Retro Friday Reviews

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

Oliver Twist
By Charles Dickens

A few years ago my husband and I spent a summer in Norway. There was a little book store near our apartment that sold some of the classics, including Oliver Twist. Since these were about the only books they sold in English I decided to give them a try, starting with Oliver. My husband was really excited that I was reading Oliver because he loved the movie and used to watch it with his grandparents when he was a kid. He was kind enough to sing different songs from the movie while I was reading (which really added to the atmosphere of the book). For some reason, while reading Oliver I had a British accent for all the characters. I’ve never done this with any other book, but when I read Oliver everyone sounds British in my head. Another fun thing that came out of reading Oliver was British Go Fish. To entertain ourselves in the evenings we would sometimes play cards. Since I was on such a British kick we started playing British Go Fish. It’s simple really; all you have to do is play Go Fish while using a British accent.

Anyway, I actually really loved this book. All the classics can be a little hard to get into or to understand all the language, but I just ate this one up. I loved the story of young Oliver, how he was named, the different families he got bounced around with, and how throughout it all he stayed a genuine, kind person. I loved the Artful Dodger and how he takes young Oliver under his wing and teaches him all the tricks of pick-pocketing. One day Oliver is witness to a crime and does not get away quick enough and is thrown into prison. The victim takes compassion on Oliver and takes him into his custody. It is there that Oliver finally learns kindness and compassion. He respects Mr. Brownlow and wants to start a new chapter in his life. While he is off running an errand he runs into his old crowd and is sucked back to the life he is trying desperately to leave behind.

There are a lot more plot twists and adventures for young Oliver and in the end he is finally able to find some happiness. I’m sure there are those who would read a lot into this story, I personally just like to read and enjoy watching Oliver’s life unfold. This is definitely one of my favorite books.

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted at Booking Through Thursday. It asks fun book related questions each week. It’s a fun way to get you thinking about your books and share you're thoughts with other book bloggers. Once you’ve completed your post return to Booking Through Thursday and leave a comment and link. This week's question is:

Would you lie? Have you? Why? What Book?

This was kind of a tough question. There isn't any books that I have read that I would lie about having read. There are a few books that I would classify as "guilty pleasures", but again, they really aren't that bad and again wouldn't lie about having read them. So, I decided I would go with The Luxe because it falls under guilt pleasure. I don't always agree with their lifestyle choices, but I'm sucked into their soap-opera lives. Speaking of which, I can't wait for November when book four, Splendor comes out!

The Luxe

by Anna Godberson

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal. -GoodReads

To read Kathy's review click here.

Bright Blue Miracle by Becca Wilhite

Genre: YA Fiction

One Word Review: Quick

Synopsis: “Seventeen- year- old Leigh Mason is not sure she s ready to share her mom, her bedroom, and her little sisters with her new stepsister, Betsy. And she s definitely not ready to share her best friend, who happens to be a boy! Coping with a blended family is not easy for either Leigh or Betsy, especially during their senior year in high school. Each step brings them nearer to a crisis that will either send them running in different directions or bind them firmly together (which, let s face it, would take a miracle). Bright Blue Miracle is a new young adult novel that has everything a girl wants: a hero (more specifically, a really cute boy), a villain (who happens to be a stepsister), comedy, despair, pedicures, ice cream, love, hate, tennis, revenge, and, of course, a couple of surprises that might send you for some tissues” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I was drawn to this one by the cover, although I kind of hate feet, I love the color blue and for some reason it just called to me. I was a little disappointed in the story and characters. Everything just moved along or was resolved so quickly. Leigh’s mother announces that she is getting re-married, and Leigh throws a small tantrum and then being the mature 17 year-old gets over it and tries to be understanding. When her new step-sister moves in and begins crushing on Leigh’s best friend Jeremy she once again has a problem with it but gets over it a little too quickly. Maybe it was the fact that I was sick when I was reading, but I just couldn’t get into the story or feel any attachment to the characters. I skimmed over the second half of the book and was again disappointed that everything gets resolved easily and somewhat unrealistically. It has its cute parts so I wouldn’t not read it, but it’s not one I would read again.

Great Look Award!

Thanks so much to La Coccinelle at The LadyBug Reads for this very pretty award!
This award is meant to pat on the back the ones paying particular attention to their blog presentation.

I have to note that Kathy is the mastermind behind how organized and how pretty our blog looks. She keeps me on the straight and narrow with templates so that there is continuity to our posts. On behalf of Kathy's efforts, I say thank you, thank you for this very pretty award.

Here are the rules:

1. Post the award on your blog, with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 5 other blogs that your particularly like. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are five bloggers who have created blogs that are very easy on the eyes:

1. Mary at Girls Literary Writing Group

2. Chantele at Always Something to Read

3. Ceri at Not in the Pink

4. Kim at Good Clean Reads

5. Brenda at Brenda Loves Books

Congratulations...you all have great looking blogs.

Swine Flu?

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been posting recently and it was my turn this week to do the meme's, oops! I have been out of town without access to the internet. My parents recently returned from a year long service mission for our Church. I decided at the last minute that I would fly home to Utah to surprise them. They were totally stunned to see me there, and I was stunned I was actually able to keep it a secret (I'm horrible at keeping surprises). Anyway, while I was there I caught some kind of bug and ended up being completly sick almost the entire time. I thought I was doing better, but woke up around 2:30 this morning totally sick again. I had my flight home (which was awful) and just barely made it back to San Diego. Anyway, I will hopefully be able to get a book review up tomorrow and the rest of this weeks meme's done.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.carrieryan.com

One Word Review: Disturbing

First Line: "My Mother used to tell me about the Ocean."

Synopsis: In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Jess's Review: Overall I liked this book very much. It will never win a Pulitzer prize or anything but it was a quick read that was suspenseful, entertaining, and rather addicting. The book held a lot of promise and I got really involved with the story until about half way through where the book turned from an intriguing mystery where zombies are a device and not a central focus to a full blown zombie book. Fortunately, the story had enough momentum that I didn't care that there were plot holes big enough to drive a moving van through and that the main character Mary becomes less and less likable as she whines and becomes increasingly more selfish. I suspect that Mary has OCD about Ocean, as you can tell in the first line, and it grated on me toward the end. At first I was feeling the heat between her and her love interest Travis, but like most interesting things in this book the author failed to develop it until I was convinced that Travis could only speak one word at a time. The Sisterhood was another fascinating entity that held secrets that were never revealed and that really disappointed me because Sister Tabitha was almost more creepy than the Unconsecrated. I'm asking myself why, with all that going on, did I enjoy it so much? I guess because I jumped when I heard a noise in the house while I was reading it and because I did get some butterflies when I read about Mary and Travis and because I like the writing style where the reader is just as lost as the main character. I just wish that the story could have been developed in such a way that it could have come full circle and answered some of my questions. A fun read, but it could have been much more.

Retro Friday Review

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

The Indian in the Cupboard
Lynne Reid Banks

What could be better than a magic cupboard that turns small toys into living creatures? Omri's big brother has no birthday present for him, so he gives Omri an old medicine cabinet he's found. Although their mother supplies a key, the cabinet still doesn't seem like much of a present. But when an exhausted Omri dumps a plastic toy Indian into the cabinet just before falling asleep, the magic begins. Turn the key once and the toy comes alive; turn it a second time and it's an action figure again.




This book was originally published in 1981. My mom read this to my brother and since I wanted to be exactly like him I listened too. She would read to us before bed and I would snuggle in the covers and get lost in the story. I remember it being a little hard for me to understand but just thinking that my toys could come alive was such a thrilling idea! I remember the cowboy being hilarious for some reason. When I was looking through some old books I realized that I had tucked this book in with my beloved children's books and thought it would be perfect for a retro review. It is a great read. To my delight I also discovered, while writing this review, that there are more books in this series. The whole series will be on my TBR pile for my little ones.



Reading Order:

Book One: The Indian in the Cupboard

Book Two: The Return of the Indian

Book Three: The Secret of the Indian

Book Four: The Mystery of the Cupboard

The Market by J.M. Steele

Genre: YA Fiction

One Word Review: Blah

First Line: “Somewhere in the distance I heard a cell phone ringing, and I slipped in unnoticed through the side door.”

Synopsis: “When Kate Winthrop stumbles upon the Millbank Social Stock Market (the MSSM), she's horrified to discover that out of the 140 girls in her class, she's ranked a bleak 71. Determined not to accept her fate as a "junk bond," she and her best friends set out to make her the fastest rising stock on the Market — and their plan works. Kate is suddenly embraced by the most popular girl in school and attracts the attention of the hottest boy. But what begins as a fun social experiment quickly turns into an obsession, one that threatens to ruin her reputation, friendships, and a chance at first love. Will Kate survive the high and lows of the Market, or will her security crash and burn?” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: It was pretty early on when I realized I wasn’t going to like this book. It opens with our main character Kate (Kat, Katie) at a party. She has a huge crush on a guy named Will and when he actually comes over to talk to her she is SO excited. He is totally wasted and for some reason she thinks that’s totally sexy. I guess I like my guys sober. I kept reading, but after 100 pages or so I sort of skimmed through the rest. Overall it was just kind of boring for me and not really that original. Unpopular girl goes through makeover and rises to the top of the high school food chain. Turns out things aren’t as they seem and she discovers who her real friends are and finds true love in the guy who was there all along. Blah blah blah. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I really think in the hands of another author this could have been a cute story.

J.M. Steele is actually a pseudonym for two NY “entertainment industry professionals” (whatever that means).

The Brothers by Chris Stewart

Genre: LDS Adult Fiction

One Word Review: Underwhelming

First Line: Michael, the commander, stood at his window, his huge shoulders barely moving as the shudder passed through his chest.

Synopsis: As Peter read the charges against Lucifer, the enormous chamber remained deadly still. Everyone knew what the charges would be, for there were no more secrets among the children of God, and the evidence was damning, entirely whole, and complete. Satan was indeed in open rebellion. He was seeking not only to destroy the souls of all who would follow, but to bring down and destroy the society of the Father, to take His kingdom and power and glory and claim it all for his own. And because it was evident, and because he no longer denied it, there was no doubt of the outcome of the Council of God. Lucifer had to be defeated, his rebellion disbanded or crushed. He could not be reasoned with. There was no common ground. His followers had to give up their sedition and quit converting God's children to their dark paths or be cast out and expelled from the presence of God. Ammon shivered as he listened to the words Jehovah read. Damned for eternity. Denied their second estate. Cast out, never to be with the Father again. And so it was that the battle with Satan began.

Jess’s Review: I hardly even know where to begin my review. This book's target audience is people who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm unsure on what other religions believe, if anything, about our life before we came to earth. To sum up my church's doctrine we believe we lived in heaven, with God, before our earth life and that Satan rejected Christ and the Plan of Salvation and was cast from Heaven. This book centers around that conflict sometimes referred to as the War in Heaven and is purely a work of fiction.

To be honest The Brothers was a book that just made my head hurt. I can't understand eternity even in a novel. While reading I had a difficult time gaining a sense of time and space. The characters who are supposed to be so connected to one another just seemed to fall flat for me and all in all the book was poorly executed. The prologue and afterword were so strange and it was difficult for me to tie them in with the body of the book. I think I have a bias against male authors, in general, and this book made me realize why. Male authors tend to have little dialogue and what dialogue they have is forced. This could not be more true for this book. The descriptions were long and boring and the characters cheesy. The concept is fascinating however and the book did offer me a new perspective on the pre-mortal life and really got me thinking. I think writing a novel based on something that we know so little about would be challenging and Stewart was on the right track. I think I will give the rest of the series a chance because they take place on earth and although the prologue to The Brothers didn't fit in, it was extremely well written. I think Stewart was bogged down in a difficult subject matter.

Book One: The Brothers
Book Two: Where Angels Fall
Book Three: The Second Son
Book Four: Fury and Light
Book Five: From the End of Heaven
Book Six: Clear as the Moon

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. After completing your post return to Breaking the Spine and add a comment with a link to their post. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Gone by Michael Grant
Release Date: July 1st 2008

Synopsis: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Why I’m Waiting: As you probably noticed this book was released quite some time ago. I had to be creative for this post because I’m not waiting for any new books to come out but I am literally waiting for this book to come available at the library. I hope you’ll forgive the loose connection for this meme. I’m excited about this book because it sounds like a modern take on Lord of the Flies and because my sister highly recommended it. I told her I would read Gone if she would give Hunger Games a chance. The second book in this series, called Hunger, was released in May of this year. .

The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.rachelhawthorne.net

One Word Review: Cute

First Line: “For anyone not familiar with Ragland, Texas, the front-page headline in that morning’s Ragland Tribune may have seemed odd.”

Kathy’s Review: Danielle loves baseball and boys. This year she is determined to catch a boyfriend when the summer league comes to town. When she sees an ad in the local paper asking for host families for some of the team she talks her parents into letting a player stay with them, on condition that she not fall for that player. Unfortunately, Jason is not only the hottest guy on the team, he is also the only guy that Dani wants to date. What’s a girl to do?

This was a really cute, light read. I enjoyed Dani’s tomboyish character and the situation she found herself in. The book was lighthearted and clean, a good YA novel. The only thing I would have liked is if Dani had been a little older, or Jason a little younger. She is going to be a senior in high school and he is just starting college. It probably isn’t a big deal, but it would have been nice if they were the same age. Other than that, I thought the book was well done. This was my first Hawthorne book and I definately think I'll be checking out her other works.