Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Published: May 10th 2011
Pages: 359
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★★

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.

I will admit at first I had a huge problem with Alex. I thought she was really naive and had no common sense whatsoever. That was until, I realized she was me.

This book really hit home for me as I was in an abusive relationship for almost two years. So I could relate to Alex 100% through out this novel. The things that went on and how Alex acted, mirrored me completely when I was her age. So I give Brown huge points for nailing this situation right on the head. I think anyone who has been in this situation, can really feel touched when they read this book. I also highly recommend reading it. 

Even if you have not been in an abusive relationship, I think it's an important book but please read it with an open mind and don't be too quick to judge because sadly, abusive relationships start every single day and it's a huge problem with people of all ages but I think when it starts at such a young age, it's different and sometimes harder to overcome. But you CAN overcome it.

If I stay by Gayle Forman

Published: April 6th 2010
Pages: 234
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★★

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family. 

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

This is one of those books that people have been raving about ever since it came out. How amazing, touching and heartbreaking it is. That it's one of the best books ever written..etc etc. To be honest, I've had this book on my shelf for about a year because I really didn't know what to expect. 

If I stay is a book about a girl that pretty much has to decide if she is going to keep living or if she wants to die after a wreck tears apart her family. While it was sad and pretty well written, it didn't really touch me as strongly as it has touched others. Maybe because I am use to reading sad books or because to me, this book was way too predictable.

When you read the blurb and think about the book, you pretty much get exactly what you would expect. I just found it to be way too basic and cliche. That's really all I have to say about it. I decided to give it three stars because it wasn't an awful book but I don't really understand the hype around it either.

Bah, Humbug! A Romantic Comedy Novella by Heather Horrocks

Published: September 9th 2011
Pages: 96
Format: E-Book
Stars: ★★★★

Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller. For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show. From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood? Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

So Starting last year, I made a point to read a bunch of Mindless (but cute) Christmas Stories through out December every year. So of course, I totally stalk Amazon for free books on my Kindle for this purpose because some of my favorite Holiday books are Indies on my Kindle. I have been seeing Bah, Humbug! on Amazon under Free books for months so I finally got it and decided to read it.

Now I will be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this Novella because it just sounded like it could be a really cheesy story but I actually really enjoyed it. The plot was adorable and so were the characters. Plus it was a super fast read that I knocked out in a little over an hour. The problems I had were: No drama..I felt like everything went too smoothly and I wish it was longer because I feel that it could have made an amazing full length story. But for free, I can't complain. 

If you are looking for a cute Holiday story, check out Bah, Humbug!

Breathless by Jessica Warman

Published: August 18th 2009
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★

When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn't take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

I loved Between by Warman when I read it back in January of this year. So I've wanted to read Breathless for a while. I found it for an awesome price on Amazon a few weeks ago so I finally got around to reading it. 

I pretty much loved it. The plot was wonderful, the characters were some of my favorites and I just loved the setting that Warman was able to create. My only complaint was the very ending. It was good but I would have loved if she made this into a series instead because as I said before, I loved the Characters and I would have loved if she kept the story going. Also, it was a little slow in places.

Overall I loved it though and if you are interested in reading it, I highly recommend that you do so.

The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson

Published: January 1st 2006
Pages: 157
Format: E-Book
Stars: ★★★★

The people of Christmas Valley always celebrate Christmas to the fullest extent. The mayor plays Santa, every business is holiday themed, and there's a nativity for the kids each Christmas Eve. This town knows Christmas. But this year nothing goes according to plan. Shepherd's Inn is full of strangers, Mad Myrtle is causing problems, and a young couple with a baby due any minute rolls in to the middle of town in their Partridge Family-style bus. It's hardly the holiday Christmas Valley wanted--but it may be just what they need. This charming novella is sure to become a new Christmas tradition for readers who love a great holiday story.

I am starting to slowly read Christmas Stories to put me in more of a Christmas Spirit and I came across The Christmas Bus for Free on Amazon for my Kindle. It sounded really cute so I decided to give it a try. While the reviews on other sites aren't great, I really enjoyed it. I know a lot of people were complaining that it's too Religious but it's a Christmas Story...(duh) and I didn't think it was overwhelming. I just found it to be a very cute and nice story to get you in the mood for Christmas. So yes, it did it's job and if you are looking for a cute short story for Christmas, I recommend it.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (SPOILER FREE)

Published: October 16th 2012
Pages: 576
Format: Hardcover (New)
Stars: ★★★★★

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone super-volcano  Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

To keep this spoiler free, this is going to be a short and basic review.

Ashfall was probably one of my favorite books (if not my favorite) that I've read in 2012 so far so when Ashen Winter came out, I was super excited. However, Ashen Winter topped it by A LOT. I think the writing was better, a lot of character development and I would say that it was more epic then Ashfall. A lot more happened in Ashen Winter and while I wanted to take my time reading it, it was really hard to because it grabbed my attention and held on for dear life. So if you are a fan of books similar to this, I HIGHLY recommend giving The Ashfall Series a try. 

If you have already the books in this series, I would love for you to comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Bedtime Stories for the Damned by Christopher Bloodworth

Published: Unknown
Pages: 160
Format: E-Book
Stars: ★★★

 Unimaginable horror. 
Terrifying rage. 
Twisted desires. 
Strange appetites. 
 All these marvelous things and more await those who dare to read Bedtime Stories For The Damned.  

***Now featuring a FREE excerpt from the new novel Handbook for a Teenage Antichrist.*** 

Included stories: 
 THE BOX 
 The police came calling on Dr. Gordon the day after his patient was found dead, locked in a safe. The only item the dead man had in the safe was a journal. A journal that contained a plea for help, along with a dark secret from the man’s childhood. 

 LOVE
 It happened fast: a tossed clock, a trashcan. Then Carla lost herself to the rage and everything changed. 

 JOHN A. 
 Six people woke up this morning. Six contestants spread across the small city of Solo, Texas. All playing a twisted man's game. A man that may be more than he seems at first glance.

JEREMIAH 19:9
 Truck driver Buddy Pritchard was heading home to his wife and young daughter, but a chance encounter with an organic jerky saleswoman may keep him from ever seeing them alive again.

Bloodworth is a loved Member of Reddit.com and he posts amazing stories on Nosleep. He was giving away this book and another one for free on Amazon for the Kindle. So I grabbed this one because I love his horror stories.

I thought Bedtime Stories for the Damned was pretty good and a really fast read. The only thing is, I did expect more from Bloodworth then what I actually got. Then again, short story collections are usually filled with hits and misses so I can't really explain because most of them were hits. The thing that bugged me the most though was the free Excerpt was totally blank so a good chuck of the book was nothing.

Overall, I recommend this book if you love horror and indie books. It was a nice combo of both. If you want to read somethings by Bloodworth, you can go HERE.

How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan

Published: January 8th 2008
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a confection from David Levithan that is sure to have fans of Boy Meets Boy eager to devour it. Here are 18 stories, all about love, all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down. What is love? With this original story collection, David Levithan proves that love is a many splendor-ed thing, a varied, complicated, addictive, wonderful thing.

As much as I love Levithan, this book was VERY disappointing. The stories were very basic, rushed and they all had a very close plot line from the others. Nothing really stood out and stuck with me. Aside from that, there is really nothing else to say about this book then it wasn't normal Levithan and I didn't care for it at all. Even the story that the book was titled after was very rushed and nothing special.

White Cat by Holly Black

Published: February 18th 2011
Pages: 310
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars:  ★★★

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch of their hands. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to out-con the con-men.

I have heard people raving about Holly Black for a little over a year now but I have never read anything by her before a side from some short stories. So while I was out browsing cheap bookstores, I found the first two books in this series for four dollars a piece and I've heard people say that this was her best series so far.

Anyway, I really enjoyed White Cat and it only took me two days to finish. I loved the Characters Cassel, Lila and the Grandfather but I hated everyone else. Also the character development was lacking and there wasn't much action. Because of this, it took me a little bit to figure out exactly what I should rate this and I settled for 3 stars. It's a series I am defiantly going to keep reading but nothing that I am dying to finish.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Published: November 21st 2011
Pages: 366
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★★★★★


What if you could see how your life would unfold--just by clicking a button?

 It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I have wanted to read this book for a long time because Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is one of my favorite books and this seemed like a very cute story. However, I have heard mixed reviews so I waited until I could get it for a cheaper price. So when I got a 40% off coupon for the book store, I made sure to grab this.

The Future of Us follows 16 year Emma and Josh after they discover Facebook 15 years into the future during the 1990s. Most of the book is about them trying to change the future to their liking while still trying to keep their friendship going. I thought that it was a very cute story and probably one of the best YA romance books since Anna and the French Kiss that I have read.The Characters were wonderful and the plot was addicting. It really held my attention very well and I was pleased with the ending.

So if you are looking for a cute YA novel, I highly recommend The Future of Us. In fact, I would love to see a sequel. Maybe to present time.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Published: June 14th 2012
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback (new)
Stars: ★

 Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be contained or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby. But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has deeply hidden away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

First of all I want to say, I had a hard time rating this book at first. Simply because I've read worse books then this but I still pretty much hated it. Why? I hated the characters and this is a book in which there was no character development and nothing really happens. It was basically all about Chloe talking about her sister Ruby. It was almost like Chloe was making up a list on why her sister was perfect yet a bitch at the same time. Then when you find out some things about Ruby, they make almost no sense because there is no reasoning behind it. It was like reading half a book or watching only some of a movie. It was 304 pages but it took me a week to read just because it could not grab my attention.

My advice is to just skip this one. The blurb might seem interesting but to me, it was a big fail.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Published: May 1st 2011
Pages: 359
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★

When her best guy friend falls victim to what seems like a vicious hate crime, 16-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.
Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

This is a book I've wanted to read since it first came out but I wanted until it came out in paperback for some unknown reason. Just something I would pass every time I was at the bookstore. The plot however always jumped out at me because you see a lot of YA books about depressed teenagers and same sex relationships but usually not actual hate crime stories. Sadly it's something that happens all the time but not a lot of authors (YA wise) actually write about it.
Now, I will be the first to say that through most of the book, I didn't like Cat all that much. I just found her to be too goody-goody, younger then she was suppose to be (16) and annoying. But as I got more into the book, the more I liked her.
As for the setting of the book and the other characters, I LOVED. It was very realistic and I felt that I was actually part of the story. The other Characters were raw and very real. The only real complaint I have is that I think certain words were used in the book way too much (cocksucker,   faggot, fag..etc) Which I understand it was realistic and the plot of this book, it worked but I felt that at times, the words were used for the fun of it.
Overall, I would say the plot to this book is very important for younger people to read and even adults because it shows how awful it is to treat people badly because of their sexual per fences and how bad choices hurt everyone around them.

I would Find a Girl Walking by Kathy Kelly

Published: April 5th 2011

Pages: 293
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ 

"I would be drinking and lonely, thinking about all the couples having fun together. And here I am, single, haveing no fun at all. Then I would go out riding around and I would find a girl walking..."-Gerald Stano

His licence plate read: No riders except blondes, brunettes, and redheads. With his flared polyester pants, open nylon shirt, and disco music on his eight track, Gerald Stano believed he was quite the ladies' man. And should a girl dare fracture his ego, he killed her.

By the time he was twenty-eight, Gerald confessed to murdering up to forty women over an eleven-year period. How they died was left to the moment: strangled, stabbed, drowned, or shot. Why? They crossed Gerald's path and were tossed out like trash. But there were other troubling questions: How did this obsessive loner lure so many women into his car? And how could so many appalling crimes go unconnected for so long?

Based on exclusive access to the killer-and extensive correspondence with him-as well as interviews with the lead investigator and the victims' families, this is a revealing, shocking, and unflinching portrait of a man who fancied himself one of the greatest lady-killers of them all.

I am a huge fan of True Crime Books and I read at least one every month. So when I found this at Barnes and Noble, I was really excited because it sounded just like the kind of True Crime books I love. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed.

First of all, they repeat the same things over and over again through-out the book. Every single Killing is the same, all of his confessions are the same and the theories..all the same. I almost felt that they tried to sugar-coat the story and make it seem less brutal. I also wouldn't call him one of the biggest Serial Killers to read about either. There are SO many more serial killers that were more interesting to read about.

I am not trying to sound heartless because I do highly feel for the victims and their stories. Some of them really broke my heart but I feel that the author just didn't write a good true crime book to really bring Gerald to justice. It felt rushed, too repeated and like the person had no emotion whatsoever to the case at hand.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Published: May 1st 2011

Pages: 336
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

When I finish started reading Saving June, I didn't like it at all. I thought it was a pretty basic young adult book and nothing really jumped out at me. But as I got more into the book, the more I fell in love with it. Harper, Laney and Jake are some of the best characters in any young adult book that I have read. Why? Simple, they are realistic. They are a group of teenagers with very different personalities but at the same time, they all want the same thing: to figure out who they are and why they are alive.

On top of that, it has an adorable romance that slowly grows during the whole book. The only complaints I have are: 1.) I wish it would have gone further into the story then it did. I would have liked to know what happened with the characters later down the line. 2.) June's reasoning for what she did is never explained. Which was VERY disappointing. 

Fifty Shades Darker by EL James (17+ only)

Published: September 15th 2011

Pages: 532
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. 

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades. 

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

Okay, about a week ago I did a review on Fifty Shades of Grey and told everyone what I thought about it. Afterwords, I started on the sequel Fifty Shades Darker. FSD was defiantly a faster read for me then FSOG was. I also enjoyed it a lot more then the first book. 

I still would not call these books romance but Mr. Grey was less of a dick in Fifty Shades Darker and it was nice to Ana stick up for herself..sort of. As for the writing, I didn't feel that it got better at all.

Overall, I liked this book a lot more then the first and I will be reading/reviewing the last book in the series soon.

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James (17+ only)

Published: May 26th 2011

Pages: 540
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ 


When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. 

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms. 

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Let me just start out by saying, when a book gets a lot of hype (good or bad) , I usually end up sucked into reading it. I believe that's part of being a bookworm and book blogger. We have to know so we can give an opinion on it. That is the reason that I have decided to read Fifty Shades of Grey. I just had to know!

The first thing that I have to say about this book is that I would have a lot more respect for it if it was NOT labelled as a romance novel. Why? Well to be nice, Mr Grey is an...a!s and Ana just seems to be way too  gullible  to know any better. In my opinion, that does not make a romance novel and I think that people (mostly girls and women) are really going to get the wrong idea about what true love is. Mr. Grey and Ana are NOT it.

Second point, the writing is pretty bad. I mean, I have read worse written books then this one but that doesn't make this one good. I feel like this was written by someone who knows nothing about sex or the real meaning of love.

So..If you go into this series knowing these two things, maybe you will enjoy it. It reminds me of a car crash. You try to look away but it sucks you in.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Published: February 28th 2012

Pages: 384
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★


In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life. 

After U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman buried in the dirt during his tour of duty in Iraq, he experiences a sudden streak of luck -- winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph -- his lucky charm. 

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the woman in the photograph out of his mind and he sets out on a journey across the country to find her. But Thibault is caught off guard by the strong attraction he feels for the woman he encounters in North Carolina - Elizabeth, a divorced mother -- and he keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate love affair, his secret soon threatens to tear them apart -- destroying not only their love, but also their lives. 

Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, THE LUCKY ONE is an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love. 


I fell in love with Sparks when I first saw A Walk to Remember. Then I saw The Notebook when it first came out and as I fell more and more in love with books, I finally decided to read a book by him called The Last Song and then I was hooked. Sparks has a way of making his characters 100% realistic and I don't know anyone that can write a better love story then him. I don't see myself ever hating anything that Sparks writes and I can't wait to read more by him.


As for The Lucky One, it was a truly beautiful story but very different from what I've read and seen by Sparks. But not different in a bad way at all. Different in a good way because the plot and characters were fresh. I honestly enjoyed every second of it. It's a book all about: love, chance, mistakes, family, friends, relationships and risks. I highly recommend it.

Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand

Published: October 17th 2001

Pages: 480
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★


Brunvand has been collecting and studying urban legend modern folklore for over 20 years. In "Too Good to Be True" he captures the best stories in their best retellings, along with their latest variations and examples of how the stories have changed as they move from person to person and place to place. 70 illustrations.


I am a big fan of Urban Legends and I have been for years. So I wanted a book with tons of Urban Legends to read and keep on my shelf and while browsing on Amazon, I found this huge almost 500 page book on just Urban Legends! As soon as it arrived in the mail, I started to read it and it only took me about 2-3 days to finish. Now, I thought it was a really great book and contained some scary (and funny) urban legends but...I was a little disappointed because a lot of the stories in this book, I've already read countless numbers of times. Now, this is not the author's fault at all but I would have liked to see some different (maybe less known) legends. If you are a fan of Urban Legends though, I do recommend adding this book to your collection because it is something that is nice to have.  I also plan on reading more by Brunvand in the future.

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Published: December 23rd 2008

Pages: 214
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★


When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her conselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.


This book was one of the books that are really hard to rate and review. I've heard really good things about Courtney Summers in other book reviews so I decided to pick up Cracked up To Be at Barnes and Noble. It was my first Summers book and I enjoyed it for the most part. However, I kind of hated the main character Parker. Now how can I enjoy a book but hate the main character at the same time? Honestly, I don't know. Like I said, this book I had really mixed feelings about but I still felt it deserved a decent rating. I guess mainly because I felt like you could NOT love Parker and that you weren't suppose to.

Anyway, I thought the plot was touching and I liked all of the other characters. Some parts were slow but still kept my attention for the two days it took me to read this book. So overall, I would recommend checking out this book if you are interested but I wouldn't expect anything amazing. I do plan on trying to read one of her other books later down the line though.

Dawn by Kevin Brooks

Published:November 1st 2010

Pages: 272
Format: Paperback (New)
Stars: ★ ★ ★ 


Magical realism and gritty mystery meet in Brooks's provocative dissection of family, friendship, and faith.

Dawn Bundy lives in a cave. In her head. Where she's been hiding for two years. Hiding behind headphones. From the two hottest girls at school, in their impossibly short skirts and unbearably tight tops, their skin close enough to touch. Not talking to her mother, not about what matters. Not thinking of her dad, the drug addict, the ex-con, born-again but far gone. Two years is a long time. Enough for the cave to grow so small that her breath feels like stone in her throat. Two years is no time at all. Nowhere near enough to forget. To pretend that nothing happened. Deep one perfect morning.


I've been a fan of Kevin Brooks since I was about 14 years old (give or take a year or two) and I love most of the books that I've read by him but I have to say, Dawn is by far my least favorite by Brooks so far. While I could somewhat relate to Dawn, I just really feel like this book was lacking a real solid plot and there was NO character development whatsoever. Yes it was a tragic book but at the same time, it's something that I feel can and will be easily forgotten after reading. So if you want to try out a Kevin Brooks' book, I would not recommend starting with Dawn. I personally recommend Lucas which was my first and still my favorite book by Brooks so far.