Thursday, August 13, 2015

Review: Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven

                                     Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Audible                          Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Audible       


 
Click Goodreads buttons to read summary.

For the past six months I've been absent from my blog. I was actually kind of tired of forcing myself to write reviews. By the end, I only wrote reviews for books that made a big impression on me. Maybe you have noticed that lately not many books have left a mark. But Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet made me want to go on here and write something that would make YOU want to read them. 
 
I wasn't supposed to love these books. Before I finished book one, I was so sure this was going to be the same old story, which is me starting a book and not finishing it. Fortunately this wasn't the case.The reason why I thought I was going to dislike them was because the first one (and some parts of the second book) have some of the things I dislike in books. 

Naive heroine. Check
Too possessive hero. Check
Things kind of take a little too long to happen. Check
Hot cold relationship. Che... ehhh... I have a hate/love relationship with this one so...

And even though I dislike these things Leisa Rayven make them work by making her characters real and when characters feel real the reader can't help but care about them. No matter their flaws. 
 
I'm not going to lie, it wasn't all perfect.  I thought about giving up halfway through the first book. I didn't want to give up on another book, but sometimes Cassie would make my eyes roll so bad it hurt and I wanted to hurt Ethan too many times to count. But then the writing kept me from abandoning it. I related to the characters even if they weren't perfect. Sometimes the book got so intense I had to put it down for a little bit to calm myself down. I was feeling too much. All those feelings were thanks to Leisa Rayven's awesome writing powers. She's talented. #truestory. I think I highlighted half of the book because dammit, some of the things she wrote were so beautiful it made me want to cry happy tears.

Speaking of tears, I cried. When I say I cried, I mean I ugly cried. It was towards the end of Broken Juliet. I wasn't expecting to feel what Cassie and Ethan were feeling, but I did feel it.


 That part of the book felt like I was both of them at the same time, and I was experiencing double the heartbreak. While I sob myself to sleep, I was thinking what an idiot I was because I was crying about fictional characters. Then I was happy because I haven't felt this much for a book in a long time. 

The interesting part about these books is in the way they are written. The plot line goes back and forth in Ethan's and Cassie's relationship. We start with the present day. In the present, Cassie is this kickass actress that chain smokes, I instantly liked her. You can tell that something happened to make her this tough. Then you get Ethan, I thought he was going to be a total jerk but he seemed ok. So I was confused as to why Cassie treated him the way she did. What did he do to make Cassie hate him so much? Then the books go back to the beginning of how they met. You'll meet two totally different characters. And you get to understand what happened. The books go back and forth just enough to make you understand who these two characters were and why they are the way they are. And their transformations through the books are mesmerizing.

I read Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet back to back. It was emotionally exhausting but at the end it was so very rewarding. 



Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The White Princess by Philippa Gregory: Review




When Henry Tudor picks up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth field, he knows he must marry the princess of the enemy house—Elizabeth of York—to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades.

But his bride is still in love with his slain enemy, Richard III—and her mother and half of England dream of a missing heir, sent into the unknown by the White Queen. While the new monarchy can win power, it cannot win hearts in an England that plots for the triumphant return of the House of York.

Henry’s greatest fear is that somewhere a prince is waiting to invade and reclaim the throne. When a young man who would be king leads his army and invades England, Elizabeth has to choose between the new husband she is coming to love and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother: the rose of York come home at last.

History is very repetitive. I've learned that after watching many TV shows and reading The White Princess. If it's not a boy proclaiming to be a lost Prince, it's someone trying to steal the crown from the current King. It's a never ending battle. I also learned that I wouldn't have survived long in the 1400s. I have this feeling that I would've gotten my head sliced off for telling the king to piss off.

I decided to read the white princess after binge watching the white queen. I adored it and because I heard that they were planning to do a second season based on the white princess I just couldn't help myself. I was very impressed! The book is very easy to read and after getting used to the character's names (because everybody has the same names!) I was golden. I also love books that inspire me to learn. This book is one of them. I couldn't help myself from googling the characters and what happened to them. I watched documentaries based on some of the characters in the book!!! Can't you tell I enjoyed myself while reading this book? I had a blast!

Something disappointing about the white princess is the fact that women didn't have much say in anything. I hated the fact that Elizabeth had to walk on eggshells around Henry. It just pissed me off! But that's the way things were back then. I'm just happy to be born when and where I was born. I also wish Elizabeth had a little bit of a backbone. She was blind when it came to her mother plotting against the king. Her mother told her that she was never going to give up. But every time that the king accused her mom she would be all "my mother? NEVER!" It got old pretty quickly. Another thing that disappointed me a little was that I was expecting more romance than what I got. But even with these minor things I truly enjoyed myself, and I'm definitely reading more books from this author.


Sunday, February 1, 2015

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion



An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

It has been two months since my last review! To be honest, I couldn't get into anything. I read more than ten books halfway through, and I couldn't make myself finish them, it sucked so bad. But I found the book that took me out of that horrible reading slump! The Rosie Project was what I needed to get me back to reading. 

Don was a great main character. I found his way of thinking refreshing. He reminded me of Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" but to me Don was more likable and relatable. I seriously couldn't get enough of him. I found him fascinating, and I grew to care for him. I understood his way of doing things. I didn't want him to change for anybody, well, it's probably not healthy to schedule every minute of your life, but those weird things it's what made him unique. 

I do have to say that I was bit frustrated with Rosie and Don. I wanted them to be open about their feelings sooner in the book. I know I'm contradicting myself here because that would've meant Don being someone that he wasn't. I still enjoyed the whole process of them getting to know each other and Don trying new things along the way. 

The Rosie Project is a light and fast paced read. If you are going through a reading slump, I recommend you pick this one up. 


Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Stars & Swipes and Hugs & Misses Postcard Books by Wilhelm Staehle GIVEAWAY!



Here are 30 exquisite postcards from Wilhelm Staehle’s Silhouette Masterpiece Theater (silhouettemasterpiecetheater.com). Each panel in the popular weekly web comic features a painstakingly detailed etching carved from a beautiful painting; the results are gorgeous and very funny. Stars and Swipes offers a hilarious vision of classic Americana, with farcical frontiersmen, prattling presidents, and other all-American oddities.




Here are 30 exquisite postcards from Wilhelm Staehle’s Silhouette Masterpiece Theater (silhouettemasterpiecetheater.com). Each panel in the popular weekly web comic features a painstakingly detailed etching carved from a beautiful painting; the results are gorgeous and very funny. Hugs and Misses is a terrific Valentine’s Day gift, full of lovelorn ladies, roguish gentlemen, renegade Cupids, and indecent proposals. 

Hey guys! This post isn't exactly a review of a book (I promise I'll post some reviews soon) but more a post about two little postcard books I absolutely LOVE! Inside these books there's hilarious postcards. Hugs and Misses is described as "Postcards of Awkward Romance" and Stars and Swipes is described as "Postcards of Awkward Americana". The end results are so very funny and beautiful at the same time! I think these are perfect stocking stuffers!

After I got the postcard books in the mail I visited Wilhelm Staehle's Silhouette Masterpiece Theater and after 5 minutes there, I realized I'd found a new favorite website! Here's one of my favorites:


C'mon! Even if you hate spiders you can't help but love this one! She just wants to love you!!!!! And because I love YOU guys, I want to share some of my postcards with you! All you have to do is visit Silhouette Masterpiece Theater and tell me which silhouette is your favorite (that's going to be kind of hard because you will love them all!) The first 10 people to send me an email telling me which one was their favorite and their mailing address to bookittyblog@gmail.com will get one postcard in the mail. This is open US and INT'l! Good luck! 



Monday, November 17, 2014

The Diaries of Robin's Toys by Ken and Angie Lake Review



Bertie is about to go on his first flight from the hive and collect the pollen for making honey, like he has watched all his friends do! But he is so keen to impress the Queen on his first day that he gets into a spot of bother! This mistake helps Bertie learn the importance of working as a team and not trying to do it all by yourself! Bertie the Bee is one part of the lovely series, The Diaries of Robin's Toys! Robin and his Grandad buy a new toy from the car boot sale every weekend, and with the help of Grandad's magic spell, they bring them to life! Each toy has a fascinating new story to tell Robin, and helps to teach him some very important life lessons!

Hey guys! For today's review I'm doing something different and fun! Today my 7 year old daughter will be reviewing her first book! Well it's not a normal review but me asking her some questions about the book. In my opinion I think the books in this series are totally adorable! She read this one in one go and that right there is proof that she loved it. Right after we finished this interview she went and grab the next book in the series and almost finished it. She had to put it aside because it was bedtime :)


Here's her review. I hope you enjoy.

Note: I didn't change any of her responses. When she gets on a topic that she feels passionate about she won't stop talking. And she's very honest!



Did you understand what the book was about?

 Yeah. It was about a boy, and on a Sunday he went to a toy sale thing. He looked for a toy but couldn't find one that he liked. So he asked the man if he had a toy and he did. And it was Bertie the bee. And then he brought it home and his grandfather has a magic spell to make the bee come to life and tell stories. And then the bee told his story. It was about him and his family and how they collected honey.

What was your favorite part of the book?




When the Bee told his story. It was great because he told the boy how he used to collect honey and bring it to the queen. My favorite part of the story is that he was going to collect honey and he went all over to find a special flower that had a lot of honey and then one day he fell in the pond and he was lost and then one of his friends came along who was looking for the same flower and then she saw him and told him: "we were looking all over for you" and then the girl bee brought him to the queen and they were so joyful to see him again. 


What did you learn from that story?


Never leave your family, you can get lost but if you get lost it will be a special moment when you are found. 


What was your least favorite part of the book?

When he went to the toy sell because there were lots of old stuff like old records. (I bet she'll think they are cool when she grows up.)

Would you read the rest of the series?

Yes! Because it seems like everyone of them has a story to tell. Robin always finds a toy and his grandfather always has a magic spell that brings them to life and tell their stories! And that's exciting!

What do you think about the illustrations?

I like the details (she's showing me the details in the boy's face and the bee). 





Is there any words in the book that you liked?


Yes! The word mum. I like it because it's different and it sounds cool! (Now she's running around the house screaming "mum")

Friday, November 14, 2014

Virtual Chair #18: Aimm from Books and Crannies


Today sitting on the Virtual Chair is Aimm from Books and Crannies! Make sure to follow her blog and follow her on bloglovin




How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging for about 6 months months now, i previously was on a wix website platform but found that blogger was a better option for me. Blogging has slowly turned into one of my biggest passions and i literally couldnt imagaine life without it now.

What language, besides English, would you like to learn?

I would learn italian. Mainly because my brothers side of the family is italian and it would be really interesting to me to learn all about their culture. 

What’s the last book that made you cry?

The last book that i cried at was City of Fallen angels by Cassandra Clare. Sometimes , i just have too much feeling while reading her books, and the moments usually happen on public transport, Typical!

Who’s you favorite princess?

I have two answers for this question. My favorite Film Princess is Ariel from the little mermaid, and my favorite book princess is Princess Marie from The ring and the crown by Melissa De La Cruz. This is because she isnt the typical princess you read about, shes strong and knows what she wants, i admired her because of that.

If you could marry a character, who would it be and why?

Wow, this one is difficult. I think i would marry Simon from the mortal instruments. In the first book, he was kind of geeky (which i love) But then as the books have progressed hes sort of turned into a sexy vampire geek which is very appealing to me. He almost a better Edward Cullen.

Bad book habit?

Im really bad with paperbacks. Every paperback book that i own is literally destroyed because i bend the pages back when i read them. So when i finish a book and i loved it, i have to go out and buy it in hardcover because then i know if i want to re-read it i will have paperback copy which is already destroyed and a nice hardback copy which is prestine on my shelf!

Have you ever bought a book just for its title?

I have. I bought the madmans daughter by Megan Shepherd. It sounded beautiful to me! so i bought it without knowing anything about it. Why Not haha


What’s your favorite sound?

My favorite sound is the sound of rain. I love it especially when im trying to sleep and its pitter pattering on my roof. It so relaxing.

Do you ever read the ending of a book before finishing it?

NEVER! i remember one i read a dust jacket of a book that i didnt realise was the second in series and i completely spoiled the ending of the first book. I cried, ALOT. I just dont think i could take the emotional strain from reading the ending. 

How far into a book can you tell if you are going to like it or not?

I have a 100 page rule. Usually if the book doesnt interest me in the first 100 pages, i know im not going to enjoy it. However i do not like not finishing a book if i start it, mainly beacause i feel like i havent given it a good chance. But most of the time the books i pick do interest me so its all good. 

Thanks Aimm for taking the time to answer the questions! It was awesome having you on the blog today!
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