Review: The Boyfriend Bylaws by Susan Hatler

Hello? Set in Sacramento? My growing up stomping grounds... How could I not appreciate that? The characters were fun and the dialogue between them was natural and easy. The story moved along quickly and ended all too soon in my opinion. I would sure like to see a longer version of this. (This is a novella, so a very quick read.)  I think the employees being caught in the janitorial closet was very funny and I loved the word of the day idea. So much fun.  Loved the happily ever after ending.

My conservative reader side needs to mention (especially to all my squeeky clean reader friends) that while there was no explicit sex scenes, there was talk of having been there and going there. Buying lingerie, having the wrong kind of underwear on for pre-sex play... Characters in the book have implied sex, not detailed.

Susan Hatler has a fun way of writing that I really enjoyed. My thanks to her for letting me read her book. And my congratulations. :)

You can pick this kindle book up at Amazon for .99 cents!  It was worth a dollar, for sure!

Review: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The story of Gen begins in a prison where Gen is being held for stealing.  He is not just a thief, but a bragging thief.  Self proclaimed as the best thief, able to steal anything.  The king’s scholar, the magus, needs Gens help as a thief to steal a rumored and hidden treasure of the God’s from another land.  We follow their journey to the hidden temple of the Gods where Gens abilities are put to the test.  The magus has plans, but Gen is a trickster and has a plan of his own. 

I didn't get really into this book until Gen reaches the temple of the Gods and begins his adventure there.  From the beginning I guess I felt a bit indignant on behalf of Gen and the cruel treatment he received.  I mean, I know he was a thief and all, but still.  I did love the ending of this book because it went someplace I wasn’t expecting.  It unfolded into another story.  

I read and reviewed this book for another website before I started blogging.  I've actually read the whole Thief series and loved it.  I recently won this book through a giveaway (thank you, Lindsey @ http://lindsaycummingsblog.blogspot.com/) and had the chance to remember my love.  It's so lovely to own a copy and share it with the people around me.

The moment I really bonded with Gen was when he said this in response to Sophos’s question, “If you could be anywhere you wanted right now, where would it be?”  “In bed.  In a big bed, with a carved footboard, in a warm room with a lot of windows.  And sheets.  And a fireplace, and books.  Lots of books.”  That was the moment that I knew I could love Gen.  

Review: Prom and Prejudice

From  Goodreads:

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.


Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?


Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

I was a bit hesitant about reading this because I really LOVE the real Pride and Prejudice.  How could you even compare?  And really, you can’t.  But, this was a fun, light read that made me smile.  It’s not deep or thought provoking, and I’m okay with that.  The base characters, their traits and the main idea of “pride and prejudice” are similar in the two books.  This was just fluffier and current.  I really did enjoy reading it.  I liked it heaps better than The Lonely Hearts Club, also by Eulberg.  I appreciated that this book was clean (you know, no swearing or sex).  Oh, and for the record, I loved the ending too. 

Follow My Book Blog Friday

DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER?

Is there seriously somebody who has never done this at some time or another? Yes, I have judged a book by it's cover before. You tend to think of that as seeing a book and thinking it must be bad because the cover is horrible, but I have picked up a book thinking the cover looked so good and been very disappointed.  I guess you just never know until you delve in.

Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson and a Giveaway!

Suzanne Kidwell hosts a weekly cable show called Judgment Day where she is known for her sensational journalism.  Her goal is to exploit and expose people of prominence for the lies they tell.  She fancies herself a champion of ethics when in fact, she is quite the opposite.  Suzanne’s lazy investigation tactics and creative embellishments put her job in jeopardy and leave innocent people ruined.

Things begin to go terribly wrong when Suzanne’s boyfriend dies in a car accident that was meant for her.  Then the police find someone murdered on her living room floor and she has the blood on her hands.  Jail is the last place Suzanne ever expects to find herself and when she comes face to face with a man she betrayed in college, things really start to heat up.  Suzanne knows about something big, something worth killing for if she can just stay alive long enough to prove it.

This book was fast paced and I couldn’t help but be sucked in to the plot.  The character of Suzanne as a cold hearted journalist looking for fame and success definitely came across well.  In fact, I really didn’t like her at the beginning and I still didn’t like her at the end.  I felt like her change of heart at the end was shallow and more about her brush with death than actual regret for her horrible treatment of others.  The plot rotates around the horrible practice of organ harvesting and it is a sad and sick thing.  I’m sure it does happen today, but I shudder to think of it.  Overall, if I view this book as a distraction and don’t think too much about it, I liked it.  It was a quick, engaging read.

I received this book courtesy of Blogging for Books for my honest review.  They actually sent me and extra book to give away so if you love a good murder mystery kind of book, leave me a comment here with your email address.  Giveaway will end Tuesday, April 19^th.

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas by Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent

This book follows the epic and heroic journey of sixteen year old Abby Sunderland as she sets out to be the youngest person to sail nonstop around the world unassisted.  Setting out from Marina Del Rey, California, Abby sailed a southern route around Cape Horn and become the youngest person to sail solo around the “Mount Everest of sailing”, proving wrong the critics that predicted her trip would last a few weeks at most.  Abby literally battled against the odds as her equipment failed, vicious storms pounded her, and the public attacked her family.  The greatest test came in the Indian Ocean, twenty-seven million square miles of the most treacherous and wicked waters on the earth.  Here Abby battled alone against the waves that would change her life forever.

When I first saw this book, I was interested.  I hoped that it would be an engaging read but didn’t really expect great things from it.  In the middle of reading another book, I picked up Unsinkable and thought I’d just take a glance at the first bit.  I couldn’t put it down.  All other books become non-existent as I became swept up in the story of Abby’s sailing.   I loved how the first chapter took me right into the middle of her worst nightmare and then pulled me out and placed me in the beginning where I learned about Abby’s family and her first experiences onboard a sailing boat.  The story is cleverly told, alternating between Abby and a narrator where we get a whole picture.  There was a glossary in the back that helped me understand the sailing terms I am positively uneducated in.  There was also a diagram of Abby’s boat so I could identify where the things were that were being talked about.  It was an education!  What I loved most about Abby’s story is her courage and tenacity.  What a remarkable young woman.  I was so impressed with the calm self control and that core strength that Abby possesses that got her through the tough times.  At one point, her equipment was failing and she had to fix it.  She spent the whole night, drenched in cold water, in the dark trying to fix something with only verbal instructions over the phone.  She never lost her head, never became rude or impatient.  She kept trying and refused to give into the many things stacked against her.  That is some kind of impressive control.

I loved reading this book.  I can’t say enough good about how impressive Abby Sunderland is.  Her story is inspiring.  This is a fantastic read for adults and teens alike, and I’m better for reading it.

I received this book from BookSneeze for my honest review.

Winner of Across the Universe!

Congratulations to Annette who won the giveaway for Across the Universe by Beth Revis!  Annette said,"I haven't read this yet, but I am so intrigued. It seems many bloggers have a "love/hate" relationship with this book. I'm looking forward to seeing what it's all about. Great review. Thanks!"
Enjoy the book, Annette!