A New Series to Consider

....Why oh why do I have to be a morning person?!? Oh yeah, the only quiet time I get to write is when the rest of the tribe is sound asleep.  There's also that thing called motherhood that has my brain thinking about all the stuff I have to do 5 minutes before my eyes have even opened for the day.

Thank goodness for coffee-induced alertness! Another great thing about being up before everyone else, even if it is a Saturday at 6am, is that I get to read in peace.  Now... since I'm writing today, reading might not actually happen, but it seems more and more these days, I'm up before the sun, allowing me the chance to read without feeling guilty about ignoring my kids.

Did you see a trailer a while back for a movie called Beautiful Creatures?  It's based on a book with the same name written by Kami Garcia. I did and it looked kind of interesting if you like movies about magic, supernatural powers and love. (A good love story can carry a movie a long way in my opinion).  Click the picture below to see the first trailer released in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of www.bleedingcool.com

I'm not sure what it is, but I always tend to lean towards movies and books geared for young adults.  Maybe I'm trying to relive my youth or live vicariously through the books since my young adult life was...we'll say, more grown up than it should have been.  Regardless, there's a history of great movies that surround high school kids.  Take for instance The Breakfast Club, Grease, Ferris Buellers's Day Off and 16 Candles........I just realized how old all of those movies must make me sound.  

Yep I'm familiar with this face palm too.

Oh well, I'm like a fine wine.  Better with age, right?  

Anyway, so I'm reading the Beautiful Creatures Series and currently on book 4.  I will say, I was enticed enough to read pretty quickly through the first installment.  The writing flows pretty smoothly but I found myself somewhat jumping ahead a few sentences every so often to get to the meat of it.  Now, I like a book with good long detail (think Anne Rice or JRR Tolkein), but this was nothing compared to Tolkein length-wise and I was still skipping details.

It's an interesting plot I've not read about before and the book does a great job of getting the back story intermixed with current-day plots.  I can't say if the historical references were accurate, but they sounded familiar enough.  (I could have paid more attention in history class).  I decided to go ahead and read books 2 (Beautiful Darkness), 3 (Beautiful Chaos) and am currently on Beautiful Redemption, book 4. 

Again, entertaining, but I'm not feeling like, "I can't put it down!"   Maybe it's the writing, the content or the fact I saw the movie that has me throwing this book on my list of "coffee table" books.  For those of you who don't speak Rebecca, that means it's a book that sits on the coffee table next to the magazines for light reading and you're able to walk away without feeling as if you're leaving a good friend behind. (Oh, how I still miss you Christian Grey!)

I can't say the movie did the book any justice, but isn't that the way?  The movie always seems to leave you wanting if you've read the book. I was truly disappointed at how the movie turned out.  Whole plot changes that would definitely affect future movies!  Now I know they can't make the movie EXACTLY like the book, but damn!  They changed a lot!  The characters all seemed too old for high school students.  College maybe, and too many details were off.  I guess if you hadn't read the book, maybe it wouldn't have seemed so....wrong. 

So, if I were to make any recommendations I'd say, if you haven't read it yet, see the movie first.  That way when you read it you won't be disappointed.  If after you've read the first book you like it, read on, but borrow it from the library. Don't invest in it if you don't LOVE it.  If you've already read it and haven't seen the movie, don't bother or wait till you can borrow it from someone else.  If you're like me, who read AND saw the movie..well, I'm sorry.

So there you have it.  A new series to consider.  On a side note, GO SEE IRONMAN 3. Loved it!  Action packed, funny, great effects and Pepper kicks ass!  That is all. 
 
~~~If you don't see a silver lining...make one~~~

New books to lose yourself in

As I've said in the past, I love to read and well, it creates an escape of sorts.  And...if you read my blog even kind of regularly, you'll know I need an escape every once in awhile.  OK, maybe a lot.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up one whirlwind of the chaos, but a brief respite can work wonders for the soul and the psyche.  

That's where keeping a steady flow of distracting reads on my Nook comes in very handy.  I pretty much take it with me everywhere I go in the off chance I'll get 5 minutes to not think about the millions of things I have to do. Although, I sometimes read (research) those millions of things instead of lose myself in someone elses world, which kind of defeats the purpose, but the fact is, I still feel as if I've been able to be productive.  And that counts for something, right???

So what have I been reading you ask?  As much as I love a thick novel with multiple warring plots and bit of kinkery, I also like shorter books that are quick and easy reads filled with a little action, humor and lust.  Over the last two weeks or so I've managed to read the entire Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill.  As of now there are 7 books with the 8th installment coming in August of this year.

I know, I know...vampires.  They've been all the rage for some time now but we're definitely seeing a trend towards zombies as of late.  I'm not real sure what the attraction is for me because I have no desire to emulate the lifestyle, but there is always a mystical story with it.  Mystical, magical, a greater power yadda, yadda, yadda or something like that.

Quick Synopsis

Non-conforming, bookwormish girl (Merit) from a wealthy family gets sucked into the recently outed vampire world (pardon the pun).  Not by choice mind you.  The rest of the series details the action-packed drama that unfolds throughout the year or so after her transformation.  Add in quick and witty humor from Ms. Neill with just the right amount of intimacy plus villains you love to hate and VOILA!   You have an expertly written series you'll gladly stay up late to finish.  The only negative I can say is that the further on in the books you get, there is a bit of redundancy on the basic facts.  In a sense, re-telling known info from books earlier in the series. I understand that someone who picks up a mid-series book needs background too, but to to that I say, start from the beginning!

So you don't find yourself somewhere in the middle, here's the series from start to finish.


                

 (Pictures courtesy of www.chloeneill.com)

 Biting Bad,is the next book scheduled for release on August 6, 2013, the day before my birthday, so I'll be sure to treat myself.  On my Nook, these books are $9.99 - $12.99, but I was able to read several of them through my Nook's library's ebook borrowing system.  My husband is very thankful for that. 

At 250-300 pages each, you can get through these books relatively quickly, even if you're as busy as I am.  When I finished House Rules the other day and realized I was going to have to wait til August for more Merit and the Chicagoland Vampires, I was a little sad because the characters really grow on you and well, I'll miss them.  Tear...

Give them a read yourself and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

~~~If you don't see a silver lining...make one~~~

Good Reads

 Books, books and more books!  

I absolutely LOVE reading!  Not that I have all that much time for it, but I do try to read a little every day for enjoyment!  After 15 years of reading for an $80,000 piece of fancy paper, visually undressing a book for fun is such a wonderful turn of events.  I firmly believe that everyone needs to read something that takes them away from the realities of life because it's just too easy to get caught up in the scary of the unknown future, the constant responsibilities of today and the heartaches of yesterday.  

Reading totally takes you to a place where you can let you mind wander into a more creative and peaceful state.  It's like another form of Lamaze!!!  Now if you're like me, you can get your claws into a good book and end up ignoring everything, including the errands, food and kids, all day.  This doesn't happen often I assure you, but every once in a great while I get so sucked into a book I fear that putting it down will somehow cause my life to go an entirely different direction.  Obsessive?...maybe :) That's why it doesn't happen often. 

Whether your reading preferences lean towards Fiction/Sci-fi Fantasy (like mine), murder mystery, history or hobbies, I hope you're able to escape this plane of reality for just a little bit and enjoy all that us writers have to share. And speaking of sharing...here are some of my all-time favorite and latest reads!  

Becca's Fav's (Top 5)

5. Love You Forever ~ Written by Robert Munch, Illus. by Sheila McGraw

I can't make it through this book without experiencing a quiver chin.  Being a parent and watching your child grow up and knowing (hoping) that some day they'll take care of you just pulls at my heart strings.

 

 

 

 

4. Hunger Games Trilogy ~ Suzanne Collins

I didn't jump on the bandwagon with this one at first, but I'm glad I finally bought in.  It looked violent, and it was, and the concept behind it is really twisted.  However, Suzanne Collins is a magnificent author and absolutely stole my time and attention with the developing plot between Peeta and Katniss.  Not recommended for readers under 13 (in my opinion). 

  3. Twilight Saga ~ Stephenie Meyer

I read through these with such quickness I had to reread them to make sure I caught all the details.  Not sure what it is about stories surrounding young love.  Maybe it's a way to relive what we felt was our own young love or possibly the young love we wish we'd had.  Either way, I was sucked in.  I'm totally on Team Jacob!

 

2. Fifty Shades of Grey Series ~ E. L. James

All I can say is...OMG!  Is there a drool smiley or something I can use?  I will being keeping my eyes peeled for ANY other E. L. James books. Definitely not for youth but highly recommended to share with your love interest.


  

 

 

 

1. Kushiels Legacy Series - Jacqueline Carey

Many of you have probably never heard of this series, but if you like a thick, twisted, scandalous, HOT, deep kind of read, this is one tale that won't disappoint.  There are 9 books in total and each one was completely captivating, building to an intense crescendo of the earth-shaking variety.  I am amazed at the level of writing and can only wish to be so good in my wildest fantasies.  Not recommended for young readers or those wanting a light casual read.

I know, kind of an eclectic group, but that's just how I roll....

 

Latest Reads

As of late, I've stumbled into the Steampunk genre.  To be honest with you, I'd heard the phrase but didn't know anything about it.  However, my trusty Nook Tablet provided me with some insight as I came upon a novel by the name of Viridis, by Calista Taylor.  The description had Steampunk written all over it, literally, and the front cover illustrated a woman in what I'd call Old World clothes, which is a style I've always admired.  And when I say Old World Clothes, I'm referencing what looks like the Sherlock Holmes era.  Manners were important, people were courteous, corsets were tight and scandal was just as juicy as ever. Personally, I adore the fancy language, London/Scotland setting and style of writing Ms. Taylor weaves so well.  The plot is thick enough to entice the reader to stay awake and read just a little longer, but not to drown in it.  Character development is at just precisely the right amount and easily transferable to the reader.  Lastly, the twists, teases and turns can make a cold night warm This genre may not be for everyone, but I'd recommend giving it a try.  Worst case scenario, you don't like.  If you have a Nook or other eReader device, see if someone will Lend the bookto you or if you can borrow it from the local library.  I would even consider Lending it through my Nook if you're interested.    

So, there you have it.  I will continue to post more about what new and interesting books I find and would love to hear about your favorites.  Have you read any of these?  What are you opinions on them?  I'd love to know!