Book Review: Chosen (House of Night Series #3)

I started reading the House of Night series about a year a go but haven't got round to reading the 3rd book in the series until now. Yes, this is another vampire based story but as with most of them the author (or in this case authors) have their own interpretation of what a vampire is. I think to exaggerate that their definition of a vampire is quite different to some others they have spelt it differently as vampyre in these books.

The House of Night series is named after the school in which the majority of the story is set, and follows the life a a girl named Zoey Redbird who is sixteen at the beginning of the series. In this story the vampyre world is well known by the human world. In a small percentage of teenagers, adolescent hormones trigger a strand of what is otherwise junk DNA, which can eventually cause them to change into vampyres. When this happens they become 'marked' by a sapphire blue crescent-shaped outline on their foreheads. This signals the start of their change to become a vampyre and at this stage while they are changing they are called fledglings before they become an adult vampyre, although it takes four years to complete the change and not all the fledglings survive. Once they have been marked they must attend the House of Night boarding school, where they are required to take the Vampyre Sociology 101 course where they will learn the dangers of the vampyre world. If a fledgling is not in constant close proximity to adult vampyres, they will die. They will also die if their body rejects the change. Adult vampyres are super-gorgeous and super-talented and this is what a fledgling has to look forward to if they complete the change. All vampyres also follow what could be called a religion. They worship a goddess named Nyx and there is also an element of magic which gives them what could be called supernatural powers.

This novel, Chosen, is full of drama. From what could be normal teenage drama like being disappointed at getting Christmas presents on your birthday just because your birthday happened to be on the 24th of December and falling out with your parents to the complications of living in the vampyre world, but even Zoey's life is far from normal for the average fledgling. In this book she has to deal with many issues and learn from the consequences of her actions. Most of the story is set around her trying to find a way to save her best friend Stevie Rae who she saw die but is now an undead dead person. Zoey believes Stevie Rae is different from the other undead dead people as her affinity for earth has allowed her to retain some of her humanity and Zoey finds a way to 'fix' her best friend. But Zoey can't tell anyone about her best friend in case Neferet (Hight Preistess, who is seemingly wonderful to everyone else, but who Zoey knows is evil) finds out. So she keeps this a secret from her friends and boyfriend as well as the fact that she has been secretly seeing the hottest guy known in the vampyre world, Loren Blake. None of this goes well for Zoey as secrets always come out in the end. 

"Remember, darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always bring good."

I read through this book in the last 3 days. Although it is not a book that leaves me deep in thought after I have finished reading it, it is a book that is hard to put down as you get so sucked into the story and finding out what happens next.

Finding books - goodreads.com

Recently I've started getting the books I read from my local Library. It's great because I don't have to spend lots of money buying books to be able to enjoy reading, and most often once I've read a book once I won't read it again so there's not much point owning and keeping all the books I read. The only bad thing about choosing books in a library is you don't get any ideas of what might be good to read you just walk into a room with shelves and shelves full of books and have to find something yourself. Not like in a book shop where they'll have popular/recommended books, or say the paperback charts and more books that are sorted into genres to help choose something that's good. So to find something in the library you pretty have to know what you're looking for and search for an exact book. I don't know the names of many authors and don't really know whats good and whats not, which is mainly why I've been sticking to reading Nicholas Sparks books as I know they're all highly recommended.

So I've been looking out for books that people would recommend, watching book reviews on YouTube, reading the comments on books on Amazon and then I found the website www.goodreads.com. It's kind of like a social network site for book readers. You can list all the books you've read, rate books, write and read reviews on books and use this to make a list of books you'd like to read. They also have their own charts on there as to what the most popular books are. So if you're someone you enjoys reading make an account on goodreads and add me as a friend: http://www.goodreads.com/BeanyJane Or leave a comment with any book recommendations...

Book Review: 'Nights in Rodanthe' by Nicholas Sparks

Wow. How a story can move you to the point of tears. After turning the last page of the book I was left with the numb feeling caused by the pain of love and loss. I think the message of this story is learning to move on and live again after losing the one person you loved more than imaginable, but also to appreciate the time you spent together knowing that you wouldn't trade it for the world.

After Adrienne's husband leaves her for a younger woman she has rethink her life and future. When a friend asks her to look after their inn in Rodanthe for a weekend Adrienne sees it as the perfect opportunity to get away, but when a major storm is forecast for the same weekend she thinks her time away will be ruined.
On the other hand Paul has also recently divorced but realises his mistakes and wishes to change his life. He sells his medical practice, house and most of his belongings and is due to stay at the inn in Rodanthe for a few nights before traveling to Ecuador in the hopes of making a mends with his son.
Paul is the only guest due to stay at the inn while Adrienne is taking care of it. Both still coming to terms with their recent separations, they have no one else to turn to other than each other while alone together at the inn. Though at first their conversation was light and easy they soon started to open up to each other about their lives and feelings. And not before long they find themselves falling in love more deeply than either of them had ever experienced before. But all too soon their time together had to come to an end when Paul left to go after his son. I won't spoil the rest of the story but for the last part of reading the book I constantly felt like I was stopping myself from crying.

I really liked it when Adrienne said to her daughter "You're stronger than you think you are, but only if you want to be." because this is similar to something I always say: You can do anything if it's something you really want to do, but you won't be able to if you don't truly want it.

I would highly recommend this book - not just one of the best books by Nicholas Sparks that I've read, but one of the best books I've ever read!

Book Review: 'At First Sight' by Nicholas Sparks

One of the most beautiful, but sad, stories I have ever read. After finishing another one of Nicholas Sparks' novels, I am reminded of how much I love them.

'At First Sight' is a story about falling in love, relationships, marriage, parenthood, trust and believing. From the very start I was captured by the story of the couple presented in the book. Although as with most of Nicholas Sparks' books the best part is the ending, the part of the book that leaves you with a lasting impression. Heart-wrenchingly sad, but simply beautiful too.

The story is about a man, Jeremy, who meets a woman, Lexie, on his travels as a writer. After spending just one week with her he falls in love and goes back to find her six weeks later to propose to her. After she accepts, he gives up his life in New York City and moves down south to be with her. Learning that Lexie is pregnant, the wedding is promptly planned for and the couple buy a new house together. From there they begin to have their ups and downs as a couple, learning that if their relationship is to last they must have trust in each other. There is also some unexpected news and a shocking tragedy that follows. But all ends well, as a new life has begun and the last image you're left with shows the unconditional love felt in this story.

I wanted to share a small section of the book that I loved reading, as I felt it was so true but something most of us don't think about. It explains the relationship between a man and woman, a couple and what each of them expects of the other, the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.

Lexie's grandmother giving her some 'words of wisdom' when the couple was going through a rough time before the wedding:

"Let me tell you, they [men] can be rip-roaring mad or frustrated or worried about work or life, but in the end, they're pretty simple to figure out once you know what makes them tick. And one of the things that make them tick is an almost desperate need to feel appreciated and admired."
"Of course they want great sex and want you to keep the house clean and neat and organised while looking beautiful and still having the energy to do fun things together, but admiration and appreciation are right up there."
"Men have to make sacrifices, too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you want Jeremy to hold your hand and snuggle as you watch a movie, you want him to share his feelings and listen, you want him to spend time with your daughter and earn enough not only to buy but renovate the house. Well, I'll tell you straight up that no man says to himself as he's walking down the aisle, Gee, I'm going to work hard and sacrifice so I can provide a good living for my family, and I'm going to spend hours with my kids even when I'm tired, all the while hugging and kissing and listening to my wife and telling her all my troubles, and meanwile, I'm not going to expect a single thing." ..." A man promises to do the things to keep you happy in the hopes that you, too, will do the things that keep him happy"
"Men have certain needs, women have different needs; that's the way it was hundreds of years ago, and the way it's going to be hundreds of years from now. If you both realise that, and you both work on meeting each others needs, you'll have a good marriage. And part of that, for both or you, is trust. In the end, it's that simple."

I would highly recommend this book, and any others by Nicholas Sparks of which I've read 'Dear John' and 'The Last Song'.

At least one book a month!

I love reading, always have. I remember starting to read the Harry Potter series about the time when I was in year 4 at primary school. I used to read a lot, and it was a great thing to do with all the time spent on the bus to and from college. Although last year coming up to my exams, when I was supposed to be revising I decided I was spending too much time reading and stopped reading hoping I would spend more time revising. After that I couldn't get back into reading, and haven't read much for almost a year. So I would definitely love to read more! And I don't really like to set this as a goal, as it's something I wish to enjoy and not something I feel I have to do. But I have started reading more lately, and hopefully plan on writing reviews on the books I've read.

I liked this picture because as it's spring time there's a lot of daffodils around at the moment, fields and fields of them in Cornwall, and when the weathers nice I also like to read outside in the sunshine.

Books I have read recently: The Choice, Stolen, Scarred, Entangled.