Need by Carrie Jones

This is another Twilightish book. Yes I am officially addicted to young adult fiction novels in which i get to be in high school again and in love with super dreamy guys that actually know i exist. Its a win/win.

Alright. I enjoyed Need. Mostly. First I want to say that Jones writes like we (or me anyway) think. I really enjoyed that. As for the actual story it was pretty good.

The main character, Zara, has more than a weird name, she also has a super creepy guy following her around. This dude keeps popping up and disappearing. For some unknown reason Zara feels the need (hehe) to find out what he wants. Well guess what, its her. Yep super creepy dude wants Zara for something that which we don't figure out until the end. And super handsome dreamy guy is going to protect her from him. Only he's not so good at protecting.

Anyway, its a good story and an easy read. Caution though....you reach a point in the book when you really have to "believe" in some really out there stuff. By out there I mean just go with it and remember you're reading a young adult novel.

Kandis

Ok, Need...  hmmm.... did I like this book??? Yes.  I did.  But I must tell you that when I was done, I actually laughed.  The intense, "scary" parts were actually comical if you think about it!  It goes from weird to weirder really quick.  No one is who they pretend to be, the whole darn town is mythical creatures.  And odd ones at that. (Pixies, anyone? and not Tinkerbell!)

But why do we read fiction books anyway?  To escape reality for just a bit in our imaginations.  So this one definitely afforded us that luxury.  You are nowhere near reality!  It didnt take long at all to read and was fun while it lasted.  

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Yes We know we have been falling behind on our posts but at least we are still reading books.

Evermore attracted me because its a story that reminds me of Twilight and I love anything Twilightish. The big main difference is in Twilight we fall in love with Edward right along with Bella and in Evermore I just found myself being creeped out by the main guy. Sure he's dreamy but also super secretive and weird. and not in a good way.

So Evermore is about a girl with a dark secret (aka her family died in a car wreck and now she doesn't like to touch people). Some super hot guy shows up and she has a real connection with him. Only like I said the connection turns creepy and the reader is left with a LOT of questions about the guy. Did I say a lot cause seriously the whole story has major info missing?!

Anyway, by the time the story ended I didn't feel any better about the missing info. And unlike Twilight's vampires, Damen just turns out to be weird. By weird I mean I never really understood what the heck he was.

So if you like stories where the reader is left guessing the whole entire book then I recommend this one. However if you perfer to read a story that answers your questions at some particular point then don't read this novel because you will then be stuck like me waiting for the sequel in hopes it comes with some effing answers.
Kandis

Hi!  Its me, Gina!

This story did weird things to me.  While I was reading it, I was really enjoying it.  But when it came time to turn the last page... I was left confused and wanting answers!  I liked what she wrote, but she didnt fill in all the blanks for me.  I was glad to have Kandis to talk to about it, because we had alot of the same questions.  

Ever (the main female character) also didnt get alot of her questions answered.  She would ask Damen and he would sidestep the answer and give a cryptic one and she ACCEPTED that!  What?  No, dangit, you are giving me some answers if we are talking about forever and my life!  Hello?

And yes, maybe it is all saved up for the sequel... which I am sure I will read.

The book thief by Markus Zusak

Hello, my name is Gina and I am an addicted fiction reader. Nice to meet you.

The Book Thief is a book that actually strikes a little close to home. (Since mom is German and actually has some of the same memories as those portrayed in the book.) It is a story of a girl in Nazi Germany. The book is told from the perspective of Death. Yes, The Grim Reaper. It gives an interesting, omnipresent, perspective. The author was able to take some liberties by choosing to write from this perspective. Very good book and something a little different from what Kandis and I have been reading. Quite a bit of history involved. Although this isnt a true story, you know that these things actually happened.

This is almost something that should be considered for college graduation requirements. Good writing, very good writing. It was a total tear jerker for me. But hey, I am a crier anyway. I can tear up at a good Hallmark commercial. I was completely sobbing at a couple of points in the book. I mean, I had to get a dishtowel, because tissues were not cutting it. But it is summed up in the end and you are not totally depressed. It does end pretty well. WWII was ugly and there is no getting around that, but happiness can come from anything.

I don't want you to think that it is a depressing, educational type. It wasn't like that for me. It was a great story about the life of a little girl (any little girl) in Germany during hard times. Her trials and her triumphs.

Short version.... Recommended for anyone.

Kandis here...

i agree with Gina's review and have no idea why i bothered to login, edit post to tell you that but I felt compelled to. I too cried ,no sobbed, for the main character Leisel. Actually I cried for her, Grandma (Gina's mom), and every other decent human being that had to live through WWII Germany. This book truly made me stop and think about the price and effect of war especially that of those on the other side.

Sundays at Tiffanys by James Patterson

Actually this book is by two authors? Gabrielle Charbonnet also co-wrote it? I don't know what that means. But the book bounces from two different narrators one male, one female. So I thought that maybe a woman was brought in to write for the woman but thats just a guess. And if my guess is correct than the Charbonnet name should be first on the cover (its not) because its mainly from the woman's view but whatever. the name James Patterson sells, I guess.

Anyway, this is a good sit down and read through one afternoon read. I doesn't take long to finish, a few hours from start to finish.
The jist of it- girl has imaginary friend, girl grows up and finds out friend wasn't imaginary after all. What now. hmm, well you fall in love of course.
The plot is kinda creepy I thought but it works as a story. Or well it works as a love story that you read in a book.
I enjoyed it. Nothing better than a good love story, no matter how unbelievable.
Kandis

Echo Park by Michael Something

I can't remember the author's name (Connely, i think) and this was a checked out book from the library and long since been returned. Again, I am behind on my review.

So this is a cop murder mystery. As in its a cop who is solving a murder. Its a good read. An who done it type of read.

i will say that when it was all said and done it reminded me of James Bond. In the way that its a reoccuring character for this author but you don't get too much detail about him and my guess is that every book has a new girlfriend. very James Bond.
I would have liked more of a love story but thats me. I definitely didn't see the end coming so that was good. Oh and there is a lot of cop lingo in the book, it really adds to the feel. And its a good page turner.
Kandis

The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks

First just to set the stage a bit....
John Twelve Hawks is probably (seriously) not this person's real name. He/she would rather live without everyone knowing who they really are. He supposedly lives "off the grid" which means he doesn't have a bank account, credit card or anything else that could be monitored by someone else (aka the government or secret agency) and his home (whatever country its in) is probably listed under a different name. He also doesn't do in person interviews.
Now for my "review"...
Loved it. Its in the category of Science fiction/ fantasy but its not aliens or wizards or anything like that. It is also the first in a trilogy.
This book will make the reader (or me at least) rethink a lot about surveillance cameras and what evils they could be used for. And what we are willingly to allow happen during a time of fear. Like what freedoms of privacy are we willing to give up in the name of security. Anyway, its a great read. The book bounces around from point of views. Sometimes from chapter to chapter its someone different narrating it. That takes some serious getting used to and can be frustrating but then you do get to see all sides of the story. Its definitely the character building novel of the series and gets the ball rolling on the real storyline. good read.
next is book two The Dark River

Yikes, Yates

Don't bother with Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. It is major depressing to read and doesn't end the way I wanted it to end. I mean, I spent days reading this novel hoping at least the end would justify the means. It doesn't. The story is about some couples but mainly the Wheelers in the 1950's. Everyone in the story, all the way around, is stuck in some way in their lives. No one is happy with what their lives are or who they've become. Almost everyone has a secret (aka an affair). Now it is written very well but at times mind numbing to read. Finally it ends and i'm left with nothing to show for it. If you want to know the story or are curious then go see the movie. I'm not recommending the movie cause I haven't seen it but at least that would only waste two hours of your life and not days. just my opinion Kandis

The Hunger Games

good. its very good, can't put it down even though my kids is crying, good. There are times when the story takes you in and won't let you go. I mean if my house was burning it might would have been the only thing i grabbed. (after my kids i mean)

its an easy read and the whole book i wondered who the audience is intended to be. the main character is only 16 but the subject matter is very adult, not to mention what takes place throughout the "games."

finally once i finish, i look up the book and its suppose to be for young adult, which i find kinda surprising. i mean people get killed, brutally. but i guess they do in harry potter as well.

anyway, its a great read and a suspenseful story. the whole read i was trying to find loop holes for the main characters so that the games have a happy ending. i won't spoil the story here by saying whether or not they do. i will say its a read that can be completed in a day. Or two if your kids are bugging you : ) i highly recommend it.

*and i will add one more note here after Gina finishes it. i don't want to give too much away about how it ends so more later. kandis

added note. This is actually my disclaimer....it doesn't end. I mean i kept thinking how is Collins going to end this book in 50 pages, 30 pages, 5 pages.....It never crossed my mind that she wasn't. Good news though, its a triology with the second book coming out in Sept. 09. Can't wait!

ps next book is Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

(I totally got this book pic from amazon thus the "click to look inside" label. you really can't look inside here but you sure can at amazon.com)

So here's my thought that sums up the book for me...."Umm, deep. hmm." Yeah that sums it up. Seriously, if you want to read a book that makes you stop and really take a look at your life and how you're living it, then this is the book for you. You will also stop and ask yourself what is your relationship with God? Could it be better? My guess is yes. It could be for me anyway. Personally, I had to reread almost every paragraph to understand the meanings and to let that meaning really sink in. Several times I had to remind myself that it was just a book of fiction and really the author's own views and thoughts. However, I began to wonder how much of this book is fictional and how much could really be based in reality. I mean doesn't God want nothing more from you than a relationship with Him and love for your fellow man. I happen to think He does. So in that case this book isn't all fictional. again, hmmm.

I read the back story about how Mr. Young came up with this idea and how it got to be a published book. Basically, he wanted a way to share his thoughts on God with his children. He so loved God that he wanted his children to know that love too. Thus he wrote this story in which he is both the main character, Mack and the daughter, Missy. Well, word of mouth traveled from his family and friends to others. He decided to publish it himself and the rest is history.

I encourage everyone i know to read this book and open your mind and eyes. Its wonderful. But to warn you the first few chapters will have you hurting for Mack and his family. So I recommend putting aside a pretty good bit of time to read this book so you can atleast get to a better spot before having to stop. Believe me you don't want to stop before things get better or you may think its not the book for you or at the very least cry yourself to sleep. Kandis

The Host

The Host is a book about Earth being taken over by aliens. Though its not what you think. These aliens live in humans and control them but with a "good" purpose. I won't give too much away here but basically one woman doesn't give up her body willingly or her love. Its a great book and called a "science fiction novel for people who don't like science fiction." Very true. Ultimately its a love story.

I really liked and enjoyed this book. To me this novel proves that Meyer is not a one hit wonder. Wanda turns out to be someone we should all try hard to be like and by we, i think Melanie would include herself. Ok thats all I got to say so I don't give too much away. Kandis

Start at the beginning

This whole "book club" came about after Gina and I read the Twilight saga. See, she read them first and sparked my interest to read them. I had heard of them several months before but at the time i didn't want to start reading a series (I was pregnant and didn't want to have the baby before I could finish them). Anyway, it drove Gina up a wall to talk to me about the books while I was reading them. Since she was done and knew everything about the story, it was hard to keep things a secret when I was guessing at them. So we decided then that we would read books at the same time. And we did. And thus its our "book club." Our first read together was The Host by Stephenie Meyer. More about that on my new post, Kandis

we are official

our book club blog has begun!