Review: Thirty-Two Going On Spinster by Becky Monson

Title: Thirty-Two Going On Spinster.
Author: Becky Monson.
Publication Date: December 12th, 2012.
Publisher: Create Space.
Genres: Contemporary, Adult.
Format: Paperback, 348 pages.
Source: Provided By Author.
My Rating:

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

 

Review

I was e-mailed by Becky Monson asking whether I’d like a copy of her novel for review – at first, I was sure I was going to say no. The typical genres I read are usually young-adult and new adult fiction, and I’ve always had this block against adult books in general, mainly because I just don’t find them interesting at all. I also find that my concentration just wavers and I feel like I’d rather be reading anything but an adult book. However, when I read the synopsis, I decided it was really time for me to broaden my horizons with my reading and start reading more adult literature. I was really pleasantly surprised about how much I loved reading this book, I loved how; when I was reading Thirty-Two Going On Spinster, I seemed to forget that it was an adult book I was reading. Even though I was apprehensive about starting this novel, I’m glad to say my worries were not warranted and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Julie Dorning is our main protagonist and she’s recently come to the conclusion that she is, in fact, a spinster. I loved Julia’s character; she was really funny, witty and interesting to read about. Although she is actually thirty-two, it definitely didn’t feel like I was reading about a woman her age. She seemed more like a 20 year old, and I really loved this – especially as I have a hard time relating to characters over the age of about 26. The one thing that annoyed me about Julia’s character though, was her repetitiveness – she was constantly whining about the same things, and this really annoyed me. If you don’t like something, you should try and change it – thankfully though, Julia did get her butt in gear and start to change her life. I loved her determination to be something better than her current self.

Jared Moody is the main love interest throughout Thirty-Two Going On Spinster, and to be honest – I had mixed feelings about him. When he was first introduced to the book, I didn’t like him at all; he seemed way too cocky and kind of rude – especially with all the smirking he does. However, as the book progresses, you learn that it’s a playful smirk, and definitely not a ‘I’m so much better than you, plus I stole your job’ smirk. Once you got to know his character, he seemed really sweet and fun to be around. I also loved how Jared’s and Julia’s relationship grew gradually, and there was definitely no sign of insta-love, thank god! I also found myself giggling along with Julia when it came to talking about Jared, it did just seem like we were both a couple of teenagers chatting about her first crush.

One other thing that really did irritate me was the continual use of the word ‘Yah’. For one, it’s not a word! Secondly, who says that? No one I know, or anyone else I’ve met uses it. (Unless maybe you’re from Texas? Even so...) It wouldn’t have been that difficult to actually put ‘Yeah’, it’s one letter more! Not only was Julia constantly saying it, but the rest of the characters, too – meaning it wasn’t just a word that the main character used. I’m not getting at the author, everyone has their own style of writing, but these reviews are supposed to be my own, honest opinion. With me, you get the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Sorry if this offends you – but I just wish that it wasn’t there.

Overall though, I thought this book was really great! It was funny, interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. Becky Monson’s writing is lovely, and her characters fantastic and really relatable to. Because of how much I enjoyed reading this novel, I may actually try to read more chick-lit in the future – which is something I’ve been refusing to do for years! There were a few little things that bugged me about the novel, which I’ve mentioned – these are the reasons it didn’t get the 5/5 star rating I hoped to give it. However, I do think that Thirty-Two Going On Spinster well and truly deserved the 4 star rating I gave it, and I can’t wait to read more from Becky in the future. She’s definitely an author to keep an eye on!

Quotes

I stand close by the door to make sure I don’t hear words like “fire” or “terminate” or “crazy stapler lady”. But I can only catch tidbits of their conversation. I can hear Mr. Calhoun say “in accounting” and something like “no need to worry” and I swear he says “has great cupcakes”. I never knew him to be such a perv. Wait, he probably said “makes great cupcakes”. That would make much more sense. Mr. Calhoun is a huge fan of my homemade cupcakes. Leave it to cupcakes to save my job. - Page 29.

What the... What is that?????
Oh my gosh, please no. Please noooooooooo!!!
There’s a scab. There’s a scab on my upper lip. I totally forgot about the moustache waxing debacle from last night! This is not happening. Please say this is not happening.
It’s not a small scab, either. It’s a long, thin, brownish scab above my upper lip.
I look... like... Hitler. - Page 71.

“I wouldn’t want to leave here, though. I mean look at all this space,” I motion to the room with hand. “You’ve got a huge desk, nice big windows... I would stay here as long as I could.”
He smiles at me and swivels his chair towards me. “Yes, and you never know who I might find under this table.” He taps his fingers on the conference room table and gives me his best smirk.
“Yes, you never know who,” I say, trying to act cool and praying I don’t blush. Ugh, too late. - Page 206.

Review: Afterlife Academy by Jaimie Admans

Title: Afterlife Academy.
Author: Jaimie Admans.
Publication Date: March 15th, 2013.
Publisher: Create Space.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.
Format: Kindle E-Book.
Source: Recieved E-Copy For Blog Tour.
My Rating:

Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class.

Dying wasn't on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson's to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she's stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she's stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.

In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all...

Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood.

 

Review

Riley didn't think her boyfriend 'borrowing' his brother’s car and joy riding around town was a bad thing. That is until her boyfriend, Wade, runs over their high school nerd and bullying target; Anthony. After trying to swerve, a few seconds later everything is dark and Riley finds herself at Afterlife Academy; a high school for the dead - along with Anthony, who she was pretty sure Wade just killed. Afterlife Academy is a duplicate of their old high school and suddenly, Riley finds herself an outcast, pretty much friendless – and getting a taste of what life is like to those she tormented. Riley doesn’t want to stay at Afterlife Academy, she wants to go home to her friends and family, and there are rumours of an escape vortex. So Riley and Anthony decide to search the school to try and find their way home.

I loved this book so much; it was a lively and fantastic read. Even though it was a little tame and predictable at times, I found myself laughing with and at the characters and almost tearing up at one point. I’d recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humour, who loves example setting novels with a paranormal plot and anyone who just wants a light read.

Riley's character started off rude, mean and overly popular; pretty much all the characteristics that I hate. However, her character really grew on me as the book went on and I found that her character was funny, sort of sweet and was doing what basically like every girl in the world wants to do. She was trying to fit in. Riley is immature, even for her age of sixteen - she thinks the world revolves around her and her boyfriend. I know this is typical teenage behaviour at times, but you would think dying at your boyfriends hands would sombre you a bit - but apparently not. As the book goes on, Riley does mature a bit and finds out firsthand how horrible it is to be picked on and what it’s like to be an outcast. Because of this, her character blossoms and she realizes what she's been doing to people is wrong and wishes she could redeem herself.

Anthony's character was lovely. Even after all Riley did to him in the past, he was still willing to put it behind him and let bygones be bygones. Anthony continues to prove how much of a sweet guy he is throughout the book, being friends with Riley and being there for her all the time. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be all too willing to befriend someone that had tormented me so much - so props to Anthony for being a mature adult about the situation. Along with being smart and a bit of a geek, Anthony is also funny, kind and generous - he's definitely a character I'd like as a friend!

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, there were a few things that bugged me. I found it increasingly annoying how Riley kept saying about Anthony having a calculator in his front pocket. I know she keeps trying to remind herself that he's a geek, but the repetition of that phrase really, really irked me. I thought that the book was a little rushed in places and I believe that it could have been slightly longer and more detailed. Also, I was a little disappointed about the way the romance was played out, I thought it could have been a little more in-depth – but that might just be me being a romance fanatic.

Overall, I really loved this book. Afterlife Academy wasn’t a perfect book, but very few are. I believe the 4/5 star rating fits it perfectly, it would have been given a 5/5 star rating if it weren’t for the few things that bugged me – but every book has its faults. Jaimie Adman’s writing is fantastic, fresh and funny – I honestly can’t wait to read more by her in the future.

Quotes

The growling sounds louder now, and when I glance down I'm not sure that I believe what I'm seeing. The candle inside the pumpkin is flickering madly and I'm almost positive that it's the jack-o'-lantern growling at me. The pumpkin.
Pumpkins don't growl. At least, they don't in my world. I stare at it. No. It's not possible. But still it growls. - Loc 585, 15%.

“Where is this growling pumpkin?”
“In my dorm room,” I say. “Sitting on a table by the window.”
“You sure it wasn’t a dog outside or something?”
“No, it was definitely the pumpkin. I felt it move. It looks seriously evil.”
“I don’t know why I’m surprised. So far we’ve seen a woman who died in 1949, a kid disappear into thin air, and a woman with horns coming out of her forehead. And my resident advisor is so old I have no idea how he can stand up.”
“Mine too,” I say. “And he can run up the stairs like nobody’s business.” - Loc 675, 17%.

"So you're trying to get yourself expelled?"
I nod sullenly.
"Dare I ask what three little pigs have got to do with that?"
"They're just a prank," I say. I pull a marker out of my pocket and hold it up. "I was going to write on them. Label them numbers one, two and four and then let them loose in the school. The teachers will spend all day looking for number three." - Loc 3246, 85%.

Review: Transfusion by Nikki Jefford

Title: Transfusion.
Series: Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, #1.
Author: Nikki Jefford.
Publication Date: December 9th, 2012.
Publisher: Create Space.
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult.
Format: Kindle eBook.
Source: Recieved E-Copy For Blog Tour.
My Rating:

If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it’s to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn’t hurt either.

Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Government agents step in and save Aurora’s life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska. Basically she’s a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job… by hand.

Now Aurora’s only friends are groupies of the undead and the only boy she can think about may very well be a vampire. And if he’s a vampire, will she be forced to kill him?

 

Review

Transfusion was a fantastic book that kept me on edge and propelled me to keep on turning the pages to read more and more. This novel was incredibly unique with such an interesting, well thought out and fascinating plot that I didn’t want it to end! Throughout the entire book, you can easily tell how fresh, fun and original everything is, right down to the littlest of details.

Aurora Sky is a bit of a social outcast, but is determined to keep calm and carry on throughout her remaining time left at High School. Aurora has been accepted at a top league college, Notre Dame, and can’t wait to get out of her small town in Alaska. Suddenly, Aurora is in a car crash that leaves her fatally injured and on the verge of death – until suddenly, the government steps in with a proposal. Aurora’s mother happily signs away her daughter’s future to the government to save Aurora’s life. The downside (at least, Aurora think so), is that she has now unwillingly become a Vampire Hunter. With the help of a special vaccination created by the government, mixed with her rare blood type, Aurora’s blood temporarily paralyses any Vampire who may happen to bite her. Aurora is sent out into the field, with her mentor, Dante, to assassinate any Vampires that she finds.

I loved Aurora’s character; she was such a typical teenager that it made me smile. She’s stubborn, hot-headed and doesn’t get along with her parents very well. Other than that, Aurora is also funny, smart and well grounded. Obviously, Aurora has been through a lot, but I found that throughout the novel her character was constantly growing and maturing into an even better version of her original self. I was constantly laughing at different things Aurora would say or do; she has that teenage arrogance and witty sarcasm that made me like her character even more.

As for Fane’s character, I loved him from the start. He’s dark and mysterious, brooding and alluring. I’ve probably mentioned how much I love those characteristics in male characters before – but I’ll say it again – I love them! Alongside with being all mystifying and puzzling, he was also really sweet, kind and cares a great deal about the people in his life. The book doesn’t got a whole lot deeper into Fane’s character, which was a bit disappointing, but none the less, I thought his character was great.

I loved the fact that the relationship between Aurora and Fane was not insta-love. Sometimes I can read it and enjoy it, but most of the time it really irritates me because things just don’t happen like that in real life. Aurora and Fane’s relationship grows and blossoms into a passionate and sweet relationship. They connected on a whole different level and the chemistry between them was really intense. I loved how they took time to get to know each other and how much Fane took care to Aurora. It made their relationship even more believable and sweet.

Although I was pretty much in love with this book, I ended up bumping it down a star because at times, the plot got a little confusing and often one scene would suddenly jump quickly to another with no warning what so ever. I also thought that the novel was a little rushed and wished it could have gone into a little more detail in certain places. However, these things did not diminish my opinion of Transfusion. I thought Nikki Jefford’s writing was amazing and captured the everyday teen’s actions and personalities really well – I’ll definitely be reading more by Nikki Jefford in the future. Overall, I really enjoyed reading Transfusion - it was such a fantastic read - and I can’t wait for the sequel to be released!

Quotes

I felt like throwing up when I heard the word "feed." Instinctively I touched my neck and pulled back bloody fingers.
"This is your gift, Aurora. Your blood. Now finish the creature off."
I pushed myself into a sitting position and looked toward the mirror. The ghoulish wheezing behind me didn't let up. - Loc 806, 19%.

Ivo's razor teeth pierced through my skin. He dug in deep and shook his mouth like a bloodthirsty wolf. My skin tore. Blood spilled down my neck. My heart pumped blood up my throat. Ivo drank greedily. One,two,three,four,five...six. I counted in my head.
Suddenly his jaw slackened. His grip weakened. He fell on top of me, convulsing. I shoved him off. While he twitched, I pulled up my pant leg and took out the dagger. His eyes bulged. - Loc 2311, 56%.

As soon as I stepped out of the Jeep, Dante pulled away and barreled down the road. This was one girl he didn't have to worry about seeing to the door...though he could have waited to make sure I reached it. The air felt balmy compared to Fairbanks, but an instant shiver ran down my spine. I glanced at the forest at the top of the hill.
I didn't see anyone, but I felt like I was being watched. - Loc 3363, 82%.

Review: Light of the Moon by David James

Title: Light of the Moon.
Series: Legend of the Dreamer, #1.
Author: David James.
Publication Date: November 6th, 2012.
Publisher: Create Space.
Genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Adult.
Format: .pdf eBook, 373 pages.
Source: eARC Provided By Author.
My Rating:

Stars. Fire. Blood. Magic.

One night long ago, a constellation disappeared and fell from the sky in the form of a boy.
Secrets are being kept in the sleepy town of Lakewood Hollow, Colorado. Nothing but pools of blood and dripping words are left where bodies once were, and no one but Calum Wade seems to be worried. Life unfolds in shades of red for Calum, until a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrolls at his school and everything changes. Suddenly a dangerous world of dream demons, elemental enchanters, and blood witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars have forever held his destiny, and that the constellations above are much more than what they seem.

As Kate and Calum sink deep into a paranormal war, they realize that an ancient prophecy might hold the answers they seek. But life is not so easy for Calum, and he can feel his heart beat faster whenever Kate is close. Worse, Kate's blood holds a dark secret even more dangerous than the war between the demons and enchanters. Soon the two find that there are worse things than loving someone you shouldn't. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

 

Review

Don’t you see that tears, feelings, make you stronger? Loving and losing and hating and caring: Feelings give you reason to fight. They destroy you and build you up again. They can kill you and then give you life.”

Calum’s family life fell apart when his dad left years ago. Ever since then, his mum broke into pieces and can barely look at him – so Calum has to try and deal with the burning emotion inside him alone. All across the country, people are going missing, being murdered and words are being written across their walls in their own blood. The News crews are calling this person the Bloodletter – and the Bloodletter is getting dangerously close to Calum’s quiet town. One day a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrols at his school and everything changes.

Suddenly a dangerous world of dream demons and blood witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars hold his destiny, and that the constellations that he sits and watches at night are much more than he ever knew. Calum and Kate find themselves caught right in the middle of a paranormal war where they find out they’re more than just basic players in the game. They realize that an ancient prophecy might hold the answers they seek. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

I wanted to like Light of the Moon, I really did. This book was a frustration in itself for me and personally, it wasn’t my cup of tea. It was not because the novel wasn’t well written, it was written beautifully. However, there were too many things that irritated me and the storyline was a bit confusing and hard to follow a lot of the time. It took me quite a while to finish reading Light of the Moon, mainly because I kept getting frustrated at the book and putting it down after a few pages – but I was determined to finish it.

I want to start off with talking about Calum’s character, although it’s hard to know where to start. I really didn’t like Calum at all; I didn’t think he was actually a very strong male protagonist. To be perfectly honest, I thought he acted and spoke a bit like a girl at times – which isn’t bad – but when you’re trying to create a strong male lead with a destiny to fulfil, I think the character needs to be more headstrong. He just didn’t seem to fit the character profile I had in my mind before reading this book. I’m not saying all male characters should be like this, and Calum did have his good points; he was sweet, kind and cared a lot about his friends. These characteristics are a must for me, and even though I didn’t really like Calum, he definitely fulfilled them.

As for Kate’s character; I didn’t mind her – although she’s definitely not winning my ‘favourite character of the year’ award. Kate is definitely determined, smart, and generally a strong-willed person. I didn’t think she had a whole lot of personality other than that really, and the only times she showed some genuine characteristics were when she was acting snappy and blunt. However, you can also tell how much she cares for her younger sisters and wants them back. It was pretty incredible to see the lengths she would go through to get them back to her safe and sound. Kate was definitely a dark character with an intense past and it was interesting to find out more and more about her damaged past throughout the book.

Light of the Moon is written in the two perspectives of Calum and Kate, swopping between the two every time a chapter ended. I love multiple perspectives in books, because it’s always amazing to read what the other character is thinking and feeling – rather than trying to guess. There were some pretty amazing quotes throughout this book, it’s a shame I can’t list them all. This may not be that interesting to some people, but I do love reading quotes that make me shiver and feel the emotion put into the words.

I didn’t completely hate this book; it had its up points at times and it made me feel connected to the characters on a few rare occasions. Would I recommend this book to other people? Possibly – It’ll depend on the people’s preferences – it’s quite a heavy read in my opinion. However, over all I believe the 3/5 star rating I gave it fits it perfectly – although I am quite disappointed I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I did love David’s writing, even if I didn’t particularly like the story – in the future I’ll definitely want to read more from him.

Quotes

The truth was that I could see the good things in my life, but they were all singed with dark, burnt edges that would never fade. All the good seemed to burn away before I had a chance to keep it. Good and gone.
Fall.
I closed my eyes-
Fall there.
Opened them, and pretended the leaves were stars.
Fall.
And then it did.
A heart-shaped leaf of brilliant red, brighter than all the rest, dropped from the sky like a star through the night, and landed in the exact spot my eyes watched. It was violently red, like blood on the green grass, except for edges that were turned up, brown and curled and dying. - Page 71, 19%.

Beyond the Doors of Judgment was cold darkness, and the icy air of reality made me realize one thing: No matter what, I was a Warrior to the bone. My blood was hot with angry strength. My soul filled with courage. I would not be weak in front of the Elders. I threw Calum’s hand off mine. I couldn’t let myself be close to him, not now. The Order thought strength and courage could not be found in love. - Page 249, 66%.

I shook my head. “This person you are right now, this is who a Warrior should be. Not that girl you were before, the one that was cold as ice and afraid to show me anything. You, Kate, crying right now for someone you just lost? Someone you loved? You look like you could take on the world. Don’t you see that tears, feelings, make you stronger? Loving and losing and hating and caring: Feelings give you reason to fight. They destroy you and build you up again. They can kill you and then give you life. That’s not weakness, Kate. It’s strength.” - Page 276, 73%.