My Thoughts: The Favor by Megan Hart

Janelle Decker has happy childhood memories of her grandma's house, and even lived there through high school. Now she's back with her

twelve-year-old son to look after her ailing Nan, and hardly anything seems to have changed, not even the Tierney boys next door.

Gabriel Tierney, local bad-boy. The twins, Michael and Andrew.

After everything that happened between the four of them, Janelle is shocked that Gabe still lives in St. Mary's. And he isn't trying very hard to convince Janelle he's changed from the moody teenage boy she once knew. If anything, he seems bent on making sure she has no intentions of rekindling their past.

To this day, though there might've been a lot of speculation about her relationship with Gabe, nobody else knows she was there in the woods that day...the day a devastating accident tore the Tierney brothers apart and drove Janelle away. But there are things that even Janelle doesn't know, and as she and Gabe revisit their interrupted romance, she begins to uncover the truth denied to her when she ran away all those years ago.

**ARC received from Netgalley**

Some of you may know that I am a HUGE fan of Megan Hart and her writing. I have often raved about her books, which is interesting considering that she may be more known for her extreme adult content stuff. What I have loved about her way of writing erotic fiction is her ability to also tell a story (I hope that makes sense), what I mean is it's not all about the sex. In saying all of that, in recent years Hart has ventured into the world of mainstream fiction with titles that include Precious and Fragile Things (My Thoughts), All Fall Down (My Thoughts) and the newest one, The Favor. I was nervous about Precious and Fragile Things when I first got my hands on it, but I don't know why.The book was fantastic and it therefore solidified my faith that Megan Hart cannot write a bad book.

So it should come to no surprise to you that I really really enjoyed The Favor. I loved the writing, I loved the way the story was told and I loved the characters. What can I say- I loved it all.

The Favor begins with Janelle moving back to the town where her grandmother lives to take care of the woman in her last few months of life. Janelle faces this move with a moderate amount of anxiety as she hasn't been back in twenty years- she's also bringing her twelve year old son with her. Something made Janelle leave many years ago and has caused her to never return. As readers we have no idea what this is, and it really adds to the mystery if the novel. All we know is that it somehow involves the Tierney boys- specifically Gabe.

Some of my favourites stories to read are ones that go back and forth between past and present. Specifically when the past is slowly unveiling something that I (as a reader) am dying to know about. This is what Hart does with The Favor. She reveals parts the story using snap shots from both Janelle and Gabriel's memories. I really appreciated that we got to see how things unfolded from both perspectives. This allows us to not readily assume we know what's going on. We can make no assumptions in this story.

Janelle has a lot of issues. She is dealing with more than just issues with Gabe and his brothers. She also is dealing with a broken relationship with her father, her grandmother's poor health and the responsibility of being both mother and father to her growing son. She is a busy woman. I really liked her and I think that the way she would handle things was believable. She wasn't this perfect, has all her shit stuff together. She was flawed and I liked that. Gabe was also dealing with his own BS. Living with her father and younger brother and feeling like it was on him to keep everything together. Gabe was living with a lot of guilt and he was drowning in it.

The secondary characters in The Favor were also fantastic and complex. Andy, Gabe's brother, having survived a tragic accident that caused him to suffer some brain damage was a hoot. He was like a little kid but not. He and Janelle's son became fast friends. But Andy was also an adult and acted like one at the same time. I enjoyed the scenes where he was present the most. Nan (Janelle's grandmother) suffering from a cancer that was going to take her life, was wise and she would often give Janelle advice that would bring me to tears. There were also times (due to her illness) when she was not lucid and forget things or something that didn't make sense. Both of these characters really showed how vulnerable we are as humans.

Overall, I think Megan Hart did a fantastic job with The Favor. The story was interesting and the characters well developed. This was a quick read for me, which is saying something for a slow poke like me. I hope you go and pick this one up when it hits the shelves next week.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

I was excited to get to this week's topic because I was kind of impressed with the success I had with my Spring TBR. You can see my list and what I've read here. I am anticipating similar results with my summer TBR list. I just hope I can stick to it. A number of the novels on my list are books I have to read for review. But they are the ones that I really want to read- like today. 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

1) To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones- This one came to me for review but I am SO eager to read it. I think the whole premise sounds interesting. This story is written in verse and I have only read stuff written this way by Ellen Hopkins, so I am excited to see how Sones takes in on. 

2) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- While I didn't like Eleanor and Park as much as most people did, I am pretty stoked about Rowell's next novel Fangirl. I think this sounds SO funny and light and I am really looking forward to reading this one. 

3) The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace- I have some weird obsession with novels that are about forbidden relationships. I always wonder if they are going to work out. And The Truth About You and Me is exactly the kind of story that I want to read. 

4) Boundless by Cynthia Hand- I am going to read this book. It was on my spring TBR and I have been talking about reading this book for ages now. I just need to buckle up and get to it. Like for real. It has to happen. I need to know how it all turns out for Clara and Tucker. It's absolutely important. 

5) Something by Sarah Dessen- I have only read two books by Sarah Dessen: Lock and Key and Dreamland. I have enjoyed them both and I think I would like to try another of her books. I don't know which on so if you have suggestions I'll take em. 

6) Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler- I have had this book on my shelf for a good long time now and I haven't read it. I feel like it would make a good beach read. I think that's when I'll read it. On the beach. 

7) Hopeless by Colleen Hoover- Bought this for my Kobo on a whim a little while ago and have been dying to read it ever since. I am still iffy about New Adult these days, but I want to give this one a try and see where it takes me. 

8) Sloppy  Firsts by Megan McCafferty- I haven't read this series yet and I want to. I have heard nothing but good things about it and I need to get to it. 

9) Asunder by Jodi Meadows- Another roll over from my spring TBR. But this one I really want to get to soon. I want back in the utopian work that Meadows created.

10) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling- it was my goal to reread the whole Harry Potter series this summer- I don't think that's going to happen, but I can certainly make a dent. 

So that is my summer reading pile- while most of it. Make sure to link you TTTs below so I can stop by and see what you're planning on reading. 

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

My Thoughts: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Oh the cover of this book is absolutely incredible!! I think it's one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. I just want to stare at it all day long.

Anywho- the story.

It was Misty from The Book Rat that first had me considering Jane Nickerson's debut Strands of Bronze and Gold. She was reading it for her Fairy Tale Fortnight event and mentioned that it was a retelling of the Bluebeard story. She seemed to enjoy it and I thought I would give it a try. Let me first say, I knew absolutely nothing about the Bluebeard fairy tale, so I didn't know what to expect from Strands of Bronze and Gold. When looking into the novel, a number of readers suggested not looking up the Bluebeard story. So that's what I did... at first. About half way through reading I did end up looking up the fairy tale because I couldn't handle being that much in the dark.

The story begins with Sophie going to live with her Godfather, Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, after her father passes away. At first Sophie is happy to be at her Godfather's mansion and living the rich life. However as time goes on Sophie soon realizes that the man is VERY controlling and possessive and she becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her situation and the demands of de Cressac.

I really enjoyed Strands of Bronze and Gold. Having no knowledge of the base story I was fascinated with what was going on and what Sophie had gotten herself into. Nickerson did a great job keeping me on my toes and engaged with the story. It wasn't just a creepy story, with a creepy man making inappropriate advances to a young girl. It was more than that. Nickerson takes the story further and sets in the southern United States during the time when slavery was an acceptable practice. Owning slaves was something that Sophie did not condone and she was very vocal to Monsieur de Cressac regarding her distaste. I really appreciated the way Nickerson approached this theme and incorporated it into her book. It really added flavour to the story.

I absolutely loved all the characters in this book. Even Bernard de Cressac. He was wonderfully written and he was the perfect villain. You couldn't help but like him in the beginning- in this case it was easy to see why Sophie was so enthralled with him. Nickerson also did a fantastic job of making Monsieur de Cressac more and more strange the deeper into the book we got. It was a lot of fun to read.

Overall, Strands of Bronze and Gold was a great read. I loved the spin Jane Nickerson put on the Bluebeard story and I am really looking forward to reading more by her.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Beach Reads

I am SO excited about this week's topic. Summer is one of my most favourite times of year. It's when I read the most and when I can spend the most time at the lake or at the beach. Reading in the sun on the dock is absolutely divine to me. It's my happy place.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the Broke and Bookish 

So this week's topic is...

Top Ten Beach Reads

1) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han- I read this book in the summer and I read it in a day. That is my kind of book. The book takes place at the beach (which makes it perfect), but it also screams romance and fluff and everything good for a day by the water.

2) Triangles by Ellen Hopkins- I think this is a great beach read because it is full of Drama! I mean tons of it. Scandal, deceit- it is angsty. This is kinda fun to read when you're in a good mood. I also really love Hopkins' prose and it just makes for good reading.

3) Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry- I love reading contemporary novels in the summer. I find that this genre is what I crave. Pushing the Limits definitely has some darker themes but overall it's a lovely novel that gets you thinking but also lets you relax and just enjoy it.



4) Stranger by Megan Hart- This books is smutty. Sometimes  good smutty book is what you need when sitting on the beach. Something you can read and forget about as soon as your done. Stranger is one of my favourites of the book I've read by Megan and I think it's the lightest in terms of issues. I really liked it and I think it's a perfect beach read.

5) My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- Anyone who has read this book knows that it's fully of happy. This has got to be the most perfect beach read! I absolutely loved it!

6) The Pact by Jodi Picoult- This one I actually read on the beach and it totally consumed my life. Talk about intense. These are the kinds of books that can only be read at the beach. A story that will capture all your attention and not allow you to focus on anything else. The Pact had me bawling my eyes out but I absolutely loved it. It was a great reading experience.


7) Summer Sisters by Judy Blume- Another book I read on the beach and I loved. This story again takes place over a number of summers and consists of scandal and drama and growing up. It's on of my top ten favourites. It is also my first and only Judy Blume read.

8) French Kissing by Catherine Sanderson- This book is exactly the kind of book that I think is perfect for summer. It's light, it's freaking hilarious! It's about a woman on the dating scene in Paris. I loved it and it's what I love to read while on vacation or on the beach.

9) The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald- This is one classic that I could fly through on the beach. For some reason all the parties and all the extremes Jay Gatsby goes through to get his girl, it feels like a good afternoon on the beach.




10) The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta- Another book I read on the beach and I thought it was a special time for me. I loved the Piper's Son and I loved that I got to sit in the sun with my friends around me and read about a boy who needed his friends around him.

 for some reason I think beach reads are contemporary novels filled with romance and fluff. Something that just makes you smile and fly through it. While there is some truth to this, I realized that this is not a hard and fast rule for me. When it comes to books and reading- I don't really have any rules.

Happy Reading Everyone,

My Thoughts: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

**Review copy received from publisher for review**

Leigh Bardugo's debut Shadow and Bone blew me away last summer when I read it. It was absolutely incredible. I read it while driving with a couple friends to see Coldplay. It was a good trip and Shadow and Bone will forever be a part of that. I flew through the book and as soon as I was done I was eager to see what was going to happen next.

Siege and Storm essentially picks up exactly where Shadow and Bone leaves off. Alina and Mal on the run from the Darkling and trying to figure out their next move. I have seen it mentioned a few times that there had been a bit of confusion because there is little recap in Siege and Storm regarding its predecessor. This is something that I generally get frustrated with as I have the worst memory for details. But I did not seem to have this problem with Siege and Storm. This could be attributed to the fact that it has been less then a year since I read Shadow and Bone, but I don't think so. I think I was so involved with the story when I read it that it all stuck with me. In saying that, I would suggest you refresh your memory with Shadow and Bone before reading Siege and Storm if you feel like you need it.

One of the things that really impressed me with the first installment of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy was how creative it was. I am always so impressed with what can come from someone's mind. There are so many little details that needed to be thought out and developed. The world and all that it comes with was one of my favourite things about Shadow and Bone, and I was not disappointed with how Bardugo was able to expand it and make it more magical and more compelling to readers. She takes us someplace else throws us in and lets us enjoy the beauty of it all.

There were a few twists and turns in Siege and Storm that I wasn't expecting and it was a blast to experience it all. There are a number of new characters that we are introduced to in this novel- some pleasant, others not so much. Strumhond, the privateer that we meet is my kind of character. He was sarcastic and mysterious and cocky and just plane hilarious! There were a few scenes within the book where he was involved that had be lol-ing for real.

Alina goes through some major changes in Siege and Storm. She battles internally with the responsibilities of being the sun summoner and a few other things (which would get a little spoiler-y if I let it slip). It's because of these struggles that her relationship with Mal suffers a bit. I enjoyed seeing this new side of Alina. She becomes more independent and more assertive. These new developments in her character felt normal and natural. There were times, however, where I wished she would have handled these transitions better and trusted those around her more (but really who deals with change perfectly).

The Darkling is absent ninety percent of the time. But this didn't bother me. While I was as enchanted with him as anyone else when reading Shadow and Bone. However, the few times he did make an appearance in Siege and Storm I didn't feel the same charm from him. Yes, he wasn't wooing Alina anymore, but there was something about him that just didn't impress me. I am curious to see what Bardugo will do with him in the next book.

Overall, Siege and Storm was a perfect addition to the Grisha trilogy. The plot was wonderfully developed and had me from the very beginning and the characters were fierce and loyal. I am SO excited for everyone to get their hands on this and I am ever more excited to see what's in store for Alina, Mal and the Darkling.

Happy Reading Everyone!

May Wrap Up

I had a flippin FANTASTIC may!! I was unemployed for two weeks in May and I had So much time to just read and hang out. It was wonderful. I took part in Bout of Books 7.0 Read-A-Thon, and that was an awesome experience for me. I absolutely loved it and I thought I did pretty good.  But anywho... here is how I did.

Book Read:

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

That is nine freaking book!! I am pretty pleased with myself!

Book Review:

Pivot Point by Kasie West
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
Of Triton by Anna Banks
Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Random:

I posted a From Book to Movie this month featuring The Great Gatsby. I did mini reviews of both the book and the movie and compared them.

Challenges:

Debut Author Challenge: 6/20 (I need to smarten up and get cracken- Hoping to try for two a month for the next couple).

YA Audiobook Challenge: 4/12 (again- I am behind here as well. That will change).

2013 Reading Challenge: 34/75 ( I am up 3 books which is only 3%).

More Random:

A couple month ago one of the Top Ten Tuesday topic was Spring TBR's well I am halfway through mine. You can check that post out here, and see what I've read on that list.

That's it for me this month,

Happy Reading Everyone!

From Book to Movie: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.

It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. 

The Book:

I read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby last summer after the trailer for the movie came out. The trailer was so vague as to what the whole story was about that I needed to know what the heck was going to happen. It was a pretty quick read at only 180 pages or so and it took me absolutely no time at all to read.

I can't say I loved The Great Gatsby. There were a number of things that bothered me to much. Ultimately, I hated Daisy. I thought she was awful. Daisy was selfish and indulgent and spoiled and I absolutely despised her. It was her character swayed my experience of this book in a negative way. I also did not like her husband, Tom. I know that you aren't supposed to like Tom, but I  had such an adverse reaction to him while reading Gatsby that again, it made the the whole experience hard for me. I laugh at this now, because Daisy and Tom made me SO angry when I read the book that I would huff about it for a while after reading.

I loved Jay Gatsby. He reminded of a little kid. His enthusiasm and charisma were great. There was something about him that just made me like him. I wish though that he would have let go of Daisy and moved on. He wanted/needed certain things from her that he couldn't have. I liked the relationship he had with Nick. It was almost brotherly and it was sweet. A lot of people I know who have read this book, have said they absolutely loved Nick. I don't know that I understand this affection. I found Nick a great narrator, but I am not sure that I loved his character. He was sort of background noise to me. But that's just me.

I know there are a number of things and important themes that I am missing from The Great Gatsby, and had I caught on to those it would have probably been an amazing experience for me. But as I've said before and I am sure I will say it again, I am very character driven. I am sure that now that I know what I am getting from the characters I will be able to focus more on what the author is trying to say. I will absolutely be reading The Great Gatsby again in the near future.

But...

The Movie:

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was SO eager to see it. I loved the look of it, I loved the music (Jack White's 'Love is Blindess' is still on repeat to this day). I loved seeing Leo as Jay Gatsby.  I was excited. After reading the book, I was still interested, but I wasn't so excited that I was heartbroken when they pushed the Christmas day release to May 2013. 

Walking into the film I didn't know how to feel and I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure if my dislike for Daisy was going to make it impossible for me to like the film,  and I was sure Tom was going to rub me the wrong way. Was I going to like Jay Gatsby the same as I did in the book. All these questions. I basically walked into the theater with very low expectations. 

I loved the film. I believe this is my first book to movie that I have ever loved completely. I thought the film stayed pretty true to the story (although I will be the first to admit that I am not one for remembering details). I appreciated Leo's Gatsby (although he did say 'old sport' A LOT. Like A LOT). I thought that he presented Gatsby's earnestness beautifully.

What I really enjoyed about The Great Gatsby: the film, was the modern take on it. The story was told from a 1920's perspective, but the details (aside from the costumes) were very much twenty first century. I liked that this gave you a good sense just how glamorous and over the top the lifestyles of those involved.

The movie fails to depict just how terrible Daisy was in the book. She's still pretty self-indulgent and spoiled in the movie, but I didn't despise her. I don't think that I could with Carey Mulligan as Daisy (I like Carey to much).

Overall, I just really liked the movie. Whether it was a master piece or not. I thought the casting was good and I liked how it was done. Perhaps when I reread the book I will think differently, but for now... I was impressed.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? I'm curious to know.

~Happy Reading Everyone!