Review: Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Rating: 3.5
Pages: 207, Kindle
Publisher: Abbi Glines
Series: 1st in on going series, 2nd is Never Too Far release date is March 12, 2013
File Under: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, New Adult, Chick Lit
Summary from Goodreads:

To want what you’re not supposed to have… 

She is only nineteen. 

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother. 

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no. 

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that… 

Blaire just may have fallen too far.

Review:

When I got this for my Kindle I was looking for something cheap, entertaining, and quick to read. I saw this review from Reading, Eating, and Dreaming and decided to get it. And I am so glad I did!

It starts with Blaire going to live with her father (who abandoned her 5 years earlier) after her mother died from cancer. When she gets to the house there's a party going on and her father is not there. It turns out that Rush, her new step-brother, owns the house and her father went away to Paris with his wife.

From here Rush totally Harry Potters this poor girl. She has to sleep in the "room" under the stairs and he's a major asshat to her. But Rush starts being less assholey and he and Blaire learn more about each other. They have some cute moments, share kisses, and have some sexy times. But shit hits the fan. Unfortunately there's a big secret to why Rush ignored her and why he tried to stay away from her. Plus his sister Nan, totally hates. I mean straight up she despises her. When the big secret is revealed I was a bit floored. I thought the secret was that Nan and Blaire had the same mother and that their mother didn't want Nan.

This is actually a pretty good book. But I do have a few problems with it. For one they fell in love super quickly. For two Rush is still kind of an ass. Finally there wasn't a lot of emotional depth. I felt almost nothing for her mother's death, or her sister's, or the fact that her dad left her. Their was no memories of these and Blaire doesn't really express how she feels about them in a concrete way other than "Oh sometimes I hate my father." or "I miss my mom and sister." I needed more here. I needed something I could grab onto to help me  feel what she feels.

Plus there's the ending! I have to wait until March to see what happens between them. I can't wait that long.


Overall:

I'm So Sorry

I know I'm the worst book blogger ever. But I've been having personal issues. I have clinical depression. My posting is sporadic at best. You can see that sometimes I don't post for months. That's because that's when it's the worst. If you know about it or have it you know that it can really mess up your life. Sometimes breathing is hard enough to do in a day let alone read and plan a book blog.   So I just really want to say I am extremely sorry for my lack of posts. I'm going to try harder. I won't feel this hopeless forever and when I finally start to emerge again I know I will do better. Until that time I ask you to be patient and forgiving.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper.

This is a blog hop focused on books in our wishlist.

This week I'm wishing for:

 Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu, Paul Williams, Teri Williams

Summary from Goodreads:

AT FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team, the first and only American women’s team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixyish appearance and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her life was a series of challenges and hardships. Off Balance vividly delineates each of the dominating characters who contributed to Moceanu’s rise to the top, from her stubborn father and long-suffering mother to her mercurial coach, Bela Karolyi. Here, Moceanu finally shares the haunting stories of competition, her years of hiding injuries and pain out of fear of retribution from her coaches, and how she hit rock bottom after a public battle with her parents.

But medals, murder plots, drugs, and daring escapes aside (all of which figure into Moceanu’s incredible journey), the most unique aspect of her life is the family secret that Moceanu discovers, opening a new and unexpected chapter in her adult life. A mysterious letter from a stranger reveals that she has a second sister—born with a physical disability and given away at birth—who has nonetheless followed in Moceanu’s footsteps in an astonishing way.

A multilayered memoir that transcends the world of sports, Off Balance will touch anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life.

Dominique has been my idol since I was three. My mom tells me I saw her perform on balance beam and started doing flips on the couch. I really want to read about her life from her perspective. 

What's on your wishlist?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine.

It's a blog hop that focus on upcoming books we are dying to read.

This week's book I'm dying to get my hands on is:

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The release date is December 11, 2012.

Summary from: Goodreads:

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

What books are you waiting on? 

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Rating: 5
Pages: 255
Publisher: Feral Dream
Series: Penryn & the End of Days
File Under: YA, Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Angels, Badass Heroines, Beautiful Love Story, Badass Heroes, If You Don't Read This We Can't Be Friends, Perfect
Summary from Goodreads:

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. 

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. 

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I have wanted to read Angelfall for a very long time. But it’s just never happened. Then a friend let me borrow it (along with about 30 other books). I am so glad I got to read it that I am going to buy a physical version for myself.

Excuse me for the not so awesome review. I just love this book and no matter what I say it doesn't give it justice.

General:

I love Penryn’s name.

I enjoy this writing style. It’s short and to the point. It doesn’t take a page to describe a curtain with flowery, useless prose. It gives me exactly what I need and moves on. Plus the pacing is perfect. No dull moments but it's also not obnoxiously action packed. 

The love story. Oh god it’s great! I love the relationship between Raffe and Penryn. It builds. They don’t see each other and fall hopelessly in love. Penryn sees him and realeases she can use him for her benefit. Through getting to know each other they fall for each other. Perfect.

Which brings me to my next point. Penryn is amazing. She is the perfect heroine. She’s a butt kicking survivor that has depth. She is not a shallow pool of a character that we’ve all seen authors turn this type of character into. Reading from her point of view is great too. I typically don’t like first person as many characters’ voices drive me ape shit crazy. But not her. She’s not annoying or stupid. I don’t find myself rolling my eyes or yelling at dumb mistakes like I do with most “badass” heroines. Being in her head was a pleasant reading experience.

Raffe is a great hero. He also isn’t a shallow pool character. He could have also been stereotyped into the cocky smart ass character we have all seen before. But luckily he isn’t and I can’t help but like him and ship the hell out of him and Penryn. 

The ending:

Overall: 

I love this story. It is so addicting. I honestly found it hard to put it down. You have to read this book! I should warn you that some people might find aspects of it very out there. But don’t let that stop you from reading it. It is brilliantly written and exciting. There is never a dull moment. My hat goes off to you Susan. 

Wishlist Wednesday

Foretold by Jana Oliver
Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper.
Summary from Goodreads:

Stand by as Riley prepares to kick some serious demon butt for the last time in this thrilling, dramatic and sexy conclusion to The Demon Trappers series. 

 Riley’s always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she’s not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. Now that he’s finally admitted to himself that he’s in love with her too, there’s no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what’s to come...

Ok so this book is supposedly out but when you try to buy it online you can't and you have to pre-order the one with the other cover. I don't like the other cover. It doesn't fit the series like this one does. What I do know is that I can't freaking wait for this book. I need to know how it ends!

More of a Rant Than A Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Rating: 1.5
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Series: Yes, The Iron Fey
Pages:  Paperback 363
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Where I got it: Borrowed
Summary from Goodreads:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. 

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. 

 When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. 

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

It seems like everyone and their dog has read and loved this book. Well me and my kitten are not impressed.

Let me give you the run down:
1. Love Triangle? Duh.
2. Evil Witch(es)? Check.
3. Too Stupid to Live MC? Check.
4. Damsel in Distress MC? Check.
5. Smart Ass Love Interest? Check.
6. Almost Gets Raped to Bring the Two Closer? Check.
7. Author Drops Other Love Interest? Check.
8. Crappy Romance? Check.
9. Others I Could Mention But Would Completely Spoil What Tiny Suspense There is? Check. Check. Check.

Pretty much everything I hate about a book is in this book. And not done well. If the book is good I can deal with those, this book is not. The overall high rating on this book honestly surprises me. The writing style is done in a way I detest. You don't need 15 words to describe a normal tree. It's overly flowery and so annoying. I skipped so many paragraphs and pages because it was too much.

1.First and foremost we have the love triangle. Ah YA books and love triangles go together like milk and Pepsi. You don't want it, yet it's infamous. I hate this stupid overdone plot device. Stop it. Right now.

2. Second is the Evil Witches. They suck. Neither get any development and they both aren't interesting. Which I can see for Mab because it's the first book. But Titaian? Please. She's about as frightening as a corgi. You know what, pretty much everyone's characterization sucked.

3. Holy crap Meghan is a complete idiot. There is no other way to put it. When someone tells you not to make deals or say thank you in a world you're not accustomed to you do it. But not Meghan. She makes deals with EVERYBODY. And the one time she tried to be clever is the one time she shouldn't have. There are other instances too but the book sucked and I quit taking notes on her idiocracy.

4. If she wasn't getting rescued every other page than I am a monkey's uncle.

5. Hey I love a good smart ass. But Ash and Puck suck at it. They aren't smart or funny. They are just lame and annoying.

6. This speaks for itself.

7. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Whatever. I feel like the author kill Puck later on anyway.

8. Oh my God. Well it wasn't instalove. But Meghan and Ash have no chemistry. At all. They might as well be trees on opposite sides of a forest. I think I would have preferred instalove.

9. I'm mainly talking about the ending.

I am so glad I didn't pay for this book. It was almost a DNF but I bargained with myself that if I could just finish this book than I got to reread The Gallagher Girls Series.

Overall:

Waiting on Wednesday: 9/19

Scorch by Gina Damico

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home. 

 To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all—but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree?

The release date is September 25th. Not too far away!

You can check out my review for the first one Croak.

Stacking the Shelves: 9/16

So I tried to get back in the swing of things last week. But it didn't work out. However now that my computer isn't being a mega douche I can actually make posts. Yay!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Borrowed:

Angellfall by Susan Ee

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Bought:

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Soul Screamers Vol. 1 by Rachel Vincent

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

July Rak

I apologize for being the worst blogger in the world. I haven't had the urge to read this month therefore no posts. I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things and start posting again.

Anyway RAK is hosted by Book Soul Mates. I could not afford to send any this month but should be able to next month if my student loan is high enough. But I did recieve one from Beth.

Beth sent me Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.


Thanks Beth! I have started reading it and I adore it so far!

Stacking the Shelves: July 8

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

I went to the Half Priced Bookstore last week and bought these books.


Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 



Behemoth by Westerfeld

These 3 were 50 cents each!

The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey


The Night Dance: A Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by Suzanne Weyn


Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

(Late) June RAK

Sorry I'm late I just got internet back. Hallelujah!



Last month I got Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma from Doodle at Doodle's Book Blog.
 

And I sent Doodle a slightly used Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins.

No Stacking the Shelves this Week

I am broke and jobless therefore I have no new books. lol. And I have to wait until fine free day at the library to return the books I forgot I had. So I have no library books either. Just one more week!

Anyway if you want to participate, Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

I hope you all had a great week and got LOTS of books!

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Pages: 472 (hardcover)
Spoilers: High
Rating: 3 
Summary from Goodreads:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. 

 With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting 

Finally! It took me forever to write this.

General:

I picked up Graceling because the reviews were really good on goodreads. I expected to really like it. But I ended up being underwhelmed.

I really liked it at first. I felt engaged and could fell the potential of an amazing story oozing off the pages. But it started to lose me after a while. The action fizzled. It tried to pick to pick back up again with A LOT of added action but by that point I was gone. 

The romance was adequate. I really liked Po. He is a typical wet dream hero. He's kind, understanding, attractive, and doesn't care that Katsa beats the shit out of him, and of course has no faults.

Katsa really confuses me. She says she doesn't want to get married or have children. Hey me either. But every time she and Po have sex or I don't know, look at each other the author makes a point to say that Katsa will not get married or have children. I get it! It's explained that Katsa doesn't want the freedom he would "give" her to be a gift. Maybe I don't understand what most marraiges are like: a partnership between two people who love each other? Isn't that what she and Po have? Maybe marriage is different in this world. I don't know. I get the message Cashore is trying to say, but I don't think it was executed well. 

Plot:

Do not read this part if you don't like spoilers.

So Katsa and Po went off the find Bitterblue (Po's cousin) that is the princess in a neighboring land and to find out why her father kidnapped Po's grandfather (or uncle, I can't remember). It turns out that the King had a mind control grace and was actually evil and wanted to hurt Bitterblue. They find her and are going to help her. So Po goes to try kill the King but gets hurt, so he makes Katsa to go on without him because he's dead weight . This leaves Katsa to have to take Bitterblue to Po's family on the other side of the fictional world. They must pass over a dangerous mountain because everywhere else is guarded except this one as no one has ever survived going over it. 

They make it after a rather boring, but supposed to be, excitement. The King's there controlling Po's family and Katsa. Well he threatens Po so she kills him. Yay the end, right? The problem of the story has been resolved right? Right. But alas the book continues on.

No now I must mutter through Katsa and Po's family going to find Po (while they discuss why she's not married to him, come on I am over this). Oh and Bitterblue has suddenly stared talking like a 30 year old. What? Anyway they make it to Po and he's not himself, and being all moody, and I don't give a shit anymore. Turns out he's now blind! Dun dun duh. Shoot me. That has no point! At all. Why would you add it? My only guess is so he has a fault. Or for some shock value. But the problem is, that it's not shocking, it's completely useless. 

But I will say that I liked it. As far as a young adult fantasy novel it's good. Adequate action and intensity in the beginning. And I liked the scene where Katsa kills the King. I could pretty much leave the rest. Including the second half of the romance. It got real repetitive real fast.

Overall:

Stacking the Shelves: June 17th

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
Sorry this is late. There's been a death in the family and I've been a little busy these last few days.

Borrowed:


Insider (duo book) by Maria V. Snyder


Starters by Lissa Price
The cover in person looks so much better.


If I Stay by by Gayle Forman

Leave a link for your book haul in the comments!

Stacking the Shelves: June 10th

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Since the last time I did a Stacking the Shelves I got three books. I'm in a reading slump so it's not a lot.

Bought:

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer.

Library:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore.


Fire by Kristin Cashore.

Post the link for your book haul in the comments!

Theme Song Saturday: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Theme Song Saturday is hosted by Sinn.

Here are the rules found on her blog:

• On Saturdays, find a song that reminds you of the current book/series you're reading. In your post, tell us about the song, why it reminds you of the book, and post a video (either official music video or anything with the song you can find on YouTube).
•  Grab the Theme Song Saturday button to include in your post. 
• When you get your post all up and running, come back here and put a DIRECT link the post in the Mr. Linky Widget I'll put up on Saturdays.
•  Check out the other people participating and leave comments! As bloggers, we love to get comments, so share the love ^_^ 
• Everyone is welcome to join! Don't feel the need to participate every week. While I'd love to see you coming back, don't get yourself bogged down. 
• In yours posts, have a link back to this intro page, so new participants know the rules.

The song I have chosen for Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins is Stupid Girl by The Rolling Stones. This is because I could not stand Sophie's voice in this book. And I stopped reading the book one reason was because she was so aggravating. She was supposed to be 17 but honestly acted and sounded like she was 12. I wanted to tell her to shut her stupid ass up hence the song.

Me, Myself, and I (plus my cats)

I am not just a book person, I have a life apart from reading. What's that I hear? My friends laughing that I have a life? Yeah, probably.

Anyway I thought I'd do something from time to time to let you get a glimpse into my life. Today's topic is my cats. I have two cats that are alive. And one that passed away.

Rascal:

 We got Rascal seven years ago on July 3. My mom and little sister heard her crying in a ditch when they were going to the store. Then on the way home she tried to cross the road. They got out of the car, stopped traffic, and brought her home.  She was so tiny and weighed an ounce. We think she was the runt and left by her family. It's estimated that she was only a day old because she opened her eyes the 10th day we had her. My family spent the next few weeks bottle feeding her with homemade kitten milk. I can't imagine life without her.





Ponyboy:
Doesn't she look happy?
My dad found Pony (we shortened her name when we found out that Ponyboy was actually Ponygirl, oops) on March 9th this year. She's lucky to be alive as she was hidden under my car and my dad been moving it all day.  We estimate that she was a day or two old because my dad had moved the car a few days ago, and she wasn't there. She was also bottle fed. Except we used kitten formula from the store. She's so cute and rambunctious. I guess my family attracts abandoned kittens.



Scooter: Sadly I don't have a picture of her on the computer and I don't have a scanner. But she was a blue point Himalayan.

We got Scooter when her owner, my dad's best friend died. She was a trophy cat and wasn't treated like family, but a cat. So she wasn't very friendly. But we were as good to her as she would let us be. She was pretty old when we first got her as she had been born when I was real little. My older sister adores her! And we loved her too and I'm really sad she's gonw. Plus we got her before the other cats. When she died my mom told me when we were at Wal-Mart getting cat food. She goes to get the smaller bag and I tell her we need the big bag because we have 2 cats. She looks at me and says "Not anymore." Thanks for being so gentle mom.

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Overall: 2.5
Pages: 316
Spoilers: Medium
Summary from Goodreads:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story... 


 Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.


So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.


 When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.


 And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Yet another hyped up book that I couldn't get into. And I'm not exactly sure how to articulate exactly how I feel. But I will try.

Positives: 
The amazing cover!

Carmel. She is a badass. A little dense at times, but I really liked her.

Adorkable Thomas.

Someone has obviously seen Supernatural. I mean Mr, Dean? And the main character's name is Cas? Cas is  in "the family business?" Missing father who killed ghosts?


The Plot:
The plot is fine. Cas moves to a new town to kill a ghost to "prepare him" to kill the thing that got his father. But it turns out he can't kill her. Everyone but him of course sees why: he loves her. And she's not really bad, she doesn't want to kill people, she just can't help it. So they have to find some other way to deal with her.

Plus, have you ever read a book and are at the end and realize there's no way everything can be solved in time? Well this is the exact opposite. Instead of killing her they remove the curse that binds her to the house so the story should be finished right? No there are still chapters left.

The antagonist was supposed to be Anna not some other ghost you bring in in the end!

Finally it was not exciting. I could read a chapter at a time before I just got tired of the story. So this is definitely not a book you can read in one night.


Negatives:

Try as it might this book is no Supernatural. And Cas Lowood has nothing on Sam, Dean, or Castiel.

The writing is not great. It's adequate I guess. But I found myself skipping parts and only reading the dialogue.

Isn't this supposed to be horrifying? Or at least a bit spooky?

Overall: