Memoirs of a Geisha By Arthur Golden Review

Memoirs of a Geisha

By Arthur Golden

In 1929 Sayuri’s mother has fallen ill and her father is no longer able to care for her and her older sister, she is soon sold to a representative of a geisha house in the Kyoto district.  The she works as a maid and is trained in music and dance with hopes of becoming a geisha one day. But when she is caught trying to run away she is deemed too much of a risk to continue her training, until an accomplished Geisha decides to take her under her wing and teach her everything she knows to introduce her into the society. As she is an apprentice she comes across a man, the only man that had shown her kindness when she was a child, increasing her determination to become a Geisha and gain his approval.

This is not only the story of a Geisha it is the story of Japan during the great depression and during world war two, beautifully written around the struggles of a woman who must work as hard as she can to support herself. The romance is flawless and the drama is poignant and breathtaking this was an amazing read. The movie that followed this book is one of my favorites, though the movie could not come close to the beauty within this novel.

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Matched by Ally Condie Review

Matched

By Ally Condie

Cassia lives in a world where the Society decides everything even who she can marry and have children with for optimum results. In a world where you are told what you can and cannot eat, where you cannot even run in public Cassia is content but when it comes time to her own match an error occurs she not only sees the face of her childhood best friend but also a boy who is a pariah in the Society, Ky, and should never have been entered into the match. When her grandfather slips her a forbidden poem from his deathbed and she starts to have feelings for Ky, it accumulates and she begins to have strange rebellious feelings towards the Society she has always entrusted.

The perfect Society where you have no choices whatsoever what would it be like to have your entire life broken down into statistics and from those statistics you become completely predictable? What would it be like for someone to be able to find that perfect someone for you and you never have to wonder about whom you will marry you would never even have to worry about divorce because they would be absolutely perfect for you. Allie Condie answers these questions and then brings it to life, yes if you knew nothing else it would seem perfect but when you get a taste of your own freedom what would happen. This was a great book it was well written and believable, you can see yourself in this world and how seemingly perfect it would be. The romance was beautiful and as Cassia deals with her own conflicted feelings the author manages to clearly express them so as we feel them too. I can’t wait until I can read Crossed book two of the Matched series and we can go on adventure with Cassia that I truly hope will not disappoint.

 

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Lost Princess: The Journey Home by Julie Rainey Review

Lost Princess: The Journey Home

By Julie Rainey

Anne has led a peaceful life with eccentric parents, and then one day a woman comes to take her home to regain her rightful place as Princess Isabella on the planet Vera. Once she is there Isabella must defeat the evil dictator who has taken over her parent’s kingdom. But this is only the beginning of her story shortly after she defeats Drakeon she is pulled into another adventure that will take her to places she has never imagined.

I had a hard time reading this book though the story is interesting, the writing could definitely use improvement. The author seems to stick mainly with the facts and use very little descriptive details though this allows the reader to use their own imagination it can be a bit discouraging in the reading process. There also were quite a few typos that can also be tidied up. All in all with some massive editing I think the author has hit on an imaginative and interesting tale, maybe even two considering how much actually occurs during this one book.

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Few Are Chosen by M T McGuire Review

Few Are Chosen

By M T McGuire

K’Barthan Trilogy Book One

The Pan of Hamgee is accident prone to say the least and when he accidently burns down a mob boss’ flat he soon wiggles his out of a cement box into being the greatest getaway driver K’Barth has ever seen, because if there is one thing The Pan knows how to do it is run away. This is only the beginning for the Pan though he soon becomes wanted not only by Lord Vernon the ruler of K’Barth but also wanted by the head of the resistance which seem just as bad as the current rulers, and for some reason an Old Man seems to bring him even more trouble as the man searches for the person who is destined to rule over the land.

This book is witty and fast paced, The Pan often finds himself saying the most inappropriate things at the most inopportune times leaving you silently chuckling to yourself at the audacity of the guy. M T McGuire has also seemed to imagine some of the most interesting characters for instance the three foot tall creatures with cat’s facial feature and only one leg, which becomes very angry if you mention their height. This book is certainly entertaining and imaginative I can’t wait to read book two The Wrong Stuff.

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Smile by Tom Underhill Review

Smile

By Tom Underhill

Tammy is an ordinary high school girl who goes about her day waiting for her mother to show up, late again, to pick her up from practice. Then things turn for the worst when it seems that everyone at school has forgotten her and he life is not her own.

At first I was a bit confused, the short story by Tom Underhill did not seem like his others that I have previously read, reviewed, and enjoyed, but then he did not fail in twisting things around to piqué my interest and hold it in his clutches. Once again Tom Underhill has created a brilliant short story that is definitely worth the read.

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The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger Review

The Devil Wears Prada

By Lauren Weisberger

Andrea Sachs has recently graduated college and is trying to find a job that will someday lead her to working for The New Yorker, when she is hired by the most exasperating and demanding woman on the face of the planet, Miranda Priestly. Throughout the novel Andrea is forced day after day to do increasingly demeaning tasks and sacrifice her relationships with everyone around her, when she begins to change into someone unrecognizable even to herself she decides enough is enough.

The entire book is a satirical look at having a demanding boss which I am sure everyone can appreciate in one form or another. It’s witty and well written the only fault I have with it is that Lauren Weisberger seems to have some problem with southern people and describes them as tasteless, the main character even belittles the fact that her sister and brother in law live in Houston and have started to speak with southern accents. I am not quite sure why she finds this necessary but coming from Texas, I didn’t enjoy it whatsoever. It is completely unlike the movie which is a good thing I didn’t particularly enjoy the movie, the ending of the book was very lacking however it almost feels as though it didn’t end at all she just decided to quit writing. This is definitely a book you will have to read for yourself to see if you like it or not as for me it had its good points and it’s bad so I am not even sure if I did.

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Now You See Her by James Patterson Review

Now You See Her

By James Patterson

Would you risk your life to save the life of a stranger?  This is the dilemma Nina Bloom finds herself facing.  Nina has been in hiding since she found out she was pregnant eighteen years ago, but when an innocent man is about to be executed for a crime he didn’t commit Nina is the only one who can save him. 

This was an intense suspense filled novel; James Patterson has managed to capture our attentions from the very beginning and does not let it go even after the end.  The book starts off with the history of Nina and why she is now in hiding and continues until she faces the demons from her past and they are laid to rest. This book is definitely worth the read, and the audio book was a lot of fun for me I especially enjoyed the added sound effects. 

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Dangerous by Alycia Linwood Review

Dangerous

By Alycia Linwood

The God of Magic gave every human control over one of the four main elements with one condition, the elements should never mix. But as is a human nature person began to break that rule. Over the years through the mixing of all of the elements a powerful disease was create making the one with the “Magic Disease” have no element and an insatiable urge to kill someone for theirs. This book is the story of Ria, a young woman in her freshman year of college, who finds out that even though she has an element and comes from a “pure” family she actually is a carrier of the Magic Disease.  

This was actually a cute book about the struggles Ria is facing. How she has to hide what she has become or risk someone torturing or killing her. Ria also falls in love but even though it sounds simple, it’s not, she must chose between Michael a boy who would do anything for her and love her unconditionally but whom she has accidently tried to kill, or Adrian who also has the magic disease but is dating her best friend.  The book was a fun and easy read but if you like a lot of action this is not the book for you. It’s a great ok for snuggling on the couch with.

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A Marked Past by Lesle Deaton Review

A Marked Past

By Leslie Deaton

After Lyla’s father dies in a freak accident her mother moves them to her father’s family home in Salem. Shortly after arriving Lyla’s uncle notices a mark on her neck in the shape of a crescent moon, he tells her that this mark means she will be a goddess among their people, witches. After, he tells Lyla about his family’s history beginning with the Salem witch trials and how they had all been murdered by the same man who is now out to kill Lyla and the rest of her family, dragging her into a four hundred year old battle. All while trying to make it through a new high school and falling in love.

Once I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down it has fantasy, drama, action, and romance. From watching the relationship between Lyla and her newly discovered cousin Hana form into something akin to sisters or watching her fall madly in love with Caleb the Preacher’s adopted son, the interweaving relationships will keep you involved. If that is not enough for you, you still have a centuries old raving lunatic to deal with. I can’t wait until I am able to read the next book.

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Shades of Grey by Michael Cargill Review

Shades of Grey

By Michael Cargill

Shades of Grey: British operative John, or “John the Baptist”, has been abducted and is being tortured; this is a crude and tormenting short story that delves into the psyche of the tortured mind.

There and Back Again: An Action packed story of James a soldier during World War Two, showing the savagery of war and the bonds that form under such extreme circumstances.

Down the Rabbit Hole: An abused young boy, Tom, finds that his best friend, a stuffed rabbit, has actually come to life to help him with his problems. Tom is ecstatic until things become sinister.

This collection of short stories is about one hundred pages of action, adventure, and even a taste of the somewhat strange. I personally wasn’t a fan of the first short story only because it tended to bounce around too much for my liking and was a bit too crude for me, but in my opinion Michael Cargill managed to pull it off with the last two stories, even saving the best for last.  There were only a couple of things I could see that needed revising other than that well worth the read.  

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The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews Review

The Fixer Upper

By Mary Kay Andrews

Dempsey Jo Killebrew, is a young naive junior associate to a lobbyist in Washington, After her boss throws her under the bus for his actions in trying to bribe a US Congress member, Dempsey winds up broke, unemployed, and homeless. That is until her father suggests that she go down to Guthrie, Georgia and fix up his family’s home, he had just inherited, Birdsong. As she fixes the house she comes to terms with her own situation and we join her in an adventure of self-discovery.

I fell in love with the mean old lady who was squatting in Birdsong, Ella Kate, the cantankerous old woman reminded me of my own grandmother minus the dog! Mary Kay Andrew does a wonderful job of describing details in this book, so that even those who have never renovated a home have a clear picture of what is happening. It wasn’t a bad book but it felt lacking, to me the romance in the novel was very abrupt, but on the other hand when Dempsey finally snapped out of her self-pitying and idiotic behavior and grew a backbone I almost whooped for joy, I have never had much patience for women who always talk badly about themselves. The ending was not that great either especially for a stand-alone novel, but it is a fun and light hearted read and I think Ella Kate makes it worth it.

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Grave Morality by JC Finch Review

Grave Morality

By JC Finch

A person of un-known origin who only goes by the name RJ is manipulating people into “repenting” for their sins by killing their coworkers, otherwise the secrets of the sins they have committed will be revealed and their lives ruined. RJ sends them a package and various instructions, inside the package there is evidence of their co-workers corruption, their sins are nothing compared to their coworkers, or so they justify themselves.  Ron Persey and George Hart, two young men who were greatly affected by the murders that have taken place decide to find out who the killer is, taking us on a journey of murder and intrigue.

I truly enjoyed this book, maybe I am warped but the way these people were murdered was ingenious. The “killer” is never actually present for any of it, they just pulls the puppet’s strings, letting someone else pull the trigger.  There were enough plot twists to keep you interested but not too many as to lose you completely, the characters where engaging, the story itself draws you in and will not release you until you are finally at the end.  There really isn’t much I can say without giving the book away and I wouldn’t want to ruin your fun. What I can say is be sure to have tissues available! 

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Negative Space by Betsy Miller Review

Negative Space

By Betsy Miller

 

This is a short story, about seven pages in all, about a woman who has recently suffered a miscarriage and her struggle with that fact.

The story was well written, and very beautiful I can only imagine the pain that Michelle Green was going through. I should point this out before I continue I don’t have children but I am married. When the main character, Michelle, started talking about, in essence, how she and her husband where not whole just the two of them it irritated me, then we have the sentence that drove me mad “For him the one they had lost would be interchangeable with the one yet to come.” Maybe I am spoiled by having a wonderful husband who stands by me and doesn’t mind that we can’t have children but I cannot picture any man who would act this way. I give it 3/5 stars because like I said it is well written and beautiful, some women out there will love this story I am just not one of them.

 

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