Finding a good book to read

I want to read a good book, not an alright book or an over hyped book that will get better by page 200. I want to find a good that I can absorb myself in like I used to. I was looking and I haven't really read a good book that I gave a 5 star to in years.

I feel as though books have lost their originality especially in the dystopian genre and also I have become lazy. If I want a book I usually read or watch book reviews done by others but the thing is now a lot of publishing companies send their books for free to these people so I don't know if their reviews are even honest. Like some people for years are churning out 4 or 5 reviews a week. And I am like how in the world can you read so much.

So this time I want to try something different, maybe actually read what the book is about and make my judgement on that instead of other peoples opinions. Who knows many great books I passed up because of a bad review.

Okay, but where do I get the books..... There are so many books and so many charts that it's very easy to miss good books. There is amazon and goodreads so I will look at those and see what I can find.

What am I looking for?  I want romance with a fantasy/ supernatural/ dystopian element to it probably not vampires. But somewhere around there. I would like to read something in a different world.

THE SELECTION BY KIERA CASS BOOK REVIEW

 RATE:★★★★

                                                                     Pages:336
                                                                     Author: Kiera Cass
                                                                     Published: April 2012

I had read a couple of bad reviews about this book and I enjoyed it a lot and because of other things in my life now it was refreshing to find a book that I enjoyed so much. It was easy to pick up and get into and such a great distraction whereby you forget about the world around you. I would defiantly recommend this book. 

It's basically about a dystopian world where people are grouped in different castes and the main girl is in the 5th caste and that means shes an entertainer and their not rich but working class. She has a secret boyfriend who is in a lower class. 

She enters the selection which is like the bachelor and the 35 girls fight for the love of the prince and thats all im going to say. 

American single, the main girl I personally like her, I don't love her but I can somewhat relate to her which is good. I love Maxon the prince and I want her to love him aswell because he is just soooo sweat....
Aspen like can go and sit in a corner somewhere. 

The book in my opinion is written in a light easy to read way and to my surprise I found myself laughing and shocked with little things which I enjoyed.

Would I recommend this?? Yessss

The wrong knickers by Bryony Gordon book review

RATE:★★★★

Pages:310

Author: Bryony Gordon

Published: June 2014

I saw a story with the author talking about having a one night stand and at the end the guy giving her the wrong knickers. Like......

What kind of guy does that and I was interested so I got the book. From the beginning it is easy to read and get into and for a lot of authors that's very hard to do. We see the true story of a girl who makes mistakes, picks the wrong choices and has such a low self-esteem that she lets guys roll over her. I feel like even though I never did even half the things she did I can relate to her in mild sort of way especially now in my 20's and I will probably read this book again because there will be something new in my life that I can relate to her life story. It's like a book about how things might not go according to how society expects it to be, like uni, boyfriends, marriage, careers and family. Your path might be different from the norm but in some weird way in the end everything has a funny way of working itself out.

 It was a great read and it was even more amusing because it was a true story, even though I don't know her I am proud of her.

Wold I recommend this book? Yes yes yessss!

Easy by Tammara Webber book review

RATE:★★★

Pages:310

Author: Tammara Webber

Published: November 2012

 

This book was really hyped up and I was excited when I finally got it. It's a book that is easy to read and in the first pages you actually get wrapped up in it and it just flowed at the beginning. I still think everyone who likes a bit of romance should try it out.

Jackie- the main girl at the beginning I really liked her but a little thing that annoyed me that the author made her repeat what had happened before numerous times, and I'm like I have just read this why is she summarising the same stuff every 2 chapters.

Lucas- I thought he was too quiet and didn't really say much at all, like at the end of the book it was all about him but at the beginning I just didn't fall for him. At the beginning he was just the three liner creepy guy who stared at her all the time. OR a reserved mysterious guy with a lip piecing. I just wasn't really sold on him.

Let's just talk about the big one, in this book and it's not really a spoiler but there was kind of-off a rape situation going on and to me as a woman I think it's great to raise awareness on rape as it is a serious issue that many women face every day but I felt like the author was too much and it felt more dragged on and I didn't feel emotional or sad. Just annoyed that it was dragged on from the beginning to the end with irrelevant shit. Like the last time it happened, if you have read this you will know. I read the page and I was like what "Deja vu," is this author seriously doing this again. I rolled my eyes, laughed and carried on the hot mess of an ending this book was.

One thing I didn't like was how unoriginal this book was like really what did she come up with on her own....Nothing was original in this book at all. First, let's talk about Kennedy who was the ex and he broke up with her and wanted to sleep around and then he.....( I will let you fill that predictable blank) Also, the guy is always really really hot and all the girls love him. Like really.

Their relationship was slow I think, he didn't really force himself on her like other bf's in books. Which I liked and the ending for me was really bad. I starting skimming through the last 100 pages, I think. Just to finish it. Lucas’s whole dark secret was really, dull. I didn’t feel anything for that story…

I know they are very predictable books but if the characters and the scenes are good that the book will be amazing but this book for me lacked originality and the characters were "Meh." It was very bland for my taste.

But I would still recommend it because if you haven't read romance books like beautiful creature, Vincent boys and more like that you might actually enjoy this book like many did. But for me was a great attempt but many have done it before and better.

The vincent brothers- Abbi Glines - Book review

RATE:★★★★

Pages:304

Author: Abbi Glines

Published: June 2012

I actually really enjoyed reading this book. It's an easy read and from the first page you are hooked to the story. I thought when I read the ending of the first book that I wouldn't like Lana but this book was sweeter and calm than the first book that was anger, hotness...steamy.

Let me just talk about these two and get it over with. Ashton, who was the main girl between Sawyer and Beau in the first book and I thought she was alright and Beau I thought he was alright too...I didn't really get much for them.

In this book I DISLIKED ASHTON, like she was this perfect Barbie doll and it just annoyed me. But Beau was worse because he stole his brother’s girlfriend but he got mad when Sawyer said anything or even looked at her. It was like "Don't make me beat you up," like REALLY he couldn't solve his problems without using  his fists. That's not hot, it was stupid, you steal his girlfriend, sawyer can say whatever he wants and you should just take it....

That really annoyed me, especially after reading beautiful disaster...No one beats Travis, that freaking psycho...

But also sometimes Sawyer was like that as well, maybe these authors think that's what we wanna read...Nooo.

Moving on, Lana, I really liked her that's very rare for me in these types of books but I could somewhat relate and it was really interesting to see her grow a little bit and I thought it was really fun and enjoyable to read the scenes between her and Sawyer.

About Sawyer, in the first book we didn't really get to see him as much but actually had a little bit of an image of him and I liked him a lot more than Beau and he made mistakes and slowly learnt from it. What I also liked about this book was it wasn't too much of him still being mad about Ashton and the relationship happened slowly but perfectly.

The ending, I am not going to ruin it but for me I thought that it was Cheesy and I didn't like it. It was too much for me and not realistic at all.

But I give Abbi props, on her writing skills because some of those scenes were, WOAHHH. That's all I’m going to say.

I honestly, enjoyed this book, I had to force myself to put it down and I still finished it very quickly, the writing just flowed from page to page. There were no twists and ohmygosh moments but it was just one of those books you just enjoyed reading page by page.

 

Beautiful Disaster - Jamie Mcguire - Book review

RATE:★★

Pages:400

Author: Jamie Mcguire

Published: August 2012

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.


I have just finished the book and I am just writing what's in my head.....Spoilers...


When I started this book it was a solid 5 star. I would say about the first 80 pages I enjoyed. Then it slowly started getting bad from 4 star and then 3 star and after I finished the book that's when I started really thinking about what I had read and that's why it's a two star.

I don't know where to start....Let me give praise to the author for bringing out a lot of emotions from me, they were frustration, anger, being annoyed and enjoyment at the beginning.

But I also think to myself that either she is brilliant that wrote this fictional relationship that is so dysfunctional or

The author is insane; I thought she was insane....Like reallly.

Spoilers.

Let's talk about Travis, he is CRAZY, to me he isn't hot, sexy but I imagined this BIG guy who thought he could do anything or control her. Like when he broke everything in his house because she was leaving and when he cried and made a scene in the cafeteria and his violence. It's not romantic but it's abusive. And somehow Abby would find herself in trouble and need him to fight her battles...It was too much...Like she couldn't talk to any guys at all.

Parker, I liked him, at first they made parker seem like a spoilt brat who was boring but Travis is toooo much, too me in the end he was needy, desperate and sad....that's not sexy or attractive. No. I also felt sorry for Parker in the end because he took her out for dinner as friends and here comes Travis saying come to my fight and she leaves Parker…Like how rude. Honestly, and then she gets mad after.

Abby, I hated her in the end, the way she forgave him like that was annoying because if you have an argument with someone it is a bit weird in the beginning after making up and then you work it out but they just bushed it under and acted like everything was normal. It annoyed me.

America and Shep they broke up and they made up in a club where each guy that would dance with Abby Travis would pull away and threaten...even though they were not together....like really who does that.

Ohmy gosh, what annoyed me was she had this bet with him and so they slept in the same bed and she was going on dates with Parker. Who does that, Parker is stupid for even trying and if she even liked him she should have gone home. Second after they broke up he said to her "oh, you promised you would cook turkey for my family." Something like that and then she actually went to pretend to still be with him to cook turkey and guess what happened after....ew. She could have easily said no.

Another thing was how they felt like they were royalty because somehow the whole college was surrounded around their relationship.....like who gives a fuck....it was too much.

I had to force myself to finish this book, it was that annoying.. But the ending was as disappointing as the book.
The problem I think for me here was that the author tried to make the fact that Travis was a hot guy who ran through girls like a train something special because he didn’t see her as one night stand because she said no to him. So they had to prove their love because they went through the fire’s, the mob, parker and violence but they still ended up happily ever after but it was simply Tooo much love that it was crazy, insane and scary….Like she needed a restraining order scary.

If it was me I would have gotten her to break up with him for good and maybe meet a good boy who isn't so messed up.

That relationship isn't healthy at all and I couldn't be in a relationship with someone with so many mental problems. Travis needs help. That would also be my alternative ending.

This book is messed up. That's all.

Reached - Ally Condie - Book Review

 

RATE:★

Pages:512

Author: Ally Condie

Published: November 2012

This is the third and final book from the Matched series, I recommend the first book. I enjoyed that and the second book was good enough for me to get the third book but this is going to to contain a lot of spoilers if you haven't read anything. So read the books and then come back,lool. 

-------------------------------------

What a let down, I waited so long to read this book. I enjoyed matched and unlike a lot of people I actually liked Reached but this book was very surprising for me and that’s not a good thing.
In short it was like reading a Holby city or some A&E script play, I don’t how many times I read about this stupid cure and the love triangle, what love triangle. I only started to see any affection at the end of the book.

It was dull, repetitive and honestly, as I was reading this I actually thought to my self, is she serious, is the author actually happy about this bull she’s written. It was that bad


SOME Spoilers-


Let’s start with the storyline- It’s basically about the rising, the pilot and Cure that turns into a mutation and kills people. The plague going viral. The most boring thing I would say was reading about was the plague, like who enjoyed that in school.

The storyline had no action, no suspense, it was boring, dull and I can’t believe it.
Anyways, moving on to the characters. Cassie first, I didn’t hate her or like her, she was so and so…She was weak but that’s because she did nothing as nothing really happened in the story. She was immuned to all the pills and she just went on and on about those stupid poems, I just stopped reading them to be honest.

Ky, again, I don’t know about him, the only interesting thing with him was when Indie kissed him but then nothing happened, he was like he kissed her back because of how Cassie was like and then he told Cassie and she didn’t even do anything but I guess that doesn’t matter she kissed Xander on the previous book. But there’s no jealously, anger, fighting, arguing….GIVE ME Something at least.

Then there was Xander, awe, poor Xander….I sometimes felt like why was he still fighting for her like really and truly, she never showed him that she liked him and it wasn’t even a love triangle that should have carried on to this third book because she chose Ky all through the second book. However, the ending is the worst somehow Xander falls in love with Lancy, Lei whatever her name and l love you, l love you….like actions speak louder than words…It was so unrealistic, fake, I just can’t be asked to come up with anything ending….

The worst thing is that when I picked up matched it about a girl who gets matched with two guys and she loves them both differently….l think but this book, there was no romance at all….I didn’t see it or feel it….Even between Ky and Cassie it’s like Plague, pilot, cure and that sucked.

Finally words, I was highly disappointed with the book and I only finished it to see what would happen and nothing really shocked me. Happy endings all around, such a shame….

The Vincent boys by Abbi Glines - Book Review

RATE:★★★

Pages: 260

Author: Abbi Glines

Published: October 2011

I was in search for a romance easy read book and somehow I found this book and the reviews were good so I went out and got it. I can say that it lived up to my expectations and more.

A few words to decribe this book:

"An easy Sizzling hot read"

STORY- Ashton is getting tired of being good, of impressing her parents and playing ideal girlfriend to Sawyer Vincent. Sawyer is perfect, a regular Prince Charming, but when he leaves town for the summer, it’s his cousin Beau who catches Ashton’s eye. Beau is the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, and even though he’s dangerous, Ashton is drawn to him.

Beau loves his cousin like a brother, so the last thing he wants to do is make a move on Sawyer’s girl. Ashton is off-limits, absolutely. That’s why he does his best to keep his distance, even though he’s been in love with her forever. When Ashton wants to rekindle their childhood friendship in Sawyer’s absence, Beau knows he should say no.

Ashton and Beau don’t want to hurt Sawyer. But the more they try to stay away from each other, the more intense their urges become. It’s getting way too hard to resist...

Pro's - It was an easy read and right from the first pages I was hooked and I actually liked Ashton who is the girl in the middle of the boys... Another thing I enjoyed was that it wasn't just "hi,....two pages later....i love you" The relationship was gradual and interesting at the same time. In addition, the author swapped who was talking so one chapter it would be Ashton and the next it would be Beau and for me anyways, it rare to read from the guys prospective. 

Just to say it for the finale time, it is a hot, oh my goshhhh, like wow book. 

Con's - Basically, this book was a solid 4 stars in the first half, only because I wouldn't rate a book that's 200 pages a 5 star. I just think that's too short. But the beginning was great and the middle was even better but near the end I would say it kind-off became repetitive as if the author was just repeating herself again and again in different scenes and at the end without spoiling it...ok, I didn't like the way the book ended because it was just too perfect like really does that happen in real life. I wasn't buying into it. I thought the author gave up near the end even though it was only 200 pages...come on Abbi. That's about it....

Would I recommend it? Yes, it’s a good book and I enjoyed it but I would say it’s more if you are in need for an easy romance book or in that mood to read that type of books but if you are looking for a book that is a thriller or whatever then you will be disappointed.

 

Book review- The Witness - Nora Roberts

RATE:★

Pages:488

Author:Nora Roberts

Published: April 2012

This is my first Nora Roberts books, I was just looking for a good romance book, to be honest and this at the time had good reviews and was at the top of the best romance books of 2012. So I got the book and I was very dissapointed.

Story - Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems--and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something--and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

With a quirky, unforgettable heroine and a pulse-pounding plotline, Nora Roberts presents a riveting new read that cements her place as today's most reliably entertaining thriller--and will leave people hungering for more.

Pro's - I actually liked the beginning of the book, it was of a vulnerable girl who wants friends and to do normal things and she does it. She becomes friends with this girl from her class and goes clubbing where she meets these Russian guys and I enjoyed reading that part. If was interesting and flowing very well. The Russian accents and the dialogue was good. 

CON'S - It was for me when she became Elizabeth and it was 12 years later that I really started to get annoyed with the book. Firstly, the girl was staying in this house and she didn't speak to no one and kept to herself. But the chief of police who I really hated and his mum kept pestering her. Like they would go to her house and say I want to come in or blah blah blah....And she never said no, like really. 

And then somehow she came up to the conclusion that if she slept with him, he would leave her alone. Like really, I just felt like it wasn't love or anything romantic but he just forced himself onto her but she didn't have the guts to tell him go away or I don't like you. I would have done that, it was very annoying and it just ruined the story for me....I don't know what kind of romance that is. 

Another thing was she talked a lot like I would read three paragraphs about something that could have been explained in one sentenced. Like I know she's smart and anti-social and all but it was annoying as hell. 

Conclusion-My first and last Nora book and this book wasn't a thriller nor was it a romance it was just disappointing. I wouldn't recommend this book to no one. 

Insurgent Book Review

RATE:★★
Pages:525

Author: Veronica Roth

Published: January 2012

This is the second book in the divergent series. I am not going to do a review for divergent because all I remember is that it is was really good and I loved it. I have just finished this book and it’s still fresh in my mind so I will do a review on that now but will refer back divergent a couple of times…

This is again a dystopian world story but it’s a world were when you turn 16 you choose what faction you want to go into and there are 5 factions. The Dauntless who are fearless and wear black and protect the world and there are the Abnegation who are selfless and believe in helping people and being the same and all that good stuff. Then there are the Candor who cannot lie even if it’s something bad, they just cannot lie. The last two are the Amity who are peaceful and happy and finally there are the erudite who are the clever ones and all they want to do is learn and gain knowledge. Ohh, forgot about the factionless who are those that don’t belong to any faction and that might be by choice or because they failed initiation. 

In the first book, Beatrice or Tris, she likes to be called was an abnegation and choose to be dauntless but she is actually a divergent, which means she belongs to more than one faction.

Anyways on to the second book

Pros- I liked Peter in the end, I don’t know why but there was something about his character that I liked and I finished the book, that is something good about this book. Another pro is I got to learn more about the Amity faction and Candor and I think I would choose Amity.

Con’s – Where do I start, lets start with Tris…..In the first book I liked her, she was strong, independent and knew who she was. In this book she was depressed, stupid and was like Bella (even though I liked Bella) I can’t with Tris. What made it worse was that I was in her head. She over analysed everything to the point were you didn’t care. There was one part were she gave herself in to the Erudite because she knew Four would do it instead, how she came to that conclusion I don’t know but she walked into her death bed but then when she was there she wanted to leave. She couldn’t do it anymore….Then why did you go. She just annoyed me, beyond.

Moving on to Four (Tobies) and Tris…Their relationship in this book was let me sum it up

Kissing…………….. Arguing………Kissing……….he touched my back……..arguing………Kissing……..arguing……..he touched my back………….arguing……………..I love you…paragraph….I love you 2.

I don’t know but it gave me nothing….absolutely nothing….I just don’t know what else to say.

Let’s talk about Will…Yes, he was very important some reason….She killed him and she is depressed about it for 500 pages…She keeps it a secret from Four, why, I don’t know since she saw him kill people herself…Then there is Christina who was with him for what two seconds and she act like they were together for 50 years…I didn’t get her relevance at all…It was unnecessary drama and then the girl Tris saves turns out to be Will’s sister….the drama just adds up. Four finds out she lied and they argue….next

One thing I hated about this book was there was too much going on to the point that anything new didn’t faze me. I feel like the author sat down and just wrote anything without planning a plot beforehand…Less is more….Great tip there. There were all these secrets, all these irrelevant character’s and all these relationships and drama and deaths that just made me say Hmm, another one bites the dust…Even with Four and his mother, more secrets and father with beating Four….Like she was doing too much….Like reeeeeally.

Finally, the Erudite, the secret, the war…..DAH  DAH DAH….

What is so special about Divergent, they can change simulations.

That’t it….like I wanted more like they can fly,lol. But everything was simulations, simulation and guess what more simulations. It just bored me abit.

Moving on to the secret, that is what made me finish this book, Marcus was like I can’t tell you, I have to show you. In the end, you think…..hmmm, but you could have told me….very easily you could told me….The secret itself was lame…let me find a better word. It was disappointing like the book. I remember when I finished I read the secret and I finished the book I was like “Are you kidding me.” 

Oops, almost forgot about the baddie, I can’t even remember her name but it start with a J, anyways J died, like really easily.. She just got stabbed and I was like….really, she’s gone already, to be fair she a boring bad guy but what now. The third book a new bad guy comes. Hmm, even Eric was better than J and guess what he died too. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when bad guys lose but do you ever wonder why voltanor lasted throughout the whole series of harry potter… like it wouldn’t have been the same if he had died in the first book, just saying. 

Would I recommend the book??? No, I wouldn’t. Full stop.