Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Ebook pgs 496
05/20/2011
rating: 5stars


Overview: Beatrice is living in dystopian Chicago. The city is broken up into 5 factions. When a person reaches the age of 16 he or she has to take an aptitude test. The test tells the recipient which faction he or she is best suited for. After the aptitude test, there is the Choosing Ceremony where the person announces which faction he or she has chosen from that point on the person has limited contact with his or her family (if they choose to live the faction they were born into) “motto faction or blood.”
Where to begin with this book? Let’s start with the factions. There are 5 of them. Dauntless faction values bravery. Abnegation faction values selflessness. Erudite values intelligence. Amity values peace and friendship. Candor faction values honesty. The factions came about to rid society of those negative traits that make a society least than harmonious. The problem with factions is that people have to live by one trait I do think that people have one dominant trait but they are other traits that cannot be suppressed. Humans are too complex creatures to live in a “box”.
The faction’s values are not all they are cracked up to be. Amity is not really explored in this book so I cannot speak on them. Candor honesty is more like tactlessness. There is a way to be honest and not so abrupt. Erudite’s intelligence is more like arrogance. Abnegation’s selflessness is servitude. Dauntless’s bravery is needless danger for danger stake. Or at least this is what the faction’s values have turned into.
Next is Beatrice as a character. She is not the most likable character at the beginning. I think it was because in her head she thought she was this nice girl weakling but she also was cold and heartless at times. The character I liked best was Four. I pretty much figured out his background and the side plot with him. The rest of characters were good as well. The story felt sluggish in the beginning but for me it picked up quickly. I cannot wait for the second one.
Comparisons to Harry Potter….so you saying you didn’t see me doing this LOL I’m hosting a Harry Potter Reading Challenge for heaven’s sake you know I have to go there. Here we go:
The factions somewhat remind me of the houses in the HP series. Dauntless would be Slytherin and Gryffindor. The two houses are not that different they are just good twin evil twin. Erudite would be Ravenclaw.. Amity and Abnegation would be Hufflepuff. Candor really doesn’t fit into any one house. Erudite in this first book can also be Slytherin but an explanation would contain a spoiler so I won’t get into that.
I heard people make comparisons to Hunger Games so I must read them now. TBR list #1…LOVED IT! I cannot wait to see what is going to happen in the second book. The first book we left with the city is chaos.

Discussion with Lah of Lazy Girl Reads and Lisa at Baffled Books will be added later tonight.

Challenges
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011

Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark

Payback With Ya Life by Wahida Clark
Tradeback pgs.302
rating:3.5stars
05/15/2011


From back of book:
She lost her integrity, her best friend…and nearly wound up dead. Now Shan is making her move, far away from Memphis’s mean streets, to wipe the slate clean and start over. But she can’t hold back what she’s feeling for Briggen, a wealthy drug dealer who want her to be his one and only for life. Her brother, Peanut, can’t afford to lose her – or the one shot he has at getting back on top of the drug game. And the ruthless convict who tricked Shan into loving him is out of lockdown…and out to settle lethal scores with her and Peanut. Now, with everything at stake and a vicious turf war taking no prisoners, Shan must put it all on the line to save her future - or die trying.


My Reviews:

This was a good book but it did not hold my attention for long periods of time. Usually I can read these books in 2 to 3 days it took over a week for this one. There was a lot going on. Fans of urban fiction will like this as it gives you all that you've come to expected from these types of books. Clark touched on just about every subject in this book. Miscarrages, infidelty, drug dealing, prison, murder, rape...you name it, it's in here. TBR list#3 *if you are not an urban lit fan this is NOT for you


Challenges:
Clue Board Reading Challenge
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011

The Hood Life by Meesha Mink and De'nesha Diamond

The Hood Life by Meesha Mink and De'nesha Diamond

Tradeback pgs 303

4.5 stars

04/16/2011

From the back of book:

A pimp, a killer, a playa, and a drug dealer struggle to get their game right in a sizzling novel where leaving the life and trying to go straight is a deadly option.

Tavon, better known as "Sweet," would pimp his own mother — and he does. Convinced that the prostitution game chose him, Sweet loves his high-rolling life. But when he unexpectedly becomes a father, will Sweet be able to choose between the family trade and his grown, not-so-innocent daughter?

After ten years in prison, the drive-by Demarcus committed still haunts him. Determined to stay above the law, he's found Allah, promised to change his ways forever, and finally do right by his girl, Zoey. But when an opportunity arises that will set him and Zoey right for life, Demarcus may have more faith in his killah reputation than the Koran....

Kaseem runs every single drug going in and out of Bentley Manor. His empire provides clothes, cash, and his satisfaction of his wifey, Quilla — along with the company of other ladies, of course. But when Kaseem's crew becomes more violent, will he be able to escape the life — and the gangsters — he created?

The best playa on the block, Rhakmon can get a woman to do anything he wants. His latest girlfriend, Shaterica, lets him steal, lie, and cheat — smitten to be under his spell. But when Rhakmon's devious deeds are finally brought to light, the revenge Shaterica plans may ultimately be more horrible than anything he could have imagined....

My Review: Well the ladies have done it again. The book is fast paced. I like that it focuses on four men this time around. There are so many WTF moments. It start right in the first couple of pages. I mean this things that Tavon is make you think what in the world is up with that?! As usually the ladies keep you up on your toes with the twists and turns. This is book three in the trioloyg of the Bentley Manor series though I hope that there will be another.

After all, there are some characters I would love to know what happened after the the drama. Like what are Lexi, WooWoo, and Aisha up to. Apparently WooWoo is visiting Has in jail so what is going on with that. Princess became a singer and we all know there's drama in Hollywood. What happens with Sweet aka Tavon? How about Rhakmon and Kaseem? Come on ladies don't leave us hanging like this. TBR list #1

challenges:

Buy One Book & Read It

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011

Baby Momma Drama by Carl Weber

Baby Momma Drama by Carl Weber
3.5stars
02/24/2011
Tradeback $15
pages 311
published: 2003


From back of the book:
Older sister Jasmine, a postal worker in Richmond, Virginia, is working hard, saving money, and waiting for the right man to walk into her life. And in fine-dressing, smooth-talking attorney Derrick, she thinks she's found him. Derrick is generous, gorgeous, and oh-so-sexy. But all it takes is some pointed questions from Jasmine's shrewd granny Big Momma to expose her man as nothing more than a lying, drug-dealing hustler. Refusing to admit she's been played, Jasmine chooses to remain faithful to Derrick while he's doing time. That is, until she finds him in a clinch on visiting day with his baby's momma, Wendy. Derrick's big mistake with Wendy pushes Jasmine even further toward the arms of good friend-and good man-Dylan. But when yet another baby momma comes into the picture, Jasmine will have to decide whether the right love is worth the complications that come with it

Little sister Stephanie is looking for a good time, not a good man, although she finds both in sweet, loyal Travis. Before she knows it, a one-night fling has turned into a three-year relationship. But then, Malek, Stephanie's sexy high school sweetheart and the father of her adorable son, swings back into town and that wild part of her wants another taste of the one that got away. Right in the middle of wedding planning, Stephanie falls into a crazy affair with Malek-one that could destroy the best thing that ever happened to her. Big Momma tries to keep Stephanie's little family together, but a woman has to take care of her own life and for Stephanie, part of keeping things real will be learning how to lie in the bed she made for herself. Now that she's the momma, maybe it's time to start acting like a grownup

My Review:
Main characters are Jasmine, Stephanie, Travis, and Dylan. What did I think about the characters? I felt like all the characters were in a rush to be in relationships. None of them just too time out to reflect on what went wrong with the last relationship.

Jasmine was judgemental quick to finding fault with how other woman dealt with men and judging those men. The same is true about Stephanie. Travis was a good man but should have put his foot down every now and then. And he shouldn't have tried to buy her love. Buying things do not make someone love you and does not make one a good man. Dylan was perhaps the only person who had most things right though he waited way too long for Monica.

There are book club discussion questions at the end I will answer those now but I will not type out the questions. So here goes:

I have dated someone who have been in prison. I have dated a few guys who have been in prison. When I was younger I definitely went for the bad boys. An ex of mine was in and out of jail...a lot. So yeah, I know what it's like to date someone in da joint. Most have some of the same things in common. They put work above almost everything else. They tend to cheat. And is not above them to manipulate emotions to work in their favor.

If I could have any man from the book it would have been Dylan. Travis was ok but he just didn't appeal all the way with me. Dylan has a loyal friend,, faithful boyfriend, and sexy lover quality. Malek and Derek, well I've known several of men like them. I think there are many women who would agree with the statement "good sex will keep you in a bad situation."

Now Big Momma. She is like many nosy mother figures in family. The thing about giving advice is that you can give it but it doesn't mean the person receiving it has to take it. Nagging never fixed anything, in fact, some times it makes a person want to do the opposite. Also it makes people not want to come to you when something is going on.

The story was well told. It is a fast paced novel. The plot moved forward from the point of view of the four main characters. I would have given this novel 4stars but there were times when I wanted to smack the crap out of a couple characters, mainly Jasmine and Big Momma. Also I didn't like the way the character jump right into a relationship. It was like the were all afraid of taking some time. Especially Travis, I don't want to reveal what he did because it takes away from some of the story but let's just say shame on him, not for Stephanie's sake but his own. I saw myself in some of the characters so it was very for me to relate and that gives why I added the .5. The overall meaning of the storyline is two things. One, people treat you the way you allow them to treat you. Second, appreciate what you have before it's gone.
TBR list #3

Challenges
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011
What's in a Name 4
2011 Where Are You Reading?

Thong On Fire by Noire

Thong On Fire by Noire
Hardcore pages 291
Published: 2007
Genre: Urban/Street Lit
2stars
02/17/2011



From back of book:

I WAS JUST A LOST LITTLE GIRL forced to make it in a grown woman’s world. A child turned out by the rulers of the game. When you get thrown into a snakepit you better learn how to wiggle! It’s all about survival, baby. And not only did I learn the code of the streets, I made my own damn rules and got paid in the process. So listen close, but watch your pockets. I’m a Harlem girl. A scandalous chick. A ruthless mama. Me and this city are just alike. Grimy. And we never, ever sleep…



My Review:
Saucy is selfish, self-centered, and straight grimy. She betrays Tai, a girl she calls her best friend. Though she hasn’t said anything to her face she bad-mouth her in her mind. She thinks Tai has low self-esteem when it’s really her. She has no sense of self worth outside of her looks and sexually skills. In the back of her mind if people weren’t paying her any attention, she wasn’t laced with stack of money and fly gear she was dirty, raggedy Saucy with the crack-head parents.

The fact that she liked that she had gotten herself tagged as Brainiac should make me feel sorry for the character but she is so unlikable, I can’t feel an ounce of sympathy for this character. All I could think is that somebody needs to Tae Bo that hoe. At least she really did love on person and though she screwed over everyone in her life she honestly had a limited of what she would do to her Uncle Swag.

In the end she loses everything. The funny part is that she still didn’t get it right up to the end. She had no sense of responsibility. Everything was everyone else’s fault. She turned out to be just like the mother she despised, right down to the neglected of her own child.

The book is a cautionary tale for all those people who value looks and material possession over everything else. It is hard to write a character that the reader is supposed to be not like but sympathize with Noire didn’t succeed in creating that effect with me.

NOTE *She likes to reference characters from other books in to the novel you are reading. She is associated with a few rappers and you will find their names and raps throughout the novels whenever she brings up music.

Challenges:
What's In A Name 4
Chick Porn Reading Challenge 2011
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Hardcover pgs. 498
rating: 3 stars
02/06/2011



From Goodreads:
Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.


My Review:
Well, what can I say? Did it leave you to the hype for me? I don't know if it's because it is a YA novel but it just didn't grab me. Okay, this is what bothered me the most...Edward's damn perfection. Nothing about him sounded like perfection to me. It made me wonder if I had ever gushed about a guy like this as a teenager. I really don't think I did. Yes, there were guys that I thought were sooo good looking. I even dated a couple of the "popular and fine" ones but my mind wasn't constantly bring up the words perfection and beautiful at every sight. If you were to talk out the comments on Edwards beauty the book could probably be cut down to 400 pages. For me it really slowed the pace of the book down. TBR list #4 (sorry Twilight fans but this book can wait).



Challenges:
I Spy Reading Challenge
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
read by Lorelei King
7cds
3stars
02/04/2011

from back of box:
BOUNTY HUNTER STEPHANIE PLUM GOES ON HER MOST EXPLOSIVE ADVENTURE YET.

THE CRIME: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars
Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn't be more proud. He always was the smart one.

THE COUSIN: Joe Morelli
Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom's sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli's a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting table at the firehouse. The all-American family.

THE COMPLICATIONS: Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal propety, and acid reflux
Less than a week after Dom's release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He's getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

THE CUPCAKE: Stephanie Plum
Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship tha involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She's a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she's involved in the bank-robbery-gone=bad disaster from day one.

THE CRISIS: A favor for Ranger
Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie's evening activities.

THE CONCLUSION: Only the fearless should listen to Fourteen
Thrills, chills, and incontinence may result.







My Review:



I love the Stephanie Plum series. She always seems to find trouble. Many times she only has herself to blame. I'm a nice person too but where is the bail enforcement handbook does it states that you have to babysit the son of a skip, even if she is related to your on again, off again boyfriend. Lula always have great lines. My favorite from this one "I need something clogging otherwise my blood could go to fast and make me dizzy" LOL (it went something like that). TBR list #3







Challenges:
Mystery & Suspense (comic thriller)
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

Black Hills by Nora Roberts
14cd 17hrs 2mins
1/25/2011
5 stars

from back of book:
A summer at his grandparents' South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year old Cooper Sullivan's idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he's discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Each year, with coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker's body.
As the seasons change and the years roll by, Lil remains steadfast to her aspiration of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father's demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked togehter hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold dear need them most.
When small pranks and acts of destruction escalate into the heartless killing of Lil's beloved cougar, memories of an unsolved murder in these very hills have Coop springing to action to keep Lil safe.
Lil and Coop know the natural dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. Now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey.

My Reviews:

Great book. It didn't start that way for me. I did not like the narrators voice at all. It struck me as annoying and not at all the type of voice I had heard on other audiobooks. I think it was because the character, young Cooper Sullivan, was being a huge spoiled brat. He just whined for the first few tracks. Soon, with the deal he made with his grandmother, he started to enjoy his time in South Dakota.

The story then jumps to when both are grown and have lived life separately and as differently as they did when they were children. Lil had made her dream of an wildlife rescue refuge a reality. Coop was able to prove himself to himself in New York. He moved back to South Dakota to stay will Lil was away. When she came back they both had to deal with the hearbreak of the past. Cougars are the thread that hold the characters together. Even the serial killer who make a small mark in the beginning of the book and gain presence as the story goes along. The killer decides to stalk and hunt Lil.

The story is suspenseful with a romance theme throughout. I gave it a 5 star rating because it held me attention after the first few tracks. I had to know how it ended. I had to know how the relationship unfolded. The story pulled me in and that deserves a 5 star rating. On your tbr list but this as #1 (#2 if you don't like romances, the romance is not the typical cheesy variety).

Challenges:

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Mini-Challenge