Feature and Follow Friday (Feb 28)

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. You follow the two hosts, the two featured bloggers, answer that week's question, and enter your name in the linky list. You follow them, they follow you. Easy peasy. There is also a social network linky list to help you gain twitter followers. It's an all around win. Just click on the button to the left to join the hop!!

This week's question:

Change the plot.  If you could, to what book would you change the ending or plot thread?  Do it!

Wow!  I have two in mind but I'm going to go with the one that most upset me, Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  Stop here if you have not read this book yet and don't want a spoiler...
Don't get me wrong, I loved the book.  However, I am a huge fan of a happy ending, especially when I have invested so much time in a series.  I wanted Tobias and Tris to get through all of their trials and tribulations and have the opportunity to triumph and see the beginnings of a new world together, not apart.  It would really have only been a small change and everyone could have been happy. 

I would still have Tris be shot and see her mother as she is about to fade away because I think it was important to circle around and bring the mother back to the story.  I would have let the reader fear her dead for a few pages but ultimately let her live.  She would wake up in a hospital bed and have Tobias waiting for her.  He would help her hobble over to a window, and they would look out over the land, mourning the past and lost friends but ponder the new hope and possibilities for their future... together.

I like this ending much better... just sayin'

                                                                                                                         

Friday Finds, February 28th

Friday Finds showcases books you recently found and that you are putting on your TBR list... whether you found them in a bookstore, at the library, or on-line.  

My find this week is:

The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Historical Fiction  

'I did it because I love my child. Wouldn't any mother care to do the same? I didn't feel guilty when the blood ran over my hands, yet neither did I feel vindicated. I just felt I had protected my child in the only way I knew how.'

*** Based On A True Story ***

Anne wakes up in a strange bed, having been kidnapped from her home. Slowly, she realizes she is in a lunatic asylum. 
1885. Anne Stanbury - Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems?
Edgar Stanbury - the grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity, and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life.
Dr George Savage - the well respected psychiatrist, and chief medical officer of Bethlehem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne's future wholly in his hands.

The Medea Complex tells the story of a misunderstood woman suffering from insanity in an era when mental illnesses' were all too often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity. 

                                                                      

WWW February 26th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What am I currently reading?  The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley.  I adore this author and usually devour her books as soon as they come.  So far, so good!

What did I recently finish reading?  Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen.  OMG!  So good but I can't say anymore until I post my review for Shereads.org this weekend.  :)

What will I read next?  Probably Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.  I've heard some good things about this one so I'm going to give it a shot.  Besides, it's been a while since I have read a good werewolf book. 

PLEASE Join us!  LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks! 

                                                                                                                           

Review: Vampire Academy

The movie is coming out and I have to admit, I am probably in the minority when it comes to people who haven't read this book.  I see it over and over on other people's blogs so I finally picked up the first one and gave it a shot.

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

What I liked:

The characters were fun.  Rose is gorgeous, unafraid, and always ready with a comeback.  A true rebel who is always in trouble and for the most part, enjoys it. Lissa is elegant and loyal. She holds it together on the outside but is fearful and depressed on the inside.  She knows what she is capable of and it wears on her, weakening her spirit every time she uses it.  Rose would die for Lissa and her determination to keep her safe is admirable. Christian and Dimitri are the main men in the story and of course they are both hot.

I also really like the plot.  Even though it is about vampires, it still has a uniqueness to it and I liked the originality of the Dhampir and the Strigoi and the guardians.  I found it to be a quick read and read it in one day.  There were just the right amount of action scenes and a few stolen romantic moments for the characters.  Nothing was overdone.  I was satisfied with the ending and glad that all of my hunches didn't pan out the way I expected them to.

What I didn't like:

I wouldn't say there was anything I didn't like. However, I am hesitant about going right into the rest of the series. It seems like one of those stories where the main romance has consistent obstacles thrown in its way.  This gets frustrating to me after a while.  I almost wish that the author had chosen to make the girls a little bit older, maybe college age instead of in high school so we could avoid some of the problems that were caused by their age.

So... that said, I may decide to read the second one this week and I may wait.  I am glad however, that I finally picked it up to see what all the hype was about.  Ladies (and guys)... I would love to hear your thoughts on whether I should continue.  I'd also love to know what you thought of the movie.  Happy reading everyone!

                                                                   

Review: The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree

If you are a lover of fantasy books such as the Dark Tower series by Stephen King or The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, where other worlds are discovered and mysteries are abundant, than this is a book you will easily fall into, entering the fantasy with the characters and joining them on their adventure.

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
Ross Brigham comes home from Afghanistan to discover his father Ed, a notable fantasy author, has died. When Ross begins to investigate his father's death after the nearly 200-attendee funeral, he and two loyal fans discover a key that leads them to the parallel world in his father's gunslinger novels -- and a secret war that's been raging since the beginning of time. Rebelling against the pact they made with the gods for immortality, the muses have turned from inspiring art to inspiring atrocities -- and it's up to Ross, Sawyer, and Noreen to put a stop to it before every dimension goes up in flames.

Feature and Follow Friday

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends.  If you would like to join, click on one of the above blog links or on the Feature and Follow button.

This weeks Question: Find a "new to you blogger" and feature their button on your post this week.  Tell us why this blogger stands out to you.  I chose:

                    BOOKISH FINDINGS

I love this blog and I just fell upon it while browsing the Feature the Follow today.  I'm always looking for gifts for my book loving friends and this blog has some really unique ideas.  Plus, I loved that it was something still bookish but yet just a bit different.  I'll be visiting this one often to see what new ideas are shared.

                                                                           

Craig's Review: You Never Give Me Your Money

“The Beatles can’t save the world. We’ll be lucky if we save ourselves.”
~George Harrison

“You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After The Breakup” is a page-turning masterpiece, which delves into the drama that played out post-breakup, while delivering a digestible and concise understanding of the business side of the story.

The landmark Sergeant Pepper album was released in June of 1967, manager Brian Epstein died the following month, and January of the following year The Beatles established Apple Corps Ltd. This is where author Peter Doggett picks up the story. Doggett’s impeccably researched book tells a vivid and gripping tale of the legendary and highly publicized breakup, from the petty personal squabbles to epic legal battles over ownership, trademarks, and royalties that went on for decades.

Pimping my Blog #3

I need to take a class on code.  I saw a blog the other day and I really liked the format. Rather than seeing only one lengthy post, the blog used a jump break and had a really nice "read more" button. I made it my goal to try this out.  I started off easy.  I just went back into my old posts and used the "jump break" button. It worked but it looked boring, just those two words in black.  I wanted more...

So, again I began searching out sites where others have done this and shared their information.  First, I tried adding code... no luck.  Then, I found one person who explained how to add "read more" and "read more backgrounds" to my advanced blogger customization screen.  This was exactly what I was looking for...

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page! Check out my newest TBR pile here.

Review: The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress

This month at She Reads, we read The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon.  Set mostly in the 1930's, the story is based on the disappearance of a real person, judge Joseph Crater, whose case has never been solved.  The book focuses on three women connected to him in some way, and the decisions they make that change their lives, and his, forever.

Review and Giveaway: The Spider Catchers

I'm so excited to be participating in my first book tour and giveaway with author Marilynn Larew’s recently released,THE SPIDER CATCHERS.

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
Sex, money, and terrorism: What do the violent takeover of Fez brothels and a new stream of terrorist funding have to do with the disappearance of Alicia Harmon from the Fez office of Femme Aid Maroc? When CIA analyst Lee Carruthers tries to find out, she is swept into a tangled web of dirty money and human trafficking, and people will kill to find out what Alicia knew. If only Lee knew. She's working blind, and in this case, ignorance is death. Her search takes her through the slums of the medina to the high-rises of the new city and finally to a terrorist camp in the Algerian desert.