Sunday, June 22, 2014

New Things to Come!

Hey guys so I'm back for the holidays! I haven't done much on the blog this year but it's because I have been so busy with my Honours year at university. It's been really hectic. I have been reading though but I just didn't have any time to think up reviews because honestly? When I didn't have to do anything for uni I took great enjoyment in being very very lazy, but I miss the blog so I'm making an effort.

So I spoke to Kristin about making a few changes on my end with the reviews and she agreed which made me very happy. I'm not just going to review books anymore, but everything. Books, music/music videos, movies, TV shows and anime. I am a serious anime freak and I would like to get new people watching it and share my freakouts with more anime freaks like me. Kristin unfortunately doesn't like anime because the woman doesn't like ANY type of animation, which I have to say shocked my system for about a week, but she has legitimate reasons at least so I got over it! Most people have  misconceptions when it comes to anime and I'm here to set everyone straight. I'm also kind of an anime snob so if you do find yourself liking this medium and you go in search and you come across an anime I haven't talked about or that I didn't like, don't be put off, I only like a certain type of anime and you might like something completely different. I don't judge! Same goes with music, I like a great deal of different types of music but I don't care much for House, Country, RnB and Rap. All the other types I love, but if you want me to listen to a song or see a music video don't hesitate to suggest it to me. I'll listen to every song once!

I wanted to start off with a top 50 must watch, must read and must listen. Since this is originally a book blog, I will start with that. It should be up by tomorrow,  maybe after. I've read a lot of books so it might take some thinking, hehe. If you guys have suggestions,  I'm open to putting them into the list!


Saturday, June 21, 2014

{Book Review} Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover

Author: Jay Crownover
Title: Better When He's Bad
Series: Welcome to the Point #1
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 17, 2014


Blurb:

Welcome to the Point

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.


***Mature readers only! Violence and sexual material.

There is something inherently sexy about a bad boy, be it the songs he rocks, the bike he straddles, or the horse he rides. Yet, what if the "bad" in the boy could not be tamed? What if it were more than his womanizing, egomaniac ways? What if he was criminally bad and had no remorse for his crimes, in fact, he never planned on going straight? Would he still be as insanely hot?

I can only testify to my opinion, and that would be... yes, because in the pages of a book, the worst of the worst can bring women to their knees. Also, loyalty is a trait to be admired in a world where selfishness seems to be put above selflessness. But that's not a rant for this blog... a reminder, maybe, but not a rant.

If you've read Rule, Jet, Rome, and/or Nash, also by Jay Crownover, you know these guys to be a bunch a misfits banded tighter than blood through tough lives and the love of ink. They're all out for a good time, including booze, women, and old fashioned boys games. They are fun. Fun to look at, fun to be around, and certainly they must be fun to sleep with... well, the women who tame them certainly think so, at least. Best I can say, they are fun to read about.

Better When He's Bad is not a fun book, nor is it about a man sowing his wild oats. It's gritty and raw, even cringe-worthy at times—but in the best of ways. I would say Jay Crownover stepped her writing up to phenomenal heights with Bax and his story. (I'm twitching to read Race's story next.) When I read the first paragraph, I had to wonder if the same woman who is still writing the Marked Men series could possibly be the same woman writing the Welcome to the Point series. And no, I don't mean that literally... of course she's the one writing both series, I just believe this shows the range she has as an author, as well as the growth of her writing along the way.

What I loved: Bax and the people who surrounded him are mysteries in of themselves. The twists and turns, and the completely unexpected. I loved the way I sat on the edge of my seat wondering how Bax was going to get himself and Dovie out of an unfathomable mess. I loved Bax for having at least one person he would protect besides himself. Jay's ability to draw out the suspense where Bax is concerned speaks to my earlier argument about her ability as a writer.

My thoughts about the notorious Bax, in particular, are: While criminals are not my ideal choice in a companion, Bax made it appear possible. Or should I say, Jay made it appear possible. The trouble Bax jumped into wasn't nickle and dime crap. He walks out of 5 years in prison to find himself involved in something bigger and much scarier than before, primarily because he's found a female worth taking care of.

My thoughts about Dovie: She is Race's sister, and Race is Bax's best friend, but the three of them couldn't be more different. Honestly, I'm not completely sure how I feel about Dovie. To be so good, she certainly stepped up and handled Bax like a natural. The one thing I couldn't piece together in my head, was when exactly they fell in love with each other. One second he's her protector, the next he's unwilling to let her go. I'm not certain I ever completely bought their relationship, but at some point I forgot about how they became what they were and just went with the story.

What I could have lived without: There is one scene I could have lived without ever reading, and no, I'm not going to discuss it, I'm not going to tell you which scene it is, I'm just going to leave it on the wayside and pretend like it never crossed my eyes. So why bring it up at all? Because it is particularly violent and put an image in my head I can't erase. I'm a grown woman, and if it bothered me, I want people to be warned that there is graphic material associated with the book. Was it enough for me to not reread the book? No, I'll probably just skip over it. Would this book have gotten 5 stars without it? No. The lack of me buying the entire romance played into that. Was the scene pivotal? I honestly have to say yes. Perhaps there could have been a better way, though I can't think of a more shocking and captivating one.

Bravo, Jay Crownover! I'm going to admit to being more of a Marked Men girl myself, and I'm looking forward  to Rowdy in October, I believe. But don't you worry, with just the small snippet of Race's story, I'm excited for Better When He's Bold.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

{Book Review} Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Title: Wallbanger
Series: Cocktail #1
Author: Alice Clayton
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Publication Date: November 27, 2012


Blurb:

The first night after Caroline moves into her fantastic new San Francisco apartment, she realizes she's gaining an intimate knowledge of her new neighbor's nocturnal adventures. Thanks to paper-thin walls and the guy's athletic prowess, she can hear not just his bed banging against the wall but the ecstatic response of what seems (as loud night after loud night goes by) like an endless parade of women. And since Caroline is currently on a self-imposed dating hiatus, and her neighbor is clearly lethally attractive to women, she finds her fantasies keep her awake even longer than the noise. So when the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts Simon Parker, her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. The tension between them is as thick as the walls are thin, and the results just as mixed. Suddenly, Caroline is finding she may have discovered a whole new definition of neighborly...

In a delicious mix of silly and steamy, Alice Clayton dishes out a hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight...


Oh, the countless times I've read reviews, had book group girls tell me "You must read Wallbangers!" or watched it pop up on Goodreads or Facebook is infinite. Infinite in that I lost count long ago, but when this beauty went on sale, I downloaded it and began a slow, leisurely devouring of this romantic comedy infused with wit, fun cocky arrogance, and eventually some steaming hot sex.

Since I read at night, I spent a lot of it attempting to suppress my laughter so not to wake up the man who sleeps to the left of me. I'm going to say this... I read a lot of really crappy books looking for this one. When I found it, I felt like I might have lost my will to read, but while Caroline set off on a venture to reclaim her "O" again, that O, I took to finding my will to read again also.

Caroline sublet her bosses apartment from her. The rent control made the place perfect for living, but there always has to be one bad thing thrown in, right? The walls, well, they are extra thin and Caroline awakes to a picture falling on her head one night, then to multiple other issues as the week progresses. The following week, Caroline finally confronts him, which leads to nicknames for both, and the wild ride of unconventional run-ins, evil matchmaking friends, and drunken vacations. All leading to some of the best laughter I've had in a very long time.

The awe of this book: Alice Clayton knows how to tell a story and how to steep her characters in humor without losing the story. I smiled my way through this book, front to back. Her characters are not stereotypical. Caroline is as comfortable in the kitchen as she is zip-lining the canopy of a rain forest, or hiking with the guys.

The negative of this book: It's too long to read in one sitting, at least if you want to sleep or are not Dr. Reed, from Criminal Minds, speed reader.

I also might mention that Rusty Nailed (Cocktails #2) is set to release on June 24, 2014. This will be the conclusion of Alice & Simon's story, though there will be more books in the Cocktails series, the next will have a little of Alice in it, from what I'm reading, but not dependent upon her. Also, Wallbanger ends so there's no cliffhanger. Plus... Wallbanger is on sale for $2.99 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. (As of 6/17/14 at 8:28 pm CDT) This book never goes on sale and usually cost around $7.99. So buy, and enjoy.

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