Review: Small Town Sinners

Small Town Sinners

Melissa Walker

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: July 19, 2011

The story of Lacey Anne Byers, a small town girl who is excited to star in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, until a childhood friend reappears and makes her question her faith.

Small Town Sinners is one of the more real books that I've read in a while. And I really enjoyed it. I loved the real characters and problems it had. How it made me think. The questions it brought up.


I really liked the characters in this book. Lacey's friends, Starla Joy and Dean. They were fun, but they had their own problems, which I liked. I loved Ty. And I liked Lacey Ann. As the book goes on, she learns how to question and make up her own mind about things.


I was intrigued the whole time I was reading this book. There was drama, but it was real issues, not just like a soap opera. 


This is not a book for closed-minded people, in either direction. But I liked it. Like I said, I liked how it made me think. This book is not one sided. It allows you to draw your own opinion.


I found this to be a fantastic contemporary. I would recommend this to anyone who is willing to listen with and open mind.  

Spread the Word (3)

Spread the Word is a feature that I came up with where I share some quotes that I like. 

I went ahead and put these quotes onto some pictures as well. 

How often do I do it? Not often. Every few weeks when I feel like I need to share or I need something else to post. 

Where do the quotes come from? I'll try to mix it up sometimes, but the quotes today are some of my favorite song quotes.

Spread the Word 1
Spread the Word 2

Waiting on Wednesday: Born Wicked

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

February 7, 2012

A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

This one sounds really good and interesting. Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare? Totally love both of those, so this is right up my alley. 

What are you waiting for this lovely Wednesday?

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

So, I think it's safe to say that this book has created quite a buzz. for at least since BEA, but probably before then. And I've been wanting to read it ever since.

And it was really good. One of the better books this year.

I must say that I didn't absolutely love it like I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, it was really, really good. But I won't be putting it on my 'favorite' shelf. Yet. I think I need to reread it to really get my full enjoyment out of it. 

This book was not what I expected. In a good way. I wasn't quite sure what it would be about. But the mystery was very intriguing. There was something very addicting about this book. It's 450 pages, but it didn't seem like it. 

I really liked Mara. I mean, there were times that she bothered me a tad, but I could really feel her pain and confusion.

And Noah. He goes on my list of hottest guys with accents, right up there with Bones and St. Clair. 

I must say, I am so tired of cliffhangers. They don't even affect me anymore like they used to. They just mostly piss me off that I didn't have enough resolution. But, I still want to read the next one. 

Did I love this? No. Did I really, really enjoy it? Yes. I think I need to read it again to fully appreciate it. 

September Wrap Up

October is drawing in as September comes to a close. I can't help but think about how fast September went by. I mean, it just flew by! Does anyone else feel like this?

Anyway, here's the books I read this month:

1. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
2. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
3. The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan
4. At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
5. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
6. Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
7. Eve by Anna Carey
8. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
9. There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
10. Call Me Irresistable by Susan Elizabeth Philips
11. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
12. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
13. Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning
14. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
15. Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Not bad. Now, my goal for each month is actually 17, but 15 isn't bad either. I probably should catch up.

Other Reviews:

1. Always a Witch 
2. Fateful by Claudia Gray

Now, review-wise, I'm a little behind. I usually do at least two book reviews a week, but I think for September I only did one a week. I need to get back to doing my normal two  a week. 

So, overall, September was a pretty good month.

What about you?

In My Mailbox (73)

We have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week. 

Won:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson

(Thank you Not Another Book Blog)

RAK:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

(Thank you Paper Cuts for sending me this!)

Library:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

(Yes, i've already read this one, but I wanted to reread it. Again. So I got it from the library. Again. I know what you're thinking. You don't you just buy a copy. Well, I need to. I want to. I just need to bite the nail and do it.)

Exile by Anne Osterlund

What did you get this week?

Favorites of 2011

For a mini-challenge over at Princess Bookie's Contest Craze, it says to list my favorites of 2011. 

So far, honestly, the books that have come out haven't been fantastic. Don't get me wrong, there are some really good ones. But overall, there haven't been that many that I've wanted to put on my 'favorite' shelf on my bookshelf. (Yes, I have a shelf specifically for my favorites.)

But, here are some of the better ones. (Honestly these probably aren't my favorite favorites of the year, but I'm drawing a blank here. These are some darn good ones, though)

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton- Really, really good. This one is actually on my favorites shelf.

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Not my favorite in the series, but still pretty good. Extremely sad that this series is over, though.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Again, really, really enjoyed this one. I know some people didn't like it as much, but I really did. 

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

You know this book is amazing just by looking at the cover. What's inside is pretty darn good, too. 

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Becoming one of my favorite series. Love these books. 

What books have been your favorite in 2011?