missybct Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Sounds like a good series, I will check them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Ggrrr, why did ya have you write a review that makes me want the books? Couldn't you have written something like, "Yeah it was alright I suppose." *wanders off to visit Amazon* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Sorry Chrissy! I think they're really good, you'd deffo all enjoy them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Kill For Me by Karen Rose No. of pages: 581 Rating: 4.5/5 Series: Vartanian Trilogy (Book 3) Synopsis: Brutalised Susannah Vartanian's life changed overnight when, as a teenager, she was viciously raped by a sadistic gang of youths. Now she won't allow anyone to get close to her. Sickened Luke Papadopoulos is approaching burn-out. As a detective working on sex crimes against children, he will do anything to find those responsible for such evil atrocities. Terrified Monica Cassidy's life is under threat. Held in a bunker with ten other teenage girls, she barely escaped with her life when her kidnappers fled, killing five of the girls as they left. Now Monica is the only one free who can identify her abductors, and they know where she is. Review: Susannah Vartanian has overcome a lot in her life, and has always sought answers as to why it all happened. Finally, the time has come for her to find out, but there are plenty of shocks along the way. Agent Luke Papadopoulos, is determined to find answers too, and together he and Susannah finally find the way to the truth. Following along the same lines as the previous two books in the trilogy, I really enjoyed this one also. It was great to find out the ending of the whole thing, and finally piece together the puzzles of the various storylines. This book was a bit darker than the other two, due to the storyline involving kids forced into the sex business, but Rose handled it well. Although sad to read about, it was written really well, with great characters, and an interesting conclusion to the whole storyline, it certainly wasn't what I was expecting that was for sure! A really great series, definitely recommend to thriller fans who like a bit of romance thrown in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Another great review Lexie, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilywhite Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Great review Lexie. I'm reading this one at the minute and get what you mean about it being darker. All her books are pretty dark but this one is more so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 Change Of Heart by Jodi Picoult No. of pages: 461 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: Shay Bourne becomes the first person in decades to be sentenced to death in New Hampshire, when he is found guilty of the cold-blooded killing of a policeman and his step-daughter. After eleven years on Death Row, the end is coming for Shay. Until he sees a news piece about a young girl who urgently needs a heart transplant. June's husband and daughter died at Shay Bourne's hands, and she thought her greatest desire was to see him killed. Then her remaining daughter is hospitalised, and she realises that there is something she wants even more: for Claire to live. Shay Bourne is offering June's daughter a miracle - a second chance. But at what cost? Review: June Nealon has her fair share of tragedies, not only were her first daughter and husband murdered, now her second daughter is dying of heart disease, and it seems like there is no hope. But then she hears that the man who murdered her daughter and husband wants to give his heart to Claire when he's killed by the state, but can June bear her daughter to have the heart of the man who ruined her life? I always enjoy reading Picoult books, she knows how to make you feel torn even though you're sure you know who's in the wrong. I did guess fairly early on what the big twist would be to this one, but it was still really enjoyable none the less. I enjoyed the big aspect of religion and the way it was portrayed by several different people, from athiests to priests, it was interesting not only to learn new things, but also to read the debate over religion. I enjoyed the death row aspect of the story too, it's not something you tend to read about in fiction books a lot, and it seemed well researched. I didn't particularly like June Nealon as a character, if anything I liked Shay the most, and felt he was really well written to make you feel torn about liking him. This was one of the more enjoyable and interesting books by Picoult, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of My Sister's Keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 I've not been reading much lately, I think it's a mix of my mojo being flighty and also my lovely new tv distracting me But atm I'm reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and I'm hoping to finish that tonight. It'll be my first country I've read this year for my ATW challenge, so I'm pleased to be getting started on that. I also swapped 2 books on RISI a few days ago, and chose 2 more books for my ATW challenge ~ Morris Gleitzman - Once & Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows No. of pages: 240 Rating: 4/5 Synopsis: It's 1946 and author Juliet Ashton can't think what to write next. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance, he's acquired a book that once belonged to her - and, spurred on by their mutual love of reading, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey reveals that he is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, her curiosity is piqued and it's not long before she begins to hear from other members. As letters fly back and forth with stories of life in Guernsey under the German Occupation, Juliet soon realizes that the society is every bit as extraordinary as its name. Review: One day out of the blue, Juliet Ashton, an author struggling to find a new idea for a book, receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Intrigued, she starts a correspondence with Dawsey, and then with the other members of the society, as they share tales of living through and surviving the war, amongst many other things. I enjoyed that the whole book was a series of letters to various people, I thought it was an lovely way to format the story. I found all of the stories about the German Occupation really interesting too, and I could imagine the things that they spoke about in their letters to Juliet. I got a little confused with all of the characters at the beginning, but the secondary ones seemed to taper off around half way and then it was a lot easier to keep everyone straight. The characters were really well written, you felt you knew them through their letters and the way they spoke. Kit and Isola were my favourites, I loved Isola's quirky ways and Kit was so adorable. The storyline was pretty predictable I thought though, and I guessed most of what would happen, but it was still a lovely read. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy reading stories set around war time, or in the format of letters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Wonderful review, Lexie! I really enjoyed this book too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 Blue Moon by Alyson Noel No. of pages: 362 Rating: 3/5 Series: The Immortals (Book 2) Synopsis: Things have changed for Ever since she met her beloved Damen - not least because she's got a whole new set of powers, courtesy of her new Immortal status. Just as she's getting stronger, though, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of losing him, Ever finds a path to the in-between world known as Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen's tortured past. But in searching for a cure for him, Ever accidentally discovers a way to twist time so she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It's all she's ever wanted - but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them... (Covered up for those who haven't read the first book as there's major spoilers) Review: Now that she's Immortal, Ever assumes she has all the time in the world to spend with Damen, learning about her new powers. But something is very wrong, Damen starts to weaken all of sudden, and then is completely unrecognisable as his previous self. Ever must do everything she can to save him, but when she's trying to find a way to save him, she finds something even more important...a way to save her family, but who should she choose? While the tone of the writing was still incredibly easy to read, meaning that it barely took anytime at all to get through, this book is nowhere near as good as it's predecessor, Evermore. The storyline was pretty boring, and so obvious right from the beginning, yet it takes 300 pages to reveal something you can work out 5 pages into the book. I thought the ending/set up for the next book was something I've seen so many times before, and it just seems so unoriginal. Really unimpressed with this installment, but I'll still give the next book a shot, however, I really think the author needs to think up an original storyline for a series that has quite a lot of potential, but as of yet, is a bit of a let down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Princess Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Hey Lexie, sad to hear this book didn't live up to Evermore! I saw an advert on the TV the other day for both Evermore and Blue Moon - it was quite strange, just some random words and pictures on the screen with music in the background. It didn't really inspire me to go out and buy Blue Moon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 I've never heard of that, how strange! I'm not surprised you weren't inspired to buy them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hmm, I thought Evermore was fairly ordinary and nothing special or original, so if the series is getting even less original, I'm not sure I'll bother with this one ... maybe borrow from the library only. Thanks for the review though, Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Once by Morris Gleitzman No. of pages: 150 Rating: 4.5/5 Series: Felix Trilogy (Book 1) Synopsis: Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story. Review: Felix is a Jewish boy being hidden in a Catholic orphanage, his parents having hidden him there when they knew they were all in danger. Felix however is completely oblivious as to what is happening, he thinks Hitler is someone to look up to, and he doesn't really understand what the Nazi's are. That is until he escapes the orphanage to look for his parents and realises life isn't what it once was... Even though this book was amazingly written, and so easy to read, the actual storyline was very harrowing, and really quite sad. Not only because of the effects of the war, but seeing how Felix slowly loses his innocence and realises life isn't what he thought it was and none of his stories can make this go away. Felix and Zelda are both really sweet characters, and I thought it was lovely how they cared for each other after everything that had happened. Once bears a close resemblence to The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, it has a similar feel and both are written from the identical perceptions of young boys during a war they don't really understand. I would definitely recommend it, although it's a short book, it certainly gives you a lot to think about, and it's well worth an hour or two of your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightwish Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Loving the review for 'Change of Heart', I think I might just bump that up my reading list . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Oh you should I think you'll really like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 I've read the whole of 94 pages in the past 9 days, which totally sucks, so I'm going to re-read the Sookie Stackhouse series in the hopes that kinda kick starts my mojo a bit, so fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 14, 2010 Author Share Posted April 14, 2010 I've just finished reading the Sookie series, which of course was very enjoyable, and now I'm really looking forward to the third season of the show! Now I'm going to have a quick re-read of The Time Traveler's Wife, which of course is my favourite book, as I've been wanting to read it since the film came out, so now is as good a time as any and then after that I have Rachel Vincent - Stray to start, which is the beginning of a series, and also Vikras Swarup - Q&A/Slumdog Millionaire to read before my hosted circle starts in two weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Once by Morris Gleitzman No. of pages: 150 Rating: 4.5/5 Series: Felix Trilogy (Book 1) Synopsis: Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh. My name is Felix. This is my story. Review: Felix is a Jewish boy being hidden in a Catholic orphanage, his parents having hidden him there when they knew they were all in danger. Felix however is completely oblivious as to what is happening, he thinks Hitler is someone to look up to, and he doesn't really understand what the Nazi's are. That is until he escapes the orphanage to look for his parents and realises life isn't what it once was... Even though this book was amazingly written, and so easy to read, the actual storyline was very harrowing, and really quite sad. Not only because of the effects of the war, but seeing how Felix slowly loses his innocence and realises life isn't what he thought it was and none of his stories can make this go away. Felix and Zelda are both really sweet characters, and I thought it was lovely how they cared for each other after everything that had happened. Once bears a close resemblence to The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, it has a similar feel and both are written from the identical perceptions of young boys during a war they don't really understand. I would definitely recommend it, although it's a short book, it certainly gives you a lot to think about, and it's well worth an hour or two of your time. Great review Lexie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 It is a good review, Kelly. I'm sticking this one on my 'To buy' list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Ooh Lexie, 'Once' sounds like a fab read, and I loved your review:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 Thanks guys, it is a lovely little book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 19, 2010 Author Share Posted April 19, 2010 Tales Of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong No. of pages: 547 Rating: 5/5 Series: Women Of The Otherworld (Short Stories) Synopsis: Have you ever wondered how lone wolf Clayton Danvers finally got bitten by the last thing he ever expected: love? Or how the hot-blooded bad-girl witch Eve Levine managed to ensnare the cold, ruthless corporate sorcerer, Kristof Nast in one of the Otherworld’s most unlikely pairings? Would you like to be a fly on the wall at the wedding of Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne, as their eminently practical plans are gradually upended by their well-meaning friends? Or tag along with Lucas and Paige as they investigate a rather gruesome case that looks to be the result of a rogue vampire? Tales Of The Otherworld contains the short stories: Rebirth, Bewitched, Birthright, Beginnings, Expectations, Ghosts, Wedding Bell Hell, and The Case of El Chupacabra. Review: A collection of 8 short stories set in the Otherworld series. Rebirth: How Aaron becomes a vampire. Bewitched: A young Eve Levine meets Kristof Nast. Birthright: Logan becomes a member of the Pack. Beginnings: How Elena meets Clay, and their relationship development. Expectations: Lucas Cortez gets a case against Eve Levine. Ghosts: Jeremy reminisces about Clay and Elena at Stonehaven. Wedding Bell Hell: Lucas and Paige plan their wedding. The Case of El Chupacabra: Lucas and Paige receive a case that looks like a vampire kill. An enjoyable book that fills in some of the gaps of the series, with things that are alluded too but not explained. Most of the stories are very short, but Beginnings and The Case of El Chupacabra are around 200 pages long, and I enjoyed them being a bit longer, it meant they had more depth than the others could go into. My favourite short story was Beginnings as it was really interesting to learn about how Clay and Elena met, as they are my favourite characters after all. I also really liked Ghosts and Bewitched, it was fun to read about Eve as she doesn't really crop up in the series too much, so even though the story was short, it was enough to learn a lot about the character. My least favourites were the stories with Paige and Lucas in as I don't really like the characters very much. Overall it's a great book for learning more about the characters, and the money spent buying the book all goes to charity, so what more could you ask for?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 I'd never heard of Tales Of The Otherworld so thanks for this Kelly, it will definately be added to my wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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