Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

** spoiler alert ** Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

My Review - Whew, this book took me long enough, 39 days to be exact! I think if I'd had it in Nook Book format that I would have read it MUCH faster. But still I started it and it sucked me right in. I was glad when she made her decision at the stones when Jamie took her back to them. Me personally I couldn't imagine being transported back 200 years. Some of the clans and historical stuff dragged for me but I know it's just because I don't know much about it. Even though this book took me over a month to finish it wasn't one of those books I was ready to be finished with cause I was tired of it. The characters were well written and it was good until the very last page. Everyone these days are raving about the book Fifty Shades of Grey and while this book wasn't exactly like that book, I would compare it to that book. The difference is it was less vulgar and graphic details. I will be reading the rest of the series sometime, but it won't be the next book I read. And the next book in the series, I will definitely buy on my Nook, even if it is $9!

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?

My Review - so I'd read reviews from others before about a twist at the end so I was kind of expecting the twist! haha. I liked this book pretty good and kind of semi-guessed the twist before it happened. I didn't like it more then her Crank Series. I couldn't imagine going through what Kaeleigh went through. I loved the ending of this book and Ian in the book was pretty cool too. Overall it was a pretty good book and I gave it 3 stars.

I'm behind...

On Maddie's monthly pictures...Sorry, life just gets in the way sometimes...Enjoy! She's growing up quickly!

 

Thumped by Megan McCafferty

It's been thirty-five weeks since twin sisters Harmony and Melody went their separate ways. Since then, their story has become irresistible to legions of girls: twins separated at birth and living different lives, each due to deliver sets of twins...on the same day! In a future where only teens can "bump," or give birth, babies mean money, status, and freedom.

Married to Ram and living in religious Goodside, Harmony spends her time trying to fit back into the community she once loved and believed in. But she can't seem to forget about Jondoe, the guy she fell in love with under the strangest of circumstances.

To her adoring fans, Melody has achieved everything she always wanted: a big, fat contract and a coupling with Jondoe, the hottest bump prospect around. But this image is costing her the one guy she really wants.

Cursed by their own popularity, the girls are obsessively tracked by their millions of fans, who have been eagerly counting down the days to their "Double Double Due Date." Without a doubt, they are two of the most powerful teen girls on the planet, and there's only one thing they could do that would make them more famous than they already are:

Tell the truth.

My Review - Although at times this book was really good there were some times where I was like just get on with the point. There was on part where Harmony was giving birth and it says something like she felt like she was pregnant forever and now the twins are coming to fast and she's not ready. I think that's the way I felt when I gave birth. I was so excited but so overwhelmed with how fast it was going. Overall this book was pretty good. I'll definitely read some more of McCafferty's books. Overall I'd probably give it a 3.5 stars.

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James

A book that started out as a simple Twilight fan fiction, but then turned into a bestseller phenomena on its own.

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

My Review - I first heard about this book on the news about how it was so great and it was relieving some sexual tension in some marriages. And while I found this book to be a pretty good story line, it didn't affect me in ways apparently that it's been affecting other women. First, I could have dealt with out all the language. Call me old fashion or whatever, I just didn't care for so much vulgar. And to say the book is intended for mature audiences is a true statement. I actually told my best friend that I felt like if I couldn't tell my own mom what the book was about without getting embarrassed I probably shouldn't be reading it. haha. Second, what woman wouldn't want a man to give her a mac, blackberry and car! Um, I wouldn't mind if someone had lots of money they wanted to spend on me. Third, Christian was just freaky to me I guess. I mean how could this man look so good? I want to see a picture of him please?! haha. Overall I gave it 2 stars cause it was an okay story line. But it will be a while before I read the other two books in the series if I ever do.

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred

After seeing another review on this book I wanted to read it...Hope it's as good as the review I read said it is! :)

The Sweet Gum Tree By Katherine AllredSweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.Suddenly, Nick is gone leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happyf{until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He's back Kand he's not alone.Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.

My review - this book started out kind of slow for me and didn't actually grab my attention until around page 90 or so. I kept thinking this has to start going somewhere but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It was an amazing story after I got sucked into it. I loved Alix and Nick. I honestly cried about Katie though. And after reading that part I had to constantly start checking on my 7 month old. And I didn't even guess about Daniel until it was about to come out. Last, I loved the ending of this book, it's rare that I actually like an ending but to love one is a stretch. I'm glad I read the review of Brandie and splurged my $1.49 on it for my Nook. I'm glad that I read this and will probably look into more books by this author.

Fallout (Crank #3) by Ellen Hopkins

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years. Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, Fallout is the stunning finale to the phenomenally bestselling trilogy that began with Crank and Glass, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem.

My Review - This was my favorite book out of all the Crank Series. I knew the outcome was going to be what it was but I didn't know how the three were going to get to that point or what would happen when they did get to that point but it was good. I am so glad I finally read this series. I do plan on trying to read the rest of Hopkins books. She's an amazing author!

Glass (Crank #2) by Ellen Hopkins

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go. Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive. Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby. The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it's a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.

My Review - This picks up 3 months after Crank ended. While this book was good it also started slow for me. But once it picked up I couldn't put it down. At times I felt sorry for Kristina but then at times I wanted to beat her. I couldn't imagine leaving my baby and not caring for her. But I guess drugs will do that to a person. This book will open your eyes to drugs and addiction. Very well written, I hope to eventually read all of Hopkins books. On to the next in the series though now.......

Crank (Crank #1) by Ellen Hopkins

This is a story about a monster. Not a dragon or a mythological beast, but a very real, very destructive monster--crystal meth--that takes hold of seventeen-year-old Kristina Snow and transforms her into her reckless alter-ego Bree. Based on her own daughter's addiction to crystal meth, Ellen Hopkins' novel-in-verse is a vivid, transfixing look into teenage drug use. Told in Kristina's voice, it provides a realistic portrayal of the tortured logic of an addict.

My Review - WOW! This is a book that I for sure judged by the cover. I've eyed this book for years when going into a book store or seeing it wherever. I'd had it on my TBR (to be read) list for years! Since 2008 to be exact. But this book was so good! I loved it and am already halfway through the second book. I want to smack Kristina and her Dad! But then again I feel sorry for her. I've never personally been around drugs and this book was an eye opener and made me very thankful that I haven't been around them. Hopkins is an awesome author!

Quick share...

of a picture we took of Maddie yesterday! :)

Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever seen!?

Letters to Elise by Amanda Hocking

In My Blood Approves, Peter Townsend fell in love with Alice Bonham, but she wasn't his first love. In a new novella told through his letters, his history is revealed.

My Review - at first the letters to Elise were almost sickening. All the lovey dovey stuff is not my cup of tea in books usually. haha. BUT it got better and better throughout the book. I do wish that I had of read this book in between books 4 & 5 of the My Blood Approves series. But overall still a good book! :)

So....

I haven't been blogging much and I'm sorry. I absolutely hate the new Blogger layout (not a fan of change). And Maddie's been keeping me busy. She's almost 7 months old and she's just recently grown two teeth. And she's getting up on her knees and rocking! :) I love it! Here are the monthly pictures...Enjoy, and I'll try to be better about blogging more then just book reviews...

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

In age of elegance and excess, Lilly Westbrook longs for a love both true and eternal.

Newport, Rhode Island, 1899, is a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them.

But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels. This poses a problem for Lilly Westbrook, because that's exactly what she does.

No one in Lilly's social set knows she pens fiction under the "nom de plume "Fannie Cole. Not her family or the wealthy young man about to propose to her. And especially not Jackson Grail, the long-lost beau who just bought her publishing company...and who stirs her heart more than she cares to admit.

But Lilly must put aside her feelings and follow the path that will maintain her family's social stature and provide the financial security that everyone is depending on.

Now Lilly faces a double dilemma. Can she continue to protect her secret identity? And will she have the courage to choose the man who will risk it all just to win her heart?

My Review - although this book was slow moving at first, the last 50 pages were intense and fast paced. I liked how it kept mentioning Irene's secret but you didn't know what it was until the very end. And I liked Jackson's character. Harlan was a drag though! I kept thinking to myself while reading it, my how times have changed. In this time era you went somewhere with an escort. Now that's not expected...Something to ponder...Overall a pretty good book and hopefully one day I'll get around to reading the other books in the series.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (#2) by J.K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling continues her phenomenally popular Harry Potter series with yet another tale of magic, mirth, and mayhem. Like its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is chock-full of fascinating characters, frightful events, and fun wizardry.

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and WIzardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girl's bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone - or something - starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself?

Rowling packs this tale with plenty of adventure and action, keeping the pace fast and furious. There's plenty of humor, too - both subtle and bold - as well as a few moral lessons. With overlapping themes that range from the simple to the sophisticated, Rowling's Potter tales should appeal to readers of all ages - the young as well as the young at heart.

My Review - I still can't believe I've reading the Harry Potter Series. But I am and I'm kind of liking it! haha. It's good to get into an imagiative state once in a while and then be snapped back to reality by an "adult" book. I love the fact that Rowling waits until about the last 25-50 pages to really reveal all that needs to be revealed. BUT even still it'll keep you guessing until the very last page.

Hollowmen (The Hollows, #2) by Amanda Hocking

the sequel to Hollowland....

After six months in the quarantine, Remy finds out things are much worse than she feared. Her plans to escape come with a heavy cost, and she realizes that zombies aren't the worst of her problems.

My Review - other then this book causing me to dream about zombies, I thought it was a great book. I guess I was just so into it that I started dreaming about it, which was creepy and freaky! I loved Remy, Max, Stella and all the other characters. I was wondering how the book would end up until the last page. Hocking is an amazing author and I've liked all of her books that I've read, and there are only a few that I haven't read yet. But overall this is a great sequel to Hollowland!

Alexander Death (The Paranormals, Book 3) by JL Bryan

While Seth searches for Jenny, Dr. Heather Reynard of the CDC unravels Seth and Jenny's secrets.

Alexander opens Jenny's mind to her deep past, and to the full horrific extent of her powers.

Torn between her feelings for Alexander and Seth, and between her past lives and her present, Jenny must prepare to face her enemies in the final, catastrophic battle...

My Review - This book was pretty good. It has been a while since I read the other two books in this series but it didn't take me long to get right back into the story line. I loved the ending but also hated that it was ending, if that makes sense. I loved when Heather and Seth were with her daughter and what all he did. How amazing would that be if it could actually happen? But overall I'm glad I read this whole series. But of the three books, the first one was by far my favorite!

Friday Fill-Ins

I haven't done this in a while so I figured I should do it! :) Enjoy!

And...here we go!

1. After a while, *it all starts to run together*.

2. *But God is on my side* at least.

3. Well, anyway, *life is busy these days*.

4. *Read* to me.

5. I always *am kind of OCD about stuff, (and it seems to be getting worse)*.

6. *God, Jamie and Maddie (and a small dose of chocolate) are what* keeps me going.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to *spending time with Maddie*, tomorrow my plans include *spending time with Maddie and laundry of course* and Sunday, I want to *go to church, spend some time with family and then my mother-in-law is coming for a visit*!

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island.

 An abandoned orphanage.

 A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My Review - I debated giving this four or five stars. And ended up picking four but I'd really give this a 4.5, although I don't know what would have made it better. Anyhow, about half way through this book I started reading reviews that people had wrote on it and a lot of people were only giving it two or three stars. I don't understand why only to think that people just have different taste in reading. Yes this book did take some imagination to read it but isn't that the great thing about reading? Going to different worlds? I absolutely loved this book and am so thankful to Stephanie for winning it! It was amazing. I have to be honest that I judged it on it's cover first. I loved the cover and when I first saw the cover of the book, I thought I need to read that. So it's been on my TBR list for quiet some time. When I won the book I was excited to read it and I loved all the characters in it. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I want to know what happens to Jacob, Emma, Miss Peregrine, Brownwyn, and all the others. Okay I'm changing this to a five star rating cause while writing this I'm loving it all the more!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Yep you are reading this right, I read Harry Potter! My husband and mom couldn't believe I was reading it! haha

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

 All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry—and anyone who reads about him—will find unforgettable. For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

My Review - I can't believe I actually read this. When this book was published and popular I was only 15 years old and thought to myself I'll never read that book cause it just seems silly. Well, my book taste has definately changed in the last 14 years! I thought this book was pretty good. It wasn't one of those that will stick with me and make me think or anything. It was just a good light, fun read. I will read the rest of the series most likely as I'm a little OCD when it comes to series. Rowling had me guessing up until the end if it was Snape or not. I am hoping the next book will tell about how it was when Harry went back to live with Dursley's. Overall I give it 3 stars!

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor. 

The truth doesn’t always set you free.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel.

My Review - WOW! I had had this book on my TBR list forever. And I always remember it because of it's cover. (Yes, I do judge a book by it's cover!) But Barnes and Noble put this on sale for your ebook and I had to have it. I'm so glad I read it, this story is amazing. And the wicked twist at the end just left me with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't imagine. The raw terror that was described in the book was just scary. And to know that there are women out there going through this right now who have been abducted is even more scary. Makes me want to double check all my doors and windows. Awesome book and can't wait to read more by this author!

Maddie is 4 months!

Here's my sweet girl... :)

Isn't she just beautiful?! :) I'm in-love for sure.

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