Happy All Hallows'

Be kind to all the ghosts, witches and goblins you meet along the road tonight!

Don and Rosie are at it again...My review of The Rosie Effect by G. Simison

Greetings earthlings...and fellow lovers of Don and Rosie. Welcome to the review is The Rosie Effect. Okay...now I can stop playing around. The Rosie Effect brings us back to the odd and rather hilarious relationship of fellow (now married) scientist Don and Rosie. In this book Don and Rosie are just as lovable as always. Well almost. We meet up with them this time in New York, Don is a visiting professor at Columbia and Rosie is working her way towards finishing her thesis and entering medical school.
While all that seems so innocent, so simple. It's anything but. Don is thrust into "a disaster" the moment Rosie reveals that she's pregnant. In fact he has a full on melt down. The entire novel revolves around Don trying to prove to her that he is good enough to be a father. Something that (through a few missteps) both he and Rosie doubt he can be.
What was so frustrating about this book was that Don seems to be judged for his social ackwardness. In fact he is told, by one of the supporting characters, to never have children. If you have read the first book you will know that Don I believed to have Asperger syndrome; a form of autism - in which it makes it hard for one to communicate and socialize. In my opinion, it's this that makes Don so charming and realistic as a character. Well the overall novel ended on high note, most of it made me hate a beloved character. Rosie.
Once I had time to really think on it, and reflect on the story it dawned on me that Rosie is highly emotional due to her pregnancy, her stress from
school. Her actions are some what of a response from societal pressures; to take a break and have her baby and let men make the decision for her. And she is also dealing with feelings of isolation and loneliness, maybe even depression and abandonment. All the while she is dealing with Don and his tone deaf attitude towards her pregrancy.
In all this I can relate to Rosie; and see that Simsion created in her a character of deep emotional who is very much like so many young women trying to balance their need to mother, wife and ambitious at work and school at the same time. I deeply enjoyed this book and I can not wait to see what else Simsion cooks up for Don, Rosie and baby. I have The Rosie Effect 4/5 stars on Goodreads.

Here are some of the quotes I loved:

"Highly intelligent people are often bullied. As a result of being different. That difference being high intelligence."

"I am well aware of my incompetence in predicting human reactions. But I would have been prepared to bet on the first word that Rosie would say when she received the information. I was correct by a factor of six. ‘Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."

Rise...Red as the Dawn! My review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

It took me MONTHS to finish this book. Let me start there. Almost a year ago I read Red Queen (the first in the series) and I struggled with that. I thought perhaps it was just the fact that it was a debut novel. New concept and all. I stuck with it and finished; but, I was highly disappointed. I was expecting a more polished product then what I got. Fast forward to a few months ago and I decide to pick up Glass Sword. Especially since it was getting rave reviews and everyone was just eating it up. Saying the story was better paced etc. So I decided to give it a try. It took be three chapters to get bored. To give up and to walk away. In fact I read over 10 books before even coming back to this one. The only reason I did was because I knew I would not be satisfied until I had some closure. I will say I am glad that I came back to the story because Aveyard's finish was far better - though a bit conflicting. And left me open to reading not only the next in the series but also the novella's that have come out with the books.
In Glass Sword we meet back up with Mare Barrow and Cal as they attempt to avoid evil Prince Maven (Cal's brother) as they recruit other Red's like Mare (that have abilities). All the while Maven is killing the innocent and Mare is becoming someone not even her closest friend, Kilorn, knows anymore. She and Cal grow closer together only to be ripped apart due to Mare's mixed feelings about who to trust and her need for venegence. This book had just enough twists at the end to keep you guessing what would happen next. The action at the end was amazing - if only there would have been more of it throughout the book.
The greatest questions I have now...is what is the end game? How will Mare survive? How is Cal coping? And who is really pulling the strings? There seems to be a much bigger game being played then any of us can imagine.
I gave Glass Sword 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

Here are some of the quotes I loved:

"To rise. And rise alone. I see you as you could become, no longer the lighting, but the storm. The storm that's will swallow the world"

"Pride. I understand that too. For girls like us, who had nothing, expected nothing, it's intoxicating to know there is something of our own, something no one else can claim or take away"

"Love blinds" - Cal to Mare

Hen Parties & murder: The Bookbabe reviews in a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood produced one of the worse villains I have read since reading about Amy in Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn). In this novel we are given a glimpse into the life of Nora; a young woman of 26 living in London. She is just going about her life when out of the blue she receives an email from a woman named Flo; inviting her to a weekend getaway for their soon to be married friend Clare. It is clear from the beginning that Nora has no clue why she has been invited. She has not seen Clare for ten years; they do not email, exchange Christmas cards, or visit one another. They have simply moved on with their lives. Clare working in the theater world and Nora is working hard at writing her next book. Nora seems a bit taken aback by the invite but believes that it might be a good idea to meet up with her long lost friend; even though she has a nagging feeling that she just needs to stay home. Instead Nora, along with friend Nina take the trip to the countryside to the strange glass house they will be staying in over the weekend. If its not creepy enough that the house is made of glass; all of the people there other than Nina and Clare are unknown to her. In fact, she can not place how each of them fits into the life of the Clare she once knew. Each guest is so different from the friends she and Clare used to have. The strangest of the group is Flo, she is Clare's maid of honor, and she is completely obsessed with Clare. In fact, she would do anything for Clare. Flo is also a very fragile young woman. She seems to be consistently on edge. Which seems to continue as the story unravels.
As the weekend goes on it is revealed that Clare is engaged to James, Nora's ex. A man and a relationship that ended cruelly by text and caused Nora to run away from her life and her friends 10 years before. She just could not face the embarrassment of the way he had treated her at the end of their relationship. This revelation continues to drive the story forward; its the lies and the secrets that the main characters hide that really kept me turning the pages.
What I really loved about Ware's novel was how well weaved the tale was. Once the book hit its stride the story just kept you wanting more. I was pretty sure I knew who was behind the murder of one of the characters. But, in the end I was wrong. There is so much loss in this book. So many lies; and that is what made the novel so delicious. I gave In a Dark, Dark Wood 5/5 stars on goodreads.

Quotes that I loved:

"Shall we go downstairs and meet the cock in the hen house."

"You can run but you can't escape"

"You'd think people would be wary of spilling to a writer. You'd think they'd know we're essentially birds of carrion, picking over the corpses of dead affairs and forgotten arguments to recycle them in our work."

"You know - what really creeps me out isn't the footprints - or not as such. It's the fact that if it hadn't have been for the snow, we'd never have known."

"People don't change, they just get more punctilious about hiding their true selves."

"All that copying Clare's clothes - its a bit Single White Female, isn't it? If you ask me, she's a couple of Xanax away from re-enacting the shower scene from Psycho"

My October 2016 Book of the Month Club

A dazzling debut novel from an exciting new voice, The Mothers is a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community—and the things that ultimately haunt us most. Set within a contemporary black community in Southern California, Brit Bennett’s mesmerizing first novel is an emotionally perceptive story about community, love, and ambition. It begins with a secret, “All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we’d taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen and passed around before its season.” It is the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother’s recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor’s son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it’s not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance—and the subsequent cover-up—will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully maneuver, and dogged by the constant, nagging question: What if they had chosen differently? The possibilities of the road not taken are a relentless haunt.

Power, Beauty and Cleopatra: Bookbabe Review of Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Sometimes I really want to read something challenging; different from the fiction that I usually read. However, maybe biographies by Stacy Schiff should be avoided. Over the past year I have attempted to read Cleopatra: A Life and found myself finally jumping ship. While the book was interesting and painted Cleopatra in a very glorious and flawed light it failed to hold my interest. I felt like the book was disorganized. I felt like it jumped all over the place; though sometimes the prose was wonderful and well written the book simply fell flat. 

I will say that I do not regret reading the book. It was a good read; I learned some very interesting things about a woman that history often paints as a home wrecker. Cleopatra was well read, a women of great intellect. She was well spoken and could hold her own, she was a woman of great strength. Also, she took no shit. I think women living in our time could learn a thing or two from this queen of ancient Egypt. 

Here are some of the quotes I loved:

"Friends often turn into enemies in time of disaster, he conceded (Caesar). He might equally well have noted that at times of disaster enemies reinvent themselves as friends."

"Herodotus: "Egyptian women ventured into the markets while the men sat at home tending their looms...women urinate standing up, the men sitting down"

"Cleopatra had every reason to believe she hailed from a superior world. No one in Rome had a pedigree to rival hers. It bothered Cicero that she seemed to know as much."

"Sometimes It seemed as if there were only ten women in Rome...and Mark Antony has slept with every one of them."

"If one prefers not to be perceived as a King, one is ill advised, for starters, to spend one's time consorting with a queen."

And just for fun; here are some photos found on Pinterest....sharing because they are just awesome..

Rest Easy....Mr. Poe

"Once Upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore"

- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 

I happened across Edgar Allan Poe in my pre-teen years; and my love for his work has remained. Like most of us, I was introduced to him by way of the poem The Raven. I have made a tradition of reading is short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" every Halloween. Poe is close to my heart for several reasons. Chief among them is that Poe always came across to me as a lost and lonely soul; and I guess on some level that spoke to me. Because of Poe (and Stephen King) I became very interested in writing within the horror, thriller and mystery genre.

Here are some of my favorite quotes by Edgar Allan Poe:

Currently Reading: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Take a look at what I am currently reading

Here is the synopsis:

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles, but years from home. And she's inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she's never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods-a powerful family in the Colonies-and the servitude he's known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can't escape and the family that won't let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, his passenger, can find. In order to protect her, Nick must ensure she brings it back to them-whether she wants to or not. 
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods' grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home forever.

Here is the book Trailer: 

How well do you know your neighbors? The Bookbabe reviews The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door was my first selection from the Book of the Month Club. The Book is a mystery and fit into my over all theme for the year. This book was not really what I thought it would be and it left me wanting to know what would happen to one of main characters in the future.
In this novel, Shari Lapena, takes us inside the lives of Amy and Marco. A 30 something married couple with a new born child. We are introduced to them as they are attending a party next door; with their neighbors Cynthia and Graham. Amy is a bit anxious because at the insistence of their spouse she is at the party - without her daughter. Who is next door in their home; their babysitter called off due to a family emergency. Both of the parents are checking on the baby every half hour and they are keeping a watch on her via the baby monitor they have bought with them. But they miss one of the checks due to Marco wanting to have just one more glass of wine. Finally they go home; to find the front door of their home ajar and the baby missing.
It is after all this that hell breaks loose. Everyone, from the media to their family and friends suspect them of harming and hiding their child. Especially after it is revealed that Amy is suffering from postpartum depression and Marco's business is failing. This novel is a novel of deep and troubling secrets. Everyone, and I do mean everyone has something to hide. Other than maybe the detective. Right down to Amy's parents and neighbors.
What I loved about the book was that the there was just the right amount of tension. Amy and Marco have been dealing with her depression and the pressures of being parents to a newborn. This has re-shaped their relationship. There is also tension between Cynthia and Graham; who have some evidence that may implicate Marco in the disappearance of his own child. But, they can't use it because it links them to another crime. While Amy's mother and stepfather are dealing with an unhappy marriage; and her mom is coping with the fact that her husband has been cheating on her for many years and might be stealing from her as well.
This novel is full of twists and turns and their are some frightening implications for all of them. Especially for Amy. I found the characters in this book somewhat likable but really aggravating. Amy had just the right amount of anxiety and tension and instability to make her extremely creepy. But - its her vulnerability that makes her so likable. With Marco its the same. What I loved is that while predictable the story was never boring. This one was a real page turner. I really must say I am excited to read more from this author.

Quotes I loved:

“Her thoughts speed up and become less rational; her mind makes fantastic leaps. It's not that things don't make sense to her when she's like this — sometimes they make 'more' sense. They make sense the way dreams do. It's only when the dream is over that you see how odd it all was, how it actually didn't make sense at all.”

“...nobody makes that much money without taking advantage of somebody. It's much easier to make money if you don't care who you hurt. If you have scruples, it's much harder to get rich.”

So Much hype, so little action...My review/opinion of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

What's Peculiar is all the Hype!: Review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

So in November of 2015 I started this book. Yeah; almost a year ago and I did not finish it until last week. When I first started to read this book I was really excited. It was promising; very different from all the other young adult books I had read. However, when I got about twenty five percent of the way through I was bored. The photos held my interest but the story just dead panned.
It was at this point that I stopped the book and started reading something else. In fact I have read over 20 books since I stopped reading this one. Riggs novel is only one of two books I stopped reading this year because of the story line. The other was Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (more on that to come). Even though the story did not grab me I wanted to go back and finish it up. Especially with the movie coming out. I wanted to see if it would get better and for the most part it did. But, I still found my mind wandering as I read through the other half of the book. What I did like about the book were the characters. I am extremely interested in learning more about the Peculiar children. I would love to know more about their origins; where they were born, were they came from etc. However, I am not overtly interested in Jacob. I found him to be a bit flat. He comes of as very two dimensional, boring, and not well developed. This is part of the reason why I had to get away from the book. I need to be able to connect with the main character.
Another thing I did enjoy about the book were the photos; they really drove the story. Gave a face to the children and made the story come alive. Riggs use of vintage photos is amazing and I would love to see more authors do things like this. Especially since this was so well executed.
The tale that Riggs weaves is interesting as well; though it falls a bit flat. In his novel, we are introduced to a young teenager named Jacob. He is your average teen. He is trying to work a summer job and enjoy his time spent with friends and his grandfather. But things start to get a little weird rather quickly when his grandfather starts to act weirder than usual. And when he finally dies after being attacked by some type of creature; that only Jacob has seen. Jacob is carted off to a therapist and handled gently by his parents and family.
While his father is cleaning out the grandfathers home Jacob happens across some of correspondence that leads him to believe that he needs to travel to a small deserted island in order to come to terms with what happened with his grandfather.
With some reluctance his father takes him to the island and its there that Jacob is confronted with one of the major mysteries of his grandfathers life. What happened to him as a young man before he want to war and came to America. Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, was considered Peculiar because he could see creatures that present a danger to other Peculiars. And it seems as though Jacob is just like him. He only discovers this after speaking with Miss Peregrine; who runs a home for children like Jacob. She also took care of Jacob's grandfather. These children and their school mistress live in the loop. It is in this loop, that they are protected. They can not be found here; until Jacob leads one of their mortal enemies right to their door.
It is because of his actions; and in a need to find out more about himself that he decides to leave with Miss Peregrine and the others to travel into other loops.
I will say that I plan to read the next book; simply because I own it. Also, because I want to know what happens to the others. I am invested enough to be curious.

Quotes that I loved:

"I'd been born in the wrong century and I felt cheated"

"Barman!" Emma said. "When's the tap open around here? I'm thirsty as a bloody mermaid" he laughed. "I ain't in the custom of servin' little girls"
"Never mind that!" She cried, slapping her hand on the bar. "Pour me a quadruple dram of your finest cask-strength whiskey. And non of that frightful watered-down piss you generally serve"

"How many times must I tell you," she called after him,"polite persons do not take their supper in the nude"

"Only women are born ymbrynes, and thank heaven for that! Males lack the seriousness of temperament required of persons with such grave responsibilities. We ymbrynes must scour the countryside for young peculiars in need, steer clear of those who would do us harm, and keep our wards fed, clothed, hidden and steeped in the lore of our people"

Seem like the 2nd time is the charm: My review of 1st to Die by James Patterson

Sometimes the second time is the charm: Bookbabe reviews 1st to Die by James Patterson

As many of you know, I was first introduced to the writing style of Patterson when I read The Murder of King Tut. I was seriously disappointed in that book and really had no desire to read 1st to Die; even though I had purchased the book around the same time I read the other. 
But, this summer I decided it was time to get through some of these paperbacks that had been taking up space on my shelves. Not to mention this book featured heavily into all the other mysteries I had been reading all summer. 
The book introduces us to Lindsay, a San Fran police officer. Clarie, a medical examiner. Jill, an assistant district attorney and Cindy, a reporter. Together these women work together to help solve and trap a murderer.  Each character is wonderfully and colorfully written; however, the friendships between them seemed a little odd. Almost stunted. I really found myself annoyed because the personal conversations between Lindsay and Claire felt phony, and felt like something that women would not really say to one another. It did not really feel genuine. But, aside from that I really really liked this book. I found that I could not put it down.
What I loved most about the book was the relationship that Lindsay developed with her partner, Chris Raleigh. However the partnership ends tragically which was a twist I was not expecting; especially since Patterson has already dealt Lindsay a pretty rough hand to begin with. 
One thing that was surprisingly impressive about the book were the twists. Right until the end I had the killer wrong. I thought it was one person and it ended being someone else; even though the killer was having their strings pulled by someone else. 
This alone is why I will most likely read the next book in the series. I hope that as it goes along that the dialogue gets better between the characters. 

Quotes I Loved:
"Never wrestle with a pig, Lindsay. You both get dirty. The pig likes it."

"I'm in shape. Round's a shape."

"There comes a point in everybody's life when you realize the stakes are suddenly changed. The carefree ride of your life slams into a stone wall; all those years of merely bouncing along, life taking you where you want to go, abruptly end."

"To the ice bitches of the world; and the men who can not thaw us out."

FanFic's, Emergency Dance Parties, Starbucks and Nerd-dom: Bookbabe reviews Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I have never had so much fun reading a book in my life. Fangirl has it all. Romance, coffee, nerd-dom and dance parties. In this book we are introduced to Cath; a young college student that is obsessed with all things Simon Snow (the Harry Potter of Cath's world). She is so head-over-heels in love with Snow that she writes a fan fic about him. Cath is a character that I could not help but love. She reminded me of myself so much in my late teens and early twenties. 
As a college student I pretty much kept to myself; I also spent much of my time wrapped up in books and writing. In fact, I fell in love with the Potter series in my early days at college. 
Cath was such an amazing well written and fully flushed out character; what is so wonderful about both Cath and her twin sister, Wren, is that they are so believable. They are characters of depth. Going through things so many of us have gone through during the time of transition from high school to college. 
During this time We are all trying to find our place, trying to figure out where we fit. Cath seems to not want to change. She is happy to just stay in her room and eat protein bars until she can't anymore. However, her roommate is not going to allow this and forces Cath into going out more and interacting with others. Reagan (Cath's roommate) reminds me so much of myself; at my current age. She seems sure of herself, she seems to know who she is and she does not care what anyone really thinks of her. It is through this relationship that Cath meets Levi; who she believes is Reagan's boyfriend. When in fact, he's her ex and only sticks round their room because he hopes to run into Cath. 
Cath and Levi's relationship evolves slowly and sweetly. It reminds me so much of what love can be like when its not rushed and its built on friendship. Cath and Levi's relationship is not without an occasional hiccup that leads to mistrust; but, it all ends up sorted in the end and Levi proves and redeems himself.
One of the the things that really surprised me about this book was the fact that Rowell intertwined real issues into the story. She showed how both Cath and Wren handled the abandonment issues they have. And how they each responded to their father's bipolar disorder. It is Cath's reaction to the sudden arrival of her mother into their lives that really made me love the character more. Like Cath, I was raised without my mom and I felt; at one time, the way that she does in Fangirl. Rowell really wrote one hell of a novel. It was really a pleasure to read. 
I truly hope that she revisits Cath, Levi, Reagan and Wren again. I would love to see what else they get into. 

Quotes that I loved:

"I always get lost in the library, no matter how many times I go. In fact, I thinkI get lost there more, the more that I go. Like it's getting to know me and revealing new passages."

"You're a sad little hermit, and it creeps me out."

"We're skinny bitches on the weekdays and drunk bitches on the weekends"

"I'm not really a book person."
"That might have been the most idiotic thing you've ever said to me."

"Write as if your life depended on it...Write as if your future depended on it"

"There's nothing more intoxicating than creating something from nothing.  Creating something for yourself"

"I spent four months trying to kiss you and the last six weeks trying to figure out how I managed to fuck everything up."

So many Books; so little time!

I attempted to conquer a few books during the month of September. I managed to read a few of the books from my back list and read at least two new recently purchased books. 
My favorite read of the month was Fangirl by Rainbwo Rowell; I have it 5/5 stars on Goodreads. 
My least favorite read of the month was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs