Take One Off My Shelf

My own personal book reviews for books I've read recently - including YA, Contemporary, Crime
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare I loved and hated this book at the same time. I was drawn in really quickly and then things slowed down and then it got faster towards the end - which I hated if I'm being honest (the ending).

Clary is an easy to like character although I felt that she settled for things way too easily without a fight.

Jace was a pain in the arse all the way through, then he got likeable then he got annoying again. He was a bit of a douche.

I'll read the second book and hope that the characters develop a lot more. Especially the supporting characters Isabella and Alec. I thought they were both quite interesting but we don't really get to know them very well.
What's Your Number? - Karyn Bosnak I wanted to read something light hearted and funny and this book was just that. Delilah is an amusing character, although I'd say she would be on the verge of insanity if she was actually a real person, I really liked her.
The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting I have literally just read the prologue and I feel haunted by this story already. I have chills running down my spine - can't wait to get more imto it.

Wow! I actually couldn't put this book down. I loved it! I'm downloading book 2 for Kindle as I write this. I loved thd characters, the way it was written, the twists and surprises in the plot. Just wow! I know for sure that this story with stay with me for such a long time.
Nocturne - Syrie James I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a very simple story was written beautifully. I cried at the end too, I didn't want it to stop. I would add this book to the very few that I would read again.
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding Hard to get used to the fact that it is actually written in a diary form but it was a very clever idea. I really enjoyed this book actually. It was a lot of fun and definitely worth reading if you're looking for a light hearted read
P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not seen the movie so many times. I enjoyed it but I feel the movie was adapted too much and I felt like pieces of the book were missing. It was nicely written however and I would probably read it again at some point.
The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks I really liked this novel. The way Nicholas Sparks portrayed the love between Allie and Noah was amazing. I really liked the general story of it all. Of course I love the movie but by reading the novel (as is the case with most novels) you get a better insight into the characters than you do from watching a movie. One thing I did find however was that the book finished quite suddenly. I was expecting more but all in all it was nicely written and had a really good storyline.
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss I read so many good reviews about this book but ai actually couldn't even get through it. Most of the stories seemed pointless and weren't gripping. As the stories that are told are told by the main character and were in the past it takes away the suspence because you know he's not going to die. I didn't really like the main character either.

It was such a shame because I was really looking forward to reading this novel but I couldn't physically get through it. There was way too much prose in the writing that was hard to decipher.
Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks Before I read a book, I tend to read a few reviews on it first, this one was no exception. I noticed that more than a few people had said that they didn't like this novel becuase it was "too cliche", I'm glad I didn't listen to them because I loved this novel.

I found myself connecting to the main character Katie more than I ever have done with any other book that I've read recently. I was practically screaming at the pages when I knew something bad was going to happen and I felt the suspense because I knew what was coming but Katie didn't.

I give this book 4 stars because I although I loved it, I felt that the mushy stuff at the beginning maybe went on for a little long, a few chapters shorter would have been better but other than that, I can't really complain about it.
Forbidden - Syrie James, Ryan M. James I really liked this book actually. I liked the concept of it and I think it was written really well. I found myself really liking the main characters and it held quite a bit of suspense. It was a good light read.
Prince of Thorns - Mark  Lawrence I loved this novel, I thought it was great. If you can get through the first few chapters and actually get into the story, it's amazing! It was written really well and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
The Shining - Stephen King This is the first Stephen King novel that I've read and I found a little hard to adapt to his writing style but none the less I loved this book.

It sent shivers down my spine - so much so that I couldn't find the courage to read it at night. I really felt the pain and fear that these characters were going through. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially anyone who has seen the movie because the movie has nothing on this novel.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis A nice easy read, brought back a lot of childhood memories from reading it when I was a kid.
The Awakening and The Struggle - L.J. Smith If you only want to read this book because you watched and LOVED the TV show - don't do it! It's VERY different from the TV show and I kept thinking that it wasn't right, that the book was wrong. But of course it wasn't - the TV show has made the storyline more complex. The storyline in the book is very basic and very unrealistic. I feel the book could have been written in one book instead of 2 or 3.

I was very disappointed - if you want to enjoy this book, only read it if you are under 15 years old and haven't watched the TV show.
The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks Nicholas Sparks wrote this book amazingly! It had me tears, it had me laughing and all at the right parts. Must read for anyone who likes a good cry. Also, I'd suggest you read the book before you watch the movie. I didn't and it kinda ruined it for me but I loved it anyway.

Currently reading

Beautiful Creatures: The Complete Series
Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl