Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Summer time is for romance so before I left for my long summer vacation (benefit of being on maternity leave) I spent some time on goodreads looking for something good and I stumbled upon “Beautiful Disaster” by Jamie McGuire.

From  Goodreads:

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

“This book is like crack” says Torie on Goodreads and I can’t agree more.

It’s not healthy for you  (and you know it) but it’s impossible to  stay away until it’s OVER .

Everything about this story is really quite absurd, not that I have anything against this per sè  but while reading Beautiful Disaster I wasn’t feeling good about myself and especially about feeding my brain with this material, it can’t be good and yet it’s very good and juicy in all the right places.

Travis Maddox is uber sexy, fully aware of his hotness, a fighter who wants to major in criminal law, one of those “larger than life” character, nothing is subtle about his personality and I  usually don’t like this sort of hero (the sort that always behaves as expected, the two-dimensional hero) but somehow you can’t help sympthazing for Travis .

Abby Abernathy is supposed to display some kind of complexity, truth is I found her quite annoying.

Beautiful Disaster isn’t a character-driven novel, it’s a relationship-driven novel  and considering how many contradictions you can find in this story I will say that the title is PERFECT.

So why did I recommend this book in my previous post (a mention that intrigued Janicu who after came up with her review … do yourself a favor and read it!)?

I do think that if you have to spend a few hours on a flight or waiting in a doctor’s hall Beautiful Disaster will distract you completely, if you are feeling bored it will surely help to ease the feeling (more like dissipating it) , it’s juicy.

Your brain won’t like it but your guts will appreciate it so there must be something good in here 🙂

Em

BBAW – Day 4 – Forgotten Treasure

DAY 4: A forgotten Pleasure

I love this theme because I am sure today I will discover the most amazing books, this is where bloggers usually squeeze their brains and come up with the best answers.

Do I have a book that I wish got more attention from the book blogging community?

Yes I do, there are a few titles on my mind. First up it’s a delightful chick lit I read many years ago:

Kate Saunders is an English author, actress and journalist, she writes children books and chick lit, Bachelor Boys really made an impression on me.

Then I would like to mention Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (ya? dystopian?):

I recommend this book because of its strength, it won’t leave you indifferent.

What’s your forgotten treasure?

Em

Backstage Blogging

Today I’ve noticed that The Story Siren has a special feature on her blog Backstage Blogging aka find out what makes a blogger tick .

Fifteen bloggers answered this question: “What do you hope to accomplish with your book blog beyond sharing your love of literature?

I enjoyed reading their answers, getting to know them better,  then I noticed that Holly on Book Harbinger wrote a beautiful post Bonding Through Books in which she explains why blogging is so dear to her:

It doesn’t matter that you live half-way across the country or world, are part of a different culture and/or race, or that we have absolutely nothing else in common or will never meet in real life. You can learn much and connect much to a person who loves the same characters and stories you do, perhaps more than any other hobby or pursuit could do.  So to everyone who shares and loves the same books as me, thank you. You get me, more than many of my closest friends and family do. You make me feel less alone in the world, and I don’t know what I’d do without you

and this is sort of how I feel now.

I used to be a silent lurker and then I started my own blog, I didn’t want to accomplish anything but keeping track of what I read. Now it means so much more to me.

The best books I read in the last six months were all recommended by bloggers so in a purely selfish way having a blog it’s a good way  to discover beautiful books (oh lurking works too but you won’t get customized advises ).

I treasure your comments. I go back to them and scribble down those recommendations for a great fantasy, a fun chick lit, an enjoyable romance.

I discovered writers that keep me more entertained than those  columns on the newspaper (those never make me laugh or think).

But most importantly I found my voice and it feels great because now I ‘ve got my blog!

Em

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

For five days in a row I woke up earlier than everybody else… to read … I had to, when you are on holidays surrounded by people who want to do all sort of things and you start a book like Graceling it can be  ABSOLUTE TORTURE (I am sure you understand what I mean).

Graceling it’s compelling, once you get sucked into the story you have to keep going.

Katsa…is there something special in names that start with K (Katsa, Katniss, Kate) that conveys strength and personality into an heroine?

Cashore’s idea of coming up with the “grace” concept really impressed me, here it’s a fantasy novel without monsters, witches, talking animals, wizards, there are Gracelings instead. Gracelings are specially gifted humans, born with special abilities.

Katsa is a noble Graceling Lady, she is a Killer, she  is respected and feared in all eight kingdoms  but her gift is also her curse.

Katsa feels manipulated by her uncle, the King, into killing his enemies , she feels sick every time she is ordered to break a neck of perform an act of violence that can be spared.

Together with her cousin  Raffin and other loyal friends she creates a council, a sort of secret society, whose mission is to prevent injustices committed by kings at the expense of honest citizens.

Katsa  is not afraid of getting her hands dirty, she is  a survivor, a free spirit, compassionate, smart, it’s impossible not to love her.

And then there is Po.

Po is a Graceling Lienid Prince, the world believes him to be a fighter,  indeed he is the only one who can  challenge Katsa in a fight. When the council rescues Po’s grandfather and starts investigating what’s behind the kidnapping, he gets involved into the mission.

Po and Katsa embark in a journey that will keep you engrossed until The End. A  page-turner.

I loved Po, his good humor, his courage, his choices, he is very much an anti-hero which is probably why he is so dear to me.

The love story between Katsa and Po is very special, Cashore is smart enough to avoid  literary stereotypes and stick to reality (surprisingly for a fantasy), Katsa and Po are first of all friends, plus they are both adults so you can expect a certain degree of sensuality.

Be aware of spoilers.

What makes this book exceptionally good to me:

* it’s a fantasy  coming-of-age story meaning that both Katsa and Po develop  during the story, they acquire a  better understanding of their graces but they also realize their priorities and what is important to them;

* no sloppy romance, it’s labelled as YA but  is more insightful than most adult books, I strongly believe that facts are more important than words or grand gestures,  those two stick together for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish ;

* no obvious choices, no compromises. I am a huge supporter of compromising but you can’t compromise on those values that define your essence;

* a perfect ending in its imperfection (what I mean is that Katsa and Po find themselves dealing with some serious consequences but I appreciate the way Cashore doesn’t amend does consequences with some “literary trick”);

I would have loved a better understanding of Leck’s sadism,  great villain but he could have been better.

My grade: 5/5

Em

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Few of you know that my real name is Arianna (Emily is a nickname I had since I was in high school), it’s a greek name, the original version being Ariadne (you can check the myth here, I am not sure what my parents had in mind when they named me but it’s quite  an interesting legend).

It goes without saying that I have a thing for greek’s mythology and imagine my surprise when I started reading The Thief.

I had no idea that this story was  a “mythological fantasy” that took place in a natural landscape so dear to me (here it’s a pic from my last vacation, I was reading the book while camping in an olive grove):

A well written fairy tale is a true gem and while reading The Thief I found myself smiling and dreaming because this is the sort of adventure that makes you think about magical lands, impossible missions, forgotten legends. Turner’s style is superb.

I am thrilled to have  discovered this (thanks Angie!), it’s been said  the it’s the greatest twist in all of young adult literature (Shannon Hale), I couldn’t agree more.

Gen (short for Eugenides) is an imprisoned thief who claims the impossible: he can steal everything.

He is recruited by the King’s Magus of Sounis to steal a legendary stone that mythology claims to be hidden in a temple in the kingdom of Eddis:

“The reign of Eddis supposedly arose out of one of the stories in which Hephestia rewarded a king named Hamiathes with a stone dipped in the water of immortality. The stone freed its bearer from death, but at the end of his natural life span the king passed the stone to his son and died. The son eventually passed it to his son, and the possession of it became synonymous with the right to rule the country. When a usurper stole the stone and soon thereafter died, it was understood that the power of the stone was lost unless it was given to the bearer, and so a tradition grew up that allowed the throne of Eddis to change hands peacefully when another country might have had a civil war. One person stole the stone and then gave it to his chosen candidate for the throne, in that way making him rightful king”

Gen is supposed to steal the stone for the Magus so that the Magus can give it to his King, this way the reluctant queen of Eddis will be obliged to accept a wedding proposal from the King of Sounis.

An expedition is arranged by the Magus and off they go, Gen, the Magus, the Magus’ assistants, Ambiades and Sophos ( Useless the Elder and Useless the Younger), plus Pol, an unfriendly soldier appointed by Sophos’ father to protect his son.

Not too much happens, it’s a very simple plot but it’s an utterly enjoyable fast read with a PERFECTLY CRAFTED ENDING and great characters.

Gen, Oh Eugenides, what a refreshing character you are.

Gen has it all but his biggest quality is his cheekyness, here it’s a character that has none of the stuffiness that usually comes with his position, he would rather be a thief than a soldier, he is uber smart and likes his hair long.

I liked Gen from page one but by the end of the book I was completely fascinated, under-a-spell, enchanted. Plus imagine my surprise when I found out that I wasn’t giving him half the credit he deserved.

If you enjoy fantasy than this is a must read, there is more to come in the next two book (my reviews are coming soon).

Other reviews:

Angieville

The Reading Zone  (have a look!)

Presenting Lenore

The crooked shelf

The Coccinelle put it among her top ten picks

If you want to browse inside, here it’s the link for you.

My grade: 4.5/5

Em

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

Today it’s friday, it’s a sunny day and I feel really good so I think I should review one of my favourite YA Book ever  and that would be “Second Helpings” which is the second book in the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty .

I read this book years ago and I could immediately identify with Jess, a brainy high-achiever, a neurotic and witty voice who has many strong opinions and can’t take anything the easy way (that’s me).

Jessica Darling’s Top Traumas (It’s worth summarizing)

Trauma #1: best friend moved a thousand miles away

Trauma #2: has suck-ass excuses for friends

Trauma #3:  parents didn’t—and still don’t—get it

Trauma #4:  unable to sleep

Trauma #5: menstrual cycle went MIA

Trauma #6:  developed a sick obsession with He Who Shall Remain Nameless

He Who Shall Remain Nameless aka Marcus Flutie is the coolest fiction  character ever. Marcus is the reason you keep the page turning because he is  unpredictable charming, mysterious and so-compelling.

Marcus is the reason why I love Second Helpings and Perfect Fifths (second and fifth book in the series) so much, those two book really involve Marcus, talk about him, give him space while I didn’t really enjoy Charmed Thirds and Fourth Comings as Marcus is barely in there. Jessica is also a brilliant character but I believe this series  only works in the Jess/Marcus interaction.

Many people must be as obsessed as I am considering Marcus Flutie is on twitter (http://twitter.com/FlutieMarcus).

Second helpings it’s a perfect read for a teenager as it copes with insecurity, friendship, expectations and the Huge Issue of virginity. If you are a twenty something it’s still a witty story with engaging characters and it will make you think about how good it is being over your teen-ages and all that obsessive neurotic  thinking (well being a teen it’s not only a matter of age).

My grade: 5/5 plus!

Musical Pick: Run Run Run by Phoenix

Em

Bachelor Boys by Kate Saunders

I picked up this book years ago while I was in a bookstore, I had no idea who Kate Saunders was, I love cherries and the cover got my attention.

This it’s an obscure piece of chick-lit, unfortunately so because it’s a brilliant book, fresh and wise (don’t be discouraged by Jilly Cooper’s advise on the cover, I know I would be).

Phoebe Darling is dying of leukemia and worried about what will become of her ”boys” — 30-ish sons Ben and Fritz, sweet artistic types with no particular plans to leave home so she  turns to Cassie for help.  Cassie’s family used to live close to the Darlings but  wasn’t as happy so she used to seek childhood refuge with the motherly Phoebe and her family.

Cassie, now 31, has her act together , she runs a highbrow British literary mag, has an upstanding boyfriend, all of which makes her the perfect person to find the Darling boys suitable wives so Phoebe turns to her for help.

Will Cassie help her sons, a pair of incorrigible bachelors, find wives to look after them? They are gorgeously handsome, but they are also unemployed and still living in their mother’s basement. How will she ever find decent girlfriends, let alone wives, for these wildly sexy, and wildly impractical, bachelor boys?

I read this book twice (it’s that good) and sometimes I just feeling like browsing into it for half an hour or so. It’s engaging without being superficial, you will feel compassionate, angry, crushed and awkward as characters develops into their stories. I can’t recommend this highly enough and it would make a great movie.

My grade: 5/5

Em

If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend by Alison Pace

Don’t you love when a book leaves you smiling at the end?

I read this novel a few months ago and it made me realize how difficult it is to find a good chick lit that keeps you company for a few days and soothes your mind as a good cappuccino in a cafè you enjoy.

If Andy Warhol had a girlfriend is one of those gems. Jane Laine “Plain Jane” works for an art gallery and finds herself travelling with contemporary artist Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons. Ian is known as a genius, and his work is highly regarded throughout the art world but Jane doesn’t get it.

Again the plot is not important as this novel is adorable, cute and tasteful. It does not involve a macho Fbi agent but a sensible respected artist you will find yourself falling for.

The relationship between Jane and Ian develops slowly and those two characters don’t feel artificial,  they are really real, they really get into your skin and you’ll find yourself thinking about them for days after reading it.

Every chapters open with a very interesting Andy Warhol line such as “People should fall in love with their eyes closed.” —Andy Warhol” or “When you’re interested in somebody and you think they might be interested in you, you should point out all your beauty problems and defects right away, rather than take a chance they won’t notice them —Andy Warhol.

I highly recommend this book.

My Grade: 5/5

Em

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Reading this book I kept thinking about “Grease” or “West Side Story” and how impossible it is to resist all love stories in which love develops between to characters who initially hate each other and belong to different worlds (a few year ago I was obsessed by Doris Day and Rock Husdon),  I am a sucker for this plot and Perfect Chemistry is no exception.

It’s a combination of “opposites attract” and “unforbidden love” between hispanic gang mamber Alex Fuentes and all american golden girl Brittany Ellis who seemigly has it all. While the story may be unoriginal (which I don’t care one bit because I love every variation of this theme) Elkeles does a really god job in creating characters that are real and this story is very refreshing. I found myself never wanting to put Perfect Chemistry down but not wanting to read it so fast, I ended up reading it in 18 hours no stop, that’s how good it is.

All my favourite elements are in here: witty dialogues and bickering between Alex and Brit, sexual tension, humor, drama and the story is told from both prospective (which always intrigues me).

The only thing that bothers me is the ugly rap video that Elkeles put on her website, those actors are really ugly, all over the book I took inspiration from the book cover to visualize Alex and Brit.

My Grade: 5/5

Em

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

As I said I don’t do romance especially when a  cheesy, whiny, needy heroine is starring as main character and obviously falls for a nasty sex god who will turn out to be a very decent affectionate guy (nah).

I am not expecting an interesting plot from a chick lit or romance novel but I do expect a sassy heroine, preferably a battle of sexes with smart dialogues that keeps me entertained.

The best example would be “Practice Makes perfect” by Julie James. This is a very good romance and I really enjoyed myself because  Payton is a kick ass lawyer, and Ben is totally up for her game. In this novel the heroine is smart, acts smart and everything it’s very sharp, very uncommon in a romance novel.

I like the fact that Payton and Ben come from different background, they are both very strong minded and yet he is not obnoxious, I found myself really looking forward to a new witty novel by James and I picked up “Sexiest Man Alive” (another excellent book), this week her new novel “something about you” was released and my next step this morning would be go on amazon and buy it.

read this perfect review on Lusty Reader.

My grade: 5/5

Em