Review: Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes by Mich Turner

Title: Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes
Author: Mich Turner
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: March 10th
Source: Netgalley / White Lion Publishing


Book Description:

In Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes, celebrity baker Mich Turner brings together a collection of recipes to take you all the way from the delicious everyday through to the spectacular. Starting out with simple cakes, biscuits and cupcakes, once you have mastered this first level, Mich provides you with a few extra steps to turn these into fabulous creations. If you’re looking for more of a challenge or to elevate a favourite, these bakes are easily adapted to create a true showstopper cake. Covering a full range of bakery goods as well as perfect flavours, whether you are a novice baker or already know your rum baba from your roulade, you can be easily guided through these delicious bakes and simple but spectacular decoration techniques that make the most of wonderful flavours and perfect crumb.

Review:

★★★★

What can I say? I'm a sucker for the Great British Bake Off and I was drawn into a book that promised me Showstopper Cakes.

What I really like about this book is that the recipes are divided into the two title categories: either an everyday bake or a showstopper cake. It's good for those who are more beginner who might want to start simple. Or conversely, for more experienced bakers who are looking to challenge themselves a little bit more.

This book is divided by types of bakes including: Cupcakes, Loafcakes Traybakes and Meringues, Layer Cakes, and Celebration Cakes.

There's conversions here which are helpful, given the British-ness off the book. Because of that, take note that some ingredients will need to be swapped as this book includes things harder to find in America, like Maltesers.

Each recipe has helpful hints and tips, and the instructions are written really well. I wish that some of the more complicated bakes would have included step-by-step photos. I know this book is beginner to more advanced, but I assume the audience is still home bakers. The extra help for some of them would have gone a long way!

I really like that some of the recipes are just sort of kicked up a notch, so to speak. That is, there will be a cupcake version and a cake version, or a cake version and a wedding cake version. It's nice to see the varieties of the same thing in different challenge modes.

There are a lot of photos, which I really appreciate, especially in a book like this about flashy bakes. Plus, the photos that are included are fantastic. They look like stellar cakes and so the title is accurate for sure.

There's templates included in the back for some of the design work, which is helpful. There's also a few random cookie recipes in the back which are a bit weird and out of place but, hey, I like cookies as much as the next baker.

Some of the recipes that sounded the most delicious to me include: Venetian Easter Eggs, Lemon and Elderberry Layer Cake, and The Althorp Chocolate and Salted Caramel Layer Cake.

This would be welcome on any home baker's shelf, and would make a great gift for that baker in your life who you beg to bring treats to your parties.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series: Me Before You #1
Format: Paperback ARC
Pub. Date: July 30th 2013
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Review:

★★★★★

It's rare that I whole-heartedly and so positively adore a book. Me Before You was absolutely fantastic. It was beautifully written and raw and honest and optimistic and heartbreaking in the most perfect of ways. This was my first time reading anything by Jojo Moyes, but it certainly won't be my last.

The characters were wonderfully well written. Even if you didn't like a character (and believe me, there are a few), you still got a sense of who they were and the roots and complications of why you disliked them. Louisa is quirky, but never in the annoyingly common YA way of "omg I'm not like other girls". She's just unapologetically herself, and I admire that. I wish I had the confidence to wear, I dunno, pink zebra leggings with a festive hat and sparkly shoes and to say things without thinking too much about them. She's realistically awkward and charming, and I get what Will and her employers see in her.

And then there's Will. Poor, complicated, devastatingly handsome Will. Despite his demeanor and how he speaks to people, he's oddly endearing and you root for him to be better, to let down his walls. As he grows fond of Louisa, you can't help but to fall in love with him as she does. Even knowing damn well he's going to break all of our hearts.

The setting is also really well done. I feel like I could walk around their town with no map and feel at ease, and when they're traveling, I was swept away to be with them too.

Moyes does a brilliant job bringing up a topical and complicated topic and making it relatable, personable, and understandable. She gave me a lot to think about.

And I cried. Of course I did. I always do. I knew what was coming, and still, I cried. This is the most emotionally connected to a book and characters that I have felt in a long time. I know this book is a few years old, but this is the best book I have read this year. It was beautiful, touching, and haunting, and I absolutely recommend it. It's funny, charming, absolutely devastating, and strangely peaceful, and if you don't mind a little heartbreak and young love, this book is for you.

HOLIDAY REVIEW: No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom

Title: No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day
Series: No-one Ever Has Sex #3
Author: Tracy Bloom
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 24th 2017
Source: Netgalley


Book Description:

Don’t you always plan the perfect Christmas?
Don’t you always think it will be the best one ever?
And doesn’t something – usually one of your loved ones – always come along and screw it up?

Katy’s been spending too much time in the office and not enough time with her family so she wants it all: snow (fake or real), the Michael Bublé Christmas album, whatever it takes.

There’s only one thing missing as far as her husband Ben is concerned: another baby to complete their family. Katy isn’t so sure…

Ben may be playing the role of Master Elf in the pre-school nativity but he is struggling to master his own family life. With romantically-challenged friends, an ex who refuses to go away and Katy's mum's 64-year-old toy boy thrown into the mix, Christmas looks like it could be going off the rails… Never mind family planning, can Katy and Ben even plan to make it to the end of Christmas Day?

Review:

★★

Meh.

I didn't realize that this was the third book in a series until I went to update my Goodreads progress, as it wasn't advertised as a series. Maybe that's part of why I'm not into this book.

I don't get the humor. I understood the jokes and quips.... I just wasn't laughing. When the cover of the book says "The most hilarious romantic comedy you'll read this Christmas" - that's a big promise, so I had big hopes. I was left disappointed, with a few snickers here and there but not much else.

The rest of it was just.... Well, boring. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, nor did I particularly care for any of them. I found Katy rather selfish and irritating, while the others were kind of just... there. Not bad, not good. Just there. There was no big climax really, or much of a plot to follow. It was a light read that's easy to get through, because there's not too much to focus on.

Don't let my review dissuade you. I am clearly in the minority on this one. People are yucking it up and enjoying themselves, while I'm the lone scrooge who didn't care for it. If you've read other books in the series, maybe you'll like it more than I did. But, it's just not my cup of tea.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mini College Review: A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In by Magnus Mills

Title: A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In
Author: Magnus Mills
Format: Hardcover, 276 pages
Pub. Date: September 2011
Source: Borrowed from professor


Book Description:

Far away, in the ancient empire of Greater Fallowfields, things are falling apart. The imperial orchestra is presided over by a conductor who has never played a note, the clocks are changed constantly to ensure that the sun always sets at five o' clock, and the Astronomer Royal is only able to use the observatory telescope when he can find a sixpence to put in its slot. But while the kingdom drifts, awaiting the return of the young emperor, who has gone abroad and communicates only by penny post, a sinister and unfamiliar enemy is getting closer and closer...A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In is Magnus Mills's most ambitious work to date. A surreal portrait of a world that, although strange and distant, contains rather too many similarities to our own for the alien not to become brilliantly familiar and disturbingly close to home. It is comic writing at its best - and it is Magnus Mills's most ambitious, enjoyable and rewarding novel to date.

Review:

★★★★

This was a book that I had to read for my Modern British Fiction in college. I'd like to note that I have not read any other of Mills' books.

My review of it is going to be short and sweet, because I'm lacking words to describe this book. It's very unique stylistically. The plot has dark undertones but the tone is so light and nonchalant, it's a very odd mix. If a satire mated with a fairy tale and based it on the British, it would be this.

The writing is a lot of political and social commentary about Great Britain, as an American I'm sure some things went over my head. But there was a weird (in a good way) cast of characters that all circle around a ruler that is never actually in the book. It's amusing and confusing but makes you think and all and all I liked it but I can't exactly tell you why....

This is not a very helpful review, but, I say give it a go if you're thinking about reading it. It's worth it, especially if you enjoy your fantasy with large helpings of commentary.

Interview and Review: Styling Wellywood by Kate O'Keeffe!

Title: Styling Wellywood
Author: Kate O'Keeffe
Format: Kindle Edition, 261 pages
Pub. Date: May 8th 2014
Source: Kate O'Keeffe


About the Book:
Jessica Banks is dragged kicking and screaming from her fabulous and carefree London life back to her hometown of Wellington, New Zealand and into the arms of her uptight mother.

She struggles to settle back in until she finds a way to bring her own version of London glamour to her new home. Things begin to look up when she meets Scott Wright, tennis coach, and possibly the hottest man on the planet - but is it a love match? Or is someone else the right man for Jessica? Someone she thought was out of her reach?

When both her best friend suddenly disappears and her high school arch nemesis rears her perfectly coifed head, Jessica‘s new life begins to unravel. Even her dearest friend, Ben, can’t protect her from her demons. She eventually realizes she needs to face her deepest, darkest fear - the fear she’s managed to successfully drown in cocktails for the last four years.

Can Jessica overcome her past and find love and happiness in unexpected places?

With Wellington - the world’s coolest little capital city and New Zealand’s answer to Hollywood - as the backdrop, Styling Wellywood: A fashionable romantic comedy is a laugh out loud, heartwarming, entertaining romp in the world of contemporary women’s chick lit romance.

If you like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes or Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, you'll love this new romcom!

Buy it here- Available in Print and Ebook:
Amazon & more retailers soon!

Interview:

Thanks so much for talking with me today, Kate! Shall we begin?. In Styling Wellywood, Jessica has quite a few romantic encounters. Were any of these romantic interests inspired by someone from your own life?

Hmmm, that's a tricky one. I guess we've all known a guy like Scott - handsome, self-assured, a little too full of himself - and I'd be lying to say I hadn't dated one or two guys like that in my time, but neither Ben nor Scott are based on any one person. Kind of an amalgamation of guys my friends and I have dated in the past, I guess.

That's true enough, I definitely have met guys like Scott. Now, Jessica dreams of being a posh stylist to the stars. Are you as into fashion as she is?

I've always loved fashion and try to support local designers. There's so much talent out there and buying their clothes means you don't end up looking like everyone else! But Jessica's pretty obsessed with the whole fashion thing and looking glamorous, and as a busy mother and writer I just don't have the time!

What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

It's a vintage tear drop aquamarine ring set with a few small diamonds. My mother gave it to me, her mother gave it to her… you get the picture. So it has serious sentimental value and always gets compliments from random strangers and friends alike as it's quite striking.

That sounds so pretty, I love aquamarine. If you could have one dream fashion item in your wardrobe, what would it be?

One of those incredible Vera Wang gowns you see Hollywood A-listers wearing. So so fabulous. Of course I'd have nowhere to wear it… and you don't really need a floor-length dress to walk your dogs around the 'burbs, do you? But a girl can dream...

Jessica is returning to Wellington, New Zealand after time away in London. Are you from New Zealand? Are any of the stores or places that she mentioned standing in real life?

Now this is where Jess and I are very similar! I'm from New Zealand and moved to London when I graduated at 21. I loved loved loved living there and really did find it hard to move back home after all the excitement of a large, world-class city on Europe's door step. Wellington is a beautiful city, but it's pretty small in comparison with cities like London or New York, so it took some adjusting to being back. Of course now I'm totally settled and love it here.

As for the stores, yes they all exist! I had thought about whether to make up fictitious designers but there are so many amazing Wellington and New Zealand designers out there I decided to just go with what there was to offer.

That is absolutely fantastic. I love that you chose to go with real stores. It's a cold, rainy day and you decide to stay in with a book- what are you reading?

Oh that's a hard one! So many choices... I'd probably have to go with one of my favorite classics - E M Forster's "A Room With A View." If you haven't read it and you enjoy humorous women's fiction, give it a try. It's just fabulous!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what were you doing before you became an author?

I have always wanted to be a writer and started so many novels, but then that pesky thing called 'life' would always get in the way and I would end up shelving it. With Styling Wellywood I was a stay at home mother and so had a little bit if time when my son was either asleep or at preschool. I wanted to do something with my brain - playgrounds, baby bottles and laundry can only excite a girl so much - and had so many characters and scenarios buzzing around my head, so decided to just sit down and write.

Some authors only use a specific pen or drink coffee from a certain mug. Do you have any quirks when you write?

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Oh and I often have one of my dogs sitting next to me snorting away. Seems to help, but who knows why!

Chocolate helps make everything better. Can you describe Styling Wellywood in five words?

Chick lit with humor, friendship, romance, and heart. Was that five?

Since Styling Wellywood is about romance, what is one fictional book character that makes you swoon?

Oh, it HAS to be Mr Darcy. Yum yum yum. So manly, noble and gentlemanly. And it helps he richer than God too, if I'm entirely honest.

Great answer. He's definitely swoon worthy. Jessica has a few misadventures in the romance department. Can you tell us a bit about what your first date was like?

My first date… hmm, that's a walk down memory lane I'd prefer not to take. But since you've asked... I was a teenager and really liked a slightly older boy from afar - to this day I don't think he had any idea how I felt about him, because it wasn't him I went on a date with but with his friend. Who knows why I said yes, but I did and felt like I suffered through the whole thing. We went to a movie and he was very sweet, but he just wasn't the guy of my dreams. Things improved significantly for me soon afterwards, but sadly that will always be my first official date - with my dream guy's friend.

I appreciate you sharing that story with us. Isn't weird thinking back on choices we made? Kate, do you have any other books or projects in the works that you can tell us about?

I've been working on a series about three sisters, each book devoted to one of them, but the others make appearances across the series too. They'll be a bit like Styling Wellywood in their tone and style, but with a heavier does of romance. There's a brother too, but I'm not sure he has a book yet… we'll have to see how he behaves in the first three to see if he gets one.

I'll definitely keep my eyes open for those. Out of all of the characters in Styling Wellywood, who do you think you are the most like? Who are you the least like? Why?

I'd say I'm most like a mixture of Jessica, Stephanie and Laura. Jess because she's such an optimist, Stephanie because she's slightly mad, and Laura because she's sensible and logical and I'm a pretty A-Type kind of gal.

The least? Jess's mother, Scott, and Morgan - or at least I hope!

Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there that you can share with us?

To steal a phrase, I'd have to say 'just do it'! Writing is fun, incredible, wonderfully creative, frustrating, but, ultimately, if you don't pick up that metaphorical pen, it's just a hole bunch of vaguely formed ideas running around in your head. If you think you have a good idea for a story, start by writing up your key concepts - characters, plots, themes - then you'll see that it'll start to take shape. I plotted Styling Wellywood out, did character analyses, and knew what themes I wanted to explore before I even started Chapter 1. I'm certainly not a 'pantser'! It helped me so much to have a structure. I know not everyone works this way, but it was great for me. Of course enjoying it and feeling passionate about what you do goes without saying.

Thank you so much, Kate, for taking the time out of the busy holiday rush to answer a few of my questions and for letting me read Styling Wellywood!!

Review:

★★★★ ★

Plain and simple, this book is a great example of women's fiction. The comparisons say that this book is in the same vein as Sophie Kinsella. I love her, so I read this, but with caution since I love Kinsella's books and I've been burned by the "if you like ____, you'll love ____" comparisons before. I'm happy to say that that comparison is totally accurate.

A large part of what made this book so lovely to enjoy was the setting. I don't often read books set in New Zealand, but I admit it's one of my top dream vacation spots. After reading this book, I only want to visit there more. It's clear the love for the country that the author has (even if lead character Jessica doesn't always see it). I liked the slang used, the sights described, and the shops that Jessica frequents. (I just found out that they're real shops. How cool is that, using real places and fashion designers!?)

I also loved Jessica. She's a complicated character that I think all women can relate to. She has big dreams of high fashion, of leading a life of London luxury. She has some facepalm worthy dating moments and is humbled a bit when she moves back in with her mother. Styling Wellywood is a roller coaster of Jess finding herself and rediscovering who she was in Wellington, getting back in the familiar groove of the city that she used to call home.

The rest of the characters were all unique and interesting too. Jess has a core group of friends that sometimes you love and sometimes you're annoyed with, much like any group of friends. Their choices (especially those of her best friend) will make you wonder what the hell is going on in their head, and you'll eagerly turn pages to find out answers. Her parents are likable and quirky. One of her love interests, an American tennis instructor named Scott, is definitely hot. And then there's her "friend" Ben. Totally just friends. Yup. She doesn't think about their drunken kiss not one bit. He's sweet and is the kind of man we all want to know.

Jess is the kind of character you can't help but to cheer for. She may not always go exactly where she wants in life, but she takes life as it comes. She grows into herself and her choices, becoming in charge of her life and what she wants out of it. I think we all want to have a bit of that mentality.

Styling Wellywood is a funny, well-written work of romantic women's fiction set in New Zealand. This is a great read to have nearby in the summer when you're lounging by the pool. I recommend it to fans of romance, chick lit, humor, and fashion. Thanks so much to author Kate O'Keeffe who gave me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author:

Deciding long ago that feel good stories and happy endings shouldn't be limited to just children's books and fairy tales, I decided to create such worlds through my writing. Because life can just sometimes suck, can't it?

I've loved chick lit and romantic comedies since I first encountered Bridget Jones as a young, impressionable writer. It really was a match made in chick lit heaven for me! I like to take on serious subject matter and wrap it up in warmth, wit, and humour.

I've been a teacher and a sales executive, but am now content as a mother, madly writing all the ideas I've accumulated during my time on this planet we call home.

I live and love in New Zealand, with my wonderful family and my two very scruffy, naughty dogs.
Facebook | Twitter

Cookbook Review: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Title: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Author: Stanley Tucci

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: October 28th 2014

Source: Netgalley & Gallery Books



Summary from Goodreads:
Featuring family-friendly recipes and stunning photography, an all-new cookbook from New York Times bestselling author, beloved actor, and respected foodie Stanley Tucci.

Stanley Tucci's association with wonderful foods began for fans with the movie Big Night and resonated in his role as Julia Child's husband in Julie & Julia. But well before these films, he was enjoying innovative homemade Italian meals throughout his childhood, when family and food were nearly inseparable and cooking was always a familial venture.

Now, in a completely new, family-focused cookbook, Tucci captivates food lovers' imaginations with recipes from his traditional Italian roots as well as those of his British wife, Felicity Blunt, tied together with a modern American ribbon. The time-tested recipes include pasta alla bottarga, mushroom-stuffed trout, pork chops with onions and mustard sauce, barbeque chicken wings, and much, much more! Nothing will make you happier to spend time with family than the aroma of a hearty Italian dish sizzling on the stovetop.

Featuring 100 luscious new full-color photographs, The Tucci Table captures the true joys of family cooking. Buon apetito!

★★★★

I've got to say, this book has a really wide variety of recipes, and a high volume of them too. This cookbook is a nice blend of "a little bit of everything", but draws heavily on Italian, British, and American cuisines. There's a lot of dishes in here that I was familiar with, which helped to set the familial tone that Stanley Tucci wished to give to the reader.

Each recipe comes with a fun little story that introduces the people in Tucci's life, and makes you feel like you know them too. It made the recipes seem more personal, as though this book wasn't mass produced, but given to you as something special. There's a fair bit of humor in this book as well, which made it very easy to flip through for recipes. It's clear that this book was written in love.

The book is divided by course for easy navigation. In addition to anecdotes about Tucci's family, these recipes are paired with tips on how to store these dishes, how to make them better, or how to work with substitutions in a pinch. I really appreciated that for some of the more difficult recipes that step by step photos were included. The photography in this book is lovely, and while there's not a picture for every recipe, there are a lot of photographs.

This is a book that virtually anyone can use. There are some basic recipes for those who are new to the kitchen, and more complex dishes for those of us who have more experience with cooking. A few of the dishes that I most look forward to trying include Isabel's New York Cheesecake Ice Cream, Baked Ham with Mostarda di Frutta, and Pan-Seared Loin of Venison with Red Wine, Juniper and Quince.

This is a solid book for beginners and more experienced home cooks alike who are looking for new meals to share with their families. Thanks to Netgalley & Gallery Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Double Review: Forbidden Fruit & Yank

Title: Forbidden Fruit
Author: Selena Kitt
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 30th 2013
Source: Netgalley

★★★★

Four solid stars.

Leah and Erica are best friends that attend the same stuffy Catholic college. Since Erica's mother passed away, Leah's spent so much time over there that she's essentially Mr. Nolan's second daughter. During one of their girl nights, the friends find a box of erotic videos and magazines beneath Mr. Nolan's bed, and it fuels their curiosity and desires, for each other and for the men in their lives.... But that turns into more of a problem when the man in Leah's life becomes her best friend's father.

------

Wow. I was not expecting a short novella like this to pack so much steam into such little space. I was very pleasantly surprised.

I liked the actual plot of this short story. Most of the time, with erotic short stories, I don't get a sense of any real plot line, just scene after scene of bedroom activities. But this plot was intriguing- how awkward would it be for everyone involved if you started shagging your best friend's dad in their own house. I was genuinely interested in how long Leah would get away with it, and what would happen once she was busted.

The sex scenes, though frequent, never became boring or repetitive. I'm impressed that Selena Kitt managed to have so much variety in the scenes that she wrote. The descriptions are just the right amount of crass and sensual, and they are more than a little hot. For me, the Catholic school bit was a nice touch, and made it all the sexier.

Be warned that this is an erotic story, and contains sex, Catholicism, toys, girl-on-girl, and strong language. It's a hot, short, kinky read and won't be the last I read by this author.


Title: Yank
Author: Selena Kitt
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 28th 2013
Source: Netgalley

★★

Two stars.

Dawn, a foreign exchange student from America, is headed to Surrey for her studies, to stay with childhood friend David. His world becomes shaken up the moment she arrives back, because he's not the little girl that he remembers anymore, and it becomes increasingly more difficult for either of them to resist the temptation that lives only down the hall.

I wasn't so much a fan of this one, in compared to the other Selena Kitt story that I have read.

I didn't feel connected to the plot or the characters. I understand that this is a short story, and an erotic one at that, but there still has to be some level of interest in characters or the rest of the story breaks down. That's how I felt about this one.

The smutty scenes, as always however, are well written and full of blazing heat. If I could rate these separately, I would, because Selena Kitt is a great author when it comes to the x-rated scenes within her stories.

Selena Kitt is known for approaching more taboo subjects, which I found odd seeing that this book seemed relatively tame. True, her host mother insists that the two act like siblings, and the school has a "no relationships with the host family" rule, but that little detail didn't seem so rebellious to me. But then I started reading reviews of this book, and saw that in the original edition of this story, they were related. I very much hate to say that, but I think I would have preferred that they were. It would have added the missing depth to the characters, the plot, and the "taboo" factor.

This is a book intended for adults, so be aware that this book contains vulgar language, crass British slang, and graphic detail. Thanks to Netgalley and eXcessica Publishing for my copies.

Review: Unfed by Kirsty McKay

Title: Unfed (Undead #2)
Author: Kirsty McKay
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 27th 2013
Source: Netgalley/Scholastic

★★★★

Four stars.

Unfed is the sequel to the novel Undead. In this story, Bobby has survived her trip.... But her best (totally not boy-) friend Smitty is missing. She wakes up in a quarantined Scotland, and is told that four survived, her mother not among them. But something doesn't add up. When she finds a clue, she gets new hope, and knows that she has got to find Smitty and fast. It becomes a race against time, the undead, and a few other nasties to solve this unraveling puzzle, and to save the living.

----

I have to admit, Unfed has impressed me. Initially, I was drawn in by the cover. I mean, look at it. That's pretty cool. I was prepared for the spot of disappointment that normally fills me up after I read a zombie book. But this one exceeded expectations, and is honestly the first zombie book I've read so far that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Another problem I thought I might encounter was the fact that this is book two, when I haven't read book one. This didn't make a difference on my reading experience at all. I never felt that I was missing out on previous story or wondering what had previously happened to cause this. Everything is well explained or reintroduced in this sequel.

I love Bobby. She reminds me a little bit of Buffy, in that she knows that she has butts to kick and isn't afraid to do so if it means saving the people that she loves (or humanity. You know, whichever comes first). She's sassy and hilarious. I laughed out loud more than once while reading, and part of this is due to the dark British humor.

There is gore in this book, but that's kind of to be expected in a zombie book- especially one with a girl holding a bloody chainsaw on the cover. I found it to be dark but not overly so, and often times this ew-factor was amplified by some humor. It's a great mix of brain eating and wit.

I definitely recommend this for fans of zombies and especially to young adult readers. This was a refreshing change for me, and I hope you enjoy it too. If you prefer more horror movie type mature zombies, or contrarily, dislike any amount of gore, be warned.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Tethers by Jack Croxall

Title: Tethers (The Tethers Trilogy #1)
Author: Jack Croxall
Format: Kindle Edition, 228 pages
Pub. Date: February 5th 2013
Source: Author, Jack Croxall

★★★★

Four stars.

What starts as a mere curiosity soon spirals into a much bigger picture filled with lies, powerful artifacts, and conspiracy. Teenagers Karl and Esther come across a strange journal among their shenanigans, a journal filled with random passages and strange, almost dream-like quotes. It isn't long before they also discover a strange stone. They must together leave their home and figure out what is going on, and more importantly, save their skins.

----

I am so impressed with this book. I wasn't sure if it'd be something that I would enjoy, but I am so glad that I did.

+The writing of this book is pretty smooth and detailed. I was easily able to picture the settings and artifacts in my mind. Dialogue did seem a bit artificial at times, but it wasn't enough of an issue to really bother me while reading.

+The characters are well written. Though it was slow for me to get into this book, once I kept to it, it wasn't long before I was cheering the protagonists on and was emotionally attached to the outcome of their adventure.

+I am blown away that this is a debut novel. This is a more-than-solid start to a very promising future. I sincerely hope that this isn't the end of Jack Croxall's writings (or the Tethers story!)

I recommend this book to fans of fantasy, young adult, and adventure. It might be hard for you to start, as it was for me, but the story is worth the read once you make it past that lull.

My copy of Tethers was provided by the author, Jack Croxall, in exchange for an honest review.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Title: Forbidden
Author: Tabitha Suzuma
Format: Hardcover, 454 pages.
Pub. Date: June 28th 2011
Source: Half Price Books

★★★★★

Five stars. I wish I could give more.

Lochan, seventeen, is the head of the Whitely family. His mom is bitter and resents her family ever since her husband left them all behind for a new woman and a new family. Eager to cling to her youth, she drinks and parties and spends her money on time with men who will never marry her, neglecting her family. Lochan has stepped up to the plate, with his year-younger sister Maya, and helped to raise their three younger siblings. Because they were thrust together as parents, they were hardly ever brother and sister. They were always equals.... The pair realize that their love goes much stronger than that of siblings. Somewhere among all of the skinned knees, overdue bills, and dirty dishes, Maya and Lochan have fallen in love. They're on fragile ground- the kids can never know, for fear of police intervention and a chance of breaking apart the family. The world can never know.... But how can a love so strong be illegal, be so wrong?

-----

I have never read a book that was so heart wrenching, soul crushing, tear inducing, and so utterly beautiful. Forbidden broke my heart a few times over, but is one of the best books that I have read in my twenty years of life. My review will be short and probably a bit incoherent, because I am still crying over this piece of work.

+I was hesitant to read this because of its subject matter: incest. But at the same time, that is what intrigued me enough to go out and buy this book to see for myself just how "taboo" it would be. I've read reviews that loved this book, and others that thought it was disgusting. I side with the former.

+The writing is beautiful. Tabitha Suzuma details the emotions of not just Maya and Lochan, but of all of the siblings with pinpoint precision. The book has a dark, shadowy underlying tone that makes it read a bit like a poem. You can tell that each word was picked for a reason, and it makes the book that much more real and gritty.

+The way this piece is written, I couldn't help but to mentally cheer for Maya and Lochan's relationship. Wrong as it may be, I have to admit this book made me think long and hard about what love really means, and what it means to be together. I found myself ignoring the incest part of this story at parts, just wanting them to be together and to be happy.

+Lochan is a character that I grew to love over the course of the novel. Truth be told, he would have been one of the boys I looked twice at in high school. He's studious, cares for his family. He doesn't talk much and keeps to himself, but is very smart. He has been added to my mental list of fictional boyfriends. I adored this character.

+Though my relationship is far from incestuous, I did relate to Lochan a bit. He has thoughts of bitterness and jealousy at the relationships of his classmates because they get little tokens of affection that are taken for granted; hugs in the hallway, sitting together at lunch. He can't do these things with Maya without arousing suspicion. My girlfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, and I share these bitter, envious thoughts when I see couples walking around my college campus. Even now, I am sobbing at my keyboard, and my girlfriend can't do anything about it. Passages like this definitely rang true for me, despite being in a completely "legal" relationship.

+I am writing this review with as few spoilers as possible, so I'll keep this bit to the short side. I didn't see the ending coming, at all. I probably should have, but I didn't, and it hit me with the force of a MACK truck. I have never cried so hard over fictional characters, save for maybe Dumbledore's death in the Harry Potter. I couldn't believe I was out of pages when I was. Nothing broke my heart more than seeing the words "Epilogue", knowing that that was it, there's no going back, no rectifying or fixing or problem solving.

If you have a problem with taboo relationships or if the notion of incest sickens or upsets you, then this is not the book for you. But if you believe that there is no love that is unjust or immoral, and that everyone deserves the right to be happy with the spirit of their choosing, then let this book wrench your heart and crush your soul too. It's a book that is easy to read but hard to swallow, and left me in tears.

Now, a happy reading to you all. I must fix myself a hot beverage and try to pull myself back together.

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Title: Rockoholic
Author: C.J. Skuse
Format: Hardcover, 358 pages
Pub. Date: November 1st 2012
Source: Goodreads First Reads

★★★★

3.5 Stars, rounded up.

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Jody lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes The Regulators. They are the single greatest band ever, and she owns it all- the DVDs, the albums, the magazines. All because of beautiful, brooding American front man Jackson Gatlin. He's so deep and gorgeous, she would give everything just to meet him face to face. One of the highlights of her life is when her best friend Mac gives her his ticket to go see them in concert.... Only things don't go exactly as planned. Through a series of mishaps, Jody... Kind of... Well, accidentally kidnaps Jackson. They hide him out in her garage, but... He doesn't want to leave. Mac and Jody have to figure out a way to discreetly get him away and avoid the paparazzi, and in Mac's eyes, Jody's hero can't leave fast enough.

----

Before you get this book, you should know that it's not realistic. At all. I understand that this is a fiction book, but it's almost like superfiction. Know this before you start reading, otherwise it will skew your feelings of the book, like it did with me.

-Jody is one of the most insufferable female characters I have ever read, right up there with Bella Swan and Anastasia Steele. She is the fan girl that gets picked on at concerts, in real life. She supposedly hangs with the outcast/gothy stereotype crowd... And yet she knows nothing about drugs. Like, at all. At one point, Mac makes reference to a rock. She asks if you get high by licking it, thinking it a stone outside. I don't know if this was done to build an air of naivety or what, but it made me wish that she'd get caught in her shenanigans.

-She thinks in acronyms. Such as OMG. In her own head. This bothered me a bit, though it was easy to look past.

+Mac, on the other hand, has been added to my list of fictional boyfriends. He is constantly reminding Jody that her plans and actions are stupid. He's a great supportive friend and a great big brother to his baby sister, Cree. He's the lead in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Ugh. He is just yummy. I pick him over Jackson any day.

+Jackson is portrayed well. He's coming down from a high at one point, and is angry and throwing things and barking orders. I feel this was at least semi-accurate, as opposed to an easy "oh, he's clean" instant fix. I give props for that. I hated him at first, and grew to love him with time.

+ There was no instant love. Thank god, a book without it, finally!

+I love the cover of this book. It's what initially drew me in, and I think it stands out on a shelf.

The only major downfall with this book is my irritation with the lead character, Jody. Other than that, this is a music fueled, quick read that any fan girl can relate to, if only a little bit. I know personally, I was imagining my own band of obsession in place of The Regulators in this story. It took me awhile to get into it, but overall I was very glad I stuck it out and finished this novel.

I recommend it for any girl who has had a celebrity obsession and fans of YA literature. If you want a realistic fiction or a strong female lead, then pass this.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Title: The Undomestic Goddess
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Format: Hardcover, 371 pages
Pub. Date: July 19th 2005
Source: Purchased.

★★★★

Four stars.

Oh, Sophie Kinsella, will I ever tire of your books?

No?

I didn't think so either.

The Undomestic Goddess is the story of Samantha Sweeting, a true work addict. She's one of the best & youngest lawyers, & is up for a partnership at the firm where she works. She "thrives" under pressure, just like her pushy lawyer mother (but not her brother, who had a melt down, but, let's not talk about that). It's the day that she finds out if she makes partner- but she notices a form on her desk. One she's ignored. It's a huge, rookie mistake, one that'll get her fired....

So she runs for it, taking a train to anywhere but London. She gets off in a daze, & goes up to a house, wanting a simple glass of water. But they think she's there to be their housekeeper. She's a trained lawyer, but maybe this is just the break she needs....

This book is a lovely blend of tragedy, love, & humor. It's a quick, fun read that all chick-lit fans should check out.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

★★★★★

Five stars.

I won a copy of this through Goodreads First-Reads, and I couldn't have been more excited. I'm a big fan of Kinsella's work, and her latest novel, I've Got Your Number, did not disappoint.

Physiotherapist Poppy Wyatt is the star of this story, and I find her completely relatable. At the beginning of the story, she's in a panic- she's lost her engagement ring, a priceless family heirloom. It's simply gone, without a trace. And to make matters worse, someone comes along and steals her phone. Upset and desperate, a silver lining appears. There, in the trash bin, lies a cell phone. After a brief discussion with herself, she picks it up and quickly learns that it once belonged to businessman Sam Roxton's personal assistant.

Through a series of circumstances, Sam allows her to "borrow" the phone for a while, so that she may locate her ring. Plus, she needs to be in constant contact with her husband-to-be Magnus, and her next to useless wedding planner, Lucinda. But the ring is most important- Magnus' family consists of famed scholars, all of whom look down on Poppy (not to mention the marriage). What will they think of her now, once they find out that she is irresponsible in addition to not good enough for their son?

Chaos, hilarity, drama, and romance all circle around her as she continues to read (and eventually forward, of course) Sam's personal messages. She intimately learns him, by getting this rare insight to his life. She never intended to read his messages, but it's a good thing she did- a few random texts that she didn't give much thought to may just save her new awkward text buddy's neck.

Of course, will Poppy feel the same level of happiness, once Sam reads her own messages and sneaks into her personal life?

I found this book to be charmingly awkward and hilarious. I couldn't put it down! With each turn of the page I found myself wondering what would happen next. I think this novel is a brilliant way of expressing modern romance, in the age of technology that most of us can't live without. I recommend this to any fan of chick lit, funny romances, or anyone who is as dependent on text messaging as I am!