Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

ISBN: 9780373210268
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April, 2011
Series: The Goddess Test Series #1
Page count: 304 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

"It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

If she fails..."

REVIEW:

     WHAT I LIKED:

• This book gripped me emotionally within the first 10 pages and I was hooked.
• Carter's writing is beautiful. I read a few reviews on this one saying her writing was elementary and too simple. I thought it was more along the lines of straightforward and I connected very well with the story.
• I liked that though Kate was "broken", she was the stronger one in this story - emotionally, I mean. Henry was the vulnerable and wounded one though many feared him. It's nice to see a female character who pursues a man (one that isn't a cheating, lying asshole - cause girls pursue guys all the time. Just not the right ones.)
• This book was based around Greek mythology, but I connected to the characters as separate people, as humans, not just Gods and Goddesses.
• I also saw a few reviews saying that none of the characters acted like their godly counterparts and they couldn't tell who was who. I beg to differ - I knew James, Ava, Diana and Phillip immediately, and only had to look in the back to verify or check for a few of them. Though that may be because I spent so much time researching while reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.
• Henry's attitude toward Kate. I know, I know, shouldn't I hate him because I feel bad for Kate? For some reason, it seems realistic to me and that's what made me like it - not necessarily the pain or heartache between them or whatever. Do you know how many people out there spend their lives with one person while very well knowing that there was once a person they loved much more? Its sad and horrible, but I think some of you may know I dig the difficult subjects and things that tug at my heartstrings, such as not-quite-requited love.
• Unpredictable but not in a bad way. I was able to tell who was who and I wasn't so confused by the God/Goddess thing that I couldn't keep up, but there was still the element of mystery. I'm usually good at figuring out whodunit long before the book is over, but this one kept me guessing almost until the very end.

     WHAT I DIDNT LIKE:

• Kate was just all of a sudden okay with leaving her whole life behind to live with Hades, and though she recognized that it was crazy, she kind of just went along with it. It didn't seem totally realistic.
• I was confused throughout the whole book as to whether the characters that I knew to be Gods and Goddesses also knew who they were. I had a sneaking suspicion that things would end up the way they did, but it was confusing trying to figure it out throughout the book.
• I did lose a bit of my connection in a small part in the middle of the book, mainly when Kate is studying and the weeks are skipping by as she spent time with Henry. I think the book could've been a little longer and Carter could've spent more time on showing HOW Kate and Henry connected and ended up at the point they did.
• I don't like the way the book ended in that James told Kate that things would "be different" between her and Henry, James, friends, etc. I know that they get to act like Gods/Goddesses now, but I liked them as they were!
• The seven deadly sins thing - I think it was cool and clever - just weird when mixed with the whole Greek mythology thing. It almost didn't fit.
• I didn't like the concept of the Underworld in this book as compared to the "real myth" if that makes any sense. Though, in theory, I like the idea of the "real" afterlife being so open to interpretation, I like my mythology to be pretty straightforward, and I think I accepted enough deviation with the Gods/Goddesses being so different to begin with. I'm not sure why but that aspect kind of ticked me off.

SUMMARY:

I can honestly say I cried from like page 1 to page 50 consistently, and if I hadn't been sitting in front of a couple of my fiancé's co-workers when I finished this book, I would've been crying also. It gripped me right from the beginning with the impending loss of her mother and kept me hooked most of the time with her growing relationship with Henry.

I would also like to give a whopping THANK YOU to Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series for introducing and so accurately teaching me about Greek mythology. I wouldn't have understood this book so well if I didn't know what the hell was going on, and though I may have enjoyed it more if I didn't know anything, I was pleased. I didn't like the weird changes to the Underworld as described by Henry, but I liked the story of what happened to Persephone as it was a believable continuation to what the myth says happened.

There were some things that annoyed me but I couldn't put this one down and I was rooting for Kate and Henry the whole time, hoping Kate could be the one to heal him. Damn you Persephone! All in all, this was a great read and I really want to read the next one to see what happens with Kate and Henry.


RATING: ★★★★

I enjoyed this story very much and I cant wait to read the next one. I would recommend this to any one who likes YA fiction or unique retellings of Greek mythology or any mythology at all, really. Great read!

Have any of you read this? What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with my opinion?

A.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Five Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up or Buy a Book!

 

History - I don't know why, and I'm not like a huge history buff or anything, but I love reading stories set in the past, at least 50+ years ago. Its fascinating learning about how people lived before cell phones, computers, BLOGS. I just love it.

Mythology - I LOVE Mythology, namely Greek mythology, however I am open to any of it. Rick Riordan has given me a taste of Roman, Chinese and Egyptian, and though I find I'm most knowledgeable in Greek and some Roman, I love it all.

New York - I grew up in New York and I'm especially fond of the occasional story set in Long Island (an hour outside of the city) or the frequent story set in Manhattan. Its nice to take a trip home without having to pay for gas :)

Difficult subjects - I know this sounds awful but I suppose I like having my heart ripped out and stomped on because I keep going back for more. Take Jodi Picoult for example who writes about every difficult subject known to man, and some not known to man. I cant get enough.

 

A world outside of our own - I love a book that is set in a world that's not perceived to be the real world. So not necessarily our world in the future, but an alternate world almost that exists outside of here and now. Harry Potter is the perfect example: The entire wizarding world. Yes, they exist on earth, in our world, but you know as well as I do that the wizarding world is a world all its own.

Feature and Follow Friday

I'm kind of disappointed with F&F lately. I feel like the topics just do not apply to me the past few weeks so I haven't participated, but I miss the fun of making new blogging friends, so even though I don't really have an answer for this one, I'll answer anyways:

Q: Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song & the book?

Now like I said, I don't really have an answer. There really just aren't any songs that remind me of books or vice versa. I thought long and hard about this, and the only time music ever comes into play for me in regard to literature is when I write. Now I don't write often and I've never finished anything, I do it more for fun than anything, but I always like to play music when I write.

I never listen to anything in particular, but it helps get my creative juices flowing. Its funny now that I think about it, music and reading are one of the two most important creative outlets for me, yet I usually don't associate one with the other. Its always just one... and now I wonder why, haha. Music is a calming method and again, something I use to help my creativity. Reading is a journey, a getaway, and also a calming method when the real world is feeling too real. I guess I like to keep them exclusive of one another, so I don't get tired of either one.

I've read a few responses and seen people say they don't really associate music & books either, but not too many answers in the affirmative. I'd love to hear what songs you associate with your books? I am obsessed with (almost) any kind of music and it would be cool to listen to the songs you associate with books I've read or am reading.

Don't forget to let me know if you're following - leave a comment and I'll definitely follow back!!! :)

A.

Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

ISBN: 9781423139935
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Release date: March, 2013
Series: Stand alone
Page count: 288 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend. 

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses. 

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her? 

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

REVIEW:

**I'm actually going to try a different review method to try and shorten things up so you all don't have to read my ramblings that you probably don't care about. Please let me know what style you prefer or think works better, be it the bullet points or my long (though in-depth) reviews**

     WHAT I LIKED:

• It was a cute, fun read with lots of wit and sarcasm.
• The pig thing - just adorable! I actually hated the pig idea in the beginning, but it turns out the pig, though she didn't have a huge part, ended up being on of my favorite parts/characters.
• This book didn't drag on or linger on unnecessary parts of the story. It was a short, swift read with lots of silly, quirky fun.
• There wasn't a horrible insta-love. Maybe an "insta-like", but the story didn't end with a "I've known you for a week, lets be together forever," thank GOD!
• The potioning was interesting, and though I would've liked to know more about it, it was pretty bad ass that Kyra was a "master potioner."

     WHAT I DIDNT LIKE:

• The writing was very simple. I know this is a young adult novel, but it feels like a book that was more meant for children rather than teens/young adults - you know, except for the parts that seemed borderline adult or sexual!! I'm not even going to bother elaborating, just know that some of it seemed too adult for the context the book was written in and it was almost uncomfortable. Super weird. In any event, the writing wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, but not great.
• "Major revelations" in the story came out of  nowhere and seemed out of place or not explained very well.
• The world building was sort of... non-existent. I didn't understand the Kingdom of Mohr at all, and sort of going along with the major events being out of place, it just seemed poorly put together.
• It was more silly than I found acceptable. I thought it was a little too lighthearted in spots that it should've been just a bit more serious, considering the lives of the entire kingdom were at stake!!!! I don't know - that just annoyed me immensely!
• I was almost a little bored by it at times and found myself only reading dialogue or skimming over parts that didn't seem important.
• It was supposed to be set in what seemed like a historical time of some sort, but other than the absence of cell phones and skinny jeans, it seemed a little modern... or at least not "historical" enough.

SUMMARY:

I saw a lot of 4 and 5 star ratings for this book, and I read a few of them, and the readers/reviewers liked the same things I liked, but maybe didn't dislike the same things I disliked and saw fit to give a 4/5 star rating. I initially picked this book up because of the higher ratings and (I regret to admit) because I noticed the author had passed away before her book hit the shelves and I thought it would've been nice to support her and the family even after her passing. It seemed like a cute, fun read and I liked the cover art.

I almost feel bad about the fact that I didn't really like this book. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. But I don't think I should say I like a book simply because the author was taken from the world too soon. I think a true artist such as herself would appreciate constructive criticism. I think I'm just trying to make myself better. So end of explanations and excuses. I simply didn't love it.

All in all, I didn't love this book, and I am pretty glad it was short, and though I liked that it was a change from what I usually read (dark, painful dystopian novels), it just wasn't for me. I didn't necessarily dislike it, but I definitely cant say I liked it either.

RATING:  ★★ 1/2
Two and a half stars, because as I stated before, I'm sort of in between not liking it, and liking it enough for a three star rating. I'm glad I got to read it and experience it for myself, but it seems like I'm a fan of the slightly more serious YA novels, and this book helped me to figure that out.

I'd recommend this to anyone who might enjoy a fantasy book that is more geared toward adolescents and enjoys silly, fun storylines with not much death and doom involved.

Have any of you read this? I'm expecting an onslaught of criticism for my almost-dislike of the book. Go ahead, tell me what you really think, I'm open! Am I being too harsh, or do you agree with me?

A.

P.S. I know I tried to shorten up my review but it doesn't seem like I did, haha. Maybe just simplified my ramblings by adding bullet points? Well anyhow, what do you think as compared to my last review? Please be honest!
 

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I liked more/less than I thought I would

I don't know how to go about today's TTT topic. I generally go into each book thinking "boy I hope I like this book," so I think I'll approach it more as "books that were better/worse than I had hoped they would be, rather than what I expected. I try not to go in with high expectations... just in case! Is that pessimistic of me? Or realistic? Bah, I never know...

BOOKS THAT WEREN'T AS GOOD AS I HOPED THEY WOULD BE

 

 

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I really just... couldn't get into this book. I'd maybe have given it a 3/5 stars at the time if I had been reviewing but it seemed like a big copy cat of a bunch of other books (LoTR, HP, etc.) It wasn't bad, and the world building by this kid is beyond comprehension, but still. I was hoping for some awesome high fantasy wonderfulness, and I didn't get it. It has been almost a year since I've read it and I am dreading picking up the next one (especially since I cant remember what happened in the first).

 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

I was convinced I would love this one, just based on the reputation this book and the following trilogy have, but I could NOT get into it. I finished reading it right before I started blogging again and if I had posted a review, it would've gotten 3/5 also. I didnt hate it, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype and I was disappointed with how unsatisfied I felt after reading it.

 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

When I picked this book up, it sounded so awesome, and I was sincerely hoping it would live up to the hype and I actually REALLY didnt like the actual storyline. The backstory and the whole premise of the book is what I did like, but it took me months to pick up the next book and at that point I barely remembered what happened. Ugh. Solid 2/5.

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Though I did like this book in some ways, I was a little disappointed with the lack of....more. I don't know - there was something missing and I still cant figure out what it is.  I think part of it had to do with the fact that Tris wasn't as strong of a character as I had hoped she would be (I HATE  weak female lead) and I just cant see what the whole hype is over Tobias. I feel like I cant feel their chemistry or their flame... I don't know. Maybe. Whatever. 3/5.

 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Why oh whyyyy did I make myself suffer through this book. The honest truth is because I DO feel better about having read it because it is a classic and I feel like maybe I understand literature itself a little better, but that book dragged so badly for me. I'm pretty sure I skipped a chapter here and there, and I just couldn't do it. It wasn't even the story so much as the length and tedious writing. Whyyyy did that story have to be so long and pointless. I know that many of you will hate me for what I thought of this book, but I really just couldn't do it. 2/5!!!

Fifty Shades of Grey  by E.L. James
Need I even explain? Anyway, the smut lovers raved about this one and I sincerely hoped I would like it at least a little. I admit the premise was great and as a stand-alone book it might have even passed for good, but I stopped after book two because I just couldn't take the weak female mc and horrible writing. Ugh, this collectively gets a 1.5/5 from me.

 

BOOKS THAT WERE BETTER THAN I HOPED THEY WOULD BE

 

Pandemonium/Requiem by Lauren Oliver

We all know Oliver totally redeemed herself on the last two novels in this trilogy. Some of you actually loved Delirium but as I mentioned above, I clearly did not, and when I finally decided to pick up Pandemonium, and even though I didn't remember some of what happened in Delirium, I was pleasantly surprised. Loved these last two! Collectively a 4.5/5

 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Now see, I didn't have low expectations for this book at all, I just didn't expect to love it as much as I do. It SO fresh and unique and the writing is fabulous. I loved the twist on classic fairytales and I cant wait until next year when the next installment finally is released.

 

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

I read these literally just to read them because I heard they were fun and they were reminiscent (slightly) of Harry Potter, and I was intrigued when I heard this comparison. Well - HELLO Mr. Riordan, and thank you for this wonderful ride, but will you PLEASE release the next book because I am dying. These books are so fun and easy to read but super interesting especially if you have a slightly-more-than-mild interest in mythology such as myself. Collectively 4.5/5!

 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I had to do it. I just HAD to, I'm sorry. One, because HP should be on every list ever. Two, because when I finally decided to finish this series a few years back, I was doing it just to see if it was true - is it as epic as they say. I know my obsession with HP makes it seem like I've always had this obsession, but it is not true. When I was a kid, I read up to the middle of book 5 then stopped because I was too cool for school. And when I finally picked them back up (and from the beginning) I knew it was a good thing I waited until adulthood to finish reading them for full appreciation. I was hoping it would be as epic as the hype made it seem and here I am several years later, and  even just thinking about the books, I think I am going to go home and read one of them again tonight. Collectively 5/5!

 

What books did you like more or less than you thought you would?

 

A.

Top Ten Rewind - Bookish Bad Habits

I just love Top Ten Tuesday. Our friends at Broke and Bookish have been keeping things fresh for a while and now its time to REWIND! I'm especially excited about this because I've only been participating for a few months so this gives me an opportunity to pick a topic I missed out on before. Yay!

This week I chose:

Top Ten Bookish Bad Habits

I personally think that I have an unhealthy obsession with books and reading. It can only be considered healthy up to a point, but when you read a physical TBR list of over 50+ books, its bordering on unhealthy.

10. I buy too many books. Sometimes they are books that I'm not even entirely sure I'll read in the near future, but in my head, if I don't buy the book RIGHT NOW, it will be gone and I will never get to read it. Ugh, and therein lies the problem of my 50+ physical TBR shelf.

9. I don't give myself enough time after one book before starting the other. There have been times where I finish a book and then literally start a new one five minutes later. That cant be good right? However, in my defense, if I don't start a new book, my head is still in the old one and then I feel as though I cant be objective in writing my review.

8. I can never decide what to read next. Well, with a TBR shelf the size of mine, how could I? But here is the problem: I literally take all of my TBR books, lay them out in piles on the floor and do one giant "eenie meenie miney moe" to decide what to read next. But I'm not even kidding, because otherwise I cant decide. I actually did this yesterday and this is how I ended up with Poison by the late Bridget Zinn as my next read. You can imagine my panic when I thought my eenie meenie was going to land on The Casual Vacancy.

7. I generally don't stop reading books even if I hate them. This actually isn't as true as it used to be since in the beginning of the year, I made a bookish resolution to remember that I don't have to read something I don't like. I recently put down Insurgent by Veronica Roth, and though I do intend to read it, I just decided I didn't have to suffer through it right now (I'm sorry to those of you who loved this - I just had a hard time getting into it).

6. There are books on my TBR shelf from up to two years ago. Lately I've been buying so many books and reading the ones I have recently bought and all the other ones I've bought just get pushed to the side, unread, waiting for the day they will be chosen.

5. I am extremely easy on my books, and though I've gotten better, if a friend borrowed a book or would be looking at the book I'm reading, there would be times that I would say to them "easy with that" or "look at how you're holding it". Needless to say for a while, people didn't want to borrow books from me. That in turn made me sad because I wanted to share the books I loved. So I've calmed down a bit with borrowers, though I am still extremely easy on the books I read.

4. There was a time when I was a book hoarder and could not get rid of anything I had even if I hated it. I am still pretty bad, with four book shelves plus the need for another, BUT just last month I gave about 60 books away that I knew I'd never read again to two good friends of mine. They were thrilled, obviously!

3. I cannot and will not like to borrow books or read on e-readers. I have an e-reader to play games on and to read the e-book exclusive short stories that go with books, and I will occasionally borrow a book (from the library or a friend) if I'm really not sure of it, but I cant stand the thought of not having a book to read in my hand then adding it to my illustrious read shelf when I am done.

2. I refuse to read any book that becomes wildly popular (e.g. Twilight, Hunger Games, etc.) until one of two things happens: someone I know and am CLOSE with (just a passing acquaintance wont do it) and who I have respect for in their bookish opinions (I have many friends who read smut or aren't literary freaks like myself, or who just arent into the same genres as me so I tend not to go for their opinions) reads it and recommends it, or its being turned into a movie. I hate jumping on band wagons unless I know it is well written, unique and worth my TIME!! Remember that time I took one crazy friend's advice and read Fifty Shades. Yeah, uh, never again! Also, if it is going to become a movie, it is going to be much more widely know amongst the friends who don't read and I'd like to be able to discuss it and possibly force them to read the book!!!

1. I cant get past the end of Harry Potter. If Jo Rowling would just write a damn spin-off series, the world would be right again! There are times that I will just hang out in my head in Harry Potter world because everything else sucks. Feeling depressed? Watch/read HP (watching is just a quicker fix). I compare everything to HP and nothing is ever good enough. I think every TTT list I have ever written has HP on it somehow.

Now I don't know necessarily that all of my habits are bad ones. I think what is bad is that when I try to stray from those "norms", it gives me anxiety and I go crawlin' right back. My books are my salvation and when I try to pull myself away from what makes me sane, I just end up doing everything worse than before.

What REWIND did you choose this week? Do you have any bad bookish habits to share?

A.

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

ISBN: 9780312642969
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: February, 2013
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
Page count: 452 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

"Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner."

IN-DEPTH REVIEW:

I usually take notes while I read books, because lets be real, can you always remember what happens throughout the whole 400+ pages of the books you read? Most likely the answer is no. Or a lot of times for me, I will hate/love a book in the beginning and then feel the exact opposite at the end and its hard for me to remember why I felt a different way 400 pages ago.

What I'm trying to say is that for some reason, I only have about four lines of notes on this book so I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts on the book in its entirety into words. It took me three long weeks to read this. I dont want to be unfair, though, because the main reason it took me so long is that I have been very distracted with my recent engagement and I've been obsessed with all things weddings ever since. I finally finished Scarlet at work today, then OF COURSE I found myself wishing it didnt end.

As I stated before in my review of Cinder, Meyer's writing is fantastic. Not once did I encounter awkward wording or things I couldnt picture in my head or understand based on the way it was written. It came alive and I connected with the story, felt like I was with Scarlet and Cinder on their adventures.

I do have to say that I don't think I connected as much with Scarlet as I did with Cinder, and it was throughout the first half of the book that I found myself just reading about Scarlet and hoping and hoping for more about Cinder. I just felt like Scarlet's story took too long to develop into an actual adventure to save her grandmother. Then the romance started between Scarlet and Wolf, the mystery "Loyal Soldier to the Order of the Pack" with the sexaayyy eyes. Yeah, uh, boo to you Wolf, for all of that! I wont say more for fear of spoilage. But keep in mind that at one point, I wasnt sure if Wolf was gonna pull through as a good guy for this one.

Anyhow, I hate to be the girl who didnt like the book until the characters made kissy faces at eachother, and I do feel like the actual romance was a little much, but it still finally made things more than just mildly interesting. Needless to say, by the end of this book my heart ached for the two of them and I hated Wolf no more!

Cinder is my absolute favorite, her sarcasm, wit, badass-ed-ness, I just love it all, and with the long stretches of several chapters about Scarlet, I wanted to yell at the book and ask Cinder to come back. I once again loved the charming and clever way Meyer added the original fairytale of Little Red Riding hood into the story without being boring and still making it absolutely different. Also, I have a lot of questions about Thorne Carswell. He's gotta have something going for him, right? I mean, did he only serve the purpose of the "lumberjack" that saves Red Riding Hood aka Scarlet, or is he gonna be matched up with the chick from the next book? Like, what's his deal? You know authors dont waste attractive and funny character on secondary spots.

I really dont have much more to say about this book because I already love the series. It is so fresh and unique and so unlike any other dystopian out there, and I am sad that I will have to wait until next year (I mean come on, REALLY?!) to read the next one.

SUMMARY OF MY THOUGHTS:

Not suprised to have loved this one. Certain parts moved a little slower for me at first and I didnt connect as easily with the new characters, but by the middle of the book everything moved much quicker and I loved the new characters (almost) as much as I love Cinder, Kai and Iko! I would recommend this book (or the series itself) to dystopian lovers who are getting tired of the same old stuff. This is a fantastic and unique retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and I cant wait for the next to be released next year.

RATING:  ★★★★ 

I give this second installment of the Lunar Chronicles four stars because I loved it and the only thing that made it a little below amazing was that the first half was a little slow.

Have any of you read Scarlet by Marissa Meyer? If so, do you agree or disagree with my review? If not, do you plan on reading it? Love hearing what you all think

A.

Top Ten Tuesday - Before I came to know the [blogging] world...

I'm sorry I have been so neglectful! I didn't participate last week in TTT or FF. I mean, in my defense [and for those of you that don't know] I just got engaged last week,  so I've pretty much been obsessing over all things wedding since then. :) Anyhow..

Top nine books I read before I was a blogger:

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry : This is probably one of the oldest books I can remember actually reading and enjoying.

2. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson : Another one of those books I remember reading back in the 5th or 6th grade that just never seem to leave me.

3. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt : The last on this list that spawns from 6th grade classroom reads, I've read this several times and I am obsessed with the movie. OBSESSED.

4. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult : Want a story that will rip your heart out? Yeah me either, but I still loved this book and it caused me to go out and buy/read almost all of Picoult's other novels which subsequently ripped my heart out.

5. Three Sisters' Island trilogy by Nora Roberts : I've read many many books by Nora, but these were the first, before I ever knew book blogging existed. Now I am a Nora-lover and gladly review any I happen to pick up.

6. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant : This is actually a biblical story told from the women's point of view. Sound boring? No way - it was fantastic. You don't need to be religious to read this or anything. If you are into history, I would definitely recommend it. Its so cool!

7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger : Another book that ripped my soul in two. Such an amazing book and surprisingly a great movie.

8. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan : I started reading this series years ago and fell in love and still am anticipating the next in the series, I cant wait!!

9. HARRY POTTER : Because no TTT list is complete without HP. Lets be real, for those of us who have read it [which should be everyone!!!] it's probably one of the best [if not THE best] books we have read ever, let alone before blogging. But I am glad I got to read this one before blogging because I got to really enjoy it for what it was first before feeling the pressure of needing to analyze and remember things for a review.

What are your favorite books you read before becoming a blogger?

A.

A little off topic here....

So now...this post will have almost nothing to do with books, readings, reviews or anything like that, so for those of you that were hoping for a discussion post, I am sorry. I haven't posted since last week, and have been slacking on the reading over the last few days. The holiday weekend was a busy one for me, for starters. My friend got married on Saturday (cried like a baby) and Sunday was Easter, which has church, lunch and visiting my friend who was home from Boston.

Well since then, I've also been slacking, even though life (as far as work goes) has gone back to normal. Because I have awesome and super cool exciting news to share with all of my blogging friends -

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, let me not make this sound more romantic than it really is, because don't get me wrong, I knew he was getting the ring and it wasn't a surprise, but holding the secret in from all my real life friends plus all my internet/blogging friends was pure torture! I can openly plan my wedding, and I've even secured 5 out of my 6 bridesmaids and have an appointment to go see a wedding venue and have started making lists and spreadsheets and, and, and...

I know soon I'll be wanting to rip my hair out. God help me. Thank God I have a great MOH and one bridesmaid who went through this whole ordeal just last year.

So what does this mean for blogging? I know I am going to be distracted. I had a night off last night and I went for a jog (woohoo, go me!), made my dinner (again,woohoo, go me for not eating fast food.... until Sean brought me pizza booooo) and then sat on the computer for FOUR hours making spreadsheets, pinning on Pinterest and doing wedding research. God help me.

So I haven't posted at all since last week, and although I am enjoying Scarlet, I feel distracted because I obviously don't want to focus on reading right at this moment. BUT I have 90 bajillion books sitting at home waiting for me to read, so I've got to focus on what matters but not forget my passion: books!

This also means I probably wont be able to buy books for a very long time. :((( I am assuming I will buy some at birthday time and Christmas time because I always get giftcards for those occasions. So please forgive me if the books I am choosing to read are not exactly new, fresh and up do date.

Also, on the wedding website I'm registered for, there's an option for a free "wedding website" but I think I'm just going to make another blog and use it as my wedding blog for my guests, and to keep track of what I am doing in reference to the wedding (losing weight, ideas, venues, etc.) So I hope if any of you are excited for me and want to keep up with the fun of wedding planning, you'll follow and help me out when I post it!

Are any of you married or soon-to-be married? Any tips for wedding planning, so I don't jump off of a bridge before next August?

A.