Hi All!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this blog a success.
I’ll be focusing my efforts on my travel blog, which you can check out here, that focuses on providing how to travel on a super tight budget.
I’ll be reviewing beach reads and in-flight reads, so if you’re a writer and have an e-book you’d like reviewed that falls into one of those categories, you can send it to alicia.marie.butler@gmail.com
Thanks!
Book Butler
Last night, I watched the season four premiere of Sons of Anarchy.
I was a little concerned, considering they’d wrapped up almost every plot point since the start of the series in season three, there wouldn’t be much to talk about (other than Jax’s butt and Opie’s little woolen caps).
Much to my surprise, I realized something bigger and even more important than anything life in Charming could throw at me:
I love Jax Teller because he’s essentially, a scary, dirty Edward Cullen. Let’s face it. He’s always getting Tara out of trouble. He’s a little obsessed with her (he tells her every time he’s with a woman the only face he can see is hers). He’s a larger-than-life, dangerous prince of darkness.
Who happens to be dirty as hell.
I’m not sayin’ Edward wasn’t a total melt-my-knees hottie. But he never shot a guy who’d been stalking Bella, only to have sex with her next to the dead guy’s corpse.
Just sayin’…
Three words: Writer’s wet dream
Crazy Stupid Love
Two words: Bromance Pygmalion
Total Stars: 4 ½
Brief synopsis:
Two (almost) total strangers, Nick and Norah, on the rebound from toxic relationships, develop an unlikely friendship. The story takes place in the course of one long night in which the pair hope to find enough of the pieces to put themselves back together again, and help each other move past their dysfunctional exes.
My overall impression:
Refreshing and honest, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is like a long drink of lemonade on a hot summer’s day.
Dynamic duo David Levinthan and Rachel Cohn strike again! And this time, it’s a match made in teenage heaven. Told in Nick and Norah’s dual narratives, this story is a funny and honest account of love, friendship, and life after break-ups and high school.
Like the movie, the book focuses on the drama surrounding two teens and the obstacles they overcome to get over their failed relationships. While the movie strays slightly from Levinthan’s and Cohn’s narrative and is slightly more structured, fans of the silver-screen adaptation will find the novel entertaining. Both teens and adults will enjoy the witty prose and double entendres.
It’s a quick read, but the rambling inner monologues and exposition get a little too chatty, and many readers will end up skimming these lengthy sections.
Sizzle factor: 2
Structure: ½
Overall character arc: 1
Pace: 1
Mullet factor: Plenty of business in the front and a substantial amount of party in the back make this mullet fun for the whole family!
The book publishing world, like everything, has been changing as a result of the digital age. Book lovers were astounded when Kindle and Nook sales shot to the heavens last year, placing self-published authors like Amanda Hocking, Terri Reid, and J.R. Ward on the publishing map.
While I could go on and on about the benefits of the self-publishing model (authors have the freedom to publish whatever they want whenever they want without one of the big six looking over their shoulder) and the downfalls (authors have the freedom to publish whatever they want whenever they want without one of the big six looking over their shoulders) I’m going to take a pass today and stick to the topic of reviews.
Every self-published novel I review I will hold to the same standards as the books that come from a major publishing house–with a few exceptions.
1. 1/2 star (or 1 self-publishing star) will be awarded for clean prose and above-average grammar.
2. 1/2 star will be awarded for a novel with steady pacing.
Since most self-published authors do not have access to a copy editor or cannot afford one, it feels harsh to penalize them, but readers should still be made aware of structural issues and clumsy prose.
I hope this rating system will give readers accurate information regarding the quality of the books they purchase while being fair to authors who may not have the same resources as authors who sign to large houses.
Audrey Niffenegger on Her Fearful Symmetry
Review coming soon…
