Follow Friday #1 #100FactsAboutMe

"Follow My Book Blog Friday" is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View. Check out her site for guidelines for participating and join in the fun!

Q. Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100factsaboutme, give us five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you

1. I am always reading a physical book and listening to an audio-book.
2. If I start a book I have to finish it, so far no book has been bad enough to ruin my record.
3. My fiancée knows every story I read because I wont shut up about it for days.
4. I have to go to the library at least once a week or I would be penniless because I always have to have a book to read.
5. When a new book from a series comes out I always have to go back and re-read some of the books. If I don't I end up thinking that Sookie is a shadowhunter.

{Review} Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen (Jan 2011)
Hardcover: 435pg
ISBN: 9780061996160
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has apurpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart."

Review:

I admit that the reason I grabbed this book was the amazing cover. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I have done some of my best book discoveries this way. Then when I read that it was about angels I just had to buy it. What can I say, I love my fallen angels and this book delivered.

Let, me begin by telling you what I liked about this book.

• The girl is the angel not the guy 
• I love Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Fallen by Lauren Kate but enjoyed the girl being the heavenly creature and she being the one that takes him flying
• Clara's friend Wendy is wonderful, the gift she gives Clara for her birthday is amazing :)
• The relationship she develops with her love interest (I won't tell you who it is so that you can enjoy) is a healthy relationship
• She get's to know him, goes on dates, and become friends before she realizes that she is in love
• I am tired of books where the characters fall in love at first sight and then 70 pages later are willing to sacrifice the world for them without getting to know them.
• She is a 17 yrs old, and acts like it. She doesn't want to spend an eternity with the first guy she meets. She has the right to change her mind.
• The last 100 pages or so are amazing, I could not put the book down. 
• I was holding my breath for some of it, I couldn't believe what was happening
• Cynthia Hand has an interesting view on angels and their world and writes a book that takes you in 

Now for what I didn't like:

• The character of Angela
• I understand that she needed a friend that understood her angelic side but I don't see how she contributed to the story. Maybe, she will be more important in the next book.
• Apparently everyone and their neighbors are angels
• I liked the twists in the story but it just seemed a little strange how they are everywhere and humans don't know of their existence. Even when they fly during the day.
• The character of Christian was a little flat for my taste.
• We don't really know much about him other than he wants to study business and likes to ski and then the reason of why he is standing in the forest while there's a forest fire. Hopefully, the next book tells us more about him since he is a main character.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you are like me and want another angel YA novel to fall in love with then pick this one up.

{Review:} Cleopatra: A life by Stacy Schieff

Title: Cleopatra: A Life
Author: Stacy Schiff
Genre: Biography & Memoirs
Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Nov 2010)
Hardcover: 380 pages
ISBN: 9780316001922
Source: Library
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

Her life spanned fewer than 40 years, but she was the last Egyptian pharaoh and one of the most influential women of the age. She married twice, each time to a brother; she poisoned one and waged a war against the other. To this day, the life of Cleopatra VII (69-30 B.C.) intrigues us. This adept biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff tells us why it should. The true story of the woman behind the myth.

Review: 

I have always been fascinated with Egypt and its history. So, when I came across this book it became a must-read. I wasn't surprised to find put that the men that wrote the history decided to paint a picture of Cleopatra that might not have been the truth. The details of this book are impressive. Her family history horrifying, her life captivating. I was surprised to find out many things about Cleopatra VII. I won't go over the details because I believe that those are what makes this book interesting. I did not like how Schiff jumps around, I understand that she is trying to follow Cleopatra's life but it was still a little hard to understand.

Overall, this is a must read if you want to learn about a strong, intelligent and powerful women, Cleopatra VII.

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"Waiting On" Wednesday (1): City of Fallen Angels

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly even hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating. 

I can't wait for...

City of Fallen Angels ( The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare

Hardcover: 432 pages

 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (April 5, 2011)

ISBN:978144240354

Pre-Order: Amazon

Description from GoodReads:

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. 
“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

I know April 5th is almost here but I can't wait to return to the world of The Mortal Instruments and learn more about Jace, Clary, Simon and Magnus.

Am I the only one???

{Review} The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by: Mary Ann Shaffer/Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer/Annie Barrows
Genre: Historical Fiction
                                 Publisher: Dial Press (May 2009)
                                            Paperback: 290 pages
                                            ISBN: 9780385341004
                                            Source: Library Book
                                            Available on: Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 20/20
Setting: 19/20
Writing: 19/20
Characters: 20/20
Creativity: 20/20

Total: 98/100 = 5 of 5 stars

Description from GoodReads:

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Plot: Good: What could be more wonderful than reading a book about fellow book lovers. The story about a 1946, female writer from London and her friends was a joy to read. I like the humanity of this story, it shows the horrors of war and the resilience of people. Bad: Nothing.

Setting: Good: Post-war London and the island of Guernsey is a great setting for this story. It was great reading about the islander’s survival stories in Nazi occupied Guernsey. Bad: I would have liked a little more description of Juliet’s life during the war.

Writing: Good: I was a little skeptical about reading an epistolary novel. The characters are not well developed in the novels I have read, but this is not the case with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Every character has a different voice; I can see the difference of gender and education level in the vocabulary they use. Bad: The letter format of the story doesn’t allow for the reader to follow each characters throughout the whole story. I would have liked to see the point of view of other characters during certain parts of the story.

Characters: Good: The characters are the best part of this book. They are lovable; they are people I wish I could meet. Bad: There is nothing bad about the characters, they are wonderful. If anything, I would have loved more of them.

Creativity: Good: An original story about a writer that takes us on her journey in the discovery of a group of people brought together to survive WWII. Bad: None.



EXTRAS

Cover Art:A beautiful cover that is a perfect fit to the story.

Romance: Juliet relationship with Dawsey and Elizabeth and Christian add romance to this novel.

Overall: I recommend this book for a fellow book lover that enjoys learning about how reading and books helped a group of strangers come together, helped them survive the war and build a family.


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{Review} My Name Is Memory by: Ann Brashares

My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Title: My Name Is Memory
Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Tagline: "Sometimes love lasts more than a lifetime."
                                             Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (June 2010)
                                             Hardcover: 336 pages
                                             ISBN: 9781594487583
                                             Source: Library
                                             Available on: Amazon
Rating: 5/5

Plot: 18/20
Setting: 17/20
Writing: 19/20
Characters: 17/20
Creativity: 20/20

Total: 91/100 = 5 of 5 stars

Description:

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Last Summer (of You and Me) comes an imaginative, inspired, magical book-a love story that lasts more than a lifetime.

Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together, and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

A magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking story of true love, My Name is Memory proves the power and endurance of a union that was meant to be.

Plot: Good: This is a story of love, vengeance, guilt, and fear. Daniel feels guilty because he killed the woman he loves and is scared to lose her again. Joaquim wants retribution against his brother for getting in his way. Lucy is scared because she doesn't understand the love she feels for Daniel. Bad: The ending of this story bothered me, it was just too much of a cliff hanger. I also don't understand why Daniel loves Sophia/Lucy. Daniel had already made up his mind that he loved her even before he knew her. Does he love her because she is beautiful and he feels guilty that he killed her?

Setting: Good: Ann Brashares does a great job in taking us to different times and places without losing us along the way. Bad: I would have liked more description of the locations and a better view of their life in those times.

Writing: Good: It is beautifully written with a believable voice. Bad: A bit more of humor or lightness would have been good, I felt depressed, worried or scared for most of the book.

Characters: Good: I really like the mysterious character of Ben and the way he deals with his "memory". Ben adds a nice contrast to the way Daniel deals with his. Bad: I don't really understand the reason behind Joaquim's hatred towards Daniel. I like to know the reasons behind the actions of my characters and him I just don't fully understand. Daniel's lack of action also bothered me but I guess the story would have ended in the first chapters if he was more proactive.

Creativity: Good: The way reincarnation and soul-mates are portrayed in this book is unlike anything I have read. Bad: None, I love the originality of this story.

EXTRAS

Cover Art: I don't love the cover. The water concept is nice because it ties to the story but it just doesn't grab my attention.

Action: Most of the story is calm and reflective, it isn't until close to the end when it becomes action packed and then it ends.

Romance: If you like the concept of soul-mates then this is the book for you.

Overall: I recommend this book and I can't wait until the second in this series.

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