Heaven is for Real

 Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

Wow! What a great, uplifting, remarkable story! But let's backtrack a little. I was a little hesitant to read this book. I don't read a ton of non-fiction, and I haven't had much experience in this genre. I am Christian but I have a hard time with "preachy" books, etc. So it took a couple of people recommending this book before I decided to give it a try. And I am so glad I did. I didn't love the writing and actually found myself skimming some parts but overall the message is amazing.

This story is about Colton Burpo who at three had a appendix rupture. While in surgery he visited Jesus and had a remarkable experience. The story is told by Colton's dad, who also happens to be a preacher. I didn't love how he told the story, and got somewhat bored when he would talk about his own health scares and such. I just wanted to hear about Cotlon's experience! Colton's parents gradually asked Colton about his brief stay in Heaven over 5 years, which I found a little odd. Why didn't they just keep the conversation going once Colton brought it up 4 months after the surgery? Anyways, I loved hearing about what Colton saw and how he explained it in his own words. I don't know how a 3 year old boy would know about this stuff without experiencing it for himself. I am so glad I read this! I can't wait to talk to my husband about the book!

Happy Reading!!!

Bet Me

 Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Cute! I have been in the mood for a good, quick chick lit book, so this was perfect. I enjoyed both of the main characters, and even though their relationship was a bit predictable, it was fun to watch it all happen. I have to say that the last few chapters are a bit scandalous, but honestly, I didn't mind. Actually, throughout the book I was surprised how little sex there was, but that thought changed by the end.

We follow Minn Dobbs as she rudely get dumped by her boyfriend while at a bar. We quickly find out that Minn is not the skinniest of girls and her mom definitely lets her know it. She hasn't had much luck with men and she leads a somewhat boring life, especially since her career is to assess and avoid risk. Then we meet Calvin, a handsome man who has a reputation of getting woman to fall in love with him and then high tailing it out of there. Minn and Calvin don't exactly hit it off but they keep running into each other and weirdly enough can't get each other out of their minds.

Happy Reading!!!

World Book Night

I am lucky enough to get to hand out The Book Thief today for World Book Night.  Can't wait!  I hope some of the people who get these books will fall in love with reading like I have. 

The Lying Game

The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1)  by Sara Shepard

 

 

 My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I don't really have much to say about this one. I didn't really care for it. Mostly because the whole book seems like just a prequel to the rest of the series. Which is fine except that you learn nothing in this book. It all just sets up for the rest the next book (I assume)which is really frustrating to me. Especially because I did not like it enough to continue on with the series. Anyways,....

The Lying Game is about long lost twin sisters Emma and Sutton. Emma's mother deserted her when she was 6 and ever since she has been bouncing around the foster care system. Sutton was adopted and was lucky enough to live a privileged life. Now Emma has suddenly discovered she has a sister. But when she goes to track Sutton down, Sutton has disappeared from her life. Seamlessly Emma falls into Sutton's life, even Sutton's family believes Emma to be Sutton. What happened to Sutton? Was Sutton and her friends as nasty as they are coming across? What is this Lying Game all about? Is there really someone out there wanting Sutton and Emma dead? These are just a few of the questions Emma is trying to figure out.

Happy Reading!!!

 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

What a book! I absolutely adored this book. It is so mysterious, so descriptive, and so full of relationships and emotion! The whole time I was reading this book I felt like I was right there in the circus. The tents were so clear to me, I could see the people interacting together, and definitely could visualized all the "moves" made for the "game". The magic was so amazing that it made it hard for me to put the book down. I usually don't love circus books, except for Water for Elephants, and was a little hesitant to start this one. I had heard such great things from so many people though, so I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did!

Celia Bowen's mother commits suicide when she is just 6 years old. Celia is then delivered to her father (whom she has not met), who is a famous illusionist. It doesn't take long for her father to see the natural talent Celia possesses. And so the game begins. He calls an old friend to find a student of his own, and then they bind the children to the game. Celia and Marcus begin their intense training for this unusual competition where unannounced to them, the game won't end til there is only one left standing. Before the game officially starts, a mysterious circus comes about. This circus is only open at night and that is just the beginning of the strange circumstances that happens inside its many tents.

Happy Reading!!!

Uglies

Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfeld

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Uglies is set in a world where everyone over the age of 16 turns "pretty".  You are known as an "ugly" until you have the procedure to turn you into a typical "pretty".  You are made to be an average weight, symmetrical face, eyes at the right level, a nose that is just the right size, and so on and so on.  But is that all the procedure does?  Does it just change your physical appearance, or is there more to it?<br><br>We follow Tally who is the last of her friends to turn sixteen.  which really means that she is the last ugly to turn pretty. Tally has become extremely lonely as she is waiting for her birthday.  Then one day she meets Shay.  Shay coincidentally has the same birth day as her, but she doesn't appear to be as excited about turning "pretty" as Tally is.  When Shay runs away, the authorities, called the Special Circumstances, step in.  Basically they give Tally a choice: if she wants to turn pretty, she needs to find Shay.  As Tally starts in on this adventure, she has no idea what she is about to learn or how her world is going to be turned upside down.


Happy Reading!

Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoy Lauren Oliver's books!  And I absolutely love the world she has thought up in this Delirium series.  Although there is, should I say a few, other distopian type series out there, this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites.

The book picks up right where Delirium had left off.  Lena has just crossed the fence, badly injured and alone.  She keeps flashing back to her last image of Alex.  Lena is absolutely heartbroken and all she can do is keep running.  Right when her body is about to give up she is found by a group of invalids who take her in and care for her.  The novel switches back and forth between being taken care of by the invalids (then) to being back in a city and helping with the resistance (now).  Lena knows she is part of the resistance, but she doesn't exactly know what the resistance has planned for her.  For most of the book Lena is stuck with a boy named Julian, as they were kidnapped and then escape together. It doesn't take long to see a romance is budding but I have mixed feelings.  I really like Julian, but I really liked Alex.  But he is dead, right?  And poor Lena is trying to hold on to Alex so tightly, but Julian is right there in front of her.  Oh man, I just can't wait for the third and final book in this series.  Unfortunately I will have to wait until February of next year.  Bummer!!!

Happy Reading!!!

Girls in White Dresses

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I definitely did not care for this book. I found it whiny, annoying, and was not able to make a attachment to any characters. The book was very monotone and uninspiring.



Supposedly were we supposed to meet a few girls, in their mid twenties trying to make a plan for their life. Meanwhile, everyone around them was getting married. I thought I was in for a cute, easy and funny read. But what I found was extremely clingy girls, superficial girls. I enjoyed how their friendships lasted and they were always there for one another through the many painful breakups. But really all they did was talk about how depressing their lives were, they would go get drunk and then have hangovers in the morning.



I don't know if I am the only one that did not care for this book. Maybe I just missed something. I did pretty much just skim the majority of the book. Anyways, definitely not what I was expecting or wanting.

Happy Reading!!!



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Baby Proof

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I seem to be stuck with rating books a 3 lately. Actually this book is probably more like a 3.5. I enjoy Emily Griffin's books, such as Something Borrowed. Baby Proof is a quick, easy, chick lit type of book. We follow Claudia, who unlike many women, is set on the fact that she does not want children. It isn't that she doesn't like children. She loves her nieces and nephews and takes her role as aunt very seriously. She just doesn't have any desire to be a mother. Luckily she meets Ben, who also doesn't want kids. They are absolutely perfect together. That is until one of them decides they actually do want kids. We follow them on a journey of whether their marriage is going to work out now that they want different things. Is having a kid something you can compromise?

Happy Reading!



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Between

Between by Jessica Warman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Liz had the perfect life. She was part of the "cool crowd", she was stick skinny, extremely beautiful and very popular. But was that all really true? Liz is faced with trying to figure out what her life was all about when she tragically dies on her eighteenth birthday. Once Liz is dead she has a hard time remembering certain things about her life. It is all a big mystery. So she begins trying to piece everything together and by the end she has figured out two huge secrets.



This book was pretty good. I really did not care for the main character, Liz. She is extremely superficial and just plain stuck up. I could not stand her at first. Sure her life wasn't all that perfect and she was just trying to cope and everything, but still. She is very bratty! But then I found it kind of refreshing. Usually we see the "brat" character as a secondary character who is trying to get at the main character. So I guess I could say it was a nice little change.

Happy Reading!



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Wherever You Go

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wherever You Go follows three characters main characters. Throughout the book you switch between each character and get the chance to see the world through their eyes. The first character is Holly. A senior in high school who is dealing with a lot more than what a "normal" teenager should. Her boyfriend just died in a car crash (and she was also in the car) almost a year ago. Also, she is left to take care of her grandfather who has Alzheimer's and her nine year old sister while her mother is working two jobs to make ends meet. As Holly is dealing with all of this we see her try to greive, to move on and to just be.



Next there is Rob. Holly's dead boyfriend who is for some reason stuck and not able to move on. He finds himself following Holly, his family and his friends around and all he wants to is to be seen. He is so lonely. We try to figure out why Rob is "stuck" here and what really happened the night of the car crash.



And finally we meet Jason, Rob's best friend. Jason has always had a thing for Holly and so finally he has decided to go for it. They both are still grieving over Rob's death and both need some support, so why not lean on each other.



I found this book pretty good. Not my favorite, but a good, clean young adult read.

Happy Reading!



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