REVIEW - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever

I had contemplated just doing a video review of this, but I don't think I could keep a straight face. Plus, I would feel obligated to put on make up and fix my hair. Who has that kind of time? I'm going to try and be as mature about this review as I can, but really, who are we kidding? This is me we are talking about. My friends all expect my inner 12 year old boy to do the speaking here, and I aim to please.

Before I go any further, I want to point out that this is an adult erotica book, so if you are uncomfortable reading a few bad words and sex related topics, please feel free to exit now.

First lets talk about the things I liked about Fifty Shades of Grey.

• For one, the cover. At first I thought, oh, a tie, because he's rich and business like. Yes and yes, but this particular tie plays a roll.

• The banter between Christian and Ana via Email. I found these to be my favorite moments through-out the book. They were funny and witty.

• Christians money. Yes, I liked that he was rich. I'm shallow like that.

• It kept my interest. That's a biggie I think, because it was a pretty long book, and not the genre I'm used to reading.

I wish I had more to say under the “Like” column. I really wanted to love this book. I have some fellow blogger friends who did, and a couple who didn't. This just goes to show you, that everyone is different, and not every person is going to like the same books. This is a spectacular thing, because if we all did, blogging would be pretty darn boring. I don't want to say I hated Fifty Shades of Grey, because I didn't hate it. I just couldn't bring myself to love it.

Here are a few reasons why , not in any particular order.

• It was long! Like really long, and when you are reading a book that is mainly based on sex, well that’s a lot of sex. I'm not against sex. Sex is fun! But my eyes were spent, ya know?

• Christian and his issues. I was torn on this. It explained a lot, but in the same token, I wasn't buying it. Something about it... it just didn't work for me. I admit, I liked him from the start. Very sexy but then.... see below.

• The Dominating stuff. Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all knocking the lifestyle. To each their own. Yes, yes, Ohhhhhh yes to the guy taking control in the bedroom, but I'll be damned if he's going to tell me to sit down and eat all my breakfast. No way. That's not hot to me. This is where this book and I didn't see eye to eye.

• The characters. Ana, I did like her in the beginning. I even liked her a little at the end, but knowing where the trilogy is going... I just don't respect her. I would say that about 70 percent of this book, she got on my nerves. I think it was mostly her Inner Goddess crap that ruined her for me.

• Ana's Inner Goddess. Guys, I wanted to slap her Inner Goddess silly. Here, I will show you!

My inner goddess looks like someone snatched her ice cream

My inner goddess has woken and is paying attention

My inner goddess has her pompoms in hand - she's in cheerleading mode

My inner goddess is spinning like a world class ballerina, pirouette after pirouette.

My inner goddess has a 'do not disturb' sign on the outside of her room

My inner goddess nods in agreement, a satisfied grin over her face

My inner goddess is doing the dance of the seven veils

My inner goddess pole-vaults over the fifteen-foot bar.

My inner goddess is standing on the podium awaiting her gold medal

My inner goddess has back-flipped off the podium and is doing cartwheels around the stadium.

My subconscious is frantically fanning herself, and my inner goddess is swaying and writhing to some primal carnal rhythm.

I wanted to slap her subconscious too, but her inner goddess stole the show. I just didn't get it. Maybe it was the authors way of telling us how Ana was feeling at the time, but aren't there less annoying ways? I didn't even start highlighting these things until I was about halfway through the book, and even then, I only highlighted some of them. Not all. Am I wrong to be annoyed with this?

• Other repetitive things. Such as, Whoa, Oh my, Oh shit, Oh Fuck, Oh Please, Holy shit, Holy crap, Holy Fuck. I have one word.. Thesaurus.

• Ana's smelly junk. Christian is kind enough to inform us numerous times how Tantalizing she smells. I wondered the whole time if they make glade stick ups to fits up in there. Maybe it's because I'm a girl, and I'm in the habit of smelling cooters, but I just don't know if I could bury my nose in one. I get that she smelled good, but come on! Lol

• The sex... I didn't mind the sex. If you know me at all, I'm not prude in the least. I love a great sex scene. Sometimes less is more.. but I'm not referring to the over abundance of it here. When they would be doing their thing, Christian would tell Ana to come. Guess what! She would then have a mind shattering orgasm immediately following his demand. Really? I would love to rent Ana's female organs out for a weekend and give them a whirl, because ladies.. maybe I'm alone in this.. but my shit does not work that way. Takes a little bit of effort if you know what I mean. So that, well that just made the sex scenes semi unbelievable to me.

• Spelling Errors Galore! I don’t usually pick up on that stuff. It doesn't bother me much. I don't write, I'm not an editor. I noticed a lot.. so for me to even be mentioning them, you know they were all over the place. I'm probably not one to talk, my reviews are sometimes littered with them, however, I don't charge to read my reviews.

I'm sure I could come up with some more things I didn't like about this book but that would be nitpicking. That all being said though, I still couldn't put this book down. Even with all the stuff I disliked, I still needed to pick it up and read more. There is something intoxicating about this book. I blame my inner pervert. Fifty Shades of Grey is like an Erotic Train-wreck. Even now, I feel like I need to know what happens. I will probably read the next two, out of curiosity, but I will save myself the $9.99 and borrow them from one of my girls.

My biggest and foremost problem with this story is the degrading though. I just didn't like how Christian treated Ana, and the way Ana reacted to that treatment. I disliked that even more. The kinky stuff, aside from one incedent, that didn't bother me at all. Its a known fact that the line between pleasure and pain is thin. I did enjoy learning a bit more about the BDSM lifestyle though. I think I would have enjoyed it more, if it was from someone who genuinely just liked it, without all the baggage. It's okay to like that stuff, you don't have to have been abused as a child to be into kinky shit. This isn't intervention or hoarders. I could have done without the sob story. <--- okay, that sounds mean, but I'm just being truthful.

So yeah, this book is not for everyone. I would not recommend it to many. From the reviews and ratings I have seen though, at ton of people like it.. so don't let my review discourage you.

Ending note, I will share with you some of my favorite one liners. Lol

“It's so big and growing. His erection is above the water line” - This made me think of the lock-ness monster

“He's my very own Christian Grey flavor Popsicle” - We should market these. I bet they would sell. Grey colored Popsicle.

“Aargh!” “I moan as my body bows and convulses” - What? Is she a pirate? Lol

“ Feeling the hair on his Oh-so-happy trail “ - Okay, that one had me laughing for a full 5 minutes. I'm so mature. 

Trailer Update!

Hey Everyone. I know I have been slow at posting. Well, I have always been slow at posting, but I'm getting better! Sorta. 


I wanted to let you know what trailers I have been working on... In the new year, I took a little break from making them. I did make two quickies over the last few months, but for the most part, I have been concentrating on my reading. It's been wonderful. I'm itching to get back to my films though so I'll finally finish A Million Suns. I know guys, that one is taking me forever. There are no space ships in the Sims 3. I can download stuff, but it's just too futuristic to look like the Godspeed ship. Plus, there are so many scenes I could put in it.. but most are spoilery. I'm trying my best to figure out how I want to play that one out, but I think I have it just about down to what I want. 


One that I'm working on at this very moment, or a few minutes ago before I started typing this. Existence by Abbi Glines. I just read it. I'll be posting my review this week sometime. I'm really excited about this one. There is a ton of stuff I can do and I think it will turn out pretty good. :)


Another one that I very much want to do, is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I loved that book so much. I have to make a trailer for it.. So I'll be working on that one soon. 


I have notes written out for all three of these, so it's just a matter of finding the time to sit down and build, film and edit.  That kinda makes it sound easy, but it's not. So rewarding though. lol 


I want to thank you all for being patient with me! I have good stuff coming, I promise! I hope you will all enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them. 


Alas, I must go eat some ice cream now, and get back to that raunchy book, Fifty Shades of Grey. 

REVIEW - Starters by Lissa Price

Title: Starters

Author: Lissa Price

Publisher: Delacorte-Random House Children's Books

Publish Date: March 13th, 2012

GoodReads Description

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER 
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . 

_______________________________________________________________________

Starters was full of everything I love.  I have always been a fan of Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic stuff.  What I wasn’t expecting when I started reading this was the sci fi element to it. I do realize if I had read the description, then I’d know this, but I had read so many great reviews, I just skipped over everything and dived right in.

Callie is such a great character. I immediately clicked with her. Her little brother Tyler is the only one she has left since the Spore Wars. I have a younger brother whom I’m very close with… so I related well to Callies need to protect him. If I had been in her position, I’d most likely have made all the same decisions.

I want to mention the cover quick. These are my favorite kinds of covers. The ones that don’t make a whole lot of sense until you get further into the story. Guys, this cover makes total sense now! I don’t think there could be a more perfect cover. I have heard people say this cover is creepy, and the story is for sure, but the cover is actually endearing.  I love the meaning behind it. Also, it’s shiny. I read this on Net Galley, so I haven’t held the shiny finished copy yet, but I’ve seen it, and I vow to have it own my shelf in the very near future.

There is so much going on and so many twists and turns in Starters. Even though I was being spun around in a dozen different directions, I was never confused. At least not any more confused than I should be, if that makes sense. Sometimes an Author can go overboard, leaving the reader feeling lost, overwhelmed. Price never left me feeling that way.  Don’t let that fool you though, after finishing I still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I’m not supposed to.

The sci fi stuff! Perfect.  It wasn’t too complex. I love most sci fi, as long as it’s not too filled with junk I can’t understand. The whole idea of old people using youngsters bodies to live out their dreams. CREEPY! Although, it is a step up from Toddlers and Tiaras. Let me tell you, while reading Starters, I stopped at the bank. Of course it was filled with old people. I was seriously uncomfortable. Good job Price! LoL.

Not all the Enders/Old people are bad though. I came to like a few of them very much. Starters didn’t have much in the romance department. I loved this! I’m not saying it wasn’t there, but it was minor and in the background. I was so wrapped up in this story, you could have thrown Oompa Loompas in to the mix, and I wouldn’t have noticed.

The Old Man.. Slick this man is. There is so much mystery around him. I want to personally email Lissa Price right now and beg her to tell me who he is, but that will surely get me nowhere. #sadface.  I have questions. LOTS of them. I’m hoping some will be answered in the next book.  Starters leaves you with a bit of a cliff hanger, as they all do. It did have some closure though, so it wasn’t a horrible one. This doesn’t make me want book two any less.  I can’t stinking wait!

Received from NetGalley for honest review

Amazon / Barnes Noble / The Book Depository

[Review] Pandemonium & Hana by Lauren Oliver

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

I always have a hard time writing reviews. I always feel I can never find the words I want to truly express how I’m feeling. This is why I’m a reader, not a writer. This review is so hard to write. Harder than normal.

Delirium,  I read this last year. I loved it so much. Pandemonium leaves off pretty much right where Delirium heartbreakingly stops. I wasn’t sure where this story was going to go… It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but oh boy, what a hell of a ride.

Life in the wilds is no joke, for real. It’s not all wonderful like you think it will be when you cross the fence. I expected living to be harsh,  yes, but it was raw. Oliver does a great job of lodging my heart in my throat, let me tell you. There is one particular scene that brought me to tears. I’m not going to elaborate, let’s just say as a mother, I was just a mess. You ladies who have read it know what I’m talking about.

One thing I loved about Pandemonium, was the corruption. You get a better glimpse into the government and how screwed up it really is. Second thing I loved, was how it was written. Then and Now.. Then being right when Lena enters the Wilds, and Now is months and months later after she’s acclimated. I’ll admit, I was concerned when I heard it was written this way, but it was done flawlessly. Everything just flowed together so perfectly, past and present.

There are new Characters. There are a few I really liked, and a few not so much. Even the ones I didn’t like much were a great addition to the story.

There are some surprises and shocks guys! This cliff hanger.. Wow. I don’t know how I will survive a whole year without knowing what happens. I want everyone to read them so they can wait with me. Lol.

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

In the world of Delirium, love is a disease. And like all eighteen-year-olds, Lena and Hana must take the cure.

At the start of their last summer of freedom, they were the closest of friends. Until Hana made a decision that tore them apart... In Delirium, we heard from Lena. Now, Hana gets to tell her side of the story. And nothing is what we first thought.
Hana is a powerful, moving and beautifully told original eBook short story, with a shocking twist that will leave you with your heart in your mouth 

What the Hell ! This is what I said at the end of this.. Well, substitute hell with the F word, that’s more like it. Hana is obviously told from Hana’s point of view. It is a short story that follows Hanna during the events of Delirium. I am so glad I read this.. Even though when I look back now it makes so much sense, I didn’t pick up on it myself. Which makes me want to go back and read Delirium all over again. But wow. That is all. It’s a really short story, but worth reading.

IMM # 13

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a great way to show off all bookish goodies you get throughout the week. :)

Okay, so blogger is being a little buggy for me this morning, so I'm going to whip through this. My vlog will be posted below.

Borrowed 

- Partials by Dan wells ~ thank you Andrea! <3

- Existence by Abbi Glines ~ thank you Autumn! <3

Gifts

-The Fault in our Stars by John Green - thank you Jess! <3

-Kindle Touch - Inlaws - I love this sucker already

For Review -  NetGalley

-Starters by Lissa Price 

-Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

-Tomorrow Land by Mancusi 

Purchased

-Fever by Lauren DeStefano

-Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

for kindle

Breath by Abbi Glines

Because of low by Abbi Glines

Anathema by K.A Tucker -FREE

Fated by Courtney Cole -FREE

Pyxis by K.C. Neal -FREE

Falling For you (Pearl Island Trilogy) by Julie Ortolon -FREE

Powerful Magic by Karen Whiddon - FREE

(Blog Tour) On The Island - Review, Guest Post, GIVEAWAY + TRAILER

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to be a part of this tour today. I have some pretty awesome stuff for you. The lovely Tracy is here with a guest post. She's also giving away an e-copy of On The Island. I will post that below the guest post and my review. 

My writing cave

Like many authors, I have several places where I’m most comfortable – and productive – when I’m writing. All of them are in my home. I’m definitely not one of those people who can go to a coffee shop and expect to get any work done. The Internet is distracting enough; the last thing I need is the added temptation of people watching!

 
This is my all-time favorite place to write, and 90% of On the Island was written here (mostly between the hours of 5:30-7:00 a.m., before I went to my day job). It’s in the family room and I especially love turning on the gas fireplace when it’s cold out. This used to be a perfectly nice chair/ottoman combo from Crate and Barrel, but I’ve managed to practically destroy it. See that brown blanket draped over the arm? That’s covering the big rip caused by constant friction from the edge of my laptop tray. I’ve also spilled a ton of diet Coke and coffee on this chair.  Since I also sit here in the evening when I’m on Facebook or Twitter, there’s been a fair amount of wine dumped on it, too.  I’ve been joking with my husband about replacing the chair with something different, but I don’t think I actually will. A new slipcover, maybe, but “Mom’s chair” has sentimental value and every time I look at it, I smile.

If I want to get any writing done when my husband and kids are home/awake, I sometimes retreat to the loveseat in the master bedroom. It’s comfortable and there’s the added bonus of a lock on the door. Unfortunately, both kids can pick it in under 7 seconds. Sigh.

This is my last resort. It’s my least favorite place to write for two reasons: one, it’s in the basement so it’s quite cold in the winter. I have been known to wear the pink Snuggie I received as a gag gift and my husband often has to set up a space heater so I don’t turn blue and die of hypothermia. And two, since our basement is a walk-out, you never know how many neighbor kids are going to come charging through the sliding glass door at any given moment. Shouting, “Go away, I’m trying to write!” does not portray me in the most favorable light. Apparently.

While I definitely prefer my comfy chair in the family room, all of these “writing cave” locations will work just fine (as long as it’s quiet).

 My Fan Girly review~


A while back, Andrea from The Bookish Babes said, “ Hey April, you should do this tour with me.” I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am that she told me about it.

On The Island, I honestly don’t even know what to say people. This is one of those books that could easily be spoiled by saying too much. So I'm going to tread lightly. I expected to like it, I did not expect to love it as much as I did.

Obviously you know from the description, Anna and T.J. Are stranded on a tropical Island. Being a long time fan of the reality show Survivor, I loved watching them learn how to make it on their own.

On The Island took over my life for the time that I was reading it. I could not put this sucker down. There were a few breath catching moments that got me a few strange looks from the hubby.

But really, what I loved about this book the most, was how emotional it was. I connected with Anna immediately. I also connected deeply with T.J. If you have read my blog, you know I'm about a hair away from being a teenage boy myself. LoL. It's told from both point of views, which is awesome. Especially here, because you get to see their feelings for each other grow from both sides.

The love aspect of On The Island was done just right, in my opinion. I'm not expert, but for me, it was perfect. It wasn't fast, it was slow. It was real, and it took my breath away.

Ha! I was about to say, I can't imagine what it would be like if this were to happen to me, but I already know. I shed tears over this story, lots of them. Happy, Sad, Angry. I'm not a book crier usually, so huge props to Tracey. This will go down as one of my favorite reads this year, and I'm dying to read whatever she has planned for us next.

Ending note, never leave home without baby oil. For realz!

Author Info- Check her out, she's awesome.

Tracy Garvis Graves

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the Giveaway. One E-copy of On The Island. Format of your choice. All you need to do is comment below. Make sure you leave your name and email address. Giveaway runs until midnight March 13th. I'll use Random Org to choose the winner the next morning! For More chances to win a copy, check out the other stops on the Tour!

Last of all, I made something special for this tour. I always try to put something together for books I truly deeply love, so here is a little something I made. I hope you all enjoy it! 

Blog Under Minor Construction

Hey everyone! I'm in the process of making a few design changes to my blog. So bare with me.. I am aware that my header and stuff looks a little weird. I will be resizing it and capitilizing the B in books, because it's been annoying me since I set this blog up. lol

So if you notice it looking funny for a while, that's why! :)

[Review] Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

I bought Divergent about a year ago. Yup it sat on my shelf for a whole year almost before picking it up. I couldn’t tell you why I took so long to read it. I had at least a dozen friends/bloggers telling me to drop everything and read it now! Let me tell you something guys, I should have listened to them. I’m kind of glad I didn’t though, because now I won’t have to wait as long to get my hands on Insurgent.

A friend of mine told me that Divergent was really violent.  I agree that there was some violence, but I don’t think it was any more violent then say, the Hunger Games or something. There was one seen, and let’s just say, buttering my bread will never feel the same again.

The world it broken into 5 groups. Candor (the honest) I have a slight problem with the idea of this group.. There no way you will come across a large group of people like this that are actually honest.. Not in real life anyway. But that’s just my opinion..  The Abnegation (selfless) oooh, I could never be in this group. Sad, but true. I just love myself too much. The Dauntless (Brave) Being a couch potato, I’m pretty sure I’d fail at this group as well. Amity (The peaceful) Yeah, pretty sure I would suck ass at this too. I could be peaceful most of the time, but I’d get bored quickly I think.. 

So we have established that I’m a Lying, selfish, Pussy of a Terrorist… but there’s hope for me yet! We still have the Erudite's (The Intelligent) Though, I’m not the perfect fit, I think I would end up in this group if I had to choose.

I can’t imagine what I must be like to choose between what you want and leaving behind your family. This is the choice Beatrice must make, and wow does she grow as a character.

Love how the title of the book falls into play. Oh, and this is a little off the path, but I also love the HC of this book. The binding is gorgeous. I’m so glad I ordered it so many months ago. And the cover, you all know how I love covers.. the scenery is described pretty much exactly how it’s pictured. <3

There is so much going on in Divergent. I was completely, ass hanging off the seat, into this. I couldn’t put it down. Four, omg, don’t get me started on him. He is so sexy. The relationship that grows be between Four and Tris is believable. It’s hot, and endearing at the same time.

I just love the feel this book gave me. Even with the violence, there was that underlying hope, I could feel the wind blowing through my hair on those trains. I could see myself there.

I’m so looking forward to Insurgent. I will be pre-ordering it soon. I really hope more will be explained though.. Because they are in Chicago, but is the rest of the world messed up? How did Chicago become Dystopian in the first place? What the heck happened? I really need to know.

Dear May 1^st,

        Please hurry. It’s okay to skip March and April. They are dumb months anyway. Whatever you have to do, just please get here soon. Thanks mucho!

                                                                        April

IMM # 12

In my Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren! :) 


It's been couple weeks, so I have bunch of stuff! I will list like usual, but also there is a vlog posted below! hope you all got some great stuff too!


Gift :
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood - Thanks Andrea! 


Soul Screamers Volume one by Rachel Vincent - Thanks Jess!


Breaking Dawn Movie - From my Gram. <3 her. 


Purchased:


Heart of the Matter by Emily Griffin


Graceling by Kristin Cashore


Something, maybe by Elizabeth Scott


A Million Suns by Beth Revis


Somebody Everybody Listens to by Suzanne Supplee


Won: 


From Asheley at Into the hall of books - Thank you!


Between the Land & the Sea


The Moon & the Tides


The fate of the Muse


All by Derrolyn Anderson - so excited for these.. Yay mermaids!


For Review


Whispering Hills by Taryn Browning -also excited for this one, the Author is super nice. 


Here is the Vlog.. I kept this still because it looks so friggen dumb. lol