeem herself.

As much as I wanted to love it, and I REALLY wanted to love it, I didn't. I didn't not like it, I just didn't love it. There were cute parts, there were funny parts, but in a whole, it just didn't do it for me. I think the problem was, as much as I love YA, there are some YA that are just too YA (shocking right?) and for me, I think this book was just too YA. The girls featured in this book were Sophomores in high school, I deal better with Seniors.

This book however, would be a great read for my younger cousins, the ones that are either still in high school, or very shortly out. I think that way younger girls than me will really like it, maybe even relate to CG, as she struggles to fit in in high school, which really is a challenge to all young girls.

So many parts of this book made me think of the movie Mean Girls. I was TOTALLY waiting for one of the girls in the 'cool' group to say "On Wednesdays we were pink." Kind of a let down for me when that never happened.

In summary, if I was 18 and not 28, I would probably love this book. However, I sadly am no longer 18. Which really is difficult for me to say, because I would love to be 18 again. Ok, tangent over. If you are a die hard YA fan, this will be a book for you. Like I said, there were cute, funny and cutesy funny parts. But there were also terribly self absorption, bad influencing, and boring parts. And if you do read it, as an FYI, CG's parents let her off WAY to easy. If Lucy did any of the things CG does in this book, well let's just say, I might beat her.

The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic Goddess

By Sophie Kinsella

432 pages

12 hours and 5 minutes listening time

Grade C+

This is like the 100th Sophie Kinsella book I have read. As a matter of fact, other than the Shop-a-holic books that she has written (which I refuse to read), I think this puts me having read all her books, give or take one. What I like about them, is that her main character is always a goofy, smart, totally lost, but very strong mid twenties girl. The main characters are always easy to fall in love with, and they are even more loveable with their little quirks.

The Undomestic Goddess did not fail me in all of the above. I also have quickly learned that Sophie's main character will always fall in love, ruin it somehow, but always ends up with them in the end, some what like all Sandra Bullock romantic comedies. There, I have spoiled all her books for you in one shot, and most of Sandra Bullock's movies.

So in this book, Samantha, is a top lawyer at her firm and she is working on becoming a partner. She effs it up and ends up in a small town in the country. Due to a misunderstanding, she ends up a full time house keeper, however, she doesn't know how to iron, cook, clean, work a vacuume, or dust. Yadda, yadda, yadda, she ends up learning all that stuff.

It is actually a very cute book. I enjoyed it, I did. The ONLY problem that I had, was that it was the fourth Sophie book for me, in just a few short months, and actually I read three other ones within the last month.

So, great book, but I really should have spread them out, because I have learned that Sophie Kinsella books are somewhat like banana splits, you never think you can have too much until you are elbow deep in crushed pineapples and chocolate fudge and your tummy hurts.

Twenties Girl

Twenties Girl

By Sophie Kinsella

448 pages

15 hours and 5 minutes listening time

Grade C-

Out of all the Sophie books I have read/listened too, I disliked this one the most. I really have no reason for disliking it, however I did. Maybe it was the un-probability of it? Or the shear strangeness of it? I don't know, either way, it was cute, but I just didn't fall in love with it. I LOVED Remember Me? and Can you keep a Secret? But I just liked this one.

See I think the part that just bothered me about this one is, the main character, Lara, goes to her great Aunt Sadie's funeral. While the funeral is going on, she sees the ghost of her Aunt Sadie, and the is haunted by the ghost throughout most the rest. I found her Aunt Sadie to be a very irritating character, I kinda felt Lara was too. I usually love the main characters in Sophie's books, but in this one, eh. Didn't feel it. at. all.

So my dear Sophie fans, skip this one....you will thank me later.