Nothing like new Books...

There is nothing like new books; book mail is definitely the best mail. This month I purchased seven new books. Some as part of a series and some just stand alones.

This month I purchased several books form Book Depository (my favorite place to buy books) and Ollie's Discount Warehouse and Target. I paid under 50$ for all seven of the books you see in the pictures above.

Here is the list of the books purchased:
1) Falling Kingdoms (Book #1) by Morgan Rhodes
2) Gathering Darkness (Book #3) by Morgan Rhodes
3) Stormbringers (Order of Darkness #2) by Philippa Gregory
4) The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
5) Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough
6) The Poet by Michael Connelly
7) A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

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

The Book Babe Reviews A Classic: Anthem by Ayn Rand

                                           

                                                       Classic Book Review: Anthem by Ayn Rand

Anthem was one of the first books by Rand that I have ever read. This short novella was extremely interesting but not at all what I expected. In the world that Rand shapes individuality is a crime. Free thought is a crime. Having Passion is a crime. Falling in love freely is a crime. However, there is Equality 7-2521 that is curious and wants to go against the grain. He has no interest in living within the confines of his appointed lifestyle and job (as a street sweeper). It all starts with him praying to become a scholar because deep down he knows (or thinks) that they have free thought and he knows he is intelligent enough to be a scholar. But those dreams are dashed when he is assigned the job as a street sweeper. While cleaning the streets, he stumbles upon a sewer grate the is unmarked and upon inspection he finds that there are materials there to invent something. Equality finds and is able to harness electricity. He knows that he has to keep it a secret until the meeting of the scholars. While developing the electric box he meets Liberty 5-300; who he promptly names "The Golden One". It is almost love at first sight. She finds him unusual and handsome and eventually names him "The Unconquered"  because he is like no other man and seems to be able to think for himself.  He wishes for her to be the same; honestly we have very little insight into how she thinks. Which I understand because its only a short novella and she is not the main character. Eventually the moments between them grow and the first act of her really showing that she cares for him is a simple one. She brings him water, cupped within her hands and he calls her "dearest one". Finally the scholars are meeting and he comes to the scholars with his invention; and we discover that they are not as free thinking as one might think. They safely follow the rules and will not allow for a street sweeper to change the status quo. All Equality wanted to do was make life a little easier for everyone else by providing them with electricity. Once rejected by the scholars he escapes into the woods; a place no one dare goes. Only to be followed by "the golden one". They travel through the forest and eventually happen to find a house in the mountains; inside this place they find books and eventually they discover that their society is wrong for making them lose their individuality. It is not until now that they take names. They also learn that their society was not always this way; and Equality (now know as Prometheus) vows to take all that he has learned back to the city he came from. He will lead a revolution of enlightenment. 

My Thoughts:

I was stunned by this book; mainly because of the style in which it was written. The characters describe themselves as "we" and they have no real names; just names given to them by their government. Every single thing in their society is controlled tightly. They know nothing of love and are in fact allowed to "mate" every spring; this happens randomly and the men are paired up with a woman that he does not know. The mating happens and the children that are born from these unions are taken from their mothers; never getting to know either parent. What I loved about the book is that Rand slowly shows us how Equality (AKA Prometheus) comes into his own. How he rejects the constructs of his society to become an individual. This spoke to me because sometimes, especially in the society we live in being an individual is frowned upon. Think about how many times we have commented on someone with a weird fashion sense or quirky personality. We describe them sometimes as not "normal"; when actually normal is boring and in fact difficult to obtain, describe and maintain.  Rand stressed the importance of personal growth and knowledge and of seeing oneself as separate from society/the group. Another thing that is important to note is that in the book Rand lets us know that "free thinkers, artists, and writers" were punished or killed for creating. I can see where this could be a problem in a society. Think about the Nazi Party during WWII; they punished musician and writers. The same could be said of school districts in the U.S. that challenge and attempt to ban books. I can honestly say that this book was a pleasant surprise and I do look forward to reading more of Rand's work in the future. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. 

Quotes I  Loved: 

 "Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers have neither hope mor fire. Your mouth is cut of granite, but our brothers are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe. You walk, but our brothers crawl, we wish to be damned with you then to be blessed with our brothers" 

"I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of the universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know not and I do not care. For I know what happiness is possible for me on earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to any end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose"

"For the word "We" must never be spoken,save by one's choice and as a second thought. This word must never be placed first within man's soul, else it becomes a monster, th root of all the evils on earth, the root of man's torture by men, and of an upspeakable lie. The word "We" is as lime poured over men, which sets and gardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it. It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtues of the good, by which the weak steal the might of the strong, by which the fools steal he wisdom of the sages" 

First Impressions: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

So I am a little late to this band wagon but hey I read what I want when I want. So this month I decided to start the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. I am officially six chapters in and boy let me tell you....I LOVE IT! First off let me say that this book is different. I have read several books featuring a witch as the main character but never have I felt a connection to them; as I do with Diana Bishop. Diana is an intelligent, educated woman that does not want her ability to use magic to get her ahead in life. She is trying her hardest to be "normal" and she is anything but. She has daemons following her around and can not shake off Professor Matthew Clarimont; a sexy, intelligent vampire. I honestly can not wait to read more about Professor Clarimont. I am hoping that something romantically develops between Diana and Matthew. The only thing about the book that I think will drive me crazy is all the alchemy stuff. I see it going right over my head and I have a funny feeling that I will have to read up on some of the terms so that I can fully grasp the subject matter. As of right now I see myself really enjoying the first book and I can not wait to write a review on it. 

The Bookbabe Review's ......... Until I Saw Your Smile by J.J. Murray

J.J. Murrray is back at it again with this tale of love and this time at all happens in a little coffee shop in Brooklyn. Matthew McConnell is a recovering corporate laywer who is trying to get back into the dating   scene; after being left by his girlfriend Joy. From the moment that I read this you start to feel a little bad for Matt. Joy has left him for a foreign exchange teacher and has taken almost everything in his apartment. Including the food in the fridge, the towels in the bathroom and his crappy microwave. All this leads him to call up a former coworker for his first date from hell. After being scared off by a certain womans condom collection he wanders into Smith's Sweet Treats & Coffee; and in enters Angela its pretty owner who instantly feels the need to chat Matt up. She gets a kick out of his bad date stories. As the story goes on Matt continues to have bad dates; one with a recently released felon, a Christian woman lusting after her pastor and a woman that feels the need to bring her bestfriend on the date. After each date from hell he goes back to Angela's coffee shop and devours her houseblend coffee and treats. Its not until he goes on his final date from hell that he begins to really see Angela. He is deteremined to breakthrough her defenses and boy oh boy does that take a lot of work. Angela has a lot of reasons to mistrust him. Mainly she thinks he is a player but also she is hiding a pretty big secret that makes opening up to someone really hard. As things move on Angela slowly falls in love too and opens up to Matt. They become not only partners in business but eventually in life.

What I Loved about this book:

Angela and Matt's relationship was extremely realistic, funny and loving. Murray told this story almost completely from Matt's prespective. You get to see him fall in love slowly and want to build something lasting with Angela. Matt makes sure to follow her lead; and by doing so he gains her trust and love in return. Also, for a romantic comedy (of sorts) J.J. Murray doesn't over do it with sex. He adds just enough at the right time, and its sweet and loving and beautiful. Also, Murray touches on some really heavy issues in this book. Which I can't reveal because that would lead to a huge spoiler (and I don't want to ruin this book for anyone). 

Favorite Quotes: 

 1) "Who lies about dropping six grand on a dress with a first, middle and last name? For six grand, it had better have a social security number and give you a tax break for living in your closet"

2) Matthew to Warrick: "I look forward to meeting you face to face, or are you to much of a coward? You like hiding in alleys and preying on defenseless women. Really, Warrick. Calling you a pussy would be a compliment."

I give this book 5 Stars and would gladly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a class boy meets girl romance.

Bookish Quoteable of the Day....

From The Perks of Being a Wallflower by  Stephen Chbosky 

February Book Blitz

Hey guys and gals here are some of the book I have come across this month and that have been added to my to read list,

The Miniaturust by Jessie Burton (Hardcover 19.34$ on amazon.com)

Synopsis: 

Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam-a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion-a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.

"There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed…"

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office-leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist-an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand-and fear-the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. 

The Invisible Woman by Claire Tomalin (Paperback is 11.88$ on amazon.com)

Synopsis:

When Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan met in 1857, she was 18: a professional actress performing in his production of The Frozen Deep. He was 45: a literary legend, a national treasure, married with ten children. This meeting sparked a love affair that lasted over a decade, destroying Dickens's marriage and ending with Nelly's near-disappearance from the public record. In this remarkable work of biography, Claire Tomalin rescues Nelly from obscurity, not only returning the neglected actress to her rightful place in history, but also giving us a compelling and truthful account of the great Victorian novelist. Through Dickens's diaries, correspondence, address books, and photographs, Tomalin is able to reconstruct the relationship between Charles and Nelly, bringing it to vivid life. The result is a riveting literary detective story—and a portrait of a singular woman.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Hardcover is 16.17$ on amazon.com)

Synopsis:

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (Paperback is 12.96$ on amazon)

Synopsis:

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. 

Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

The Bookbabe's Opinion of the Fifty Shades of Grey Movie

Wow; just wow. The movie was exactly what I expected. It was beautifully and tastefully done. E.L. James tight control over the book to movie adaptation was seen throughout. Of course, there are some scenes that ase changed. This makes sense because some of these scenes are not necessary not to mention some of the sex scenes are cut or changed due to the nudity clauses each star insisted upon. I found Dakota Johnson's portrayal of Ana Steele 

to be genuine and fun and very true to the fictional character. Dakota made Ana

really come alive; she was funny and naive. I came into the movie expecting Jamie to be as horrible as some reviews made him out to be. But that was not the case; he protrayed Christian beautifully. Right down to the facial expressions. He captures Christians complex nature and close guarded personality. It will be lovely to see how Jamie plays Christian in the next two films. In which, we will see more more of his closely guarded walls tumble down as he falls even more deeply in love with Ana. I think the movies have great promise; supposedly we may have to wait til 2016 for the The sequel Fifty Shades Darker.

To the Critics of Fifty Shades of Grey....

I recently commented on a post on Facebook about a new Faith Based movie called "Old Fashioned". I found the idea of a movie based on an old fashioned, faith based courtship refreshing. I was really excited about seeing how that movie would fair in theaters. Then I started seeing posts comparing it to Fifty Shades of Grey. Then even more about how Fifty Shades of Grey dehumanizes women and makes them look like objects and cheap. Christian was looked at as an abuser, stalker and a creep. According to some of the comments and things I read he was the worst kind of man. One thing became very clear to me; that none of these people had read the book and that they made some assumptions. 1) That Ana was forced or manuiplated into becoming Christian's Submissive and 2) That Christian was abusive. The issue with this is that Ana was given a Choice. We see this over and over again. We see her battle with her emotions on the subject over and over again. We see Christian reassuring her that she can walk away. Secondly; Ana knew exactly what she was getting into. She signed a contract to that affect; not to mention we had to read several chapters based on what she would and would not permit Christian to do to her. Last but not least; Ana was a stronger woman then these critics think. To her credit she became  more assertive and took charge of her own destiny. Author E.L. James did a wonderful job at developing Ana. What really bothers me is that there are books with the same themes that better fit the criticism that Fifty Shades has recieved. One such book is the Story of O by Pauline Réage; in the story O is offered up as a slave to be trained and broken and molded into a submissive. At one point O is branded and falls in love with her master Sir Stephen. Who does not love her; and who is also the step brother of the boyfriend that turned her over for training. O was forced; plain and simple. She was manuiplated. Made to please men she did not love or want. This was not the case with Ana. She clearly loved Christian despite his faults; and she gets through to him over time. Another book that is equally unsettling is The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice. I will admit that I never finished the book because it was to much for me. In the book Sleeping Beauty is awakened not with a kiss but after sexual intercourse; did I mention she was asleep and could not give consent. The man who does this strips her naked and makes her walk through the surrounding villages to his kingdom where she is trained among other men and women to become a sex slave. Again; this is not something we see in Fifty Shades of Grey. Those latter books contain sexual violence of the worse sort; and someone taking problem with that will hear no complaint from this book worm. However; I will complain when others condemn and shame others for reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I was told I was not a true Christian because I had read such a vial book. It dawned on me through this experience that these types of people are the same ones that ban hundreds of books every year and all because they have faulty assumptions about what is right and proper. So good bookworms...I say take up all the Banned books you can and read them openly. Thrust these despised books into the hands of anyone who is willing to read them and lastly make sure you fight back against the ignorance people spout against these books. Protect the FREADOM to read! 

Some of The Most Romantic Words Ever Written

And Maury Determined....That that was a Lie!

Beautiful Prose: Toni Morrison, Beloved

New Book Alert....Stealing Marilyn Monroe by Sophie Warren

I recently downloaded this book from Net Galley! Here is the synopsis:

Juliet Chadwick has it all—a job at a New York art gallery, a great boyfriend, and a long-term career in the family business: theft. But unlike her father, Juliet plays it safe, sticking to small-time art heists and always covering her tracks. Until one day when her father’s creditors show up, demanding that she pay off his debts—or else. 

And so Juliet comes up with a desperate plan, the greatest con she’s ever attempted: She’s going to steal Andy Warhol’s famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe from bachelor billionaire Edward Aster. All she’ll have to do is pose as the Aster family’s new nanny until she can get her hands on the painting. How hard can it be?

But all too quickly, Juliet finds herself falling in love with Edward’s children, and maybe even with Edward himself. Can she bring herself to pull off the ultimate theft—if it means stealing from a man who’s stolen her heart? 

Is anyone else as excited as I am?!

My Bookish Resolutions for 2015!

Lets just say that I try not to make personal New Years resolutions anymore; mainly because they just never pan out but, I could not resist to make a few bookish ones for the up coming year. Let's see how many of these I can get through in 2015. Well here they are....

Resolution # 1) Finish these dang blasted series that I have started in the past few years. One such series is the Beautiful Creatures one by Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl. I also have to finish Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and catch up on the Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly. 

Resolution # 2) Read more classic books; this should be easy because I found several digital copies on Oyster and in ePub format that I can read on the go. Not to mention iTunes U also has most of the classics as audio books. Right now I am listening/reading Sense and Sensiblity this way. It makes it ten times easier to get through the book quickly. And its calming; I know some would consider this cheating but, not really because I am also reading the words from from the page. I am averaging about 5 or 6 chapters a night. 

Resolution # 3) Read as many books by my favorite authors as possible. I have a small collection of J.J. Murray books that definitely need reading (I added three to my growing collection of his books recently - I am pretty sure I own them all). I also have the two Cormoran Strike books by Robert Gailbraith aka J.K. Rowling to get to.

Resolution # 4) Spend more time writing. It is my goal in 2015 to simply write more; to really be more creative with the talent God has blessed me with.

Resolution # 5) I will NOT join any reading challenges; including the one from Goodreads. I always set myself up for failure. I want to be able to really enjoy books; and putting a time constraint on myself will not help me.

Resolution # 6)  I will promote the Bookbabe even more. I will sign up for blog tours. This will allow my followers to find out about new authors and will help increase traffic to the blog. I will also (hopefully) be able to open a Zazzle store front to help buy for the books and giveaways. 

 Well there they are...my five Bookbabe Resolutions for 2015. What are yours? Feel free to share with me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thebookbabeofde) or just comment below.