Little Women by Louise May Alcott

Goodreads Summary: Meet the March sisters: the talented and tomboyish Jo, the beautiful Meg, the frail Beth, and the spoiled Amy, as they pass through the years between girlhood and womanhood. A lively portrait of growing up in the 19th century with lasting vitality and enduring charm.


Why I Read This Book: I like to read classic books every now and again just so I have read them. That is the reason I chose to get a Kobo, as it came loaded with 100 classic books for me to make my way through. I chose Little Women to read, because it seems silly that I never had.


Review: I thought this book was pretty good, but not great. I have no plans to read Alcott's sequels "Little Men" or "Jo's Boys". It is a good story, with many lessons, and a nice look at growing up a couple centuries ago. I don't regret reading it, but I'm glad I'm done. I felt that the latter part of the book was a bit rushed compared to the first. Or rather, I think I felt the first part of the book was too long. I could have done without reading the stories that Jo wrote, and the plays the girls did. I was nice to read about them growing up.


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The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Goodreads Summary: Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? 

The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted. 

Rabid fans of Sex and the City will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. They'll learn about her family background -- how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. We'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next Carrie Diaries book will take place.

Why I Read This Book: I was a lover of the show, and have read almost all of Candace Bushnell's other books, except, surprisingly, Sex and the City, so I picked this one up for my e-reader.

Review: I thought this was a pretty good book. I kept trying to picture a teenage SJP as the character, and I could kind of see it. The only thing I didn't really like about the book was that it seemed that the main feature of the book was not the people, but smoking. It seemed unnecessary  how much Bushnell talks about smoking in this book! Like I said, I didn't read SATC, but was it like that too? I know you want to be able to picture what a character is doing, but god, this was overkill. I liked most of the characters, and I liked the story though, I thought it was a good read for chick-lit and SATC fans. The last line is the best, because it gives you the exciting tie you were hoping for :)

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Book Shopping at Thrift Stores

This week I had visited a few thrift stores looking for a certain size table that I had wanted solely for putting my Christmas Village on. I didn't want to pay a lot for it, because I don't want to keep it out all year long. Anyway, while I was at them, I couldn't help but check out the book section. I was SO impressed with the books, there were so many books there that are on my TBR list! And, some really new books too. I noticed a copy of The Hunger Games there.

Anyway, I wanted to mention this, because awhile ago I had been complaining about the price of books on here, and they are very cheap at thrift stores!! I will be going back about once a week!!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Goodreads Summary: Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

Why I Read This Book: I got interested in this book as many of my blog friends had good things to say about it. It is actually on my 2012 TBR Pile Challenge list, so I guess I jumped the gun a little bit on this book!

Review: I liked this book, it was fast paced, exciting, had likable characters, and ones to hate. The story wasn't exactly ground breakingly original, but it didn't stink of Hunger Games either like some of the reviews I have read. Tris acts a lot like a 16 year old girl would, regardless of her faction. Many reviews said there were plot holes in the story where Roth either added details that didn't fit, or added things that contradicted other details. To be honest, I was pretty wrapped up in the story, and didn't notice a whole lot of that. Once I read a few reviews with details, I did see what they meant, but this definitely didn't take away from the story for me, the mistakes weren't glaring - I am however by no means a critique, just a passionate reader ;)

I would recommend this to people who like distopian, and teen romance, and aren't bothered by a bit of descriptive fighting (and maybe descriptive heights either!) 

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