Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Publisher: Puffin Classics
Year of Release: 1925
Source: Borrowed
Having heard mentions of this book all my life, without ever really knowing what it was about, I finally decided it was time to pick up this book and read it. There are many different versions and cover art of this book, having been written in the early 1920's. If you're interested in reading this book or something similar, visit Puffin Classics, for all the information you need.
The Great Gatsby is a beautifully written novel. It is recounted in the first person- an uncommon writing style in the 1920's and it is argued that Fitzgerald wrote in this perspective because he wanted "something new". The Great Gatsby is arguably Fitzgerald's finest work, and I agree with this statement completely.
The story is told in the perspective of Nick Carraway, an exceptionally ordinary man living an exceptionally ordinary life in the town of West Egg. His neighbour, on the other hand, is a little more eccentric. Nick lives next-door to Jay Gatsby, a middle-aged man known for throwing incredible parties in his over-sized mansion. Gatsby has everything- money, people, a reptation- women want him, men want to be him. His parties are usually packed to the rafters with people and by invitation only, so when Nick receives an invite from Gatsby himself without ever having spoken two words to him, his interest is piqued. The two bond immediately and become inseparable. During the course of their friendship, Nick and Gatsby find that they have more in common than they originally thought. Nick's cousin Daisy, who is married to an arrogant, self-centered man by the name of Tom Buchanan met Gatsby five years before the novel begins, when she was just a young beauty living in Louisville. The two fell in love but as he was serving overseas, she was getting married to another man. It's no wonder then, all these years later, that Gatsby would want to see Daisy again. But what events unfold behind closed doors will spark a chain reaction that will not only put stress on Daisy and Tom's marriage and Nick and Gatsby's friendship, but could essentially put lives in danger.
The Great Gatsby is the best kind of poem and in it's attempt to find a balance between illusion and reality, becomes the supreme American novel, capturing the allures of money, ambition and greed. Lose yourself in the lives of the elite living in the raging 20's and leave me a comment below!
Title: Asleep Without Dreaming
Author: Barbara Forte Abate
Source: PDF (from author, this was a requested review)
Summary (from Goodreads)-
Fourteen year old Willa Burkett has been waiting her whole life to leave Hoosick Falls- a nowhere place that fails to hold even a single good memory. But, when a series of vengeful incidents stir Willa's mother Stella to impulsively pack up and go, it is only to fins themselves stranded in yet another ugly, near extinct town, only now with a broken down car and no ready way out. Unable to move on until an alternate plan shows itself, they accept a job working for Omega Pearl Bodie, a proprietress of The Moonglow motel- a long forgotten, steadily decaying relic, where mostly nothing happens- except now, when everything does. It is here in this place of desperate loneliness and restless boredom that Willa will have her world rocked to the core in ways she doesn't immediately comprehend. The craziness of the life she's left behind all but eclipsed by the dark turn of the here and now, as Willa attempts to keep one step ahead of the ever-twisting whims of a mother prone to keeping secrets and telling lies, a murderous arsonist returned to the scene of his earlier crimes to dole out revenge one fiery victim at a time- and Jesse Truman. A boy with indigo eyes that Omega Pearl has hired as a handyman at The Moonglow- who Willa longs to save- if only she understood what it is he needs saving from.
As soon as the book starts, we are introduced to a young Willa Burkett and her mother Stella- a lying, controlling, selfish, manipulative witch of a woman. Immediately, we are given the impression that they come from a past of nothing but bad luck and bad experiences that have left them both scarred. So when their shabby, rundown car falters and breaks down in the middle 0f the highway, they're not all that surprised at this unfortunate turn of events. Unable to continue their journey to California in a runaway attempt from their home in Hoosick Falls, they have no choice but to set up camp in a low budget motel, run by a woman known all around town for spreading gossip. The Moonglow. No money, no home and now, no car, Willa and Stella are stuck in another stupid, old town. Things can't get worse than this, right? Wrong. Turns out, there's an escaped prisoner on the loose, who goes by the chilling name of Norman Hitchcock. The town is suppressed by fear and it doesn't help matters any when unexplained fires start burning down essential buildings in town. Possibly the only positive thing that comes from this situation is Jesse Truman, the young, hot handyman working at The Moonglow and Willa has her heart set on him. But Jesse is hiding something, something Willa would never have imagined in her wildest dreams. A shocking past and an unexpected turn of events will cause Willa to question everything she's ever believed in, everything she's ever known and face the all important question- does she really have anyone?
When Barbara Forte Abate requested me to review this book for her, I was so excited because I knew I was in for a great read, thanks to The Secret of Lies, which I reviewed last year. So a few days and 7 cups of green tea later, I regrettably reached the end of this chilling read. It was disappointing to finish because I enjoyed reading it so much that I didn't want it to end! Another flawless read by Barbara Forte Abate, this author just continues to amaze me with her extraordinary talent for writing and creation of characters. You can truly relate to the characters in her books in the most beautiful ways.
The perfectly woven web Abate has created through her writing comes to life before your eyes as you read... and read, and read, and read- this book was just impossible to put down. I felt like I could connect with Willa and felt her emotions throughout the story- her anger towards her self-centered mother, her longing to be with Jesse, her sadness, her curiosity sparked by the fires- I felt it all because I was able to understand, as I'm sure most readers will.
I give this book the highest of recommendations, especially if you are a mysteries fan. Thank you, Barbara Forte Abate, for giving me the opportunity to read such an amazing book.
Links;
Visit Barbara Forte Abate's Official Website
Title: Afterlife
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Year of Release: 2011
ISBN: 978 0 7322 8970 6 (pbk.)
Source: Purchased
It's going to be okay, Lucas, I thought, willing him to hear me past the divide between this world and the next. Wasn't he about to cross that divide to return to me? So maybe we were close enough for him to listen. We're dead, but we can still be together. Nothing matters more than that. We're stronger than death. Now nothing else ever has to come between us. You and I never have to be apart again.
Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality: they have become what they most feared. Lucas is a vampire, and Bianca is a wraith. Together, they've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them and fought pitched battles against enemies- mortal and otherwise. Now they must face their biggest challenge so far. They must discover if their love is strong enough to survive what comes after life...
Packed with romance, suspense and page-turning drama, Afterlife delivers a heart-stopping conclusion that won't disappoint the many fans who have made the Evernight series such a runaway success.
In my review on Stargazer , I said that I couldn't decide whether I liked these books or not. Well, I have officially decided. I like them. No, not like- love! They're amazing! This epic conclusion to the heart-stopping Evernight series is positively flawless and will not disappoint those who have become fans of these books (which isn't hard). The beatiful characters and captivating plots come together fabulously to make an amazing series. This book picks up right where the last one left off. Lucas is dead, by Charity's hand. Except, he's not just dead. He's in transition- becoming the one thing he hates and fears above all else; a vampire. Bianca, a new wraith is all the while trying to come to terms with what she is. She, Balthazar, Vic and Ranulf remain by his side until he awakes. Controlled by blood hunger and fear, Lucas is not the same person he was and never will be. They decide to take him to Evernight, where he can freely call upon the sanctuary it offers. But given his Black Cross background and his history with Evernight Academy, they doubt Mrs Bethany will look after him. Instead, she surprises them all and accepts him into her home. But what they don't know is that she has an ulterior motive that, in the balance, holds Bianca's life and the existence of the other wraiths she has grown to accept and love. Banding together to fight one last epic battle against the only people that stand in the way of their happiness, Lucas, Bianca, Balthazar, Vic, Ranulf, Bianca's parents and eventually, Patrice, prepare themselves for their last battle.
Not only was Afterlife packed with suspense and drama, it was also incredibly funny and I found myself laughing aloud to a lot of the funnier lines. I recommend this series to all those who are fans of the supernatural and paranormal, share a love of crazy-hot vamps and just all-around enjoy an epic love story.
Title: Hourglass
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Year of Release: 2010
ISBN: 978 0 7322 8968 0 (pbk.)
Source: Purchased
Bianca has found refuge again with the Black Cross, and she and Lucas work desperately to keep her secret. In this company, being a vampire is a death sentence, and the two of them live and train alongside the hunters without anyone noticing her increasing need for blood.
Even though she's with the boy she loves more than anyone else in the world, Bianca can't help worrying about the family and friends she left behind. Caught between three feuding worlds, it's starting to feel as though she'll never be entirely at peace again.
When another betrayal puts the lovers in mortal danger once more, they realise that all they truly have is each other. But with the secret of Bianca's birth taking hold, not even Lucas can help her win her toughest fight.
Nothing I say in this review will be enough to say how much I enjoyed reading this book. It was positively fabulous. It was the first book in the series to be set away from Evernight and that just made it all the more suspenseful. I finished this book within a matter of days- it was un-put-down-able and without a doubt my absolute favourite in this series so far. Black Cross- the secret organization that specializes in hunting and killing vampires has taken Bianca and her friend Raquel under their wing and are teaching them the ropes. Little do they know, Bianca is a vampire- the creature they despise- and if they knew the truth, she would be slaughtered without a moment's hesitation. No one has noticed her increasing need for blood and she can only go five days without it before the craving gets to be too much. The physical signs begin to show too- she's weaker, paler, and her reflection in mirrors is beginning to disappear. If she doesn't get blood soon, there's a good chance the Black Cross hunters will catch on. After a whirlwind of events that unfold one after the other, Lucas and Bianca are forced to leave Black Cross and make it on their own. No money, no home and no food, they're pretty much stuck. After borrowing money from a few friends and living in Vic's basement, the two seem pretty much set for a while. That is, until Bianca starts getting dizzy spells. She's gradually getting weaker and is losing her appetite for blood. She doesn't know what's happening to her and Lucas is worried. With no way to contact her parents or the friends she once had at school, Bianca and Lucas are on their own.
Okay, I'll stop there. I hope I've given you a good enough summary of the book to make you want to get into this series. It's great. Mystery, suspense, vengeful vampires, a steamy romance and an earth-shattering conclusion all make this book so beautiful and I would highly recommend it and the series. If you're a fan of the Vampire Academy series, you'll love these books!
Title: Stargazer
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Year of Release: 2008
ISBN: 978 0 7322 8968 3
Source: Purchased
"I kissed Lucas again, more slowly this time. We held each other tighter, and I started to wonder how much closer we could get- and then I remembered what it had felt like when I drank his blood."
Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all- vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them. But Bianca fell in love with Lucas- a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.
Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross- or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies. Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning...
I'll be straight- I'm conflicted. I can't decide if I like these books or not. They are by no means the best vampire-romance stories I've read and they aren't to die for and Lucas isn't all that hot and they are kind of cheesy, but on the other hand, there is a truth to the story and the plot is incredible and it is well written, so I honestly don't know. I liked the first book better, I always like the first book of a series best, but this one had more action, secrecy and suspense than the last one, which was good.
Lucas has been forced to run away from Evernight and Bianca can't go with him, despite how much as she would like to. They are in love. What seems petty and selfish and stupid to her superiors is actually true and pure and she will do anything to be with Lucas. They arrange meetings, but these don't always work the way they want to. Lucas belongs to Black Cross- an organization based on killing vampires- and his schedule is understandably unpredictable. Instead of Bianca having to sneak away from the school to see him, she puts her faith in Balthazar- a 300 year old vampire intent on finding his sister Charity who is in town. They strike a deal. Balthazar is respected and has authority. If he and Bianca fool people to believe they're dating, he can get permission to take her off campus. She can meet up with Lucas and he can focus on hunting down his sister. It's a win-win. But when other supernatural forces attempt to penetrate the school and target Bianca, they realise that they have more to fear than getting caught.
I really liked this story-line. It was much more interesting than the last one, but then again, I did find it kind of cheesy at times. I will recommend this series if you are a vampire fanatic, but don't read them if you're sick of all those vampire books because this one is pretty much exactly like the rest of them.
(You can find links to relative websites in my review on Evernight)
Title: Evernight
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Year of Release: 2008 (USA), 2009 (Aus.)
ISBN: 978 0 7322 8967 6
Source: Purchased
Bianca wants to escape. She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow are too perfect: smart, sleek, and somehow predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in. Then she meets Lucas. He's the not the 'Evernight type' either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs and wants Bianca to be careful- even when it comes to caring about him.
"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."
But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them both apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.
Upon picking up this book, I thought this would be just another stupid vampire book. Truthfully, it wasn't the best vampire based book I've read, but it definitely wasn't the worst. It had a fantastic plot and Gray is a very talented writer. What many authors fail to realise is that when writing in the first person, you must take on the role of that character and become them, writing in their point of view and not your own. It's not an easy thing to do and takes a lot of practice, but Gray was able to do this beautifully.
The book was a little predictable, but what I didn't expect was to find out the vampire was the girl in the story and not the boy, like in so many other vampire love stories. Twilight, The Vampire Diaries- they all star a boy as the mysterious vampire and the girl as the love-struck idiot. It was surprisingly refreshing. Lucas has a secret of his own that I wasn't expecting. It's like two people who are so in love, but are torn apart because of who they are. This made it so interesting that I practically read the entire book in under three days.
At first, you think that all the students at Evernight Academy are evil vampires and Bianca is a clueless human. You would never, ever expect that she would turn out to be one of them. If you did, leave a comment, I want to talk to you because you're awesome.
If you are looking for a book about a vampire boarding school, I would definitely recommend the Vampire Academy series over this one. But I do suggest you read it for yourself if you're really into the vampire, supernatural stuff as much as I am.
Links:
Visit Claudia Gray's official website here!
I don't think this book requires me to provide a blurb, the title speaks for itself. I picked up this book because I was having problems within one of my friendships and was looking for some advice and a little insight into what to do. This book seemed like the most reliable. I wasn't planning on reviewing it, but I enjoyed it so much, that I thought all you women out there should really know about this one. Even if you're not stuck in a complicated friendship, this book really will help you to do the right thing by you. You may think you know a friend, but this book is a real eye-opener.
Find out whether to tolerate, ditch or keep your friends based on this whimsical, eye-opening and thought-provoking book that will have you renewing your self-confidence and worth by deciding which friends are good for you and those who don't deserve you. Many self-help writers will often skip over the difficult situations that many will come across because they are not able to provide a decent resolution. Susan Shapiro Barash however, was wonderfully intelligent, honest and compassionate in her writing.
She provided beautiful examples of what women could be going through within their friendships with books, T.V shows, papers, all modern day things that related, consisting of fiction and non-fiction examples.
You will find names for all of your friends within the pages of this deeply satisfying and enlightening book.
(Sorry if I've gotten too deep with this review, I was listening to Ed Sheeran while writing it.)
I do recommend this book to all women who need a little advice, trying to figure out if you should keep your friend, or if it would be better for you to leave her/him. If there was one thing I learnt from this book, it's that if your friend makes you frown more than she makes you smile- tell her goodbye.
The Great Gatsby is a beautifully written novel. It is recounted in the first person- an uncommon writing style in the 1920's and it is argued that Fitzgerald wrote in this perspective because he wanted "something new". The Great Gatsby is arguably Fitzgerald's finest work, and I agree with this statement completely. 
