A Return to Caldwell: The Bookbabe Reviews Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

We all know that I am a fan of the black dagger brotherhood series; there is really nothing like a good bit of vampire paranormal fiction. So here I am again, back in Caldwell, among the Brotherhood. In Lover Mine we are introduced yet again to Xhex and John Matthews. We are quickly caught up to the fact that Xhex is still missing. Having been taken by Lash; due to his obsession with her. And John is on a mission to find her - without the help of the Brotherhood. What I loved the most about this book is the fact that Ward did not really feature sex as heavily as she has in some of the other books. 
Which was extremely refreshing -because sometimes you just need a break from all of that.  Also, this book is infused with more action and some of the bit players are bought to the foreground. We see more of Quinn and Blay. Finally we get a little bit of a view into this relationship and begun to see it shaping itself into something else. I mean it really was about time. Quinn was beginning to get on my last nerve. And Blay, who was finally getting sick of Quinn's crap decides to go out with someone new. Which might be a mistake because that someone is Quinn's cousin (yikes). One of the most awesome thing of this book is to see how John and Xhex slowly connect to one another after she is back within the brotherhood. 
Xhex, as usual, is hard headed. She does not want to just be sitting on the sideline, allowing John to settle things with Lash on her behalf. She is interested in taking Lash out herself, and she will not allow anyone kill her but herself. Of course, at first, John is not willing to go along with that because (as a typical male) he feels the need to defend the woman that he loves. But, once Lash is cornered and Xhex is injured he sees the error of his ways. He allows her to dole out justice as she sees fit. This was one of my favorite moments of the book because  John was being selfless, he was looking beyond himself and really caring about Xhex - something I think that she never really experienced in her life. Of course, there are many more surprises in the book...but you will have to read it to find out more. I gave this book 3/5 stars on goodreads. 

Here are some of the quotes that I loved from this book:

"The truth was...he was in love with her. Totally over-the-line, no-going-back, not-even-dead-would-he-part kind of shit"

"No, you've got it all wrong, John...You're not half the male you could be because of what was done to you. You're twice what anyone else is because you survived"

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU: My review of 1984 by George Orwell

This was one of the books I choose from my book jar. I had been planning to read it this year for several reasons 1) I was born in 1984, 2) its an election year so why not? Let me get started by saying this is book is very different from any other dystopian novel I have ever read. It was frightening and carried in it some wisdoms and (I think) a bit of a warning about the way society might actually look like in the year 1984. Its important to note that the book was published in 1949; just five years after the second world war. During this time some people in the world were still struggling to put the pieces of their lives back together. This novel seems to take a look at what might happen under socialist party rule. In this world that Orwell has created Winston is a young man that seems very much a lover of the party but, also hates everything that his party stands for. He hates the rigidity of his life. Hates that he can not truly be his own man and express himself. He and others in Oceania are not even allowed to truly think for themselves. As part of their motto says "ignorance is freedom". They are not meant to play outside the party lines; because this means you will have to pay the ultimate price, by giving up your life. 

What I found very frightening about the society built into this novel is that everything is so closely monitored. The citizens from Oceania are not really allowed to marry, they can have children but are not expected  to raise them or have any connection to the children. Even when they do raise their children the kids are taught to spy on the parents and are even encouraged to turn them in; because after all there is no real loyalty - unless it is your loyalty to the party. Nowhere in this world can you be an individual. No way that you can be completely free. 

To a point, especially with the election in the United States looming large; I can see how this book fits one of our political parties and who one of the candidates for President could fit the role of Big Brother. When I looked at it that way the book was very damn scary. 

One of the over all themes of the book was really trust no one. Do not trust your "friends", do not trust the person your "fooling around" with because anyone can be the thought police. Because even when you do not think you're being watched you are. Anyone in this world can betray you. For winston this happens via a co-worker and a man whom he purchased a journal from. 

During the story, Winston is silently being watched for months. The thought police giving him enough time to really implicate that he has done something. 

What I loved about this book is that Winston was extremely relatable. He was a character that you could really see yourself getting behind; a man who you wished you could be like in that situation. Someone that is willing to face betrayal and even death in order to change your society. 

I am very happy to have finally read this wonderful dystopian classic. On Goodreads, I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Here are some of the quotes I liked:

"War is peace...Freedom is slavery...Ignorance is Strength"

"It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words"

"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they can not become conscious"

 

Why...did I read this?! Life is to short to read bad fiction

Okay so....I am not a complete prude but why are all the sex scenes so corny and we so damn frequent! I am a fan of J.R. Ward's BlackDagger Brotherhood series and (yes) they have sex but they are much better written! I could have just read the manga and skipped these! I usually never complain about a book but I have given this series two books to get better and I can't do it any more. There is very little action and a little to much sex. None of which really advances the story. I wanted to enjoy this book; because I enjoyed the manga....but damn! I think I will be avoiding the rest of these. 

Its all about the quotes...

I have not read as many books as I would have liked to so far this summer. But, I have managed to read a few books that have had some lovely quotables. I love them so much I just had to share them!

Another Classic Checked off my list: My Review of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

    

                              

Another Classic Checked off my list: My Review of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Any of my friends can tell you that I am a Janeite. Absolutely in love with just about all things Austen. So a few weeks ago, I joined one of my fellow Book lovers and soul sister Charlotte; in reading Northanger Abbey. This was my first time reading the novel and I was excited because I had read that it was Austen's take on a gothic novel (though it ends up being a parody). Many of which were written and wildly popular in her lifetime. So I went into it expecting something very different from what I read. I was a bit disappointed at first. But - Jane never really ever disappoints. She gives you characters you can grow to love and cherish. Which was very much the case with Catherine Morland; the heroine of the novel. I found Catherine to be very relatable; then though she was a bit childish and naive at first.  Frankly, she reminded me a lot of myself in my late teens and early twenties. Catherine is a young woman who very much wants to forge her own path; she seems to want an adventure but also wants to be content with life as well. She is very different from some of the other characters written by Austen that I love. Unlike Lizzie Bennett, she not at all strong willed; she does not openly express her opinions - not even among close friends. She is also, not as dizzy, or nutty as Marianne. But definitely not as sensible as  Elinor. There is a perfect imperfection in Miss. Morland's character that I could not help but love. One of the things I love the most about this book was her slow and evolving friendship with Henry Tilney. When Henry first comes upon the scene (talking of women, letter writing, and bad grammar) I really found him annoying. But, like most of Austen's male characters he grows on you (like a fungus lol). Tilney is harmless and a bit odd. Which actually is what I loved the most about him. He seems almost from the start to be a good match for Catherine. 

Another thing that I loved about this book was the friendship between Catherine and Isabella Thorpe. Yes, Isabella is annoying, rude, and extremely selfish. But, she is a good example of what some "friends" can truly be in our lives. They can often use us for their own gains and shower is in a lot of fake affection. I know I have experienced it and honestly I believe most women may have experienced this as well. The only characters I could not stand in this book were Isabella's brother, John. As well as, Mrs. Allen. I did not like Allen because she did not seem all that interested in anything really going on with Catherine - she seemed okay with allowing Catherine to go about with the Thorpe's and their schemes without a thought of what impact it could have on Catherine. Especially since some things women and men did just NOT do together during that era because they could be seen as improper. I did not care for John Thorpe because he was a liar - and almost ruined Catherine's happiness with Tilney by selling the general a lie that Catherine is wealthy; when in fact she is not. Not to mention her tries to force her into an "understanding" by starting the rumor that the two are a couple. Which could not be further from the truth. Thank goodness for that. The book ends with everyone ending up right where they need to be...though Catherine's brother is heartbroken because of Isabella's behavior.

What I found odd at this book was the way in which Austen wrote it; the POV was a little odd. The work was also a bit more on the sarcastic side; though this is probably because the book is a  parody. I did find the book a little harder to read than most of her novels, and I got bored with it in places. I do not regret taking the time to read it however. I gave the book 4/5 stars on goodreads.

Quotes I loved:

"That no young lady can by justified in falling in love before the gentleman's love is declared, it must be very improper that a young lady should dream of a gentleman before the gentleman has first dreamt of her"

"Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love"

 

    

Little kids are creepy; even more so when they bite: The Bookbabe Reviews The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey

    

                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                            

                               

I will continue to maintain the opinion that little kids are creepy and when they bite they are even creepier. In the Girl with all the Gifts, author M.R. Carey places us on a small military base that seems almost normal. Except about a dozen or so kids are being kept in locked in cells. Supposedly these children are "infected" and their placement on the base is a way for the government to study (and sometimes) experiment on them. The kids are simply thought of and called "hungries". It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the author is writing about Zombies;  though these Zombies are bit more intelligent and highly functioning. They are definitely not of The Walking Dead variety. Instead of being infected by a bite these zombies have been infected with a fungus called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. The "hungries" can pass the disease on via a bite but that is now how most of humanity got infected. I think that this alone is what made this book so interesting. It was a new way of explaining the way a zombie outbreak could occur.  

The main character in the book is a little girl named Melanie. Nothing of Melanie's past is ever really revealed in the book; we never get a straight answer on where she comes from, where she got sick or how she ended up on the base. All we know is every morning soldiers come into her cell, strap her down to a chair and wheel her into a classroom. The classroom is ran by a young woman named Helen Justineau. Justineau seems to like the job she has interacting with the "students", she tries to teach them, tries to show them as much affection as she can. Even though she is very much aware of how dangerous they really are. A point that is driven hoemto her by Sgt. Parks, who upon catching her stroking on of the children's hair decides to demonstrate to her how lax behavior can get you killed. He proceeds to wipe off his e-blocker; which masks his scent from the children. As soon as he does, the animalistic nature of the child he is closest to comes out. The child tries to bite him. Of course, Justineau gets the message, she tries harder to stay professional with the children. While all this seems innocent enough Justineau and Melaine notices one or two children have gone missing from the classroom and from their cells. These kids are taken to the office of bases head scientist, Caroline Caldwell. Caldwell is not just running labs and conducting tests but is killing the children and dissecting them. She is trying to find a way to not only cure the "hungries" but is also trying to find a way to save the rest of humanity. She thinks the answer could lie with Melanie; so she attempts to take her. This is actually the moment all hell breaks lose. The base is attacked by un-infected humans and "hungries"; Caldwell, Sgt. Parks, Melanie, Justineau and Private Gallagher barely make it off the base alive. They decide to take their chances and ride back to the main city, the beacon. They believe the city will be a safe haven and Caldwell believes that she will finally be able to get a hold of Melanie and study her without Justineau there to stop her. 

However, the city is not what it was when they left. No one seems to be alive, no one is one the streets, and in fact the fungus that started the whole damn mess seems to have planted itself firmly in Beacon.

What I loved about this book was its simplicity, non complicated story line and the authors fluid writing style. M.R. Carey weaved a tale that was down right believable and he gave you characters that while flawed are relatable and seem real. The thing I loved best about the book was seeing these events through the eyes of Melanie. Watching her come to terms with what she is but also see her decide to embrace what it means to be human. The one thing I would really like to know is that happens later with Melanie and Justineau. Carey left the story very open and I would love to see what the world looks like 20 years after The Girl with all the Gifts has ended. Maybe, I should tweet him that question. I gave this book 5/5 stars in goodreads. 

Quotes I loved:

"If you keep me here, you have to put up with the minor inconveniences like me having a conscience"

"You carved up two children, Caroline. And you did it without anesthetic"

"The truth is the truth, the only prize worth having. If you deny it, you're only showing that you're unworthy of it"

"In an age of rust, she comes up stainless steel"

"She's as big as four-fifths of five-eighths of fuck all, but she takes no bullshit from anyone"

"No amount of expertly choreographed PR could prevail, in the end, against Armageddon. It strolled over the barricades and took its pleasure"

 

Book Ban Broken.....

So on Mother's Day of this year I decided to enter into a book buying hiatus...I even allowed my friends to give me crap about it. And what do you know - I made it exactly three months with no purchases. I was supposed to make it four....whoops! The past few weeks have been really trying; and the best way to make myself feel better is to do a little book browsing. So after a pretty crappy week I decided to take a trip to the discount warehouse near by (I dragged my roommate along). The first book I picked up was Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton. I spotted it at the same shop a few weeks ago; and because I was on a book buying ban I decided not to buy it. But I broke it....lol. The other book was Before Amen by. Max Lucado; which was a book that I read and reviewed a few months ago. I can not wait to read Hard Choices in a few weeks; as I volunteer for the Hillary camp in my state.