SUNSHINE L♥VES FICTION!!: March 2010

Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton

This is book 18 in the Anita Blake series. It was very short and a very quick read. LKH explains that the idea for Flirt was preventing her from writing her other books (the ones with deadlines) and is much like what happened when Micah came out. In this short installment, Anita has to raise a zombie and that's pretty much it.

I will say this book was much better than Micah but also somewhat predictable. The word flirt was really overused. It feels like she has to justify herself for writing this book in the introduction and in the afterward. She had sex once in this one, breaking her record for amount of times Anita can have sex in one book, but it's probably because it is so short -- hey I'm not complaining. This is a very quick read but it's not crucial that you read it if you are a fan of the series. Next time LKH has writer's block, she should write the book and get it out of her system without publishing it.

2.5 out of 5 STARS

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Blue Bloods - Melissa De La Cruz

Within New York City’s most elite families, there lurks a secret society of celebrated Americans whose ancestors sailed on the Mayflower. They are the powerful and the wealthy—and in fact, they are not human. They are the Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires.

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapidated mansion. Schuyler is a loner—and happy that way.

But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. She has a mosaic of blue veins on her arms, and craves raw meat. The death of a popular girl from Duchesne is surrounded by a mystery that haunts her. And strangest off all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Schuyler wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

I really enjoyed reading this book! I think is was a different kind of vampire story. New York is a great setting for the book and gives it a more realistic feel. However. at times the descriptions of what each character is wearing and the designer got a little annoying. It took a while to set up the story but it was worth it in the end. It picked up almost halfway through the book ;I liked the back-story about the Blue Bloods and how they came about. Schuyler was a great main character. She isn't the richest and she doesn't fit in but that's what makes her relate-able. There was just enough drama and mystery to keep the reader interested throughout. The story was great and executed well. The end leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions and I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series.

4 out of 5 STARS

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Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

Aislinn is a unique girl because she had the Sight, meaning she can see faeries while most mortals are blind to them. The faeries can never find out that she has the Sight so she must live by the rules: Don't stare at invisible faeries, Don't speak to invisible faeries, and Don't attract their attention. These rule have worked for her and her Grams for years but for reasons unknown to her they become interested in her. Now, she has to figure out why without them knowing she has the Sight.

This is the first book I have read that centers around faeries so I was hoping it would be good. Throughout the book the perspective switches between the main characters, which is nice and helps the reader understand the choices they make. The characters are both likable and believable. You can't help but fall in love with Seth, Ash's best friend who obviously loves her. You grow to understand Keenan, the Summer King and absolutely hate the evil Winter Queen. As I was reading the book, there were parts where I lost interest. I found myself hoping the story would move along. The ending was extremely predictable with a nice small surprise. There was no moment where you sit and wonder what's going to happen while your heart is pounding. Overall, it was a great plot but slow and steady. I feel like it was missing a little something to push it from being good to great.

4 out of 5 STARS

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Acceleration - Graham McNamee

It's the summer before senior year for high school student Duncan. He is miserable in the summer heat and working his boring job in the lost and found of the subway station in Toronto. After rummaging through "lost" books at this job, he finds a leather bound diary of a potentially dangerous man. He and his friend Vinny search for clues using the diary and together try and catch this Roach before he acts out his fantasy of killing someone.

This was a pretty good book. Duncan is an interesting character trying to do the right thing. I felt this was very true to life and depicted well on what a sixteen year old boy would do if in this situation. It holds your attention throughout and I found myself hoping that he would catch Roach and hoping that he wouldn't get into trouble along the way. Great ending! ... had my heart pounding. It is a young adult book that I would recommend to any high schooler.

4 out 5 STARS

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A Short Break

I have just updated this site with a new, brighter template and have added some pages to my blog. For a first time blogger, this was really hard and it took a lot of time and research so I hope yall like it.

I am taking a trip to Ohio starting tomorrow which means I won't have any time to read this weekend. Surprising ... I know! More reading will get done next week and thus more reviews will be posted. Until then, Happy Reading!

♥ Sunshine

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Envy - Anna Godbersen

Started: March 6, 2010

Finished: March 8, 2010

Envy is the third book in the Luxe series and also the second to the final book. Our characters are up to their usual and the drama continues. This book offers a nice change of scenery because everyone ends up on vacation in Florida. Penelope's brother, Grayson Hayes, has a bigger role in this installment as does Teddy Cutting. Elizabeth spends most of the book depressed of the death of Will and basically feeling guilty and sorry for herself. Again, her storyline is predictable and boring. Carolina is still trying to play the role of a rich socialite but also may find herself wrapped up in a love triangle all her own. Henry, Diana, and Penelope are still playing their roles in a love triangle despite the marriage at the end of the previous book. There are a lot of misunderstandings that cause a lot of the drama.

One thing I like about this series is that the titles have all stayed true to the contents of the book. As the series progresses, you begin to notice some parallels in some of the stories and some are not as obvious as others. Similarly, some things are very, very predictable but there are some twists to hold your interest. Diana Holland has been and still is my favorite character in this series. She is young and naive and she reminds us girls of how we were when we first fell in love. You can't help to be on her side and hope that everything works out between her and Henry. Speaking of Henry, he is very frustrating but seems to be trying to do what he thinks is right. Just when you start to like him, he does something to make you dislike him all over again. This book was good but I'm hoping the last book blows me away. This series has been good but not spectacular and not a page turner.

3.5 out of 5 STARS

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan

Started: March 1, 2010

Finished: March 3, 2010

This book had been on my list of books to read for a long time. The release of the film really inspired me to want to read it, not to mention borders had the hard cover copies on sale for $10. I was surprised that I really really enjoyed this book! It is about a young boy who finds out that he is the son of a god but not of just any god one of the big three .. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. He is accused by Zeus of stealing his master lightening bolt and if it is not return by the summer solstice, then there will be a war between the big three worthy of being called World War 3. He must go on a quest to retrieve the stolen item and return it to its rightful owner before time runs out.

One of the greatest things about this book is that it answers the question of what it would be like if ancient greek gods were still around today. It stays true to Greek mythology but takes on a modern twist. Percy is todays Hercules and a true hero. He is a very likable and believable character. I love his confusion of a world he thought was fictional and how he goes through feelings of disbelief. It's nice that throughout his adventures he encounters memorable villains found in the myths. His companions are charming, helpful, and trustworthy. I like how he has one demigod and a satyr accompanying him instead of two demigods. The book was really slow in revealing who his father is and reader can easily figure it out before he does himself. This does not bother me because it is a perfect play on how the gods like to make big dramatic statements. I really appreciated the small details in the book and it's a good read for all readers young and old.

I decided to read this book before I went to theater to watch the movie adaptation. The book version of most movies are usually better and this one is no different. I think I may be more critical of the movie because there are a lot of thing that have to be left out due to time restraints. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had not read the book first. However, overall, the movie was good and the special effect were excellent. They made good choices for the actors selected to portray the characters. There were a lot of things about it that I did not like and it did not stay as true to greek mythology as the book did. If you have seen the movie, whether you liked it or not, I strongly suggest you read the book it will make parts of the movie make more sense plus it's just plain good.

5 out of 5 STARS

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Rumors - Anna Godbersen

Started: February 22, 2010

Finished: February 28, 2010

This is the second book in The Luxe series. If you have not read the first book, it may get confusing. There are more scandals, more drama, and more secrets. It is a lot to keep up with but this it's easier in this book now that we are familiar with the characters and their personalities. Penelope is up to her usual games chasing Henry and trying to get people to notice her and accept her as much as they did Elizabeth. Henry is dealing with his feelings for Diana and trying not to feel guilty for betraying Elizabeth. The Hollands are still trying to figure out their financial problems. Lina is trying to move up the social totem pole. And I can go on and on.

I enjoyed this book more than the first which is always good when reading a series. The only problem I had was that it started off a little slower than I would have liked. I think the parts about Elizabeth were a little boring and her part in the book isn't as interesting as it could have been. With that said, the rest of the book is pretty good. Diana is still my favorite character although she goes through some changes. I find it interesting how in the first book Elizabeth is more worried about their financial woes and in this one the roles were reversed. I liked how the sisters essentially end up in the same situation by the end of the book. The ending was okay but leaves the reader a little sad but hopeful for the next installment.

4 out of 5 STARS

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