The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job ‘a million girls would die for’. Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high profile, fabulously successful of ‘Runway’ magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts ‘Prada! Armani! Versace’ at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart wrenching stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that that shows off their their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a sacred, whimpering child. From sending the latest, not yet in shops Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locate an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperatures she prefers, Andrea is soley tested each and every day – and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realise that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul. 

This is a really good book. I love Andrea and the story. The characters are interesting and Miranda is such a wagon. I have seen the movie and there are certain differences, such Andrea’s best friend ends up in hospital due to a drinking problem and Andrea ends up breaking up with her boyfriend. Apart from that both book and movie are worth watching/reading. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it.  

Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly

Meet the women of Delaney Square … Coco runs a vintage dress shop. For years, she’s shied away from commitment, believing men complicate things. But then a face from her past returns. Her sister Cassie has tried to be the perfect wife, mother and daughter in law, although it’s left her so exhausted that ‘wine o click’ comes a little earlier each afternoon. Tucked away in her little house, grandmother Pearl is having sleepless nights.  Was she right to do what she did all those years ago? Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, faces one final fight that will require more bravery than anything which has come before.

This is the first Cathy Kelly book that I have read and I love it. It is really well written and she makes really care about the characters. My only complaint is that when you first read it, the many different characters can be confusing. There was one point that I was like ‘who is that again?’ Kelly also has a tendency to flip between different characters point of views very quickly. But once you get into it, it is very enjoyable. It is an excellent book to read. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarre – a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world ….and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks. Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign. 

This is a really good book. I love Chrysabelle and Malkom and the story. I love the fact that it is in the next like 50 years and some of the stuff in it are kinda cool. My only complaint is that Painter switches points of view a little too much and the villain is a bit dramatic but apart from that I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Paper Cuts by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

All’s not fair in love, war and high school journalism! Despite an intense dislike for all activities considered ‘extra-curricular’, 16 year Lusia agrees to cover her high school’s latest fundraiser as an anonymous columnist for the school magazine. The fundraiser pits the girls against the boys – and Lusia soon finds herself engaged in an epic battle of the sexes with her male counterpart. She id determined to win – but why can’t she shake the sinking feeling that her unidentifed nemesis might also be her new boyfriend? 

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. Collins and Rideout work well together as writers and they come together to produce a book that is quirky and fun to read. My only complaint is that it is sorta similar to their other book. Three friends who are different but very loyal to each other. Apart from that, they are good writers that make you want to finish the book. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Fanfiction/Offical books of TV series

So this might seem like an unusual topic for a book blog, but I thought it might be a good idea to talk about it. 

FanFiction, for those that might not know, is fiction written by the fans. So for books such as Harry Potter or Star Trek, there are fans who write theories or stories that add to the original story. 

Admittedly, I don’t read much fanfiction. But on Facebook, there are a lot of pages that I go to or follow and read the many, many theories that are there.  Seeing as I am a huge Harry Potter fan (for those that know me, what a shock right?!) I love reading new theories on Facebook. It amazes me that after all this time, I can come across something that I haven’t heard. 

With regards to books about certain TV shows, I think they are great. They are a great way to see other stories that beloved characters go through, ones that you won’t have seen on TV. It also gets you to read, which is always a good thing. 

One of the things I love about these is that very often, they may stick around long after the original story is gone. And I think they can add to the story or show (which I think I said).

I would definitely recommend reading these as there could be something in it that you never considered of a character. 

Let me know what you think of these as I would love to hear from you. 

Unseen: Door to Aletrnity by Jeffery J. Mariotte, Jeff Mariotte and Nancy Holder

This looks at Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her vampire ex, Angel. In Los Angeles, the pair compare notes and realise that both are dealing with cases of missing teenagers, most of them children of rich and powerful parents. Coincidence? Or is there something more sinister at work?

So I only realised that this is the second book of three, so I will buy the rest and read them. I really enjoyed this. I love how Willow learns from another witch, how Buffy goes to alternate realities and just the story in general. The characters we all know and love are well written and the story really good. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Gardens of Delight by Erica James

‘The Gardens of Delight’ brochure promises travelers the chance to visit Lake Como’s most enchanting gardens. For Lucy, a trip to Italy offers more than just gardens. Lake Como is the home of her father, whom she last saw when she was just a teen. Recently married, Helen and her rich husband have just moved into the Old Rectory. With her husband often away from home, Helen throws herself into caring for the garden that was the pride and joy of its previous owner. But Helen needs help – and friends- and so decides to join the local Garden Club. Conrad isn’t the least bit interested in gardening. A widower of five years, his life revolves around work and humouring his curmudgeonly old uncle. Mac has expressed a desire to go on the ‘Garden of Delight’tour – but only if Conrad will accompany him. Reluctantly, Conrad agrees. “Anything for a personal life”, he concedes. But a peaceful life is the last thing any of them are in for. 

I really enjoyed this book. I love the story and kinda wants make me want to learn how to do some gardening. It also makes you want to go to Italy as well. The characters are so enjoyable and interesting. Erica James is a really good writer and I liked reading her book. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

The Legacy of Merlin by Eloise Flood

The Charmed Ones meet tall, broad shouldered Niall (with soulful, dark eyes) on a trip to England. He claims to be the son of Merlin, a prisoner of the Druids and desperate to get back to his own times. The sisters promise to help, but first they must use their powers to outwit the Druids. 

So Charmed is one of my favourite shows, so I was delighted to find this. I know, I know it’s a book about a TV show, but I love reading books about said TV show. It adds that extra something to the show. I really enjoyed reading this. I love Prue, Piper and Phobe and the show. I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libbs Bray

Sixteen year old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls academy with a mysterious burned out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa and even her own dumpy roommate Ann. Until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartick, a beautiful young man, who warns her not to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue and one night she is led by a child spirit to find a diary that revels the secrets of a mystical order. The clique sons finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions for a bit of fun and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as a link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the “others” and rebuild the order. 

I love this book and the ones that follow. It is engaging and I love the fact that it is set in the Victorian times. I especially love the fact that there are some important issues in this and yet the characters feel that they have to push it aside while thinking and feeling another. It is an interesting story and one I would definitely recommend it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Vampire Academy by Rachel Mead

Only your best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies…. Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from the Strigoi; the fiercest vampires, the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Liss’s best friend, makes her a dhampur. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell bent on making Lissa one of them. After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Acamedy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians to be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger … and the Strigoi are always close by. Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden love and never let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever. 

This is a really good book. Admittedly, not enough to read the rest of the series, but I did enjoy it. It’s an interesting take on vampires and what they represent. I like the characters and the story. I would recommend it and I hope you enjoy it.