Grammar Girl's 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again by Mignon Fogarty

Read: June 15-23, 2013

read in about 9 days

pages: 128

Book blurb:

Millions of people around the world communicate better thanks to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, whose top-rated weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 30 million times. After realizing her fans were asking the same questions over and over, Mignon decided to focus her attention on those words that continuously confound the masses. In Grammar Girl's 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again, you'll learn:

When you should use affect and when effect is right
Whether you should you say purposely or purposefully
The difference between hilarious and hysterical

Packed with clear explanations, fun quotations showing the word used in context, and the quick and dirty memory tricks Mignon is known for, this friendly reference guide ends the confusion once and for all and helps you speak and write with confidence.

Greatest little find EVER in the library. I loved this little book and may consider buying a copy for my shelf for possible browsing again in the future. Great little tips inside for how to keep words proper use straight in your mind. I was happy to find that I knew the correct usage and definition of some of the words and was pleasantly surprised to gain quite a bit more knowledge. I fully admit that I struggle with grammar and am endlessly being corrected, but that is fine with me. I'm more than willing to keep learning and hope to master the bear that is grammar!!!

Emily The Strange (Emily the Strange Graphic Novels #1) by Cosmic Debris, Buzz Parker

Read: June 21, 2013

read in under 15 minutes

pages: 64

Book blurb:

Emily may be odd, but she always gets even! Meet Emily, the peculiar soul with long black hair, a wit of fire, and a posse of slightly sinister black cats. Famous for her barbed commentary and independent spirit, this rebel-child in black has spawned an Internet and merchandising phenomenon (Emily's Web site gets 35,000 hits per month!). Emily the Strange, her first book, captures the quintessential Emily, featuring her most beloved quips and a host of new ones. Anarchist, heroine, survivor, this little girl with a big personality appeals to the odd child in us all.

Very blah and very dull. I've always been intrigued by this little girl I would see a lot when I would go out to the mall. Turns out there is not much to her and she is more of an graphic for advertisement that anything of any substance. 

The Fake Heir (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #5) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 21, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 96

Book blurb:

Nancy, along with Bess and George, find the wreck of an old yacht with a safe inside full of jewelry worth a small fortune. Cousins of the Druthers, who are clients of Nancy's dad Carson Drew, owned the yacht. Their will leaves everything to Mr. Druthers, specifically excluding his spouse, (whom the cousins hated), but no one's seen him for ten years and the rumor is that Mrs. Druthers murdered him! Things take a surprising turn when suddenly Mr. Druthers reappears! But then Mrs. Druthers disappears! Join Nancy Drew as she solves the mystery of the fake heir! 

This Nancy Drew book reads very much like a Scooby Doo mystery. A meddling kid that follows who she believes to be the suspect and is caught on to a couple times by the "suspect". She apologizes because she was wrong for interfering, and is even caught up into the suspects scheme, but luckily she is able to escape the suspect thanks to her father having taught her morse code as a child. He comes back and saves her in time so that she can solve the mystery! Once again a bit of a let down in terms of the story. On to the next!

The Girl Who Wasn't There (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #4) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 19, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 96

Book blurb:

Nancy gets a call for help late one night from a girl she befriended over the phone when getting technical support to help fix her computer. When the line goes dead, Nancy is determined to get to the bottom of things. Soon, Nancy, her Dad, and friends George and Bess are on their way to India to find Kalpana, the girl who wasn't there! It's only a matter of time before Nancy is captured by Sahadev the crime lord and is being sacrificed to Kali!

This book was quite honestly a bit ridiculous and very far fetched. I understand you have to suspend your belief to even go along with a teenager who is capable of solving crimes, but in this particular story Nancy and the gang leave the country. They travel to India to find a young woman who has befriended Nancy. The young woman works in a call center and was abducted. Somehow Nancy is going to work to find a young woman that everyone keeps telling her does not only not exist but she would do well to pretend she doesn't know of her either. Sounds like a good plan to me, not to mention the logical thing to do given you are in another country that doesn't particularly care for Americans. Especially the meddling kind. I did finish the book and of course things work out as they should. I just didn't particularly care for the plot of this one.

The Haunted Dollhouse (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #3) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 15, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 96

Book blurb:

To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Nancy Drew, this graphic novel features many subtle tributes to classic Nancy Drew adventures. River Heights is celebrating 'Nostalgia Week' and everyone in town is dressing up and acting like it was 1930 - including Nancy, Bess, and George! Wait till you see Nancy in her roadster! But when scenes of crimes displayed in Emma Blavatsky's antique dollhouse start coming true, Nancy has a full-blown mystery on her hands! Nancy's shocked when she stakes out the dollhouse, and witnesses a doll version of herself murdered! Will that scene become reality too?! 

Ok, now THIS is my favorite so far in the Nancy Drew graphic novels. I know I really enjoyed Dress Reversal and thought it was my favorite, but this novel with its added element of nostalgia in honor of celebrating 75 years of Nancy Drew and my love of antiques and things of the past made reading this novel that much more fun!! Just like the other graphic novels Nancy does solve a mystery and there are added elements where Nancy will give insight and information concerning pieces of the case or just little random interesting factoids. This novel was no different. These factoids just interested me more given the factoids reference the 1930's!! From the sayings to the old style of dress and the complete abandonment of the modern technology, this book is perfect for the nostalgic side of me!! After reading this novel I'm really excited to start the actual first 1930's Nancy Drew mystery novel that I just picked up from the library this morning!

The Demon of River Heights (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #1) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 15, 2013

read in a half hour

pages: 96

Book blurb:

Everyone's favorite girl detective makes her graphic novel debut!

An all-new series of full-color Nancy Drew graphic novels, with all-new comics stories based on the series by Carolyn Keene, starts right here! Join Nancy, along with Bess and George, as they search for missing student filmmakers and discover the deadly secret behind the local urban legend known as "The Demon of River Heights."

Now I'm really glad this was not the first book in the Nancy Drew graphic novels that I started with. In all honesty if it had been I might not have continued and read as many as I have. This was just so incredibly cheesy!! Nancy coming face to face with a grizzly bear....George telling her to FIGHT BACK!!!  A grizzly?? Really? She punches the thing in the face!! Yeah right! So unbelievable even for a graphic novel in a fictitious little world. Come on.

All that said, the story was only so so. And the blast at the end that sends Nancy shooting from the mine completely UNHARMED....even more far fetched than the run in with the bear. Another dud, but I'll keep reading hoping to find less like this!!

The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles #3) by Kady Cross

Read: June 9-15, 2013

read: 7 days

pages: 384

 

Book blurb:

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken 

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. 

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin. 

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. 

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

Finally!! The next installment in the Steampunk Chronicles!!

I'd been looking forward to reading this novel since I finished the last novel. Great series, but I wasn't as satisfied with this read as I have been with the initial short story that began the series. I have thought that there was a strong start, but the story itself seems to be slowly losing steam and is weakening.

As far as this novel is concerned, there is a bit of action spread sparsely throughout, and a culmination at the end which did feel a bit rushed given everything happens within the last 25-30 pages or so. We are left with what should be a satisfactory ending, but instead are left with an obvious manuevering by the author to create more potential for the story to continue beyond this third book. I am in a way looking forward to the next book as I'm sure there will be one quite possibly more, but I'm more interested in the relationships of the characters than the story...and if I remember correctly that is how I felt with the last novel, The Girl with the Clockwork Collar, as well.

I'm sure anyone else who has followed this series up to now would enjoy the story as well, as I said it was enjoyable. If you are tentative about the series like I am I'd say read it and decide for yourself. Don't let my opinion sway you!!

Fifty Shades of Red Riding Hood by R. R. Hood

Read: June 9, 2013

read in under a half hour

pages: 19

Book blurb:

A short story containing adult humor.

It was a romance that the world would never understand. He was a big bad wolf; she was just a young woman with no self-respect.

Little Red Riding Hood knows it’s wrong. She knows their needs would never match. Yet she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Mr Wolf and his ‘specific tastes’.

Repetitive, badly written and poorly edited, ‘Fifty Shades of Red Riding Hood’ has all the ingredients necessary to become a runaway success.

This is a short story with only 6500 words, but geez, these words are freaking hot!

Pretty funny how there is a good combination of Fifty Shades and Twilight as well. I thought it was funny and a well written parody of the two novels. The situation was quite ridiculous much like the plot of the Fifty Shades books. Sorry to any fans out there, but I read book one and stopped. You can find my Fifty Shades by clicking on the link. I liked that it made me literally laugh out loud. That's rare so when a piece of work can do that I say kudos!!

The Charmed Bracelet (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #7) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 9, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 88

Book blurb:

Ned Nickerson arrested for shoplifting! Nancy Drew threatened with a lawsuit!  A rare computer chip stolen from Rackham Industries! It all gets even more exciting when Nancy receives a mysterious charm bracelet in the mail - and soon a crime is committed for each charm!  Will Nancy, even with the help of Bess and George, be able to find the real culprit before Ned is convicted?

This was another Nancy Drew I enjoyed. I thought it was pretty creative the way the charm bracelet was linked to all the crimes that subsequently happened after Nancy received the bracelet in the mail. Nancy saves the day as she always does but wounds her boyfriend Ned's ego by saving him a couple times in the story. Never fear the two make amends and are happy together! 

Dress Reversal (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #12) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 10, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 112

Book blurb:

When Bess and George help Nancy pick out a dress for Deirdre's big party, little do they suspect it's the identical dress Deirdre will be wearing. After a minor altercation with the perturbed hostess, Nancy leaves the party only to be grabbed by a dark figure, tossed into a van and kidnapped! That leaves Bess and George, with some help from Ned, to try and solve the mystery of exactly what just happened to Nancy. Things get complicated further when Bess and George's number one suspect, Deirdre, is kidnapped too!

This was my favorite so far of all the Nancy Drew's I've read. Nothing major happens, but Nancy was girly in this book and I enjoyed that. The girls are to attend a benefit fundraiser at Dierdre's and poor Nancy unknowingly walks into a cat fight with DeeDee simply because she has worn the same dress as DeeDee. Apparently DeeDee does not care for our Nancy whether she had worn the dress or not, Nancy would have had problems with DeeDee anyway....

Disaster ensues as our heroine is kidnapped and becomes part of the mystery that is to be solved!! Her faithful friends put their minds together and try to be sleuths themselves in an effort to save her.  

Ghost in the Machinery (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels #9) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 10, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 112

Book blurb:

Has Nancy Drew solved the world's energy crisis?  On a mission, sponsored by young, rich, and handsome Ralph Credo, Nancy teams up with eccentric scientist Roy Hinkley, to find an amazing high efficiency engine able to operate at an amazing 200 miles per gallon!  The experimental engine, mounted on a tank, was part of an experiment during the final days of World War II.  There's just one problem, the engine and the tank are haunted.  "Ghost In The Machinery" is the first in a series of three Nancy Drew adventures entitled "The High Miles Mystery."

I enjoyed the mystery in this book. Within a building scheduled for demolition is an experimental engine that was built in WWII. Eccentric scientist Roy Hinkley believes this engine is the key to solving some of our energy problems we currently face. He was given the go ahead to look inside the building and take whatever "urban legends" he may or may not find inside the walls before demolition takes place. Since no one believes him or the existence of the engine he is moving about relatively undisturbed.....until Nancy Drew and her gang stumble upon Roy and his angel investor Ralph Credo aka a safecracker who has been playing by the law.... pick up the book yourself to see how the mystery unfolds!!

Mr. Cheeters Is Missing (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels, #6) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 9, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 112

Book blurb:

When the eccentric Blanche Porter reports that her beloved Mr. Cheeters has vanished, it isn't your standard missing persons case. As Nancy Drew soon discovers, Mr. Cheeters, is a pet chimp. Or is he? Based on a preliminary investigation and information obtained from Blanche's brother, Lawrence, the River Heights police dismiss the case as bogus - doubting that there ever was a Mr. Cheeters to begin with. But when Nancy Drew discovers there's a missing diamond necklace as well - she's on the case! Can Nancy, along with Bess and George, recover the great ape and the necklace, or has Blanche Porter made a monkey out of Nancy Drew?

Nancy is on the case for an eccentric woman named Blanche Porter who is searching for her missing pet chimp. Chaos ensues as Nancy and her friends George and Bess solve the mystery of the missing chimp. The story was ok, but I enjoyed Writ in Stone more than this one. Ah well sometimes in a series there are some duds. This may just have been a dud. Oh well. On to the next! 

Writ in Stone (Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Graphic Novels, #2) by Stefan Petrucha

Read: June 9, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 96

Book blurb:

It's double trouble for Nancy and her friends, when an ancient artifact and a little boy are both suddenly missing.  The artifact is a piece of an old stone marker that may prove that the Chinese were in America eighty years before Columbus.  The little boy is Owen Zucker, a sweetie who Nancy sometimes baby-sits.  Nancy's determined to recover both the artifact and little Owen, but someone's out to stop her—permanently! 

I don't generally like to start reading in the middle of a series, but given this was a stand alone mystery I was ok with starting with book 2 rather than be a stickler and NEEDING to read book 1 first. 

This was my first encounter with Nancy Drew and sure it was not a Nancy Keene novel it was a graphic novel, but I found this entertaining enough. I even enjoyed the story!! I really liked the character Nancy and her knack at solving crimes. Though she seems to be pretty scatter brained in her everyday life she is observant of details and is tireless when it comes to solving her mysteries.

Though the original series of novels were written prior to many of the scientific and technological advances we have now this story contains many modern items that help Nancy in her quest. I like the updated content and look forward to possibly comparing the novels and the graphic novels.

This is a relatively short book and was worth the read. Since I liked it so much I am glad I picked up a handful of these books at the library yesterday. I think I found a new guilty pleasure!! Stay tuned for more Nancy Drew.....in graphic novel and novel format!!

Love Letters by Jane Larry

Read: June 9, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 40

Book blurb:

Lisa was never the type of girl who cared. John never seemed like the type of guy she would get along with, but love letters from the past sought to it that their paths would eventually cross and intertwine. As they further explored the possibilities, one of them began to realize that nothing was what it seemed. Witness a budding love just in time for spring with this story about hope, renewal and self-discovery.

A well written short story from the perspective of Lisa, a teenager who finds herself to be more comfortable alone than making any real connections. She has been reserved in her interactions with others since the horrible car accident in which she was the only survivor. Losing her parents at such a young age has changed her in ways she is still unable to understand herself.

A chance encounter with a fellow student opens her eyes to what she is missing in the way she views the world and helps her to realize that everything is not as it seems. My favorite quote in the book is "We love and hate strangers for what we think they are and what we want them to be instead of who they are and who they will be. We get attached to these ideals and blind ourselves so much that we end up looking like a fool."

The story alludes to a budding romance just in time for spring a time of hope and life renewal, and an encouragement to always see what is truly there in reality not what our minds think is there simply to make us happy. While we are left wondering whether things come to fruition, we are left with a contented feeling that things will work out for all involved.

Little in the way of grammatical mistakes which is a huge plus for a freebie found on Amazon. Pleasantly surprised by this and I enjoyed the story and the message it leaves with the reader.

True Blood: All Together Now (True Blood Comics #1) by Alan Ball

Read: June8-9, 2013

read in a couple hours

pages: 160

Book blurb:

Blood and sex mix on a hot rainy night at Merlotte's, when Sookie and her friends are trapped by a vengeful spirit who feeds on shame. People die and dirty secrets are revealed as Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette and are all coerced to dig deep and tell painful memories from their past....those things we all have locked within us that we never tell another living soul! Bon Temps, Louisiana has never been stranger, or more twisted, in a story co-plotted by True Blood series creator Alan Ball, with a script by David Tischman (Bite Club) and Mariah Huehner, and lush art by David Messina (Star Trek: Countdown).

I'd say this was just OK. This is clearly written by the tv show crew and NOT by Charlaine Harris. The story is a bit ridiculous even for the Sookie Stackhouse crew. The plot revolves around one night in Merlotte's bar where the gang is held captive inside by this strange squid like creature. It reads like an episode of the tv show, which I'm sort of glad I've never broken down and watched. I enjoy the books and will stick to those rather than the visual and physical embodiment of the characters. Though I admit I wouldn't mind watching Eric Northman...aka Alexander Skarsgard......



Fans of the show and maybe fans of the novels would likely enjoy this. I saw that there are more comic books, but my library does not carry them. I'm not too disappointed with this as I'm not entirely sure I would enjoy them.

The Smurfs #1: The Purple Smurfs by Yvan Delporte

Read: June 8, 2013

read in under an hour

pages: 56

Book Blurb:

When a strange fly bites one of the Smurfs, a full-on epidemic develops in the Smurf Village! After being bit, a Smurf turns purple and his vocabulary is reduced to one single word: “gnap!” The purple Smurf runs around the Smurf Village biting other Smurfs on the tail, causing them to turn purple and act crazy too! Soon enough, there are more purple Smurfs than blue Smurfs in the village. It’s up to Papa Smurf to find a cure and save the Smurf Village before all of the Smurfs lose their minds for good!


This little book contains three short comics. The first story summary is found in the book blurb above. Cute story about a smurf being bitten by a BZZ fly which then infects the bitten smurf. The bitten smurf turns purple and jumps around yelling "GNAP!" Evidently they become contagious because the infection spreads as the bitten smurf begins to bite other smurfs. Papa Smurf attempts to find a cure, but not before nearly the entire village of smurfs have been bitten. After capturing the BZZ fly Papa Smurf is able to find a cure. As the purple smurfs close in on the village the few smurfs left attempt to fight off the purple smurfs. Unbeknownst to the others, a purple smurf paints himself blue to trick the others. As the battle ensues he begins biting the cured smurfs and healthy smurfs alike. In one swift explosion luckily all the smurfs are saved! And so ends the terror of the purple smurf!!

The second story follows one smurf in particular in his desire to fly. He is determined and tries many an idea to accomplish his goals. He wrecks havoc with the other smurfs in his quest but does eventually achieve small moments of flight. In the end he discovers a way to fly, but is unable to come back down to the ground. Realizing his dilemma he is fed bricks by his fellow smurfs. Yes bricks. This not only makes him heavy, but it effectively brings him back to the ground. The problem now being he is too heavy from eating too many bricks!! The story ends with his desire to sail....yet he finds he is too heavy for this dream!!

The final comic in the book is a cautionary tale of be careful what you wish for. One smurf is disgruntled with his neighbors as he is unable to get a good nights rest. He sets off to the forest to find peace and quiet away from his noisy fellow smurfs. He finds a nice tree stump in which to make his home. A couple nights pass and slowly but surely he finds himself unable to sleep in what he thought was peace. A dangerous storm comes up one night and he decides to head back to the village because the storm is frightful. Upon returning to the village he finds lightening has struck his home and he is very lucky indeed to have not been home. When the smurfs learn of his desire to return home Papa Smurf consoles the unhappy smurf telling him they will rebuild his home. The smurf is ecstatic and requests a new location away from his noisy neighbors. As irony would have it, the new home is built between Handy Smurf and Harmony Smurf.....loud banging on one side and beautiful music on the other....

I grew up watching the Smurfs and have always enjoyed them. This little book is perfect for moments of nostalgia as I think of my childhood. I hope to stumble upon more of these books in the future!! I've learned a few new phrases from this little book such as "smurf-tastic", "Shut your smurf!" and "Smurf-reka". I admit my favorite is "Shut your smurf!" 

In case you were wondering...."smurf-reka" came with a footnote on the definition...an interjection expressing joy in a discovery, usually uttered while taking a bath. This was not used while a smurf was taking a bath, but that little addition to the definition is a little disturbing....

 

In Love with Eleanor Rigby by Stacey Cochran

Read: June 7-8, 2013

read in: under an hour

pages: 38

Book Blurb:

A romantic comedy set in the urban South. Joe is a carpenter; Tabitha a milliner. When they first meet, they fall head-over-heels in love with one another. But Joe has a dark past and attends AA twice each week. He is afraid to let down the most beautiful woman he's ever known by revealing his weaknesses. And so he keeps it from her. And keeps it from her. Until one day, she finds out.

A story of honesty and love at war with insecurity and the fear of loneliness.

I'm so glad this was free on Amazon when I got it. The story starts out ok and I am reading along fine, until I get to about 85% and there's so much AND and LIKE usage I'm about to throw my kindle fire across the room....but I love my kindle and would never do such a thing!!! Anyway the story could really use an editor. I'm unsure of the ending because I skimmed from 85%-100%.

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands by Chelsea Handler

Read: June 2- 6, 2013

read in 4 days

pages: 213

Book blurb:

In this raucous collection of true-life stories, actress and comedian Chelsea Handler recounts her time spent in the social trenches with that wild, strange, irresistible, and often gratifying beast: the one-night stand.

You've either done it or know someone who has: the one-night stand, the familiar outcome of a night spent at a bar, sometimes the sole payoff for your friend's irritating wedding, or the only relief from a disastrous vacation. Often embarrassing and uncomfortable, occasionally outlandish, but most times just a necessary and irresistible evil, the one-night stand is a social rite as old as sex itself and as common as a bar stool.

Enter Chelsea Handler. Gorgeous, sharp, and anything but shy, Chelsea loves men and lots of them. My Horizontal Life chronicles her romp through the different bedrooms of a variety of suitors, a no-holds-barred account of what can happen between a man and a sometimes very intoxicated, outgoing woman during one night of passion. From her short fling with a Vegas stripper to her even shorter dalliance with a well-endowed little person, from her uncomfortable tryst with a cruise ship performer to her misguided rebound with a man who likes to play leather dress-up, Chelsea recalls the highs and lows of her one-night stands with hilarious honesty. Encouraged by her motley collection of friends (aka: her partners in crime) but challenged by her family members (who at times find themselves a surprise part of the encounter), Chelsea hits bottom and bounces back, unafraid to share the gritty details. My Horizontal Life is one guilty pleasure you won't be ashamed to talk about in the morning.

If you've ever watched Chelsea Lately and enjoy her twisted, I don't give a @#$% attitude then you'll get a kick out of this book. There were points where I could literally hear this girl saying this stuff. It is very much in her voice and I really enjoyed the majority of this book. There were a couple stories that I'm not sure why they were in there, but would later link to another story so I could then kinda see why they were included, but those tended to be the ones that weren't very funny. 

I have had this on my To-Read list for a while and I'm glad I finally read the book. I have her others on the list and will be picking them up sooner rather than later since I liked this one. This book reminded me a lot of reading David Sedaris, but from a woman's perspective and honestly I enjoyed her book more. There were times I would laugh out loud, and I rarely do that when reading. I'd go back and re-read a line just to make sure I had read what I thought I read, then I'd laugh even harder!

As I said, if you can enjoy a little raunchy humor then maybe this book is for you. Not for the ultra conservative crowds by any means!

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Read: May 26- June 2, 2013

read in: 8 days

pages: 409

Book Blurb:

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. 

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of New York City's most unforgettable icons, Carrie Bradshaw.

This novel picks up right where The Carrie Diaries ends. Carrie has traveled to New York for the summer to participate in a writing workshop at the New School. This novel follows her adventures while in the city. All the people she meets, including the foursome that becomes the ladies of Sex and the City, and many other random NY celebs and fellow writers.

The novel is ok, quite a quick read. Very fluffy as I expected it to be. I like the character though so it was an enjoyable read for me. Great introduction of the character Miranda and the crazy Samantha. Not much of Charlotte as she is literally introduced into the story a few paragraphs from the end. I have a feeling there could be another book, given that Charlotte was JUST introduced and we know nothing of her. Plus with the ending there is potential to continue Carrie's story as she struggles to make her own place in the big city. 

If there is another book I'll be picking that one up to, just because its nice to have a quick light read once in a while where I don't have to think too much. The characters are familiar and there is little to invest to start with the novels. So in short, if you read The Carrie Diaries and enjoyed it you might also enjoy Summer in the City!

Inked by Everly Drummond

Read: June 3, 2013

read in 30 minutes

pages: 26

Little freebie I found on Amazon a while back. It was ok as far as these little erotic tales go. I wasn't into the climax, but as far as free books go I only found one grammatical error and THAT in itself is great. Interesting enough characters though there is no real development. Looking for a little spice then this quick little read may work to add some heat to your evening!