Casino Royale

Hello Fellow Readers! I'm so very far behind...I'll have to do one or two reviews a day to get all caught up!! Darn Library Card...
Title: Casino Royale
Series: James Bond
Author Ian Flemming
Genre: Action
Review:
A guilty pleasure of mine is Mr. Bond. He's gorgeous and goes on such fun adventures that I was addicted from the first movie I saw...which was Casino Royale. :) It was only a matter of time before I picked up a book with James Bond.
Casino Royale is the first of the James Bond books in which he describes to his lady-friend how he became a double 0.
The book definitely fell short of my expectations. This is James Bond we're talking about...007 for freak's sake. This book lacked the adventure and general spy plot I was craving. It included the card game but it only lasted a few pages and nothing exciting happened. There was the awkward torture scene when La Chiffe succeeded in capturing James Bond. The romance was certainly Bond material. But as for the action...there was next to none.
It was a short book, just over 150 pages. I do plan on reading the next book but if that's no good, I won't read anymore. I'll just stick with the movie.

Short review...cause i really just don't have anything to stay with this one...

Rating: 4

Book of Shadows

Hello fellow readers! I'm so behind! I have another review to write and just started yet ANOTHER book! Darn library card...
I finished another teen fiction novel. I finished this one in about an hour and a half which is why I'm so behind... :p I am currently reading another Sookie Stackhouse, I do plan on finishing the series even if it isn't my favorite. Oh darn, I'm getting off topic.
Title: Book of Shadows
Author: Kate Tierman
Series: Sweep
Genre: Teen, Dark
This series had such high praise from quite a few of my friends that I just HAD to rent it from the library. The cover art was gorgeous as well.
The premise of, well I can't say the series but this one in particular, is about one girl's discovery of Wicca. I am quite disappointed in this book especially after all the hype it was given. I can't even remember a single character's name... I just know that it was quite dull and poorly written.
There's a new boy in town and he holds a party in order to help form a coven. After completing one "circle", he decidces which people seem to have a true passion for Wicca. Of course, the main character has a special ability that draws him to her. I believe his name was Cal but I can't remember her name. I especially hated her best friend. Her best friend was described as being beautiful and getting any guy she wanted and then dumping them after a few weeks. They are Juniors in high school yet have middle school personalities. The two friends honestly have a fight over who gets to date Cal because apparently the best friend was already in love with him after just one meeting.
I didn't care for the shallowness of the characters. Or how weired Cal was...it didn't make sense why everyone was so in love with him.
However, I did enjoy the ending and will probably continue with this series. It's kind of like Charmed for a younger audience. I'm in no way in support of Wicca and no next to nothing about it, so I do find this series to be a charming fictional story. I don't mean to offend anyone who is Wiccan.
Overall, if you aren't offended by the Wicaan culture, then this is a fun and quick read for you. However, the characterization is shallow and the plot doesn't pick up until the very end. We'll see how the rest of the series goes.
Rating: 4
Future Posts:
Casino Royale
Dead to the World
The Lost One

Club Dead

I'm so behind! I finished two books and am halfway through another. However, I was out of town this weekend so have two of these to write. I'll try writing my second one tomorrow cause I'm tired. :p
Title: Club Dead
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: The Southern Vampire Mysteries
Genre: Humor, paranormal
Review:
This is the third book in the ever popular series that is centered around Sookie Sackhouse. I have to admit that I am quite addicted to the show True Blood, and figured I might as well familiarize myself with the books. I read the first two a long time ago. So, since I'm halfway through season 3, I figured I'd just...continue?
I must say that the show surpasses the book in many aspects. For one, the pacing in the book is slow. I mean, I was about 3/4 of the way through before there was major plot work.
The second thing is that the characters are so weak in the books. I mean, Sookie is completely annoying. Alcide was your typical male, and Eric...I don't understand what the appeal to him is. I think he's vile and just...ick. Sorry ladies...I'm a Bill woman all the way.
Speaking of Bill...what the hell was up with the ending? He just...feeds and then HAS to have sex? I don't get it...?
The one redeeming quality is that the last 1/3 of the book is quite addicting. I mean, I stayed up into the wee hours of the night with it glued to me just to finish it. Other than that, it was a slow read and well, I'm glad I had only rented it from the library.
Overall, the characters were simplistic and predictable...the plot was basically non-existent, and the ending was the least from satisfying. I guess, if you can deal with her writing style and just love vampires as well as love triangles...this is your book.

My Rating: 7
Future Reviews:
Sweep: The Book of Shadows
Casino Royale
Dead to the World

True Grit

Didn't mean to post this so soon, but I am CRUISING through Club Dead and plan on visiting the library tomorrow. Don't want to get too far behind! :)
Title: True Grit
Author: Charles Portis
Genre: Western, Classic
Review:
Okay, I actually found this under the Classic section of the library. And I love classics, plus I'm a sucker for a good cowboy story. :) Annnd, I want to see the new movie. :p With all of these elements, it was a given that I'd pick it up.
Right off the bat, I didn't think I'd make it to the end though. I HATED the style it was written in. I mean seriously, Charles Portiss needs someone to check his grammar. After every line of dialogue was "He said", "she said". It was so repetitive and dry...ugh, it really annoyed me.
The plot though is very intriguing. You have your stereotypical cowboy plot of a man who unlawfully killed another man. However, the twist in True Grit is that 14 year old Mattie is going to avenge her father. She teams up with a one-eyed Marshal named Rooster.
It was a short book and definitely a quick read. At exactly page 109 did I actually get into it...and that was with a little over 20 pages left. So it wasn't the best American Western...but those last 20+ pages were edge of your seat material.
This review will be kept super short only because I don't want to spoil anything. And it's such a short and straight-forward book, that there is really nothing I more I can say. :p So sorry this review is definitely not my best.
Rating: 5.5