Karen - I have Evermore on my TBR pile. What didn't you like about it?

Susan,
I could only find one thing I liked from the book; the relationship between Ever & her sister. The whole book seemed to be a subtle rip-off of the "T" series. I hate to have to compare, but the evidence is clearly in the book. The YA novels I've gotten accustomed to reading, have strong female leads, no matter what their age. I know 10 year olds that act older than Ever. Her immaturity though, is just the beginning of my problems with this book. I've been told to read it again, and to keep an open mind, and I've tried. I just can't like it.

I picked up the sequel at B&N the other day during storybook time for the kids. Again, open mind right? Sadly, after reading the first chapter, I put it back on the shelf. Bad. Bad. Bad. Listening to the B&N lady read aloud about caterpillars, was more fascinating.

I'm sorry if I'm of no help. I know there's tons of people out there who literally love this book. I'm just not one of them.

Sally - I tried to read the book then gave up. I watched the movie, enjoyed it for what it was, then pick up the book again and finished it.

I wouldn't say I hated the actress in the movie, but she had that vacant look about her and I didn't think she was a particularly good actress.

Karen - I have Evermore on my TBR pile. What didn't you like about it?

I hope I don't get virtual books thrown at me for this, but the one book I totally regret reading and wasting my time and money on is.....ready?.....Evermore.

LOL! I'm Gonna Get You Succah!

lol, on another of my reading groups we have a reading challenge this month that is called "Boxed set"--we have to take at least 3 books by 3 different authors, all with the same Halloween theme and put them together, along with a name for the set and read them.

I chose "I'm Gonna Get You Succah" for mine--and my 3 books were all humourous vampire books. I might see about putting together another set later, but right now, that's mine for now. (Oh, the 3 vamp books are--Fanged and Faboulous, Stakes and Stilettos and Night Prayers.)

Something more than gushing at the sheer brilliance...wow do I agree with that! I always prefer the kick ass girls who are more than willing to ask for help. A true kick ass knows when she needs reinforcements!

Sally, all those writers you mentioned (Sands, Harris, et al) incorporate a good dose of humor. I prefer that too. It's difficult to read characters that take themselves all too seriously. Real life has enough drama! I need some levity thrown in!

Completely agree, Gems!

YA books are hit or miss with me - I generally try to read as many as I can because it's what I want to write when I get something published but the Mortal Instruments, Skullduggery Pleasant and Twilight were pretty good character wise and the former two plot wise. It's kind of nice to read female characters that aren't wisecracking sardonic geniuses but are instead, normal and real.

Though on saying that, a lot of UF stories are hit and miss with me for that same reason, a lot of female characters are just too kick ass and thus the rest of the characters are overshadowed by this female killing machine. If you're going to have secondary characters in a story, use them for something more than gushing at the sheer brilliance of the main character... there's nothing so annoying as hero worship for a protagonist, it stinks of self insertion.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to YA too. I actually don't usually like them. I was kinda surprised with Twilight. I think that was the exception. I'm still waiting for another one I'll enjoy as much.

I've had trouble getting into the Laurel K Hamilton books, but maybe that's because I'm really loving the Lynsay Sands, Carlaine Harris, Jennifer Rardin, Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward books so much. I think i'll keep hers till I run out of others that I already know I love.

Speaking of YA books, I am so with you on that. I am pretty picky so dont automatically think I'll like them, but I read and loved the Twilight series, although, iI agree with Susan's estimate of Bella's character. Fortunately Susan, she does improve with later books. Have you seen the movie? If you have, do you think your estimation of Bella has something to do with the actress playing her? I dont think I've ever disliked an actress, on or off screen, like I do that one.
Talking of YA books again. Have you tried "Wings" by Aprilynne Park? Loved it and would be interested in other's thoughts.
By the way, for those who haven't seen me here before, I'm Sally and I'm an insatiable reader from Melbourne, Australia and I'm just loving this group.

I too like YA books. I've just finished almost the entire run of Princess Diaries books. I'm just waiting on 2 more--and they are from the "supporting" books, rather than the main novels.

Altho I will admit--Mia did get on my nerves sometimes--as did all her friends. But that might just be because they were acting more like what I thought MIDDLE schoolers--or maybe even upper level elementary schoolers should act like, rather than high schoolers. Or maybe it was just reading all of them in the space of 10 days?

Samantha - I enjoy YA books too. I've discovered many good authors and stories :)

you know I lke YA novels, I didn't think I would either because I thought they would be all cheesy and stuff but I am really enjoying the YA books. ALOT!

I think I'm suffereing from reading rebound authors right now...
read all of KM Monings Fever series, and Wards BDB,, and haven't been able to get through anything else!!! Maybe I'll have to go pick up sherrilyn kenyons new book... i've been trying to wait, since I don't want to buy the hard cover for that (Acheron is my only hardcover from SK, and well worth it!!!)


Looloo wrote: "Mel wrote: "The rebound author... ;)"

LOL, I like that term.

I read Vampire Academy last weekend and really liked it. I'm not really into YA and was afraid I wouldn't like it much. I wasn't l..."

I definitely agree about the master of time series... I read the second book first, and thought this is alright... went and bought the 1st book, and really regretted reading it... just lucky I got through it. It was almost in my "abandoned" pile

Phury's book in BDB. So disappointed in how that story line turned out - I had such high hopes for him, and the only thing that kept the book alive were the supporting character story lines in there...

I didn't like the Ward series at all - read one book and that was enough.

Same for Christina Dodd - Scent of Darkness, read this and that did it for me. Actually, I don't think I like any of her books.

Masters of Time series. Thought the first was boring and didn't finish.

Twilight series - Bella is selfish, self-centered and not too bright. However, I can't help myself and have finished the second book and will eventually read the others.

DarkHeart wrote: "Cherra wrote: ""Hey, did you know I am the most popular girl in school and all the boys want me". Here's what she had going for her in a nutshell: She is a high school-hottie-skank with a bad attit..."

I agree, I think Cherra's comment describes Zoey perfectly. Although I do like both series. Rose is not that girl 4 books later and Zoey still is.

Rose is badass and has grown a lot since the first book, I might not think as much of her if I would have just stopped with the first book but am totally hooked now.

Cherra wrote: ""Hey, did you know I am the most popular girl in school and all the boys want me". Here's what she had going for her in a nutshell: She is a high school-hottie-skank with a bad attitude who is so full of herself she gives egocentricity a new meaning. Making out with every guy who shows her any attention is her favorite hobby..."

LOL, that's funny because that description fits the House of Night series for me - a series that I have a real love/hate relationship with. I absolutely detest Zoey and yet I keep reading. Sigh...

Of course, I love Vampire Academy though and think Richelle Mead is a genius to create three unique and brilliant series.

I know what you mean. They started 'the deed' before there was any connection between them. You understand why later, but still. I like to work up to the sex.

Desiree wrote: "Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I did not like ... Dont get me wrong, the writing was decent, sex was steamy, and the action was adequate but it just never..."

That's not picky Desiree, that's the way it's supposed to be! At least: that's the way I like it. Plus a little angst thrown it it. I'm a sucker for angsty-love.

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I did not like ... Dont get me wrong, the writing was decent, sex was steamy, and the action was adequate but it just never hooked me and I didn't feel the characters and world developed well.

The plot seemed interesting and it sounded like an engaging world, but soon the plot thinned and all the action and sex bored me. (Yes I said it..sex and boring...eek..) Call me picky but Im like a crock pot, I have to be warmed up a bit, get a little foreplay going in there, make readers wonder before you cook a romance on high!

Cherra wrote: "Mel wrote: "The rebound author... ;)"

Clever Mel! The poor rebound author never wins and rarely gets a second chance to prove they have talent."

LOL exactly: never a fair chance for the poor rebound author.

Looloo, I'm sure you'll love the Georgina series. Especially the first two books have such nice dialogue. I wasn't blown away by the last (#4) book. It was good but not great and Mead has shown she can do better. But I still have #5 on auto-buy :)

Mel wrote: "The rebound author... ;)"

Clever Mel! The poor rebound author never wins and rarely gets a second chance to prove they have talent.

Mel wrote: "The rebound author... ;)"

LOL, I like that term.

I read Vampire Academy last weekend and really liked it. I'm not really into YA and was afraid I wouldn't like it much. I wasn't looking for anything too deep or complicated so it fit the bill and now I've ordered the next two books in the series.

I really want to read the Succubus series too.

The rebound author... ;)

~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "i find if i read a really good book i cant get into the book i read next!"

yeah, it really sucks to be the "next author"

Cherra wrote: "~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "Cherra wrote: "Books I view as a complete waste of my time are so lucky to be featured on my "hated it" self. they would be:

[bookcover:Vampire Acade..."

i find if i read a really good book i cant get into the book i read next!

::bow::

::takes microphone::

Thank you, Mel, for that lovely introduction.

While I really enjoyed the first two books of Mead's Succubus series, I have since become extremely frustrated with its heroine. But this will not deter me from reading the fifth book and so I will still recommend giving it a try.

Now. Dark Swan. That's a whole other topic. Beginning with Storm Born, it is, as Mel said, about a shaman named Eugenie and her dealings with the Fae. She is stubborn, but not at all unyielding, which is a very nice trait in a kick-ass heroine. The book opens with her having to drive a demon out of a possessed sneaker.

Yes, a sneaker. So there's definitely some quirky humor at work, even though Mead touches on the dark side too. Lots of action as well.

But the crowning glory is my obsession, Dorian--a cocky, intelligent, seductive Fae king with a taste for bondage.

You must give that one a try.

Thank you.

::saunters off::

~♡кαтιє♡~ wrote: "Cherra wrote: "Books I view as a complete waste of my time are so lucky to be featured on my "hated it" self. they would be:

[bookc..."

You know Katie it could be that I wasn't in the mind frame to read those books at that time. I am not sure what I might have just finished, but if I was really caught up in a series then had to down shift to a different subject/series maybe I just wasn't in the mood to give them a chance. :-( Maybe I will give the series another shot. I am almost 34 and I do enjoy a good YA novel--as listed in my initial post, the HON series in on my favorites list!

Mel wrote: "Cherra, you should try the Georgina Kincaid series. It's about a succubus who falls in love with a human (and ofcourse a mystery to be solved each book). It's a nice series, really witty (especiall..."

Ah! The G Kincaid succubus series is on my to read list! I may need to move that up a few notches! Thanks!

Cherra wrote: "Books I view as a complete waste of my time are so lucky to be featured on my "hated it" self. they would be:

[bookcover:Swoon|383176..."


am 24 and i loved glass house the morganville series is in my top 5 fave books and i liked vampire academy but not as much but people said it gets better as it goes on so i have brought the rest just to give it a go.

Cherra, you should try the Georgina Kincaid series. It's about a succubus who falls in love with a human (and ofcourse a mystery to be solved each book). It's a nice series, really witty (especially the first few books). And she also has another series: Dark Swan, about a shaman who has a lot more to do with the Fay than she counted on. Really really funny, I just recently discovered that. I'll let Michelle propagate those series, she has a love interest in it...

Michelle M. wrote: "Ho mackin' on every guy. Lol.

Cherra, have you read either of Mead's other two series? If so, did you like or no?"

Michelle--I have not read any of Mead's other series. Have you? What are they? Have you read them? I am willing to give her other series a shot if the story line sounds good.

Mel wrote: "Wow Cherra, you really put me off of reading the book. I scraped it off my TBR-list. "

Mel--there are a lot of people who love this series. But, as I guess you can tell, it wasn't my fave! :-) I just think there are so many other awesome books out there in this genre--why waste your time? If you do read it, I would be interested in what you think about it.

Morganville Vamps is definitely written for the YA audience. But once Claire gets more involved with the vamps and becomes an apprentice to Myrnin, I was hooked.

Wow Cherra, you really put me off of reading the book. I scraped it off my TBR-list.

Rose is a ho. I didn't like Rose so it turned me off the series. And it's all about her. There's barely a glimpse of Dmitri.

Ho mackin' on every guy. Lol.

Cherra, have you read either of Mead's other two series? If so, did you like or no?

Mel, I didn't like Vampire Academy--I was surprised that I didn't b/c I love vampire books and I don't mind YA books. I have read several YA series and loved them, for example, Marked, Blue Bloods, Twilight. To be fair, I think I read the first book in the series after I read the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris--so maybe I was on a different wave length mentally.

The problems I had with the 1st book in the VA series:
I thought the characters were poorly developed and I didn't believe what they were selling. For instance, the main character, Rose was totally flat to me and her spineless BFF, Lissa...she was so forgettable, I don't remember a thing about her. Mead kept talking about "a darker side" to Lissa but failed to illustrate that side of her. I feel that when an author is all talk about what a character is going to do or what a character is capable of but doesn't follow through with some action...well, it's a little anti-climatic to say the least. Also, I felt that Rose was snide and sarcastic--but it didnt come across as an endearing trait on the page. Rose thought that she was the best thing since sliced bread and that everyone loved her--but didn't have much to back it up. I would compare it to actually being the most popular girl in school vs saying, "Hey, did you know I am the most popular girl in school and all the boys want me". Here's what she had going for her in a nutshell: She is a high school-hottie-skank with a bad attitude who is so full of herself she gives egocentricity a new meaning. Making out with every guy who shows her any attention is her favorite hobby, but OF-COURSE she really only has eyes for one guy. The guy is...DUH... the one every girl wants and is basically viewed as a god on campus.

Okay, so now on to the romance. Yes, I am aware it IS a YA novel, so I wasn't expecting erotic make out sessions, but come on! Mead could have done so much more with the romantic interest, Dimitri. I didn't have the slightest bit of desire for him. First off, there was no tension between them, so as a reader, I didn't have an opportunity to want them to get together. Mead tells us every detail about what Rose and Dimitri are feeling--there was no wondering what was going on or where they were planning to take things. I really didn't care if they ended up together or not.

Over all, I think my dislike for this book really comes from the author's lack of character development and an age gap. I think if I were 12 or 13, I might like this book. Then again, I would not want my 12 year old reading about this hoe macking on every guy she crosses paths with...

Cherra, you didn't like Vampire Academy? I didn't read it but I'm really curious cause I hear so many good things about it on the boards. But I still can't seem to get my head around the fact that I'll be reading a YA-series. I'm just afraid it'll be simple and kind of childish, but I can't imagine so many people (of our age) liking it if it actually were so.
What didn't you like about it?

Books I view as a complete waste of my time are so lucky to be featured on my "hated it" self. they would be:



To be fair, I think Glass Houses was just written for a young audience. I know this genre is fantasy, but the story line was (in my opinion) stupid. A ghost who is confined to his home and none of his roommates know he is a ghost? Uhhh... And Swoon was just all over the place--it took me forever to get through it.

Books that dont fall into this particular category but I also disliked are:



I think the Da Vinci Code was overhyped--maybe if I had read it before all the hype I might have liked it...but probably not. It isn't the typical book i go for. As for Jancee Dunn and her "comically poignant debut" novel, Don't You Forget About Me A Novel--I say, stick with your day job Jancee. You earned rave reviews for your rock-and-roll memoir--you are an author, not a comedian--this was painfully obvious in your latest novel. :-p Then Vanishing Acts--i am just not a fan of Jodi Picoult's writing style. Hearing the same story from 3 points of view in 3 separate chapters over and over again was exhausting.

My least favorites have been Laurel Hamilton's Anita Blake series books 5 and beyond. That series has lost its original appeal. Susan Krinard's Lord of Legends disappointed. Karen Moning's Bloodfever gagged to the point I've decided not to read the others.

Kiss and Tell.
Also, I'm a rarity and didn't really like Moon Called. The second book in the Anita Blake series was not something I cared for either (all zombies and repetition)

Lori wrote: "Danielle wrote: "I love the Jennifer Armintrout books.

Anyways I regret reading Dark Lover and Lover Eternal. I think perhaps I am not a die hard romance fan."

I loved the Jennifer Armintrout bo..."

Yes. I thought I would be put off by a M/M scene but I wasn't at all. That was hot.

Ann wrote: "Well guys--Dark Lover definately stays on my "what a waste of time" list. Sigh, I've given up the second attempt at reading it, and its going back to the library on Tuesday, unread. ..."

Yes it is a horrible book and Lover Eternal is no better. However Lover Awakened I did enjoy.

Oh, now that sounds interesting!

Danielle wrote: "I love the Jennifer Armintrout books.

Anyways I regret reading Dark Lover and Lover Eternal. I think perhaps I am not a die hard romance fan."

I loved the Jennifer Armintrout books too. The M/M scene in the kitchen with the olive oil is what got me hooked on the genre :)

Danielle wrote: "I love the Jennifer Armintrout books. "

Me too. I thought I was about the only one who loved them.

I love the Jennifer Armintrout books.

Anyways I regret reading Dark Lover and Lover Eternal. I think perhaps I am not a die hard romance fan.

Really I think there isn't enough blood LOL