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Bound to Shadows by Keri Arthur: A Blog with Bite Review


Riley Jenson is a detective, a fierce guardian who is half vampire, half werewolf, fights for the justice of innocents and has a really bad lust problem!!!

In this murder mystery “who-done-it” rollercoaster Riley is trying to uncover who is beheading local vampires and killing women. Riley is now caught in the middle of solving these multiple cases and fighting off the lure of a suspicious club owner.

Where do I start????..................

The detective crime story is fast paced and well throughout although this more enjoyable part of the book basically takes a backseat to the Riley, Kye and Quinn drama. Usually I'm all for this kind of dilemma, loving the interaction and drama between the characters as much as an exciting plot. In this case, however, being my first Riley Jenson book I wasn’t impressed. Riley loves Quinn yet she feels the desires of her wolf self and is lured to her soul mate Kye. She doesn’t want to hurt Quinn but the beasty gal is just screaming to come out and get all wolfy with Kye. Let me tell you about Kye….eww…he was just a big villainous creep. He had no redeeming qualities and the relationship angle with these two was very nauseating. I didn’t connect to this book or the characters. Riley has some major issues, her smarts in detective work was always overshadowed by her lust issues. In the first few chapters alone she’s pinning over four different men. She just cant help but to look and notice everything gloriously male. I mean I love a great love story with passion and turmoil but this just seemed cheap and sleazy. Quinn the oh so commited boyfriend does nothing to fight for his true love and pretty much lets Kye run shotgun through the whole book. Kade, Riley's somewhat partner seems like a nice well rounded guy but we also have to throw in the Im a sleeze-ball as well factor. Ick- has anyone heard of AIDS in this book?

The end was appalling to me and (warning spoiler)…..I cannot read about a rape in the form of a positive experience, as Riley is being overcome and slowly killed with sex….she calls out to Kye who rescues her only to have his way with her in the same sentence…….WHAT….any parts of the book that I was liking to this point got blasted out the window. None of what happened to Riley was acceptable and for her character to be to the point of death but able to carry on with a new douche bag just soured my stomach.

So now that Im done ranting.....I can pull one positive out of the story and that was the love that Riley’s brother has for her and the sense of a true family they are trying to build.Looking past the sleeze you can see the connections of real family.

Although this is not my cup of tea and Id never recommend it and I won’t do any back reading, the writing style flowed well. Those of you who like the steamy paranormal or fans of Riley Jenson will enjoy.

If you’d like to give this one a go…The Blog with Bite is giving one of these away….head on over for your chance to win!!

2/5 Mystery, Paranormal romance

The Christmas Box is a story of love and a touching tale on the meaning of Christmas.


Rick and Keri are hired as caretakers and are welcomed into the home of Mary, an ailing widow, just in time for the holidays. After the couple and their 4-yr old daughter Jenna move in its not long before it becomes apparent that Mary cherishes their companionship. She shares a deep friendship with Keri and adores Jenna. She also has some life lessons to dish out to Rick who is a busy workaholic, luckily for him he slowly but surely begins to understand her. Along with Rick the family soon realizes that their relationship to Mary is more special than any one of them could have guessed.

When Rick is lured by the mystery surrounding an old Christmas box he begins to have dreams of a crying angel. As he tries to put the puzzle pieces together he starts realizing what the angel is trying to tell him and begins to see the error of his ways and what family and Christmas really mean.

This was such a lovely tender story, which even brought a few tears to my eyes as I thought of the meaning of this book and how important my children are. The book simple and sweet in its writing fraught with real-life struggles will have the reader trying to figure out the mysterious secret woven within the pages. A simple message yes, but told in a profound way will cause you to rejoice in the blessings of the season while stirring up sentimental emotion especially for a parent.

(Back of Book)....In a season often shrouded in busy lives and materialism, Mr. Evans reminds us that the only way we can genuinely love one another is by accepting the greatest gift of love ever given.

4/5 Christmas                                                                        
Part of my Holiday Reading Challenge, book number two................Sign up at All About {N}

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Hardcover, 391 pages
Published October 13th 2009 by Simon & Schuster
Purchased

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice could cost her dearly.

Hush Hush was one of the biggest hyped up YA novels releasing this year. The hypnotic cover and the allure of an angel story had my interests piqued for sure. Reading the first few chapters sucked me in and I sat absorbing the world Fitzpatrick created. After closing the book I’m not really sure what to think of Nora and Patch’s twisted love story.

The story follows the somewhat immature and awfully gullible Nora, her best friend Vee, the object of Nora’s desire Patch, and two new transfer students Elliot and Jules. Lets just skip over the set up of the plotline here and get right into Patch and Nora. The chemistry between the main characters, Patch and Nora, was off for me- and that was my biggest problem with Hush, Hush. Patch spends most of the book being an elusive bad boy with a sensitive terrorizing streak. More disturbing are the mixed feelings Nora has with Patch, in the same sentence she has overwhelming desire for him and mind numbing fear to go with it. A guy your in-love with should not make you want to run for hills, by the end of the novel, I was exhausted with is he good or is he bad and Nora’s idiotic damsel in distress- I’m so scared but he’s so hot bullshit. The hero's in these YA novels lately, especially the young men are starting to get on my nerves and beginning to rekindle the feminist that lives inside me.

Another part of the book that I had a hard time with was the angelic factors, I love a story with angels in them and when reading them, I usually like angels the good-guys, however with this new fallen angel trend I’m finding myself a little squeamish with angels having relationships in a sexual nature and a big question for this story- if Patch can't feel anything physical why is he wasting his time with Nora? Why would he even attempt the sexual stuff if he can't and whats up with all these douche-bag best friends lately? I mean seriously Vee is a big epic fail as far as bff's go. (lol- now I feel ranty so lets move on.....)

HISTORY LESSON: FYI only: The main meaty parts of this story come from a version of The Book of Enoch, (which I've read) If you don’t know about this text- its part of the Gnostic Gospels, not a part of the Biblical Canon and has not ever been deemed authentic. The book itself is broken into five sections, the most popular and quoted by many authors is The Watchers section which explains the fall of the watchers aka the angels who fathered the Nephilim, (mentioned in the actual Bible) children who were the spawns of angels and women and described as savage beasts .

"And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells[40]: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood." (Taken from Enoch book one)


That could be interpreted so many ways, fallen angels, angel kids, vampires, cannibals, you name it. In the book of Genesis the Nephilim are spoken of in a few spots; Genesis 6:1-4 and Numbers 13 and never states who the Nephilim are except for saying they were really tall and powerful and makes a comment about the sons of renowned men. It also states in the Bible that this race was destroyed in a flood, so even the account of who the real Nephilim were and where they came from is a mystery.

I’m torn on Hush, Hush- the book was suspenseful and intriguing but I didn’t like Patch or like how he was developed or how he treated Nora, The whole relationship was borderline abusive ( all the signs were there - guy meets girl- controls her, scares her, forces her into things, obsesses over her, stalks her…. throw in a few punches to the face and you have domestic abuse) and for young girls reading this looking for their Patch or dare I say a twisted Edward, is not a healthy past time or message. Stalking is not love, Abuse is not love, Control is not love, Manipulating is not love and a boy who scares you is defiantly not LOVE.

Come on YA authors what are you thinking?

Rating

Hush Hush- is recommended to mature teens/adults and contains- violence, stalking, sensuality, mild language and religious aspects.

2/5 YA- Fallen Angels, Romance

Well.....if I could bottle this book in a can Id call it "Irish Fluff-n-luff". It was a fast and easy read, full of sap and happiness that every holiday book should have. I had fun reading this cute story told from Colleen and Jamie’s perspectives. The writing was very simple and had that Hallmark Movie feel to it.........the story had some drama but everything was very predictable. I didn’t like Jamie at first but once he stopped being a lying weasel and found himself taking responsibility for his life and actually finding a purpose I found myself liking him a bit more. There were some interesting facts about Ireland that I learned and someday before I die I will go see this beautiful country!!

For being a fluffy Christmas story the book had some serious issues in it, lying, deceit, (having so much money I can do anything I want) forbidden and lost love.......Although seriousness aside everything was knit together so perfectly it made the serious issues seem like a joke. I found the style of this book not something I would read on regular basis but for a nice hour of sipping my tea it was fine.

2.5/5 Fiction-Christmas, Family Drama
To sign up for the Holiday Challenge visit All About {N}

God is with me through the Night, God is with me through the Day by Julie Cantrell:
Backcover: In this book, furry friends reveal that even the biggest and bravest of God’s creatures feel frightened sometimes. This comforting story allows parents to build stronger bonds with their children while reminding readers of all ages that fear, loneliness, and hopelessness can be alleviated when we put our trust in God. The story ends with an easy-to-remember Bible verse that teaches children about God’s love. “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).

As for both books, the message is to help children who are feeling anxiety, fear at bedtime or kids dealing with the fear of separation. I loved the beautiful vivid pictures of all the baby animals throughout both books. My three year old loved the baby monkeys and bears. The writing was very simple yet conveyed a strong point of view on dealing with fear. In my personal opinion, I thought the pictures and the message of both stories were very beneficial and are great to read to any child that is having nightmares, having anxiety at daycare or starting school. I would not recommend reading the Night book to a child who isn’t experiencing these things. I think some of the content will raise questions or even fear for a child who hasn’t dealt with these issues.Youngsters who can't read yet will enjoy the bright pictures and another plus that I experienced with my three year old was naming all the animals featured in the books. Learning is always a plus!

If you have a little one going through some hard times with fear and anxiety these are wonderful reassuring words that will help any child and the parents reading them that there is a Big God looking out for us!

4/5 Children’s Inspirational

Q&A with Julie Cantrell on God is with Me through the Night and God is with Me through the Day:

Thank you so much Julie and to Zondervan Kids for the beautiful copies to review.

Needless to say I find myself a bit torn on this one, I thought the writing was good, but feel I need to invest in a Jennifer Armintrout dictionary to understand all the stuff going on in her world. I liked the fantasy world she created, yet didn’t like that I was unable to connect with any of the characters. Ayla seemed like two people to me, one side of her was this brave, bold killer assassin, the other was this weak undecided goes with everything girl. Malachi is raging death one minute and consumed with passion the next. The only character who seemed solid was Keller and he was the human caught between the worlds under the sewers. I’m wondering if the next books will be good, seeing how this book had major plot and character set up, so we will see.

2 .5/5 Fiction-Fantasy, Fairies



#1 Did you have an understanding of the world created by this novel, or did you find the complexity too much? I liked the fantasy world but at times yes it was confusing, it seemed to jump, skip info leave you wondering.

#2 In a book that it appears many have trouble liking, what is one thing that you like about this book? I liked the fact that out of all the crap Ayla went through, she wound up being the Queen and that the prophecy was about her all along.

#3 Did you agree with the author’s decision to make Ayla a fierce assassin in battle and a weakling in her emotions? For example her obvious contempt for Garret but yet her willingness to be his mate and subject herself to his demeaning manor? NO- it didn’t make sense to me. She at least should have had more reasoning skills; she just seemed to be so flaky and had no backbone, no guts to speak for herself. The part when Garret beats her up, she just lays there and takes it- If I was a kick a** assassin I would of beat the crap out of him!! If Ayla had only been wishy-washy on her feelings for Malachi I could have bought this side of her, but when anything important came up Ayla just wimped out!

#4 What do you think the significance of the baby Ayla carries is/will be? Hmmm…well she did bag the both of them (Garret & Malachi) so who knows, I know the book stated that the Faeries only mated for children when need be but maybe I missed the part where it was a solid for sure….I’m hoping its Malachi’s baby and it will usher in a new race, new King to rule all the beasties………

#5 What do you think of Ayla's ascension to the throne? Do you believe she accepted her own destiny too easily? Yes- one minute she’s running from Lightworld then she’s going back, then she’s a prisoner then she prego and a queen…….like I said before no reasoning skills with this one.

Thank you to all of those who entered the Werewolf Halloween book contest!! Winner was selected by Randomizer.org...........Drumroll please and the winner is........................................................................

It must be my month for everything fairy!! Im almost getting faired out but I cant resist these lovely winged creature stories. So dont get to bored with all the fairy reviews Ill be doing this month but if you love them as much as I do...enjoy!

WICKED lovely is a gritty urban fantasy wove elegantly in the magical world of the Fea. Wicked Lovely takes place in a small city south of Pittsburgh. High school junior Aislinn (aka Ash) and her grandmother have followed strict rules all their lives to hide their ability to see faeries because faeries don't like it when mortals can see them, and faeries can be very cruel. Only the strongest faeries can withstand iron, however, so Aislinn prefers the city with its steel girders and bridges. She takes refuge with Seth, her best friend with “tension”, who lives in a set of old train carriages.


Ash is different than your average gal, only seventeen she posses smarts and a maturity most her friends don’t. Being able to see the fairies among us, she has always followed the rules and never has attracted the attention of one. However now she is being stalked by two of them who are able to take on human form and are not deterred by steel. What do they want and why are they following her?

One is Keenan, the Summer King, who has been looking for his Queen for centuries, bound by  rules and rituals he must fine the one who will stand by his side ruling over the summer fea. The other is Donia, a victim of those rules, consigned to the role of Winter Girl when she failed Keenan's test, yet still in love with him she warns the new girls to be wary of Keenan. Certain that Aislinn is the next queen, Keenan shows up as a new student at her high school, unaware that she sees his true form. He's determined to court her and is puzzled by her attitude and downright blow-offs, things aren't going as Keenan expected. Most of the girls he chooses fall immediately enamored with him. Regardless if the chosen girl wants Keenan or not, she is doomed for eternity to be at his side whether it be as his queen, his winter girl, or a summer fairy.

The greatest challenge for the trio: Keenan's mother, the Winter Queen. After killing Keenan's father a curse was placed on all the summer fea and until Keenan finds his other half she will rule the kingdom. Once the curse is broken, Beria will lose her power and Keenan will become the rightful King in the Faerie world. Beria will do anything to stop this. From sending out thugs to attack Ash, to hurting Keenan and Donia she will battle till the end!!

I enjoyed reading this, I liked the magical world Marr created and enjoyed reading from Aislinn, Keenan and Donia’s view points. I felt I was able to connect to these characters and found myself liking all three of them. Marr's lyrical language and sensual imagery I thought was beautifully written and although this was a urban fantasy it didn’t feel as dark as some of the other urban books out there. I liked the fact that Ash was a smart level headed girl, refused to do drugs and held her virginity as an important factor in her life. The romance between Ash and Seth was delicious. I loved that they were close and friends first, who slowly excitingly fall in love. Lately it seems that a countless number of stories out there are based on the girl being pursued by two young men, but who can resist this concept? For Ash, one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery.

Wow…what’s a girl to choose? Halfway through, I knew which characters I wanted to be together, and that made me excited to finish the book, the turn of events towards the end was well worth the read.

Id recommend this for the mature teen and adult
4/5- YA Urban Fantasy Fairies

Hey everyone, Im joining Nely's 2009 Holiday reading challenge. I love this time of year...the snow, eating a big fat turkey and most important: Christmas. What sounds better than a hot cup of tea by the fireplace, curled up with a lovely holiday book!!! Here's some info for the challenge and you can sign up at All about N

When flesh eating monsters fill the streets, who can cheat death? Who among the helpless humans can survive the all you can eat buffet which is Denver? Will it be the indecisive adulterer Melvin, his wife and kids, the mistress, the National Guard?

The first 30 pages were a bit choppy in writing brief character set-up and dialog, but smoothed out nicely as the action picked up and the brains started flying. This is a very short book and a fast easy read for a few hours of bloody entertainment…(eck).....The story follows Melvin (the cheating dog) and his wife Frances in an "end of the world" zombie take-over. They and the rest of the townsfolk try and flee the city before the flesh eaters can eat them or infect them with the zombie virus. But theres no way out of the city and no where to hide.

Melvin is a cad, and I hated his character, it’s like Teel purposely wrote him to be this sham of a man having an affair and not being able to make a sound decision, he seems to gain some ground when he’s caring for his children, but everything just blows up in his face. One bad decision leads to a devastating outcome and things just go downhill from there……the whole time when I was reading from Melvin’s perspective ….I was thinking OH…I hope you get ate by the zombies you fool!!!!!!!!

Pretty much once you get going it’s just a race towards the end to see who’s going to survive and who's going to get ate. This is a zombie book so most of the characters lacked depth; it kind of gave me the same feel after I watched the movie Grindhouse, surprisingly I liked Stacy the mistress. I didnt want to like her but she was really the only character who had any smarts.

Zombies to me have always been the big dummies of the monster world, yet Teel makes them a bit scary, if you’re all jazzed up because you just read The Forest of Hands and Teeth nix everything you know about the unconsecrated because these Zombies are a non-ending mass of violence.

My favorite lines uttered by the tormented Frances and Melvin, speaking of breaking up:

Melvin:“I thought you’d want me to stay. What should I have done? Just left you with nothing? Two kids to feed and a Mortgage? You haven’t worked since you had Maddy.”

Frances: “Haven’t worked? I haven’t worked? Why do men always assume raising children and running a household isn’t work? Why can’t you appreciate all the work I’ve been doing for you, to raise your kids, to keep your house clean, all these years?”

Yeah you tell him Frances!!!!

I had a good time reading this even though I’m not a blood and guts fan, but wouldn’t recommend this for any young readers. Although there’s no sex scenes, only a couple swears it is a very gory book- the violence is off the charts and has some very disturbing scenes…but if your into the zombie thing have fun…..

3/5- Zombies-
Thanks Mr. McCanahan for the copy to review!
The Blog with Bite is having a contest for this book and we have 4 copies to give away...hurry on over and enter for your chance to win......!!!!!!

Hello Savvy Readers!!! Today I’m excited to introduce you all to Sasha Soren, the fabulous author of Random Magic, Sasha is taking over today so please welcome her to the blog……….

Hi everyone my name is Sasha and today on Tina’s blog I will be discussing:


A lot of people ask writers the straightforward question, “How did you become a writer?”

There isn’t always a straightforward answer to the question. But here’s one story about the topic, if you’re just wondering how one person happened to become a writer: There wasn’t really a defining moment when I just decided to start writing, have always just had ideas and jotted them down. There was a defining moment in the progression from inveterate but casual scribbler to professional writer, though I’d been working on doing something more “practical,” which was finance, had arranged internships with brokerage houses and banks, and so on. Had two part-time jobs and one of them was working in a bank, basically filing a bunch of boring financial papers. One day, just thought, “This isn’t what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to be writing.”

There was no sound of trumpets or a blinding flash of light, just a quiet realization. Had no experience as a writer, though, but did have a background in finance. So, got a bunch of newspapers and magazines, looked up all the editors on the mastheads, and started querying them about working as a writer, but got no results. Everyone just slammed their (figurative) door in my face. It was really disheartening at the time, but if you’re going to do something, might as well do it, right?

As Winnie notes in Random Magic, when she’s taking a gamble on a question about life or (literally) death, “I’ll always take a chance on one out of two. Them’s good odds.”

So, just as Winnie might figure it, the answer’s either going to be “Yes” or “No,” so you might as well roll your dice. One day, just got a pocketful of change, stood on the corner at a payphone during lunch break, and just called editor after editor, and did that every day for maybe two or three months. Anyway, maybe 200 various phone calls later -- eventually lost track, but it was a hell of a lot of dialing -- and lots of hang-ups and snarky comments later, one editor finally just laughed and said, “Okay, come on in, kid. Bring your resume; let’s see what you can do.”

The next day, had my first interview for a writing gig. A day after that had my first assignment. They’d split the duties between two writers, without telling me, because they didn’t want to take a chance on a young writer who might flake out and leave them with no copy at deadline. Oh, I wasn’t going to flake out, believe that! A week after that had my first professional assignment. Handed it in, and they hired me the next day. And everything just progressed from there.

There wasn’t any assignment that was too tough, or anything I couldn’t learn, because it was all writing, and, as long as it was writing, was on solid ground. Might not be able to match my socks, sometimes, but writing -- no problem; maybe just give me a minute to work out how something works, then it’s all go. So, what inspired me to write? Nothing- was always a writer. But as for what inspired me to fight to make that a viable career choice…pure stubbornness, probably!! There’s no other tactful way to say it. But I knew I could do it, so just persisted until I could prove it.

So, yes, just as Winnie teaches Henry in the book -- not by preaching to him, but just by being herself and sticking it out even when their journey gets really rough and the odds are totally against them: Always believe in yourself, even if no one else does.

That was awesome Sasha!!!

If you missed my review on Random Magic you can read it here. Also you can check out info about the tour at Other Shelf Tours and even more fun awaits you at Sasha’s site!!

Happy Reading Guys.......

GOING BOVINE, by Libba Bray
Sept 22, 2009 by Delacorte Press
Hardcover, 480 Pages
Library Copy

Cameron Smith is kind of a loser; he is scraping by in his classes, not interested in college, not popular and hangs out with the kids who smoke pot in the bathroom. He suffers from constant comparisons to his preppy twin sister Jenna and seems to be a big disappointment to his parents. Basically Cameron has no motivation and is on the path to nowhere. A terrible sickness is about to change Cam's life forever.(Wow what a great outlook for a kid: the road to nowhere and then a dark crazy sickness)

That road to nowhere takes a twist when his outrageous behavior and terrifying visions are revealed to be caused not by drug use (which everyone thinks and which he does do) but an incurable case of mad cow disease. As the tissue in his brain breaks down, he slowly and painfully go’s crazy-Why the hell did I read this again- apparently when the madness begins to take over, his brain gives into the freaky visions of fire and wizards and all things mad cow disease makes your brain do. Pretty soon, Cameron is in the hospital with a terminal diagnosis and facing the reality that he might be about to die.

ONCE we reach the hospital stage things get even weirder, he meets a punk rock angel named Dulcie and a hypochondriac dwarf named Gonzo. At this point Cameron sets off on a road trip to find Dr. X, a physicist who disappeared years ago. Dr. X holds both the potential to destroy the entire world and the ability to cure Cameron's disease. Along the way an indestructible talking yard gnome who might be the incarnation of the Norse god Balder, joins Cameron's trip.

Hmmmmm yeah…….ok.

I loved the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and I think Libba Bray is a very talented and fabulous writer. That’s why going into Bovine I was very surprised this was the same author. It was a complete 180 from the style of the Gemma books, not that she picked a different topic or even the fact that humor is a talent she possesses (there were many humorous lines in her previous books) but the writing itself seemed to be coming from a different person. I guess that in itself is talent when you can whip out a book so unlike your previous writings it gives the reader a complete and new look at you as an author.

What bothered me was the fact that I found no humor in a story of a young boy dying and the eager use of drugs, no matter what quirky and ludicrous characters he met (hence he’s going absolutely crazy so the strange characters fit the story) but If you've ever watched a young person (or any person for that matter) that you are close with die, reading a humorous story about someone losing their life is no laughing matter. Ugh I know, I sound all preachy but I think the mood I was in didn't mesh with the mood of this book.

Also (coming from a mom’s perspective) Im finding a not so great trend in the YA world: What’s up with all the bone head irresponsible parents? Even more disturbing, since when did writing about kids doing drugs become a cool and funny subject to laugh about? Don’t schools and parents and countless others stress to our children “Don’t do Drugs"? Why is it that a novel targeted towards young teens have characters smoking pot as cool? I think that is an irresponsible message to young kids, sorry Libba but the humor dried up for me as soon as your doobies took over.

2/5 Mature YA-Fiction

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban


Book Synopsis: Ten year old (almost eleven) Zoe dreams of giving piano recitals at Carnegie Hall. When her father purchases a Perfectone D-60, though, she must settle for the sounds of the organ rather than the distinguished sounds of a baby grand, Zoe will have a few months of growing up and discovering the love of family.

After her father brings home what Zoe refers to as the "Behemoth" she endures lessons from Mabelline Person, a crotchety older gal who sighs a lot and drinks Vernors like it’s going out of style. During the lessons Mabelline notices Zoe's talent for music and recommends her for the "Perfectone Perform-O-Rama"; an organ competition for advanced students. After hours going through the 60’s and 70’s music Zoe picks Neil Diamond's "Forever in Blue Jeans." Accepting this not so Carnegie Hall dream, Zoe depends on a off-beat and hilarious support system: her father, who gets anxious when he leaves the house and who earns diplomas from Living Room University; her workaholic mother; and her classmate Wheeler, somewhat of a bully with a tender side who follows Zoe home from school daily to spend time with her father, baking. Zoe is a sweet down to earth kid who has a great sense of humor and shows us the insights of an eleven year olds drama including being dumped by her best friend, making enemies with the Fire House cookie sellers and also experiencing her first little crush.

This was a very cute and fun story. I’d recommend this for the younger reader 9-13. The refreshing writing is full of humor and has bits of wisdom throughout. Older readers will identify with some of the adult troubles shadowed behind Zoe's story. I personally found Zoe's parents annoying but they had some great redeeming qualities towards the end. Also the hint of Wheeler’s (Zoe's friend and first crush) home life is pretty sad. Urban doesn’t reveal to much as this is a light and humorous story, but those aspects put a little depth in the light story.

Defiantly worth the hour or so to read.

4/5 Children’s- Fiction,

Dont Forget to enter the 75 followers contest ending November 15, (scroll down a bit for contest spot) Im giving away Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis (a beautiful brand new copy) and Werewolves, a nonfiction packed with everything you want to know about your favorite beasties......

Also this week on the 11th Sasha Soren author of Random Magic will be taking over my blog for the day. Cant wait for you to hear all the fun things she has to say. Sorry Im behind on my reviews this week, a killer cold is kicking my butt...........Happy Reading.....Tina

My Lovely New Blog
So I must give a huge shout out to the awesome Rachy from ParaJunkee's View who custom made me this beauitful new blog layout and all the special little features!!!! I love love love it!!! Bare with me while I get some new widgets and fun side stuff back up!!! If your looking for a custom made blog- which noone else has...go visit the Junkee!!!!

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, book synopsis: A compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love. Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. An unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

So before my review I must take the time to say I have a bone to pick with you Mr. Sparks!!! Why is it that after I read one of your books, I find myself blubbering like a baby with a head full of snot and a lump in my throat the size of a golf ball? I must thank you for the raging headaches I get and the desperate need I’m in of two Tylenol and a king size Hershey Bar!!

Even with my three bucks lost on a box of tissue and my thighs bubbly from the chocolate fat I ate... I LOVED this book!! Only this author can write a love story so bittersweet that it makes you laugh, cry and get so ticked off you want to hit something. Ronnie was a surprisingly lovely character, the opening of the story told the small tale of an angry rebellious teen, which had a bad attitude and a lot of issues to work through but nonetheless Ronnie was an amazingly bright, caring and mature girl.

Ronnie and her brother Jonah are sent to North Carolina to spend the summer with their estranged father. Steve (the father) left his prestigious position at Julliard to pursue his dream of being a concert pianist. Spending weeks away from his family puts stress on and eventually ends his marriage. A bitter Ronnie never forgave her father for ruining their family. In fact, she hasn't spoken to him in three years. She's livid that her mother is forcing her to spend the summer with him and as soon as she sets foot in on her dad’s property she is bound and determined to put distance between them. She spends her first night away from his home. It's on this night that she meets Will and Blaze. It's on this night that will change her summer and ultimately the course of her life forever.

The Last Song is told in four differing points of view: Ronnie who is telling the story to her mother after the events have happened and Will, Steve and Marcus. Through each perspective, more of the story is revealed and flash’s back to the past to provide more depth to the characters. Each point of view has something to add to the events of that summer and reading it in their own voice's added to the richness of the story. I really disliked Marcus but the way he was written in the story made you loathe him!! The background characters of Scott and Ashley were big pains too fortunate for me I didn’t have to read any of their perspectives. Blaze is a toss-up, you don’t really get to connect with her but I think she added the good girl gone bad element to the story and showed you the drastic difference between a teen on the edge of danger (Ronnie) and a girl completely lost like Blaze.

Once I hit midpoint the book was very predictable but in a sweet way. Even though I had the ending pegged I was a blubbering fool as I read through the hard parts. The depth of emotions Ronnie faces as she matures about 5 years in a short six month span was brilliantly written. She suffers anger, depression, sadness but she also falls in love for the first time and learns to forgive and also learns who she is.

Steve throughout the book spends time quietly reading his Bible, showing us a side of the Christian elements Sparks added to the book. I thought the lovely way he wrote of faith and peace helped connect you to the hope of the story. So unless you are a heartless wench be prepared to shed some tears!!! For sure worth the read and by far one of Sparks best books yet.

5/5, Romance, Coming-of-age

On a personal note: My only problem is with the impending movie coming out next year.
I really liked Ronnie's character and I’m not excited that Miley Cyrus ( I guess she named the main character Ronnie and had some influence on this book) will be playing the part. Already I’m thinking for real Hannah freakn Montana....come on!!! I hope she can muster the emotion and depth Ronnie encapsulates, I’ve loved all of Sparks’s books but when they make them into movies it usually becomes a big piece of you know what. Although the Notebook was awesome!!! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this one and for Dear John , but for sure will go see both of them!! Chick-Flicks Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!