2 Books, 1 Cover

This probably doesn't even warrant a post, but has anybody else noticed this? It's the covers for The Secret Life Of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti, and Flirting With Boys by Hailey Abbott.

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

This was my first novel by Elizabeth Scott, and I can tell you I'm looking forward to reading more in the near future. This was a story that felt realistic. The descriptions and dialogue felt true to teenagers, not overly dramatic or far fetched. Kate is a character I think many teenage girls can easily relate to; with embarrassing parents, a friend she feels betrayed by, and that one boy who you can't help crushing on.

While reading this book I found that I could place myself in Kate's shoes without any difficulty, feeling what she felt when reacting to what was going on around her. I cringed at the bee costume and the carrot hat. I got butterflies when Will grinned at her. I felt a bitter knot in my stomach when Anna blew her off.

Elizabeth Scott has a real talent at creating characters that are rich and complex. I loved Will and Grandma, who both unfolded in a way throughout the story that allowed my appreciation for them to grow. Characters are the most important aspect of a novel to me, and in this instance they definitely built the story.

I loved this book, and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to read it yet.

Contest from Bookluver Carol :o)

Just letting you know that there's a great contest for not 1, not 2, but 3 books by Jennifer Echols going on over at Bookluver Carol's Reviews.

CLICK HERE to go check it out :o)

Chosen by P.C Cast and Kristen Cast.

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…(Amazon.com)

The third volume in the House of Night series held both ups and downs for me. I really liked where the plot was going with Stevie Rae's character. I was interested in learning what was happening with her and what would become of her and whether or not she would turn completely 'dark' or if there was a chance she could be saved by her friends. What I didn't enjoy, however, was Zoey's costant descriptions of how smelly and gross she was. Something about that girl's tone just really grates on my nerves.

I enjoyed Aphrodite in this book. I found her a nice relief from Zoey's whining about her three boyfriends and how stressful it is to be chosen by the goddess. Aphrodite is blunt and headstrong, and I was excited by the twist she was involved in at the end of the novel. What the future holds for her is one of the things I'm looking forward to most in the next installments.

I always enjoy the romantic aspect of any book, including the one in this series. I'll admit that I'd like to see Zoey and up with Erik. While I liked the tension happening between the two (tension and angst is a must in any novel!), I feel that throwing Loren into the equation was just too much. It doesn't speak well of a girl who's juggling too many boyfriends. I prefer my female leads to be strong and intelligent enough to not be led around by that many men.

I'm honestly very torn when it comes to this series. As I've said before, I think the plot is wonderful and I really love the idea behind it. I want to know what's going to happen with Neferet, and if there will be some sort of epic battle at the end. I want to know if Zoey will find real love, and I hope that it would be with Erik. It's just that the childish language and the constant repetition really get in the way of me loving it is much as I`d like to. In fact, I'm so torn that writing this review was difficult. Looking it over now it looks choppy and confusing.

More reviews to come in the future though not as soon/as often as I would love to be able to.
Emergency family situations are making life a little hectic right now.

Why reviews have been lacking

I haven't done many reviews lately, so much has been going on. My grandpa is very sick and doesn't have a whole lot of time left. He lives in another province and we're travelling this weekend to see him. Also, my daughter and I have been quite sick with the flu. And finally, my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy today.

I just wanted to stop here briefly to say where I've been. Updates will be much more frequent after Monday.

Betrayed by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

I really should have done these reviews immediately after finishing each book, as now that I've read the fourth they are all kind of blurred together for me.

In this second installment of the House of Night series, Zoey is the new leader of the Dark Daughters. We get a recap of everything that happend in Marked, and then move along kind of slowly to current events. We get a little character development from Aphrodite, but still don't really know much about Zoey's dearest friends. The "twin" and "poopie" talk still frustrated me.

I did, however, appreciate the plot and where the story was going with the murders and the death of someone very close to Zoey. I'll admit that I was very interested in where the story would take me next. I wanted to know who was commiting the crimes, what exactly was going on with Neferet, and was pulled into everything that was happening and found myself truly enjoying it. I believe that it stands out from the rest of the series so far because there's actually a lot going on and there are some surprising twists presented to the reader.

I'll be reviewing the next 2 books in the series very soon, so I'll leave the rest of my thoughts on the series as a whole until then.