The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  So, my class in school has been reading The Importance of Being Earnest in class for a few weeks, and we finished! I thought I'd blog about my thoughts on it.  I really enjoyed reading it.  It's very different than most books I read.  One of the main differences is the fact that it is a play instead of a novel.  It's also set in Victorian England.  It was just really funny and ironic.  I'd strongly recommend it.
The Cover:

The Cover:
There are a bunch of different covers out there.  I just randomly chose one.  It shows two girls, Gwendolyn and Cecily fawning over "Ernest".  The title is a play on words (Earnest vs the name Ernest).  The book I read had the subtitle, "A trivial comedy for serious people".

Oh, and also, the copyright is no longer valid for this book, so you guys can just go and download/ read it online for free!

My Brief Description:
Jack and Algernon are upper class men during the Victorian Era, and they constantly get into trouble.  However, they want to occasionally escape their lives, so Jack created an alter ego (Ernest, his "brother", a man who is constantly up to no good in London so that he could get out of his house as much as he likes) and Algernon made up an imaginary sick friend to get him out of social events.
Everything gets complicated when Lady Bracknell, Gwendolyn's mother, forbids her from marrying Jack because of his family and Gwendolyn only wants to marry a man named Ernest (not Jack).  Algernon also wants to find true love, and he looks for it in Cecily, the ward of Jack.  However, he introduces himself to her as Ernest, Jack's brother...

My Review:
This book was just hilarious! It was a romantic comedy or sorts.  It was just silly and ironic.  I had no opinion of it at all before I started reading it, but a few pages in, I knew I was going to love reading it.
There isn't that much to say about it, but I did enjoy reading it, and I hope you give it a chance!

Link to more of my thoughts (as I read it)

Phrase:
Frightening christenings

Happy Reading!

Read Bottom Up by Neel Shah and Skye Chatham 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  So, I just finished reading Read Bottom Up by Neel Shah and Skye Chatham.  It was amazing!  However, I must warn you, it is a "letter-book" (more on that later) and it is not aimed at kids/teens like many books on my blog, so there is a bit of mild adult content.  If you are in high school, like me, you are definitely fine, but if you are like ten, maybe not?

Anyway, the cover:

The Cover:

The cover shows our couple, Madeline and Elliot talking at some restaurant.  Its not a particular scene in the book, but it kinda works for this book.  The title is very creative, too.  "Read bottom up" is something that Madeline wrote when she forwarded her best friend one of Eliot's emails.  She was supposed to start at the bottom of the conversation and read it up.  It also seems very metaphoric, but I'm not going to get into that right now.

Official Description:
A charming novel about falling in love, or like, in the digital age, told in an inventive, creative style.
Madeline and Elliot meet at a New York City food event. Flirtation, online, ensues. A romance, potentially eternal, possibly doomed, begins.
And, like most things in life today, their early exchanges are very public, available to be scrutinized and interpreted by well-intentioned friends (aka amateur love doctors) who are a mere click away. Of course like all good email trails, this one reads from the bottom up.
Madeline and Elliot's relationship unfolds through a series of thrilling, confounding, and funny exchanges with each other and with their best friends. The result is a brand new kind of modern romantic comedy, both in format and in content. Read Bottom Up is a brilliant, fresh portrait that captures how enchanting, exciting, and downright confusing falling in love twenty-first-century style can be.

My Condensed Description:

Elliot and Madeline meet at the restaurant that Elliot works at and they start spending a lot of time together.  They share all of their romantic hopes/dreams/conversations in emails (and a few text messages) between themselves and their two friends, David and Emily.  The relationship is cute at times and doomed at others.

My Review:
This book was great! If I had to pick one word, I would call it "realistic" because it has none of the dramatic fanfare that fictional relationships sometimes have.  Madeline over analyzed everything that Elliot said, they were noncommittal, it was awkward at times, and most importantly, it wasn't perfect. There were constant snags and irritations in their relationship.  This made it really interesting to me.
The characters were also really three dimensional.  Even David and Emily, the best friend characters, were developed and unique.  They were not many characters because of the way that this novel was written, but each character that did exist was treated, if not equally, than well.
So. The writing style.  It was different. It took me a few pages to understand the way it was written and easily read the book, but it worked.  After I understood how to read it, I had no trouble at all getting into the story.  Don't let its difference push you away.  Basically, there were just a lot of emails back and forth to the four main characters of this cast (Elliot, Madeline, Emily, and David).  It was actually a great way to write this particular story, and it made it much more enjoyable to me.  One reason was that we had multiple character's points of view.  For example, Madeline would describe a situation as awful and terribly awkward, while Elliot would think it went well.  There were just so many little inconsistencies between their stories (he was 3 minutes vs 2 hours late) that it made each situation full of doubt and humor.  I normally don't like "letter-books" but this book made these modern-day "letters" work!
It was also surprisingly deep, as well as sort of romantic-comedy-esque. The messages sent were what actual people would send in these situations.
My only real complaints were that the formatting for the text messages (which happened only a few times throughout the book) was off.  This was almost certainly because I was reading an uncorrected ARC, but it was a little irritating.  I am 99% sure it will be fixed by the time you guys read it.  Also, the fact that the characters were expected to respond instantly to emails irked me.  Now, keep in mind that I am a teenager, and I find that we rarely email/check our emails.  I know that the characters in this novel were NOT teenagers, so it might be different for them, but I was a little skeptical about that.
All in all, it was a great book.  It was cute, deep, interesting, and just a quick read in general.  I'd strongly recommend reading it!

Quotes (NOTE: These may change in the official published edition!) :

"did not go home with her. I mean I did walk her back to her apartment, tell her I'm still madly in love with her, and offer to stay over (just spoon) and do her laundry in the morning... but she said no to everything, so all good. Except the laundry part. She did let me come in and do that."

"Well, there's also that adage about not buying the cow if you can get the milk for free but WHAT IF YOU'RE LACTOSE INTOLERANT"

"Conclusion: he is the dead cat of my dreams"

"Do you want me to start with the part where she called me 'an emotional vegetable'" ....
"the part where she said that I was more interested in being 'in a school play about a relationship than in real intimacy'"  ....
"Or when she accused me of using her to get a cookbook deal?"

This book comes out April 7, 2015.

Happy Reading!

The Ripper, The Asylum, and The Compelled (Stefan's Diaries #4, 5, and 6) by "LJ Smith", Kevin Williamson, and Julie Pec 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  This is my last review installment for any Vampire Diaries book for the foreseeable future.  This is the second half of the Stefan's Diaries series, and now that I'm done, I'm going to move on for a while.  Just a warning, these will be exceptionally short reviews!

Have you missed my previous posts? Click on these links to read my review: Vampire Diaries (original), Vampire Diaries: The Return (Nightfall,  Shadow Souls, Midnight), Stefan's Diaries 1: Origins, Stefan's Diaries 3 and 4: Bloodlust and The Craving ADD A LINK TO THIS!!!!!!!!!!.

Now, if you're ready, let's start reviewing these three books.
Oh, and if you are wondering, I grouped these three Stefan's Diaries together because they formed a trilogy of sorts.  They all told the story of Damon and Stefan in London during the Jack the Ripper Era.

Book Four: The Ripper:

Official Description: 

Haunted by the past . . .

The year is 1888, and the scent of blood lingers heavy in the London air. Stefan Salvatore thought he could escape his violent origins by settling in the peaceful countryside of England, but when a heinous murderer named Jack the Ripper surfaces, Stefan fears darkness will always follow him. Drawn into the investigation, Stefan assumes the worst: This is the work of a vampire. And the more he learns, the more he becomes convinced that the killer is someone close to him—and that he can never outrun his past.
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

My Condensed Description:

Stefan assumes the murders in London were committed by Damon and decided the best move is to snoop around London.  Stefan meets Violet and tries to help her.

My Too-Short Review:

It wasn't quite as good as the others on this series, but it was still enjoyable.  I was mostly just disappointed that this book was about Jack the Ripper rather than "Ripper Stefan".  This book was just a bit whiny.  I'm not as interested in this storyline than I was in the plot of the previous three books.

Book Five: The Asylum:

Official Description:

The hunters become the hunted. . . .

Driven from their hometown of Mystic Falls, both Stefan Salvatore and his brother, Damon, arrived in Europe looking for a fresh start. But Samuel, a wealthy and cunning vampire, has other plans for them. First he ruined Stefan’s peaceful existence and now he’s framing Damon for the most gruesome murders London has ever seen.
United against their common enemy, Stefan and Damon are stunned when they realize that the source of Samuel’s rage lies in their past—tied up with the woman who forever changed their lives. Haunted by the memory of Katherine, the brothers find that their uneasy alliance is tested. Can they overcome their rivalry to defeat Samuel before he exacts his final revenge?
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

My Condensed Description:

Damon and Stefan argue amongst themselves while a vampire, Samuel, kills more girls.  Samuel frames Damon for these murders and creates a vendetta against Stefan and Damon that they, in turn, attempt to reciprocate.  Also, Stefan and Cora bond.

My Too-Short Review:

I have to admit that I don't like this Jack the Ripper storyline, which spans 3 books now as much as the early storylines. I hope they change soon! (They didn't.)  This book went a lot slower than the past ones have.  I don't believe they should've stretched this over three books.  Two books is pushing it.

Book Six: The Compelled:

Official Description:

Control or be controlled . . .
Stefan and Damon thought they knew evil. But nothing compares to Samuel, the ruthless vampire hell-bent on avenging Katherine's death by destroying the Salvatore brothers.
Reeling from Samuel's latest attack, Stefan and Damon find help in the most unlikely of places—a secret coven of witches. Together they discover Samuel's plan is more sinister than they ever could have imagined. Their only hope is to stop him before he secures the power to control humans and vampires alike. If they fail, not only Stefan and Damon but all of London will fall victim to Samuel's spell.
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan's Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began. 

My Condensed Description:

Damon and Stefan finally band together to attempt to stop Samuel once and for all.  They recruit a few witches to help them on their mission, but things are more complicated then they appeared. There was a reason for Jack the Ripper's dismemberments, and it could lead to the end of London.

My Too-Short Review:

This was definitely better than the last two books in this series.  It had more action, a better plot, and more complex interactions between characters. 

Quote:

This was just too melodramatic not to include:
"But washing the dirt from my face did nothing to scrub the blackness from my soul" - The Ripper

Does anyone know if there will be anymore books in this series? Comment!

Happy Reading!

Follow me on twitter: @BookshelfSecret

Bloodlust and The Craving (Stefan's Diaries #2 and 3) by "LJ Smith", Kevin Williamson, and Jullie Pec 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Just so you know, this will be a very short review.

I just read both Bloodlust and The Craving, sequels to Origin (LIIIIIINNNNNKKKKK) and part of the Vampire Diaries /  The Return  (Book 1  Book 2  Book 3) series.  I'm liking the series so far.  All of the books are action-packed, short and fun.  If a book is only 200-some pages, I don't tend to expect more than good characters and an actual plot, and you most certainly get that in these books. There are pretty good books that just breeze by.  I am by no means saying that they're the best books I've ever read, but if you just want some quick entertainment, go for this series.  It will probably exceed your expectations for a vampire book.
I also love it when books are set in the Victorian Era.  It just makes every interaction so scandalous! For example, "he just touched her hand in public! *gasp*"  This makes the book better for me, in the same way that it made The Infernal Devices better.  I'd recommend reading these books if you have a free day. They may be guilty pleasure books, but as long as there is still pleasure, why not?

P.S. These covers are just awful.  I'm so glad I'm not reading paperback copies so no one sees these covers and judges!

Happy Reading!

Visit me on Twitter: @BookshelfSecret

Origins (Stefan's Diaries #1) by "LJ Smith" and Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I decided to go down a different path from here on out in the Vampire Diaries series.  Let's ditch the awful writing of The Return series and the original Vampire Diaries series for something a bit different.  This is a book based on the Vampire Diaries TV show which was based on the Vampire Diaries books.  The reason I put LJ Smith in quotes is because, while her name is on the cover, she had no input in this book's writing process, and I'm grateful.
The Cover:

The Cover:
This is a boring cover.  End of story.  It has Stefan's face on it.  (Have I mentioned I hate the half-face on book covers? Because I do)

Official Description:

A love triangle that will span eternity… 

The year is 1864 and the Civil War rages on. But seventeen-year-old Stefan Salvatore is fighting a battle all his own. Engaged to marry someone he does not love, Stefan falls for a mysterious girl named Katherine. With her gleaming curls and mischievous brown eyes, Katherine is beautiful and seduction…but she also harbors a dark secret: She’s a vampire.Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.(Note: This book is written by a ghostwriter)

My Review:

This was infinitely better than the original Vampire a Diaries series and The Return series. Both of those series were decent at best and trash at worst. However, I really enjoyed Stefan's Diaries book one. 
My reasons:
1. Stefan is a much less irritating main character than Elena. He's just a strong character who I can relate to.
2. The writing style was much better than LJ Smith's (who didn't write this book).  
3. The plot was interesting and not stupid. 
This book was by no means that best book I've ever read, but it was much better than I expected. 

I got really involved in this books plot and felt for all of Stefan's difficulties throughout the story.

I would definitely recommend Origins to anyone really.  It's definitely more of a girl book than a guy book, but do what you want to do.

Quote:

"It was ironic that while I'd spent my entire life trying to get my father's approval, what made him happiest was an act that made me feel dead inside"

Phrase:

Oblong ball

Happy Reading, everyone!

Midnight (Vampire Diaries: The Return #3) by LJ Smith 3/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I know that I promised to give Vampire Diaries a break for a bit, but that didn't happen, I'm afraid.  If you haven't read my previous reviews, check them out: Vampire Diaries (original series) and Nightfall and Shadow Souls.

The Cover:

The Cover:
....Yeah.... I have no idea who is on the cover.  Is it Bonnie? This girl looks just plain evil so I doubt it.  Anyone know? Comment!

Official Description:
The devil you know . . .
With the help of charming and devious Damon, Elena rescued her vampire love, Stefan, from the depths of the Dark Dimension. But neither brother returned unscathed.
Stefan is weak from his long imprisonment and needs more blood than Elena alone can give him, while a strange magic has turned Damon into a human. Savage and desperate, Damon will do anything to become a vampire again, even travel back to hell. But what will happen when he accidentally takes Bonnie with him?
Stefan and Elena hurry to rescue their innocent friend from the Dark Dimension, leaving Matt and Meredith to save their hometown from the dangerous spirits that have taken hold of Fell's Church. One by one, children are succumbing to demonic designs. But Matt and Meredith soon discover that the source of the evil is darker and closer than they ever could have imagined. . . .

My Review:

What can I say about this book? It wasn't bad or good. It was probably a waste of time to read it, but for some bizarre reason, I haven't given up on this series yet. I think I'm holding out hope that it will miraculously get better? I know the next part is not written by the same author, and while I'm disgusted that LJ Smith got fired from her own books, I kinda hope it will re-jumpstart this series to at least the point of the first Vampire Diaries "series". Who knows? I think I'm definitely going to take a break for a while though. 

I just feel so offended when I read it. Seriously all of the girls literally FAINT at the sight of trouble. Elena is hopelessly playing with two boy's hearts. The villains are stupid. Elena has wings (I will never not be upset by that). And LJ Smith DOESN'T BOTHER TO USE TRANSITIONS!!! How can I possibly know what's going on if things happen with no explanation. I had to read entire pages like 7 times in order to figure out what on earth was going on. Honestly though, it was on par or maybe even better than the rest of The Return series (the others were bad with a single good moment while this book was simple Ehh... the whole time).  I think that this was partially because Elena was not as much the center of attention as she normally is. I'm not sure.
If you made it through the tragedy that was the rest of this series, go ahead and read Midnight.  If you are debating whether or not to read this section of the Vampire Diaries series, I would suggest you read a different book.

Phrase:
Virgin tears

Until next time, Happy Reading!

New Page --- Suggestions

Hey, guys! I just made a new page on this blog.  You can find it on the side bar on the right of your screen.  It's called Suggestions, and its point is to give you some general book suggestions from my personal favorites of all time.  Please check it out, and maybe check some of the books out as well. They are all books that I have actually recommended to my friends on multiple occasions so you know that they were really good.
Try to find something that sounds interesting to you!
Happy Reading!

Gods Save the Princess (Grace of Gods 2) by Kyleigh Castronaro 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! So, earlier this year, I posted a review of Ode to the Goddess by Kyleigh Castronaro.  It was fantastic.  This book is its sequel, and it was also fantastic. You should read both of them because they are amazing, and you just need to.  LINK TO MY REVIEW!!!

The Cover:

The Cover:

The cover shows Valentina in what I believe is the Underworld.  There's a skull under her head.  It's an okay cover, but I generally don't like covers with models on them.  They tend to restrict imagination.  That being said, the cover is fine.  The more I think about the title Gods Save the Princess the cooler it seems.  It makes perfect sense after you read the book (no spoilers), and I like the use of "gods" since it is a book about Greek Mythology, after all.

Official Description:

In a world of Gods and mythologies Valentina still struggles to identify her own Goddess. Despite feeling out of place amongst others of her kind, nothing will stop her from protecting her friends from the dangers that begin to surround their new reign.
While grappling to name her inner Goddess, Valentina finds herself torn by the mysterious Griffin who leaves her frustrated and confused. She doesn’t understand the connection she feels toward him or why every time they start to get close he pulls away.
But relationships are the least of her problems when she’s kidnapped and trapped in the Underworld. Her Goddess has no choice but to awaken to help Valentina navigate her way through the doomed hallways of Hades and try to get back to Olympus before it’s too late for all the Olympians.
With a reluctant Goddess in her mind, Valentina fights to survive in a realm where death is the only outcome. Will history repeat itself or will the New Olympians write their own myths?

My Review:

I expected this book to start off right after Ode to the Goddess ended, but it didn't.  It actually started before.  This book led from Valentina's life before she realized that she was a Greek goddess to long after the first book ended (the ending was about 50% through the book). While at first I was a tad skeptical, I'm glad the author wrote it in this time frame.  This way we can fully understand Valentina's character and still manage to move onwards in the story.  

Let's talk about the plot.  It worked.  The plot flowed smoothly from event to event.  I was worried, excited, happy and all the other right emotions while reading.  I was fully immersed in the storyline and could not stop reading.  I went from thinking, "this should be good" to "Oh. My. Gods. I need more of this right now!" and then reading ravenously for as long as sleep, or lack of sleep, would allow.  I still think that I need more! I'm so glad that there's a book three.

The characters.  Valentina, our protagonist, was wonderful. She was complex and strangely relatable.  I just loved her character, and I imagine that you will too.  Griffin was also a very dynamic character.  While I wouldn't say that I "liked" him, he seemed real and, in a way, I felt for him.  I was a bit disappointed in how much Aidan/ Savannah were in book two.  They made guest appearances, but, while they weren't very relevant to the plot, I wish I could have seen more of them.  

Really, my only real issue with this book was Valentina's inability to understand who her goddess was.  I had worked it out almost immediately.  Also, I don't know what books she was using in her research, but I think most people looking into Greek mythology learn about Cerberus before Prometheus... Who knows?

I really loved this book.  I was absolutely entranced by its storyline and I got really into it.  I strongly suggest reading it, really for whatever reason you might have.  It was simply fantastic.

Happy Reading!

*Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review*

Currently Reading: The Importance of Being Earnest

Hey, guys! I just wanted to check in!

In school, we just started reading the old play, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.  It is great, and I strongly recommend it, though we've only gotten through the first act.  It just has so much irony and is just really funny.  Some of my class obviously don't find it very funny, as evidenced by the times I laugh at a joke they rather don't understand or don't find funny (or both).
Either way, it's fairly easy to understand, and just really entertaining if you want to give it a go.
I'll post a full review once I finish reading it!

Until then, Happy Reading!

Shadow Souls (Vampire Diaries: The Return #2) by LJ Smith 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Sorry about all of the Vampire Diaries books that I've been posting lately.  After this one, we'll get back on the normal schedule of me posting on books as I randomly read them!  If you haven't read my earlier reviews of this roller coaster of a series. This is my original Vampire Diaries series review and my review of Nightfall, the first in this series Go read those first since there may be spoilers ahead for those books.

The Cover:

The Cover: 

The cover just shows Damon's face.  It's really plain.  Though, I cannot tell if his face is the face of a model or if its computer generated.  Anyone know? Comment! Also, I think that the title doesn't make much sense.  There are no shadow souls involved in this book... Maybe its because they go into a shadows world and they are souls? It's a cool title but it doesn't make much sense in the context of the book.

Official Description:
On the run . . .
Elena Gilbert's love, the vampire Stefan Salvatore, has been captured and imprisoned by demonic spirits who are wreaking havoc in Fell's Church. While her friends Bonnie and Meredith explore the evil that has taken over their town, Elena goes in search of Stefan.
In order to find him, she entrusts her life to Stefan's brother, Damon Salvatore, the handsome but deadly vampire who wants Elena, body and soul. Along with her childhood friend Matt, they set out for the slums of the Dark Dimension, where Stefan is being held captive. It is rumored to be a world where vampires and demons roam free, but humans must live enslaved to their supernatural masters. . . .
Elena will stop at nothing to free Stefan. Yet with each passing day the tension between Elena and Damon grows, and she is faced with a terrible decision: Which brother does she really want?
Back in Fell's Church, Bonnie and Meredith have made some dire discoveries. They hastily try to follow Elena and warn her—only to be caught up in Elena's most dangerous adventure yet.

My Review: I struggled through this book at a start and stop pace for weeks. The first half was agonizing. It was just awful. The summary of the first half: Elena and Damon go on a road trip. It was just long and boring. Roughly 300 pages of driving along and complaining about various things. (Matt and Damon don't get along, Damon likes Elena, etc.)  The first half ranked a 2.5/5 star rating. However, one night I picked it up again and read the last half in almost a single sitting. The last half was probably a 4.5 star rating. It was exciting and the pace picked up considerably. There were cute moments and gut-wrenching moments. I'll definitely read the next book, and I'm glad that I gave Shadow Souls a chance, though I was considering permanently abandoning it. 
That being said, the problems still remained: boring side story in Fell's Church, irritating characters, long descriptions of dresses when your BOYFRIEND IS LITERALLY BEING TORTURED RIGHT NOW!!!, Elena has wings (I'm still not getting over that), and it has a title that makes no sense in the context of the book.
It was decent. If you made it through the trainwreck of Nightfall, go ahead and read it. If not, don't bother.

Phrase: 
That night at the motel...

Happy Reading!