Review of: The Weepers: The Other Life (#1) By Susanne Winnacker

I want to thank Netgalley.com and Marshall Cavendish for letting me review an e-arc of this book.

Title: The Weepers: The Other Life (#1)

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Published by: Marshall Cavendish

Released: May 12, 2012

Summary: Sherry has spent the last 3 years and some odd months living in a bunker, under her house, with her family. She hasn't seen sunlight, hung out with her best friend Izzy, or eaten chocolate for 3 years. The country went into emergency mode because of a rabies like virus that spread through the population causing everyday people to turn into monsters. Sherry and her family are fine in the bunker, until they run out of food. It's now up to Sherry and her father to find some food and save her family by going topside. On their very first adventure into the outside world, Sherry's father gets captured by the Weepers and she is saved by a young man named Joshua. Sherry and Joshua team up to send her family to Safe Haven and rescue her father before the Weepers make him their next meal.

My Thoughts: Well, this definitely isn't the best zombie novel I've ever read. I was mostly disappointed by this book because it had the potential to be fantastic, but just never quite got there. But, it's still a scary, pulse pounding book with that hope and fight for human survival.

One thing I did like about this novel were the Weepers. They were a very interesting monster. I came into this book thinking it was a zombie novel, but the Weepers were more beast than human. Instead of the walking dead, we are introduced to "the infected," people who have come to resemble beasts with an intelligent, predatory nature. I also liked the thought put behind the name of Weepers because of their weepy, milky eyes. I guess, I liked how there was more back-story put in to how the world ended up being overrun by this virus.

I also liked the character of Joshua. He was cool, he was tough, and he had the ability to take care of himself in the dangerous world he lived in. And, as with all post-apocalyptic books, I found the setting of a completely abandoned world fascinating. Just imagining such a barren world with decaying, crumbling buildings with danger at every corner and the quest for survival really interests me.

Now my reasons of dislike for this book are simple. First, it's too short. It's like everything happens so quickly and there is not enough meat to the story or development of it. The book also didn't contain an actual ending, just a set up for the next book which I found sort of annoying.

I really found the character of Sherry to be just useless. I like my heroines in novels to be kick-butt characters capable of taking care of themselves, and while that was tried with Sherry, it didn't succeed. If you're in a world with limited resources, then anything useful you find should be guarded and used carefully. So when Sherry is so hungry, but breaks a jar of pickles, it annoyed me. If she really was starving, she would have held onto that jar as if her life depended on it. And two, she's a terrible shot. She wastes ammunition like there's no tomorrow. If I was Joshua, I would not have brought her along on a rescue mission simply because she was more hindrance than help.

One other aspect that annoyed me about the book was all the counting. 1,141 days since she'd seen sunlight. 2,841 minutes since she'd had a peanut butter sandwich. Those sections just got dull and repetitive. 

Overall, I thought this book could have been better. It had some good bits, and then some not so good bits. Not my go to zombie novel.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.2/5

Didn't hate it, but didn't love it. The Weepers are terrifying though.

Reading Right Now! The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

Title: The Ninth Wife

Author: Amy Stolls

 Published by: Harper

Released: 2011

On page 358 of 476. According to Goodreads and simple math, I am 75% done with this book.

I got this book from my local library which is a great place to pick up books that interest you, but you're not necessarily willing to pay for. More people should use and love their local libraries.

So, in short this book is about a man who has been married 8 times and his current girlfriend is trying to figure out how to process this amazing amount of information. Bess Gray meets Rory at a singles party thrown at her house. Bess is 35 and has never been married. She is a very lonely lady and worries that true love and marriage might never happen for her. She meets Rory and really falls hard, then he tells her his terrible secret, he's been married 8 times before. Bess doesn't know what to think or do. She likes Rory, but if they eventually get married will she just become another woman in the long line of women who he has pledged to love and cherish till death do them part. Can a man who's been married 8 times really commit himself to a lasting marriage? Bess decides to seek out his past wives and find out who the real Rory is and if she can trust him with her heart.

I guess that wasn't that short of a description... haha. I expected a nice chick-lit kind of book. A book that was funny and interesting. What I got instead is a sort of bleak book on the aspect of marriage. It seems every marriage Bess sees is unhappy. I was most saddened by her grandparents marriage, who have been married for 65 years. I wanted the idyllic old couple who aren't necessarily romantic but are happy with each other. Like a pair of shoes, one can't exist without the other. But, her grandparents fight all the time. Also the chapters with Bess's POV are sort of strange to read. It's like the tense is off in it and it takes a while to get into her voice. The parts with Rory's voice are more enjoyable to read. Overall, this is just an okay book for me. I would have liked something more lighthearted and sweet, but instead I'm stuck with a bleak and bitter story. I want to believe that marriage is good and that it can last with the right person, but this book (so far) doesn't support that wish and dream. It's mostly a book filled with unhappy people searching for something, but not necessarily finding it.

Well that's it for this Reading Right Now Post. Sorry for being so depressing in it, but that's just what the book is making me feel.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 13

Back again with another In My Mailbox/Book Haul. IMM is hosted by Kristi over @ thestorysiren.com. It's a fun, weekly meme where we showcase the bookish things we got for the week. IMM's/Book Hauls are my favorite videos to do and watch. I got some really pretty books this week which you can see in the shiny video below...
(Sorry I've been sporadic in my posting lately. It's pure laziness on my part. I also plan to continue with my Reading Right Now posts. I haven't abandoned those either.)

Now for the books in list form. This list should be a bit meatier than the previous weeks lists have been.

1. House of Dark Shadows BY Robert Liparulo (Book 1 in the Dreamhouse Kings series. Creepy old house cover :o )
2. In The Serpent's Coils BY Tiffany Trent (Book 1 in the Hallowmere Series. Looks cool. Involves the Civil War time period and fairies!)
3. Strange Angels & Betrayals BY Lili St. Crow (A bind up of the first 2 books in the Strange Angels Series. Has a very pretty owl on the cover.)
4. Sweep Bind Up One BY Cate Tiernan (contains first 3 books in the Sweep Series: Book of Shadows, The Coven, and Blood Witch)
5. The Cupcake Queen BY Heather Hepler (looks like a cute book.)
6. Vampire Academy BY Richelle Mead (Book 1 in Vampire Academy Series)
7. Frostbite BY Richelle Mead (Book 2 in VA series)
8. Shadow Kiss BY Richelle Mead (Book 3 in VA series)
9. Bloodlines BY Richelle Mead (Book 1 in Bloodlines series. Spin-off of VA)
10. The Golden Lily BY Richelle Mead (Book 2 in Bloodlines Series)
11. Beautiful Chaos BY Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Book 3 in the Beautiful Creatures Series)
12. Dark Frost BY Jennifer Estep (Book 3 in the Mythos Academy Novels. Just missing book 2)

And this is not a book, but it's still awesome. LEGO HARRY POTTER YEARS 5-7 on PS3! Love Harry Potter and Legos, so this game should be awesome!!!

So that's all the books I got this week. Hope you all enjoyed the video. Tell me what you got in your mailbox or what you're currently reading. Hope your book exploits are awesome and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review: I Am Not A Serial Killer By Dan Wells

Title: I Am Not A Serial Killer

Author: Dan Wells

Published By: Tom Dohetry Associates, LLC: A TOR Book

Released: 2010

Summary:  John Wayne Cleaver is 15 and convinced that one day he will turn into a killer. He's been diagnosed as a sociopath who is unable to feel empathy, sees a therapist every Thursday, and helps out at the mortuary his mother and aunt run. John is obsessed with serial killers and has developed  his own strict set of rules he follows to prevent himself from following in their killing footsteps. Then Clayton County is hit with its very own serial killer. Big strong men are turning up viciously slashed and dead. John decides it's his duty to find and kill this killer without letting his own sick monster out of the cage.

My Thoughts: I'm in a state of shock. This book was compulsively readable and also extremely disturbing. John Wayne Cleaver is a kid I felt sorry for, but at the same time scared me to no end. This book is very creepy, suspenseful, and not for the faint of heart. The golden nugget of this book is that you're not sure how to view these characters. At times, I felt really bad for John and the killer, but at other times their thoughts and actions really disturbed me.

As a debut novel for Dan Wells, it was a winner. His writing style and characterization are top notch. His story really makes the reader question the things that differentiate between good and bad people, thoughts and actions, and what makes a man a monster.

Dan Wells has delivered in this book a wonderfully creepy teen of John Wayne Cleaver. I'm curious as to what happens next, but at the same time terrified. If John Wayne Cleaver ever gives you a compliment, turn and run the other way.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.2/5

John Wayne Cleaver is one creepy kid.

The Sick/Ill Book Tag

I'm sorry, there's no In My Mailbox/Book Haul this week. But, to fill this space I decided to put up another video that I did recently. It's called the Sick/Ill Book Tag. It was created by SarawithnH and I was tagged by theforsaken707.
I know it's not full of the books you usually love and like to drool over, but I hope you enjoy this anyway. I will be back with a book haul next week, I promise. I got some really really really good ones too, just saying.

HAPPY READING AND STAY WELL AND AWESOME!

Review of: The Hidden Child by: Camilla Lackberg

Sorry for not posting anything in a while. I went on vacation and am now back, so my blog got put a little bit on the backburner. But now I'm back, so I should be posting more regularly again.

Title: The Hidden Child (#5 in series)

Author: Camilla Lackberg

Translated into English by: Tina Nunnally

Published by: Harper imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Released: 2007 (Sweden) and 2011 (USA)

Summary: It's been a year since Erica and Patrik's daughter Maja was born. Erica decides that it's time to get back to writing so Patrik goes on paternity leave to take care of Maja. Motherhood has changed Erica and she starts thinking back on her own reserved and rather cold mother Elsy. Erica searches through her mother's old chest and uncovers a bloodstained baby shirt and an old medal. Curious, and wanting to know what the medal is, Erica takes it to local WWII and Nazi historian Erik Frankel. Months later Erik Frankel's body is discovered in his house, his head had been bashed in. Erica digs deeper into her mother's past and a nicer, sweeter Elsy emerges who was childhood friends with Erik and others. Erica and Patrik must uncover the mystery of why more of Elsy's old friends are dying and what secret the old medal and bloodstained shirt hold.

My Thoughts: This book wasn't too bad. I really should have started with the first book in this series though. I was very confused as to what was going on and who was who at the beginning of the novel. This is another darn good Swedish mystery.

I loved the mystery aspect to the book. It was only at the last 30 pages that everything started coming together and the killer was finally revealed. I also liked how the story jumped into the past and introduced young Elsy and a Sweden that was dealing with WWII. It almost felt like an episode of Cold Case, which is a pretty nifty show. I also kind of liked the sheer multitude of characters. Being able to jump into another person's story was pretty fun. The mystery was really just superb. 

I had a couple of things that I didn't like so much about the story. First being the Erica of the beginning and middle of the book. She just wasn't pleasant. She started stupid arguments with Patrik and nagged at him a lot. She was just annoying in the beginning and I didn't feel any sympathy for her. She's a writer who works at home, so why Patrik had to take paternity leave anyway was a little iffy, and then she'd yell at him when he'd ask where things were :/ Erica just got on my nerves, although she did get better farther along in the book.

Another thing that irked me was the lead up to the end. Just when a character had figured something out or had new evidence, it would switch to another scene with different people and left me in the lurch. I wanted so badly to know what had happened and not be left in the dark for 10 extra pages.

I really did like this book. The mystery was great, the conclusion was interesting, and the characters were fun to get to know. I really want to start from the first book in the series to catch up on all that I missed. Very enjoyable and Swedish!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

A real who-done-it Sweden style!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 12

Back with another haul. This one isn't too large. I got 4 books from the library and I bought 3 books. I've got such a backlog of library books that it's not even funny, yet I still keep going back and checking out more. So the video will be posted below...

And now for the books in list form starting with the library books.

1. Soulless BY Gail Carriger (Book 1 in the Alexia Tarabotti and The Parasol Protectorate Series. I think this is characterized as Steampunk)
2. Rot and Ruin BY Jonathan Maberry (ZOMBIES!!! So excited for this one. Looks flippin fantastic :D )
3. The Marbury Lens BY Andrew Smith (I've heard good things about this book)
4. Pure BY Julianna Baggot (I think this one has gotten a lot of hype and praise in the book tube world. Not sure what it's about, but I'm excited to read it.)
5. Hush Hush BY Becca Fitzpatrick (I think it's about fallen angels. I've heard good things about it)
6. Crescendo BY Becca Fitzpatrick (sequel to Hush Hush)
7. Wolfsbane BY Andrea Cremer (sequel to Nightshade)

Well that's all I got for this week. Wish me luck on finishing some library books, I might need it. So tell me what fantastic book goodies you got this week and as always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

Title: Tunnels

Authors: Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

Published by: Chicken House imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Released: 2008

Summary: Will Burrows leads an odd life. His mother has abandoned her family for the television, his little sister makes sure the bills are paid and food is on the table, and his father is on the lookout for fame and fortune through an archaeological discovery. Will feels closest to his father and one thing he loves doing with him is digging tunnels deep into the ground. Will shares his love of digging with his only friend Chester. One day, Will's dad disappears and odd dark hatted and sun-glassed men begin to appear. Will enlists the help of his friend Chester in the search for his father, but what the two boys find is a world different from anything they have ever known.

My Thoughts: This book was something else. I liked it, but the world terrified me. The concept of the story is very interesting and the descriptions were very vivid. This book just brought to mind a dreary, depressing place and a hopelessness mixed with a real sense of claustrophobia. While reading this, I was so grateful to be able to look outside and see the sun and sky. The characters of Will and Chester were solid and very believable. I really liked Dr. Burrows and his museum. His befuddled, scholarly character was my favorite of the story.

The authors were also very good at putting in twists and turns that I never saw coming.

I did like this story, but the world it introduced was terrifying. There's a profound sense of hopelessness within the story and the fates of Will and Chester are very dreary. The book was good, but it's not recommended for the faint of heart.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Embrace the sun while you can.

June Favorites!

I thought I'd pop in on a Sunday to do my favorite books for the month of June. Yayyy :D
I know I'm a tad late with this, but aren't I always. Anyway, I'm here to tell my favorite books I read in the month of June. I broke my 4 book curse and managed to read 7 books. Yayy me! So here are the ones that made my favorite list for June.

Title: No Proper Lady

Author: Isabel Cooper

I just loved the concept for this book. A character from the future having to go back and live in the past with the sole purpose of assassinating an evil magician was just too cool. The author did a good job on having a character from a dark and dangerous future adapt to the 1800's ways and customs. The lead character was also a kick butt heroine, which I like. The love story aspect was nice too. All in all, it was an interesting little book. But be warned, tis adult in nature.

Title: Erebos

Author: Ursula Poznanski

I received this one as an e-arc from Netgalley and Annick Press, so thanks to them. I really enjoyed this book. I, as a reader, got pulled in to this creepy, creepy game and was hooked until the end. This story did a great job of separating real life from game life and the story was very addicting. Even though it was a big book, it didn't take me a long time to finish it. Just a very good book and I really recommend it.

Title: I Am Not A Serial Killer

Author: Dan Wells

This book took me two days to finish and boy was it good. It was creepy, icky, and somewhat scary. The main character, John Wayne Cleaver, was such a scary kid. At times I felt bad for him or rooted for him and then at other times he just freaked me out to no end. Wells offered up a cast of characters that caused such conflicting feelings. Who's really bad and who's really good? Is a person born evil? Can an inner darkness be suppressed and overcome? Just a well done creepy book that's focused less on plot and more on characters.

So those are my favorites for the month. You should definitely go check them out because they are recommended by me... haha. But really, I had a good month of book reading and hope you did too. Maybe July will be just as successful. Well that's it. Have a good month and keep on reading!

Reading Right Now! The Girl in the Steel Corset By Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Author: Kady Cross

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Released: 2011

According to the math genius of goodreads pg 317 of 473 pages = 67% done

This is my first foray into the genre known as Steampunk and I'll just say that I am sort of loving the steampunk world. I'm really enjoying this book. I know I've been reading it for awhile, I seem to be in a little bit of a reading slump. Whenever I pick up this book, I devour at least 100 pages it's just that I don't pick up the book as often as I should.

Anyway this book is pretty fantastic so far. I love the steampunk world. The Victorian Era past mixed with this cool sort of technology. The facial piercings some of the character's have threw me off a little, but I guess I've gotten somewhat used to it. But the world/setting is really cool.

The book started off with a bang and it's slowed down to a steady chug. I'm on the fence about the character of Finley. In some parts she's really cool, in others she's kinda dull. I know she has this thing where there are two completely different sides to her personality. I think I would just enjoy it more if the personalities were merged sooner. The rest of the cast of characters are pretty cool also. The only one who annoys me is Sam. He is described in the synopsis as being part robot, but in actuality he's more the Bionic Man or something. He's not a robot, he was just so badly injured that some of his bones and body parts had to be replaced with steel. He is more human than anything else, his emotional problems confirm that. Sam also annoys me b/c he's being sort of a baby in this book. Too many temper tantrums for my liking.

Well I've rambled enough. In short, I'm really enjoying The Girl in the Steel Corset. I starting to love the Steampunk genre and will definitely read more of it. The world is awesome. The character's are pretty cool and the storyline is interesting, if somewhat slow.

If you've never tried Steampunk before, then you should definitely check it out. Very enjoyable.

Well that's my thoughts for the moment. Expect a review when I finish. Hope your current read is super fantastic and see you next time!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul 11

Hello, back with another haul. I didn't go crazy this week, which is good for my wallet. So if you want to view the video, it will be below. And as always In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren. I got 2 library books and 4 books I bought. So without further ado, the video...

Now for the books in list form starting with the library books.

1. The Girl in the Steel Corset BY Kady Cross (1st book in the Steampunk Chronicles)
2. The Walking Dead: Compendium One BY Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore, and Cliff Rathburn (!!!)
3. The Poison Apples BY Lily Archer
4. The Morganville Vampires: Volume 3 BY Rachel Caine (contains Lord of Misrule and Carpe Corpus)
5. The Pledge BY Kimberly Derting
6. The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Vol 2 Shadow Souls BY L.J. Smith

So that's it, for me that is a measly hall. Hardly any books at all really haha. So tell me what you got in your mailbox or what you're currently reading and loving. As always...

HAPPY READING!

Review of: Semi-Charmed Life By Nora Zelevansky

Title: Semi-Charmed Life

Author: Nora Zelevansky

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Released: July 3, 2012

Summary: Beatrice Bernstein is the odd sheep in her artsy New York City family. She is unsure of what to do with her life and she is currently going to college and pursuing a career in journalism. It's her senior year and the college housing has placed her in a dank, dark, creepy basement apartment that is plagued by gigantic cockroaches. No rooms are available to switch and Beatrice is finding it next to impossible to cope with the situation. Suddenly salvation arrives in the form of Veruca Pfeffernoose, the "It" girl of society. Veruca offers Beatrice a place to live in return for Beatrice ghost writing Veruca's art blog. Beatrice accepts and suddenly she's swept up into the world of designer clothes, never ending parties, and the H.O.S. Crew. Is Beatrice's wildest dream coming true or is she losing what she values most in this fake world? Beatrice must figure out the true intentions of those around her before it's too late.

My Thoughts: First, Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me review an early e-arc of Nora Zelevansky's debut novel. Second, I just want to point out the gorgeous cover. I love the water color effect of it. If for nothing else, get the book just for the cover.

This book grew on me while reading. It was a little hard to get into, but the middle part really hooked me in and I became engaged in the story.

I really liked the character of Beatrice. She really illustrated that feeling of fear of the future. Of not really knowing what to do next in life, which really connected with me.

The writing style kind of reminded me of Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City, Four Blondes) The never ending rich people parties were also fun to read about.

Another thing I liked about the book was the love interest of Ben. He just seemed like such a dreamy guy and I was fervently wishing that there would be a happily ever after for the two of them.

Sometimes the writing and Beatrice's thoughts went on a bit of a tangent, which I didn't like quite so much. This was really prevalent in the beginning of the book.

The ending was a little iffy for me. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. I just thought that it was a little too bizarre and let some characters off the hook when I would have liked to see them punished. Let's just say I didn't buy the angelic innocence of one particular character.

I liked this book. The setting and characterization is enjoyable to read and being able to experience that rich, socialite lifestyle is a lot of fun. This is a book to live vicariously through. Nora Zelevansky delivered a fun, light romp in her debut novel.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

In this book, the party never stops!