The Book Seer

I have a bit of an addiction to Tumblr and if you don't know what Tumblr is then please go check it out. It is a lot of fun and I won't lie if you want to procrastinate or just waste a few hours that would be the site to do it; because you never know what you will find.

The other day I stumbled upon http://bookseer.com/ which is a pretty cool tool when you have the dilemma of, what am I going to read next?


Basically you type in the title of the book you just finished and the author and it pops up with a list of books that you might like based on the book you read. I actually might start using it when I hit a book drought. Although, I don't think that will happen any time soon.

However, for those of you who need a recommendation. Enjoy!

- Gina

The Scorpio Races (Reviewed by Gina)

I make it no mystery that I am a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater. There is something magical about the books that she writes. The Shiver series will always remain one of my favorites. 

The Scorpio Races was a book I couldn't wait to read. Maggie had said that it was her favorite book out of all of the ones she had written. So you can imagine how excited I was to read this book.

Now as a general rule a book about horses and horse races are not my favorite genre to read. The first half of this book was a struggle but I will say that the characters Puck, Sean, and Mr. Holly stuck out. I find that Maggie has a way of making the characters feel real and you find yourself relating to them, not realizing that they are just characters.

Who was my favorite character? Sean. This should be no surprise but he was a strong character. He was strong in what he believed, what he thought, and what he did. There was never a time when I didn't feel him or understand his character.

The plot was well thought out and structured. The explanation of what the races were was clear and exciting. I will say that the whole story about water horses made me curious and I had to do a little research of my own. Because honestly, who doesn't want to know about mythical creatures and vicious horse races that could end up in blood or end up in glory?

This all being said, this book was probably not my favorite by Maggie but I will say that it was probably one of my favorite books of the year. There was a lot of action, a little romance, and an emotional pull to the characters that made this story completely relatable. This is the type of book I would want my kids to read and probably will have them read one day.

And you want to know something else that makes this book amazing? It is going to be made into a film. Yes, that's right a film. So that's something to look forward to in the near future.

So what do I rate this book: 4.25/5

Cold Awakening Series by Robin Wasserman (Gina)

This year I attended my first teen author's festival in NYC. The whole reason I was going was to see one of my favorite authors in the genre speak in one of the forums. The forum was about writing emotional darkness into your novels and how it is conveyed and seen in different ways. Of course the author I wanted to see was there but also several others that I wasn't familiar with, one of which was Robin Wasserman.

Before the forum started, each author read from one of their novels and Wasserman read from her latest from the Cold Awakening Series. Normally I steer clear of sci-fi novels. It isn't my taste but the reading Wasserman did was enough to get me curious. So I went home and bought the trilogy off Amazon (yay Amazon Prime) and got reading.

The books are about a teenage girl of the future named Lia Kahn who was very much the golden child in her family. That is until she is in a horrible car accident which destroys her body and ultimately kills her. However, in the future your brain can be scanned and downloaded into a new body. Lia then becomes a "skinner," a freak of human nature and everyone who used to know Lia sees her differently. The download has changed her life forever. The trilogy goes through Lia's life changes and shows us a world where "skinners" and humans exist. I like to think that this is the book Feed by M.T. Anderson on steroids. 

The plot of all three books was always good but the common trend was that it took me about halfway through them to finally feel connected to them. Lia was a hard character to like or feel anything for while the supporting characters seemed more human than robot. I think Wasserman wanted us to see growth in Lia so taking Lia through emotional extremes seemed necessary. However, I think they took Lia farther away from the reader.  The second book was the strongest or at least that's what I think. There was a lot more emotion in that one and I felt like for the first time we were really getting to see who Lia was as a person. There was something deeper.

There was plenty of drama, some romance, and lots of puzzles which I am a huge fan of in my fiction. Yet sadly the characters in this trilogy seemed a little..."eh."

Also, the ending of the trilogy seemed like it was rushed. I hate when authors do this because I feel like either they were just tired of writing the book and wanted it to be over so they could start something else or because they didn't know how to end it so they just wrote something. The ending left me feeling a little numb. I know that she was trying to get us to see a bigger picture and to understand human nature and everything in the end but I don't know. It fell flat for me. You'll see what I mean.

I am give this trilogy a 3.5/5. 

Karen Marie Moning

Since my little entry about romance novels I thought that perhaps I would share one of my favorite authors in the genre. Currently she is one of the bestsellers and one of her best known series is going to be made into a motion picture. I didn't know about her until I happened to stumble upon a review of one of her books on Goodreads. Little did I know that I would be sucked in immediately.

Karen Marie Moning has two series. The first is the Highlander Series. It consists of eight books. They deal with a little bit of time travel, druid magic, fae, and of course Scotland with some sexy highlanders thrown in the mix.

Now if you know me I love everything Scottish and I won't lie I always smile while reading a little Scottish romance.

Now in her Highlander series each book is different with some connections between characters. Two of the books deal with twin brothers, two with best friends, but it is books 3-7 which tie into her cross over to her Fever series. It will be books 4-7 that you want to pay close attention to however because these characters you WILL see again in the Fever Series.

HIGHLANDER SERIES:

1. Beyond the Highland Mist

2. To Tame a Highland Warrior

3. The Highlander's Touch

4. Kiss of the Highlander - Remember Drustan

5. The Dark Highlander - Remember Dageus

6. The Immortal Highlander - Remember Adam Black who is also in The Highlander's Touch

7. Spell of the Highlander -Remember Cian

8. Into the Dreaming


The main thing about the Highlander Series is that if you don't love the MacKeltars then then there is something wrong. Personally I like books 4-6 the best. I think the stories and leading male characters are really interesting. I love that you get to see the fae world through the eyes of Adam Black and that it sets you up for only a LITTLE of what you are going to experience when you read the Fever Series which is going to be the series that will be made into the films.

Now the Fever Series consists of at this point five books but Moning has just announced that there will be at least another three focused on three other characters from the series, one of which is Christian MacKeltar who I ADORE.

FEVER SERIES:

1. Darkfever

2. Bloodfever

3. Faefever

4. Dreamfever

5. Shadowfever

These books as I said crossover where the MacKeltar story leaves off. We are no longer in Scotland but in Dublin. It is here that the fae relem wants to take over the human world. There are portals opening up and creating a deadzone in the city of Dublin. Mackayla aka Mac is dealing with the death of her sister and goes to Ireland to investigate. Little does she know what she is and what she is capable of doing.

Magic! Fae! More Magic! And a leading man named Barrons who is VERY intersting. Believe me you will not want to stop reading this HOWEVER there were some scenes that I was not particular fond of and I want to warn readers before they dive right in. There are rape scenes in the third book. I'm telling you this because I had a hard time stomaching it. I'm not entirely sure if a scene like this was necessary. I would have been ok if she would have inferred it and then let it go black. Details are hard to read especially when you are like me and are sensitive to such things. However, if you are able to get passed it I promise that the plot will carry you into something else entirely. I can definitely see why they want to make it into a movie.

Karen Marie Moning is a talented writer. She has been able to capture the attention of women everywhere with not only her sexy men but with her way of telling a story. If you are looking for a place to start in the romance world, this might be a good starting point.

Fluffy Books According to Gina

Kella and I enjoy our occasional "classic" novel but let's face it they can get dry and read like a textbook. There are the select few classic novels that I can reread but most of the ones I haven't read, I have tried reading and failed miserably. They have their own shelf on my bookcase for the time that I would like to take my revenge. (Is that a little harsh? Yeah...maybe.)

ANYWAY!

I find that as the woman I am that I enjoy a little romance. What woman doesn't enjoy a little chick flick? I mean what woman doesn't like Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing? There is something to the whole romance genre that pulls us women in and makes us melt. Honestly I think it's good for the heart. Film connoisseurs will say that chick flicks are terrible. They will also say that the stories are always recycled with different actors and a mild plot twist so it isn't EXACTLY the same. So to those people I say yes but the formula is fine the way it is because you know what? It  makes women happy and as they a happy woman is a happy man.

Now, that being said I am going to point you in the direction of romance novels. The whole genre I think as a whole has gotten better over the years. I think that Fabio kind of put it into everyone's heads that the romance novel or as Kella and I like to call them 'fluffy books' are a joke. This is not entirely untrue but there are SOME books that are written in the genre that are good. There is a distinct plot and a cast of characters that make it so the book is not just "porn for women" but an actual love story.

The romance novel like a chick flick has a formula.

1. There needs to be a heroine or leading lady who has some flaws and issues. She doesn't necessarily need to be the damsel in distress or the overly confident type. What she needs is something deeply rooted that makes her both likable and relatable at least for the last half of the book. If the author can't connect to their readers on that feminine level then forget about it.

2. There needs to be a hero or a leading man who at times can be a little arrogant but too has some deep seeded issues.  He also needs to be extremely good looking. Women like to fantasize about men with abs and muscles and height. The reader needs to be able to see that this man has some depth but also as a desire, and a passion for not only his woman but for other things. They want him to protect her and love her deeply. The reader wants to know that once the man has met the leading lady that he would never cheat on her and wants to have a family with her.

3. The plot has to be something interesting. There has to be an event or something that happens that tests their love and brings out the flaws. You want to see the characters as real people in their story.

4. Of course there needs to be a few lovemaking scenes. It wouldn't be a romance novel without those right?

5. Let it be about the love.

Men might tease their women about reading these novels but honestly there is something good about them. There is something about letting love conquer all in the end that makes a person feel good inside. Sure you could snicker and say "it makes you feel good alright." But then I would ask you. what is wrong with feeling loved? What is so wrong about reading about two people finding each other? Sure it may not be realistic but I think stripped down (pun intended) the basic theme of the romance novel is love and love with everything you have so that you can work toward that happy ending. We all deserve to have passion in our lives so why not just enjoy a novel that you don't have to really analyze but experience.

Romance novels aren't supposed to be works of literary history but there are a few that would be considered...Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and Gone With the Wind. Though there aren't pictures of half naked women and men on the front these are just some of the novels that could be considered a romance. And look at the people who love them.

Some Book Related Fun

I saw this posted on one of the blogs that I read and I thought for the fun of it that I would do it. It's a fun way to share what you're reading at the moment.

-Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

- Don't make them spoilers!

- Share the title and author too.


"Loathe you. So she wouldn't reach out her hand to strangle him, she crossed her arms over her chest." - sentences from If You Dare by Kresley Cole

Pope Joan (Reviewed by Gina)

I never knew there was a female pope or even a tale of one. Yet someone found some documents that changed how some viewed the Catholic church. Donna Woolfolk Cross wrote a tale of the struggles and triumphs of one woman named Joan.

The story takes place in the Dark Ages and I must tell you if you are looking for the beautiful gowns and fine feasts, you will not find them in this book. This book lays out the reality of the time. Women were not treated with respect. They were used for making babies and taking care of the households. Women weren't be educated and men were supposed to be smarter and more powerful. There's also war and gruesome deaths because as I said the time period we are talking is less than glamourous.

And that is one of the reasons I really loved this book. I loved that when I read the pages of novel that I could picture the the places in my head. I loved that I could feel the emotions of the people who lived there. Cross really makes me wish that I could write with such vivid descriptions.

What I also love is that I can see character development and growth throughout the novel. I mean the book does span from her childhood with the sentiments of her two brothers, her loving mother, and the father who was unable to love in the way he should have. Cross was able to give us a full picture of what made her want to disguise herself as a man and study to become a priest. I loved too how Cross was able to help us hear her reasoning for everything. Joan spoke to us in so many ways.

It was however Gerold that truly captured my heart. He was the love that Joan never fully grasped or understood until later. He was a good man who loved with everything he had and yes there were flaws but for some reason I could look passed them. Why? Simply because he was a GOOD man. You will know what I mean if you read the book. You'll feel something toward Gerold that makes you want him to be happy and to have the life he so desires. And then you will cry for him.

So now that I've gotten all the good things out, it's time to examine some of the things that made this book a little "eh" for me.

The first being all the knowledge about the Catholic Church. Now YES I understand that we are talking about the time when the church is being established but some of it just clouded my mind and kept me from the story. I need some information but all the information that was given was also partially forgotten. What I need are the facts without getting the whole, entirely too long story.

What I also disliked is the end. Now I won't give away the end but I will say that it could have been ended better. Cross explains why she did what she did but I still feel like she left us in the middle of nowhere. Endings of books should give us more than this one did.

Overall I think that this book deserves a 3.75 out of 5. It is a good piece of historical fiction and has plenty to sink your teeth into but at times it can read like a history book.

An Introduction...

As Gina took the initiative to start posting, I will just follow her lead and fill out the same survey!

I have always loved books! I inherited my mother’s love of reading, and from a young age I requested bed time stories and books for presents instead of video games like most of my friends. Reading is the most amazing thing in the world to me, because it allows an escape, a chance to step into another reality. As long as I’ve got a book I never feel alone. I majored in English Literature in college and it was absolutely the best time of my life. I will always remember my amazing professors and classmates who shared my passion for reading/discussion.

A brief note : the books that I will be discussing will range from timeless classics of the literary cannon to what Gina & I refer to as “fluffy” books, meaning, light reads that may not be amazing works of art but are fun to read all the same!

* Name: Kella

* Sign: Virgo

* Age: 24

* Favorite Book as a Child: Sesame Street : Spring Cleaning (Explains why I’m a clean freak now I guess!)

* Favorite Book as a Teen: As a teenager I was extremely into anything written by V.C. Andrews. My favorites were the Wildflower, Shooting Star, and Orphan Chronicles.

* Favorite Books: Emma, The Awakening, The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, The Twilight Saga, Wicked, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Her Fearful Symmetry, My Sister’s Keeper, The Lovely Bones, Light in August, We Need to Talk about Kevin, The House of Mirth, The Handmaid’s Tale

* Favorite Genres to Read: Paranormal, Romance, Classics, Horror, Gothic, British Literature, Non-Fiction, really anything as long as it’s got a mildly entertaining story line. I have yet to find a book that I considered an absolute waste of time.

* Favorite Authors: Jane Austen, Charlaine Harris, Maggie Stiefvater, Jodi Picoult, Christine Feehan, Edgar Allen Poe, Nora Roberts, William Faulkner, The Bronte Sisters.

* Other Loves: My boyfriend, family, & puppy. I love listening to various types of music, going to the gym, going on trips, eating at new restaurants, going out to/renting movies, and painting pottery. The Baltimore Ravens are my favorite football team, though I just started watching football last season! I love going to Wineries (I never turn down a good glass of wine), eating seafood, and spending my free time with the people who mean the most to me.

I hope to have enough spare time to write some thought provoking responses to the novels I am reading – but no promises!

Enjoy,

Kella

♥ Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same ♥ -- Emily Bronte

An Introduction..

I wanted to take the time to say a brief hello. I am one of two author's on this blog. You will find that my co-author and I will be writing whenever we can. Hopefully anyone who decides to read this will find it remotely entertaining and even insightful. (fingers crossed) 

I decided that just filling out a survey might be the easiest instead of writing paragraphs of information. Also I'm the type of person who just wants the facts. 

* Name: Gina

* Sign: Aquarius (Born the end of January)

* Age: 26

* Favorite Book as a Child: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish 

* Favorite Book as a Teen: Robin Hood and Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I seriously can't tell you how many times I've read these. AMAZING!

* Favorite Books: Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Great Gatsby, A Tale of Two Cities, Robin Hood, Mists of Avalon, My Sister's Keeper, Violin, Harry Potter Series, Lucky, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Night, The Last Vampire Series, The Scarlett Letter, The Phantom Tollbooth, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Shiver, Linger, Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray...

* Favorite Genres to Read: Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, Classics, Horror, Gothic, British Literature, Non-Fiction, anything that is mildly interesting and will keep my attention...

* Favorite Authors: Bram Stoker, Maggie Stiefvater, JK Rowling, Jodi Picoult, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Christopher Pike, Anne Rice, Sherman Alexie, JRR Tolkien...

* Other Loves: My husband, my pets (two cats and a dog), Photography, Travel, Enjoying a pint or a glass of wine, Writing, Listening to music and singing loudly along with it, Spending time with great friends and having meaningful conversations, Watching movies, Eating delicious food, Laughing, The beach and the sound of the ocean waves, Living Life...