Fanfiction Review: Holding out for you!

Thanks to the babycenter fanfiction thread I started reading different types of stories...well not that different, just with a common theme.

Today I just finished Holding Out for You: After her divorce, Bella starts a new life with her son. She soon meets a handsome doctor, who is dealing with his own loss and is struggling to raise his two kids. It's a story of finding strength during adversity and learning to love again

OMG, so well written and emotional (ok that might also be cause AF decided to make a comeback after almost exactly 1 year), totally loved it, it's 50 chapters but I read it in less than 2 days...soo worth it. It's complete, so you can enjoy it without waiting.

I'm also reading:
A Rough Start : Overnight irresponsible Edward goes from bachelor to father of a 5 yr old. Meanwhile responsible, prepared Bella begins her first job as Kindergarten teacher at Forks Elementary. When irresponsible meets the epitome of responsible, sparks will fly!

I must admit, the beginning of this was soo soo sad that I didn't think I could make it through it, but I got into it, and now I love it, it's not complete, but it's being updated regulatly.

I'm also back to reading REAL BOOKS!
right now I'm reading The Vampire Diaries: Awakening (cause I love the TV show)
and I just started Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert (the sequel to Eat, Pray, Love)

The real books might take a while, because I can't read while nursing, so that's when I do the fanfiction stuff, but I will review as soon as I'm done with either of these.

Book Review: Prom Nights From Hell

This book was ok. I expected more considering Stephenie Meyer was one of the authors. I just couldn't get into it, thought most of it was really silly and typical teen stuff and I'm usually into that, but it didn't do it for me.
It's a collection of 5 short stories about prom and evil and such.
The first 2 were great and the last one was pretty good, but the other 2 were a waste of time.
If you're over 16 don't waste your time. I'm glad I got it really cheap.

The Pagan Stone

WOW!! This book was great! A Perfect conclusion to a good trilogy.
I read this one a little slower than the other 2 cause I really wanted to take it all in. In the middle I must admit that I got a little confused with the strategies and stuff they were talking about, and even admit to skipping a page here in there, but overall it was a great story and the ending actually made me drop a tear....(ok I admit I'm a little hormonal).
This was an unexpected pleasure and would recommend it to anyone who is into horror/comedy/mystery/romance type stuff. It was easy reading and it flowed well!
If any of my local friends would like to borrow the 3 books, just let me know.

The Hollow

Ok I'm hooked! Another fast and satisfying read from Nora Roberts. I really like the way this story is shaping up, the love connections, the teaming up to fight evil and the fighting with each other! This was definitely not as creepy as the first, maybe it's because I got used to all the apparitions....but overall this was a fun book and a good follow up to the first. Really looking forward to the last book of the trilogy. I feel that once I'm done with that, I'll be able to drop some spoilers.

Stay tuned.

Blood Brothers

Ok, so after re-reading the whole Twilight Saga, my mother decided that I needed to move on and leave Bella and Edward behind and join her in her Nora Robert reading experience....LOL Since I gave her this trilogy for Christmas she was nice enough to share!
This is my review:
A little different from the other Nora Roberts that I've read, this is the 1st book of the Sign of Seven Trilogy.
This book is basically the introduction to the town and the characters and even though I must admit that it was a little creepy and I shouldn't be reading this right before bed, it was a good book.
The main 3 characters start out as 10 year old boys who go into the woods to celebrate their birthday together and come out a little different.....(don't want to spoil it).
Then as the book progresses they are 31 year old men and 3 women come into the picture to make things more interesting.
I'm looking forward to reading the other two books to see how the story progresses.
The supernatural aspect is pretty cool, as is the love story intertwined in it and the glimpses of history.

So far, so good.

The Wednesday Letters

For the holidays I wanted to read something short and sweet and that is exactly what this book was.
A sweet story about a couple who owned an Inn that died and left a bunch of letters for their kids to read and by doing so they learned some secrets and it just brought them closer together. Really quick and just an overall nice story.

Now back to my vampires.......................

Breaking Dawn

By Far the best book of the Twilight Saga, this book leaves nothing to be desired, all my questions were answered and the story was just so great!
I'm a little sad to be done with these books...what will I read next?
But I'm very glad I got into it. I can't believe how many pages I have read in the past month.
I would go into a deeper review, but I know that most of my readers haven't gotten around to this one yet, so I won't spoil it.
I just say: "read it and enjoy".

Eclipse

Another fast read, this one is finally bringing things together. Great action, adventure romance.....ahh I love this series, I'm almost sad that I'll be reading the last one starting today.
The Bella, Edward, Jacob love triangle is great! I can totally visualize these books, that's probably why I love them so much.
I highly recommend the twilight series to anyone who has a few spare hours to spend reading...........ok I'm totally obsessed and think that everyone should try.
Thanks Chris for giving it a chance! Beth you're next.

New Moon.........

I can't believe how quickly I read this book! I must admit that for the 1st half I was going through major Edward withdrawal and that is why I wanted to get through it. Warewolves and Vampired galore, this book is awesome!
This is such a great story, I can't wait to start the 3rd book.
I highly recommend the Twilight series for anyone who wants to get into reading again. It's truly addicting.

Twilight....a break from my own horror show.

So this past week so much has happened, on Thanksgiving we lost my dear Zizi Jennie, my grandmothers sister. She had been suffering from ALS this past year and so even though heartbreaking, it was a relief to see her suffering end. This morning my Uncle Joe passed from cancer, on the day of my aunts funeral. It's just been terrible around here, as I try to cope with my own grief more things just keep getting added onto the pile, so once again I gave in to reading.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, the 1st of the 4 books of the saga got me going.
I could not put this thing down, my husband was about to hide it on me because it became an obsession, all I wanted to do was read, it's a great way to run away from reality that's for sure. But this love story is just great, and the vampires just add to it. I can't wait to start the 2nd book, the only reason why I haven't is because it's sitting at my moms house. This is the fastest I have read a book of it's size. I will most likely go see this movie for my birthday, can't wait, by that time the crowds will die down I hope.

Nora Roberts Tribute

Taking a break from all the insanity, I actually managed to finish a good book.
This was my first Nora Roberts novel and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised.
My mom wanted me to read it, and usually I don't take much reading advice from her, but I'm really glad I did.
It was an easy read with a great storyline and interesting mystery, I actually didn't figure it out till the very end.
I think I'm going to start on a few more of her books, since my mom has a huge collection. She's a great writer.
I have found that reading has been a great way to get away from "reality" so I'm really glad that I've picked up this habit again.

Inside The Kingdom, My Life in Saudi Arabia

After reading The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, I still had a lot of curiosity about middle eastern culture, so a friend suggested this book.
This was a very easy book to read, it provided a good outlook on life in Saudi Arabia and the privileged yet secluded and obscure life of the Saudi Arabian rich.
In many parts of her memoir I just wanted to hit her over the head, for not seeing what was happening. But she proved to be a fairly strong woman and I have a lot of admiration for her attempt to protect her daughters from such a cruel society.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

When I first picked up this book the first thing I heard was "no mommy no more book" since Christopher must of been sick of me reading constantly while I was finishing up The Kite Runner. But I just could not resist. I was completely immersed in this story. The sacrifices, the lies, the unlikely friendship, the cruel punishments and the startling description of actual events.
This was a pretty heavy book, unlike the previous novel it had more of an ending, and somewhat of a happy one. I cannot believe how many times I had to put this book down to pick up a tissue......
I think that after this one I will be picking up a much lighter book and also counting my blessing for this wonderful life that we all lead, this book is really a reality check of how good we have it. All I can say is Wow.

The Kite Runner

Wow what a book!
This was an amazing story, and by far the fastest book I have ever read since I was not able to put it down, I have neglected my family and housework because I needed to know what happened next. A totally amazing story that I was not expecting at all.
Shed a new light on Afghanistan and the tragedy of that country, but all that was in the background of this wonderful tale. I totally recommend it to anyone who needs a good book to read. I am not usually into this type of novel, but I'm glad to have taken the time because it brought a new appreciation to family, war and promises.
I could go on and on.....but my family wants dinner!

Lucky

Since I'm so backwards I read Lucky, Alice Sebolds first book last.
This memoir was great. It sometimes felt like a good episode of Law and Order, but all the detail and the excellent writing made it all very easy to visualize.
I really enjoyed this book and all it's gaudy descriptions.
It helped me understand the other 2 books I've read by her a little better because there are some similarities in the characters.
It's amazing how such a horrible experience can translate into a great story.

The almost moon

Another great book by Alice Sebold, this one has a slow beginning and a sudden ending but the middle makes it a worthwhile read.
The one thing that stuck with me through the whole thing was the "giant mother burrito". Just a cool visual I guess.
You can see her love as a mother and daughter and all the crazy thoughts that go though her head. Helen is truly a "character". Once I got into this book (it took me a while) it turned out to be a great read.

The Lovely Bones: A Novel

I bought The Lovely Bones, back when it came out in 2001, but never got around to read it. The radio DJ on z100 had recommended it, and I thought I would give it a shot. Well I started the 1st chapter and never got around to it.
This time around I read it cover to cover and loved it.
It was a gaudy but wonderful story. The progression, the discovery....the love, the regret, the exploration....I LOVED this book.
As sad as the story was, I found it great!
I am actually going to start reading the other two books by Alice Sebold cause I really like her style.
I am almost done with "the almost moon" and will post once I get finished.

The Color of Water

This Book was a suggestion from another fellow Garnet, and since I got it for .1 on amazon I was ready to start reading. I checked out the back and found it interesting. The story about a black man and his Jewish mother....OK I could handle this even though I really couldn't 't relate.
Well I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I really like the format, how one chapter was the story of the "son" and the other was the letters that the "mother" wrote her son about her past.
I was also amazed at how I could relate....The stories that the mother told about her Jewish parents and the traditions brought me back to the stories my own mother told me about growing up with Jewish neighbors and friends back in Brooklyn. The book was a great story of growth and change, but I was a little disappointed with the ending, cause it kinda just ended...
Glad I took the time to read it.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

So this was my first (and last since the rest of the girls dropped out) book from my Garnet Book Club. I was excited to start this book once I heard that part of it took place in Italy.
At the beginning I had a hard time associating with the writer because of her unwillingness to have a family and to stay in her marriage, (two things that are the highlight of my life) but I stuck with it. Her whole time in Italy made me giggle and reminisce about my own experiences, it was great, The second part though as she was in India, was like "indigestion after the fine meal that was Italy" I struggled through this section and even skipped some pages just to get to the next part. He time in Indonesia was great and so was the ending. I'm really looking forward to her next book.
A friend also posted links to her site so I was able to see the pictures of the people she spoke of in the book. It's funny how different I pictured them all!

Memoirs of a Geisha

I started this book for 2 reasons; My cousin recommended it to me when she came back from living in Japan, and also, I saw the movie and imagined that the book could offer so much more.
This was a fairly quick read, in other words, I just couldn't put it down. I read most of it in my car while waiting for the camp bus to bring Anthony home on the hot summer afternoons of 2007. The writing was great, I could totally visualize and hear their voices. I really enjoyed the story and was a little disappointed when I read the section after the book was over that explained the author was a man and that is was basically all fiction. As you read this book it's a woman that you hear....so I was actually impressed with the author. I was also sad when the book ended, I could keep reading it forever.