Friday, June 29, 2012

Book Review: The Mother Road by Jennifer Allee

Natalie is a marriage expert and author of many popular books, including Christian romance books, but her world soon changes: her husband wants a divorce because he wants to be with his pregnant mistress. Learning this awful news, Natalie's life is shattered. Not only is her marriage life over, so is her career. How can a marriage expert get a divorce?

 Then one day, Natalie receives an urgent call from her father asking her to come home because her mother's disease is getting worse. He also asks Natalie to bring along her sister Lindsay, whom she hasn't seen in five years and soon finds out that Lindsay is pregnant.
So, Natalie and Lindsay head to Illinois from California by taking a road trip across Route 66. Little bit does she know, Natalie soon discovers that this trip is the beginning of her new life.

* * *

I really enjoyed reading this! The book makes me want to go on a road trip myself and visit the places that Natalie and Lindsay have visited.

The book is filled with emotional pain and family drama, but it was also filled with humor. I really liked reading the different sides of the characters and couldn’t help but giggle at the funny parts. The book also brought a few tears to my eyes because the pain of reading about a loved one with Alzheimer’s was just heart breaking. This book really brought up actual situations that many families have gone through.

I almost gave this book a five star and the only reason why I didn’t give it one was because of Natalie’s stubbornness. In the book, Lindsay’s boyfriend stalks them across the country in order to be with Lindsay. Throughout this time, Natalie kept creating prejudices against the guy, which sound reasonable to a point. Natalie would not listen to anybody when they kept telling her she was wrong. Natalie’s ideology was that “I’m right because I’m always right,” and that really bugged me. Other than that, the book was a great read.  


It's Friday and It's Book Blogger Hop!

Crazy-for-Books is running this Book Blogger Hop to help connect book bloggers with other fellow book bloggers. Here's this week's question:

Do you have a keeper shelf for books you loved? What books are on that shelf and why?


My answer:

I usually don't re-read books but I do have a keeper shelf known as my permanent collection. This collection actually has many books. How many exactly? I'm not sure since it's mixed in with my other books (I don't have a lot of space here for my books thus everyting is pushed in together). Here are just some of my permanent books:


 
1. Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit collection by JRR Tolkien
2. All of Anne Rice's books (yes...I love her)
3. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
4. The Harry Potter Series
5. Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux & Phantom by Susan Kay
6. The Works of William Shakespeare
7. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
8. Marianela by Benito Perez Galdos
9. The Works of HP Lovecraft
10. Shanghai Girls & Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
11. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore


12. The Hunger Games Trilogy
13. The Graveyard Queen Trilogy
14. Who Cooked the Last Supper by Rosalind Miles
15. Dracula by Bram Stoker
16. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
17. Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps by Lara Rios
18. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
19. The Dexter series
20. Passion by Lisa Valdez
* * *
I love all of these for many different reasons :)

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tea Time Thursday #2 Poem Bombing

This is my weekly event where I will talk about any book news :D

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Today's Topic: 100, 000 Poems were Bombed on London


Yes, that's right...100,000 poems were bombed on June 26th over the city of London. The Chilean arts collective known as Casagrande dropped 100,000 poems over the city by helicopter. It's not the first time this has been done. Poems have been dropped over Germany, Poland, and Chile. These are places that have been bombed during military strife in the past.

By dropping these poems over past bombed areas is a great way to show that we need to make love and not war. Another neat things about this is that the poems double as bookmarks.

Here's a video of the event:


I think this is a wonderful way to spead awareness and the joy of poetry/literature. I would like to be able to go to one of these.

You can learn more about it by visiting http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/poetry-bombing-casagrande-london-rain-poems_n_1627951.html?utm_hp_ref=books&ir=Books

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wild Wednesdays #2

My weekly event where I discuss the books I've hauled during the week :D
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From Amazon.com:

Bite Me by Christopher Moore- I enjoy Moore's books and I just needed this one to complete his vampire collection. I've read it and thought it was annoying but entertaining. It is the third book of the series and a cure for vampirism has been found. If you haven't read this series or any of Moore's books, just be aware of his humor.





From Herbie's swap:


Herbie's is a local organic/vitamin store that started their own book swap a few months ago. There are three book cabinets on the outside of the store and customers can come by, drop a book and/or pick up a book for free.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy- I know there's a movie out but I haven't seen it. The book sounds interesting because it is post-apocalyptic and it looks like a quick read. I also hope it's a good one.

Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen- The cover caught my attention and it's based in the 18th century. Barbara was sold into marriage at a young age and comes to learn many different kinds of love relationships. While looking this book up, it turns out it has a prequel...so knowing me, I have to get the prequel first before I read this one.

From my wonderful library:


Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas- This is an audio book and I needed a Texas read for one of the book challenges that I'm in at Shelfari. I've enjoyed every Kleypas book that I've read so far, so this will be my first modern romance book by hers. This book is about Liberty Jones who grows up in Texas. After a tragic event, Liberty must take care of her little sister and money becomes really tight. Can the handsome Hardy help?

Here Today, Gone to Maui by Carol Snow- This is an ebook and I need a Hawaii book for the challenge as well (you can visit the challenge here). The title is quite cute and I also like the cover. This is about Jane who worries about losing or forgetting things when going to Maui, but ends up misplacing her boyfriend. Sounds like an adorable read.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Audiobook Review: Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer

Read by Scott Brick


On the day that President Manning is to give a speech over at a NASCAR event, Wes Holloway's life is changed. Wes is the President's personal aide and he, along with the President and the President's best friend, Boyle, are in the presidential limousine. When exiting the vehicle, a crazed killer shoots at them, permanently scarring Wes and killing Boyle.

A few years later, Manning is no longer president. Wes is traumatized but still continues to be Manning's personal aide. On a trip to Malaysia, the unexpectable happens...Wes sees Boyle exiting Manning's dressing room.
                              
                                    * * *
I first read The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer in print a few months ago and I really liked it. When I saw the audio book for The Book of Fate at the library, I quickly grabbed it.

I greatly enjoyed the suspenseful plot line and how all of the events unfolded. It kept me wondering exactly what the secret was behind the "3" and trying to figure out the whole Boyle "murder." The events towards the end had my heart bumping faster than usual.

I also came to learn a few facts about the presidency. I had no idea that former presidents still use the title "President" and people still call them "Mr. President." Also, I had no idea that the secret service still guard presidents after their presidency ends. These facts were quite interesting.

All characters were intriguing. I felt completely sorry for Wes and just wanted the best for him. I was also rooting that he and the reporter, Lisbeth, will get together. But of all the characters, the one that gave me the creeps the most was Nico Hadrian, the shooter. He is a major psycho who believes God speaks to him. My skin crawled a few times because of his actions.

In all, I greatly enjoyed the book. It would have been a five star but the constant shift of characters had me rewinding a lot just so I could comprehend the story. The reader of the book did a swell job though. He kept things lively. Plus, I really liked listening to the suspenseful music at the beginning and end of every disc.

For more information visit Shelfari or
Buy the book at Amazon.

Teaser Tuesdays #2


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

****
My teaser:

"It would be bad enough if he was just leaving me for another woman. But to leave me for another woman and their baby...there's no going back after that." ~pages 26-27 from The Mother Road by Jennifer Allee

Monday, June 25, 2012

Musing Mondays (June 25th)


This is a meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading.

This week's musing asks...

Do you set goals for yourself, while reading? For example, “I want to get this book finished this weekend“, or “I will read __ pages today“, etc. Why, or why not?

My Answer:
Yes, I do set myself some goals for reading, especially if I feel that I have not finished a book recently. Every new year I set a number that I hope to accomplish by the end of this year. For 2012, I plan to read 70 books. I try to put it at a reasonable number so I don't feel rushed by the end of the year, but it's still a big enough number where I could fill proud of myself. I also tell myself that at least 30 of these books have to come from my massive TBR pile.

As I am reading, I set myself mini goals. I either say that "I will get by at least this page by the end of this day" or "by the end of this weekend, I must finish this book." I usually read about 2-3 books at a time and if I don't set these goals, then I'm all over the place and won't finish them. Plus, I really dislike reading a 400 or less book for more than three weeks.




Review: The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice



Anne Rice has opened up a new world of werewolves.
 Reuben is a young reporter who is covering a story of the Nideck mansion in hopes of helping it get sold. He visits the mansion with the previous owner's niece, Marchent. Marchent is a very eloquent older woman who wants to make sure that the Nideck mansion is in good hands.  There are many priceless artifacts in the home since her uncle was an archeologist.

Reuben becomes enamored with the mansion and decides to buy it off from Marchent. Marchent instead decides to leave the house to Reuben knowing that he will be the perfect owner.

Unfortunately, Reuben and Marchent get attacked at night by two thieves in the mansion. During the attack, a wolf appears and kills the thieves. Reuben gets bitten by the wolf and is the only survivor.

Reuben soon learns that he is no longer the same. He has a huge growth spurt, he is becoming hairier, getting more muscular, and his hearing and seeing are becoming sharper. Reuben becomes amazed by the wolf's gift.
* * *
This was a very interesting interpretation of werewolves. Anne Rice's wolves are powerful but not evil.  They do not change due to full moons but change at random. They hear voices of innocent people that need help and these werewolves are driven to exterminate anything that is "evil."

I really enjoyed reading Anne Rice's werewolves. I liked Reuben and I was quite jealous on how easy he got the mansion and its priceless artifacts. It made me wish that I will meet a millionaire and hope that I'll be put in his/her will.

Though it was fascinating to read Reuben's journey in understanding his new gift, I did feel that the story was dragged out a little too long. The events were too short but the descriptions of the scenery along with conversations were longer than they should have. I felt the climax was too brief and the ending was pretty dull.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. It had me wanting to know more of Reuben's situation and I wanted to know how these werewolves became into existence.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

It's Friday and It's Book Blogger Hop Time!

Crazy-for-Books is running this Book Blogger Hop to help connect book bloggers with other fellow book bloggers. Here's this week's question:

Do you immediately write a review upon finishing a book or do you wait and write multiple reviews at once?

My Answer:

Yes, I usually like to review the book upon finishing it. This way, the book is still very fresh in my mind and it is easier for me to quickly type up how I felt about it. Though there have been times that life just gets in the way and I have no choice but to wait. There also have been times that certain books require me to sit back and let the book sink in. The latest that I've waited in reviewing a book has been two days. I try not to wait longer than that because then I tend to forget about it.

Tea Time Thursday #1: Alice Walker

Today is Tea Time Thursday, my own weekly meme/event :). This is where I will be discussing any news or updates from the book community.

*********************************************************************
Today's topic:


Alice Walker is a wonderful writer, poet, and activist. She is best known for her novel, The Color Purple. Recently, Walker has refused a new Hebrew translation of The Color Purple to be published in Israel. She doesn't want the translation to happen because she wants to boycott Israel who is  “guilty of apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people.” 
This news has caused many Israel's supporters to lash out against her. They say that Alice Walker's decision is  “among the most egregious acts of discrimination against Israel by leftist intellectuals.”

Alice Walker stays firm to her decision.
My Thoughts:

I am torn between both sides.

I completely understand why Alice Walker doesn't want her book to be translated. She strongly believes that Israel should change its laws. If she has the book translated, it's almost like she is rewarding the country for its mistreatment of Palestinians. 

But...I also understand Israel's supporters. By not sharing her book, Alice Walker is punishing the people of Israel due to the government's actions. This somewhat reminds me when schools ban books due to students' behaviors. Is that right?

So, I ask you:
What are your thought's on Alice Walker's decision?

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Wild Wednesdays #1

Wednesday is here and I'm going to share with you guys some awesome books that I hauled in from various sources.

From Amazon.com:


Cinder by Marissa Meyer... This is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles set in a dystopian world. This is a retelling of Cinderella where Cinderella herself is an android. I've heard many great things about this book and the cover kept calling out to me. I should be reading this one soon.

The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon...This a companion guide to Gabaldon' Outlander series. I've read the first three books a few years back and want to get into it again. I figure I need the companion to help me catch up :)

The Illustrated Dracula by Bram Stoker and Jae Lee... I've read Dracula years ago and my copy is falling apart due to the much loving I gave it. I needed a new one for my collection, and what better way than to have an illustrated copy? Jae Lee is a famous comic book artist and so far I like what I see in this book.


From my library's sales bin:

Both of these book were for 50 cents each and were in almost new conditions!

All New People by Anne Lamott...This is the story of a young girl who must be an adult since all the adults in her life are childlike. This is a very short book and so far looks interesting. I've read Lamott's nonfiction book, Bird by Bird, and I love it! I want to try her non-fiction.

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman... This is about a woman who is in love with a man who is in love with her siter. The book sounds like it has an interesting love triangle, plus the cover is beautiful!

 

From Free Book Friday:

I won this autographed book from Free Book Friday!
Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore is a debut novel, the first of a trilogy. Description from the back:

"Once you've seen, you can't unsee. Everything changes when you've looked at the world through . . .
Angel Eyes


Brielle's a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She's come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can't seem to shake.

Jake's the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what's going to happen. And a beauty brighter than either Brielle or Jake has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons-and Brielle-can perceive. "

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Teaser Tuesday #1


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

*****
My teaser: 

"In a snarling frenzy, he hurled her through the broken window. He heard the body strike the paving of the street."  ~ page 98 from The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Book Blogger Hop



Crazy-for-Books is running this Book Hop to connect other fellow book bloggers. Here's this week's question:

Do you belong to a book club, either online or in real life?

A: I used to belong to a F2F book club with some college friends but they kept cancelling the book meetings so I decided to stop going. Right now, I am currently a member of The Bibliophile Group where I'm co-admin and I am having a lot of fun in that group. There are about 3 to 4 Book of the Months for the group and group discussions on these books. There are also some challenges that are usually hosted by me. I would like to create my own F2F book club but right now I can't find anyone that will be willing to join me and stay lol :D

Monday, June 18, 2012

Ebook: The Iron Thorn

Written by Caitlin Kittredge


Wow, how to explain this book? This is a dystopian, steampunk novel that is set in a alternate Boston, Massachusetts called Lovecraft. Here there is no such thing as magic, religion, God, souls, and anything that cannot be explained by science. Everything is ruled by steam and machines that are governed by the Proctors. Rules are very strict especially after the necrovirus spread 70 years ago, which caused many people to go crazy and change into abnormal beings.

 Aoife Grayson is a month away from turning 16 and she is not happy about it. Her mother has the necrovirus disease and has been passed down to Aoife. So far, Aoife is sane but she knows that when she turns 16 she too would turn mad like her mother and like her brother, who went crazy the year before. Aoife is trying to be a good student as a ward of the city, but she soon receives a secret letter from her brother pleading her to help him. Now she has no choice but break all the rules and go seek her brother knowing that the "mad" disease is getting closer.

This book was a little hard to digest at first. There was so much going on that it had me scratching my head trying to make sense of things. I wanted to stop reading it a few times, but then I found myself thinking about it when doing other things and I kept wanting to know more about this Iron world that Aoife lived in.

Also, the time period of this book was not evident at first and it drove me nuts! At first I thought that the book took place in the future because most dystopian novels that I've read are in the future but then there were references that perhaps this was taking place in the early 1900s. It wasn't until in the middle of the book where I was able to make calculations that this was in fact taking place in the 1950s. Boy, what a relief that was.

Another thing that irked me was Aoife's name. How do you pronounce that?! I had my own version of what I thought it was until I gave up and looked it up online. It turns out that her name is actually pronounced "Eee-fah" instead "aye-o-fee".

After getting the time set and the name straightened out I was able to understand the book a little bit more. 

The Iron Thorn is tedious though, and I felt like it could have been told in a much shorter book. The book does pick up after half-way into it (which brought my rating up by half) when all the action and secrets begin to unfold. The book does end abruptly, which means I have to get the second book and continue on this arduous quest again.

For more info visit Shelfari or
Buy it at Amazon

New Book that I'm Looking Forward To


For those of  you that don't know, I am a very huge fan of Anne Rice. I became addicted to her books at the age of 12 when I first read, The Vampire Lestat. Anne Rice is known for her Vampire Chronicles and has written many great works. I got the pleasure of meeting her this last Festival of the Books at USC, and I was incredibly excited that she got to sign some of my books.

Lately, Anne Rice has been writing religious fiction and has also written a book on werewolves. When browsing through Amazon.com, the book on top popped up, Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story. I am incredibly thrilled to learn that a new book is coming out and that it is based on her famous vampires.

Though it is an adapted work of hers, I am looking forward to it and to add it to my collection. Now I just have to wait until November when it comes out.
If you haven't read Anne Rice, I recommend that you do.  

You can visit her at www.annerice.com

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Audiobook: Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Read by Rosalyn Landor

Catherine Marks has been a companion and a governess to the two youngest Hathaway sisters for three years. Though she appears to be a spinster and looks older, she is actually pretty young. Catherine disguises herself in order to protect herself from her past. Though she is living with a secret identity, Catherine loves her life with the Hathaways and loves everybody in that family, well, except for Leo.

Leo is the only brother in the family and he is the oldest. He has inherited the Ramsay estate after the last one died due to the Ramsay curse. After years of alcoholism due to the loss of his fiancee, Leo has found a new entertainment in his life, Catherine. Leo loves to torment Catherine and is always trying to find a way to pick a fight. Unfortunately, Leo soon learns that his Ramsay name is at stake. He has five years to get married and produce an heir before he and his family lose the home. Of course Leo finds out about this after four years in residence, so he only has one year left to try to save the Ramsay home. Leo does not want to marry but having Catherine near is making him think otherwise.

This is the 4th book of The Hathaway series and by far it is my favorite! I was dying to get to this book because the relationship of hatred between Leo and Catherine was introduced in the second book, and I kept wanting to know what was going to happen between these two. Leo is absolutely funny on how he torments Catherine, and Catherine knows how to stand her guard and disarm Leo. I kept wanting them to fight more than reading about them kissing because what came out of their mouths was absolutely hilarious! Of course, the book has its serious parts and these were good too. I also loved how the book ended as well.  All of this was presented spledidly by the narrator, who has also done the other three books in the series. This is a must read!

For more information, check out Shelfari or
Buy it at Amazon.com

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Written by J.K. Rowling

This is the second book of the series and Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts after a horribly, long summer with the Dursleys. Though he was looking forward to this school year, Harry's second year does not turn up as he hoped. First, a house-elf named Dobby tries to prevent Harry from going to school. Second, the famous Gilderoy Lockheart has come to Hogwarts to be the new professor of the Dark Arts, but only cares about his good looks and only talks about himself. Last, a new threat has come to the school and the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again. Harry and his friends, Harmione and Ron, try to solve the mystery behind the Chamber and try to pass their classes with good grades.

I read the first book over ten years ago and only now did I decide to continue with the series. This is a very well written book and it is no wonder that the series is highly popular. I greatly enjoyed the characters, especially the cocky Lockheart, and couldn't help but be entertained of the wizardly world of Harry Potter. I've seen the movies first but the movies don't compare to the books. The books are more descriptive and more adventures occur in them. Now, on to the next book of the series :)


Audiobook: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Read by Jeff Woodman

16-year-old Miles "Pudge" Halter doesn't like his life in Florida. He wants to look for a "Great Perhaps" by leaving home and entering a boarding school in Alabama. There he makes friends with his roommate Chip, aka "The Colonel," and falls for a girl named Alaska. At the boarding school, Pudge comes out of his shell and by the influence of his friends he starts to drink, smoke, and play pranks on staff and students. Everything is fun and games until a tragedy strikes Miles and his group of friends.

This is my first John Green book and I ended up liking it. It is a typical young adult book that sends out serious messages about loss, loneliness, and suffering. The book was also filled with humor that made the characters more interesting as the chapters lead up to the big event. I enjoyed how the book was structured. Each chapter was titled "(#) days before" as it counted down to an event that the reader knows that something big was going to happen. Then after the event, the chapters were titled "(#) days after", showing how the characters were trying to cope with what happened.

Also, the narrator did a great job in presenting the book. I really enjoyed how he was able to change his voice for each character and was amazed that he could rap on the parts that one of Mile's friends will start rapping. Overall, this book did not disappoint.

For more info check out Shelfari or
Buy the book at Amazon

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

June Book Haul

So far this month, I have received some interesting books to read and to add to my permanent shelf.

From Amazon.com:

The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens is terrific! It's about Amelia Gray, who can see the dead, and how she tries to live her life as normal as possible without being haunted. So far I've read the first two books, The Restorer and The Kingdom, and I have decided to add the trilogy into my permanent collection.  Now, I cannot wait until I read the last book, The Prophet!


From Paperbackswap.com:


Because I enjoyed her trilogy tremendously, I have decided to try other works by Amanda Stevens. She seems to write ghost stories and I really hope that The Whispering Room and The Devil's Footprints are as great as well.

I've read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See two years ago and loved it! Last month I also read Shanghai Girls from the same author and completely fell in love with this one too. Both books are heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time. You learn so much about the Chinese culture and history as well as admire how strong the women are in these books. These two books are now in my permanent collection.



Sunday, June 3, 2012

The 7 Deadly Sins of Reading

image from http://alyssaspector.blogspot.com/2010/03/seven-deadly-sins.html
BookishlyMalyza brought up this very interesting topic and I've decided to participate:


GREED
What is your most expensive book? What is your least expensive book?
My most expensive book would probably be the special edition of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore (of course I am not counting my college textbooks). I have many least expensive books since many I got for free at this book trading that's held outside of my local store.

WRATH
Which author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Anne Rice...I love her books, especially her earlier works, but lately her writing style has not been that great. I still buy her books because I am devoted to her.

GLUTTONY
What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and will probably continue reading many more times in the future.

SLOTH
What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?
The Passage by Justin Cronin. I started reading it last year, stopped, picked up again and only got a chapter done, then I stopped. It's a good book but for some reason my attention span gets shortened with it. I'll eventually finish it someday.

PRIDE
What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?
Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku. Yes, physics...I use Kaku's theories and terminologies to explain certain "phenomenons" that my friends and I discuss sometimes.

LUST
What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?
Male characters- Strong but also have a sensitive side. They are honest and awknowledge their mistakes.
Female characters- Same as male but I also admire independency with female characters.

ENVY
What books would you most like to receive as a gift?
Books that are on my wishlist or any book that is similar to the ones I like to read :)

Audiobook: Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas


Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

This is the third book of The Hathaways series and the story centers on Poppy Hathaway. Poppy loves her family but longs for a normal life. She is in love with the honorable Michael Bayning, who she's been courting all season. Their love must be kept a secret due to Poppy's family history and Michael's strict family values. Right before Michael gets the courage to speak with his father about Poppy, Poppy meets the wealthy hotel owner Harry Rutledge. Harry is a very determined man and gets whatever he wants. When he sees Poppy, Harry has no other choice but to have her no matter what.

After reading the second book in the series, I wanted to continue on to read about the brother but was a little disappointed to learn that the third book was on Poppy instead. With this disappointement in mind, I was not too eager when I listened to the first two chapters of the book. But the narrator did a wonderful job in presenting the story and the love triangle between Poppy, Michael, and Harry that it soon had me hooked. I liked how the plot played out and I fell in love with the characters even more. What the book has also done for me is that it excited me even more about Poppy's brother, Leo. The fourth book is about him and I cannot wait because this book ended with an interesting twist about him and his love interest.

More info on book at Shelfari or
Buy at Amazon

Hello!

Hola to all those who have stumbled across my little alcove. I have been an avid reading since I was young and I have recently become interested in people's book blogs. The more blogs that I've come across, the more I've wanted to have one of my own. So here goes!