My Bookish Distractions

Alas, school has gripped me by the throat and refused to let go until I actually did studying for my midterms coming up. As a result, my reading has been at a minimum recently. I'm working through two books right now, one of which I've almost completed. I have a pile of books I'm planning on reading and reviewing in the near future.

For you lovely people, here's a list of books I have prepared:

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

I even have a few classic I've been wanting to read. I was thinking of ways to approach them while doing reviews, since obviously I need to do something different with them. If anyone have suggestions, feel free to comment!

The review I did have planned has since been scratched, because I couldn't bring myself to comment on a book that horrid. Note to self: avoid bodice-rippers romance novels.

Surprise! I bet you didn't expect to hear from me, did you?

No, this blog is not dead. I haven't posted in about two months due to a few different reasons. The biggest is my mother's surgery. She had a full knee-replacement, and I had to take care of her while she was on recovery. Then, I went out of town for a few days for my birthday. Let me just say, I'm never living in Atlanta. The traffic is terrible. Last, I started college a few weeks ago. Packing, moving, then adjusting took a while, but I was able to read a few books in the meantime, so I do have some reviews prepared! Expect the first one tomorrow.

Until then, stay beautiful!

I couldn't finish this book. The part of the book I did managed to suffer through, it felt like I was reading a screenplay. A horrid screenplay. There was mainly dialog, with very little else. Characters are one dimensional, and the story is just plain forgettable.

Sorry Max Barry, I really have nothing else to say about this book.

Rating: One out of Five stars

Lia fights a war every single day. A war with herself.

Anorexia is a silent and very deadly disease that many people suffer. Laurie Anderson does not sugarcoat Lia's struggle at all. When Lia stared at her body, disgusted with the imaginary fat pockets her mind conjured, Laurie used almost poetic imagery to describe in great detail what Lia sees. I felt nothing but depressive emotions when I read this book. I nearly cried multiple times, and vary rarely does a book cause me an emotional roller coaster like this one.

This book was spectacular in the way the author tackled on the sensitive subject of eating disorders without being too preachy in describing the horrors.

There was only one complaint I had about the novel. I found the strikeouts throughout the book a little on the distracting side. Also, when Lia started her hallucinations with the ghost of Cassie, the line between reality and imagination seemed to be a little hazy.

I highly recommend this novel to everyone, especially to increase awareness of eating disorders and how it can affect a close friend.

Rating: Four out of Five stars

I'm in love with the steampunk subgenre, and this novella portrays it in such a great way. The story takes place in an alternate timeline when America lost the Revolutionary War, and the United States is now called Toriana, or The Provincial Union of Victoriana. Americans are now citizens of England, and everything is changed.

The world building the author accomplished in this story is remarkable. The author even included a multi-page glossary in the back for the terminology, some made-up and some not familiar to an American audience.

The characters were very interesting. Kit, the investigator, Dredmore, the deathmage, and Thomas, the inspector. Perhaps there will be a love triangle in the second book, which I will be curious to read about, despite my aversion to the subject.

The plot starts simple, and grows as the story progresses. By the end of the book, the complexity is very refreshing, and left me craving for more. I was annoyed by the cliffhanger, but now I can't wait for the next installment.

Rating: Five out of Five stars

I received this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While there were moments I would like to complain about, I'd rather enjoy this book. It was a decent, easy, enjoyable read that I was able to get through, and the characters seemed real.

That's the only reason why I'm giving this book three stars. To me, the plot has been done before, but with a fantasy twist. A girl is swept away from her life of a laundress and into the lavish life of a Companion. Sounds very Cinderella-ish to me, which is way overdone in my opinion. At some points, the characters acted too out of character for me to simply ignore.

Spelling errors. Oh my god, the spelling errors. I couldn't handle that. I just wanted to get a red pen and mark everywhere. Too bad it was an ebook.

Rating: Three out of Five stars

I received this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

For the first time, I shall be reviewing two different books, or novellas, as I should say, in one post. Since the books were so short, I was able to read through them at a fast pace, in about one day, and I feel that one post would suffice for the reviews. I received a free copy of both books via the Read It and Reap program in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know where to begin on this book. The book was such a mess, that at times I felt like scratching out my eyes and bleaching my brain in order to forget what I've read. And I'm usually not this shallow, but I couldn't stand the cover. No need to go on about that though.

I couldn't stand Emmaline. The author, and every character in the book, proclaimed her a smart girl, but every decision she made was pure idiocy. It was rare when I didn't want to slap her around and hopefully bring back some sense into her teenage mind. What baffled me the most was while she and her father were under the custody of Dominic, the antagonist, all she could think about was loving Cephas and crying over the fact that he lied to her. GET OVER IT. You and your father are about to die, and that is all you can think about? Ugh.

Get the author a thesaurus, please. Some adjectives were repetitive, especially those using to describe the bad guys. "Evil" seemed to be the author's favorite choice. Oh--

"and everything went black
"everything went black"
"And everything went black"

How many times does this phrase need to be repeated in the book? The author also utilizes the phrase in the least suspenseful scenes ever-when the character is going to sleep. Seriously? Please. Just stop.

The only reason I'm not giving this book one star is because the story had some good moments. The typical teenager-falling-for-guy scenes were cute, and not cliched to the point where I wanted to vomit. But that was it.

Rating: Two out of Five stars





I was able to read this story in less than an hour, for it was only 59 pages long. It was a decent novelette, a sweet love story with the New Orleans vibe. Now, I love New Orleans, and I consider it a second home. I'm already biased when it comes to stories that are set in the city, and this one is no exception. It features magic, ghosts, voodoo, and the charismatic charm of the city to tie the story together.

There isn't much to say about this story, since it is so short, but I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoy romantic short stories.

Rating: Four out of Five stars

As some of you may have notice, I'm still fiddling with the layout of this blog. I'm experimenting with pre-made layouts until I can finally figure out how to make my own. How do you like the current one?

Also, something else has been on my mind. I think I would like to focus on a certain genre for this blog. More specifically, the fantasy/sci-fi/steampunk genre. Books of those genres are usually my favorite, and I think it will be fun to focus this blog on a more specific area.

Any thoughts? Inputs?

I dove into this book with relatively low expectations-something I do with a book that has so much hype surrounding it. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished the book, more surprised that it took me about a day to finish. Maybe the book absorbed me in more than I thought it did.

I don't know how to review this book without listing the positives and negatives of this book. There were definitely both.

Negative first. I didn't enjoy the writing style of the book. I'm very picky about writing, and Veronica Roth's style, including first person, turned me off somewhat. I just can't stand first person writing. Ugh. Second, the dystopian setting, including the five factions, seemed a little old to me. People being placed into a certain faction based on personality. Seemed a little Harry Potter to me. And everyone is trying to write the next Harry Potter book.

Even though those few things bothered me, the book was excellent. I thought that the main character, Tris, was a complete and total badass. A sword-wielding, gun-slinging, punch-throwing badass. At times the character did annoy me though, but I thought she had some depth to her.

My favorite part: ROMANCE WASN'T THE MAIN PLOT. I enjoy romance as a side thing, but I'm always turned off if I read a novel for something other than romance, and it turns out to be the main focus. So I was very happy with this book.

Last thing, the action. HOLY CRAP I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. I love that feeling, when a book can actually make my heart start pounding away as I flip through the pages, unable to put the book down. I love action, and the action in this book seemed never ending. Loved it.

Rating: Four out of Five stars

I am absolutely in love with this book. Behind the cheesiness of the book cover is a wonderfully written story of the Third Crusades, and prominent figures of the time such as King Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Saladin. In addition to the plot about the Crusades, there was a romance between a Jew, Miriam, and Saladin, a prominent Muslim in the region. Even Richard falls for Miriam, but the affections are never returned.

Kamran Pasha initially wrote a manuscript as a reaction to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Eventually the manuscript turned into a novel, as the movie never happened.

What I found unique about the story, is that even though he mainly told the story through the Muslim perspective, we were still able to see the Christian side of the story, thus elimination the cliched Good vs. Evil associated with wars. Stories from both sides were told. It was refreshing and enjoyable, and at times, I've discovered that I've been reading for five hours straight. The only reason I wasn't constantly reading the book is because I'm a easily distracted person.

Saladin is seen as the ideals associated with Islam, all the virtues and chivalry. When Richard lost his horse during battle, Saladin presented him his own horse as a replacement. Also, when the foolhardy king was dying from the camp illness, the Sultan sent in his own personal doctor to heal his enemy.

While Richard is less sympathetic than Saladin, and a bit immature at times with his personal choices, the author created the character Sir William Chinon, based on actual historical figure William des Roches, as the symbol for the ideal Christian who never sways from his beliefs even under pressure of power, greed, or revenge.

I would not read this book for the historical inaccuracies, but simply for the plot, the characters, and the overall story that left me unable to put the book down. Those of you who are picky about historical accuracy, don't expect this book to be the one for you.

Rating: Five out of Five stars

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via the Read It and Reap program in exchange for an honest review.*

Let me be brutally honest with this book. I have a policy where if I don't enjoy a book, I don't finish it. I couldn't finish this book. I did not enjoy the story telling, the characters, or even the plot at all. When I started reading the book, I would almost immediately fall asleep from the lack of excitement I felt. To me, the hard to remember names completely turned me off, and the fantasy aspect, well, I just didn't enjoy for once.

I feel bad about not liking this book, because to me, all books should be loved, but this one is in that small category of books I never want to pick up again. Confusing names, dull plot, and I couldn't bring myself to like any of the characters.

Overall, I would never pick up this book again. Don't read it unless you have the time to waste.

Rating: One out of Five stars

I finally went to the city library for the first time in forever. It was a spontaneous decision I made while taking my mother to the doctor today. The library was as just as I remember from my middle school days, slightly run-down, a little deserted, and sadly not a wide variety of books to choose from. One would think differently of the capital city of Alabama. Then again...maybe not. The Huntsville library I've come to love while at university is much more grande with a cathedral design on the outside, and wide, open space on the inside. Oh how I miss it. Despite the lack of books, I was still able to find a decent selection of novels that caught my eye.

  Jennifer Government by Max Barry

I become interested in Max Berry after being introduced to his fun webiste, NationStates. This satirical piece immediately grabbed my attention, and it looks to be an enjoyable read.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I hear about this book all the time, so I finally caved and rented it. I feel like it would have been a crime to not get it, as so many people are telling me to read it. Well, there you go. I got it.

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas


I claim this my classics read for the next few weeks, after making a bet with my boyfriend. He's going to read Three Musketeers while I read this, and whoever finishes first wins. Wish me luck!

Aesop's Fables

Hello those who stumble across my little blog! I guess I should tell you about the blog, and my main mission.

I am an Atmospheric Science major in college, and most of the time I'm swamped with physics and calculus, and like any other college student, I need a distraction here and there. Reading is generally my distraction, and I love forming my own opinions about the books I read. So voila! This blog was born.

Note, I'm still in the process of trying to create this blog, and how I want to format my review. Please be patient with me!

Oh, and I review a wide variety of books, from fantasy, to YA, general fiction, action/adventure, mystery, romance, and so on. I'm always looking for new reads!

I generously received this book for the Read it and Reap review program.

Deena has two different lives: One in a prestigious architecture firm with fancy suits, and the other with her family in a gang-ridden neighborhood infamous for its crime rates. She begins a relationship with a Japanese man, of which neither family approves. This forbidden affair fuels her confidence to finally stand up to her family for what she believes in.

Crimson Footprints was a rather interesting read. While the story started off a bit slow for me, which in turn earned it's four out of five stars from me, I quickly was unable to stop reading the story. There were a few character that irked me, such as Lizzie and Grandma Emma. At times, I could feel Deena's own pain, annoyance,and anger at her own family whom can never seem to accept and love her, due to her being half white. 

While the book certainly had down moments, I was full enraptured with this novel, and the struggle the main characters were going through. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy a decent, fast read.

Rating: Four out of Five stars