Neighbors or Roomates?

Title: Rusty Nailed

Author: Alice Clayton

Genre: Romance, New Adult

General Thoughts: Not as good as it could be.

Rating: 3/5 stars.

First Lines:

"Oh, God."Thump."OH, God".Thump thump."Caroline, don't say those things to me when I'm so far away." Simon chuckled, his voice loew. And still as thrilling as it ever was."Silly Simon, I'm simply reacting to the banging on the other side of the wall."

Rusty Nailed is the delicious sequel to Romance novel, Wallbanger. In here, Caroline and Simon's relationships reaches the stage of settling down in to normal life, which seems to have Caroline a little busy. And with all the overload of work she's getting, her life is soon to be a mess. She now has to find a way of balancing life or everything will come crumbling down.

My initial thoughts of this book where that it was better than the first book and that it was filled with much more character development and funnier scenes. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that it wasn't better than the first book, that it had way more flaws and holes than Wallbanger. And then I thought, wait, it is better in some ways than others. And then I thought, no it isn't and...

In resume, I'm not sure what to think about it, but this is what I've managed to gather down of my feelings.

I think that this book had a way better plot than the last one, because it wasn't only about Caroline and Simon's relationship, it was about: Caroline and Simon's relationship, how she felt, her work and how it was all too much and the friends and Simon's past and feeling good and traveling. And I think it's great that the author tried to add more to this novel, but I think somewhere in the way, she lost control of it. As in, she built up situations and resentment towards things that at the end of the book were never resolved or confronted. It's like she tried to create this big thing and then realized how massive it actually was and how out of control it got and then just forgot about a few things and focused on the other.

In my opinion, I think she should have found a better way to wrap things up, not to rush it as much and to pay attention to more details in the novel. I've come to the conclusion that she wrote things that she didn't know where going to have a consequences on how the novel was taken.

Or maybe I expected to much of this novel.
But I do appreciate her trying to change things down a bit, just not the final execution she gave it.

Something that really bothered me was the ridiculousness of some parts of the book. The whole Sophia-Neil business was plain ridiculous and not funny at all. It was annoying to read and it was obvious to were it lead. But the premise of the things that started it all (view spoiler) got me interested, but ended plain disappointed. And the fights that this would have caused gave foot to another yet great plot to add but she didn't see it and just wouldn't take the opportunity.

It was very interesting in some parts, others where boring. You'll forgive me, but I thought that Simon's High-school reunion scene was boring and she could have done better.

Also, in this book the predictive-ness was all over the place and unlike the first book it didn't really work, for me. I think that it all just went monotonically to were it was supposed to go and no real twist happened.

Writing this review has done wanders for me, I now have a clearer understatement of my thoughts.

In conclusion, I didn't have high expectations but expected better anyway. It was flawed and not very good and I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one. I do like the way it ended thought, even if she didn't quite wrap it as she should. And I recommend to read this if you have an urge of knowing what's next, but don't get high hopes on it.

Watch Out for Your Neighbors.

Name: Wallbanger (Cocktail #1)

Author: Alice Clayton

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

General Thoughts: Good book for reading slumps.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

First Lines 

"OH, GOD."Thump."Oh, God."Thump thump.What the..."Oh, God, that's so goof!"I scranbled up out of sleep, confused as I looked around the strange room. Boxes on the floor. Pictures propped agaisnt the wall.My new bedroom, in my new apartment, I reminded myself, placing both hands on the duvet, grounding myself with the luxurious thread count. Even half asleep, I was aware of my thread count."Mmmm... Yeah, baby. Right there. Just like that... Don't stop, don't stop!"

Wallbanger is the story of Caroline, professional designer who just moved in to a new apartment, and has just declared herself in a dating-hiatus. She finds that the guy behind her bedroom walls might be getting some more than unusual sex, and then starts and unusual relationship with what she calls her "Wallbanger".

OK, I admit it, this was thoroughly and completely a guilty pleasure. I admit it, no shame in it.

This is a contemporary, romance, maybe New-Adult novel. This is exactly the type of books that I try to avoid reading, because it normally leads to disappointment and reading slumps, for me. But this novel in particular was filled with humor, which is something I highly appreciate. And this was definitely not a bad one.

It was cheesy, and really predictable, but I didn't care. It was obvious and we all knew it and the author didn't try to hide it, she just worked with it. That's something I'm impressed about and very happy to read.

The characters weren't the best ones or the most deep and full of layers type. I did find myself loving the main characters, Caroline and Simon. I thought they were very real and funny, and I was rooting for them. The other characters gave me mixed feelings. Some were annoying to me, some were really great, some I had to think twice until I remembered who they were. But they weren't stupid or unrealistic and I'm very grateful for that.

The story is cheesy and predictable, but original in it's own way. I think that she added some elements to it that made it not so one-sided. I laughed out loud in several scenes and gripped my hands in anticipation of what was coming. It made me feel, which is always good.

The style of writing was very particular. It wasn't poetic or memorable or majestic. She chose ways to phrase things so that it was 21st century-ish but not overly spoiled-OMG-girl that we all hate. And she added things like phone conversations, that at first I found confusing but then I found myself loving.

Lastly, the romance in the novel wasn't all over the place or overly dramatic. This is very typical of romance, chick-lit novels and it's the main reason of why I run away of them. But I didn't feel that in this novel. Maybe I'm growing into it or this was really a good novel or I just really wasn't paying attention.

I read this because a friend lent it to me and I just said, whatever, why the fuck not? And I went with very low expectations and I ignored a lot of mistakes and pet-peeves of mine. But I really think this novel was a good one. Not just me.

I definitely recommend this to most readers. Maybe if you read more adult, drama books this won't be for you, but I think it appeals to anyone. I gave it 3.5 for the small mistakes (really, I can't never really ignore them) like the cliches in the speeches of the characters, etc and because it was just a passing novel. But a really good one.

Fire is Catching

Name: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult

General Thoughts: Amazing prove that not all second installments are the worst, but the best.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

First Lines

I hold the bottle with both hands, although the tea's heat was lost a while ago in the freezing air. My muscles are tense from the cold. If a pack of wild dogs appeared now, I wouldn't have much chance to climb a tree before they would attack me. I'd have to get up, move around and let the blood circulate through my limbs, but instead of doing so, I sit there, as motionless as the rock that I have below, as dawn begins to light up the forest.

Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games, picking up after the games through Katniss' point of view. She's now back at 12th in her new home. But the games may not be over, and she might not be as safe as she though.

This book is one of the most amazing young-adult books I've read. And you might think it's because I haven't read further into young-adult or that I'm not mature enough or something like that. But it's not any of those things. This books is literally so well crafted and with so much character development that I can't but love it and put it in the top places. Fast paced but not rushed. And all the things that happened were so unique and original and sometimes mind-blowing. It really was amazing.

Starting by Katniss and her very special mind. I have to confess, I don't really like Katniss. I mean, I love her, don't get me wrong, she's one of my favorite characters of all time. But I wouldn't have her as my friend. She's not likable. She's not friendly or funny or interesting. And she's crafted this way, on purpose. All this is mentioned in the book. And yet Suzanne Collins finds the way to make us like her, and to make us understand why she's like this and that we can relate to her actions. And that, my friends, it's what I called an amazing character development.

Then we have Peeta. I really don't agree when people say that Peeta is useless. I think that we're so used to have a knight in a shining armor as the love interest of the main character, and that's just not true. Not every man is as smart, strong, pretty, etc, as their counterpart. They can be weak, they feel, they can be scared. And that's exactly what Peeta represents. He's not useless, he does the best he can with the skills he has and he does a damn good job out of it.

Also, the rest of the characters are amazing as well, not really going deep into them, but they're worth the mention. Gale (idiot), Haymitch, Cinna, etc.

About the plot, I found it to be super interesting and fast-paced and action-packed. There were times where they weren't doing much, but all the talk and thinking that Katniss did, kept me super gripped. Some people say those parts were boring and I don't see it, I though they fit perfectly with the book and read it super fast.

Of course, I found myself highlighting so many parts that I loved and made me scream and shriek and curl on the floor with all my feels. And maybe, just maybe, I shed a few tears for a dear friend.

Overall, Catching Fire is the best sequel you could ask for in a series, specially one that came from such an amazing first books as The Hunger Games. And I can definitely say that this is my favorite book in the whole series and that I'd read it a hundred times (like I already have) over and over again. And, yes, I do recommend it to anyone who wishes to read.

PD: surprisingly, I don't have a review up for The Hunger Games, but maybe soon I'll do one?

 Note: the first lines were taking of a translation of a Spanish copy of my own. It is not the original writing.

Nothing is What it Seams.

Name: Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction

General Thoughts: Appearances matter, a lot.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

First Lines

When I think of my wife, I always think of her head. The shape of it, to begin with. The very first time I saw her, it was the back of the head I saw, and there was something lovely about it, the angles of it. Like a shiny, hard corn kenel or a riverbed fossil. She had what the Victorians would call a finely shaped head. You could imagine the skull quite easily.

Gone Girl is the story of how Nick's wife, Amy Dunne, disappears, and all the secrets that unravel after it. It shows how it all comes tumbling down and how not everything is what it looks like.

This book. Blew. My. Mind.

The end.

But seriously, this is one of the best books I've read in a while.

Just, wow.

We first see Nick talking about his wife and his wore-down marriage. And then how Amy disappears on their wedding anniversary. And from then on things are never the same. Through the whole book you form this idea of every character, like one normally would. And through every chapter that you read, you realize that none of the things you though about were true. It's amazing the ability Gillian Flynn has to keep surprising us and proving us wrong. I'm completely amazed.

We have Nick, who's the typical husband who's gotten bored and tired of his life. And you think "Nick is a good guy" and you keep reading and you realize he's anything but. And you keep reading and he's not that bad. And it just keeps changing all the time.

And Amazing fucking Amy. What a character. In reality, the best character I've had the pleasure of reading. She's interesting and complex and full of layers and shallow and smart. It's all so much.

And the whole story is based on character development, and so well crafted. All the lines connect and new ones appear every time. It's all so beautiful.

The way she portraits the media and the scary power that we've given it, gave me chills. And how parents can fuck up their children. Not only by being mean or alcoholic or things like that. It goes side ways. Being too perfect and too uninterested. It's two different kinds of fucked up.

Nothing is what it seams. That's all you can deduce from this book that en-globes it all. Appearances matter, and a lot. And a good control of it, makes you very powerful.

I really loved this book with my heart. Even if the mystery is reveled now and the story is burned to my soul, I would still reread this until I die. Amazing book, really.

If you haven't read this, then there's something really wrong with you. Best. Book. Ever.

Monthly Bookmark - February

Fresh new start, fresh new books!

February. Month of opportunities for me. For challenges. And for the "we'll see"'s to come "well done"s. I'm so excited.

For this months bookmark and TBR, I wanted to keep them simple and flexible. No real push in it and very free-ish. I didn't decorate my bookmark with a theme, like I used to. And I restricted the TBR for four books, of which only two I have real plans on reading.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan

So this is the plan for this month. First of all, I need to reread Pride & Prejudice for the Austen Project and then watch some of the adaptations made from it. That'll be interesting because I've read Pride & Prejudice a lot before, but never in English, so it'll be quite different. Then I'll read The Giver. I've been meaning to read this for a long time, but I knew I will have to eventually read it for school, so I decided to wait. And that time is now, so reading it begins. The next two books are really there for the heck of it. I really want to read them at some point and they're borrowed from a friend and I'd really like to give them back. So I'm putting them in to at least say I tried.

This is it, this is month of February. I really hope I can get to them, at least four books a week I have to read to reach my reading goal this year. It would be easy if it wasn't for school. But I think I can do it.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!