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Books I Just Can't Shut Up About...

There is just something so amazing about these nine books that are pictured above. The authors are funny, complex, draw you in and leave you wanting to devour their next few books. I fell in love with reading at a very young age and have had a love affair with stories and words for some time. So when I come across  a really good book; one that challenges me, surprises  me or lifts my spirits then I just have to brag about them. So here goes….

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

I was not a fan of mysteries or thrillers until I read this book. I was late to the game on this one. It had been out for a while. The movie was being heavily promoted and people just kept talking about it. I was not really ready to hop on the band wagon until Walden books (may they rest in peace) issued me a 50 percent off coupon. Next thing I know I was falling in love with a Harvard Professor named Robert Langdon. I couldn’t help it. Langdon was one of the most well developed characters I had read for sometime; and the story was interesting and thrilling. I recommended this book for months after I read it. I even let others borrow my copy. Professor Langdon and his mad dash through France has  still stayed with me even though it’s been over 5 years since I have read the novel.

Renee and Jay by J.J. Murray

This was the second book I had ever read by Virginia author J.J. Murray. I really was not into romantic comedies and surely not interracial romantic comedies ; but , these one as just different. Murray, who is male and Caucasian; writes from the POV of a sexy African American woman. Renee is struggling after a break up and by chance gets stuck in a restaurant with the sexy Giovanni. This chance meeting makes Renee reevaluate how she views dating and she starts thinking outside the box. Giovanni is easy to love as a character; as is his father. He is sweet, kind, romantic and seems to fall head over heel with Renee almost right away. What really impresses me with this book is that it is so fast paced. It keeps you interested and its funny. I could not stop talking about this book. The reading of this one book has lead to me reading several others by this amazing master of words.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Love Wins is a non-fiction, Christian book that talks about the fate of the world and the importance of hell. Bell got a lot of blow back for this book. He left the church that he co – founded behind it. He has also become one of the most influential Christian speakers in the United States. What I loved about the book is that Bell really talked about the way that I felt about Christianity . He makes you feel like you are sitting down one on one with him having this intimate conversation about the world and Christianity. This one book has led me to read to others by him as well. Each just as insightful as this one; the other two that I have read were What we talk about when we talk about God and Sex God.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you have not read this book; well you are missing out. This is a fast paced beautiful love story. A man, after a terrible car accident which leaves him terribly burned. While recovering he meets Marianne Engle that tells him that they were lovers in a past life. The book takes us on a journey between their friendship and their past life. The story switches back and forth a lot but is not dry or boring. It is beautiful and sweet and complex and adventurous. By the end of the book  I wanted a different ending. It was bittersweet but it was clear that the man (who is unnamed the entire time) is changed because of his relationship with Marianne. This book is one of my favorite of all time. It touched my heart and is one of the greatest love stories I have ever had the privilege to read.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Wow….just wow. Cassandra Clare sucked me in. All she had to do was write a cocky, blonde haired, demon fighting young man into a book and I was there. Jace Wayland is one of the best supporting characters I have read in a young adult novel in a very long time. Clare’s characters are relatable, funny and loveable. You will find yourself falling in love with at least one of them. I personally love Jace; mainly due to his  quick  and witty come  backs. I also love Simon and Isabelle. But, I also found myself feeling sorry for the bad guy.  This  May the last book of this series will be released and I will be very sad to see this group of Shadowhunters go. Even though there is a promise of more Shadowhunter tales to come.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This is an amazing book. So beautifully written; so lovely and it will bring you to tears. Golden allows us a glimpse into the world of a young Geisha. Who did not choose this life for herself but was sold into it; along with her sister. The story tracks the highs and lows of her life and proves that even though love is not an option to her it will always find a way. What makes this book so amazing is the way it is written. The prose is so fluid and beautiful. I found myself reading passages over and over again just because I wanted to memorize their beauty.

Something Real by J.J. Murray

Another Murray book…I know. But, Murray is amazing. This was the first book that I ever read by the author. I was  just walking in Target and the cover got me interested. It was a quick fast read. I found myself identifying with Penny. Who is African American and plus sized. She is funny and going through a hard time in her life because she is single and Mr. Right does not seem to becoming her way anytime soon. Then on one fateful Sunday in flies a man looking for prayer; he is suffering a lost and is now left to care for his children. Through no fault of her own she ends up falling head over heels in love with Dewey Baxter (the man that enters her church). What I love about this book is how strong a character Penny is. She is not very sure of who she is and she knows what she wants. Of course, this is not always the case throughout the book but she becomes stronger as you read. Its not very often that you see African American characters; especially women like this in books that often.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Another non- fiction book, but it is a powerful one. It really has had a great impact on my as an adult. It made me think of how precious life is and how important it is to fight sometimes just to survive. What is so amazing about this book is the author. Even through unimaginable sadness Wiesel did not allow it to swallow him whole.  The book reads quickly but it’s hard to get through; it took me a couple of days due to the fact there is some very graphic scenes in it.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I read this book my senior year of college and I really needed to read it. What I love the most about this book is that it is funny and heartfelt. It’s another book where you feel like you are getting advice and insights from an old friend. The book reminds you of the power of living your dreams and just being yourself. The Last Lecture is an amazing book and I always recommend it to those graduating from college or who are struggling to figure things out.

eBook Search App for iPad

Long gone are the days of paying for online books that are now public domain. I recently purchased and iPad to help me with my course work and blogging in the course of downloading apps I was looking for a way to get my hands on more ePublished works. Wouldn't you know it that eBook Search (as developed by Inkstone Software, Inc) does just that. I have now downloaded several public domain books that most companies are still charging readers for. Among them are the four that are pictured above. eBooks search is a free app, but it does have a pro addition that will cost you a few bucks. But that app offer a lot of books. I hope this article helps anyone looking for ePub / public domain access to classics. 

Here are the descriptions of the books I have recently downloaded below:

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence 

(Description is from Amazon.com) 

With its four-letter words and its explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse, Lady Chatterley's Lover is the novel with which D.H. Lawrence is most often associated. First published privately in Florence in 1928, it only became a world-wide best-seller after Penguin Books had successfully resisted an attempt by the British Director of Public Prosecutions to prevent them offering an unexpurgated edition to the general public. The famous 'trial of Lady Chatterley' heralded the sexual revolution of the coming decades and signalled the defeat of Establishment prudery. Yet Lawrence himself was hardly a liberationist and the conservativism of many aspects of his novel would later lay it open to attacks from the political avant-garde and from feminists. The story of how the wife of Sir Clifford Chatterley responds when her husband returns from the war paralysed from the waist down, and of the tender love which then develops between her and her husband's gamekeeper, is a complex one open to a variety of conflicting interpretations. This edition of the novel offers an occasion for a new generation of readers to discover what all the fuss was about; to appraise Lawrence's bitter indictment of modern industrial society, and to ask themselves what lessons there might be for the 21st century in his intense exploration of the complicated relations between love and sex.

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

(Description from goodreads. com)

First published in 1922, The Beautiful and the Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut, This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveau riche and New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects wild ambition, The Beautiful and the Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerald's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day. Pocket Book's Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. Special features include critical perspectives, suggestions for further read, and a unique visual essay composed of period photographs that help bring every word to life.

Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant

(Description from goodreads.com)

De Maupassant's second novel, Bel-Ami (1885) is the story of a ruthlessly ambitious young man (Georges Duroy, christened ''Bel-Ami'' by his female admirers) making it to the top in fin-de-siecle Paris. It is a novel about money, sex, and power, set against the background of the politics of the French colonization of North Africa. It explores the dynamics of an urban society uncomfortably close to our own and is a devastating satire of the sleaziness of contemporary journalism. Bel-Ami enjoys the status of an authentic record of the apotheosis of bourgeois capitalism under the Third Republic. But the creative tension between its analysis of modern behaviour and its identifiably late nineteenth-century fabric is one of the reasons why Bel-Ami remains one of the finest French novels of its time, as well as being recognized as Maupassant''s greatest achievement as a novelist.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

(Description from goodreads.com)

On what slender threads do life and fortune hang'

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare Cover debut

Why does he have wings?! My roomie thinks it's because he is seeking redemption .....my response "LIES...LIES....he is demon spawn"

What I am currently reading

My current read! The Night Eternal (book 3 of the Strain trilogy). Really excited about this book...its vampires the way they should be...no sparkling here. I can't wait to see how civilization survives after a complete vamp take over. So far, everyone is falling in line with the new world order. Which includes farms...were people are penned and bred for the vamps to feed off of. Its gonna be an epic ending lol!  

Clockwork Princess Review and Impressions

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Brief Synopsis (without Spoilers)

            What to say about this wonderful book? Cassandra Clare has done it again. She has kept her readers caught up in the amazing, beautiful world of Victorian London. We meet up again with Jem, Tessa and Will as they battle to stop the Magister at his dangerous game to harm the shadowhunter race. The story opens with Tessa getting ready for her nuptials with James Carstairs. She should be happy, ready to marry the love of her life. But, their engagement is over shadowed ; not only by James failing health, but also by the magister need to get his hands on Tessa. The Magister will stop at nothing to get to her. The book takes us through the ups and downs of Will’s emotions as he battles to not only keep Tessa safe ; but, to keep his emotions hidden. He is sure that Tessa does not love him; and is happy to hide his feelings if it means that is best friend and parabatai from being hurt. The story finds Jem fighting for his life after the drug he needs to sustain it is in short supply. The Magister does this in hopes to lure Tessa out into the open; by putting Jem’s life in danger he ensures that she will come to him. He also knows that Tessa is a the missing piece to his plot; and will allow him to seek the revenge he so desperately craves. Once he is assured that even the shortage of Jem’s drug; well not lure Tessa out into the open. He takes advantage of Jessie’s return to the institute. Using automatons the Magister attacks the Institute; resulting in the death of Jessie and the kidnapping of Tessa. Jem is gravely injured, weakened due to his sickness and not likely to recover. He grants Will permission to go after Tessa. While on his mission to find Tessa ; Will and Jem’s bond is severed.  Even though his Parabatai is dead Will soldiers on determined to find the woman he loves. Meanwhile back at the institute Charlotte is trying to convince the Consul to help them. She has reliable information from Will of the whereabouts of the Magister. The Consul makes it very clear that he is unwilling to trust or help Charlotte; mainly because he wants to protect his own position and power within the Clave. With no backup the Shadowhunters of the London Institute must go it alone. The fight side by side and are joined by the Silent Brothers. It is; in fact, revealed that Jem has become a Silent Brother. He does so as a means of saving not only himself; but, so that he can help fight and save those he loves. Of course, the Shadowhunters prevail;  with the help of the Angel Ithuriel, who was trapped in the Clockwork Angel.

Impression:

            Cassandra Clare is one hell of a writer. Her work is always impressive; and it always draws you in. The same is true of this series and especially this book. I fell head over heels in love with several of the characters of this series. It was heart breaking to part with them. Of course, I know that Magnus,  Tessa and now Jem will be seen in other books. (And in fact Jem has already been seen in The Mortal Instruments Series.)  What I loved the most about this series is the setting and the attention to detail. Clare really makes you feel like you are walking the streets of London with Will, Jem and Tessa. She uses the time period to create a beautiful atmosphere that is believable and beautiful. I love the fact that in this story, there is sexual tension between Will and Tessa; and Tessa and Jem. They are all romance and restraint and that is not something that we get to see in some many books these days. I hope she writes more period pieces; this one was wonderful.

Favorite Scene:

Gideon’s Proposal to Sophie; I really did not know that Gideon had so much Darcy in him. It was so beautifully rewritten. I was so happy for the couple. I would have loved to see more happen between Gabriel and Cecily.

Water Works Moments:

Jem and Tessa’s farewell: This was the worst scene I could have ever read. It made me ball. I have been in love with James Carstairs (Jem) since he was first introduced. I always found him to be the more interesting of the two boys. The was calm and steady; romantic and haunting beautiful. His departure from Tessa was hard. I felt so sorry for him because he was losing the woman that he loved so that he could live.

Will’s Death: This was an unexpected surprise for me. I think that it was because It was not until the end; when it seemed like Tessa was really truly happy with Will that I came to terms like this cocky boy actually having some really emotions. I personally was not always a fan of Will’s; he has a little too much Jace in him; but he was likeable enough.  

Another book to buy

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson 

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

A book I want to buy

"That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist."

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life’s journey in Richard Morais’s charming novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather’s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian restaurant opposite an esteemed French relais—that of the famous chef Madame Mallory—and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family, does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages—charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

Recent book Purchases

      

Just purchased these for My Nook....can't wait to read them!!

Here is the descriptions for each book: 

What Really Happened In Peru 

There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.

The Runaway Queen 

While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons…

Happy 123rd Birthday Zora Neale Hurston!!!! Author of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Warm weather Wishes

What I would not give for a lovely spring or summer day and a lovely book to read....perhaps some Cassandra Clare...since the book comes out in spring <3

Entire List of the Books I am set to read this year...hopefully I can get more than this in...

A short list of the books that I am looking forward to reading this year.

1) I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

2) Shades of Milk & Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

3) You Give Good Love by J.J. Murray

4) Inferno by Dan Brown

5) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

6) The Hours by Michael Cunningham

7) The City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

9) The Night Eternal by G. Del Toro & Chuck Hogan

10) Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

11) The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan

12) Divergent by Veronica Roth

13) Beautiful Redemption by K. Garcia and M. Stohl

14) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by R. Riggs

15) The Time Travelers Life by A. Niffenegger

16) Emma by Jane Austen

17) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

18) By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

19) The Help by Kathryn Stockett 

20)  She’s the One by J.J. Murray

21) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

22) Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

23) The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling

24) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 

25) Love In the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

26) Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

27) A Gift from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill

28) Alice and Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 

29) The White Chapel Conspiracy by Anne Perry

30) Dolores Claibourne by Stephen King

31) Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers

32) The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce - Benjamin

33) The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

34) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

35) Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Quick run down of my reading choices for the first half of 2014

 I am nothing if not organized. I love to have a plan, so for the first time in what seems like forever I am putting myself on a reading plan. I will be reading, blogging and reviewing as many books as possible this year. The above photos are of books I hope to get to within the next six months. They are a mix of romance, historical fiction, young adult, mystery and biography. I will also be spending the summer months exclusively reading classic novels. I can't wait to share my reading adventures with everyone. 

Book Haul 1 of 2014

My wish for everyone in the New Year

Last book purchase of 2013