Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green 4/5

After reading The Fault in Our Stars and falling in love with it, I had to read more of John Greens work and bought Looking for Alaska. I find this book a little tricky to review because although I enjoyed it and found it very thought provoking some of it was kind of awkward to read and in my opinion the second half fell a little flat. I did however love the first half and also the last chapter. I have to admit that I was very busy while reading the second half and could only read in small bits on occasion so it could just be me. Despite the fact the last half didn't capture me like the beginning it is a very good book. As always John Greens writing and characters are on point, he had me laughing and crying yet again. A profound book about life and death, full of deep and insightful words. Although it's classed as a young adult novel it's definitely not just for teenagers. Not quite as good as TFIOS but I would recommend giving it a read. 

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

It only took me a couple of days to read this book, I'm absolutely besotted with it. I'm sure that in my life time I will reread it many times like Hazel with An Imperial Affliction, this book means more to me than I can explain. When I started reading I knew that it would contain the loss of peoples lives, limbs and even dignity, after all it's a book about cancer not miracles. Without any of these things I probably would of called it unrealistic or a cop-out, but I was satisfied with the realism. John Greens writing was wonderful, Its hard to imagine that I laughed out loud at a book about a girl with cancer but the author did a great job of balancing the parts that made me cry my eyes out with humour, altogether a very well told story. Even though I've never met any teenagers who talk like Hazel and Augustus I love them whole heartedly. The are unique, brilliant well formed characters that it is impossible not to feel affection for. The Fault in Our Stars is a poignant, witty and honest book about love, life and death. It's one of my favourite books and it will stay with me forever. One of those reads that hurts you deeply but in the best way possible. After you finish the last page you just sit there for a minute contemplating not just what you have read but life and the world in general. An enlighting and inspiring read that I recommend to EVERYONE. 

Review: Carrie by Stephen King

Carrie by Stephen King 4/5

I've never seen the film of Carrie so when I decided to read it all my expectations were based on the blurb and my previous experience of Stephen King novels. I was anticipating a scarefest full of horrory delight but actually I found Carrie really sad, don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but it's just not what I was expecting. The writing of course was good and the plot was excellent, overall a great read. I would recommend it to fans of horror, sci fi or generally depressing stories.

Update <3

I haven't reviewed any books for a while, my blog was hijacked and was redirecting to a spam website and after I eventually sorted that out I realised that I had lost the desire to write reviews for the books I was reading. Some friends and authors I have reviewed for encouraged me too continue but the passion I had for reviewing was gone however my passion for books isn't. Whilst putting a small review on goodreads I saw some negative (almost hateful) reviews for Gone Girl a book I really enjoyed, and potential readers had commented about how they were discouraged from reading it based on the few negative reviews. I felt that having read an authors work and being entertained I owed them at least 5 minutes to write a short review so that potential readers might be encouraged to try it. So I'm going to try and post at least a few sentences about the books I read from now on. I promise. <3 

FYI - Free Ebook! Eden at the Edge of Midnight

Just to let you all know that one of my favorite books Eden at the Edge of Midnight is free for download right now at screwpulp.com. Get it here!


 About the Book!

The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, sealed from the rest of the world and populated with the fittest of men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.

Now the Vara exists in a permanent state of darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the smog that threatens to fill the realm and poison its inhabitants.

That’s what they needed. They got Sammy Ellis instead. She isn’t important enough for her dad to stick around for, never mind saving a realm or junk like that. Her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, but not only has she entered the realm in their place, she’s also locked them out in the process.

Stuck in a twilight land of giant mushrooms, pursued by dark forces and still in her pajamas, being unimportant back in the real world is starting to seem way more attractive.

I gave it 4 stars, check out my review and my interview with the author.

Interview ~ Laekan Zea Kemp author of Breathing Ghosts

About Laekan

Laekan is a writer and explorer extraordinaire who grew up in the flatlands of West Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech with a BA in Creative Writing and is the author of the multicultural New Adult novels The Things They Didn't Bury, Orphans of Paradise, and the upcoming Breathing Ghosts.

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Interview

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I remember writing my first book when I was in 8th grade but, for me, I don't think it was ever a conscious decision. I'd always had an active imagination and liked to spin ordinary things into really crazy stories--which at my age now would be considered lying haha. And that tendency really progressed into storytelling when my best friend got a video camera one year for her birthday and we started making these really bizarre movies about the mob and witches and drug addiction. Yeah, we were probably twelve. It didn't become a conscious choice until my first year of college when I had to choose a degree plan. I went back and forth between Creative Writing and Social Work but ultimately decided to go with writing because I'd never taken a creative writing course in my life and I really wanted to spend some time honing my craft.

Who are your influences?

Artistically I find inspiration all over the place and am influenced by everything I read. Growing up I was really drawn to character driven stories and looked up to authors like Wally Lamb, Khaled Hosseini, and Melina Marchetta. But I also really love stories that feel contemporary but also have a sense of magical realism like Maggie Stiefvater's books. Her prose is just so lyrical and that's definitely something I strive for whenever I write.

Who is your favorite author? what is your favorite book?

Pretty much the same authors as listed above: Melina Marchetta, Maggie Steifvater, John Green, Wally Lamb, and Khaled Hosseini. My current favorite reads are On The Jellicoe Road and I Know This Much Is True.

What do you like to do when your not writing?

This might seem obvious but when I'm not writing I love to read! I'm also a total TV addict and love binge watching shows on Netflix. My favorites right now are Scandal and Dexter (except for those last few scenes of the series finale--What was up with that?) Next up I'll probably start Breaking Bad (I know, I know. I'm so behind) and American Horror Story.

Where do you like to write?

Ideally, I would love to write in a big beautiful office next to a window overlooking a snow capped mountain range. But for now I just write at a small black desk in a corner of my apartment while my dog sits in my lap and tries to lick my face off.

What is you favorite genre?

Hmm...I'm pretty open but I'm a die hard contemporary fan. I also love Latin Historical fiction and Paranormal Romance.

What inspired you to write Breathing Ghosts?

This will probably sound strange but I honestly can't even remember anymore. The story actually started out as a screenplay and my goal was to create something that would be really interesting visually. I think the road trip aspect of the novel just developed as I was trying to pick a setting--there were too many interesting places to just choose one. River was also the first fully developed piece of the puzzle and since he was so closed off emotionally I knew sending him on a road trip would be the perfect way to get him out of his comfort zone.

How would you describe Breathing Ghosts to someone you had just met?

It's a coming of age story about a young man who goes on an epic journey after the death of his girlfriend armed with his memories and her unfulfilled dreams and learns that in life there are no accidents, only miracles.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Breathing Ghosts isn't your traditional ghost story and Nia's continued presence after her death is more of a result of River's grief than anything supernatural. But as for whether ghosts really exist or not, I'm pretty open minded and would never rule anything out.

Do any of the characters in the novel remind you if yourself?

There are bits and pieces of myself in every character I write and sometimes that's intentional and sometimes it's totally by accident. The hardest thing is re-reading something I've written and seeing my flaws in a particular character. Being faced with your own imperfections can be a little jarring but watching that character come to terms with who they are and ultimately come to accept herself can also be really therapeutic.

What is your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is the freedom. I can go anywhere I want, be anything I want, say anything I want, and feel anything I want and that's incredibly liberating.

Are you going to stay in the same genre for future projects?

I know a lot of people think sticking to one genre is the ticket to success but I just can't work that way. Every book I've ever written has been so different and the project I'm working on now is just as unique. But for me, that's the key to avoiding burn out. I love exploring new territory and I can see myself writing in many different genres in the future.

Are you working on anything right now?

Call it the curse of writer’s brain but I've always got something in the works! Right now I’m working on a YA contemporary trilogy (with a side of sci-fi/magical realism) and am half way through the first draft of book 2. Without giving too much away, it centers around a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from Klein Levin syndrome, better known as Sleeping Beauty syndrome, and it’s probably the most romance heavy of all of my projects.

When was Breathing Ghosts released?

Breathing Ghosts was officially released on September 30th!

Is there anything else you would like to say to readers?

I'd just like to say thank you. Truly. It means so much when a reader takes a chance on your book and it means even more when you're an indie author. So I'd like to thank not just every reader who's picked up a copy of my book but every reader who supports indie authors and who so selflessly and enthusiastically champions books that might otherwise stay invisible.

About the book.

She is a winding cosmos, bleeding and bursting into night. She is a dream. She is dead.

River has just lost the one thing that matters most to him—Nia—and all she's left behind is a pile of scribbled love notes detailing their past and a pin-holed map planning out their future. Hopes and dreams confined to one dimension now that she's gone and River’s too afraid to leave his hometown, crippled by the same anxiety that’s plagued his mother for as long as he can remember.

But after a strange encounter with the only girl he ever loved a week after laying her to rest, River, armed with nothing but her map and his memories, decides to finally leave and never look back. And with the help of a pair of eccentrically named siblings as well as a mutt with three legs, he sets out to do the very thing Nia always knew how to do better than he ever could—live.

From the moonlit beaches off of Florida's east coast, to the forests of Mississippi, to Bourbon Street, Cadillac Ranch, and the Arizona desert, River is faced with not only Nia's ghost but his own and he learns that in life there are no accidents, only miracles.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Review ~ Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 5/5

I'm aware this book has gotten a lot of bad reviews and I was told it was "Boring" and "Slow" after I had bought it, but I was undeterred. I know the types of books I like and this one matched up, young adult, fantasy, supernatural, paranormal, magic & witches all words that hugely pique my interest. Also I had also of course seen trailers for the movie - despite my best efforts to avoid them- before I started reading, and the movie looks awesome. So all things considered, after a stint on the bookcase, I delved in.

Beautiful Creatures hypnotized  me, the plot was interesting, the characters were multidimensional and the writing was beautiful. But 563 pages and I'm not sure a whole lot happened, I literally think I was hypnotized. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, the pages flew by, and I don't have much criticism. But seriously, HOW WAS THAT 563 PAGES!?! I think there may be some caster magic involved here.

As for my criticism there really isn't much to say, I do hope that there isn't a cop-out song at the end of the next book, a poem of excuses for every year would be rather annoying. And well this doesn't really count as a criticism I just had to say it, in the book Lena says that mortals choose whether to be good or bad, and that line stuck with me. People don't decide, I think its part nature and part nurture but you don't wake up and say that for the rest of your life you'll be good or bad, its a matter of circumstance in my opinion.

It really is a great book, I couldn't put it down and the characters were really intriguing, realistic and lovable. If you like young adult and fantasy then pick up a copy. I can't wait to watch the film or read the next book.

                                                              Goodreads ~ Amazon