Book Review: A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander
Release Date: 21th November 2011

Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 432
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This books was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more."

Review: 

This book had all the components to make me absolutely fall in love with it. I loved the characters; Claire, lovely young woman trying to move on from less than humble beginnings, and Sutton, the young lawyer with a heart of gold. I enjoyed reading the romance between these two characters - the slow build-up, that began as playful friends and evolved into something more. The plot, albeit predictable at times, was enjoyable. And the setting; the fact that the story was loosely (very, very loosely) based on fact, made the setting and the story overall much more interesting for me. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I do think it was missing that little bit of pizazz that would make it a 5/5. 4.5 out of 5 ain't bad though! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romance and historical fiction.  

Book Review: Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot

Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot
Release Date: 12th January 2012

Publisher: Pan MacMillan Australia
Format: eBook 
Pages: 291
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld."

Review: 
To be honest, I hadn't heard a lot about this book before I decided to add it to my TBR list. Amazon suggested I may be interested in it, and the blurb was intriguing, so I thought I would give it a go. After reading this book, I am actually dumbfounded that I left it on my TBR list for so long. To me, this book was all types of brilliant. The book mixed so many things together that I love; mystery, supernatural, romance, mythology - it all just melded beautifully together. I loved the setting, the characters, the plot - I just loved everything about this book. And the twist at the end! I really, really did not see that coming, and I absolutely loved it. A definite must read. 

MEGA Musing Mondays (10)

Musing Mondays is a weekly Meme by Mizb @ Should Be Reading

Musing Monday's is one of my fave weekly memes to participate in, and since I've been away from the blog for a while, I thought I might answer some of the questions that I've missed out on!

Have you ever read a book after watching the movie/television version only to find that you don't like the book as much as the adaptation?
I'm one of those terrible people who doesn't read the books movies/television series are based on. In my mind, if I've seen the movie version, then that's enough, but, strangely, if I've read the book, then I simply must see the movie. Honestly, this doesn't even make any sense.

Do you read the ending before you start a book? Do you ever skip ahead to read the ending?
I used to be a repeat offender of this, but luckily I've broken the habit. Skipping to the end of the book just defeats the whole purpose!

If you had to choose only 3 books to read forever, which ones would you choose?
Oooooohhhhhhh tough question. It's hard to imagine just reading and re-reading three books for the rest of eternity. But, I would have to say that I think if I had Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and a Sherlock Holmes compilation book, then I would probably be happy.

Do you ever get crushes on fictional characters? Name one (or a few) and tell what you liked...
Who doesn't? Most recently I think it was Peeta from The Hunger Games series. I also remember a time when my sights were set on Edward Cullen (it was a long time ago..)

Do you have a fave series? Do you have a fave book out of the series?
I would probably have to say that the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series is one of my fave series. I read them years ago, and they're quite an easy read. Not only that, but they are absolutely hilarious - choosing just one book from the series as a stand-out is impossible!

What distracts you when you really "should be reading"?
At the moment, it's uni work. Assignments, tests and reports all just pile up on top of me, and coupled with being a lazy person, this just doesn't bode well for my reading. 

What is your least favourite book? Why?
I'm going to assume that this question is referring to books I don't like. In that case, to this day, I maintain that The Wind Singer by William Nicholson (which I was made to read in year 6) and The Giver by Lois Lowry (year 7) are the worst books that I have ever read. Maybe it was because I was forced to analyse them in English class, or maybe I wasn't as big a reader back in year 6 and 7, but I vividly remember that I hated those books. I don't even remember why, but I've remembered the names of these books to this day, and I hardly remember the books I read this year, let alone ones I read 6 or more years ago!

Have you ever considering writing a book before? What genre would you write?
There was a time in my life (a long time ago) that I thought I could be an author. My reasoning was that I liked to read, therefore I could write (I was horribly wrong on that front). The last time I thought about writing a book, I planned a romance centred on teenagers, so I guess I would write young adult fiction.

Around the Stack in How Many Ways? 2012 Book Challenge - Completion Post!

I've finished my first reading challenge for the year!!!

The 2012 ATS Challenge was hosted by Dog Ear Discs and the Book Monkey. The aim is to read as many different genres of books throughout the year, depending on which level you have signed up for. Having already signed up to 2 other reading challenges for 2012 (and aiming not to drown myself with challenges in my first full year of blogging), I signed up for the Hiker's level, which required 5 books from 5 different genres to be read. 

1. Crime/Mystery: Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs {my review here}

2. Romance: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger {my review here}

3. Dystopian: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins {my review here}

4. Historical Fiction: The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory {my review here}

5. Young Adult Fiction: Vixen by Jillian Larkin {my review here}

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in this challenge in its debut year (even though I was frequently distracted from reading by other things..) I love the idea of challegening bloggers and readers to read from a wide range of genres, and I look forward to trying out this challenge again next year (maybe even a higher level!)

Book Review: Deadly Decisions (Tempe Brennan #3) by Kathy Reichs

Deadly Decisions (Tempe Brennan #3) by Kathy Reichs
Release Date: 26th June 2001

Publisher: Random House
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 368
Rating: 4.5/5.0


This book was read as part of the 2012 ATS Challenge


Summary from Amazon:

"Nine-year-old Emily Anne Toussaint is fatally shot on a Montreal street. A North Carolina teenager disappears from her home, and parts of her skeleton are found hundreds of miles away. The shocking deaths propel Tempe Brennan from north to south, and deep into a shattering investigation inside the bizarre culture of outlaw motorcycle gangs -- where one misstep could bring disaster for herself or someone she loves."

Review: 
It's been so long now since I read this book that not only can I only very slightly remember the storyline, but I can't think of anything new and interesting to say about this book and the series as a whole that wouldn't be a repetition of my reviews for Deja Dead and Death du Jour. What I will say is this - Kathy Reichs continues the Tempe Brennen series effortlessly, sticking to a solid formula for plot structure and character development. A solid addition to a series that is shaping up to be one of my favourites. 

Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls 

Release Date: 1st March 2011

Publisher: Hodder General Publishing Division
Format: eBook 
Pages: 448
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:
"It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself."

Review: 

I have no idea what to write for this review. And not because I just don't have anything to say about this book, but a mixture of 'I read this book ages ago' and 'I don't know how to express what I feel about this book without it sounding like a bunch of mumbo jumbo'. So, I am going to try for clear and concise. This has to be one of the best books I have ever read. No joke - the book's structure was unlike anything I had seen before, I completely fell in love with the characters, and the plot (albeit predictable at times) did completely throw me at the end - I really was not expecting that ending there. I think that this has to be one of the books that you just have to read.

I Did It Again...

BLOGOSPHERE oh how I have missed you. If you follow this blog, you'll probably remember that some time in July (or was it June?) I welcomed myself back to blogging after neglecting it for about 2 months, with full intentions to continue to avidly blog. And now, here I am re-welcoming myself after about 3 months of inactivity (awkies). I don't even know what happened, but I think it's safe to assume that uni work is to blame again. And this time, it wasn't that I just wasn't posting as much on the blog, but I also wasn't reading as much (I just finished A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander about a week ago and I've been reading that for agesssss). But, with the academic year finally over, and a long 3 month break before uni starts up next year, I think that now is the perfect time to launch back into reading and blogging. With no immediate plans for the future, I am going to read and read and read, because I have many a book to read if I want to complete the reading challenges I signed up for this year (although, I think it's safe to assume that at least one won't be completed, but not for a lack of trying!). WATCH THIS SPACE PEOPLE!