Top 5 Wednesday: Books that you weren't expecting to like but did

 1. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a book I read junior year of high school for my American Lit. class. This book was assigned, it had a terrible gray cover that resembled a headstone and it just seemed sooooo damn boring. But I did all my assigned reading, and at some point it stopped being just an assignment and I became interested in the story and the characters. A Prayer for Owen Meany went on to become one of my favorite books of all time.









2. The Poisonwood Bible kind of has the same story as Owen Meany. It was assigned reading for my AP Lit course. We were to read the book over the summer and write an essay about it. At first glance the book seems quite intimidating (it's over 500 pages) And I'm actually pretty glad this was part of my assigned reading. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite books of all time. Barbara Kingsolver's writing is just beautiful and enigmatic.







3. I guess I was a little over all the damn vampire stuff that happened after Twilight. There were just vampires everywhere! It was as if everyone had forgotten about the monsters and were making up for years of not paying attention. I had seen this series a lot but never paid any attention to it because the concept seemed cheesy (also the covers were kind of a turn off). But go figure, it was the fact that a movie was announced and the trailer seemed hilarious that made me pick up this series. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this whole new world of vampires, and vampire hunters with new twist on old myths. Also Rose Hathaway is one of the most badass ladies of all time.



4. Starcrossed was a 99 cent deal on NOOK and on a whim, I downloaded it. Not expecting much because there was a lady with a flowy dress on the cover. I began reading with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely story with lots of Greek mythology wound in there. It was a bit of a mystery at first because I knew there was a mythology aspect to it but I just didn't know what it was. It was action packed and intricate with interesting characters and of course, forbidden love (as the title suggests).
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5. The idea of having a book narrated by a dog just didn't click with me. But as soon as I started reading this gem, I was in tears. I should have known that this book would pull at my heart strings being a dog lover and all. Garth Stein did a beautiful job conveying a dogs unconditional love toward their people. How much they're there for us, how much they see, how happy they are just to hear our voices, just to feel our energy. But apart from the story of a dog, this is the story of a dog's family, and the struggles they have to endure and the challenges they have to overcome. I loved this book.












Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Mindy and Lainey. For more information and a complete list of all the people participating visit the group page on Goodreads.

Top 5 Wednesday: Terrible Covers

1. I actually love the Penguin Modern Classics but this cover is just plain...creepy. I honestly don't know what they were trying to go for but I can say it didn't work out. It looks more like a cover for Toddlers and Tiaras: The Memoirs than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

2. Sticking with the classics theme, after all of the Twilight hype, someone decided it would be a good idea to re-issue these classics to look like Twilight covers and I hated it. I get that they were trying to appeal to a younger audience but it was completely unnecessary. The Wuthering Heights cover even has a sticker that says "Bella and Edwards favorite book"...really?

3. The original, hardcover of The Diviners was absolutely beautiful. I remember seeing the cover and wanting to know more about the book. But this paperback cover is horrendous. I get that it's trying to go for the 1920's mystery film but I can't bring myself to like it.

4. I know a lot of people love the original Anna and the French Kiss, and Lola and the Boy Next Door covers but I found them to be cheesetastic. Don't get me wrong they are adorable but I'm generally a person who hates to see real people on the covers of books because it messes with my idea of what someone looks like (does that even make sense?). Anyway I love the new covers for these books and I'm pretty glad I waited to buy them so they would all match on my shelves.

5. I haven't read this book, but I own the first two of the series. And I hate this cover for the same reason that everyone else in the book blogosphere does. The covers don't match. But it's not just that. There was something ethereal about the first two covers, with the stars and the cool color scheme. But this cover seems harsh and plain boring.

Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Mindy and Lainey. For more information and a complete list of all the people participating visit the group page on Goodreads.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave is the story of Cassie Sullivan, a young girl who is one of the last humans left, after an alien invasion that came in waves. Cassie's baby brother is taken from her and she sets out on a quest to get him back. Meeting a mysterious boy named Evan Walker along the way.

I didn't know how much I loved Sci-Fi until recently, okay? I bought this book last year when it came out. I think I may have pre-ordered it because there was a lot of hype around it and everyone was recommending it, saying it would be YA book of the year. It took me a while to actually get to it, my husband ended up reading it before me. He loved it and soon after he finished it, I decided to pick it up. This book did not disappoint, it lived up to all the hype. It was action packed and a bit terrifying and very sad. Rick Yancey did a fantastic job creating a very possible scenario for an alien invasion. The shifting perspectives do a great job keeping the mystery element of the story. I loved this book and loved the characters in it. I can't wait for the sequel (which is titled The Infinite Sea, and is scheduled to be released in May 2014). I recommended this book to a couple of my friends, and both of them loved it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Recommendation: Very entertaining and fast paced. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is such a wonderful author, I honestly don't think I can read anything by him and NOT like it, granted I've only read two, but I've loved them both.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is essentially a fairy tale for adults. It is a story told from the perspective of a 7 year old child (really, it's a man recalling some events he'd forgotten, hence why it's more of an adult tale). It is quite hard to explain what the story is about without spoiling it really, but the main focus is the Hempstock family. A family of three women who have a farm at the end of the lane. However, the Hempstocks are no ordinary family and our narrator recalls what exactly it is that made them extra ordinary.

The book is available in an audiobook format and is narrated by Neil Gaiman himself. I actually listened to most of the book and loved it. Neil Gaiman's narration really adds to the fairytale quality of the story, as if we were there listening to the main character tell us the story of his childhood, the monsters that plagued it, and the Hempstock women who lived at the end of the lane. I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading this book. I laughed and cried and was creeped out. I loved this book so much and I don't doubt I will come back and re-read it later on.

Rating: ★★★★★
Recommendation: The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a beautiful story of friendship, love, and family. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Gaiman and loves fantasy.
Favorite Quote: "Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside.”

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

So I barely read last week, I don't know why. I had the time but whatever I was reading (The Red Pyramid) just wasn't keeping my attention. So on Sunday I decided, you know what, I haven't read all week, I NEED to read something. So I picked up my nook and looked through all the books I've yet to read and finally decided on Anna and the French Kiss. I've heard a lot, and I mean A LOT of people rave about this book and I understand why. Anna and the French Kiss is the story of Anna Oliphant, a seventeen year old girl, whose famous author father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. Anna is lonely and culture shocked but she quickly makes friends with Meredith,  a girl who lives on the same floor as her. Anna is quickly welcome into Meredith's group of friends, which includes Josh, Rashimi, and the gorgeous and sweet Étienne St. Clair. Anna and Étienne develop a connection but things are complicated by the fact that he has a longtime girlfriend he can't seem to let go of.

This book was a very quick read, it was very much focused on character development, which is absolutely fine with me, those are actually my favorite type of books. I found myself rooting for Anna and Étienne to get together and I became quite frustrated with all their misunderstandings and the miscommunications. I loved Anna and the French Kiss for it's ability to portray teenage romance so realistically (complete with all the angst and sexual tension). I loved Stephanie Perkins' writing so much that I also bought the companion book, Lola and the Boy Next Door (review for that coming soon).


Rating:★★★★
Recommendation: If you're into contemporary romance, I would advise you add this to your personal collection.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

The Book: Under the Dome happens to be my first Stephen King novel ever. I own a few of his books, and have seen a lot of movie adaptations of his book, but this is the first one I actually sat down and read. Under the Dome follows the residents of Chester's Mill, Maine, a small town that becomes completely cut off from the rest of the world when an invisible barrier, known as "The Dome" drops all of the sudden.

Under the Dome is written in third person but follows nearly every character in the town, switching POV's quite often. I personally really enjoyed that aspect of the book because it felt as if Chester's Mill was a snow globe and I was looking into it, with knowledge of what every character was thinking and doing. Stephen King did such a fantastic job writing characters that were real, that I grew to care about quickly. Characters that exist out in the real world and hit a certain nerve when you read about them (I'm looking at you Big Jim). There are very many subplots and at times it's hard to follow characters but once you really get into the book, it's quite easy. I became so invested in the story and the characters that I found myself sighing in frustration and shouting out "OH MY GOD" a lot while reading it.

The TV Show: Under the Dome has been made into a mini series that is airing Mondays on CBS and you can bet I am watching it. I saw the first episode and they changed so many things!!! Now I'm not going to write the show off just because of all the changes. However, I would definitely recommend not reading the book first because you'll just be nit-picking all the differences and end up not enjoying the show as much. That being said, after I told myself to stop comparing it to the book, and treat it as it's own entity, the show has a huge air of mystery surrounding it and I actually LIKE that they changed some things because it left me wondering what's gonna happen next, even though I read the book. I really like the cast and can't wait to watch the next episode to be honest.

Rating: ★★★★★
Recommendation: Yes, read it specially if you like Mystery Sci-fi.

Favorite Quotes: "Give a man or woman back his self-respect, and in most cases-not all, but most-you also give back that person's ability to think with at least some clarity.

Man of Steel

I had the opportunity to see Man of Steel on Tuesday with my husband. We had high expectations going in and were not disappointed. Man of Steel is a reboot of Superman, with a completely new more gritty and realistic feel to it. Man of Steel explores the idea of what would happen if the world found out about this alien being who has been on Earth for 30 years, disguised as a human. I've been a big Superman fan from the time I was very young. The original Superman movies with Christopher Reeve used to be some of my favorites, and I was quite disappointed when Superman Returns turned out to be a steaming pile of crap. Part of what made Man of Steel better than the previous attempt to revive the franchise, was the fact that the casting was right on point. Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent/ Kal-El perfectly, and no one can deny that Amy Adams is a great actress. So though she never looked like Lois Lane to me, she played the part well. Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and Russell Crowe as Jor-El were also fantastic. The special effects were great, but there was so much flipping and tumbling and fighting that at times I ended up dizzy. The movie seemed a little lengthy it's a bit over two hours, but it was very action packed, so by no means was I bored. I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the backstory (the movie begins in Krypton). And I thought General Zod was the perfect villain to start off the series with. I think it's safe to say this reboot was successful and that I'm not the only one hoping for a sequel. Man of Steel hits theaters June 14th.

Rating: ★★★★
Recommendation: If you're a superhero fan, go see it, but skip the 3D.