"Out of the Easy" (Lexi's feelings about the novel)

Hello, my loves!

Okay, so I, Lexi/Alexis, have another confession to make. I love the south. I love reading women's fiction set in the old south. If it's good, it has hilarious and sassy characters facing a time where it seems they don't necessarily fit in. The best part are the strong women who ran things and got their way. I admire strong women and so this fiction is best for me. That's why I gave Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. All I needed was to see the setting was NOLA and I was hooked.

Summary: "It's 1950 and the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie Moraine wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny." (Thanks again, Amazon.com!)

I have never read Ms. Sepetys's other novel, and didn't even realize she wrote that novel until the summary above just now. Thus, however her other book is, this review has not been affected by that in any way, shape, or form.

This novel... What can I say?... It was wonderful.

This novel is a great novel about family and life choices. Josie's family was completely unconventional. My personal philosophy is that you choose your family, and blood can have nothing to do with it at all. So as unconventional as Josie's life and family is, you can feel the immense love from beginning to end.

Sepety is so descriptive and nonchalant about Josie's life that you feel like growing up around prostitutes is no big deal. Living where mobsters dwell, and knowing which guys are faithful to their wives or not and everything is completely normal. You feel as if it's just another day in the world.

You learn that choices and decisions in life can make or break a person, and that it's up to you to find the good in your life. If Josie could be as strong and as loving as she was even though her biological mother was so horrid, you can, too. Just by that alone, this novel shows that you choose who to be and how to be, that certain events and circumstances can happen, but it truly is you who decides how that event is going to affect you and shape your personality and heart. This is just one facet of this novel.

Structurally, this novel makes it easy to follow who each of the characters are. You'll wish you were there to see Willie grumpy in the morning, or Jesse as a whole. You'll want to live in a bookstore as well, and have people around you that are unsavory characters, but with hearts. The sentences and grammar are perfectly fine, my fellow grammar soldiers. My favorite are the turns of phrases and how Septey described things. A couple are these:

"I'll be back in a sneeze to pick you up." -pg. 175

"...the girl carrying a bucket of lies and throwing them like confetti..." pg. 187

Also, there was a metaphor of a moth in one's throat that was perfect.

This novel was just all-around awesome. I truly hope you guys read this. My rating?

6/5

Now, I know that there is a number system for a reason, but this novel is one I will be going back to read for sure. It's exciting and unpredictable! You get so wrapped up that it'll take a minute or two to answer if a person interrupts.

Suggestions? Not really any for this one. Just let yourself be immersed in the NOLA culture of the time, and enjoy.

Have an amazing Easter!!!!!

Until next time, loves!

Hugs,

Lexi

Books That I Tried To Read But Just Couldn't (A Confession By Lexi)

Hey, loves!

So I know my reviews are usually on good books that are rated 5/5. This is because I want to share awesome literature and not bore you to death with a negative review, you know?

Here are books that I tried to get through for y'all but couldn't. This is not a normal issue for me, so it's been a surprise because it's been happening lately. I felt I wanted to tell y'all the truth -- I skimmed or just stopped reading. Or I read it through and felt like I wasted my time. Honestly, it was just not for me.

So, here are books you're not going to be reading rave reviews about (from me)...

• Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green
• I skimmed it at one point. It's good, but depressing. If you can handle a slow book that's depressing, go for it. Otherwise, skip it. 1.5/5

• Virtually Mine by Susan Rohrer
• Too cutsie, too many lead characters. 2.5/5

• Thumped by Megan McCafferty
• Bumped was bad enough. There was no freaking way I was going to read the sequel. 0/5

• Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
• I skipped around, then skimmed. It's not too predictable, but it is kind of boring. There were more efficient activities and such that could have been done by the characters, and maybe some foreshadowing. Big event was not big enough. There was worse. So it's just ridonkulous (apparently, this is now a real word because there is no correction line). 1/5

• The Mist on Bronte Moor by Aviva Orr
• Great idea. Too lagging. It went super slow for much too long in the middle. It was still pretty good though. 3, maybe 3.5/5

• Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & her daughter
• Oh. My. Lord. I counted down the days to this book's release, and so I tried so hard on this one. I LOVE Jodi Picoult to death, but this novel seriously was not convincing enough for me to stick around. The idea was fun, but I couldn't finish it. It read like a super-dee-duper bad tween fanfic.

• Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
• But I AM still trying. I'm determined to get into this book more. So we'll see how this goes. No rating yet.

• Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
• This book has no main character. It claims it does, but it clearly doesn't. So many characters were too evolved and focused on. This was just a mess. I stuck around, waiting for it to get better, but it didn't. Sorry, but this one is a 0/5.

This is it for now. Another 4 or 5 is coming up soon! *hugs*

"The Jane Austen Marriage Manual" (A Lexi Review)

So, readers, there have been lots of you that visited, and we both hope that you'll really start subscribing and messaging us! We adore y'all and just wish that you'd wanna keep comin' back. Any requests and comments are always welcome, loves!

Okay, on to the review. Today's is on The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo. Look at this gorgeous cover!!!

Book Summary

"Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.

Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?"

My Review

Since I never read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (*flinches and whispers "don't hurt me!"*), I decided that this would grab me a bit more, as I had just watched the miniseries (thank you, AT&T DVR!) of it, that this was going to be me making up for that fact. The fact that I received the gift of the title "Lady" as well grabbed me as well; it seemed like an awesome idea for this plot! It didn't let me down. At all. This book was so much fun! Some places, you wonder what exactly the author is setting up with a certain character or two, but it's all wonderful and makes sense quickly.
I do have to say that this is definitely the modern-day fairy tale that girls want to be in. The best part? How realistic it is. It gives me hope of my own Darcy to run into one of these days. And in joining in on high society events and the rich-beyond-rich lifestyle. Pretty much everything that happens in this book.

The men are also realistic, as is Kate. As a journalist, I can say that her situation is very realistic. As for the men, you'll be drooling; trust me. I'd want to meet these guys; every single one that appears in this novel. But going on the adventure to meet them seems even more worth it than the end result of meeting a guy, at least in this book. Seeing as I loved the characters, that's saying something for the novel itself. Usually, characters become very predictable, as does a storyline, in every book I read. This one, the adventure was much to fun to rush to the ending and seeing which male Kate ends up with, if any.

Kate proves in this book that life can improve, and to hold out and never settle. :)

See the rest in "Suggestion."


In Conclusion

See "Suggestion."


Rating

I'm giving you a gorgeous display of five Darcys. Just for y'all.


Suggestion

This book is great if you're facing a new event or part of your life. This book will remind you that any end is a new beginning, and that you should seriously see every change as an adventure. Whenever you're doubting yourself or your future, this is the perfect book to read. Take a day to relax, and read this.

"The Little Prince" (A Grinning Lexi Review)

Let me introduce y'all to a novel that inspired tons of lives to change, kids to dream, and tattoos. That novel is "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

This novel is amazing. It's a story about a man who finds a little boy when he crashes his airplane out in the desert. The boy then teaches the pilot how to live and be happy through telling him about his travels from planet to planet. He explains the issue with each planet, and how there was no planet like his own home planet. One that has a rose that he truly loves.

It may sound odd, but it's best that you read this novel to understand why this book is so essential to read. The Little Prince is a favorite of mine. I read this for the first time when I was around 14 or 15, because James Dean loved this book. (I loved him.) Anywho, I'm glad that I did. This novel shows what's important in life.

Now, looking at it in a technical way, it is still wonderful. Though using stereotypical types of people (the classic businessman, etc.) for minor characters, it works beautifully. You don't learn too much about any character, but you do hear the voices of the two main characters and learn things about their respective lives. The characters' tones are all easy to follow. The best part is that, read at any age, you will be able to take something different from this book each time you read it, as it grows with you from year to year.

The wisdom from this book is easy to absorb and understand. I recommend this book to everybody at every age.


Rating:

Yeah. Waaaaay over five.

Suggestion: This book is short, but read it alone first. Then share it with your friends and family.

"Kill Me Softly" (A Review by Lexi)

Okay, so I read this in what feels like forever ago. However, it has totally stayed with me, and it has been going, "Leeeeexxxxiiiiii!!! Reviiiiiieeeewww meeeee!" in a totally creepy way, lol. So I shall give into its demands and make it happy. Hahaha

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Summary from my beloved Goodreads (Seriously, if you haven't been there, you need to go there. Now.):

"Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own... brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns."

I will just say that Sarah Cross is wonderful for writing a book full of fairytales slapped together into a believable and interesting story. I was never bored with this book. The characters were well-rounded, and the main character stayed that way for the entire novel (something I now know to appreciate). The story is fun, there are hilarious parts, and overall, it's just a great novel.

I love the "dark secret" mentioned in the summary. It was the perfect twist to a story. But first, when you're recognizing all these fairytales, you'll be amazed at how they get all wrapped up together in each other. You'll wonder what it'd be like to live one out, and you'll want to move to Beau Rivage. Trust me.

Anywho, the plot is great, because who would think of this except for Ms. Cross? The characters truly are well-developed and whole. There is humor and a definite timeline. There are also male characters to drool over. ;)


Conclusion: Overall, structurally, this novel wins! Then add the plot and characters, and you have an awesome book!

Rating: 

Suggestion: Just read it. You'll get swept up in an amazing fairytale, and be super glad that you did. Take a groggy or super bright day to do so. Linger over each character. This book's plot will remain a fave of yours, just like it did for me. Again, it'll just stick with you.

"Crewel" (an Alexis review)

Lexi again!

So today's book is one I almost didn't read because it just didn't seem like I was going to like it much, you know? But one day, I decided I had to give it a chance, and I'm thrilled that I did!

There are two covers now, but this is the one I have. Here's the newer one:

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

This book is awesome. Here's the summary from Goodreads:

"Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

 Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it."

Sounds cool, right? The idea may seem odd, but it is beautifully portrayed. You honestly can imagine the threads and tapestries of time and life in this novel. Being a Crewel is seen as an amazing thing, but Adelice soon finds out that the life sucks.

The imagery, characters, and scenes are all wonderful. The thought that this could happen seems so interesting and realistic when you're reading this.

Since I can't really describe it like I want to without going back and describing, let's just say that this novel rocks, and you should give it a chance!

Rating:

Suggestions: Go for it! Take time to read it! Anytime, anywhere! You may get sad at some parts, but overall, you'll be intrigued.

"Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains)" (A Review by Lexi)

Hello, readers!

I am trying to catch up by posting a few this week, as much as I can. I hope this is okay. Then Ash and I are starting a schedule. She wonderfully took care of this blog whilst I was away, and how sweet is was to do so! She's such an awesome person!

Anywho, here's a book that presents itself in a certain way, but really is in disguise.

Look at this cover and title! You'd think it's a superhero book, right? I mean, that's what it alludes to. But is it? Um. No. Not at all.

Barnes & Noble summary: "Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines.

All she wants is for Mark the Soccer Stud to notice her. Not as Josh's weird sister who drives a turd-brown minivan. And not as that nerdy girl who draws comics.

What she gets is her very own arch-nemesis.

Name: Mark Deninger, aka Mark the Shark Occupation: Soccer star and all-around lady killer Relationship Status: Serial dater Group Affiliation: No loyalty Known Superpowers: Anti-girlfriend force field, breaking hearts

Mark may have humiliated Blaze supervillian-style, but what he doesn't know is how geek girls always get revenge.

#GeekGrlzRevenge"

This is the most confusing book ever. You have no clue what she's going to end up doing. One moment, she's her little brother's role model, and then she doesn't take care of a big situation right away like a mature girl would. (I'm close to my little brother, and am a mom figure to him, so I know.) The ending does work as a resolution to part of the book, but you'd never get the main idea of the book. The main idea truly is Blaze finding her own voice. However, you don't get this until the end, and you're wondering what the hell you just read.

It has a good premise, and it's interesting, especially if you relate to being an adult early in life. I like that she was a girl into comic books. That was a great idea for a character, because us nerds needed a character to relate to. However, this book was so odd that I couldn't enjoy it much. Too many characters that came and went, too many things that weren't handled as they should have been (at least in my opinion). So, while I wanted this book to be awesome, and I wanted to see more of the comics and the one she was writing. There were too many things that just had no conclusion to them, and it's sad.

Rating: Two Superheroes...

Suggestion: Skip this one. If you want to buy it, please don't. Library is recommended. Don't spend too much time on it, okay?

"Etiquette and Espionage" (Lexi's Thoughts)

It seems that Ash has gone on a blogger rampage while I've been on vacation, lol. So I gotta keep up with the woman here. Though I will be strangling her for reviewing China Garden before I did, I am going to just post a lot until then, lol. Okay, so one I need to go ahead and write about this awesome book:

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Okay, so let me give you a summary from Google:

"It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. 

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education."
Before I begin, I have to say that I was not a fan of steampunk, but this cover and summary sucked me in. Of course, I counted down until it came out, and let me say that it was sooo WORTH IT.

Yep! Nothing bad in this book at all!

The energy and adventure in this book will whisk you away to a time and place where robot butlers and maids are normal, where a vanishing finishing school makes young women into spies as well as women, and there's a brother school for villains. One character discusses how she can't wait to get her first husband so she can kill him. Another one was raised by wolves.

We meet Sophronia taking apart a dumbwaiter to see how it works... and things go madly wrong. With how much she ruins her clothes on a regular basis by being so very unladylike and not being presentable, this is just the last straw for her mother. Sophronia thought the infamous finishing school was going to completely boring and slowly kill her with all of the lessons that would ensue, including proper dances, how to faint properly, and what to wear for each occasion, or hour in the day.

Then the head of the school shows up, and what ensues changes everything. After all, how can you be bored when you're trained on how to keep weapons hidden in your petticoats as well as breaking hearts and such.

One of my favorite lines is "Now, remember, if there is gossip to be garnered, garner it. If there are new dress styles to be imitated, imitate them. If there are hearts to be broken, break them. That's my girls."

To sum up, honestly, this novel is so full of whimsical fantasies that you'll immediately wish were true. Anybody would fantasize about being in a school like this. It's like Hogwarts for espionage. The schools truly become like another pair of characters to love. Then all of the quirks of both schools showcases each character, from minor to main.

I honestly don't want to give away anything, so I'm just going to say that it is just an amazing and fun book! You'll start wanting to join a finishing school just in case one like Mademoiselle Geraldine's actually exists! I know I did!

You will love the well-rounded characters who are so realistic, you'll feel as if you've made a whole new set of friends and enemies. Every scene is so vivid, you'll be transported there. This is such a fun, action-packed novel that everybody should

Summary: Nothing could yank me away from this book. I was reading and reading, getting so enthralled the whole time, and wanting my own adventures. It's all well thought out, and I'm already prepared for the next one, and considering buying all of the author's other novels as well. (Oh, who am I kidding? I will.) So if you enjoy books that are magnificent, you'll not be disappointed with this one!

Rating: 

Suggestion: Want an escape? Read this and have an awesome adventure being part of the finishing school of your dreams!

Have fun!

Hugs,
Lexi

"Gravity" by Melissa West (A Lexi Review)

Well, I'm on vacation again. My mom and I decided to have a mom/daughter trip on a cruise while my brother and his best friend run around the ship as well. Since there is no wi-fi readily available on this cruise either -- and I'll be wanting to lay out and enjoy life without electronics anyways -- I am scheduling these next few to post while I'm away, so don't think I'm ignoring if you contact us or comment. When I'm back, I'm hoping I see lots of comments and such!


On to this novel, Gravity by Melissa West.

Summary: In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn't just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war. (source: Goodreads)

"So what's a girl to do?" you may be thinking. "And why do I want to read about aliens?" Well, I tried a chapter of this before committing to the novel myself. See, I'm not into the whole "aliens" craze... or so I thought. Then I read this book. And the story and details have been staying with me ever since. Even the last novel I read I could barely focus on or remember the details of because I was too busy thinking about the characters of this novel!

Let's start with Ari. She is already being forced into a marriage with her friend by their parents. No love is there, but she knows it's for the best... or is it? Then she meets Jackson. Sexy, sexy Jackson. His eyes look like a lake that you can happily swim in forever, and he is nothing like what Ari had ever been told about his kind. Your heart will struggle this entire book, wondering where the truth of everything lies, and whether everything will end on a positive note.

Now, on to dynamics... The prologue of this novel will have you hooked right away, no questions asked. Your heart will be pounding with the feelings of Ari as a little girl. You'll be swept up into this novel immediately, and you'll start to feel as if you are Ari, complete with all of the emotions and the . The language of the novel is beautiful. I kept highlighting all of these descriptions of places as well as wise words spoken by the characters. If you keep a quote book like I do, you'll be able to get plenty out of here. One of my faves is this one, from page 30: "'Pride?' He gives me a mock grin. 'You define what makes you proud, not someone else, and certainly not rules that would have your friends get beaten. There's no pride in that.'"

In Conclusion: This book is really good, even if sci-fi and/or aliens aren't your things. You'll love the romantic side of things as well as the war aspects. You'll catch yourself holding your breath without meaning to, and having your heart just as torn as Ari. You may get trapped in the novel and find you've lost time, but in a good way.

Rating: 

Suggestions: Read when you're okay to knock out a few chapters at a time. The novel is 215 pages. This novel is not for the faint-of-heart though, so if you are easily disgusted by blood or such, stay away from this novel. If you can brave your way through it, it's worth it.

Go to a comfy chair and read away. If warm enough, go outside and read under the stars at night. (Stay safe though, please.) Or just get snuggled under your blankets and look out a window at stars while you daydream away with this novel. Enjoy, y'all!

P.S. There's a sequel coming out August 2013, but thankfully this novel doesn't leave you with an unbearable cliffhanger, so no worries!

In Comments: Do you believe in aliens and flying saucers? Why or why not? What would you do or how would you react  if you ever met one?

Cruises and a review of "World of Shell and Bone"!!! (A Lexi Review)

Oh, readers, Ash and I haven't posted in awhile because we went on a Disney cruise together (AMAZING!!!), and then life took over once we got back. I'm actually leaving on Tuesday for another one, this one on Carnival, but this time as a mother-daughter trip.

Okay, so let's get on to my review!!!

World of Shell and Bone by Adriana Ryan

First off, look at the stunning cover!

Totally gorgeous, right?

Summary: In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you'll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in China.

New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations--the Nukeheads--are the new class of homeless.

Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika's little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.


When she's assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.

As she learns more about the Rads's plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she'd never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres? (from Amazon)


Okay, so if you've read Flawless Ruins by Kiera Nicolas, you'll think that this book is like it by the summary, but it's definitely not. This is a wonderful book that stands on it's own uniqueness. (I'm not saying that Flawless is a bad one; it's actually amazing as well.)

This novel is a great one for the "New Adult" section, which means you're an older "Young Adult." The characters are very believable, and you start to wonder whether this could happen.

Amana is an overcrowded place that was destroyed in a nuclear war. It's an unsettling place where the air is so filled with chemicals that it burns to breathe. It's where you have to watch what you say and do, because you have to treat everybody like they're going to turn you in for one reason or another, and nobody will believe that you're innocent. As a woman, you better be able to pass a ridiculous fitness or be extremely fertile, or you're "discarded." Any unhealthy or physically impaired children will be taken away, so you must also hope that that doesn't happen. But, then again, the citizens say "it's for the best." Oh, and love? Well, that's not what marriages are based upon. Men are solely called "Husbands," and are assigned to you. They should be obedient, cook, and clean. (That doesn't sound too bad, actually... loljk.) If you were lucky, you got to go to China, where there was plenty of room.

Vika never really questioned these things. And, looking from her point of view, it's understandable. Each new surprise in the novel will make sense to you. Also, the novel will explain everything, answering any questions you have while reading it, so no worries there. The characters are whole and convincing. The storyline and secrets will have you in their grasps for the entire novel. I honestly experienced no slow parts, and couldn't guess what was going to happen in the novel by the first few chapters. It was like an adventure; one that I am more than happy to have gotten to go on. This book had me emotionally involved and invested, wondering how everything was going to turn out.

In all honesty, what Vika is facing seems like what women our age (twenties) are facing: too many decisions and expectations to have everything together, your life all planned out. Everything seems fine until you hit that point, and wonder why you never thought to question your future or why nothing is going as planned anymore. (This is now coined as a "quarter-life crisis.") The novel will have you relating to Vika and the world around her, including her mother.

In Conclusion: In the end, I honestly am trying to review without giving any other little surprises away (like the names... you'll get it...), so I'm just going to say that this  novel is wonderfully written, and it had me reading it nonstop. You'll realize how far one can go to right some wrongs, no matter how long it's been, and that maybe following everybody else's schedule and expectations aren't what is right for you.

I hope that you guys enjoy this novel even just a quarter of how much I did!


Rating:

5/5 quasars

Recommendation: Just read it. Wherever and whenever. But, like, RIGHT NOW.

Splintered (A Lexi Review)

OOOH, Readers,

I just finished a book, and it's ahhhh-mazing. Splintered by A.G. Howard!!!

God. Even this cover is gorgeous.

Summary: Based upon the darker aspects of Wonderland, A.G. Howard crafted a world fit for today's Alice fans! Alyssa is a descendant of Alice. Yeah, that Alice. The one who went into a rabbit hole. She's not too thrilled about that though, especially since her insanity will catch up with her and she'll end up exactly where her mother and all the other Alice descendants do -- an institution. But one night, she falls into a mirror, following the haunting voice that's haunted her since she was a child. Right to Wonderland, where it's not the pretty place Carroll thought it was. (from me)

Okay, so this book is AMAZING. I counted down to this book, and the e-book wasn't to come out till the 15th, so I was so sad. But I got it elsewhere, and I loved it. The wait since summer was so very worth it. I didn't want to sleep. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to do a thing till I finished reading. I had to anyways, which sucked.

Anywho, the characters are actually believable and very human (the humans are, at least). Alyssa is a normal girl with a crappy family situation, and each human has their own demons that they have or are dealing with. (Btw, two love interests that will each try to steal your heart away.) They're all well-rounded, and the Wonderland characters are quite imaginative, as is Wonderland itself. Howard's view of Wonderland has less rhyme or reason than Carroll's. If Lewis Carroll read Splintered, he'd feel like his imagination was definitely not nearly developed as Howard's. It took me awhile to develop each scene in my head, and then each new creature that came about.

I don't want to give anything else away, so let me just say that you will not ever see any little bit that comes along next. If your head can wrap around each thing, draw it out and let me see it because I definitely will need to reread it to love and absorb it even more.

Conclusion: This book rocked. If you can't fully appreciate crazy imagination, please stay away from this book. If you even just like the idea of any of the Alice in Wonderlands out there, go for it. You'll be wrapped up in the puzzles, the riddling language, each creature, what's going to happen with Alyssa, and, of course, both guys that are trying to win her love. You may just want to end up in this Wonderland yourself.

Rating:  
(I know Ash will appreciate this, as we both are in love with the Hatter in general.)

Suggestion: Try to read this in one sitting so you don't lose your place in it all. Read especially if you're in the mood for at least one of the following: (A) running away, (B) being whisked away, (C) going to another land, (D) two hott guys, and/or (E) complete and utter nonsense. Don't be afraid to let yourself get lost down the rabbit hole.

Jeckel Loves Hyde (A Lexi Review)

Hello there,

Well, I have been busy hollowing out a book and making it into an e-reader case for my mom. As of last night, the final night of cutting out pages, I officially put my blood, sweat, and tears into this thing. (Who thought handing me a razor blade with a handle was a good idea? I mean, really? Okay, I asked for it, but still. My poor finger. lol) I just now did some finishing touches. Spray sealing it is the last step. I'm quite proud of this freaking thing, so I'll have to post a picture some time.

Anyways, on to the book that I read and didn't tear up: Jeckel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey.

Goodreads summary: "Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad."

Sounds intriguing, right? Jekyll and Hyde re-imagined! How could that possibly go wrong? I have no clue, but it definitely did.

I had such high hopes. The prologue was intriguing, being set at a funeral for Jill's father. See, I figured it was set later, or maybe was a foundation for something big. Oh, and that the seasons and such would be used later to establish some kind of timeline, sense of time. I was proven wrong quickly.

There is no timeline set in the book. You have no clue when the prologue happened, nor how much time has happened in-between that and the first chapter. Near the close of the book, the date of her father's death is revealed, and so you get a sense of time, but it's too late. And the author seems to ignore the time between. See, there had to be casual contact between Jill and Tristen before chapter one, and after the funeral, but it is given a line or two, dismissed. I wanted to scream at the book, but withheld. After all, it'll get better, right?... Right???

Wrong again.

Please don't get me wrong. The idea of this plot is great! I love the plot, and I love the idea of the characters. However, they weren't well-rounded people. They were quickly categorized as completely good or completely bad. Jill was a *gag* Mary Sue character. The story was quite predictable, and the author ensured so with very obvious signs, such as a character suspiciously being overly-eager about something. The annoying part is that the characters all stayed blissfully ignorant of every single thing that was going on around them, and even involving them. If it truly had happened, the characters would be quite a bit more intelligent, and many of the situations they get stuck in wouldn't happen.

Okay, this is my last point of anger with this book, I swear. There is no true back story ever given. How close were Jill and her father? What was Tristen's life before this period? Was it hell or tolerable? What were Tristen and Jill's interpersonal relationship like before any of this happened? Any home lives would be awesome. Feelings, too. But the further to the end you get, the more you realize that you're not going to be getting any information.

Overall, the book feels like you're suddenly thrust into a random person's life, and then you're yanked back out again before you actually get to know anybody at all, including yourself.

The plot is awesome though, which is what kills me.

Rating:A tad over two entire gingerbread men, because a re-imagining of Jekyll and Hyde was a great idea... just poorly executed.

Suggestion: Read for the thrill of the idea, and then just head back to the original Jekyll and Hyde if you really want to. If you want a quick read that's thrilling, head over to a ghost story or paranormal site and read something that's more convincing. If you really want to be scared, look up Ed and Lorraine Warren and see what they did (she still does) for a living. Looking for paranormal romance? A ton are getting released, some already so. Download/find "Winter Escapes," a sampler of over a dozen authors and their works, and then pick from there.

No words

Hello.

I didn't know if I should comment on the shooting in Connecticut, but how could it not be written about?

In all honesty, there are no words. There truly aren't. We are four days away from the murder of twenty innocent children and six brave adults, and yet seven days until Christmas. We're all stuck between hell and hope, all in utter disbelief that this could have ever happened.

The worst part for those not attached is that he didn't fit the profile we expect. You expect this kid who's been bullied. You expect a kid whose parents weren't aware of him having weapons. And those parents of the kids? Which ones almost kept their kids home that day but didn't? Which ones had a bad feeling but ignored it? Can you imagine being them right now? Or even a parent to one of the four surviving kids? I can't. I can't imagine any of this, nor how this wasn't prevented in some -- any -- way.

I guess nobody, especially me, needs to tell you what we're feeling across the world. Nor do I need to tell you guys what you should take from it, learn from it so the deaths aren't in vain. I just know that I'm going to be holding my family a bit tighter, and keeping my eyes open a bit wider. I'll be thinking about the kids and that whole town every day, and praying for and sending love to every person there.

Again, no words from anybody can describe the feelings, the situation, and obviously, nothing at all will ever be able to explain why. But the least we can do is face the situation and learn from it, right?


Love,
Lexi

Sundays at Tiffany's (A Lexi Review)

Oooh, this is a favorite of mine! As a kid, I was addicted to the movie "Drop Dead Fred." If you don't know what it is about, it involves an imaginary friend coming back to his playmate, who is now a grown woman. This is the same idea, but was executed in a much better fashion, the way I wanted that movie to end when I was older.

Here's the official summary of this book (jacked straight from the ever-amazing Goodreads):

"Anne Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewellery at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's the perfect man in every way. Unfortunately, only Anne can see him. 

But Michael can't stay forever. 

On Jane's ninth birthday he leaves, promising her that she'll soon forget him. Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone; a handsome, comforting, funny man. He's the perfect man all over again."
This book has you feeling every emotion under the sun. If you had/have an overbearing mother, it'll be empowering, and you won't feel alone. If you had an awesome imaginary friend, I envy you, and you may be thinking about them a bit more after this. If nothing in this book relates to you at all, you'll still love it. I forced myself to wait a few months before rereading the book, and it was extremely difficult.

On to the writing... The imagination that it took to come up with this was great. There are no places where it's lagging; every scene has a purpose. The book is not too long, nor too short (though you may want more in the end anyways). The writing is superb, and, no, this subject is not what you'd expect from James Patterson. The transition from the past to the present is flawless. This book will make you wonder just where imaginary friends go when they're not around kids, and who truly came up with them. The imagery is great and, even if you've never visited New York before, you can see the city and its sites through Michael and Jane's eyes. The feelings evoked from this book are strong, and you may have tears if you connect. If you're upset or depressed and want to wallow for awhile, I understand; just stay away from this book.

With this book, you'll be whisked off with Jane to trying to grab hold of your childhood again, and wondering just when you went from confident to self-loathing.

Rating: 5/5 cute, cliche bookworms :P

Suggestions: Read on a rainy day in a comfy, over-sized sweatshirt/sweater. Make sure you have the day free of any responsibilities or plans, and just get as comfortable as possible. Snuggle in a warm, fuzzy blanket. Grab your favorite stuffed animal, pet, sibling, whatever, and read away. You may need a drink, so go for your favorite. The day you read this is the day you should indulge yourself.

After the Book: You should definitely rent/stream/buy "Drop Dead Fred" after this. It'll be worth your time, and it will make you laugh. Also listen to Savage Garden's "Crash and Burn." Oh, warning: You may want to make up your own imaginary friend. lol


XOXO,
Lexi



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Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid? What were they like? What would you do if they popped into your life again tomorrow?

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