Month: July 2015

Item: The Perils of Pleasure
Rating: 3
Author: Jana

Top Ten Extremely Popular Books I’ve Never Read

Posted July 6, 2015 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

Usually Top Ten Tuesday is all about the books we’ve read or want to read, but today we’re talking about books everyone loves that we haven’t read yet, for one reason or another. Some of these books I’m just not interested in, so maybe you can talk me into them? Some of the others are books I’ve been DYING to read and just haven’t had time for yet!

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I love the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth, and I’ve got a really pretty edition of the book that I want to read so badly! And I’ve tried, but I’m just not usually in the mood for the antiquated language. But I feel like I should read this one!

2. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
I’m on a historical romance kick right now, and this Bridgertons series by JQ is extremely popular. Everyone I know keeps telling me to read it. And I even own it! I just haven’t had time for it yet.

3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
I read the first book and thought it was so much fun. But I have not continued on with the series yet! And I really want to!!!

4. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
This trilogy is hugely popular, and it sounds so good! Daisy gave me the first book for my birthday and I got the second one at ALA a couple years ago, signed by the author. I have no excuses here. I just need to get on it, and soon!

5. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I know how popular Rainbow is, but I’ve just never gotten it. I DNF’d Eleanor & Park, and now I’m feeling like I won’t like anything se writes because everyone who loves Fangirl also loves E&P. So I’m totally torn and kind of uninterested.

6. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Sorry, but I hate crying. I just can’t. I remember when Just One Day came out, and I was SURE it was a tear-jerker because I though that was all Gayle wrote. I LOVED JOD, and I wish I could get myself to read this one but I’m pretty sure I can’t.

7. Anything Sarah Dessen
I have not read one book by Sarah Dessen. Not one. I feel like I can’t even be a true YA reviewer without having read her books, but I haven’t. And I’m kind of ok with it. I think I own The Truth About Forever, but I’m just not feeling motivated to jump on the Dessen bandwagon. Which books of hers are your favorite? Or is she just not that big a deal?

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
In my defense, I’m currently reading this one. I’ve been reading it for months. It’s heavy and sad, but the writing is beautiful and I’m going to read it because it’s good for me. Plus, I met the author and he gave me a free book personalized to me. So I have no excuses here. Just fear of my heart being shattered.

9. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
I just don’t want to… And I hear it’s awesome, but it does not sound like a Jana book. I hear the main girl complains to no end, she sounds very whiny, she’s judgmental, she’s disrespectful, etc. People say it’s funny, but others say it’s really boring. And I’m pretty sure I’d hate Jessica. So it’s pretty much not gonna happen.

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Meh. It just sounds like a lot of drama and depression and I don’t really care to give it a shot.

So there you have it. Feel free to talk me out of my decision to not read some of these, and feel free to shove the ones you love into my hands! You have the power to change my mind of force me to do things, so hit me with your best shot!

The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long | Book Review

Posted July 6, 2015 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long
Series: Pennyroyal Green #1
Also in this series: What I Did for a Duke
Published by Avon on January 29, 2008
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 375
Format: eBook
Source: Gift
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His life is in her hands...

She's willing to be fearless for a price...but what if the cost is her heart?

A rescued rogue...

Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless unapologetic rogue is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.

A captivating captor...

Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin's vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeline dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they'll face great danger—and a passion neither can resist.

I found The Perils of Pleasure to be a very fun and enjoyable read, although I read What I Did for a Duke (book #5) first and still love that one more. Colin, our not-so-fugutive on the run, and Madeline, Colin’s rescuer, spend most of the book on the run from the law, following clues and leads to discover the identity of the true murderer. The story really started off with a bang, and reminded me of the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean where Will saves Captain Jack Sparrow from the gallows. Colin is ready to be hung, when BAM. A diversion. A rescue. And I love that the rescuer was a woman. Yay girl power! The tables were turned, and the man is the one in distress here. I’m a huge fan of unique plot lines, and this one is definitely not your typical historical romance. Colin is sarcastic and likes to make light of things, whereas Madeline is cynical, private, and stand-offish. These two go so well together, and I loved how he Colin was able to soften her up a bit and she got him to think about more serious things.

Colin and Madeline have this great tension and chemistry, and the slow burn was almost painful at times because I just wanted to smash their faces together and get it over with! Their banter is pretty funny at times, especially when they are walking long hours or sneaking one another around in a coffin. The writing was very well done as well. The only complaint I had was that the story dragged at times, and I was not always completely motivated to read it. The “mystery” was a little convoluted and I had a hard time keeping track or who was where and for what reason. I did not find that aspect of the story, which was basically the bulk of the story, to be very exciting. I also would have loved more emphasis on their love story. I’ve become quite a fan of Julie Anne Long, though, and am excited to read more of this series!

Happy 4th of July!

Posted July 4, 2015 by Jana in About Me / 7 Comments

I love living where I do, and I love the beauty of the United States. I just got home from my second road trip of the summer on Thursday night, and combining my two trips I’ve pretty much driven across the entire country this summer. I’ve been all through the Rocky Mountains, the Nevada desert, farmland, the Appalachian Mountains, ocean roads, beautiful fields, and rolling hills this summer. I’ve driven along the banks of the Mississippi River after sailing down it on a cruise in May. The United States is beautiful, and has so many different landscapes and natural wonders. I really love living here.

I don’t do much on the 4th of July because I enjoy just staying home with my family and eating yummy food. We’re having a barbecue with hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips, and strawberry pie. And then we’ll probably lay around in our air conditioning and watch a fun movie or play games. My bad lungs keep me from setting off fireworks in the street, but I know lots will be going on around me, so I’ll keep an eye out.

If you celebrate, what are your plans for the 4th? What kinds of things do you like to do to celebrate? I hope you have a lovely day!

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross | Novella Review

Posted July 3, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross
Published by Harlequin Teen on May 1, 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk
Pages: 83
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined.

My Kindle copy of The Girl in the Steel Corset has this short prequel novella at the beginning, and I had no idea what I was reading until it was over and it was time to move into the full-length novel! I was a tad annoyed that I was not told I was reading the novella, but I can only assume it will be helpful as I move into The Girl in the Steel Corset at a later time.

I think I was fortunate with this novella, even though I was annoyed I was reading it instead of the book (The Girl in the Steel Corset was a required reading for my YA lit course, and so I was frustrated that I had spent 83 pages on the wrong book. But oh well. Moving on.). The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was actually pretty entertaining and has a plot that it not too big or too small for the book. It felt just right to me. We were not rushing through events and details, but it also did not feel like an unnecessary addition to the series. The characters are well developed even though 83 pages is not long enough to get attached to any of them. I like Finley, and am intrigued by her story. I also liked the writing style, and feel like this book was a nice introduction to the series. I know some people read this novella after Steel Corset, so I’m not sure which was the better option. Regardless, I enjoyed it and am planning to read The Girl in the Steel Corset soon.

So. Do you like this series? Have you read this novella? I’m curious how it relates to Steel Corset because I read a review that says that the events in this books are never referenced in Steel Corset, and that Steel Corset contradicts some of the events in Strange Case. So is it even worth reading it in the grand scheme of things? I’d love your opinions!