The Witches of East End by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: The Witches of East End
Series: Beauchamp Family Series Book #1
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Published: 2011 by Hyperion
272 Pages
I Got It: http://www.bn.com
I Read It: August 5 - August 7, 2014
I Rated It: 4/5 Stars


Joanna Beauchamp and her two daughters, Freya and Ingrid, live in a quaint coastal town in New York. The three women seem to lead average lives yet they actually harbor a long-standing secret: they are powerful witches who have been banned from using their magic. Over the course of the book events happen that slowly encourage all three women to break the rules and begin using their magic again to unlock a centuries-old secret. 
I really liked this book. I found it to be very reminiscent of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman which is one of my favorite books of all time. It was a fun, fast-paced and compelling read. Over the past few weeks I had been sliding my way into a reading slump. I was not enjoying anything that I was reading and I was not excited to start anything new. I realized that I was craving something in the paranormal/fantasy genre and this book hit the spot.
I liked all of the characters in the book. I especially enjoyed the three Beauchamp women and I really related to Ingrid. I felt like all of the characters were fully fleshed out and i am excited to see how they will continue to develop over the next few books. 
This book series has been turned into a TV show on Lifetime. I started watching the television show which is actually pretty different from the book, at least it is different from this first book, but the show is still good in its own right. 
I liked the beginning a lot more than I liked the ending. It took a weird spin towards the end that I didn't enjoy. There were too many references to events in the previous lives of the women that didn't get fully explained or resolved which was confusing and annoying. This was especially true in the last 1/3 of the book. 
I am excited to read the rest of the series and to start De La Cruz's Blue Bloods series as well. 
I would recommend this book to fans of witch stories, fans of paranormal books and to both young adult and adult readers. 
4/5 stars

Gone Girl by Gilllian Flynn

Title: Gone Girl
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Mystery
Author: Gillian Flynn
Published: 2012 By Broadway Books
Awards: Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Suspense/Thriller; GoodReads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller
Pages: 422
I Got It: Borrowed from a family member
I Read It: July 20 - July 24, 2014
I Rated It: 2.5 Stars

I cannot join the hugely huge group of people who loved this book. I did not love this book. I didn't even like this book (mostly). What I did like about this book was Gillian Flynn's writing style and that is the only thing that allowed me to give this book a 2.5 rating. I cannot for the life of me figure out why there is so much hype surrounding this book! I wish that I could say that people are loving it because of Flynn's way of writing, but I highly doubt that is the reason this book stayed on the NYT Bestsellers List for so long. I am excited to see the movie and how it will be adapted to the screen, especially since a large majority of the book is entries from Amy's diary. 

Amy is a spoiled rich girl whose parents made a fortune from writing a series of children's books based on Amy- the Amazing Amy Series. Being raised completely opposite is Amy's husband Nick who is now having to care for his ailing parents (Alzheimer's (dad) and Cancer (mom)). After the couple both loose their jobs they make the decision to leave NYC and move back to Nick's small hometown in Missouri to help care for his parents. 

This book is a macabre, psychological suspense thriller that majorly messed with my mind. I found myself feeling disgusted the entire time I read. Gone Girl gave me a sense of urgency as I read it. Though I did not enjoy it overall, I did feel a compulsion to continue reading, and at a quick pace. I had to know what was going on? What will happen next? Why is this happening? I had a very difficult time relating to any of the characters in the book. Adding to that, I also had major trouble cheering for any of the characters. I found myself not caring one way or another what happened to them. The alternating POV chapters between Nick and Amy allows readers to see just how equally disturbing the two individuals truly are. I especially hated the ending, though to avoid spoilers, I won't reveal anything about it other than the fact that I simply abhorred it. 
Let me reiterate here: Flynn's writing is excellent. Her writing never ebbs its way into cliche or overblown territory like a lot of mystery novels seem to do. Flynn has an amazing gift for blooming her characters into fully rounded, three-dimensional people and the writing flowed very well. Though I really disliked the subject matter of book, I do want to read another of her books since the writing was so exquisite. 
I would recommend Gone Girl to adult fans of suspense, thrillers, and mind games.

Summer 2014 Reading List

Hey Again, Reader! As semi-promised in my Summer Reading Plans and Goals video here is my list of the 100 books I will be using random.org to choose from in the next few months. When I finish off a book I will mark it out and if I have a review of it, I will live a linky-do for that as well.
Happy Reading and HAPPY SUMMER!
XOXO
Victoria

1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
3. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
4. Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto
5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor

6. Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
7. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
8. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
9. Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
10. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

11. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
12. Joyland by Stephen King
13. The Interstings by Meg Wolitzer
14. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
15. Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

16. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
17. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
18. Saga by Brian K. Vaughn
19. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
20. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

21. Starters by Lissa Price
22. Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
23. Animal Farm by George Orwell
24. Anything by Sarah Dessen
25. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

26. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
27. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
28. The Casual Vacancy/The Cuckoo's Calling by J. K. Rowling/ Robert Galbraith
29. Scarlet by Melissa Meyer
30. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

31. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
32. The Duff by Kody Keplinger
33. Winger by Andrew Smith
34. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
35. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

36. Panic by Lauren Oliver
37. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
38. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
39. Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James
40. It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

41. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
42. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
43. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
44. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
45. Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

46. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
47. The Witches of East End by Melissa De La Cruz
48. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
49. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
50. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

51. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
52. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
53. Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
54. Death of the Black Haired Girl by Robert Stone
55. Orfeo by Richard Powers

56. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
57. Casebook by Mona Simpson
58. Here and Now by Ann Brashares
59. Revoloutions by Felix Filman
60. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

61. No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale
62. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
63. Hild by Nicola Griffith
64. Dangerous Women by George R. R. Martin
65. On Such A Full See by Chang-Rae Lee

66. The Pure Gold Baby by Margaret Drabble
67. The Kept by James Scott
68. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi
69. Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda
70. Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

71. The Lover by Marguerite Duras
72. Paper Towns by John Green
73. Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn
74. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
75. The Vacationers by Emma Straub

76. Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons
77. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
78. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
79. Bluebeard by Kurt Vonegut
80. The Circle by David Eggers

81. Longbourn by Jo Baker
82. People In Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
83. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
84. One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson
85. Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

86. Midnight Crossroad by Charlainne Harris
87. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
88. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klin
89. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
90. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

91. Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
92. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
93. The Martian by Andy Weir
94. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
95. Constable and Toop by G. P. Jones

96. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
97. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriager
98. Soulless by Gail Carriger
99. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
100. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Movin' on Up!

I am pleased and excited to announce that this blog is now a vlog on YouTube! My channel name is yeahireadit and you can click on the link to go to the channel or you can preview my winter wonderland book tag video below. Please head on over to YouTube and subscribe and check out everything that you're used to seeing here in video format instead! 

Happy 2014- see you at YouTube!

Review: The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

The Summer I Found You is the story about a teenage girl trying to cope with her new diagnosis of type one diabetes and a teenage male veteran who is learning how to embrace his new life after losing an arm, who come together by using each other as an escape, only to discover through love and struggle that your life is what you make of it. (Synopsis from GoodReads)

Title: The Summer I Found You
Author: Jolene Perry
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen
Number of Pages: 
Where I Got It: NetGalley
Dates I Read It: November 12- November 16, 2013
Number of Stars: 3/5
Read For: Review purposes


 
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

   I love a book that alternates points of view and this book is told in alternating points of view from the two main characters. I really enjoy when books have chapters that switch POV's- I feel like it makes the story move faster and I also feel like I can put more faith in the story since both narrators have a larger chance of being honest and believable. I did fell a lot more sympathy for Aiden/Aidan though- he seemed to be a much more developed and rounded character. I hate to say it, but I also felt worse for him since he had lost an arm. I feel like I know so many people who have diabetes, but I don't know anyone who has lost an arm! Being an older reader of YA, I also feel like I had a harder time relating to Kate. Normally, I can relate really well to my YA heroines, but Kate was difficult for me to connect to. I kept looking at her actions and decisions from the responsible, mature adult POV and silently "tsk-tsk-ing" her for being irresponsible. Kate did feel like a real teenager though and this book felt very realistic and true to real life.
     I liked this story. This was a light but somewhat forgettable read. There was no real action and it can kind of drag for some readers, especially those readers who enjoy fast-paced, action-packed reads. I was very excited for this book because I loved the cover! It immediately jumped out at me and made me excited to read the book. Don't be fooled like I was because the cover really has nothing at all to do with the book. Also, the story is supposed to be about the summer, but it actually takes place during the school year. I was disappointed in this plot point as I love a summer love story.
     As I was reading it, there were times when I wondered to myself if this really was a YA book as it felt more like an adult fiction book. I would recommend this one to older teens, maybe 16-19 or to any teens who may be recently diagnosed with diabetes (or maybe even one who, for whatever reason, have lost a limb).

3/5 stars

TTT: Books For A Reluctant Boy Reader Who Likes Action And Adventure

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Image from Ramblings of a Reader

Today's TTT are books that I would recommend to a reluctant boy reader who likes action and adventure-y type books. These books are all ones that I have recommended to G to read. Some he did and some are still on that TBR of his.

 

All images from GoodReads

Sunday Post #2

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @

Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~

It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week,
showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming
up for the week on our blog.

Last week on the blog

Tuesday: I skipped over Tuesday's TTT (books who you wish you could re-design the covers for). I didn't have that many. Usually if the cover is so off-putting to me, I hate to say it, but I usually won't end up reading the book. I am so bad about judging books by their covers.
Friday: #FridayReads- The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry. I finished it yesterday and I hope to get the review up sometime this week.
Saturday: Review of Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Upcoming on the blog:

I finished up The Summer I Found You this weekend like I had hoped to do and I now hope to get the review up soon.
TTT- Top Ten Books I Would Recommend to an X Person (Could be any "type" of person.) I haven't decided on what kind of person to recommend books to yet.
#FridayReads 11/22- I'm currently reading Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins but it is going really fast so I will probably finish it this week. I got Attachments and Eleanor and Park at Yallfest last weekend so I hope to start one of those next. We'll see where I'm at on Friday.

New arrivals

Like I said I got a few new books at Yallfest last weekend. I haven't acquired any others since then but I did get some good ones at the festival:
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Weekly Happenings

Not much happened last week. I didn't have work on Monday (thank you, Veterans!) so Sunday night G and I went to eat and see Thor 2 which was amazing. Other than that it was mostly working and reading and eating and sleeping. I did start decorating the house for Christmas, but just small little knickknacks and nothing too huge (no tree, yet). I'm pretty stoked for Friday though as G and I are going to see Catching Fire at the I-Max and I couldn't be more excited. I'm currently in the process of trying to make a Mockingjay shirt to wear, but I am so not crafty and my first try was a huge, embarrassing failure. I'll post pictures as soon as I am able to get it done.. if I'm able to get it done...

Have a great week!