Details Diary

After finishing up all the books in my queue from over the holidays, I needed a new one to start.  That is one of the fantastic things I love about my nook —  1:30am and I can still browse and purchase my book, no need to wait.  And am I glad I stumbled on this little gem.

I started reading right away and could not put this book down!  I read straight through the night/morning.  Heaven is for Real was truly inspiring read.  I give it an A. I am sure there are those out there who will find this book unbelievable or flat out fiction, I however enjoyed it completely.

The story is based on a young boy, Colton, who emerges from a life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to Heaven.  His story proves to be a wonderful and innocent way to view what awaits us in Heaven.  Enjoy!

My first book of the New Year, MATCHED, was great.  I give it a B.  It is set in the future and from the point of view of a young 17 year old girl, Cassia.  It is similar to the style of The Hunger Games which I also enjoyed.

Cassia’s life is dictated by The Society which determines what she eats, what she studies, how much she works out, who she marries and when she dies.  Life is perfect, cancers are cured and everyone goes with the flow, or so they thought.

I was happy to read today that there will be two following books in the series, the next one Crossed will be out in November and the final book November 2012.  Can’t wait to see how Cassia grows up!

Drop what you are doing now and get this book!  This is by far the best book of the series.  I give The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest an A+.  Not only does the book answer so many questions from the first two in the trilogy, it also weaves in many new overlapping stories.  As hard as I tried, I could not predict the outcome. Oh so good.

I was very hesitant to start reading this series when it was all the rage earlier this year.  But I am very glad that I finally caved and gave the trilogy a shot.  The books are extremely well written and throw so many curves you cannot possibly predict what is next.  Too bad the author has passed, I would have loved to have read what he came out with next.

The second book in the Millenium Series, The Girl Who Played With Fire, was much better than the first.  I give it an A.

From the beginning the novel is intense and suspenseful and doesn’t disappoint. Believe me, the book brings the drama right up until the last sentence.  I promise you will want to have the third novel, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest on hand so you can start reading it immediately.

In the second book we learn so much about Lisbeth’s past and why she is who she is. I was never able to predict what was going to happen next, the book is full of surprises.

Well I FINALLY finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  It took me over 2 months.  For some reason, I was not pulled into this book until about 2/3 of the way through.  The last third of the book is incredible and I didn’t want to put it down.  Chalk it up to me being cranky or not focused, who knows, but this book only earned an B+ from me.  While that is still good, I was surprised I didn’t like this book more based on how everyone is a raving fan.

The characters are very interesting and the story itself was thrilling.  It just took awhile for the baseline to be setup and for the action to start.

I have picked up the second book in the series and plan to start it this week.  I am hoping that it is a much quicker read and proves to be more engaging from the get-go.

I just finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and LOVED it!  I am not surprised though, the first two books in the series (Hunger Games and Catching Fire) were amazing as well. I wonder if this series will go Hollywood too?  Only time will tell I suppose.  But back to the book.  I give an A-.  The book picks up where Catching Fire left off and takes us on a journey with Katniss as she fights the horrible and evil Capitol.  This book is definitely more dark than the first two as our heroine has grown up drastically since her first step in the Hunger Games arena.   Not every story has a fairytale ending and Mockingjay is no exception.  The book is packed with suspense, betrayal, love and heartache.  I finished it in 2 days–I did not want to put it down!

I loved all 3 books and am so sad that this is the end of the series.  It is always hard when you find one you really enjoy to say goodbye to the stories and characters you loved so much.  I know, I know, I am a totally book nerd.  Pick up this series and read it–I promise you will enjoy the stories and characters.

Wow, this book was incredible!  I give it an A+.  The Help is written by Kathryn Stockett and is written from several characters’ perspectives.  It is based in Jackson, Mississippi in the 60s and details the lives of both black and white women and the dynamics of living in that day and age.

I for one did not want to put this book down.  It was amazing how she wrote so you felt you could hear their voices jumping off of the page. 

I highly recommend you read this book immediately.  It is a well written, interesting, heartbreaking and loving wrapped into one.

I saw this book at Target (my favorite store of all-time) and had to snag it.  I really enjoyed the Twilight series and I thought reading a short novella that tied in the secondary characters from Eclipse would pacify me while I am waiting for the next movie to come out.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner did just that.  I give this book at solid B.  It kept me entertained and shed a new perspective on a crowd that we only saw one side of before.  If you are a Twihard, I would give this book a read.  I really hope Stephanie Meyer continues to write novellas of other characters from the series so we can look back at the story in a new light or see from a different perspective.  It makes me feel like I am discovering more and more each time about my favorite characters.

So there you have it.  Looking for a quick and easy, thrilling read…give this one a shot.

I am a HUGE Emily Giffin fan and have read all of her books and enjoyed all 4.  Heart of the Matter is a different flavor than her other books, but doesn’t disappoint.  This book takes on heavier themes as two women, one married and one not, go through their trials and tribulations with the same man…juicy isn’t it? 

I give this book a B+.  It was a quick read and I definitely recommend it!

I just finished up Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad.  I give this book a B-.  Now don’t get me wrong, it is the perfect summer novel or a fun quick read in between heavier books.  The story is fun and her characters are entertaining, it just doesn’t have the deep and intricate works like some of the other books I have read this year. 

Sweet Little Lies is the follow up novel to L.A. Candy which I enjoyed also.   The books are loosely based on LC’s life on reality TV and how it sent her into a whirlwind.  While the books are fiction, you can’t help but wonder if crazy Madison is a tribute to Heidy Montag in some way.  Either way, it’s fun to follow these girls through their fun and crazy lives in LA.

I LOVE Lauren Conrad, I think she is super cute, sweet and has a good head on her shoulders.  I also love her clothes line to boot. While all of this is irrelevant regarding her being an author, it is the reason I read her books.  If you are looking for a fun, quick read I would recommend picking up the LA Candy series.