Book Haul - June 24, 2011

I visited Borders today at the mall and picked up a few books.
I had a 40% coupon for one book and $10 in Borders Bucks, which helped out a bit.

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
I recently watched the movie but had been meaning to read the novel before the movie came out. The movie was a decent watch and definitely made me think of Twilight when I watched it but I have heard the book is slightly different than the movie. Also, I ended up getting this for free because it was $9.99 and I had $10 in Borders Bucks.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
I had never heard of this book before, even though it is from 2009, but saw it in the Buy One Get One 50% section. The back cover information sounded interesting, so I figured why not. I also ended up getting this one for 40% off with my coupon (couldn't find another book in the section I wanted).

Killer by Sara Shepard
Heartless by Sara Shepard
Wanted by Sara Shepard
I bought these to finish off my collection of the series. I am excited to read these as the others were good reads. According the Amazon, #9 comes out in July.

      

Alan Wake by Rick Burroughs

Released: May 25, 2010

Published By: Tor Books

Series: none

Page Count: 320 pages, US paperback

Welcome to Bright Falls-a seemingly idyllic small town in the Pacific Northwest.
The perfect place for Alan Wake, a bestselling crime novelist, and his wife, Alice, to relax for a few weeks. Maybe a second honeymoon and the fresh air will cure Wake of his writer's block.
But when Alice goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Wake's desperate search for her leads him into a hell only he could imagine.
In the depths of nearby Cauldron Lake, a dark and malevolent presence has awakened from a long slumber. It's reaching out now, turning the townsfolk into mindless killers. Sheathed in shadows, vulnerable only to light, they are Taken.
Wake's journey will lead him to the very edge of madness, and deep within the dark woods, he will come face-to-face with a story he has no recollection of ever writing.

REVIEW

Alan Wake is based off the very popular video game. The game came with my Xbox 360 and I have really enjoyed playing it. I have yet to beat it but have maybe an hour or so left of gameplay.

The book does a good job of adapting the game into book form. After each chapter is finished, there is a manuscript page (like in the book) with information about a different character. The book also includes information about stuff not really shown in the game and goes into more description in other parts.

Since I haven't completed the game, the Epilogue for the book wasn't familiar to me. The book ends before the game does and I think the Epilogue shows the ending of the game, but I could be wrong.

For being the first book by Burroughs and being an adaptation of a video game, the book was a good read.


I would still stick to playing the game over re-reading the book, but if you enjoy reading, I would suggest to do both.

Wicked by Sara Shepard

Released: June 2, 2009
Published By: HarperTeen
Series: Pretty Little Liars
Page Count: 336 pages, US paperback

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can't help but be bad. . . .

Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood's queen bee. Spencer's digging up her family's secrets. Emily can't stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom's taste in men.

Now that Ali's killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they're safe. But those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And they should know by now that I'm always watching. . . .


REVIEW
Wicked is the fifth book in the Pretty Little Liars series. The girls have started seeing a psychiatrist because of events, such as trying to cope with Ali's death (just like in the TV show). Hannah has to deal with her father entering back into her life, along with his fiance and his future stepdaughter, Kate, who is Hannah's worst nightmare. Spencer is dealing with family issues and how she might not be who she thinks she is. Emily is still trying to figure out her sexual orientation with a new guy in her life. Aria's mom is now dating someone Aria has the hots for and he may feel the same way. We also learn who Ali's killer is but it may not be who everyone thinks it is and a new "A" is sending the girls notes.


Out of all the books in the series so far that I have read, this one delves away from the TV series the most. Aside from therapy, everything else is pretty much different so far in the show.


The book was a good read though, just like the other four. It is a fairly quick read and I will look forward to reading the last three in the series.

My Book Collection

Below are a listing of the books I currently own (aside from cookbooks, since I own a good amount of those).

The books are listed in alphabetical order by author(s) and were either purchased by myself or were gifts from relatives. They are also a mixture of hardcover and paperback editions. I also have some unique covers in my collection (mainly Stephen King novels).

*titles in red specify I have read them before*

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Blaze by Richard Bachman

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

A Wonderful Welcome to Oz: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz & The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Alan Wake by Rick Burroughs

The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook & Lewis Carroll

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan (I got this when I was around 12 or 13 but still own it; got it around the time the movie came out)

L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Lord of the Flies by William Golding (read in high school and really enjoyed it so I recently bought my own copy)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Island by Heather Graham

The Seance by Heather Graham

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (I had heard about this book a couple of years ago but had no knowledge of what it was about. I then bought it after I saw the movie trailer because it looked very interesting)

Ambrose Bierce and the One-Eyed Jacks by Oakley Hall

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

Lost: Endangered Species by Cathy Hapka (my mom bought me this since I was a fan of the show)

Lost: Secret Identity by Cathy Hapka (my mom bought me this since I was a fan of the show)

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Apt Pupil by Stephen King

Bag of Bones by Stephen King

Black House by Peter Straub & Stephen King

Cell by Stephen King

Christine by Stephen King

The Dark Half by Stephen King

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King

The Dark Tower V: The Wolves of Calla by Stephen King

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King

Desperation by Stephen King

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

Everything's Eventual by Stephen King

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

Four Past Midnight by Stephen King

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King

Gerald's Game by Stephen King

The Green Mile by Stephen King

IT by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

Needful Things by Stephen King

Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King

Salem's Lot by Stephen King (my sister got me a used copy of the book)

Salem's Lot by Stephen King (my got me a new copy of the book)

The Shining by Stephen King

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King

The Talisman by Peter Straub & Stephen King

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

The Animal Hour by Andrew Klavan

The Funhouse by Dean Koontz

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial by William Kotzwinkle (another book I have had since I was in elementary school)

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I read this in high school but recently purchased my own copy)

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Along Came A Spider by James Patterson

Kiss The Girls by James Patterson

Honeymoon by James Patterson

Swimsuit by James Patterson

The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice

Spook Night by David Robbins

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Precious by Sapphire

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Lost & Found by Jacqueline Sheehan

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Flawless by Sara Shepard

Perfect by Sara Shepard

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

Wicked by Sara Shepard

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Drood by Dan Simmons

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Bone by Jeff Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

The Ruins by Scott Smith

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Lost: Signs of Life by Frank Thompson (again, my mom bought this for me because I am a fan of Lost)

The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon

Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Big Fish by Daniel Wallace

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Books Read During 2011

This is a post containing a list of the books I have read during 2011.

Beastly by Alex Flinn
I much preferred the novel over the film and wish they had included more in the movie that was in the book. This was a pretty good modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I will probably check out Flinn's other retelling, A Kiss In Time, which is a take on Sleeping Beauty.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
I have owned the novel since I was in college and the movie was coming out. I am a fan of the movie but had never read the novel. I decided to read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie was a very good adaptation of the novel, with some minor things changed. Sayuri and The Chairman's relationship is more prevalent in the movie while her relationship with Nobu is much more involved in the novel.

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
The first book in the series was very enjoyable. I have tried to read books for TV series that I watch but I haven't been able to get into those like I have with the Pretty Little Liars series. The books and TV series are very similar, with a few changes (such as the death of a character in the books that is alive in the television series).

Flawless by Sara Shepard
The second in the Pretty Little Liars series. I also enjoyed this one as you get more information on the characters and interactions between the girls and A. Something that is different between the TV show and the books is that the girls don't really rally together in the books like they do in the TV show. They interact, but don't really consider themselves friends.

Perfect by Sara Shepard
The third book in the Pretty Little Liars series. Was also an enjoyable read and I believe this is the book where Hanna gets hit by the car because she knows who A is.

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard
The fourth book in the Pretty Little Liars series. Delves more into the trouble A caused. The readers also learn who A finally is.

When I finish reading books in the future this year, I will be creating separate posts for those which will include mini-reviews, as opposed to including them in this post.

Book Haul - June 8, 2011

I visited Borders about a week ago, so this haul is a little older, but here are the books I picked up during my visit.

Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
I have only read one James Patterson novel before, Kiss The Girls, and rather enjoyed that so I figured I would try this one out as well. I first saw this at Sam's Club but waited to get it at Borders.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
I first put this on my reading list a couple of years ago and have always seen it in stores, but never bothered to pick it up. The second last time I was at Borders, I went to a random row of bookshelves and with my eyes closed, pointed to a book, and it just happened to be this one, but I once again held off. The last time I visited Borders, this was in the Buy One Get One 50% Off section, so I finally decided to buy it.

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
This one was also in the same section as the above novel, so I decided to pick this one up too. It had been on my reading list for a short amount of time but the cover is super pretty and it has the theme of fashion and how vintage clothing has a story behind it.

L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy
This was actually a last minute buy for me. I was passing by the different sections in Borders and noticed some of the James Ellroy novels. I have never seen L.A. Confidential (surprisingly enough because I have seen hundreds of movies) so I actually know little about the novel. It is a crime/noire that takes place in the 50s, so that is the main reason I bought it.

      

Intro

My name is Mary, I am 26 years old, and am from Ontario, Canada.

I love reading and have been a reader ever since I can remember. In elementary school, I always got books from book club (once every month or so, we would receive a little booklet of books for our age range to read and I would almost always choose books that were more advanced than I was supposed to).

The first series I ever got into was The Babysitter's Club. I had ever book in the series and my mom sold them when I was much younger. I also got in Goosebumps and even remember getting one when I had my tonsils removed (at the age of 10). Shortly afterwards, I got into Stephen King novels and just got more into reading ever since.

My reading tastes are all over the board. If a book sounds interesting or the cover catches my eye, I will check it out.

This blog will be dedicated to reviews on the books I read (have already read at least 5 books so far during 2011, but will only post reviews on future books I complete (will more than likely re-read ones I own and have already read in the future). I will also post hauls on the books I purchase. I am a Borders Rewards Plus Gold Member so I am constantly purchasing books. I think I have bought at least 20 books so far this year (but I am sure the number is closer to 30, if not higher).

Any of the books I feature here have been purchased by myself. I may include the odd book that I have received as a gift but 99.9% of the books I read are ones I have bought myself.

I will update my blog whenever I haul any books or once I finish reading a novel and want to write a review. This may take some time since I am the type of person that reads aloud and have to be home alone in order to do so (suffer from short term memory loss, so reading aloud helps me remember a bit more than I normally can).

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

- Mary