Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. by Chris Pauls and Matt Solomon

TITLE:  Deck Z:  The Titanic:  Unsinkable.  Undead.

AUTHOR:  Pauls, Chris and Solomon, Matt

GENRE:  Fiction/Zombie

DATES READ:  1/27/2013 - 2/8/2013

MY RATING:  3/5

Throughout reading this book, I loved the mixture of historical fiction and zombies.  So much fun!

I realize that this story was a little limiting because it had to coincide with the actual sinking of the Titanic.  That being said, I appreciated the effort behind this unique and creative historical adaptation.

My favorite character was Captain Smith.  He was really the only character with depth.  I felt Weiss and Lou were slightly under-developed for my taste.  And I just didn't really feel a lot of connection with either of them.

But, yay for zombies!  Anybody who loves historical fiction or zombies will adore this book!

Will read and write soon!

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By Invitation Only by Jodi Della Femina and Sheri McInnis

TITLE:  By Invitation Only

AUTHOR:  Femina, Jodi Della, and McInnis, Sheri

GENRE:  Fiction/Chick-Lit

DATES READ:  1/19/2013 - 1/26/2013

MY RATING:  3.5/5

This was my first birthday present this year, and I fell in love with the cover!  Nothing like a little summer in the depths of winter.

This book will make you fall in love with the Hampton's.  Not that that's hard to do.  Sure, it's shameless chick-lit, but you can absolutely picture every second of it in clear detail.

I really liked Toni, and all of her idiosyncrasies.  She's flawed, and she reminds me of myself in some ways.  Maybe that's why I connected with her so much.  I also like the complex characters of Chris and Didi (she was probably my favorite character!).  I feel like I kept falling in love with all of them.

The snippets about the Hampton's really helped with the vibe of the story, and make you want to take a visit to see if it's all real.  The ending was tied up like a neat little ribbon, and every once in a while that's exactly what you want.

Beach read to the max!

Will read and write soon!

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Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

TITLE:  Warm Bodies

AUTHOR:  Marion, Isaac

GENRE:  Fiction/Zombies

DATES READ:  1/7/2013 - 1/15/2013

MY RATING:  3/5

I kind of love that this book is a play on Romeo & Juliet.  Also, it was a pretty deep critique on humanity in general.  But the post-apocalyptic world was pretty typical of other books.

The one thing that really made this book sing was R.  He was a deeper character than most, the irony in that he is a zombie.  I would read the book all over again, just to look through his view on society once more.

The book was very fun to ready, and it definitely makes me want to go see the movie.  However, I would recommend you read the book first, because the message is much deeper than the movie appears.

Overall, this book was well done, but it was the zombie hero, R, that made it for me.

Will read and write soon!

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

TITLE:  The Night Circus

AUTHOR:  Morgenstern, Erin

GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy

DATES READ:  1/1/2013 - 1/7/2013

MY RATING:  5/5!!!

I really don't know quite what to say about this book.  Few books remain in your heart always.  I am overwhelmed, satisfied, and filled with an ache in my heart because it's over.  This book is the stuff that dreams are made of.  And, oh, to dream that dream.

I will return to this book again and again to savor the majestic dream world of the Night Circus.  I can almost see the twinkling lights dance in the air, feel the warmth of the bonfire, and taste the sticky sweetness of caramel.

This books is for those who wish to escape reality and get lost in their dreams.  Perhaps things are more easy to see in black and white, with a touch of red of course.

With bittersweetness, I will turn the page to read and write soon!

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The Shining by Stephen King

TITLE:  The Shining

AUTHOR:  King, Stephen

GENRE:  Fiction/Horror

DATES READ:  12/25/2012 - 1/1/2013

MY RATING:  4/5

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  A new year... and with it, new books of course!  But now to review the old.

First of all, this book is so much better than the movie!  Not a foreign statement for the avid reader.  But it's most often so true.  The book explains every confusing part of the movie in detail, and makes everything much much creepier.

Throughout the book, you realize exactly how crazy Jack really is, and it's made much worse by the punctuation of sanity.  Stephen King is undoubtedly a mastermind when it comes to horror.  This book gave me nightmares the entire time, and I had already seen the movie!

I feel like I want to watch the movie all over again, now that I know the horrifying truth about the Overlook Hotel.

Will read and write soon!

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Divergent by Veronica Roth

TITLE:  Divergent (Divergent #1)

AUTHOR:  Roth, Veronica

GENRE:  Fiction/Dystopian

DATES READ:  11/25/2012 - 12/3/2012

MY RATING:  3.5/5

I originally found this book in soft cover, and saw that it was recommended for "if you like the Hunger Games".  Now, I thoroughly enjoyed the Hunger Games so I picked it right up.

I really appreciated the plot and the theme of this novel.  However, there were certain elements that I found a little far-fetched.  How can each person be expected to only fit in one certain archetype.  Regardless of the dystopian society, there is bound to be overlap (not just those who are uniquely "Divergent").  Especially if you can change your faction after being raised for years in another.  It just didn't make sense to me, and vaguely reminded me of Harry Potter's "sorting hat".

However, once I suspended my disbelief and took the whole faction idea with a grain, the world was well executed.  It was different than other dystopian worlds I've read about.

Tris is definitely more tough than other YA female characters out there.  But you can't help but roll your eyes a little on how well her story falls into place.  How she happens to be Divergent, and also happens to be able to handle more pain than anyone else in the book (so it seems anyway, to the point of surreal expectations).  Four, I feel, was the most well rounded character in the book (and of course he happens to be the swoony YA romantic interest).  But putting that aside, I felt his character was deeper and more complex than all of the others put together.

I wish that the plot line went a little deeper and further, to bring it to the next level.  I suppose we'll see what happens with the second book in the trilogy (because I'll definitely be buying it).

Will read and write soon!

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Storm Front by Jim Butcher

TITLE:  Storm Front (Dresden Files #1)

AUTHOR:  Butcher, Jim

GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy

DATES READ:  11/1/2012 - 11/25/2012

MY RATING:  4/5

My brother has been obsessed with the Dresden Files for some time now, and he finally convinced me to start reading the series (at least the first book anyway), while we were camping.

The book moved very slowly from time to time, but I've heard from a lot of Dresden fans, that only the first book does that (as it is establishing the tone and the characters for the rest of the series).  My favorite character was, obviously, Dresden himself.  He was absolutely fabulous, possessing the perfect amount of frankness and mystery.  I told me brother he reminded me of Han Solo mixed with a wizard.  I've already made a mental casting note for him.

I think that Kevin Durand would be perfect, if they ever make a movie!  He's got the height, and the piercing good looks.  Dresden fans, feel free to agree or disagree.  But I found myself picturing him the whole time.

Some of the plot elements were a little predictable.  I found myself knowing when bad things were going to happen (and who they would happen to) a little too early.  However, this was also Jim Butcher's first book, so slack is given until I read the next!

Overall, this book is awesome, and I look forward to the next one.

Will read and write soon!

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