And the Angelfucker makes his move...

Gabriel's Inferno By Sylvain Reynard

I'm over whelmed with the feelings I have for this book It was recommended to me from a friend because I had read Fifty Shades of Gray (who hasn't) and Trust in Advertising (nothing to scream about). After reading the summary I was determine to read it. Romance and Dante? That's a nerd girl's DREAM and it didn't disappoint.

From a passing moment between her and a friend's brother Julia fell in love with the work Dante. Now as a graduate student studying the work of Dante she is given to opportunity to study with Gabriel Emerson a renowned Dante specialist. It would be a dream come true. If only he could remember their one beautiful  fleeting moment from years ago. All he can remember is that "Emerson's an ass" note that he caught Julia passing in his class.

This is not just a romance novel but a story of personal strength, redemption, and forgiveness. If you're looking for another Fifty Shades, THIS IS NO IT. The writing is beautiful, intellectual and creates such an appropriate ambiance for the story. Julia is a  REAL girl. She's relatable and intelligent. Her hold life doesn't just revolve around the love she has for Gabriel. She has other plans and, while she would be utterly upset if things don't go her way in the love department, it doesn't seem to end her entire being (Someone has to know what book I'm hinting at). Gabriel is my new favorite contemporary romance character. He's dark without brooding. He's intelligent and although obnoxious at first, doesn't fit the normal bad boy persona by the end of the book.

Kudos to Ms. Reynard for creating an engaging, though provoking, and deep romance.

eek!

I'm so excited I may just BUST!

No along have a found a new Series - Premonition Series by Amy Bartol



BUT ALSO the sequel to  Sylvain Reynard's Gabriel's Inferno is out



I'm planning on reviewing both eventually......

It's ALIVE

One of my fave authors just had her new book go LIVE on Nook!

Check it out!

Gio By Elizabeth Reyes


Hurry up Amazon!!!

Sookie Stackhouse: Team Just end this series

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12)
By Charlaine Harris


And all together now... exasperated sigh. This series has peeked (for me it was in the third and forth books) and just won't DIE. Hey, much like a vampire...

First, let me start, by saying if I was ever given the choice to read this series or another Vampire series (Twilight anyone?) Sookie Stackhouse would win. Hands down. Charlaine Harris is one of the godmothers "makers" of vampire pop culture and literature. (See what I did there?) No matter how many books are in this series I will continue to faithfully read each one.

Mostly this book dragged for me. It's all about the girl found on Eric's lawn and does he really love her and when to use the magical Fae token her gram left her.  The dialogue was lackluster. The inner dialogue was annoying. The plot was slow. However, let me give props where they are do. The last few pages of the book- well, not expecting that.

What this all boils down to, and what everyone is really reading this for is to see who Sookie is going to end up with. Eric? Bill? Sam? Alcide? She even brought Quinn back for this one! (Quinn= the most pointless character in literature EVER). Ms. Harris adds bits and pieces with each male to throw you off but quite honestly I think she is going to surprise us all in the end. Personally, I love Alcide but he shouldn't be with Sookie. He needs to be with a certain red headed book reviewer but I digress. I think she may pull this thing full circle and end with Bill. She certainly left an opening for it. However slight it may be. Yes, we all were mad at Bill for lying and being a jerk. Yes, he is no longer mysterious, dark and brooding but nerdy and sad. BUT I can't let go of the magic in the first two books.

Bottom line, FINISH THIS THING! Tell them no more books, Ms. Harris. Tell them you're done. This story is done and put a stake in it. Even vampires know when it's the end.

It is not the critic who counts.....

Girl in the Arena

By Lise Haines

 

I downloaded this book because it reminded me of my favorite Teddy Roosevelt quote. The first time I picked up this book I read a chapter and left it for a long while. Then I picked it up again. I'm kind of happy I did.



Looks like a basic dysopian novel from the cover (Great cover and if you haven't figured it out by now I DO judge books by their covers). Several pop culture references arise so, in actually, it's set in an modern time alternate reality.



Lyn lives in a culture obsessed with Gladiators. As a daughter of seven Glads, she has had her fair share of run ins with the culture. (I realize now you're going "Seven dads?" Let me clarify: 1 biological father and 6 step fathers) Lyn has had the privilege of being taught by most of her fathers, before they all died in the arena, how to fight but Lyn is a pacifist-kind of. Because of her mom's status as a "Glad wife," Lyn has also had to live her life according to the bylaws put forth by the Gladiator Sports Association. It's because of these by laws that she finds herself forced to marry Uber, the glad that killed Tommy, her seventh father. In order to save her  "banished glad wife" of a mom and her prophetic little brother, it would be easy just to marry Uber but as a daughter of seven glads, she does not take the easy way out.

Although Uber is a professional killer, you can't help but feel for the guy behind the dust and sweat and blood (see what I did there?). Maybe in a different time, under a different situation this would have worked.  That, among other events, really pulls at your heart strings.

This book was better than I expected but I still feel more could have been done with the story line. Lyn, her brother, Thad and her seventh father Tommy were really the only developed characters in the book (and Tommy was dead for most of it). In addition, I wish the setting was more developed. I know it's not a dystopian but I still would have liked some explanation of what brought the world to idolize a death sport.

All in all, I'll recommend it. It's a good read. Although I don't know if I'd classify it as a YA novel. The way Lynn grows, takes care of her brother and realizes she may like the 'enemy' all comes together to make a good read.

*Note: While I love the cover, it's inaccurate according to the story. Lyn actually enters the arena with a shaved head and a 'T' stitched into the back of her skull. THAT would have made a bad ass cover

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
-Teddy Roosevelt

”Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind. "

Insurgent (Divergent #2)


Now I usually don't review series or trilogies because there is always that danger of me spoiling the previous book for my reader. However, I *heart* this series and because classes don't start for another two weeks I have ample time to review whatever I choose. So, BEWARE OF SPOILERS.

Insurgent picked up right where Divergent left off. (So really no need to reread, just skim).

In Insurgent we find out that there's more than just Tris and Four who are  Divergent (able to fit into more than one fraction) and we also learn that in every fraction people you thought you could trust, people thought to be "good" suddenly may not have the best intentions. In a world where  everyone is suppose to be but into a little "box" there sure is alot of that gray fuzzy area. You can see it in the Dauntless fraction. In the first book you think these guys are bad ass and heroes. Then they spilt (into traitors and non-traitors, which by the end of the book leave you going 'Who's who?'). The split irked me to no end. I wanted Dauntless to be strong and heroic and kick ass but turns out even they are slave to their human instinct to survive. In fact, all the fractions are. Which is why everything is now shot to hell.

 Now this isn't really a question of which side is right and which side is wrong but more of 'which side has all the information.' Roth really knows how to pace this trilogy, dropping little bits here and there to tell you there's more to this story. EVERY character is intricate and complex; bringing something to the story. Tris constantly changes her mind and the battle within herself shows she's truly Divergent. You  can actually see what part of her is taking over in the moment. Who she trusts end up affecting the actions she takes. Which may not be the smartest (especially if she doesn't have all the information) By the end of the book (JAW dropping cliffhanger here. My blood pressure does not thank you, Roth), it's very clear to see that series was meticulously mapped out from the beginning.


* Let me just point out that I did NOT read this book for the romance. Sure it's a slight added perk but there's so much more to this story.