Little Bee

Little Bee

by Chris Cleave

I picked this book up around Christmas time. I was heading to check out at Barnes and Noble and it caught my eye. 

The back reads:

"We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:

This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there...

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how the story unfolds."

Ok... you'd be curious too, right?

I guess Marketing got me on that one.

Regardless, I finally got around to reading it.

The book started slow, and at one point I considered putting it down for good. 

But curiosity again, got the best of me and I wanted to know what this damn book was about!!

I guess I won't divulge too much of the book - but I will say that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. This book made me chuckle, it pissed me off, it bored me, it excited me... it ran me through quite a few emotions over the duration of the read. 

I don't know if this book would be for everyone - and the ending isn't exactly "happy", but it was a different kind of story, and I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like it. 

Favorite Quotes:

"...the awesome ocean fastness was a splendor of ultramarine crested with crimson and gold where the burnished sun blazed on the wave tops and sent them crashing into the gloomy troughs deepening into a dark malevolent indigo."

"... he had been so slowly lost. First from my heart, then from my mind, and only finally from my life."

"This is what I am and this is how I will stay, as the shape-changing magic of dreams whispers back into the roar of the ocean."

Be Here Now - Ram Dass

Since I was little, I always remember being fascinated with unusual books. I enjoyed large hard covers, or vintage covers that looked centuries old...

While in Marfa, I stumbled upon some books that looked very interesting. 

I decided to purchase this one:

 

I have only finished the first section of the book, which was very interesting. Oddly, I was a bit disappointed there wasn't more to the story. In a nutshell, it covered his life from an affluent professor at Harvard to surrendering his worldly possessions to continue his search of "knowing"...

He took drugs, traveled, and met different people.

It was an intriguing and unexpected story.

I've enjoyed it thus far.

The middle of the book (contents 2) is mostly sorts of the pages you see above. Quotes, drawings, etc...

Definitely an unusual book.

power

 

I have a subscription to Vogue.

 

 

This month is the 2013 "Power" issue.

 

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

Fifty Shades of...

We all know this trilogy was HUGE - I was hesitant to read it due to all the "hype"

Then my curiosity got the best of me ;-)

Of course. lol.

What I found odd about this trilogy was how different each of the books were.

Each seemed to have their own vibe, their own "mood" so to speak - defining a period of the timeline in the relationship between Anastasia and Christian, the two main characters.

While I felt parts of this book were "over the top",... I couldn't put it down.

Some call it smut.

Others say it's a love story.

Truth is, it's definitely both.

Sexy

Fun

Deep

Passionate

and so much more...

It's a fascinating contradiction of a book that keeps you wondering what's next.

I'd recommend this to anyone who doesn't blush over provocative content and "Rated R" behavior ;-) 

the host

The Host

Stephenie Meyer

This book took me a minute to get into - just being honest. The beginning of the book is slow.

buuuuuut... like most good books, that long, drawn out introduction is usually worth it :)

Because of the nature of this book (It's "technically" a sci-fi book) I don't really want to get into detail (it gets complicated lol)... But I will say despite the "aliens from other planets taking over human bodies and using them as hosts" - it is also a twisted love story, fully loaded with the ammo of unconditional love.

As soon as the plot began to unravel, I was sitting down to read every evening. I wanted to know what happened!

As mentioned, I really don't feel like getting into details about the book but I will summarize briefly :

Wanderer is a "centipede like" alien. Most of her kind (some don't) travel from world to world and use other bodies as hosts. The host that Wanderer gets placed into is resistant... aka: not ready to play nice and let her body go... therefore, Wanderer starts hearing thoughts and seeing images that she is not creating.....

Her kind offers to place her in a new host, as this is not a good thing to be inside of a resistant hoset. Wanderer decides to try and stick it out (being the badass she is) and overcome the obstacle she's facing...

This book will have you pissed off, laughing, sad, at the edge of your seat, and wanting more.

It's one of those books where I predicted the ending before the book was closing.... or at least I thought I did :)

Overall? Good Book. I'd recommend it

Plus, I heard they're making a movie of it set to release sometime early 2013

Favorite Quotes:

"He kisses me again and this time I feel it. His lips are softer than his hands, and hot, even in the warm desert night. A flock of butterflies riots in my stomach and steals my breath. My hands reach for him instinctively."

"... till I knew them so well I could have drawn them blindfolded."

"My hands reached out without my permission, searching across the rumpled sheet, looking for something they did not find. My heart ached when they gave up, falling to the bed limp and empty."

hunger games

Yeah yeah, I know - these books are old news ;)

My parents surprisingly read these books, yes... both of my parents read the Hunger Games series - and recommended it to me.

I just finished a book, so I figured this weekend I would give this series a go

... lemme just tell you:

I'm hooked.

This had my interest from the first chapter. Finally! A book without a slow start! lol... looks like I should be knockin this series out quickly. I'm literally almost done with the first book, no, I'm probably not going to review it - it's so "hyped" right everyone knows what it's all about .... but now I understand the buzz! Can't wait to see how this story unfolds~ I just hope it's not a predictable ending.

 

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

D.E.A.R.

D.E.A.R.

You remember those days. You would bring books, snacks, and a blanket or pillow to school and the only thing everyone would do for the ENTIRE day was read.

Drop. Everything. And. Read.

Sounds like my free time. Lol.

There is something about wrapping up with a good book that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, I usually picture myself on a huge couch with a knitted, soft blanket next to a warm, crackling fire looking like a scene straight out of a movie. When in reality, I don’t have a fireplace or a huge plushy couch and I am usually fighting off my bird with every page turn so my book doesn’t end up in paper shreds.

A girl can dream though, can’t she?

Even if I am not in my movie scene, I still love getting whisked away to another world. For all you non-readers out there I hate to say it but, you just don’t get it.

My best friend despises reading. She has never read an entire book in her life.

To me, that’s craziness!

When you find a book you really enjoy, it’s better than watching a movie. It’s better because you create the world, so to speak. The characters look and sound just the way you picture them. The scenery is up to you. With a good book, it is like you are someone else completely, living a different life.

I think there is something magical about that.

When I grow up J I want to have a library full of books I have read.

Ok, pull back the reigns, Taylor … maybe not a library but definitely a wall… or at least an entire shelving unit.

I think for some people they read one book, or start a book and it’s not their cup of tea so they get turned off to reading and never go back.

It’s about finding your style, and what interests you. If you are lucky enough to find an author you love, all the better.

Once you find books you can get into, the fun begins and you realize why people read. Everyone is different and it might take a few misses before you stumble upon that “special book”. Don’t get discouraged, keep reading! Sometimes I go for months without picking up a book, and when I get back on the ball I am always SO glad I did J

Oh, how I love to read.