Literary Ladies - Part One

I am so excited to link up today with Kay, Kari and Kristen for the literary ladies link up. 

When I decided to join in this challenge I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to do it but we're halfway through and I think I'm sort of on track...Lucky the competitive side in me has kicked in! If you want to know more about the challenge click here. 

If you just want to know about what I've been reading... Continue to read ... There's been some good ones ;) the categories aren't outline or in order but I promise to update this post sometime later today... {UPDATE - I have included the categories}

Going Off Script by Giuliana Rancic - A book written by a comedian/ celebrity

  

I wasn't sure whether I should read Giuliana's or Kris Jenner's book for this category but I received some feedback saying read G's book and I'm so glad I took it. I love Giuliana she's funny and honest but the part I enjoyed most about her book was learning that she was such a naughty, sneaky teen! {Enter the car stealing example}. Also I'm such a fan of Bill and Giuliana as a couple so get the open and honest feelings about their relationship had me laughing, then crying and then laughing and crying...

Going Off Script: How I Survived a Crazy Childhood, Cancer, and Clooney's 32 On-Screen Rejections by Giuliana Rancic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To be honest I wasn't sure if reading this would make me hate G, I'm happy to say that isn't the case.
This isn't a book which the celebrity is fluffy and fake about her feelings, G shares personal stories and more insight into her life and her heartaches over lost pregnancies as well as the joy of her husband. I loved her and Bill before reading this but the truth is after this I respect them so much more for sharing their story. Giuliana is beautiful, naughty and an inspiration ...

View all my reviews

To All The Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han - A YA book

Another one I wasn't sure about, despite the fact that I had marked it TBR for ages , so long ago that I don't even remember how I came across it... Either way, Laura Jean is so much like me that sometimes I just found myself laughing out loud... In public. Laura Jean is the middle child of a father run home, she's written love letters, officially ending her love for the guys she's loved in the past but these letters were never meant to be sent to the addressees. And of course they were sent so Laura Jean needs to clean up her literary mess. It's silly, sweet and entertaining. Can't wait to read the follow up.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not sure if I'm being a bit generous with the rating of 4 stars but the truth is, I really enjoyed this story, Laura Jean grew on me as well as her sweet family. I'm not exactly taken with the perfection of Margeux but I found the rest of the characters endearing in their own ways. Kitty is definitely the show stealer with her sweet mischievous yet helpful ways... Can't wait to read the next installment

View all my reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - A book which is or will be a movie

My cousins, aged 10 and 12 asked me to read this and although I haven't watched the movie I thought I would give it a chance. While the book was funny because I love sarcasm I found that there was no point to it and I really didn't grow fond of any of the characters. I don't plan on reading any more of the books in this series and I'm not even sorry. 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

My 10 and 12 year old cousins recommended that I read this book and because it seemed as if a few adults also read it I gave it a chance but while I found the sarcasm enjoyable for the most part I couldn't wait for it to be done. It was amusing but I don't have any desire to read the rest of the series.

View all my reviews

The Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan - A title with the word "Summer" in it

Update: I actually left this off my initial post even though it was one of the first books of this challenge that I read. I loved it! I really enjoyed the characters - main and supporting and I got it for free on Amazon so I thought it would suck. It totally does not. 

Tess needs this summer to give her some joy, her previous relationship has left her in a vulnerable social standing state and working with her bffs at the Oslow is exactly what she didn't want but definitely needed. All the Oslow boys are sweethearts and I truly enjoyed this summer read...

The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Technically it's a 4.5 stars rating.. I really enjoyed this book, I got it for free from Amazon so I wasn't sure what it would be like but I loved it.

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Seamless by RL Griffin (Re-Read) - Kickass Female lead

I found "Mending" and it was the end of the "By A Thread" series and before I could read it I had to reread Seamless so I could remember how the story shaped up. I LOVED this book first time round and I didn't realize how much I missed Stella.. 

Seamless by R.L. Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a brilliant way for this series to end. The evolution of the characters was seamless. Although I thought this last installment would be a predictable end but it was anything but. I am so sad that this series is done because Stella, George, Patrick and Millie have become part of my everyday life at times they almost drove me to drink right along with them but for the most part they were just good people. Love Love Love!

View all my reviews

Mending by RL Griffin -  One word Title

In many ways this book wasn't necessary because the epilogue rounded it all off in Seamless but then I started reading it and I was so grateful that RL Griffin wrote this... Realizing how much I missed these characters made me want to re-read the entire series... If only I wasn't a part of the reading challenge lol 

Mending by R.L. Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found this book by mistake, I thought the series was over after reading seamless but R.L Griffin have a gift in filling in the blanks... I didn't realize how much I missed Stella and after reading Mending, a book which I didn't think was even necessary I understand that it was completely essential to round off the 6 years of Stella's life that we as readers spent with her.

View all my reviews If you want to know more about what I'm reading, let's be friends on goodreads. 

x nats

A Child Called It - Book Review

This is an old book and I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally sit down and get to it. If you've read it you'll understand how critical it is to be aware of what happens to the children around you.

It's not that I'm giving away some big secret plot this is a book about one child's abuse which is so inhumane that it leaves you feeling absolutely gutted about situations similar to this that go unnoticed.

For most of this book I felt confused as to how David's father and teachers and neighbours let the situation get so out of hand. I was the most angry with David's father which is funny because David's mother is the abuser I just felt that there is obviously more to the story probably more than David ever knew or would know so the story seems incomplete but the idea that a somewhat normal family switches to a disgusting lowlife alcoholic dictator run household.

I must say that this book made me reflect on the kids that I may have judged growing up because perhaps they weren't the cleanest or they were some shade of "abnormal" and the fact that I just judged them instead of seeking help or extending a helping hand...

There's so much to say about this book but I'd prefer for you to read it and then we discuss it ...

Here is my Goodreads review:

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartbreaking to read and yet I found myself filled with hope that despite what people throw at you, with faith you can push through.

I can't even explain how many times I felt physically sick reading about David's experiences and yet all I can say is that I'm inspired by him.

View all my reviews

This book just made me feel like I wasn't doing enough. Like, what was I doing that could make someone else's life better?

 

"When You Play The Game of Thrones You Either Live Or You Die"

Now isn't the title of this blog like the best thing you want to read on a Monday morning??? For all the GoT fans, if you're anything like me you'd be super excited however if you're not a fan you would think I'm cray!

This morning I was struggling to find something to post about and while I have many different ideas none of them were just going to let me word vomit all over you. You see, today, I'm in a really good mood... the last few days have been rough and once again I'll be cryptic by not actually telling you why it's been rough because I'll probably do a "big" reveal next week. 

What I will tell you is that I finally finished the first book in the GoT series and is it possible that I love it even more so than I did when I watched it? YES! I was nervous about reading the book and was afraid that I may realise that the writers of the show didn't do the book justice (yes, I know the author was part of the writing team) because sometimes things don't translate well onscreen like they would if you're in the mind of a character. That was not the case in this book. 

What I will say is that the book provided enlightenment on the following:

1. Why Ned sends Jon to the Wall at such a young age.

2. Why Peter, Littlefinger, thinks he has a chance with Catelyn.

3. How Sansa thinks. 

4. Why Jon stays at the Wall.

5. Where Arya got her name for her direwolf, Nymeria.

6. The Hound isn't as bad as I thought he was.

It also solidified these thoughts :

1. I hate Catelyn Stark, she may have her family's best interests at heart but she's a complete cow to Jon even though he is a child. 

2. Jon is an incredible man, even at a boys age. He has such a beautiful nature and he's oh so valiant. 

3. Cersei is a cow. I'm not even going to elaborate. 

4. Joffrey is F$%#ed in his head

5. Dany is admirable and a strong leader, she really is destined for great things!

6. Sansa is too gullible.

Here is my review :

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant writing which didn't surprise me because of how awesome the show is.... However the book allows you into the deeper thoughts of the characters which really excited me. I'm hooked on this series!

View all my reviews

Are you addicted to GoT? Who's your favourite character? Jon Snow is mine but I took a quiz and it turned out that I'm Arya so if buzzfeed says I am, I must be!

Have a great week peeps 

My Other Ex { Book Review }

I'm a girl who has had A LOT of friends come and go in my life sometimes with an event which escalates into the break up and sometimes... there's no warning signs. This book helped me feel as if I wasn't the only one who has had these experiences. I know I have been completely blessed to have had such an incredible amount of friends in my life and again, this collection of other woman's stories' reminded me that it's perfectly okay to feel as if when I lose a friend I've lost a love. Not all breakups are due to a lack of romance. 

I must be honest I would have never read this book if I hadn't read Kate's review and turns out she was spot on! I loved this book so much. While reading this book I was/am also reading two others and this one kept pulling me in especially because the chapters are so quick to read so I could fit in a chapter quickly while waiting at the petrol station or waiting for a friend before our coffee date. 


Okay, so the Goodreads description of this book is:

Have you ever lost a friend? Was that loss in some ways more painful than the end of a love affair?

Women’s friendships so often come to a crossroads at which time two women can try to hold on to the friendship, staying connected, or the friends can take two completely separate paths without each other.

Many of the essays in this book are about this moment in time, when both rupture and new beginnings are possible.

There are so many ways that friendships can end, and this book describes 35 of them, from talented and accomplished contributors. At the heart of each essay is the recognition from each writer that she has lost something very real and very personal, a connection that will never be forgotten.

I've picked a few moments or quotes from the book that truly resonated with me and I thought I'd share them with you.

" Women are frustratingly and magnificently wired for intimacy" - Nicole Knepper
My View: This is so relevant in my life because I crave the intimacy of a friendship which is probably the reason why when I'm friends with you, I'm all in"

"She hasn't died, but my best friend is gone." - Cheryl Suchors

My View: I've had this feeling and while your best friend still lives, the emptiness felt of her lost presence feels like death, sometimes wore than death because she's alive and well.. just living without you. 

" The number one reason people leave a relationship is called diminished returns: you don't get back what you put it." - Alexandra Rosas

My View: I would be guilty of this reason for a break up. I think like that this author noted that it's people who feel this way and not just women. 

Below is my Goodreads rating:

My Other Ex: Women's True Stories of Losing and Leaving Friends by Jessica Smock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I never read short stories but after reading a blog review of this book I was definitely interested and I was not disappointed.

This nook has many short stories of different female friendships developing and ending and sometimes reconciling. Some of the stories truly touched my heart and helped me understand some of my own friendships which ended hastily or without a "show down". I think this is a book every woman should read to help them understand their past and possible future friendships.

Love Love Love!

View all my reviews

I truly believe that friendships are "...mutual platonic love affairs..." that's the reason it hurts so damn much when it end but even more so I agree with this " friendship is a verb" . I honestly wish every woman would read this book. It helped me understand my lost loves...

Have you ever lost a friendship without knowing what was the cause?

PS: Have a great week!

Wallbanger - Blogger Book Club

Firstly, I was slightly frustrated that I finished this book today, 1 March, as opposed to yesterday which was the "deadline". However that's just me being petty.

Moving on, I decided to join the Blogger Book Club on Goodreads and for the month on of February the book assigned was Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. I started reading this book without reading the blurb but I'll help you out with one from the Author Ms Alice Clayton herself:

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.

Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

 This summons up the novel well, it's a romance so ChickLit meets somewhat Erotic. Is there a term like ChicRotic? I'm playing around with terms...  The story line was predictable but funny. Entertaining... I think it helped that I was reading this book while reading The Book Thief because whenever that got too heavy and dark I could use this as my bubblegum reading... I especially enjoyed the interchanges between characters via text messages and the chapter where you read all the thoughts in one short car ride is simply hilarious.

Anyway, head on over to Kay's The Best of Intentions to check out everyone who has linked up with their review. 

Have read this book or any ChicRotic ?? If you want, feel free to join the Blogger Book Club, you don't necessarily have to be a blogger to join.