The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

The Awakening is the first book in the Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. Here is a synopsis from Amazon:

"Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her."

I was on the holds list for this book at my local library, but it was taking a long time so I decided to buy the book. I'm kind of regretting that now. I should have just waited for it. I'm pretty disappointed in this book, and it's only the first one! I can't stand Elena. She's just like all of the girls I hated when I was in school. She thinks the world revolves around her and everyone does everything she says. It's ridiculous! I don't understand why she's so obsessed with Stefan when she knows nothing about him. Also, she's "in love" after a week of being together?!

I didn't like that the author tried to keep Stefan so mysterious to the reader. Lots of "...but I can't think about that right now." It got to be really annoying. I thought the story was extremely anti-climactic. The whole thing with Katharine was laughable not sad and heartbreaking like it was meant to be. I guess I'll probably end up reading the next book since it's in the same volume that I bought. I had high hopes for this book, but now I'm just so disappointed. I'm using this for the "teens as the main characters" category for the Summer Book Challenge.

2 out of 5 stars

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books for children…

Do you buy books as gifts for children – either your own or those of friends or family? Would you buy books for all children, or only children who are already practiced readers?

I have never actually given books as a gift to children, but I would like to. The main reason I haven't is that I never know which books the child already owns. I hate giving someone a gift they already have. I don't have any children yet, but I've already begun a collection of books for children on my bookshelf. I hope my children will love to read as much as I do.

I would give books to any children even if they can't read yet. Although, if I know that an older child really doesn't like to read, I won't give them a book. There's no point in giving them something they won't enjoy. It's impossible to force a kid to like to read.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Don't read this review if you haven't read the first books in this series, as it may contain spoilers!

All Together Dead is the seventh book in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris. Here is a synopsis from Amazon:

"Sookie attends an all-important central U.S. vamp summit on the shores of Lake Michigan as a "human geiger counter" for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of a Louisiana weakened by Katrina and who will be tried during the event for murdering her king. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but she's hardly prepared for other shocking murders, not to mention protests by the Fellowship of the Sun, a right-wing antivampire movement. Her sleuthing skills, along with those of her new telepath friend, Barry the Bellboy, are put to the extreme test."

I think this book was definitely one of the best of this series. I still can't stand Quinn, and I just want Sookie and Eric to get together already! The summit was different than I expected. I thought it was pretty funny that it was basically a big conference with vendors and everything. I was surprised by who was behind the murders. Maybe I'm dense, but I didn't see that coming. I loved that Barry was back, and he had more confidence in himself. I think they should bring in more telepaths. I guess they're pretty rare, though. I wish I could fit this book into the Summer Book Challenge, but I just can't figure out how. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to complete the challenge at this point, but it's still fun.

5 out of 5 stars, of course!

Booking Through Thursday

Today's Booking Through Thursday question is:

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?

I would have to say that the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris are the lightest and fluffiest books I've read recently. Each of the books is a very quick read. The characters are great, the romance is sweet, and the plot is fun! I fall in love with the series more and more with each book that I read. I'm actually currently reading All Together Dead and I can't wait to get back to it. My mom loves the series too and likes to call the books "book candy." I definitely would have to agree with her!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Here is a summary from Goodreads:

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse: Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percy's mom decides it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I decided to read this book after I saw the trailer for the movie at the movie theater. I hadn't heard much about the book before then. I'm glad I decided to read it. I enjoyed The Lightning Thief very much. I loved guessing which mythical figure each of the characters were supposed to be. I was worried it was going to be eye-roll-worthy, but it definitely wasn't! Even though Percy is only supposed to be 12-years-old, this book doesn't seem as young as Cirque du Freak was. I loved the descriptions of how the gods looked - very appropriate - especially Poseidon.

After a while Percy, Annabeth, and Grover started to remind me of Harry, Hermione, and Ron from Harry Potter. Percy is the brave one who doesn't know anything about the world he's thrust into, just like Harry. Annabeth is smart and crafty like Hermione. Grover is the somewhat cowardly best friend like Ron. I don't think it's a bad thing that there are similarities, I just found it amusing. I can't wait to read the next book and to see the movie. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

4 out of 5 stars

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book series…

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first installment? Are there any particular series you enjoy?

I love to read any books whether they are part of a series or not. I'm actually in the middle of so many different series that it's hard to keep track! I tend to jump around with the books I read. I don't normally read a series straight through without some other books in between. If the first book doesn't impress me though, I won't finish the series. Some series that I have enjoyed: Harry Potter, Twilight, The Inheritance Cycle and many others. Some series that I'm currently reading: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries, House of Night, The Mortal Instruments, The Inkworld Trilogy, and The Stephanie Plum series. I think that I tend to be more drawn to series books than stand-alone books. I never really noticed that before.

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

Don't read this review if you haven't read the first books in this series, as it may contain spoilers!

Definitely Dead is the sixth book in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris. Here is a description from Amazon:

Sookie Stackhouse once tried to keep her mind-reading capabilities secret, but the word is definitely out in Bon Temps, Louisiana, her hometown, leading local police to call on her to help find a missing child. There's a new man, were-tiger Quinn, in the picture, too, but on their first date, two were-people attack them. Sookie isn't sure whether she or Quinn was the target but is soon distracted by a more pressing problem. Cousin Hadley, a vampire, has been murdered, and Sookie has inherited her apartment, meaning she has to go to New Orleans to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death and meet with Hadley's lover, the Vampire Queen herself.

I love this series more and more after every book I read. This book reveals a lot of interesting information! One thing I can't stand, though, is Quinn. For some reason, I find him incredibly annoying. It's irritating that Quinn always calls Sookie "babe." That seems so sexist! I'm not normally like that. I don't get offended that easily, but that really got to me. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I hope it's even better than this one was! I'm trying to find a way to fit this into the Summer Book Challenge, but I have no idea how I'm going to do it.

5 out of 5 stars

Booking Through Thursday

Today's Booking Through Thursday question:

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

Wow, this is a hard question! I've read so many great books lately; it's difficult to choose. I guess I would have to say that The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was the best book I've read recently. It was an amazing book! It had such a cool plot and some really great characters. I liked that it was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had a hard time putting this book down. I highly recommend The Hunger Games to anyone who likes to read, and even the people who don't like to read! I've already gotten my mom and brother to read it; now I'm just trying to convince my dad to try it. I can't wait for the sequel, Catching Fire, to be released on September 1st!

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare is the first book in The Saga of Darren Shan. Here is a description from Amazon:

When Cirque Du Freak comes to town, Darren and his friends are obsessed with seeing the acts, which include a performing spider; spiders are a particular fascination of Darren's. It is a marvelously creepy show that lives up to their expectations. After the show, Darren's rowdy pal, Steve, stays behind and confronts the man with the spider--who turns out to be a vampire. Hidden in the shadows, Darren listens, horrified, as Steve begs Mr. Crepsley to make him a vampire, too. Steve's request is denied, but through a series of mishaps, Darren becomes the vampire.

I decided to read this book after I saw the trailer for the Cirque Du Freak movie. I didn't know much about the book before I read it. I thought it was a bit young for being considered young adult. I would say it's geared more toward a younger audience (think The Series of Unfortunate Events and The Spiderwick Chronicles) than other young adult books I've read. It's a little odd that the author writes it like it is actually about himself. I kept trying to figure out how old Darren is supposed to be, but the book never really says. I'm guessing he's supposed to be about 12.

I already own the next two books, so I plan on reading them. I really want to see the movie when it comes out, although I may wait until it comes out on DVD. I'm using this for the "read a book by an author born in July, August or September" category for the Summer Book Challenge. Darren Shan was born on July 2nd. Overall, I thought this book was pretty good.

3 out of 5 stars

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

I really wanted to read this book when I first saw it at the book store. It has such a great cover and a cool title. Plus, one of the tasks for the Summer Book Challenge is to read a book based solely on its cover. Here is a description of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane from Amazon:

Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.

As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.

I was so excited when I finally got this book from the library. I waited for about a month for it. It definitely was not worth the wait. I'm so disappointed. I found the book to be mildly interesting, but I couldn't stand the main character, Connie. She was so dumb! There were times when I was thinking to myself, How did this girl even get her graduate degree? The author also used the word "idiosyncratic" way too many times. (Think "chagrin" in the Twilight series.) I also couldn't believe that the author wrote "should of" instead of "should have." Granted, it was in dialogue, but still! That is just not OK. I could see maybe using "should've" since it was dialogue but not "should of." That's a big pet peeve of mine. Anyway, I thought the historical parts of the book were very interesting, but the rest was pretty pointless. So disappointing.

2 out of 5 stars

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Here is a description of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan from Amazon:

At the instigation of a matchmaker, Lily and Snow Flower, a girl from a larger town and supposedly from a well-connected, wealthy family, become laotong, bound together for life. Even after Lily learns that Snow Flower is not from a better family, even when Lily marries above her and Snow Flower beneath her, they remain close, exchanging nu shu written on a fan. When war comes, Lily is separated from her husband and children. She survives the winter helped by Snow Flower's husband, a lowly butcher, until she is reunited with her family. As the years pass, the women's relationship changes; Lily grows more powerful in her community, bitter, and harder, until at last she breaks her bond with Snow Flower. They are not reunited until Lily tries to make the dying Snow Flower's last days comfortable.

I decided to read this book because the girls on The Nest Book Club message board suggested it. I also really enjoy historical fictions that are set in Asian countries. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was exactly what I was looking for. I thought the parts about foot-binding were very interesting. I found myself wincing at certain points; it sounded so incredibly painful! I guess I would be considered very ugly in China at that time; my feet are size 12! I thought it was so cool that the women of China had their own language that the men didn't even know about. Reading about Lily and Snow Flower's friendship made me sad for all of my friendships that have ended. It normally takes a lot for a book to make me cry, but this one definitely did. I was just bawling! This book counted for the Summer Book Challenge.

4 out of 5 stars

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Don't read this review if you haven't read the first books in this series, as it may contain spoilers!

Dead as a Doornail is the fifth book in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris. It continues the story of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie's brother, Jason, is awaiting his first full moon since being bitten by a were-panther, a sniper is going around Bon Temps shooting shifters, and Sookie is being dragged into werewolf politics, all while trying to sort out her feelings for the many men in her life. You know, a usual day in the life of Sookie Stackhouse.

I still love this series! I think these books just keep getting better and better. I would have liked to have seen Eric more in this book. Oh well. I thought it was interesting to see how the werewolves choose a new "packmaster," even if it was a bit brutal. I'm still rooting for Sookie and Eric. I really hope they end up together. I'm also using this book for the Summer Book Challenge. I can't wait to read the next book!

5 out of 5 stars!