#Friday Reads (16)

I'll be dedicating my weekend to one of my recent purchases. In the beginning of November I bought Carrie by Stephen King but I hadn't got around to it until now.

I've started it today and I'm already 102 pages in an so far I'm really enjoying it. This is only my second book by Stephen King but, from what I've read so far, I think that I won't be stopping here.

Here is the synopsis (just in case you're not that familiar with the story):

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

And another series is completed!

I have to say, even though I was never particularly attached to the Divergent trilogy or to its characters, I wanted to see how it would all end and how Veronica Roth would explain everything that had happened until now.

Like I’ve mentioned in my previous review, I always felt that I didn’t know that much about Tris’ world; I needed to know why they were living in factions and what had happened before Chicago was divided. In Allegiant we are finally provided with an answer and, I have to admit, when I first read it I just felt like saying “Really? This is how you decide to explain this world and connect all the dots?!”. After so much time – and pages – invested in this story and in this mystery, I felt that the explanation given by Veronica Roth was a little weak and that it diminished – in some way – the relevance of dividing Chicago into factions.

As for the characters, I liked Tris and Tobias’ story lines. Tris grew a lot during this book. She seemed a lot more focused on what was important and more determined to make a difference in her world. As for Tobias, I liked how vulnerable he seemed and that we got to see him deal with some unsettling discoveries. I also think that, as a couple, they matured a lot and were finally able to understand what being together truly meant.

Finally, as for the plot and how the story progressed, I have to point out some of issues I had with it. First of all, I think it lacked some balance because there were moments when we had a lot going on but then, all of the sudden, the narrative would start to drag and loose the pace that had been set before. I also think that some of the deaths were unnecessary and I’m not saying that just because I liked some of those characters. It just felt like the author had grown tired of them and decided to kill them off because there was nothing left to do with them. They didn’t add all that much – if anything – to the story!

Overall I give this book 3,5 stars. I think that, as a trilogy, it could have been told in fewer pages and that it could have delivered a lot more than it actually did. I think the story was overstretched and that there was a lot of stuff in the middle that wasn’t necessary and ended up seeming a bit pointless.

#Friday Reads (15)

I didn't do one of these last week because I wasn't really sure what I was going to read that weekend, but I've already lined up a couple of books for this one.

First of all I'll be finishing Allegiant by Veronica Roth. This is the third and final installment in the Divergent series and, even though this isn't one of my favorite distopian series, I really wanted to see how it ends.

Here is the synopsis:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.  

After that, I plan on starting Saving Grace by Wendy Hewlett. I don't know that much about it but it seems to be a mystery novel. Here is the synopsis:

After spending most of her life on the streets of Toronto, Taylor Sinclair suddenly finds herself in the lap of luxury as she attempts to protect Gray Rowan, a woman she’s idolized since she was ten years old, from becoming a repeat victim of escaped serial rapist/murderer Ralph Morse. The connection the two women share quickly develops into a deep friendship, something that Taylor denied herself for years. Just when Taylor begins to believe in herself, her world turns upside down. Taylor’s past becomes fuel for the insatiable appetite of the media, triggering a police investigation targeting her abusers. Taylor has to deal with the horrors of her past if she has any hope of making it through the Police Academy or developing a relationship with the gorgeous Caillen Worthington. (Book 1 in the Taylor Sinclair Series) .

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Clary Fray, 15, learns she has the Sight, when she sees murder, and three tattooed teens with bizarre weapons at the NYC Pandemonium Club - or does she? Her mother disappears, a demon attacks her, and Clary is drawn into the world of Shadowhunters, warriors who kill demons. Jace is a Shadowhunter who looks like an angel and acts like a jerk.

My Thoughts

In spite of this book's popularity, I never felt that I HAD to read it. Actually that was one of the reasons why I kept avoiding picking it up ... Also, after reading Twilight, I wasn't really in the mood to start another series with demons, vampires and werewolves. 

However, I couldn't ignore all the hype around it and the fact that some of my favorite book reviewers kept raving this series, led me to finally decide to pick it up and see if it was worth all the hype.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book but that isn't enough to say that it's worth all the rave reviews that it has received or that it's one of the best books I've ever read within this genre. It's entertaining and it has some funny moments but there's not much more to it.

I wasn't fascinated with the world building and with all the demons and other "monsters" that Jace, Alec and Isabella hunted. I think that was actually my least favorite part of the book ... However, I enjoyed the dynamics between some of the characters, especially Jace, Clary and Simon. They formed this really funny love triangle that didn't make me want to say "Let's get this over with and just pick one of the guys!". That was one of the things that I enjoyed the most about this book; there was romance but it wasn't cheesy or annoying to the point of making me lose interest in the story. I think that Cassandra Clare did a really nice job balancing it out with the rest of the story.

Overall an entertaining and - at times - funny book. I still don't know if I'll be continuing the rest of the series but I would like to check out the Infernal Devices series and see if it's similar to this one.

I know there's also a movie but I'm really not that curious about it so I probably won't be watching it any time soon.

I give 3,5 out of 5 stars.

Quote of the Week #18

His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Easy by Tammara Webber

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't expecting to like this book. I wasn't expecting to care for its characters but this book really surprised and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Yes, this is one of those super duper romantic stories that follows that simple line "girl meets boy, boy is cute and she's also cute but isn't fully aware of that, they are perfect for each other right from the start, but then something happens" and bla bla bla. Sounds familiar? Yes, just like any other book within this genre but don't think that Easy is just that.

It's a new adult book so, unlike books like Perfect Chemistry, it has not only a lot more mature content but also it deals with more serious issues like sexual assault and losing a parent in the most heinous possible way and having to deal with all the emotions that it involves. And honestly that was one of the things that I enjoyed the most about this book. It wasn't as focused on the love story as I thought it would be and actually tried to go a little further and address other issues.

As for the characters, I think they were a little stereotypical, especially Lucas. He was the poster boy for that "dark and mysterious but also sexy as hell" type of guy that always has girls throwing themselves at them even if they don't want anything to do with them. At least this is the first impression that we get from him, but then, as the story progresses, we get to know him a bit better and see that there is actually more to him than just that. Overall, I think it was impossible not to like his character. As for Jackie, I have to say, I didn't care for her that much and I didn't connect with her at all! I actually preferred Erin, her roommate and best friend, who seemed to be a lot more fun and easy going.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I like how it surprised me. I'm not going to say that it's spectacular and that it's a must read but it's definitely entertaining and a little addictive. I think it's quite easy to get lost in it and read it pretty quickly without even realizing it.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

#Friday Reads (14)

So, this weekend I'll be reading (again two books).

First of all, I want to continue Fanny Hill by John Cleland. I'm already more than half way through and I'm confident that I'll be able to finally finish it this week.

I'll also be reading Easy by Tammara Webber. I was a bit hesitant about this book but since this was the pick for this month in my book club, I had no choice but to read it lol I've already started it but I'm only 20 pages in but I think I'll probably finish this one first because it seems to be one of those quick reads.

Here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

Reading Challenge Update #7

I know it's been a while since I've done one of these and so I thought it was finally time to let you guys know how I was completing my challenges.

Here's how I've been doing so far:

* A to Z Challenge: I've read three books from my list and they were City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and La Saga de Los Longevos by Eva García Sáenz. I made a small change on my initial list, because this last book wasn't in it but I decided to include it because it was so different from what I had read and also because it meant I had to buy one less book to complete my goal. You can check my complete list here.

* Books on my bookshelves challenge: unfortunately I haven't read any of the book from my list. I hope to read at least one book for this challenge this month ... (This challenge was created by deliberatereader.com)

Read in October

These are the books I read during the month of October

 My review has been published here

I loved this book and I'll try to put a review for it during this week

 Interesting read. I really enjoyed it and how different it was. You can check out my review here

Finally finished this trilogy and I have to say, I'm not impressed. I really thought it was going to be a lot better. 

I still have to read the forth book, wish is kind of like a companion novel. Let's hope that one is a bit better!

#Friday Reads (13)

Getting back to a decent schecule of posting for the blog!

This weekend I'll be finishing City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and I'll try to read a bit more o Fanny Hill by John Cleland.

I'm already more than half way through with City of Bones and so far I'm actually enjoying it! I was a bit sceptical about this book and I wasn't sure I was going to like it because of all the demons and Shadowhunters but so far it's been a plesant surprise.

As for Fanny Hill, it's a XVIII century erotic classic an even though the writting style

and vocabulary is quite different and thta it's far from fantastic, I'm enjoying reading it.