lord of the rings
The Painted Lady by Amanda Moncrefe
Book Description:
Sometimes the risks may not be worth the sacrifice…
Asha St. Claire is a young single mother who was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to secure financial freedom for her and her little boy. She believed those sacrifices finally paid off when she won a full academic scholarship to Natchez State University, a remote Mississippi college hundreds of miles away from her Chicago home-town. What she wasn’t aware of, however, was that in order to accept the scholarship, she would be forced to leave her son behind. Determined on becoming economically secure, Asha sacrifices her immediate wants, accepts the scholarship, and permits temporary custodial rights of her son to her mother in order to pursue her degree.
Delphi Allen is a man who knows what he wants-and what he wants is Asha. In his single-minded pursuit, he chooses to ignore past events in his life that could negatively impact both their futures. Can he convince Asha that her current choices won’t make her happy without revealing secrets he’s tried to forget?
Or will his decision and her sacrifice ultimately cost them both?
My Rating: 0/5
**I would like to start off by saying that I received The Painted Lady by Amanda Moncrefe for free via Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. That being said, giveaways do not impact my reviews.**
The cover is so pretty and intriguing – but this is NOT the book I thought it was going to be. I read up to page 35 and I can’t do it anymore. I just didn’t like the content (and wouldn’t have entered the giveaway for this book if I had known). IT’S VERY DIRTAYYYY! I’m no prude, but I prefer my porn on screen and less “I’m gonna poke your ass all day in class..” type of thing….
Okay, since this is my blog, I’m going full force. I was a little nicer on GR and the like, because I know I wasn’t the right audience for this and I’m not a complete dick. It’s not fair for someone to judge something that they don’t like in the first place. It’s like me saying a song is terrible because I can’t stand the genre of music. Doesn’t make it a terrible song because I don’t like the style, get mah drift? Again, I did not know this going in to the book. BUT – this is my blog. If the author or whoever cares to read a good review on this book and made it this far – wellll – that’s their fault.
One thing that threw me off – this is an urbanish book. Red flag numero uno. The other thing was how disgusting the males treat the females. This dude is really gonna poke some girl in the ass while she’s in class because he likes “making her squirm” and then I get a wonderful description of how wet her pants were getting – again I only read 35 pages and this isn’t the first descriptive content you get to read OH and these people barely know each other. If someone even accidentally touches my ass like that, you guarantee if I’m in class, my pencil’s going straight through their hand. Glad this author writes about self respecting women.
Don’t get me wrong, I can read sex scenes, I’m down with the putang! But there’s a right way of writing it and then there’s a pathetic way. Needless to say, this writer did the latter.
So yeah, unless you want to read a rude, hard nippling, ass poking, disrepectful piggish book – YOU’VE FOUND IT!
Summary: Men are disrespectful pigs and women are eager tramps.
Also, I’m sad this book has a small setting in Chicago. Being I’m from the Chicagoland area, I know we’re better than this…
This book is so stupid, I can’t even turn it into a craft. What a waste of a pretty cover.
Happy Reading! xo
Beautiful Creatures Series (Wrap Up)
Series Description:
There were no surprises in Gatlin County. At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Series Rating: 5/5 (average rating = 4.5)
If you can’t tell by my rating, this series is definitely one of my favorites! From the characters to the settings to the romances to the clever, witty lines of Ethan Wate, this series will live on my bookshelves for years and years to come!
If you’re a fan of YA/fantasy/magic, grab your hands on this series!
Favorite: Beautiful Chaos
Least Favorite: Beautiful Redemption
Talk about a series hangover. I was devastated when this ended. I wish it could have ended better, but I didn’t hate it. Now, I know this series seems to be hit or miss with some people because they find it slow or cheesy, but I just could not relate to that at all, although I do understand the “slow” at some parts in the books. The only reason I didn’t trudge through those parts was because of my love for the characters that I was willing to go in depth and hear all of those “boring” details that other people who are just trying to get through could care less to hear.
Here are my links to each separate review:
⦁ Beautiful Creatures
⦁ Beautiful Darkness
⦁ Beautiful Chaos
⦁ Beautiful Redemption
Now, as much as I ADORE this series, I also know that it’s not for everyone. So while I completely think highly of these books, depending on the person interested, I may or may not recommend. It’s kind of a balance between contemporary and fantasy/magic. If you can read both of these, I might suggest this mash up for you :]
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Book Description:
“A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
My Rating: 5/5
THIS SERIES IS TOO GOOD FOR WYRDS!! <—heh heh heh…
But seriously, just like the first book (Throne of Glass) and the novellas (The Assassin’s Blade), it’s full of the feels! I’m happy, I’m ‘dawwwww‘ing, I’m angry, I’m crying – reallllly crying, I’m gagging cause it’s so awesomely disgusting! When we first start this book, Celaena is throwing severed limbs on to the floor – how awesome is that?! I totally love how brutal these books can be! And the throwback to the Endovier slaughter is badarseee >:]
I love that we can go from gore and blood and slashing to complete heart melting moments. This is what I really love about these books is this diversity. I thought it was sooo cute of Dorian to give Celaena Fleetfoot, granted he could save ALL the puppies from there on out, but whateves. And my SWOONWORTHY moment – when Chaol catches Celaena sneaking off from her post only to find her dancing by herself and then JOINS HER!! I’m a Chaol/Celaena fan all the way so this scene had me grinning from ear to ear and hugging my book to my chest whilst rocking it back and forth. Totally not weird.
Then the “ERMERGERD!” moments – being 2 huge ones! I’m not even going to get into the one but it was insane, is was gross, it was sad. Lastly, the way this book ends revealing a HUUUUGE secret is insane!! I’m so excited to jump in to Heir of Fire – you can’t just say these type of things and leave me hanging! I also kind of wish I waited till ALL of these books are out because this seems to be a common theme and I don’t want to have to wait!
HEIR OF FIRE, HERE I COMEEEE!!
+Side note: I LOVED how the Throne of Glass picture turned out, that I think I may have found a theme for my book reviews! For more random pictures – please see my bookstagram found on the right of the front page or via my Get To Know Me page!
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Book Description:
“Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin.”
When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle – and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival – and a desperate quest to root out the source of the eveil before it destroys her world.
My Rating: 5/5
Brave, brave, brave Celaena!! She’s so strong, I’m so proud of her!
In case you haven’t noticed, Celaena is my fictional bff.
ALSO – THESE COVERS I WILL NEVER GET OVER!! No matter how many times I see them, I just want to rub my face all over them, they’re so pwetty!!
I find this book a little difficult to talk about because it’s basically the build up to what happens at the end. We meet people, we watch Celaena retrain and go through these tests (which I actually thought would be a little more difficult than they were but whateves) and we watch her go back and forth through these beautiful men (TEAM CHAOL FTW).
I stand behind what I said through The Assassin’s Blade, if you can, READ IT BEFORE THRONE OF GLASS!!
I already know that this is going to be a favorite series of mine. Personally, I enjoyed The Assassin’s Blade a little better, but that in no way makes this book any less than a 5/5…. if that makes any sense… heh.. heh…
Short, sweet and to the point. READ THIS BEWK!
Happy Reading! xo
2015 December Bookhaul
December bookhaul is here! SO STOKED with what I acquired this month – except After Alice only because my dumbass got that last month, not this month. FOR SHAME ASHMEE, FOR SHAME!
On to the books! I’ll have a list below of each book pictured, where I got them, paperback or hardcover, special editions and how much my total purchase at each place was! If you have any more questions – or comments – about this months haul, please feel free to leave/ask them below 😀 Happy reading!
Total Books: 31
Total Spent: $240
Barnes & Noble – $220 (free shipping/employee discount)
1.) The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas; hardcover
2.) Song of Ice and Fire series (GoT for those who aren’t educated on this) by George R. R. Martin; paperback
3.) Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer; hardcover
4.) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas; signed hardcover
5.) Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein; signed hardcover
6.) The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson; signed hardcover
7.) Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker; signed hardcover
Giveaways – FREE
1.) Swan Song by Robert McCammon; paperback
2.) The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels; hardcover
3.) The Painted Lady by Amanda Moncrefe; signed paperback
4.) This Raging Light by Estelle Laure; ARC paperback
5.) The Rule of Thoughts by James Dashner; hardcover
6.) The Kill Order by James Dasher; paperback
7.) The Eye of Minds by James Dashner; paperback
8.) The Death Cure by James Dashner; paperback
+3 Romance Novels – these won’t be included in the total. I get these from work but I do not keep them, instead, I pass them on to my momma to read because she loves romance novels – and I do not… *shudder*
-1 After Alice, this was apart of November’s haul and she somehow snuck her way in to this pic, attention whore.
Hope everyone had a safe and fabulous New Year, happy 2016! Hope you read many, many great books this year xo
2015 December Wrap Up
Total Books = 4
Average Rating = 4
Yet another uuuuberrrrr slow month for reading. Between the holidays and work and other lifey things there just wasn’t as much time as I normally have to devote to this wonderful world *le sigh* (yes, I repeated last month – what about it?) Also, I forgot I never posted a review for Dear Mr. You so be on the look out for that!
With that being said, here’s my sad, little finished reads for the month of December:
1.) Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz – 3.5/5
2.) Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker – 4/5
3.) This Raging Light by Estelle Laure – 5/5
4.) The Tales of Beedle the Bard – 3/5
Hope you guys have a safe and wonderful New Year! Here’s to a year full of books!
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
Book Description:
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.
My Rating: 5/5
If you’re a Harry Potter fan and have not read this yet, what are you waiting for? This book is such a cute play on fairy tales having involved the wizarding world, I believe both fans of Harry Potter and fans of fantasy/magic alike can enjoy this!
My favorite tale in particular would probably have to be “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump” because it was cleverly done and I was so happy for her at the end of the tale!
Being able to get an educational POV from Dumbledore is like a dream come true! It made me feel like I was getting a glimpse of what it would be like to sit in on a lecture at Hogwarts, how cool is that? And when you throw the queen J.K. Rowling in the mix giving her opinions as well, you might as well convince me pigs fly too because I’m getting lost and I’m believing!
Not only was this book wonderful to read, it was beautiful to look at with adorable illustrations inside and out. Grab this book for the Harry Potter fan in your life or even the fantasy/magic loving friend that could enjoy a good fairy tale or two :]
Happy Reading! xo
TheNerdyBookmark 