Something Challenge 2012

This time last year I decided to challenge myself to read a few different books in a quirky manner. Call me a romantic, but I have a relationship with books that is much like a marriage. So the idea sprung to create my own little themed challenge and welcome anyone who would like to give it a try either by reading one book or four in the following categories:

Something old

Something New

Something Borrowed

Something Blue

This year, oddly enough as I was stacking my shelves high I thought what fun it would be to do it again. I am not exactly convinced I need to challenge myself, but these four books are ones that I have been eyeing in some form or another and I would really like to enjoy just reading for a while.

This year the books I have chosen are:

Something Old: Betwixt

Something New: You or someone like you

Something Borrowed: Peril at Sommer House [despite it being book 2]

Something Blue: Hooked

I have chosen an interesting variety of books that I have both heard nothing about and heard a few things about. Hopefully I will be able to give you guys some great reviews and I would love to hear your comments about any of the books I will be reading [spoiler free]

Join in, let me know what you will be reading or make a vlog post and let me know.

Blair

Paranormalcy- Kiersten White

Pages:  335

Published: first published August 31st 2010

Genre: Y.A/ Paranormal

Format: Paperback

Acquired:  Own Copy

Date Finished: 26^th June 2012

Synopsis:

Vampires. Werewolves. Faeries. Shapeshifters.

Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamour’s, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths, and even worse, that she is at the centre of a dark prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

Thoughts:

Paranormalcy had been sitting on my shelf for a long time before I finally picked it up after watching a series of videos that all mentioned it as a book to be read. With the onslaught of Y.A fiction that either; sounds the same, is the same or just has a slight twist that isn’t really enough to get my involved with the story, let alone the characters. I was still hesitant as I wanted to read something refreshing and fun. Paranormalcy is the perfect spark of comedy, romance, mystery and quirkiness with just the right mixture of dark undertones and great values in a female MC.

Evie is a fantastic narrator who’s back story is well developed and who I loved from the get go, with her values on friendship and family and her aspirations and goals she is not your typical abnormal girl wanting to be normal and her reasons to me are totally justified. The way she interacts with all the characters both villainess and her companions really made me more engrossed in her journey and I enjoyed that for the most part she could hold her own.

The two main love [interests] were fascinating in their own way, each had their own reasons for being who and what they were and to be honest even though I disliked Reth I still was fascinated in his make- up and the Fairy lore. Lend was beyond adorable, the perfect blend of intelligence and values that I like to see in you male characters. To me I did not feel like this was a novel where a ‘love triangle’ was apparent, and if it was it was subtle enough to not make me roll my eyes and I like that in a Y.A novel.

Kiersten did a fantastic job at blending together numerous species of creatures and delving into elements of each one. The co-existence of them in the center as well as in the real world added depth to the story that I ate up like birthday cake and I was entertained from the get go. I could not wait to learn more about everything and each added element of mystery propelled me further and made me fall in love even deeper with her writing.

What I loved most about this book was that I could put it down for a few days and when I picked it up I still feel the same excitement spark to life as soon as I got reading. For me that is a winner.

For all those of you who have Paranormalcy added to your wish lists or TBR pile I urge you to purchase it, borrow it and bump it up as it is a exciting start to a new series and I sure am looking forward to picking up Supernaturally very, very soon.

I am giving this book:

★★★★★

5 Pink Tasers

Quick Check:

·         Really love the Narrator- Evie

·         Fantastic, Fun, quick and quirky

·         Not your average outcast wanting to be normal

·         Loved the blend of all the paranormal elements and creatures.

·         Fantastic Mystery

Blair xoxox

Behind the Mask- Juliet M. Sampson

Pages: 176

Published: February 1st 2011 by Brolga Publishing Pty Ltd

Genre: Contemporary/ Adult Fiction

Format: Paperback

Acquired: Direct from Juliet.

Date Finished: June 25^th 2012

Synopsis:

A young girl dreams of finding her Prince Charming and falls head over heels in love, only to discover early on that she has been completely deceived. Caught in a resentful, angry, emotionally and physically abusive relationship, she tears away the mask behind which hides a love without compassion. Only a few years earlier she had graduated from university and was blissfully happy and enjoying life. Love, she thought, would just add to her blessings. Now she finds herself stranded on an island in Thailand with no passport or return ticket to Australia and fearing for her safety and life. Still dreaming about a love without hurt, she is determined to control resentment and focus on shaming the behaviour that let her down.

Thoughts:

I was very blessed and grateful to receive a copy of Behind the Mask from Juliet at the begging of June. After reading the synopsis and various reviews I was more than curious to read it.

This has to be one of the hardest books I have ever given my thoughts on because so many thoughts conflict with the authors own personal journey of abuse throughout the novel and the honesty and rawness of the situations she detailed. Coming from a background of abuse myself I honestly struggled at times to continue reading it. It was painful, emotional, riveting and at the same time frustrating to the point that I had honestly had enough of hearing the ordeals of the narrator and how she stayed in that situation for so long.

Her story is powerful. It is told simply, but with every unfolding event I found myself nervous and back in the situation. So kudos to Juliet first and foremost for making me feel like my heart was being wrenched open, because while I did find it hard to digest I did actually find it compelling to read. However this is not for those who do not like to true accounts and crime, because when we get down to the nitty gritty it is a crime what the author had to go through and even though it is based on her experiences I found that I was only able to find real strength after the novel was finished. It is the after that really makes you think and question just what would you put up with to make someone happy?

I would certainly recommend it to any man or woman and honestly to younger people as well. Because it can happen to anyone at any time and we never truly know someone. I was grateful to be able to share the experience with Juliet and I love that she continues to help those in need and promote Anti- Bullying.  Pick it up, and give it a read it is not for everyone, but I still strongly believe that we can all learn from these experiences no matter the medium and I even learned a little bit more than I thought I did about myself and my relationships.

Thanks again Juliet for being so kind as to give me a copy of your book. You can find Juliet here:

http://www.julietmsampson.com/

I am giving this book:

★★★.5

I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but the content was hard to enjoy until the end.

The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen

Pages:  320

Published: 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton

Genre: Magical Realism/ Contemporary

Format: Paperback

Acquired:  Own Copy

Date Finished: June 25^th 2012

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever.

Thoughts:

I love me a good Sarah Addison Allen book. She is one my favorite authors and her novels never cease to warm my heart and make me smile in times when I need them. The Peach Keeper is certainly no exception. When June came around in the book club and we got a change to read it I was so excited, despite having to move and getting ill. When I finished the book, I wanted to go back and crawl inside its pages because that is what it made me feel; magical.

One of the winning parts of this book was the friendships that were formed over time and those that remain over time. I wanted to cry reading about the older ladies decades old friendships and how that interwove into the present for the two main female characters, which were so unlike each other but who complimented each other right from the get go even if they didn’t know it. There is something so beautiful about watching a friendship blossom, even more than the romance and Sarah does it so well I was reminded of how important it is to be true to yourself and your friends and to love and be there for one another through thick and thin.

The mystery revolving around the secrets of the past and present was amazing. Often I continued reading because I wanted to know so badly and I felt everything Willa and Paxton felt as they tried to protect themselves and their families from the past. I loved how it brought so many people together and really divided the characters from ‘the scenery’.

Tucker brought a thick fog of darkness to the novel that complimented all the magic between each page. His history throughout the ages, from old passed down stories to his lingering ghost brought an element of richness to the story that I experiences through the senses. The peach scent that lingered, the fluttering of birds in the sky creating rainbows of colors, the old creaking tree and the jingling off the bell it was captivating.

I don’t really want to tell you anymore since I think it would spoil the story, but it is definitely a book to buy and add to your collection. It is a perfect autumn or winter read even though I believe it is set in the summer and I loved curling up in bed while I was ill and escaping to the beautiful worlds Sarah creates.

I must admit that in some parts I felt the usual spark Sarah emits in me die down. However while this was not one of her stronger novels, it certainly was a fantastic read and I would recommend it to fans of Sarah and to those who love magical realism.

If you haven’t already, check out her other works; The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells [those are the two I have read. I cannot wait to check out The Girl who chased the moon

 

I am giving this:

4 plump peaches

★★★★

Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain

Pages: 359

Published: March 9th 2007 by Macmillan

Genre: Crime/ Mystery Thriller

Format: Paperback

Acquired: Local Library

Date Finished:  June 1^st 2012

Synopsis:

When beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell captured her last victim - the very detective who was trying to hunt her down - she quickly established who was really in control of the investigation. So why, after 10 days of horrifying physical and mental torture, did she release Detective Archie Sheridan on the brink of death and hand herself in? No one else will ever know what happened between Gretchen and Archie, and even with his tormentor serving life Archie remains both obsessed and driven by a mysterious, terrifying dynamic that was born during his time alone with her. One thing is clear - Archie does not believe he was ever truly freed. Two years on Archie, shadowed by vulnerable, naive young reporter Susan Ward, must lead a new hunt for the 'after school killer', and he knows that one person can help him climb into the mind of this psychopath. But are there links between these brutal deaths and Gretchen's own unthinkable past? And will this only give Gretchen an invitation to play puppeteer once more? In turns shocking and touching, this startling, compulsive debut introduces a complex psychopathic killer who will haunt your every waking hour long after you finish the last page.

Thoughts/ Review:

When I heard Krista over at the Cubical Blindness talk briefly about this book and describe it as a crossed between Dexter and Silence of the Lambs I knew sure as anything that I had to get this book. With an emptied bank account I pretty much raced down the library to make sure I could get the single copy they had, despite my book ban till we move.  I gotta tell you that this is one of the greatest decisions I have made this week.

You’re probably asking yourself, Blair why would you want to read this book if you are moving house [which I am] and I asked myself the same question as this book deals with twisted, sordid and psychological issues that kept me up way past my bed time, not afraid but eager to continue reading despite the crawling of my skin reading the flashback chapters of Archie’s captivity and when meeting Gretchen for the first time. Oh and did my heart beat faster.  But that is the wonderful thing about this book it is captivating, and I felt like I was trapped inside Archie’s mind, feeling everything he was and seeing it through his eyes. Scarily I could relate to those feelings, obviously not being tortured but being trapped mentally and almost sensually by someone who has manipulated your way of thinking. I could not get enough and it made Chelsea’s writing so much more honest.

Susan was a character who again when completing the book and reflecting and I can connect with as well. For the most part I wasn’t exactly her biggest fan. But at the same time I wanted to get to know her even deeper. I love the way that Chelsea drew experiences from Susan’s childhood and teenage years and really gave definition to Susan as a person in her adult life who is ultimately deeply damaged by her past and while not as fucked up as Archie, still lends herself to be a sever train wreck waiting to happen.

Would I say that it reminded me of a Dexter/ Silence of the Lambs crossover? No, I think this story has subtle references and characteristics of Silence of the Lambs, but the only real comparison to Dexter is the Serial Killing part and if I wanted to go there I could reference a hundred different crime books right here and now, however having a deeply disturbed and intensely fascinating female Serial Killer made for one hell of a refreshing read.

Was this book predictable? In some parts, mainly because I think Chelsea used such obvious psychology and almost text-book crime fiction format. Did that ruin the story? No it never did and even when everything was unfolding just the way I had imagined it in my twisted mind, I still was clutching my chest and trying to calm myself down.

I strongly believe this is one of those books to go into not knowing too much about it. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone as it is a great start to a series and I will be continuing without a doubt. I would recommend this book for fans of crime of course, but also for fans who like character driven fiction as to me this felt strongly driven by the characters behavior and thoughts and the consequences of a domino effect through a ten year span.

Overall I greatly enjoyed Heartsick. It was the perfect book to ease myself back into my love for Crime and I am super excited to get started on the second book a.s.a.p. As always if you have read the book yourself let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or posting a vlog response about it and link it back so I can check it out.

I am going to give this:

★★★★.5

 Blood stained nails