One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

Goodreads Summary: Pestered by her close New Jersey family, Stephanie Plum offers to catch high-school crush Joe Morelli, cop turned bail jumper, for her cousin Vinnie's company. She questions "working girls" to find the missing girlfriend of vicious prizefighter Benito Ramirez while Joe secretly watches her back. Ranger mentors her and supplies vehicles when hers explode.

Why I Read This Book: I saw the preview for the movie of this one and decided to read the book first. It was a good choice, because the movie wasn't great!

Review: I found this book to be engaging. A lot of stuff happens, which is exciting, and its sometimes predictable, but not always. The book was fast paced, and witty, and had a good story line. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. I read it while on the plane, and didn't get bored. Even though there isn't much else to do on the plane, if I have a non-engaging book I can get bored easily. This was a good read for that.

If you watch Dexter, I was picturing Joe as Joey Quinn from that show. I pictured Stephanie as Hilda from Ugly Betty. I watched the movie afterward and thought Katherine Heigl was ok, but my mental casting was better :)

Rating:

Book Reviews: Clockwork Prince, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Dead to the World

Goodreads Summary: In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.

Why I Read This Book: Another series I have gotten into, and was on 2 of my challenge lists: 2013 Paranormal Challenge, and the 2013 Sequel Challenge.

Review: I like the Infernal Devices more than The Mortal Instruments series, and this book didn't disappoint. I can't wait to see how it all ends with the Clockwork Princess, but I have been putting it off a bit so it won't be over too quickly.

Rating: 

Goodreads Summary: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. 

As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason.

And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.
Why I Read This Book: This was on my A-Z Book Challenge List.

Review: I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was the perfect amount of creepy mixed with intriguing and fantasy that it sucked me in. The plot was very interesting, with several twists and turns, and a bit of romance too. I brought this in to work and was reading on my lunch break, and everyone said it looked too creepy for them, because of the pictures. But really it wasn't overly, just enough to make it good.

Rating:

Goodreads Summary: In Sookie Stackhouse—a Southern cocktail waitress with a supernatural gift—Harris has a created a heroine like few others, and a series that puts the bite back in vampire fiction. Now the hit series launches into hardcover for Sookie's biggest twist-filled adventure yet.

When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire—but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life.
Why I Read This Book: This book is again, one in a series I am reading. I joined a very specific Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge, and committed to reading 4 of this series, so this was my first for this year, but the 3rd in the series.

Review: This was a good middle-of-the-series book. So far the season of True Blood that matches up to this book has been my favorite, and I read the book after I watched that. It is pretty closely matched up, and I like this book a lot. It's probably my favorite of the books so far as well.

Rating: 

Book Reviews: City of Ashes, P.S. I love You, The Iron Daughter

Goodreads Summary: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.
Why I Read This Book: Another series book that I am working through. I think I may have had this on a challenge list this year as well.

Review: I love the shadowhunter world, and this book was no exception. Clary and Jace are getting a bit weird, but whatever. I thought this was a good sequel book. Definitely moved the plot along nicely. Can't wait to get to the next one.

Rating: 

Goodreads Summary: A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.

Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

The kind of enchanting novel with cross-generational appeal that comes along once in a great while, PS, I Love You is a captivating love letter to the world!

Why I Read This Book: This book was on my Monthly Key Word Challenge list for February.

Review: I liked this book, but didn't love it. It was good. It tells the sad story of a widow trying to overcome her grief. I can't fully appreciate Holly's story, as thankfully I have never had to go through that. Even though it was sad, it was written in a generally light-hearted way so that it was still enjoyable to read and not miserable.

Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
Why I Read This Book: This was my March book for the Paranormal Reading Challenge.

Review: This was a pretty good sequel to the first book that I really liked. It had enough in it to keep it interesting and surprising. I was happy with it. Some things happened that I definitely wasn't expecting, and also some good news in it as well, which I don't want to spoil for anyone so I won't say.

Rating: 

Love The One Yor With - Emily Giffin

Goodreads Summary: The New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed,Something Blue, and Baby Proof delivers another captivating novel about women and the choices that define them. This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away?

Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live. 

Love the One You're With is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.

Why I Read This Books: Mostly just cleaning up my TBR pile and I had borrowed this one from someone, and thought I should get it returned.

Review: I didn't really love or hate this book. At first it really bothered me, because I just know that I wouldn't make the same choices as Ellen, and I just felt the book was getting worse and worse because I kept hating her more and more. This is the first book by Giffin I had read, so I didn't have any expectations except that I know lots of people who like her. And I must admit, I hated the story, but the saving grace of the book was Giffin as she write so well. It was nice that she didn't feel like she needed to tell me the brand of everything Ellen wore (just her sister in law for some reason...) which was a nice change from most chick lit. As the story progressed I started to understand Ellen more, and came around on her a bit. I think the only reason I didn't hate this book was because Giffin really did make a big difference. If this book had been by a different chick lit author, I don't know if I would have been able to finish it, but I actually ended up liking it.

Rating:

The Au Pairs - Melissa de la Cruz

Goodreads Summary: Three girls with three agends and the ultimate destination: the Hamptons.

Summer in the city? Way overrated. Everybody who's anybody in New York City summers in the Hamptons. Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui all want a piece of the action, all for different reasons. So the girls answer a classified ad to become au pairs. How bad can it be, watching a couple of kids on the beach all day? They've got the swank address, the sweet ride, and an all-access pass to the hottest social scene on the East Coast. It's shaping up to be the summer of their lives.

Why I Read This Book: This one caught my eye on Goodreads one day, so I got it from the library.

Review: This was a great summer read. I though the characters were all idiots, but they were supposed to be, that's what made it good. It also made me want to be an au pair in the Hamptons for a summer, however realistic that is. The book made it sound like the perfect mix of exhausting and awesome. Even though I have been meaning to read the Blue Bloods series, this is the first book of Cruz's I have read, and I liked the writing, it is very contemporary YA in this, which is the perfect read anywhere in a day kind of this. I polished this off on the deck with some frozen cocktails while on an at home stay-cation, so that definitely contributed to the fact that I didn't see much not to like about the book! However, it's story wasn't overly unique, so already I can't remember what happened, and for that reason I can't say it was fantastic.

Rating:

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Goodreads Summary: The undead can really screw up your senior year ... 
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction



Why I Read This Book: The god's honest truth is, I'm kind of a sucker for a book where the character has the same name as me... I have NO idea why (I have every idea why, and her name is Jessica Wakefield) but I am drawn to them. I won't just read any old book with a Jessica walking around in it, I have to be at least somewhat interested. For example, I wasn't planning to start any new vampire book series' until I finished with the ones that I have already started (Vampire Academy/Bloodlines, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampire Diaries, etc.) so that I can keep them all straight! But, I just couldn't resist a Jessica...

Review: For a book about vampires, I thought this was incredibly cute and kind of charming. Since the main character, Jessica is, in a lot of ways, still a pretty normal teenage girl. There isn't much killing in this book like there is in most other vampire series, so you can relate to the characters very easily. I really liked this book, but I did have some issues with it. First, it has a stupid name. There is not dating a vampire in this book, it should be called 'Jessica's Guide to Learning about Vampires' if she wanted to go that route. It's inappropriately named, and that irritates me, kind of a lot for some reason. I think the book title is very important, and this one just isn't good. It lost a full star for me here. Second (this of course has no bearing on my rating of the book, but it definitely made it a little more frustrating to read) for some reason this ebook and my ereader HATED each other! The pages took FOREVER to turn. It wasn't too bad at the start of the book, maybe 10-15 seconds for each page, but as I got further along, the pages took even longer to turn, to the point where it was almost 2 minutes a page near the end. It was super frustrating, and I have no idea why it happened. I thought it could have been a problem with my ereader, but I just bought two other books, and they work fine. Either way, I was annoyed, but of course, that's not the books fault!
The title was the main thing that irked me, otherwise I did enjoy the book, and I'm going to get the next one (Jessica Rules the Dark Side) - yes even the ebook version! It was a refreshingly different vampire series, and I liked it.

Rating:

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Goodreads Summary: In 2036 New Jersey, when teens are expected to become fanatically religious wives and mothers or high-priced Surrogettes for couples made infertile by a widespread virus, 16-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony find in one another the courage to believe they have choices.


Why I Read This Book: This was another book that was pretty popular on the blogs awhile back that I had marked to read.


Review: This book was OK. It took me awhile to get into it because I didn't like either Melody or Harmony very much at all. It gets better as the book goes on, with the last 1/3 of the book being quite good. The idea behind the book is really good, being that pregnant teens are the world's hottest commodity, but I felt that the book lacked some of the information surrounding this. I guess because it was mostly from the two girls POV, but I would be interested in some of the background of the story as well. You don't learn much about either girls past, and the book has a lot of holes which will hopefully get explained in the coming book.

Overall, it was enjoyable, but not as good as what I think it could have been. I expected a little bit better from McCafferty because I love the Jessica Darling series so much, but I am still looking forward to seeing what happens in 'Thumped'.

Rating:

The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes

Goodreads Summary: A major national media event when published in hardcover, this delicious follow-up to Bergdorf Blondes was an immediate New York Timesbestseller and confirmed Plum Sykes status as a literary superstar.

Sylvie Mortimer has just married and is blissfully happy with The Divine New Husband, Hunter. Sylvie s new friend, Lauren Blount, is very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty -- and very, very divorced. The most reckless and glamorous of Manhattan s Debutante Divorcee set, Lauren captivates Sylvie, the group s token newlywed. But while Lauren sets out on a morality-lite, orgasm-heavy Make Out Challenge, Sylvie discovers her marriage isn t exactly an Eternity ad -- especially when the city s most notorious Husband Huntress zeros in on her spouse.

The Debutante Divorcee delivers all the wit and charm that madeBergdorf Blondes a smash hit. This juicy new tale delighted Sykes many fans in hardcover and will continue to earn her new ones in this dazzling, chic paperback edition.

Plum Sykes was born in London and educated at Oxford. She is a contributing editor for American Vogue, where she writes on fashion, society, and Hollywood. She has also written for Vanity Fair. Her first book, Bergdorf Blondes, was a New York Times bestseller in hardcover and paperback.

Why I Read This Book: I picked this book up from Amazon when it was on sale because I had read, and liked, Bergdorf Blondes.


Review: This book wasn't great compared to Bergdorf Blondes. I remember BB's being a lot funnier, and this book just seemed like one massive name drop for designer wear and NYC hot spots. It got a little annoying. Overall, it was still a good story, I liked the main character, as she represented someone a little more down to earth in a society full of ridiculousness. It was Bushnell esque chick lit, and if you take it for what it is, it's a decent book.

Rating:

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Goodreads Summary: “My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.

Why I Read This Book: If I am being completely honest, I read this book because my name is Jessica, and I am illogically drawn to books with characters that have my name.


Rating: I thought this book was great. I read it while I was on vacation and driving in the car. It was short and sweet, and I though Jessica Darling was a great main. Two major beefs with this book - 1) Some characters (who I like) seem to drop off. I guess this makes sense as they sort of drop from Jessica's life, but I wanted to know what happened to them. 2) Since this is journal style writing, if my trip to see my BFF that I've been obsessing over got cancelled, I would go on for days in my journal about how depressing it was, and it just seemed that it wasn't a big deal. Anyway, these are easily overlooked, and I though the book was pretty good for a contemporary teen fix.


Review:

Narrative Loserdom by Ryan Collins

Goodreads Summary: Justin Taggart doesn’t know anything (about being a loser). He likes girls and plays sports and has some friends. Unfortunately his fear of rejection outweighs his ability to deal with these well. Mostly there’s Sterling, the girl of his dreams who knows how to stop his heart by not knowing he likes her. Another thing is trying to get money with Adam, who’s rich anyway so it’s more about hanging out. As for Justin, he makes ends meet by mowing people’s yards with Adam, and sometimes by breaking into vending machines and selling late-night cable programming to peers (also with Adam). But it’s not like he doesn't feel bad about it, since Jesus died for his sins. School is pretty terrible with all the work and practice, but there are a few people there worth mentioning. Anyone who picks up his journal will be in for something, if they feel like getting through a lot of grammar and spelling problems. They’ll probably end up seeing that they shouldn't have looked at it anyway, because this is someone’s private anthem of girls, grass, and loserdom.


Why I Read This Book: I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.


Review: This book is written in short, journal style chapters from the POV of the main character, Justin. Justin is a high school student, with normal high school issues, engaging in normal (although often not well thought out) high school student activities. I liked this book's flow, I liked the characters, and the stories were often pretty funny. I could relate to how many of the characters acted, as in the not so distant past I was a normal high school student as well. Justin and Adam reminded me of regular guys just like the type I went to school with. The book is pretty short, so its a quick read.

There were only a few things I thought didn't fit with the book that well. 1) Justin seems to become crazy religious out of nowhere about 1/3 of the way through the book. Any time before this part, if God is mentioned it seems almost sarcastic, or a that church is a chore forced upon him. I'm not against Christian books or anything, I have read a few and enjoyed them, it just seemed forced for the character, and it fit in awkwardly. 2) Since the book was short, and I read it in a few days, I thought it was unnecessary to remind the reader of who certain characters were. For example, Ace is a big part of the first half of the book, but then he goes away for a little bit (which is fine) but then later he is mentioned, and who he is is re-explained, but I didn't have any trouble remembering who he was. Its seemed odd.

Otherwise, the book was good, and as the title includes (From Journal One) I assume there will be more, which I will definitely be interested in reading when they come out.

Rating:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Goodreads Summary: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner. 

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up? 

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

Why I Read This Book: This was a popular book around blogs a little while ago, and the description sounded really awesome, so I bought the ebook (and then put off reading it for a long time!) But it was on my official 2012 TBR Challenge list, so I picked it up a little while ago.

Review: My short review of this would be that it is not as good as the cover and description make it seem, but it's still good. I liked the story, and I liked all the satirical references, and I liked the ending as well. Some of the things that I didn't like were that they called all the girls by both their name and their state, which was crazy confusing. I'm finished the book and I could hardly keep the girls straight. This really took away from me connecting with a lot of the characters in the book. Another thing I didn't like, even though sometimes they made me laugh, was all the footnotes! This may have been the fault of the ebook version, but all the footnotes were at the end of the chapter rather than the page they were referenced on, and sometimes by the end of the chapter they didn't make any sense.

Rating:

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Goodreads Summary: Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. 

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

Why I Read This Book: I really liked the first book in this series, so I continue with it.

 *caution - small spoilers*


Review: I don't normally do this, but I actually revised my rating of this book down a star on Goodreads after I took a little more time to think about it. It went from being a book I thought I really liked, to being only a book that I liked. I enjoyed the story, and since I'm planning a NYC trip in 2 months, I enjoyed the setting, and I think I got caught up in the meeting of Miranda, and the Carrie/Samantha friendship, that at the time I didn't notice how much teenage Carrie, well, kinda sucked. I couldn't really picture the older Carrie making some of these decisions, and I also couldn't picture a 17 year old being the way that Carrie was in these books. I was also sorely disappointed that there was brief mentions of the Castlebury crowd, if they were mentioned at all. I know that at 17, I wouldn't have completely left my friends in the dust for an entire summer without thinking about/talking to them at all. I still enjoyed the book, I just didn't like some things.


Rating: (Because I still did like it, even if it doesn't sound like it above)

Naked In Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb

Goodreads Summary: It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing-passion. 

When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washing-ton politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.

Why I Read This Book: I had some reservations about beginning this behemoth of a series, as it is over 30 books in and still going, but someone who`s judgement in books I trust said she likes it, so I thought I would start picking away at them.


Review: Although I did enjoy this book, it was a little slow getting into. I didn't find the story got interesting until almost half way through the book. Also, I found some things about the future setting under explained. However, I did like it enough that I will read the next one at least, so that's something. I'm not a crime novel reader traditionally, so it was nice to try something else. I have also never read any Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb is Nora Roberts) so it was also nice to get introduced to her somewhat as well. I liked this book, and I'm, looking forward to reading the next, but there are a few that I'm more exited about that I will read first. For this reason I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads, however their rating style is a bit different there, so I will give it 3.5


Rating: