Book Review: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Still Missing

Chevy Stevens

This book was this months Book Club read. And honestly - it's the best book we've read since creating the group.

Annie is a realtor who gets abducted by a man she calls "The Freak". The story starts though, after the abduction, and with her talking to her therapist. You find out all about her gruesome experience as she tells her therapist what happens. It is awful and heart-wrenching.

This book is very raw, and will evoke a ton of feelings. But I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a good-cant-put-it-down thriller. 

Goodreads rating: 5/5 Stars

Book Review: The Search for Good Wine - John Hailman

Book Review: The Search for Good Wine - John Hailman

I was given this book from NetGalley in promise of an honest review.

I wanted to like this book - I really did. As a wine lover, but not necessarily a wine scholar, I was looking forward to educating myself with a book that was accessible to the average wine drinker. I felt encouraged when the author expressed that was exactly what his book was about - educating the average wine lover. It wasn't going to be pretentious, which gave me a huge sigh of relief.

Not being pretentious doesn't mean it needs to be badly written, and unfortunately that is what John Hailman delivered in this book. His first wrong foot started in the very beginning - when he gave us the long and drawn out life story that he desperately wanted to fit into this book, but just didn't. The writing was very informal - it almost felt at times like I was reading a blog instead of a book. It also felt like the author was "tooting his own horn" at times - name dropping left and right. I felt like the author maybe didn't feel like he deserved to be writing this book so he was constantly trying to inflate his self image.

With that said - not all of the essays were awful. I quite enjoyed a few, and I do feel more educated about wine than I did before the book. I just feel like the author maybe needs a little bit more reigning in - either from himself or his editor.


Goodreads stars: 2/5

REVIEW: Paradigm - Ceri A. Lowe

REVIEW: Paradigm - Ceri A. Lowe

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed Paradigm. I initially thought it would be just like every other dystopian fiction out there right now, but I feel like Ceri Lowe raised the bar with this one. I normally despise books that come from two different perspectives - but this one was different. It's smart. It's well written. It's an easy read that doesn't feel like cotton candy. It was interesting to see a dystopian from not only the "rebel" side but also to see it from the side of someone who created the strict government in the first place. It gives you an honest perspective of why this government was a necessity to begin with - but why it may not be working 87 years later. In a year (or couple of years) where dystopian books are a dime a dozen, this is one of the books that stands out. It is a great mix of Legend by Marie Lu and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys the dystopian genre, but is looking for something more. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next two books in the series.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige

REVIEW: Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige

What happens when an outsider comes into OZ and finds out that Dorothy has become pure evil and is ruining everything?

Kill her, naturally.

At least this is what Amy is told once she is recruited by the Order of the Wicked. They train her, educate her, and then send her to do the one thing that they think will save their beloved Oz - to kill her.

Danielle Paige has definitely turned the Oz world as we know it upside down on its head. After reading this book I doubt I will ever look at Dorothy or her "crew" (Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, and Glinda) the same. It was an easy read - and a great take on a story we all know if love. If you are fans of things like Wicked, or have ever thought there is no way that Glinda is as good of a witch as she seems, then this is a great book for you.

Also - After you are done reading the book, go watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hmd6aG626A

Its hilarious! Good job Epic Reads!


Goodreads stars: 4/5

REVIEW: The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

REVIEW: The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

Okay.

Okay.


Thank you, John Green, for ripping my heart out and stomping on it. Multiple times. It hurt so good. The tag line for this movie is "one sick love story", and I find that is a perfect sentence to sum up the feeling of this book. Witty and sarcastic but also sweet and endearing, John Green has captured teenage love in a way that most authors could only hope to do. It is not your perfect love story, but its real. It is the realists of real. Life doesn't always hand you lemons and you can't always make lemonade, but its the things you do in-spite of the shitty hand God gave you that make you who you are.

I recommend this book for everyone. It is a must read.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: The Selection - Kiera Cass

REVIEW: The Selection - Kiera Cass

Synopsis:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


Review:

I have often heard the term "Don't judge a book by its cover". In the case of The Selection, though, I feel the phrase should be "Don't judge a book by its ridiculous premise". Because that is what I did for a very long time. Amazon kept recommending the series to me, but I kept passing it over for other books because I thought it sounded very much like "The Bachelor" meets Dystopia which sounded incredibly dumb to me. I have never been more wrong about a book in my life. Once I eventually read the book, I fell in love. It has a wonderful mix of romance and adventure, and Kiera Cass tells the story with great finesse. I highly recommend this book to any woman with a pulse, because I promise you will fall in love the same way I did.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: The Testing Joelle Charbonneau

 REVIEW: The Testing Joelle Charbonneau

What a wonderful dystopian novel I stumbled upon!

Synopsis: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Review: 

I'm not sure why I loved this book so much. On the surface it is nothing but your average, run-of-the-mill dystopian series. But the writing is fantastic, and the characters are memorable. I read the first two books back to back in about a day, and I couldn't put them down! I am waiting impatiently for the third! If you are a dystopian fan I highly recommend this series.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: Matched - Ally Condie

REVIEW: Matched - Ally Condie

When someone talks about dystopian YA fiction - this trifecta comes to my mind: The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Matched.

Matched is a wonderful YA novel about a society that "matches" you to a mate. Cassia, the lead character, is matched to her best friend Xander, but when viewing her Microcard with Xanders name on it - she learns that she was matched with another - Ky. This turns her world completely upside down and now she has to figure out if she trusts the society which has raised her or investigate everything that she's ever known.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a really good YA dystopian fiction.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: The Maze Runner - James Dashner

REVIEW: The Maze Runner - James Dashner

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I read it for book club, and the consensus was that everyone had a difficult time getting into it. Like with "Uglies" I wished that James Dashner would have kept a thesaurus close by. I understand that these boys are isolated and they are creating the words for the life they are living, but it became incredibly redundant. There were times when I was screaming at the book "OK I GET IT. THEY LIKE THE WORD SHANK." Also, by the end of this book we were lead to believe that each one of these boys are incredibly intelligent - so wouldn't they have multiple words for things? I hardly doubt that Shank is the only word they would come up with to describe each other.

With that said - I did eventually get to the turning point where the book became interesting. The last half of the book I zipped through - and it left me wanting to read the rest of the series to get some answers. However, when I started the next book I quickly realized it was just as frustrating as the first and could not finish it.

The book is becoming a movie which will be released this summer. I think it has potential to translate onto the big screen. As much as I am not a fan of just "seeing the movie", in this case I might just do that as I can not seem to get through the second book.

Goodreads stars: 3/5

REVIEW: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

REVIEW: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

I really disliked this book.

I know that it has avid fans, and that is fine. But it was not for me. If there is not one person I can root for in a book, I don't want to read it. The real world is screwed up enough, I don't want to have to live in my books as well. There was not one single character I cared about. Especially after the reveal. In my opinion - both characters had what was coming to them.

Goodreads stars: 1/5

REVIEW: Free to Fall - Lauren Miller

REVIEW: Free to Fall - Lauren Miller

I was recommended this book from Amazon probably due to my love of dystopian YA fiction (Now that I think about it, that seems very ironic to me) . Although this is technically a dystopian story - the future is much closer to present time than most dystopian literature.

The book is set in 2035 and society has now become completely dependent on a technology called Gemini (Apple iPhone) and especially with a program called Lux (Suri anyone?). This day in age, no one makes decisions on their own anymore and require the recommendation for everything from what to eat to what to wear (what to read?) from Lux. It follows the life of Rory Vaughn who has been accepted into an elite school called Theden. As with every dystopian that is around now a days, she falls in love with a boy who is "unplugged" and discovers that Lux may not be the program everyone thinks it is.

This is a typical YA dystopian book that I wouldn't consider earth shattering in any way. It is a good and easy read, but the typical dystopian formula is there so in the future it will be hard to differentiate it from the thousands of other dystopian books that exist.

Goodreads stars: 4/5

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

A decent YA book about a girl who has the perfect life - until she dies. She is given 7 chances to relive her last day and to do things differently and untangle the mystery around her death. While doing this she comes to realize the true meaning of life and the value of the people that surround her. Lauren Oliver did an excellent job of transitioning the lead character from a privileged "mean girl" to that of someone the reader actually cares about. It's a truly heartbreaking tale, but a satisfying one.

Goodreads stars: 4/5

REVIEW: Delirium - Lauren Oliver

REVIEW: Delirium - Lauren Oliver

(Please use this review for the last two books of this series: Pandemonium and Requiem)

This book is what made me fall in love with Lauren Oliver. In the world of dystopian fiction - this book definitely stands out as one of the best. It follows character Lena in a future in which we "cure" everyone of delria nervousa, or as we know it - Love. The society is taught that love is a disease and it is mandatory for all 18 year-olds to have a surgical procedure to make sure they never acquire the disease. Months before her own procedure, Lena falls in love with an invalid named Alex. This throws her life into complete chaos.

I would highly recommend this book if it weren't for one thing - the last book in the series is awful. Poorly written and just ends. Almost as if Lauren Oliver got sick of writing this story and just wanted it to be over. That is what is most heart breaking for me - it really had potential to be in the ranks of The Hunger Games or Divergent, but it seems like Lauren Oliver got bored and ruined it for herself. So really, reading this book is up to you.

You have been warned.

Goodreads stars: 5/5 (book) 2/5 (series)

REVIEW: Alligent - Veronica Roth

REVIEW: Alligent - Veronica Roth

I wouldn't say I was disappointed with this book.

Although not as earth shattering as the first two, I do think that this book was a good wrap up to an amazing book series. I was not a fan of the Four/Tris point of view change, but by the end of the book I realized the necessity of it. I do think that she changed the essence of the series - which is why I think a lot of people were not fans of this last story. I missed the factions and psychological part behind them, but again I understood the change. The book did leave me in a bit of a book hangover though - I was bawling at the end, and I'm still not sure if was because of how it ended or that because it actually was the end. I still recommend this book series to everyone who hasn't already read it, and it is still in the top 5 of my favorite book series of all time.

Goodreads stars: 4/5

REVIEW: Divergent - Veronica Roth

REVIEW: Divergent - Veronica Roth

(Side note: Please use this review as my feelings about the second book, Insurgent. I am as wild about that book as I am the first one.)

What can I say about Divergent that hasn't already been said? I was recommended this book by a friend who, by his own admission, is not a "reader". He told me it was the best book he had ever read and I would be a fool to not follow suit. It took me a while, but after seeing my students pour through it in class (even the ones that normally would not pick up a book to save their life), I knew I had to read it.

This has to be one of the most wonderful YA novels ever written.

I was in London visiting my sister's husband when I downloaded this book. I was "pub crawling" with them through Brighton and reading it on my phone and could not put it down. I read the first two books in two days while sight seeing in London. The Queen of England herself could have stood right in front of me and I would have told her "Hold on one second while I finish this chapter". I was enamored.

I read the first two books in May of 2012, and was devastated to find out that the last book wasn't even written yet. I had assumed all three books were already out (little did I know that book number 2 had just been released).

In September of 2013 I decided to re-read the series before the last book, Allegiant, came out. I very rarely re-read books, I think in my lifetime I have re-read a total of three books. I find that the suspense of the books disappear once you know what happens. That was definitely not the case with Divergent. I loved it perhaps MORE the second time I read it.

So if you haven't read Divergent yet, please do. Don't just go see the movie. Although the movie is wonderful, the book is much, much better.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas, Jennifer Graham

REVIEW: Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas, Jennifer Graham

Rob Thomas, you have done it again!

I absolutely LOVED this book. As a avid Veronica Mars fan (A good friend's husband required me to watch it after realizing I loved The OC a couple of months ago),I can say that I am so glad that Rob Thomas has decided to venture out his Neptune, California world into literature. It dulls the ache of the Veronica Mars sized whole in my heart after watching the film and realizing that it might be another 6 years until another feature film is released. This book series is definitely a must read for every Marshmallow.



Also, team Logan for life.


Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: The Game On Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own - Krista Vernoff, Az Ferguson

 REVIEW: The Game On Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own - Krista Vernoff, Az Ferguson

Want to lose weight and kick your friends butt while doing it? Then this is definitely the book for you!

The book is the brain child of Grey's Anatomy writer Krista Vernoff and her trainer Az Ferguson. Krista writes the book, with tips and tidbits from Az as it goes on. For a diet book it is actually quite funny, which makes you want to stick to the diet even more. The gist is that you have habits that you must do every single day (eat 5 small meals a day, exercise for at least 10 minutes, drink a certain amount of water - etc) and you get points for it. You compete against a friend or group of friends every week for a prize (decided by you, but must be big enough that you would not want to lose). At the end of a 4 week period, the team or person that loses must give the winning team/person a prize. This could be gift cards, a nice night out on the town, or whatever you decide on.

 The diet is not easy though - its very strict about what you can/cannot eat or drink, how much you should eat, when you should eat, and how much you exercise. But the competitiveness of the "game" makes you want to stick with it that much more. It is not a "cure all" type diet that I feel that every one can stick to for the rest of their lives, but it is a great kick start to a new health regimen. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fun new way to lose weight and get healthy, or if you just want to read a very funny book about dieting.

Goodreads stars: 5/5

REVIEW: Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs - Essa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer

REVIEW: Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs - Essa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer

Well this is definitely not "Sister Wives".

I was recommended this book from a friend after discussing our mutual favorite TLC show. What I found in the book was shocking. I know virtually nothing about the FLDS church - I know they are polygamists and they dress like they live in the 1800s. That is it. I feel that I am a pretty open minded person - I try to not judge anyone's lifestyle if that is what they chose. This book, however, changed the way that I feel about the FLDS church. It is awful what happens to these children in the name of "God". The men in this sect have completely abused their power. Also, these children do not get to "chose" this lifestyle - it is forced upon them. Women and children are abused daily and everyone looks the other way. Something definitely needs to change.

I do not have a problem with polygamist marriage - if 8 CONSENTING adults want to marry each other and raise a family with love and devotion - have at it. I definitely believe in love and think that there is a lack of it in this world. This is not that though. I hope that people read this book and it helps open their eyes to the atrocity that is going on in the FLDS church. I now understand why my "sister wives" despise Warren Jeffs and what he symbolizes.

Goodread Stars: 4/5

REVIEW: Uglies - Scott Westerfield

 REVIEW: Uglies - Scott Westerfield

It was alright - a little juvenile for my taste. With the names of 'Uglies' and 'Pretties' it almost became distracting. I wish the author would have used a thesaurus more.

I will probably read the rest of the series - eventually.

**Update**

It has been over a year now and I still have not picked up the second book in this series. A lot of my friends really enjoy this series, but I cannot get past what I think is just bad writing. I really wanted this author to pick up a thesaurus and find synonyms for "Uglies" and "Pretties". I have a hard time believing that a futuristic culture would use such immature language to describe their castes. Had the author changed that one little detail (okay, maybe not little since the entire series is named "uglies") I think I really would have loved the book. The story is there - Tally is a strong character who you want to root for. But I just needed it to be a little bit more polished.

With that said - Apparently its being optioned for a movie. Are they just giving movie deals to everyone these days?

Goodreads stars: 3/5

REVIEW: The Program - Suzanne Collins

REVIEW: The Program - Suzanne Young

I enjoyed this book. It was nothing earth shattering - especially with dystopian YA fiction being so popular right now, but it was an easy read and I did enjoy it.

With that said - when I review books, I like to come back and adjust my reviews a couple of months later once I have allowed the story to really set in. This book is so much like every other dystopian out there right now that I actually had to go and google the synopsis to remind myself which dystopian book this actually was. I feel like within the last few years - since The Hunger Games came out - a mediocre dystopian is a dime a dozen, and that is exactly what this was. I will continue reading the rest of the series, though. It just won't be high on my priority list.

Goodreads stars: 4/5