Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

It's a tough one this week on the Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday meme. The question is which characters you would want to switch places with for a day. Most of the books I read there would be no way in hell I'd want to be in any of the characters' shoes. Fall in love with a vampire? No thank you. Fight to the death in a nationally televised tournament? Think I will pass if that's all the same to you. And if I see the name Anastasia Steele on anyone's list, I'm going to ask that you get a referral to a psychiatrist. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

Jesse from The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
I'm sort of a reality show junkie and think it would be fun to see what it's like to star on one.

Heaven from Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane
I always love books where the character works in PR, it always sounds like a fun job to me. Plus, Heaven seems to have no sense of personal boundaries which would certainly make it an interesting 24 hours.

Lizzie from the Queen of Babble Series by Meg Cabot
Lizzie's life always seems pretty spectacular to me. She had a rich French boyfriend and then later fell in love with the boy next door. She has plenty of gumption and always lands on her feet no matter what obstacles are thrown her way.  

Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
I would love to be Becky for a day, just to have her credit card limit and spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes without guilt.

Mia from the Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabot
Since I grew up dirt poor, it always seemed sort of awesome to find out one day that you're a princess of some random country in Europe.

America from the Selection by Keira Cass
For this 24 hours, it would definitely have to be during the time when the palace isn't under attack. But I wouldn't mind experiencing the opulence of the palace, gorgeous clothing and a romantic prince for a day.

Cassie from the Secret Circle series by LJ Smith
Being a witch seems kind of wild and I wouldn't mind trying out some cool spells for a day.

Lucy from Good Luck by Whitney Gaskell
Yes, Lucy has her share of problems. But she wins the lottery and becomes an instant millionaire, how amazing is that?

Lola from Easily Amused by Karen McQuestion
Her neighbors sound awesome! Most of my neighbors I wouldn't want to meet alone in a dark alley, so she'd be someone I would trade places with for a day.

Kaitlyn from the Dark Visions Series by LJ Smith
I have a strong interest in psychics (pretty obvious since my book is about a psychic) and I always thought it would be fantastic to possess the ability to predict the future.

Review: The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

Goodreads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Publication Date: September 7, 2010

This was sort of a random read for me after I came across a review of the book on Goodreads. It sounded like an interesting concept to me-a girl using a guy she hates as an escape from a messed up home life. The book had some high points that I found enjoyable, but also a few things that bothered me long after I put the novel down.

I think the author did a fantastic job creating a believable friendship between Bianca, Jessica and Casey. The feelings of inadequacy and jealousy can be commonly found in a lot of high school friendships. It wasn't hard to imagine a friend upset when you've been single for a long time and are no longer available to spend time with her once you meet a guy. It was also touching how her friends insisted they were the Duffs of the friendship. The book was great at exploring issues such as self-esteem and typical sexual mores.

Bianca had some sass which I always like in my main characters. She was able to dish it out to Wesley and I'm glad she didn't cry her eyes out (like I probably would have done in high school) when the school hot shot calls her the Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Instead she tells him off and throws a soda at him. I was also able to sympathize with her as she tried to block out the divorce of her parents and her father's drinking problem.

Wesley was a maddening character. I wanted so bad to like him, but I just couldn't for so many reasons. I could've probably gotten past the initial Duff comment and root for their relationship, but he nicknames her Duffy, even after they started sleeping together! The poor little rich boy thing too didn't make me feel like it was okay for him to basically sleep his way through the entire school. I really didn't expect Bianca to sleep with him as quickly as she had and it made me want to give her a hug for having such low self-esteem to do so.

The ending was a little too neatly tied up. However, the book definitely kept me reading and I would check out other titles from Keplinger.

Rating: Four out of five stars

Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox-July 28, 2012

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual. In My Mailbox from the Story Siren is another meme that highlights the books that bloggers have bought or received for review. If you are a new follower of my blog, make sure to enter my giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and two free ebooks. Only two days left! Entry form is here.

Bought:

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

For Review via Netgalley and Edelweiss:

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

Betrayal by Greg Olsen

Feature & Follow Friday-July 27, 2012

I'm again taking part in the very fun meme Feature & Follow hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. If you are a new follower to my blog, enter here for a chance to win an Amazon gift card and two free ebooks. To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Q: Summer Reading. What was your favorite book that you were REQUIRED to read when you were in school? 

Yes, I was definitely the dork that actually loved the books assigned in English class each year. A few of my favorites that I can remember include Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, The Diary of Anne Frank and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Review: Capturing Angels by VC Andrews

Amazon.com Description:
V.C. Andrews, queen of Gothic fiction for twenty-five years, explores a new genre in her women’s fiction debut—available exclusively as an eBook. A young mother struggles to keep her marriage together in the wake of her daughter’s kidnapping…and to keep hope of her return alive. Grace is the doting mother of Mary, an angelic five-year-old who charms everyone around her. But in one tragic moment at a local shopping mall, Grace looks down to discover that Mary is no longer at her side…and can’t be found anywhere. She and her husband wait by the phone for a ransom demand that never comes. For months Grace believes that Mary is somewhere, alive and safe, waiting to come home to her—but as her family and friends give up hope, Grace’s marriage begins to crumble. Only one detective, Sam Abraham, shares her determination to find Mary…but could his motives be less than altruistic?
As Sam and Mary work together to track Mary’s disappearance, they discover clues that this was more than a random kidnapping—and that Mary may have been special to more than just her mother…

Publication Date: August 7, 2012

This book was a lot different than I was expecting, but definitely in a good way. When I think of VC Andrews books I think of incest, child abuse and sexual awakening. The only aspect that was typical of the author's previous works was religious fanaticism. This book was more of a contemporary adult mystery that dealt with the despair of a mother who lost her daughter.

The suspense starts immediately as we witness Grace's frantic search for her daughter at a local shopping mall. You can feel her terror and frustration as she attempts to locate her to no avail. I enjoyed Grace's POV and I thought the author did a good job of creating a sympathetic character who goes through a range of emotions as she deals with the abduction of her child.

It seemed fairly obvious from the get go that religion has played a part in Mary's abduction. Grace's husband is devout along with her neighbor and the whole town seems to think of Mary as an angel sent from God. The philosophical debates are an interesting addition to the story along with Grace's complex relationship with God in the event of her missing child.

Besides the strong characterization of Grace, I immensely enjoyed the description of the police detective Sam. He was a wonderful character and I loved the intensity of the scenes between him and Grace. They had great chemistry and I thought it was swoonworthy how he risked everything to help bring her daughter home.
 
The ending disappointed me and I think that's what made this a four star read instead of a five star. I felt some elements were predictable and I wanted to know more about what exactly happened during and after the abduction of Mary. (Spoiler Alert)*** Although Grace's husband experiences an epiphany towards the end, I still didn't feel it redeemed his character and I couldn't help but wish things had worked out with Sam.***

I would definitely recommend this book and if the ghostwriter for the late author continues in this direction, I would certainly read future novels.

Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.   

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Goodreads Summary:

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

This was a very good book with the difficult task of tackling a world where angels and demons are trying to control the fate of humans. Angel and demon books can come off as hokey at times, but Higgins does an excellent job of world building. A few of the characterizations fell short for me, but overall a very enjoyable read.

What I liked the most was the chemistry between Kaidan and Anna. On the road trip they take together, you can feel the sexual tension between them. Bad boys always make interesting love interests and Kaidan fits the bill. He's sexy and dangerous and is basically pimped out by his father. Anna's internal struggle between good and evil creates plenty of suspense as you don't know what path she'll choose.

The pacing of the novel was good with enough action (especially in the second half) to hold my interest. I loved the appearance of the other Nephilim offspring and was able to sympathize with them since they were basically tortured into servitude by their fathers. The author didn't shy away from uncomfortable and horrifying visuals to get her point across.

I really liked Anna's relationship with her adopted mother Patti, but then I felt she lost credibility when she allowed her 16 year old daughter to travel across the country with a half demon she was meeting for the first time. (Spoiler alert) Another thing that bothered me was the practically insta-love that Anna experienced with Kaidan. I really didn't feel like he earned her affection and wished she showed a little more backbone. It was sort of off-putting for her to be happy on the night he stayed in the hotel room and wasn't out man whoring for the night. Plus, her seemingly endless depression after only a couple of days with him made me want to shake some sense into her.

I'm curious to see where this series goes and hopefully we'll see more growth from both Anna and Kaidan.  

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds in Books

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is the most vivid worlds and settings in books. Most of the ones that come to mind are entries from the dystopian genre with a few exceptions. Remember to follow my blog if you are a new visitor for a chance to win an Amazon gift card and two free ebooks. Entry form is here.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi-As part of this amazing YA novel, virtual reality is used to replace the horrors of being trapped inside protective domes.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy-I remember vividly the weekend I read this book. This horrifying dystopian world full of ash, hunger and cannibalism gave me nightmares each night.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard-I recently read this novel about zombies in 19th century Philadelphia and I really loved how the author transported you back in time by touching upon the customs and expectations of women during this period.

 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearce-This novel about a not so distant future where biological engineering allows people to basically bring back the dead is not hard to imagine.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-It's scary how easy it is to picture a world where children must fight to their death to appease a totalitarian regime. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare-The author expertly creates a world where demons and demon hunters live among us in this urban fantasy.

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien-I really could picture myself in this world where mothers are forced to hand over their babies to the rich and privileged. 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis-From the first page, you're drawn into a future where space travel to a new habitable planet is possible.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin-You can feel the despair and horror in this dystopian novel as a virus claims most of the population.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver-I think Oliver is a beautiful writer and I felt drawn into a world where love is a disease and there's a cure to get rid of it.