Wicked (Pretty Little Liars #5) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publish Date: November 25th, 2008
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: -

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can’t help but be bad…

Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood’s queen bee.  Spencer’s digging up her family’s secrets.  Emily can’t stop thinking about ner new boyfriend.  And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom’s taste in men.

Now that Ali’s killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they’re safe.  But those who forget the past and condemned to repeat it.  And they should know by now that I’m always watching…

My Thoughts

Well, this is now the 6th PLL book that I've read (there is a 4.5 book) and they just keep getting more and more entertaining.  It started out how all of them do, reiterating everything that has happened in all the previous books - which gets pretty tiring.  But once all that was out of the way (almost half the novel) it got to the nitty gritty.  I love me a good cliff hanger and the 5th installment did not disappoint.  Can't wait to see what these train wrecks have in for store for them next!

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publish Date: February 12, 2013

Format: Audio

Discs: 7

ISBN: 978 0385361279

Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a tractor trailer.  Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face – though her beloved Pauline, the only person who has ever cared for her, tells her it is a precious diamond.  When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is lost.

Then a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes that she must find a home for them both.  She runs off to a house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting.  There are two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter that take her in.  They clothe her, though their clothes are strangely out of date.  They feed her, though there is nothing in their house to eat.  They help her go to school, though they won’t enter the building themselves.  And, strangely, only Bee seems able to see them.

Whoever these women are, they matter.  They matter to Bee.  And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world – if only she will let herself be a part of it.

My Thoughts

I happened to stumble upon this one while looking online for audio books at my local library.  When I went to pick it up I was told it was located in the middle grade/young adult section.  I was going to leave it behind when I discovered it was juvenile, but I was just so drawn to the cover and the concept behind the story I just couldn't resist.  And I am very glad I didn't!

What a powerful story that is full of self discovery and self acceptance and at the center of it all is courageous heroine Bee that you can't help but root for and fall in love with.  I loved the setting, 1942 travelling carnival during the height of WWII and found it the perfect backdrop for this story.  I loved Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Swift, and thought they were a nice touch to the plot and really enjoyed the magical aspect that only Bee could see them.  All I wanted while reading was to go out and buy a floppy orange hat.  I hated Pauline for abandoning our precious little Bee when she needed her most, all for a love interest.  But in the end Pauline had redeeming qualities.  

Packed full of wisdom, heartbreak and hope, it's not just a story for kids.  Adults will fall in love with it as well. I thought it was a very enchanting book narrated by Ariadne Meyers; whom I loved listening to reading The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen.  Meyers will help you fall in love with Bee just a little bit more.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publish Date: March 14, 2006
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 552
ISBN: 978 0375831003

It is 1939.  Nazi Germany.  The country is holding its breath.  Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books.  With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

My Thoughts

I really wanted to love it, I really did, but the fact of the matter is, I didn't.  Which sucks because everyone else loved it and I feel like I missed something.  The story itself felt like a whole bunch of short stories made up and thrown together to make a 550 page book.  The writing style was very hard to get used to, and even after finishing I still didn't like it, although some sentences were beautifully constructed and thought provoking.  Mark Zusak is a very talented writer, there is no doubt about that.  This book just simply wasn't for me.

When I finally finished (this is not a quick read) I felt relieved and glad to be done.  I will say this though, the last 80 pages 100 percent redeemed this book for me!  I appreciated the heartbreak and lose that had been building up the entire novel and finally there was an amazing conclusion.  This was a very tough book to review, as are all fence sitting books for me, I don't want to rip it apart, but I can't give it a glowing review.  It just is what it is.  4 stars because of the last chapter, other than that it was just a 3 star book to me.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Publish Date: June 1, 2008

Pages:-

Format: download library

ISBN: -

Behind Rosewood’s grand facades, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5 and infinity pool sparkle in landscaped backyards, nothing is as it seems.  It was here, back in seventh grade, that five best friends shared everything – Seven jeans, MAC make-up and their deepest, darkest secrets.  For Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, it was a dream come true…until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished.

Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare.  Emily has been shipped off to her hyper-conservative cousins in Iowa.  Aria is stuck living with her dad and his home wrecker girlfriend.  And Spencer fears she had something to do with Alison’s murder.  But Hanna’s fate is far worse than all of them – she’s clinging to life in the hospital, because “she knows too much.”

With A’s threats turning dangerous and Ali’s killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth about A, about Ali, and about what happened to Hanna – before they become A’s next victims.  But as they unravel Rosewood’s mysteries and secrets, will it bring an end to the horror…or is this just the beginning?

My Thoughts

This series is starting to become more intriguing than I ever thought possible.  I find myself being drawn in and can't stop!  More...I need more!

I love it..love, love, love.  I really like the edginess of the writing (remember, this is considered young adult) and I sometimes forget that these girls are in high school, that this is a high school setting.  Although some of the scenarios are a little out there...this is bullying at it foremost.  I just have to say one thing - what kind of parents are these?! I could never imagine having a parent (or in this series case - lack there of) like they do.

This is the first series of books that has kept my interest long enough to read 4 books.  Even Twilight, Hunger Games, 50 Shades of Grey and so on couldn't hold my attention long enough.  Keep 'em coming!

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date: February 18, 2008

Format: Paperback

Pages:330

ISBN: 978 0062059871

In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars – Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna – have been very bad girls…

Spencer stole her sister’s boyfriend.  Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher.  Emily likes her new friend Maya…as much more than a friend.  And Hanna’s obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick.  But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives. 

And someone named “A” is threatening to do just that.

At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago…but then Alison turned up dead.  So could A be Melissa, Spencer’s ultra competitive sister?  Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself?  What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?

One thing’s for certain: A’s got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

My Thoughts

Again, another solid read that did not disappoint in the second book of the series.  I enjoyed this one just as much as the first and just find myself getting so wrapped up in their lives (lame I know.)  Character development was well under way for each of Emily, Spencer, Aria and Hannah.  A number of issues that were left open for interpretation in the first novel were answered in this one, but with that brought new mysteries. 

This book I found was quite a bit different than the direction the tv series took (and I want to try and keep my reviews based on the book not the show.)  I have to keep reminding myself that the book came before the show,  although I like the direction the character Toby took better in the tv show as opposed to the book.  

Can't wait to see what type of mischief these 4 get into in Perfect - the 3rd installment.  Such a great series! 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars # 1) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: October 1, 2006
Format: Download Library
Pages: -
ISBN: -

Three Years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since.  Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief.  Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known.  Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world.  When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.  Are they being betrayed by someone in their circle?  Worse yet: Is Alison back?

My Thoughts:

I have to be honest - I love Young Adult novels.  Something about the writing, its quick and witty and just gets me hooked...I have a feeling this series will become a guilty pleasure of mine (I already have the second book in the series on hold at the library.)  I have to admit that I have watched the adapted TV series of the same name,  I believe they are season 5 (I own the first 3) and I absolutely love it!  The concept is similar to another guilty pleasure of mine Gossip Girl - although I have only ever watched the TV series, the books are on my to-read list.  I'm not sure which series of books came first, but I feel like they will be equal as fantastic.  I love the way the author alternates each chapter to be told from each girls perspective and always ends the chapter with a bit of a cliff hanger.

Although I am far from being a teen girl I found this book very enjoyable, a light fun and easy read.  I found the TV series stuck true to the first book and find them very similar which I love.  I hate when a TV show/movie changes the book drastically.

Over all I really enjoyed the first book in the series and will defiantly be reading many more in the series.  Oh and the ending is killer, love a good cliff hanger in a series!

  

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.