The Great Gatsby!

Has anybody seen this movie yet?!  It was AMAZING.  I absolutely loved it.  Of course, I knew I would since Baz Lurhmann directed it.  My favorite movie of all time is Moulin Rouge, which is also by Baz, so of course I would love Gatsby.

This movie is so incredibly beautiful and sparkly and rich.  I have read The Great Gatsby, and though it was very well written, it just isn’t the style of book that I fall in love with, but the movie is so magical!  All of the characters were well portrayed and flashy and dramatic.  It also has a great soundtrack with  popular songs redone to fit the movie.

For those of you who have seen the movie what did you think of it?  For those of you who haven’t, you definitely need to!

I had been excited since last year for this movie and I certainly was not disappointed.  I can’t wait to see what he is going to do next.  Baz Lurhmann is beyond awesome!

*Review* The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

 The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

313 pages

ISBN: 9780525478812

Read 1-15-13

Format: Audiobook

Source: Library

Add it on Goodreads!

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

This was my first time reading John Green and it definitely will not be the last.  This story was so beautiful, poignant and touching.  Very powerful.  It was also my first cancer book.  The author did so well portraying what it is like to be a cancer patient, especially from the female point of view.

Hazel was very strong, even though she was also very sick and Augustus could make anybody’s day bright with his playful quips and positive attitude.  As heartbreaking as this book was at points,  I also found myself laughing pretty hard in places, mainly because of Augustus.  I loved how witty he was.

The writing style was excellent and fluid.  It gave te story a poetic flow and nice sound as the performer read it.  This is one of my favorite audiobooks and you could really feel the emotion in all the right spots.  Even the accents were wonderfully done.   The whole book was simply beautiful and dealth with a tough subject in an incredible way.  I greatly look forward to all works by John Green and highly recommend this book to readers who want to have their heart touch by such a wonderful story.

Powerful, beautiful, amazing, have tissues.

*Review* Pushing the Limits – Katie McGarry

 Pushing the Limits

Katie McGarry

384 pages

ISBN: 9780373210497

Read 7-31-12

Format: Adobe Digital Editions

Source: NetGalley

Add it on Goodreads!

So wrong for each other…and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

What can I say about this book?  It is beyond fantastic!  This book is so amazing and riveting and powerful and emotional and….I could go on for a while.  Point is, this one is a must read.  The story is wonderful and beautiful.

*Review* Chime – Franny Billingsley

 Chime

 Franny Billingsley

361 pages

ISBN: 9780803735521

Read 5-17-12

Source: Borrowed

Format: Audiobook

Before Briony’s stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family’s hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it’s become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

 Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He’s as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she’s extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn’t know.

This book was wonderful!  This one will definitely find it’s place on my Favorite Reads page.  Chime is an amazingly written tale that weaves a magical world and mystery throughout it.  There are so many secrets to unlock in this story with some surprising turn of events.  I did figure out a big discovery, but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable when the secret was revealed.

The writing was beautiful for this novel and the author is a painter with words!  It was perfectly written to give you the feel of being in an old town back in the days of witch trials and magic.  Briony’s voice is so rich and honest; she was a great main character.  She is a very strong female and looks out for others she cares about, especially her sister Rose, who was also a great character and brought a lot of quirkiness to the story.  As for Eldric, he was quite chivalrious and was so protective over Briony, you couldn’t help but like him.  And Cecil was one of the characters that you like to hate.

The reader for this book was fantastic as well and probably the second best reader I’ve heard so far.  Her English accent really made it feel like I was in way-back-when England and her voice changes were great for the different characters.  There was no point that I felt she was flat or boring.

The language usage was very unique.  There was a lot of purposeful repetition that made points more powerful or made things stand out better, and the descriptions were unlike a lot of what I’ve read, so it was new and great.  The story itself was incredible!  There was a lot to it that was powerful and beautiful and nerve-wrecking.  I look forward to the author’s other works.

Great characters, awesome story, powerful, beautifully written, wonderfully witchy tale!

*Review* Anna and the French Kiss

 Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins

372 pages

ISBN: 9780525423270

Read 4-7-12

Source: Own

Format: Paperback

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris – until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he’s taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near – misses end with the French kiss Anna – and readers – have long awaited?  

     So what can I say about Anna and the French Kiss?  It was absolutely, brilliantly, marvelously AMAZING!!  I am so glad I lsitened to all of the bloggers who raved about this book because it is simply wonderwul.  I am definitely a fan of Stephanie Perkins now and will most likely read everything she publishes.
There are so many things that make this book great.  One thing is how realistic and relatable it is.  I’m reading this whole book thinking “Wow I have definitely been there before.”  The story is real, tbe place is real, the characters are real.  I feel like I really know these characters and I could tell you about them as if they were someone I’ve known for quite some time.  They may be fictional characters, but they have very real personalities.
Mmmm, St. Clair.  I was drooling over this boy from the first time Anna met him.  He has certainly become a new favorite book boyfriend.  He may even be #1!  Edward Cullen can suck it!  And how great was Anna?  Awesomely so.  Her freak outs, excitement, meltdowns, everything was put perfectly on the page.
The descriptions of Paris are lovely, and though I have been to France, I didn’t get the chance to see Paris.  It is a beautiful country and the author portays Paris beautifully.  I have to make sure I get to go back and visit Paris.  There have been books that have made me giggle here and there, but this book has me laughing so foten.  It was such a fun read and I look forward to her other novels.  This story will remind you of what it’s like to fall in love.

Fabulous characters, wonderful story, humorous, playful writing, MUST READ!!

*Review* Split – Swati Avasthi

 Split

 Swati Avasthi

280 pages

ISBN: 9780375863400

Read 3-29-12

Source: Library

Format: Audiobook

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.
     He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.
At least so far.
     Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again?

     This book was surprisingly a lot more than I expected it to be and not what I expected it to be as well.  I guess I have been reading so much fantasy, science fiction stuff lately that I didn’t expect something so very realistic and tough.  This book is so well-written and the author can say so much with a sentence of so few words.  The words are strong and stir up so much, whether you read it or listen to it.  The author captures the ugliness of domestic violence in the pages and then pours empathy throughout your body with the words.  It hurts you, too, not just the characters, and you are there for every bit of Jace’s struggle.  The title has so many meanings, it’s hard to keep count.
I am not going to lie, this book deals with a very difficult subject, and as I was listening to it, there were parts where it was hard to keep listening because I wanted to just turn it off and try to wipe the ugly picture from my head.  It makes you mad, and breaks your heart, and gives you hope.  I wanted to hit Jace, I wanted to tell him everything was going to be ok, and I wanted to hug him.  His brother Christian doesn’t make things much easier for him at first, but luckily he opens up about things slowly.  I really liked Miriam because she is the character who wants to be there for you no matter what and keeps believing that everything will be ok, even if it may take a lot of time and she never gives up.
There is so much substance to this novel.  It’s so thickly wrapped with so much, it is almost a tangible thing.  The author did a superb job showing the characters’ emotions and the reactions they had were incredibly realistic.  Everyone in the book felt like a real person.  If I were to go to Albequrque right now, I would expect to see them there.  And speaking of Albequrque, the way the story read, I think the author may have been there before.  I went there in about 2008, and I recognized some things in the book that was familiar with this area of New Mexico, like the weather.  It was funny when they rode the tram because I could say “Hey! I’ve done that, too!”  I recommend this book for people who can read about tough topics and like powerful and moving novels.  This is my first “issue” book I’ve read, and I really have no negatives for this book.

A dynamic story, awakening to the subject, realistic, strong writing, intense, I can’t find anything negative from my point.

*Review* Forbidden – Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden

Tabitha Suzuma

454 pages

ISBN:  9781442419957

Read 2-1-12

Source: Library

Format: Hardcover

     Love knows no bounds…

     Lochan and Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings.  Together, they have stepped in for their unreliable, alcoholic mother to take care of their three younger siblings.  The stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. 

     So close that they have fallen in love.

     Lochan and Maya know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue.  And yet they are powerless to stop what feels so incredibly right…

     First of all, I wanted so badly to get this book finished in January, since I only had two books read for that month, but in a way, I was kind of glad that I finished it in February since I do not have to fight with myself over which book would be my favorite of the month.  I highly doubt any book I read for the rest of February will be able to top this book!
     This book was absolutely AMAZING!!!  Yes, it is a very taboo topic; incest is almost always something that will make most people pretty uncomfortable because it isn’t exactly socially acceptable, but I am open to trying many different books, even some that may have me go beyond comfort zones.  Tabitha Suzuma is a very brave writer for her novel on something so taboo and she made it beautiful.  That’s right, it was BEAUTIFUL.
     Suzuma’s writing is brilliant and elegant and full of emotions.  Her descriptions are matched by few writers whose works I have read, especially in the young adult circle.  I felt my anxiety rise as the characters’ levels went up, my heart broke for them, it sung for them, and I wanted to reach into the pages and hug them.  Her skills with putting emotion on a page are unreal!  Not only does Suzuma do a wonderful job with writing emotions, but she is great at expressing things that are difficult to put into words, such as her portrayal of a panic attack in one of the scenes.
     All of the characters were very strong and unique, and it’s hard to decide who my favorite may be.  They are just like real people; they are not the star of the school or the one who catches everybody’s attention, and there home life is just as defunct as many other people’s out there (just without the incest so much).  Maya and Lochan both have to act grown up since they are responsible for their three younger siblings due to their mother’s drunkenness and inability to be a parent.  There characters are real and powerful!
     I never wanted to put this book down, and I even had to take a break for a couple days from reading just to heal from the impact of this book.  Even though the characters of this book were brother and sister, what they had was still beautiful.  It was very confusing because you wanted to root for them and the love they had, but yet it is also something that is unnatural and also illegal, so you are pulled in different directions.
     The only negative thing I could possibly ever say about this book is the alternating point of view between Maya and Lochan.  I’d be so engrossed in the story that sometimes I would forget whose point I was reading from, but it wouldn’t have been near as wonderful if it had been from a single point of view.  It was great being able to see the story from both sides and the confusion, torture and love they both went through.
     To put it simply, this book was AWESOME and AMAZING and WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL.  If you can read books that may be taboo and controversial, please read this one!  There is also some sexual material in it, so it may not be recommended for teens on the lower end of the teenage spectrum.  This one is an addition to my Favorite Reads page!  It’s only February, but this could be my top book of 2012.  I will most definitely be checking out the author’s other books as well. 

Alternating POV, magnificent, immensely emotional, best book I’ve read in a long time!!

*Review* Cinder – Marissa Meyer

 Cinder

Marissa Meyer

387 pages

ISBN: 9780312641894

Format: Hardcover

Source: Borrowed

 Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

The main thing I have to say about this book is I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!  I was very excited about it from the beginning.  The cover is what initially drew my interest, and then I read the synopsis and thought it would be a very unique retelling of Cinderella.  Sometimes I can be a bit skeptical of a book when it uses known characters or retellings of stories, but this book was fantastic!  The only bad thing I can really say is that I am disappointed I have to wait a year for the next one!

I didn’t want to put this book down the entire time I had it, and when I was at work, I couldn’t wait to go on break or get home to read more of it, so it definitely held my attention quite well.  Being a retelling, you mostly know how the story is going to go, so a lot of it you can figure out or expect, but there is also plenty that doesn’t go exactly the way you think it is going to.

Meyer does a wonderful job at invoking your emotions through out the novel.  There are characters you love, some you hate profusely, and there are funny parts with witty android comments and heartbreaking situations.

Cinder was a strong character and I felt bad for her because of how she was treated.  Cyborg are nothing but property to most of the people and are not looked at as human, but she still stands for what she believes is right.  Prince Kai could come to my mechanic shop (if I had one) anytime he wanted!  He doesn’t come on strongly and there is not insta-love between the two of them.  There are a couple of points where he acted a bit immaturely, but considering the situations, many guys probably would have, too.  Adri made my blood boil through out the book, she is certainly a character you love to hate!

The story it self is very interesting and unique way to retell the Cinderella story and I can’t wait until I get to read the rest of the series, and my mouth is watering just wishing for the next book!  This book is a highly recommended read!!  I don’t give out 5 star ratings easily, but giving this one a 4.5 just wouldn’t have been good enough!

Unique, emotionally evocative, leaves you yearning for more!!

*Review* The Language of Flowers – Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers

Vanessa Diffenbaugh

308 pages

ISBN: 9780345525543

Read 8-23-11

     The Language of Flowers is a beautiful novel about Victoria, a foster child that has been passed home to home, unable to be placed with a family.  When she turns 18, she is emancipated from the group home she currently stays and is forced into a world where she needs to take care of herself and live on her own.  The only skill she has is knowing the language of flowers, a Victorian era form of unspoken communication delivered through the special meanings of flowers.  Her life takes a big turn when she meets a florist who hires her on at her shop and continues to change when she meets a mysterious flower vendor at the local market.
     Today is the release date for The Language of Flowers, and it was a fantastic read!  I am very glad I was able to read it and review this magnificent story before it was released.  This book is written in an impeccably beautiful way.   The flow of the words and style is magical and musical; perfection on a page.  Not only is the style of writing beautiful, but so is the story; it tells the difficult life of a child in the foster care system, finding love, losing it, and forgiveness.
     Victoria is such an incredibly strong character, and she is like a flower herself, only a bud at first, then slowly opening herself up letting a select few slip past the wall she keeps herself guarded behind.   She has a lot of ups and downs throughout the book, and you ride the emotional roller coaster right along side her.  The author words keep you pulled into the world of this book and you feel every emotion the characters do; my heart ached so much for Victoria as i read her story and her challenges. 
     Flowers have a big place in Victoria’s life, since she is not very good with people, she find she can communicate what she wants to say to them with flowers, whether they understand it or not.  They have so much meaning for her and I really enjoyed learning the meanings behind the different flowers in the book.  This story was very original and lovely.

Emotional, exquisite, heart-breaking, hopeful, simply marvelous!!    5 stars!!