Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Hatchette Book Group
Year: 2007
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Age: YA 13+
Audio Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Audio Reader: Ilyana Kadushin
Audio Length: 16 hours & 26 minutes

Rating:





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This book is a tie with New Moon for my favorite book of the series. But I might have read it a few more times or at least Chapter 14. Here's the proof:

Literally the spine is broken! Poor thing! But it means it's well loved. It's also unsual for me to have a hard cover I really prefer paperbacks or e books. But I will tell you something about these books I don't like them as much in e book as paperback. I think it has something to do with the font to be honest, is that even possible?

But anyway now that I've read it again I'm pretty pleased. Once again the story keeps getting better & we see the relationships getting stronger. I also watched the movie & am going to include a comparison. I'm gonna try to make this a smaller post by talking about the big changes or things that I really liked or didn't like as apposed to breaking down the movie.

I really liked this book because Jacob finally steps up & tells Bella how he feels seriously & to her face, then she tries to break his & it's hilarious! There were some parts of this book I was dying with tears in my eyes laughing. Other parts like the kiss on the cliff before the fight & Bella talking to Jake afterwards just broke me. But we al know how the story will end so my time with Jacob will end too & I'm kinda sad. Someone needs to convince Stephenie Meyer to write a spinoff where Bella ends up with Jacob or maybe even a story where it's him & Reneesme, that could be interesting...

Now watching the movies back to back with reading the books I'm starting to notice a pattern. The books really focus on Jacob & Bella & they seem to almost make them a thing. But the movies really heavily focus on Edward. The books are still going with the fact that Bella choses Edward but the relationship between Jacob & Bella is stronger in the books. I personally really like that, I think that's why I always thought there would be some big plot twist & she woulc chose Jacob, espically in this 3rd book.

Aside from the forever love triangle this book was interesting because we get to see some more of the Cullen's pasts. I feel really bad for Rosalie & what happened to her. Jasper seemed to have it a little better since he really became who he was supposed to be it seemed like when he became a vampire.

Can we also talk about how awkward that first kiss with Jacob & Bella was...it was painful to read, a little less painful to watch. But that kiss on the cliff & the talk afterwards was heart wrenching. Plus the night in the tent was one of the funniest things I've ever read or seen on screen. But the heart to heart between Edward & Jacob was cute, they were bonding!

I'll give some more insight into what I thought was good or bad below so...without further ado here's my movie/book comparison.
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Eclipse Book/Movie Comparison:

(The condensed version...I hope!)

When I watch the movies & do these comparisons I take a lot of notes, this one was 4 pages front & back. So I'm gonna try & condense it down to the major differences & their significance if any & what I really liked or disliked.

The biggest difference between the movie & the book this time around was the same thing that happened in the first movie/book. Much like in the first movie where we got to see James, Victoria, & Laurent reaking havoc on the town but in the book they are a mystery until they are there. In this book Edward & the rest of the Cullen's aren't sure what is going on in Seattle until weird things start happening at home & Alice starts seeing small things. But in the movie we get to see Riley being transformed by Victoria right away in the movie opening. Then throughout the movie we see glimpses of the actio in Seattle. The Cullen's & Bella are also very aware of the newborn threat right from the beginning which doesn't happen in the book until much later. I think that this adds to the storyline of the movie giving the viewer more insight if they hadn't read the book.

One of the other major differences between the movie & the book was the timeline. Things are just slightly changed around in the movie. For example the two scenes where Jake brings his bike to the school are combinedinto one with Bella going with him. Then instead of Bella & Alice having a slumber party & Rosalie talking to Bella the slumber party never happens but Rosalie gets her moment later. I don't think the change in the sequence of events affects the story at all it just makes things flow smoother in the movie version.

Throughout the series we have been learning bits & pieces about the Cullen's lives as humans. We get to learn more in this installment about Jasper & Rosalie. In the first one we learned about Alice, Carlisle, Esme, & Emmett. But some of those details are not told in the movie like with Emmett & Esme. I think those could have been easily included in the movies & added to the story overall.

Another difference that is significant in the movies is the Volturi's involvement with the newborns. In the book they have no knowledge of the newborns until after the fight. But in the movie they are sort of letting it happen or maybe helping. It really sets them up to be the bad guys in the 4th movie.

The last change has to do with Bella & Jacob's relationship. I touched on this above, in the movie it's more about Edward & the books are more Jacob focused. This is very apparent in the movies because Bella never says "I Love You" to Jake. But in the books she has been telling him that since the beginning & lays it on thick to him in the book before & after the fight. She makes it clear she will choose Edward but she will always love Jake no matter what happens. In the scene after the fight when he is injured & she goes to see him in the book it's more agreeable even though she still hurts him by telling him the truth. But in the movie it makes him seem wounded & Bella seem like a bitch. When in the book she is absolutely devestated by the discussion, this is not shown in the movie at all, hence why I think the movie is more about Edward. 

One of my favorite parts of the book & the movie is the scene in the tent the night before the fight. They cut some of it out of the movie but at one point in the book Jacob says Bella's lips look blue & he could warm them up for her while Edward is there...I thought I was going to die laughing when I heard that when listening to the audiobook.

Another part of the movie that I love is the final scene in the meadow when Bella looks so pretty, I love her hair, & Edward gives her the ring. That ring is georgeous!!!

 I think that was a lot shorter than the last 2 reviews, right? Stay tuned for the final review of Breaking Dawn, I'm hoping to finish it this week!

Cook the Books by Jessica Conant-Park

Cook the Books

Author: Jessica Conant-Park
Publisher: Berkeley Publishing Group
Year: 2010
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Age: Adult 18+

Rating:

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***I'm trying a new format for my blog. Less summary with more of what I thought etc. Good? Bad? Let me know***

This is one of the few books that I've just read & not also had on audio in the past few months. It was a really short read which is good considering our first new book club meeting is tomorrow. This is the first book for the new group that I picked out. We stopped doing The Book was Better earlier this month because we were not having any participation. So this new book club is called Cook the Books (get it? the book I picked has the same title, so clever!). The premise is we read one of those mysteries with the recipes in them & then at the meeting we eat one of the recipes & talk about the book I'm the host for the first one & then someone that shows up to the meeting...hopefully we get some attendance...will pick the next book & recipe & they will host etc. I picked this book because of the title mainly but the series gets ok reviews on Goodreads.

It was a very short read but the story didn't have a lot of mystery until the very end. The last few chapters were like a bomb going off, just trotting along & then boom the killer emerges, & ta da the end! I think the storyline could have been a little bit better thought out. We'll see what everyone thinks tomorrow. I also feel like the main character Chloe is a little bit of a shopaholic spaze. There's nothing wrong with that but some of her decisions are a bit questionable in the book. I was able to read the whole thing in one day which I think is a plus considering the meeting is tomorrow, but I also think that's the premise of these books in the first place to be quick & light hearted & a little bit funny. This is my first recipe mystery so I'm not sure what I was expecting. If this book club takes off I can decide what I like & don't like about this genre more as we go along. But I think the cncept of the book club is a good one & I really hope people participate. Overall it wasn't the best book I've ever read but it was light & fun & a little bit funny.

As for the recipe I picked the Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts & I tried one, they are like a cupcake pie combo. A little crispy but a little mousse fluffiness too. I think people will like them & they were pretty simple to make. I followed the recipe exactly & I think they taste pretty good. I'll include the recipe & a picture of my tarts. The recipes included with the book are different from what I excepted but they do eat all of them in the story, Once again since I've never read one of these books I'm not sure if that's typical.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

New Moon

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Hatchette Book Group
Year: 2006
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Age: YA 13+
Audio Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Audio Reader: Ilyana Kadushin
Audio Length: 14 hours & 52 minutes

Rating:

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This is the second book in the Twilight Saga. I'll share some of my thoughts about the book first then move onto the movie/book comparison. I think this review will be a little bit shorter than my first one of Twilight but we'll see.

This book might be my favorite one of the series. Of course I'm almost done with my reread of Eclipse & that one is really good too. Obviously the biggest reason I like these 2 book in the series so much, espically this second one, is because of Jacob. In this second installment he is espically present. I guess there's something about a young, hot, shirtless werewolf on a motorcycle that attracts me, anyone else feel this or just me? I made the joke the other day at work that I was leaving to go spend time with my book boyfriend. The fact that Edward is such a jerk in this book bothers me despite getting more Jacob time. Who would walk their helpless girlfriend into the woods & break up with her then just leave her there? See just one more reason to come to the Team Jacob side. Then Bella's behavior & depression is a little overly dramatic but she is a teeanger so what can you expect. Once again this book was hilarious at times, things like the triple date with Jacob, Mike, & Bella. Overall I like that the story & characters are progessing nicely, leading up to the next book. I will also say that if there was going to be a turning point for Bella to pick Jacob it would have been this book which makes me a little sad. The audio reader is the same & she is a great Bella. I get mad when they change the reader mid-series so I'm happy to hear her again. Now onto the book/movie comparison...
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New Moon Movie/Book Comparison:

This movie is probably the closest to the book out of all of them so far from what I can remember.

Our story begins the same in both formats. Bella is having a dream in which her grandmother is in the meadow with Edward & herself. But as it turns out it's not Bella's Gran, it's Bella as an old woman. She is obviously weird about being older than Edward on her 18th bday.

Bella is still experiencing weird dreams in the book & movie. But in the movie Jacob comes to her school to give her a present much to Edward's distaste. Jacob gives her a dream catcher, which is perfect, maybe he's a mind reader after all? This part is missing from the book & the whole present giving thing continues to be a problem in Eclipse as well. Bella doesn't want any presents from Edward because he is her gift...***I can't even with this***

For her birthday Alice is throwing Bella a party. It's a little bit of big deal considering all the Cullen's stopped aging centuries ago. But Bella isn't really feeling it in the book or the movie. Then at the party Bella gets gifts from everyone. Unfortunately the party is interrupted by Bella cutting her finger, Jasper freaking out, & Carlisle fixing Bella up again! During this time & in the beginning of the book Edward is acting weird about Bella wanting to become one of them. We get a little insight into this when Carlisle explains that Edward thinks he doesn't have a soul because he is "dead". This discussion is brought up multiple times throughout the rest of the book(s) & movie(s).

One of the things thats changed next between the book & the movie is Edward's presence before the breakup. In the book he is with Bella for the next few days but he is acting very weird. In the movie he is gone after the party & then just randomly shows up at Bella's house. I'm not sure if there is a significance to this difference. Maybe the movie is trying to make it seem more obvious or make him seem like more of a bad guy? Either way the breakup in the woods follows & the search for Bella begins. This is when we get our first glimpse at the werewolves...kinda. Sam is the one who finds Bella & he is in his wolf form to look. We find out more about this later.

After the breakup Bella falls into a depression for several months. I really like how it was done in the book & the movie with the months on the page & screen. Charlie threatens to send her back to Renee unless she goes out with her friends & gets a grip. I think that is a great dad move. He's trying to sho he cares but he also wants her to stay & get better.

Bella decides to go with Jessica to Port Angeles for a movie & some girl time. Unfortunately things get weird when Bella decides to hop on the back of some strangers bike. She does this because she has a hallucination of Edward trying to stop her & seeing him gives her a rush. She decides then & there she has to see him again & the only way to do that is to be stupid & do dangerous things. In the movie she actually gets on the bike & in the book she just walks up to the guys & changes her mind. The movie provides a little bit more crazy danger.

Then Jacob makes his appearance. Him & Bella start fixing up some motorcyces she gets. She wants to spend time with Jacob but also do something dangerous to see Edward again. This goes one for months, leading up to them fixing the bikes, Bella crashing hers, & Jacob coming to the rescue without a shirt ***YES!!!!*** Greatest moment ever!

In the movie & the book there has been a threat the last few months of bears in the woods & some hikers getting killed. At this point no one including Bella knows about the werewolves.

Mike has been pining for Bella since the beginning & with Edward out of the picture he can finally have his chance...or so he thinks. But of course Jacob is there all big & sexy to steal her away on a very awkward 3 person date. It is the funniest scene in the whole book. In the book & movie Mike gets sick from the movie they are watching & has to go home. In the movie Jacob also gets sickbut for a different reason. In the book he doesn't get sick until after. Either way he suddenly drops out of Bella's life & she is worried.

Weeks go by & Jacob will not speak to Bella so finally she goes out to his house. She is very surprised to find out that he is now running with Sam's "gang" & Jacob has cut all his hair off & is acting very strange. Jacob & her get into a fight that ends ugly. ***Bonus...it's pouring rain & Jacob is shirtless***

In the book while they have been hainging out Jake & Bella have been trying to find the meadow that Edward took her took. In the book & the movie they never do find it. Bella ends up finding it on her own & someone is waiting for her there. Laurent! Luckily the "bears" that everyone has been seeing outside of town show up, except they aren't bears. It's Sam's "gang" AKA werewolf pack. The wolves are described beautifully in the books & they are georgous & huge in the movie. Just one more reason to love Jacob.

Jake comes to Bella's house to try & get her to figure out her's a werewolf. He told a story on the beach in La Push in the first book & he needs her to remember it to solve the mystery of what he is. Bella finally realizes what he's talking abut & goes to confront Sam. Things get heated when Jake & Paul get into a wolf fight. But once Bella knows Jake is a werewolf things kinda go back to normal if that's possible.

Because riding her motorcycle isn't happening as much anymore Bella decides that she wants to try cliff diving with Jake. Things don't go as planned & it sets in motion things that would be bad for everyone.

The story starts moving along very fast now. Bella & Alice must get to Italy to save Edward from the Volturi. They have been briefly mentioned in the book & movie. This book is when theybecome a major part of the story. We get to meet the slightly scary Aro, the terrifying twins, & see what "bad vampires" really look like. The biggest change between the book & the movie here is the fight scene between Felix & Edward. This never happens in the book & I have to say that I don't really miss it. It doesn't add anything to the story other than special effects for the movie.

Everyone lives & gets a happy ending. Edward is back in Forks with Bella & because of what happened with the Volturi she knows that she will be a vampire for sure one day soon because they will be checking.

The story ends with Jake & Bella & Edward getting into a fight which makes me sad. I kept feeling very sorry for Jacob throughout this whole book. I really wanted it to be him! But Edward sets his condition for changing Bella & Jake doesn't want to live with that hanging over him. He wants Bella to choose him & be happily ever after. Edward on the other hand has marriage in mind. It's a very dramatic scene in the movie, then boom the end!

Overall there isn't any super big differences between the movie & the book with this one. I loved seeing more of Jacob because he's so caring & protective & funny & sweet. PERFECT! So I'm curious, why do you think Bella didn't chose Jacob over Edward?

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight

 Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher:Hachette Book Group
Year: 2005
Audio Publisher: Listening Library
Audio Reader: Ilyana Kadushin
Audio Length: 12 hours 52 mins
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Age: YA 13+

Rating:

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I'm going to preface this review by saying these Twilight Saga reviews are going to be a little different from my regular format.

Can you believe it's been 10 years since the Twilight movie came out?!!? It's also been 10 years since Breaking Dawn the book was published. I was thinking about the series a few days ago before I went online to do a little research & discovered those 2 interesting facts. What a better time for a series reread??? It's only been 2 weeks & I've almost read the first 3 books already. Time flies when you go back in time to a great series. I remember reading the series in high school & then waiting in long lines with several hundred other screaming girls for the movies. Before hashtags we were buying tshirt & braclets that were either Team Edward or Team Jacob. I think I might even have a Twilight tshirt somewhere. For the record I am still & always have been Team Jacob. Now reading the series & watching the movies is just making that feeling stronger. I don't care if you like the fact that Bella joined the undead & ended up happily ever after with Edward, Jacob Black is HOT! Both in the book & in the movie version, THANK YOU to whoever picked Taylor Lautner for his character, spot on pick!

Over the years my opinion of the books started to falter once I was out of the teen romance book fantasy addiction haze that teenage heart throbs will bring on in situations like these. Let me say that now that I'm reading them again they are not that bad, not the best writing ever but entertaining, good descriptions, lots of characters, & a good story overall. The books much like the movies definetly get better as the series progresses. The first book is enough to hook you obviously but when you watch the movie....I can't even! The movie is just not good...The lighting is weird, Edward & Bella are so awkward, & the jokes just kill you. I know that Bella is supposed to be clumsy & awkward espically next to the god like form of Edward but still come on give me a break! Plus Robert Pattison looks like he's constipated most of the movie with his facial expressions. For some reason the first movie reminds me of a 90's music video, anyone else get that vibe? Luckily they get better much like the books. I think the movies really are what give the books a bad rap over all. At the heart of the book is a love story, or maybe it's better described as a love triangle. Plus you throw in the fantasy monsters, what's not to love. Meyer gives her own spin on a vampire tale much like others have done over the years. One of the things I love the most about the books is the passion, whether it's being used to describe the way Edward looks at Bella, or the sunlight as it falls through the canopy of trees, the descriptions are entriguing.

This is the first time I've listened to the books on audio & the reader does a good Bella. Her male voices are a little weird, I wish they had different readers for them, but overall she is good. They are a little long but enjoyable.I will also say that I read the book as well while listening & the font of the book is fabulous. I tried reading on ebook & it wasn't the same.

At the end of the day I'm happy I'm finally rereading the books & I've seen the movies many times over the years so it's fun to do a comparison.So without further adu...
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Twilight Book/Movie Comparison

***This is gonna be kinda long LOL I took about 6 pages of notes on my thoughts & things I noticed that were different***

The movie opens just like the book & all the other books will with a quote or poem. Bella is leaving home & she just has to have a cactus. I will tell you from personal experience they would have never let her have that in the plane LOL! But any way...the message of her missing home is clear. What happens to the cactus? You NEVER see it again, wait a minute, see I'm right the TSA took it! Anyway moving on...

(On a side note I'm listening to Train whle I'm typing this, speaking of the 90's!)

Once she gets to the airport in Port Angeles she has to endure the super awkward ride back to Forks in Charlie's police car. That also happens in the movie & it's great, so awkward.

I think the first big difference between the books & movies happens next. In the book Charlie bought the truck off of Billy & he has it waiting for Bella. But in the movie Jacob & Billy come over to the house to welcome Bella & they bring the truck. I think this change is pretty significant to the movies because they seem to set the stage for Jacob to be a major character & for Bella to possibly end up with him. Just think of that cliff kiss scene in Breaking Dawn, how could it not be him after that?! Jacob has a strong presence in the books, espically in New Moon but it seems stronger in the movies. The truck is perfect to the description in the books, where did they find it!

I will also point out that Billy is like drastically younger in the movies than in the books. But it's Hollywood, everyone is pretty right?

Most of the othere characters are the same as they are described in the books, the actors were all good picks overall.

The movie continues on the same as in the book for a while until we get to the dinner at the diner. I think this part was thrown in the emphasize what a small town Forks is & how lonely Charlie is, his life has been the same for almost 20 years. It would seem that Bella is also a vegetarian in the movie, did anyone else catch that? She gets a garden burger when they are there, & a salad another time, then when she is with Edward she orders mushroom ravioli. In the book she definetly eats meat so maybe it's not on purpose? Or it could be to show that she is like Edward since him & his family are "vegetarians"?

A big thing that is different in the movies compared to the books is the technology. In the books it's almost like the 90's or early 2000's no one has cellphones, Bella has dial up internet on an old desktop, her mom calls her on a pay phone & emails her. Then in New Moon Bella is given a camera for her bday & it's film. But in the movies they have some cellphones, digital camera, etc.

Something that is never talked about in this first book is the animal attacks that are happening in the movie. In the movie you know about the other group of vampires much soone because of those attacks. Things like that will happen in later books so it forms a pattern.

On my notes it just says Golden Onion...LOL...that was hilarious in the movie but not in the book. That whole scene was great. Edward has finally returned & he awkardly introdues himself then they do a lab that both of them have already done & win the onion. It's scenes like that from the movie that are a perfect example of it giving the book a bad rap.

After that the group goes to the beach on the reservation, La Push. In the book this is the first time we meet Jacob, he comes to the beach with some friends. He tells Bella the story of his tribe, how they are decendents of wolves, & about the cold ones. This is true in both the book & the movie. This scene will be important in the next book. 

From the beach the scene changes to a prom shopping trip in Port Angeles where Bella runs into some trouble & gets into it with some crazy guys. In the book she gets lost & there is about 6 pages describing it. I think the movie did it justice with a much shorter scene. Of course Edward is there to save her. Then they go & have an awkward dinner where Bella starts to figure out what is up with Edward.

The next big thing that happens in the book & the movie although slightly different is the meadow. In the book Bella is skipping the girls choice dance that everyone wants her to go to in order to go on a shopping trip to Seattle. She ends up cancelling the trip & thats when her & Edward are alone for the first time & he sees him in the sun. That's also when we first get to see the meadow which shows up a lot in the future. After their trip to the meadow she runs with Edward for the first time as well. But in the movie this portion is cut short & you only see the run & the shiny image of Edward's skin. I think the meadow is more important then the movie gives it credit.


Once her & Edward are "official" Bella meets the Cullens & their house in the movie is over the top fancy & modern. But in the book they live in a big beautiful restored cottage type house, not the glass & wood thing from the movie. I personally would have liked to see the original house in the movie. One of the things that's missing from this part in the movie that is also kinda disappointing is the giant wooden cross in the house that sparks the conversation about how Carlisle became a vampire almost 400 years ago. This story might be told in later books/movies but not in the first movie. The addition to the house that I think is cool is the wall of graduation caps.

Then comes the baseball game & the arrival of the other vampires. The other vampires are spot on a far as looks & personality go except for Laurent, I think they picked him for the movie because once again he's pretty to look at. From there the hunt is on for James. One thing that is added here is Esme telling Bella that the reason Carlisle changed her is because she lost her baby & then tried to jump from a cliff to kill herself.

This part of the movie is very close to the book, they have to split up to protect Bella & find James. Alice & Jasper are with Bella in both formats & the rest are either protecting Charlie or helping find James. In the book Alice, Jasper, & Bella go to the airport to meet Edward & the others there Bella sneaks away. In the movie she sneaks away from the hotel, I think it was done that way because I'm sure it's hard to film in an airport.

In the final scene with James things are pretty much the same. The biggest difference is that James knows where Alice came from. In the book she can't remember anything about her previous human life. But it is never talked about in the movie much like Carlisle.

The ending for the book & the movie are the same, how else could junior year end other than prom!

Overall I can understand why certain things were changed or left out of the movie, I think the adaptation is good but a little on the cheesy side.

September 2018 TBR

This month I'm hoping to read at least as many books as August. Now that I've already finished the book for The Book Was Better I just have to read the book for the new book club & I can read whatever else I want. 

Cook the Books by Jessica Conant-Park 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6676477-cook-the-books?ac=1&from_search=true
This is our book for the new book club Cook the Books that starts this month. The premise is we read a book then at the discussion we eat something made from a recipe in the book. We'll see how many people I get. This book club is during the day so hopefully I'll get a good turn out. 

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39832183-the-guernsey-literary-and-potato-peel-pie-society?ac=1&from_search=true
I am reading this one for my 26 book challenge list. I saw an ad for the Netflix show a few months ago & that's what made me pick it. 

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36502054-sea-witch?ac=1&from_search=true
 I saw this book on Goodreads a few months ago & I've been waiting for it to come out so now I'm really excited!

Sex & the City & Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36580670-sex-and-the-city-and-us?ac=1&from_sear

Beach Party Surf Monkey by Chris Grabenstein

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31858748-beach-party-surf-monkey
We finally got these at my library! Luckily I didn't have to wait very long. 

Sandapalooza Shake-Up by Chris Grabenstein 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36082854-sandapalooza-shake-up?ac=1&from_search=true

August 2018 Wrap-Up

I didn't read all the books on my TBR initially but I'm so proud I as able to read 5 books in August! I'm hoping to read at least that many in September so we'll see. These are the books I read in August 2018...

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18619684-the-time-traveler-s-wife?ac=1&from_search=true 

My review is here.
This is our The Book Was Better book for September. I'm usually up until 1 or 2 AM the week of the meeting trying to finish the book so I'm happy I finished it a few weeks early.

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40411206-talking-as-fast-as-i-can?ac=1&from_search=true 

My review is here.
This book was awesome on audio, I loved it!

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40603730-safe-haven?ac=1&from_search=true 

My review is here.
I've never read a Nicholas Sparks book but I'm happy I tried this one. I'd read another one in the future. 

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25953369-hidden-figures 

My review is here.
This was our The Book Was Better book for August & it was ok, there was a lot of info. But I think the movie was better. 

Everless by Sara Holland

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32320661-everless?ac=1&from_search=true

My review is here.
I've been wanting to read this book for a little while now & I really like it so I'm happy I finally read it. 

 

Everless by Sara Holland

Everless

Author: Sara Holland
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2018
Audio Publisher: Harper Collins
Audio Year: 2018
Audio Reader: Eileen Stevens
Audio Length: 10 hours & 5 mins
Genre: Fantasy
Age: YA 13+
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This book has been on my TBR since last year when I heard about it. I'm really happy I finally read it but...I was very distraught by the ending. And now the 2nd book doesn't come out until December!!!! That is exactly why I rarely read series unless then are finished. Or I will start them when it's closer to the final book coming out. But since it's too late now since I read it & I'm hooked I will try to patiently wait until the 2nd one comes out.
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Our story takes place in the land of Sempera where time is everything.

Long ago there was an Alchemist & a Sorceress. Together they figured out how to bind time from a person's life using their blood to iron & turn it into coins. Shortly after that the Alchemist stole the Sorceress's heart & a war started. Then along came a beautiful Queen to save the people from war & make the land great again while maintaining peace. Now hundreds of years have passed. The beautiful Queen is still alive & ruling Sempera, but how is that possible, even blood irons can't possibly sustain someones life for that long, right? That is why the Queen is looking to marry off her heir & adopted daughter Ina Gold to the handsome Roan Gerling.

The Gerling's are a family that holds great power in Sempra, they have been thriving for hundreds of years as well thanks to the blood iron they collect in taxes every month from their citizens. When our main character Jules Ember was a child she lived at their castle, Everless. But a terrible accident lead to her & her father leaving & living the rest of their time in hiding from the Gerlings in a distant village. Now Jules will return to Everless for work because she is desperate to have enough blood irons to save her father. But can she go unnoticed by the two brothers Liam & Roan? Or will Liam's wrath over what happened lead to Jules's time running out?
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 Likes: This was a unique story that involved fantasy elements that you see in other books like alchemy but I've never read a story involving time like this. It's a little complicated to follow in the beginning with all the legends & folklore but you get it straight eventually.

There's a little bit of romance but that is not the main focus of the story. I'm seeing something happening between Jules & Liam in the future maybe?

The ending is something I didn't see coming until about half way in which was good.

This story would make a great movie!

It was a quick read/listen I was able to finish it in less than a week.

I couldn't put it down after the story started really going. I haven't been that excited about a story in a while.

I'm really excited about book 2, although I'm disappointed I have to wait for months!

Dislikes: -

Rating: