Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

 In Eclipse we learn that Edward and Jacob are very similar. They both bully and manipulate, Bella to get what they want from her. They are also both very possessive and  have an unhealthy love affliction for, Bella.

We learn that while, Bella is still very immature and weak she is starting to realize the ramifications of her turning into a Vampire and how much it would impact her and all those around her. This is the first time, I have a small degree of respect for her.

My most favorite part of this novel is the backstories. The vampire war (more information on this, please) and the rest of the Cullen Clan. I am over the love triangle between, Bella, Edward and Jacob but of course we knew all along who she was going to choose.

I also enjoyed the werewolf imprinting and newborn vampires in Seattle story lines. Overall this book was ok and I enjoyed it more this time then the previous.

Grade: C+

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

 This is the second time I have read New Moon and my feelings pretty much remain the same. The second book in the Twilight series it just an average read but it is entertaining enough.

Bella is a very weak character who treats those around her poorly. She isn't very likeable and I am not quite sure why Jacob or Mike are infatuated with her with that being said it is nice to see the focus on the friendship/relationships between Bella and Jacob. This is the only relationship point out of the entire series in which Bella is marginally likeable.

I am by far more interested in the supporting characters. I want to know much more about the werewolves and vampires and their background stories. I feel that Carlisle and Roses stories would be far more interesting and worth reading. I want to know about Rose's life before she became a vampire and the moments leading up to her change, her backstory seems absolutely intriguing. Carlisle is also a captivating character and I would like this story expanded upon. In fact I think all the other characters (vamps and wolves) would have a better story to tell than that of Edward and Bella including the Volturi.



If you haven't read this skip now...because I am about to spoil it.





The breakup between Bella and Edward has always bothered me because I find it to be incredibly cruel and and excessively dramatic. It wasn't a break up from a long term relationship or divorce. It was treated as if Edward had died and while I know teen relationships are dramatic, I found this one to be excessive and rather embarrassing for the character and writer. I had a hard time believing it which made it more difficult to accept the rest of the their love story. Romeo and Juliet they are not! They are more Sidney Prescott and Billy Loomis (Scream) with the exception of Sidney getting a backbone and kicking some ass.

I can say this --- I do like this book more than Twilight because of the werewolf story line and learning about the Volturi and various other characters.


Grade: B-

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I started this blog in February of 2008 and as a result of this I never shared my review of Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. I hadn't even noticed that until today when I decided to start my review on Twilight.

 I can say this ---- I was never a Twi-hard fan, I never waited in long lines for the movies and waited until the came out on DVD to watch them. Had it not been for a friend dumping an advanced readers copy in my lap, I doubt I would have read the series.

I enjoyed the books at the time but had a lot of issues with the relationships between characters, the story line and sparking vampires and while some of those issues still exist for me, I was able to enjoy the books on a different level.

I am not gonna give an in depth synopsis of this book because we know what happens. Girl moves, meets vampire, falls in love and discovers that truth lies behind the myths of the supernatural. Best friend falls in love with girl, girl does not share the feelings and best friend and boyfriend dislike one another .....and then a lot of other stuff happens.

My inner 13 year old girl, LOVES this book and thinks the characters are super cool and would just LOVE it if a boy loved me the way Edward does but is Team Jacob all the way. The adult me rolls her eyes but gets a kick out of all the cliches and discovers that she simply loves the relationship between, Bella and her father.

I will never be a huge fan on this book but can appreciate why so many people went gaga over it. It boils down to this ---- it makes you remember and experience the drama of  first "love" and if you haven't experience it yet it gives you a fantasy version of it.  Not many of the relationships are healthy, the writing is sub-par but it's an easy read that will waste time and entertain you enough to keep you reading. I can say this, I have found the background stories of a few of the characters much more interesting than Bella and Edwards story and relishes those moments and look forward to seeing them explored again.

Grade: C

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

Tanya Dubois is on the run. She has left her husbands dead body crumbled at the bottom of the stairs. She's looking to re-start her life. A chance encounter with a bartender named, "Blue" gives her the chance. She forms an alliance with Blue but this proves to cause more problems then solve them.

Lutz has crafted an intriguing cast of characters. Her story line is riveting and keeps you immersed however it does jump around quite a bit as the story is told by different identities, emails, flashbacks and present tense. 

The ending was not what I anticipated and I was surprised, which for me, is a good thing! I did have a bit of trouble believing some of the things that happened, they just seemed far fetched. Lutz's writing makes it possible for you to experience what it is like to be on the run.

This book is a page turner but the ending ties up a bit too pretty for me.

Grade: B

Shelter Dogs in a Photo Booth Guinnevere Shuster

 Available  

May 3, 2016

I love, love, love this book! It is paw-esome. It's only 128 pages but each page features a dog! I just wish it was bigger because I can't get enough of all those stinking cute face!

This pictures showcase the dogs personalities. More shelters need to go this route so that the public can see them shine rather then shiver, shake and act out in fear while enclosed in an unfamiliar, loud place.

This book gives a very brief description of why the dog ended up in the shelter, four snap shots and adoption date! My favorite part is the end where you get an update on some of the pups!

 I selected one of my favorite snapshots to give you an idea of what is in this precious little book. I promise the pics in the book look way better, my camera did something funky!  Go out and pre-order for purchase your book now. Buy one, two or more for fellow dog lovers.

FYI: A portion of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Humane Society of Utah and Best Friends Animal Society.

Grade: A+ 

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Pretty Girls is an amazing psychological thriller. It is a dark compelling read that will keep you turning the pictures because you just have to find out what is going to happen.

Julia Carrol disappeared in 1991,  her sisters Lydia and Claire stopped speaking to one another. Twenty years have passed and Lydia and  Claire are as different as two people can be but another teenage girl goes missing thus reuniting the sisters in hopes of solving the mystery of what happened to Julia but this might very well break one of them.

The story is told in third person from three perspectives.  Got that, cause it took me a bit to wrap my mind around things but once I did, I was clear as a bell. You get to hear from Claire, Lydia and their father. Each of them have a lot to offer but one of them holds the key to Pandora's Box and once it's open there is no going back because lives will forever be changed and what has been seen can't be unseen.

I can't begin to stress how dark this novel is and how some might find it extremely disturbing. I had to actually put the book down a few times to put myself together and remind myself that it is fictional yet where there is truth within fiction.

Slaughter knows how to write, how to entertain and keep the reader engaged. 

Grade: A

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and Mary GrandPré

Confession time: I have been attempting to read, Harry Potter since it first came out. I've picked up the book more time than I can count, read a few pages or chapters and was done. I simply could NOT get into it. This year, I made the choice to pick it up again and give it one last try. I am glad, I did.

I feel in love with this book and the characters and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. It's quirky, cute and an easy escape from the realities of life. The characters and the story lines really make you pull from the imagination center of your brain and enter the world of magic, friendship and the the complexities of life.

I think it is safe to say most people know the premise of this book but just in case......It is essentially about this boy, Harry Potter who's parents were murdered when he was a child. He was sent to live with his family of, muggles (humans who do not possess magic). Harry himself is not aware that he has magical abilities or is famous amongst those who inhabit the magic world.

When, Harry is of age he is sought by those of the magical world and when found he is sent to attend school at Hogwarts and learn magic. He enters an unknown world but manages to make friends and find a comfort level within himself that he didn't have among the muggles. Harry and his friends ban together and the rest..... you have to read for yourself.

Grade: A

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Joe Talbert is a college student and he is tasked with writing an brief biography of a stranger. Joe decided he will visit a nearby nursing home and seek a willing subject. This is when, Carl Iverson enters his life, changing the lives of both of them forever.

Carl is dying of his cancer and has been released from prison and sent to this nursing home to live out what little time he has left. Carl is a Vietnam Vet and a convicted murderer. Carl and Joe from a bit of a bond and Joe starts to dig into this 30 year old case and finds that it is buried in secrets.

As with many good books, Esken's introduces characters to add life, intrigue and conflicts to an already busting at the seams story line.

This is a page turning, keep you on your toes investigation novel. You won't want to pass this one up.
I only have one complaint and it we don't get any feedback on the success or failure of the assignment from the professor.

Grade: A

Fragile and Perfectly Cracked: A Memoir of Loss and Infertility by Sophie Wyndham

Fragile and Perfectly Cracked is a heartbreaking memoir. This tiny little book packs a lot of punch in the emotion department. It is only 68 pages, long!

Sophie and her husband are ready to have a baby but they are struggling to conceive. When they do conceive after failed attempts it ends in miscarriage. Sophie is brutally honest and at times graphic but it's needed in order to give reality to the situation at hand. Be prepared for an emotional ride, Sophie's run off the page.

This is an excellent book to read if you are going through infertility, miscarriage(s), stillbirths or know someone who has.

Grade: Excellent book, I recommend it but will not put a "grade" on it due to the nature of the subject.

Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont

Eleven year old, Kay is distraught when she opens a box of letters delivered to her mom. She shares it with her brother who promptly contacts his mother and gives her the box of letters detailing the affair between his father and another women.

The news is devastating and Kay is understandably outraged, Pierpoint used this junction to take us back into time and the start of the relationship between Kay and Jake detailing their lives.  The first half of the book is enthralling but the second half .... slows down and while entertaining it just doesn't hold up to the first portion but don't fear reader it picks back up and makes all the time you've put into it worth it.

Pierpont often gives you the feeling of being that fly on a wall feeling. Her characters are beautifully crafted and flawed and oddly enough you can relate to all of them on different levels.

Expect an unprecedented move in which, Pierpont reveals the end in the middle of the book!

Grade: B

The Missing by Melanie Florence

In Winnipeg women and girls go missing. It's brushed under the rug by authorities but when, Feather's friend Carli and then Mia go missing, Feather makes it a mission to uncover the truth. Everyone becomes suspect and the reader finds it just as difficult to find the perpetrator. 

Feather is a young teenage girl who is determined and smart.  The story has many twists and turns, keeping you entertained. You will find yourself second guessing characters right along with, Feather.

Then, Feather's brother, Kiowa gets arrested for, Mia's murder the heat is turned up and the stakes are higher then ever. 

This is a fast, short read, coming out at 192 pages. Perfect for a plane ride of a lazy day.

Grade: B