Wednesday Wishlist

Wednesday Wishlist is a feature I have been doing for years. I spotlight a book that has already been release that I would love to read but have not yet.

Title: Beautiful Malice
Author: Rebecca James
Publisher: Random House
Price: $25.00
Release: 7/13/2010








Synopsis:
    Who is Katherine Patterson? It is a question she hopes no one can answer. To erase her past, Katherine has moved to a new city, enrolled in a new school, and even changed her name. She’s done the next best thing to disappearing altogether. Now, wary and alone, she seeks nothing more than anonymity. What she finds instead is the last thing she expected: a friend.



    Even more unlikely, Katherine’s new friend is the most popular and magnetic girl in school. Extroverted, gorgeous, flirtatious, and unpredictable, she is everything that Katherine is not and doesn’t want to be: the center of attention. Yet Alice’s enthusiasm is infectious, her candor sometimes unsettling, and Katherine, in spite of her guarded caution, finds herself drawn into Alice’s private circle.

    But Alice has secrets, too—darker than anyone can begin to imagine. And when she lets her guard down at last, Katherine discovers the darkest of them all. For there will be no escaping the past for Katherine Patterson—only a descent into a trap far more sinister . . . and infinitely more seductive.

Why I want to read it:
    This week my focus must be on secrets. Maybe my own life is too dull right now ;)

Graduation and Vacation

Today is my last day as a Hemodialysis student! I thought I would take a moment to celebrate my good news with all of you readers.

My other news is that I will be leaving for GA tomorrow morning! I will be there a week. So if you can't reach me that's why!


Thank's for reading!
Ashley

Must Monday

                                                                                
Title: 34 Pieces of You
Author: Carmen Rodrigues
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Price: $16.99
Release: 9/4/2012







Synopsis:
    There was something about Ellie…Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance—and kept watch.

    Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are thirty-four clues she left behind. Thirty-four strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. Thirty-four secrets of a brief and painful life.

    Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they confront the past, they will discover not only the darkest truths about themselves, but also what Ellie herself had been hiding all along….

Why I want to read it:
    Secrets always make for a great story. I want to discover their secrets with them.

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E L James
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Price: $15.95
Release: 4/3/2012
Source: Purchased

Grade: C
Audience: Mature




Synopsis:
    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.

My thoughts:
    Before you start reading this I am going to remind you that this book is for adult audiences. If you are not an adult, or easily offended by adult content this book and review are not for you.

    The hype for this book is huge. You can't go anywhere without hearing mention of this series. 1/2 of my college classmates have read it, my mother-in-law has read it. I feel like the whole world read it. The general consensus seems to be that people either loved it or hated it. I felt like I was stuck in the middle. I could have lived without reading it but I also don't regret reading it.

    This story was as unrealistic as it gets. Rich man with a kinky sex life falls for a nobody young woman. Though nobody could make him love before she somehow could. Blah, gag. The romance wasn't even attracting. I would never want that kind of love.

     There was hardly any sex in this book for it being erotica. Yes, I will admit that some of the scenes were "steamy". Other scenes produced many eyerolls. I have never in my life heard of a woman having that many orgasm's. It seems like he would barely look at her and there she went.

    As for the writing, don't expect it to be great. Hell, don't even expect it to be good. It is poorly written but lets all be honest, we aren't reading it for the authors superb use of punctuation.

   If you feel like you need to read this book then go for it. If you don't want to read it but feel like everyone is, so you should too, don't read it. I feel like this is one you just can't love if you don't REALLY want to read it.

Review: Want to Go Private?

                                                                

Title: Want to Go Private?

Author: Sarah Darer Littman

Publisher: Scholastic

Price: $17.99

Release: 8/1/2011

Source: Library

Grade: A

Audience: YA

Synopsis:

    Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

    Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

My thoughts:
    It has been a long time since I have read a book that made me want to stay up late and finish. This book grabbed me and I became very frustrated that I had no time to read this week (it's my last 10 days in my college program). Even with this book taking me longer to read then I would have liked I found it to be AMAZING.

    The subject of Internet predators is not one I have seen in books very often (if you have please give me recommendations in the comments). I have had the unfortunate experience of being the victim of an online predator. Fortunately for me, I got so scared early on that I told my parents. This story felt like an expansion of what could have happened to me, had I not told. Since this is becoming more and more common, I felt like this was an important story. It conveyed the reality of the situation without feeling like a lecture from someone paid to scare teens away from the Internet.

    This book was split in thirds. Part one is all about Abby. We discover who she is, and it is at this point that you will develop an opinion about her. Some people have mentioned in reviews that they hated her. I saw her as the 14 year old victim that she was. When you move on to part 2 the story starts showing different peoples perspectives. This part of the story made me fearful and was what really kept me wanting to read this book. Part 3 contained an insight into the psychology of this crime. It was truly haunting.

    I recommend this book to ALL teens. Yes, it was a fabulous book but it can also serve as a reminder. If you are a teen or you know a teen, do not hesitate to buy a copy. You won't want to miss this one.

Wednesday Wishlist

Wednesday Wishlist is a weekly feature where I spotlight a book that is already out and I have not read yet but would love to. These books have usually been out at least a couple years.

                                                                      

Title: Tell Me a Secret

Author: Holly Cupala

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $16.99

Release: 6/22/2010

Synopsis:

    It's tough living in the shadow of a dead girl. . . .

    In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

    When two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears, Miranda is stripped of her former life. She must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister's demons and her own.

Why I want to read it:

    I have a sister, so stories about sister relationships are near to my heart.

Review: Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid

                                                         

Title: Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid
Author: Tanya Nicole Kach
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Price: $17.99
Release: 10/11/2011
Source: Library

Grade: C
Audience: Adults









Synopsis:
    'Tom,' I said, bracing myself for the threat that was sure to follow. 'I need to talk to you about something. About leaving here, I mean.'He didn't hit me. Didn't threaten. Instead, he looked at me with great sadness. 'Who saved your life?''You,' I replied, 'but...''Who takes care of you?''I know that,' I told him. 'I just can't live like this.''You can't live? What about me? You would destroy my life if you left. I am the only person to ever show you love, and you would leave me? Don't be stupid.' Told from the perspective of Tanya Nicole Kach, Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid is the haunting story of a girl, lost in the cracks of the system, forced to spend more than ten years as the prisoner of her school's security guard. From her troubled childhood, through her captivity at the hands of a manipulative captor, and ultimately on her road to recovery, Tanya's story is one of pain but ultimately triumph. Her story is told by her advocate and confidant, Lawrence Fisher. For more than five years his impassioned advocacy has helped Tanya as she has reintegrated into society. He successfully blends Tanya's story with his own insight into the legal issues surrounding the controversial case that followed Tanya's release. This multipronged approach gives the reader insight into Tanya's emotional state and the state of a criminal justice system that allowed her ordeal to happen.

My thoughts:
    I hate to judge nonfiction. This is somebodies life we are talking about but I had to here. I felt that the story was poorly written. For the most part I felt like I was reading an outline for a fiction story. Yes, what this woman experienced was hell. I do not want to sound cold or heartless at all. I just think maybe she was not ready to give us an honest portrayal of what happened.

    I have to be honest and say that I did have to skim some pages. There were times when I felt myself bored with this writing that I wanted to give up on reading the book. I made myself power through though.

    I recommend this to hardcore nonfiction/memoir fans.

Must Monday

For all you new followers out there, Must Monday is a weekly feature where I spotlight a book that is not out yet and I am anxiously waiting for.

                                                            

Title: The Raft
Author: S. A. Bodeen
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Price: $16.99
Release: 8/21/2012








Synopsis:
     Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

    And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Why I want to read it:
     A fight for life book starring a girl. HECK YES!