Nonfiction Review: The Why Cafe by John P. Strelecky

              Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5 - 3

Publisher: Aspen Light Publishing

Spoilers?: No.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a small diner at a location so remote that it stands in the middle of the middle of nowhere, John-a man in a hurry-is at a literal and figurative crossroads. Intent only on refueling before moving along on his road trip, John finds sustenance of an entirely different kind: in addition to the specials of the day, the menu lists three questions that all diners are encouraged to consider: Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled? With the guidance of three people he meets at the cafe, John embarks on a quest for answers that metaphorically takes him from the executive suites of the advertising world to the surf of Hawaii's coastline. Along the way, he discovers a new way to look at his life and relationships... and just how much you can learn from a green sea turtle. The Why Cafe will get readers young and free and older and entrenched to rethink their personal yardstick for success. Charming, simple, and inspiring, it will change lives.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

The Why Café is about a guy, John, who gets lost and stops in at this café, where he ends up staying a bit longer than planned, just to talk to the wait staff some more. He ends up talking to them about how some people get on their way to feeling fulfilled. How some people wonder what their purpose in life is, and once they find that out and begin working toward completing it, they feel more fulfilled.

Now, this is a very tiny book, at just over a hundred pages. And it’s interesting, but it’s not amazing. To me, at least. To some people, it might be a bit groundbreaking, like all of this stuff apparently was to John, since this is supposedly a true story. But this information wasn’t all that new to me. Maybe because I’ve taken a psychology class, and have read a lot, and have a controversial brother. It was still interesting to read, sure. And to other people, I’m sure this will be a lot more informative and intriguing.

But, yea, it wasn’t to me. There were a couple of things that I found interesting, like the green sea turtle and how people who know what they want to do with their life are apparently more lucky, but the overall concept wasn’t a new idea to me.

I didn’t not enjoy this book, and it wasn’t hard to get through, but the writing is pretty straightforward, and the book isn’t filled with action or info dumps. This book just wasn’t really for me, I don’t think, but I’m sure it is much more fascinating to someone else.

 A review copy was provided by Goodreads First Reads Giveaways. Thank you!

Teaser Tuesday[20]: Bitter Blood (The Morganville Vampires, #13) by Rachel Caine

I barely read anything this last week. Which, I know, I suck.

Mostly, I’ve been working on/worrying about my story for my writing class. It was stressful and not any good but I had to turn it in anyway. So I get to continue worrying about it until Thursday, when I get the feedback for it. And get to hear the discussion about how bad it is. Because it is, really, very bad.

But anyway. I have also been watching quite a bit of TV, catching up on some shows, thinking about doing another post…

Sigh.

Here’s what I’m reading right now (which, oh my god, you guys. Oh. My. God. Am I excited for this book. Love this series. But probably don’t read at least the synopsis if you haven’t read much of the series, because there might be spoilers.):

Bitter Blood (The Morganville Vampires, #13) by Rachel Caine

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Penguin (New American Library)

Goodreads Synopsis:

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.

Excerpts:

“’What happened?’ he asked, and touched the claw slashes on her kimono. ‘Who did this?’

‘Pennyfeather,’ Claire said.’” (Hardback, pg. 182)

“It said, Done by Order of the Founder, and it was pinned deeply into the wood by a giant knife…” (Hardback, pg. 183)

What are you reading right now?

Novel Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: YA Paranormal (Lightly, Romance)

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Scholastic

Spoilers?: No/Very Minor.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Available on Amazon.

Something Specific:

That I loved:

•  "It's strange to be called a woman, but I nod." (Hardback, pg. 323) (I just enjoyed this quote, and related to it rather well.)
• The characters.

Review:

I did enjoy this book, but it took me forever to get through, and I’m not even sure why.

I’ve read most of Stiefvater’s books, and have enjoyed every one of them so far. I love her style of writing, how pretty and lyrical it is, and her characters are always rather interesting and enjoyable. And none of those things were different with this book, and yet it still took me a while to get through it.

The Scorpio Races is about the Scorpio Races, a race where people ride dangerous, blood-thirsty water horses. Starring Puck Connolly, a rough-around-the-edges girl who lives with her two brothers, and decides to enter the Scorpio Races with her normal horse, and Sean Kendrick, a stoic boy who has a way with horses and lives where he works, and has won the last several Scorpio Races.

The characters in this story are just fantastic. I loved Puck, and how honest and mean she can be, and Sean was great and quiet and barely lets anyone in. I loved how similar and different they were from the other. They were both rough around the edges, and neither let anyone in very easily, and while they were both wary of the other, the attraction to each other was obvious. Part of me feels that there was something off about their attraction to each other, that maybe it happened too suddenly, and yet the other part just enjoyed it so much.

There were a lot of other enjoyable characters, but some of my favorites included Puck’s little engineer/creator brother, Finn, who is so sweet and adorable and loves his family, and Mr. Holly, an older man who’s in town to buy some horses and ends up growing a liking for Sean and Puck. Mr. Holly was charming, and someone that Sean needed to have in his life at the time. And then there are Puck’s and Sean’s horse, Dove and Corr. They had their own personalities, and I liked them.

There were a ton of characters, and while I did like reading about them all, it could get a bit confusing at times, remembering who was who. That didn't bother me much, though.

I didn’t really have any problems with the water horse part. I found it really interesting, although when there were long paragraphs of description, long dialogue-free scenes, it grew a bit boring. Maybe that’s just me, because I usually enjoy all of Stiefvater’s books, but those parts were just not very good for me.

The little town that they all live in was really interesting to me. It bothered me a bit, how easy it was for underage kids to live on their own, and how hard it was for them to find a job, but I could see the allure in the town. All of the people that live there would make me want to visit, and maybe stay. Particularly for the food from the bakery.

The ending was good, but not amazing. It wasn’t as open, or mean, as I was expecting it to be, so I do like that. But I think I just would have liked more, to see what happens next. I’m satisfied enough, though.

My only real problem with the book is how long it took me to get through it, especially since I really did like reading it. I started it at one point, got about sixty pages, and paused it, and then when I started it again, it took me, like, two or three weeks. Part of it might be that I was in a stalemate with reading, but I think that some of it had to do with the book.

I would still read the book again, and suggest reading it, just for the characters. The whole book was rather charming, and delightful, really.

Novel Review: Cryptic Cravings (Vampire Kisses, #8) by Ellen Schreiber

Genre: YA Supernatural Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: HarperTeen

Spoilers?: Some.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become the most exciting place on earth now that Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville's old mill. Raven discovers Jagger's plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Raven and Alexander have to figure out what the nefarious vampire has in store for Dullsville's teen and vampire population. Can Raven convince Jagger to listen to her plans to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be? Will it be safe for mortals and vampires alike?

And as Sebastian and Luna's relationship heats up, Raven wonders about her own amorous fate: Will Alexander ever turn her? Does he crave her and does he want to spend eternity together? And what does she really want?

With cryptic secrets and cravings, this eighth installment in the Vampire Kisses series is a romantic and mysterious thrill ride.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

I did not really enjoy this book. It was a bit nostalgic for me, and had a feel like most Disney Channel movies/TV shows that I don’t like and yet get sucked into anyway have, which is why the rating is as high as it is. Because I do have several problems with this book.

Now, if you have not, then you should go read my review for Once in a Full Moon, because I have somewhat similar feelings to this book as I did to that one.

In this book of the Vampire Kisses series, Raven is wondering more seriously (and by more seriously, I mean more frequently, and in the state of mind as ‘I want him to do it’) about Alexander (you know, her vampire boyfriend) biting her and turning her into a vampire. Also, Jagger, Sebastian, Luna, Onyx, and Scarlet, are all still in town and setting up a vampire/human gothic club for the town. Which of course Raven and Alexander don’t want any vampires, other than themselves, to attend, so they have to try to convince Jagger of that.

First, let’s talk about the club. Jagger’s idea is for it to be like the Coffin Club, but Raven quickly gets everyone to agree that there should be no other vampires, because that would be bad. Which, okay, they don’t want any other vampires causing a mess in the town, or getting everyone’s attention. But I have a problem with the vampires, and how it’s a little racist, maybe, for her to automatically assume that every other vampire out there is bad, when she has only met nice ones (well, aside from Luna and Jagger, but mostly Luna, and that’s just their personalities). But I have a problem with the vampires in general that I will talk about in a minute.

My problem with the club is that, it’s a gothic club. With coffins and spider webs and other dark, creepy things. That no one in town but Raven and the vampires like. So why would anyone else in town want to go there? I get that they want something to do because it’s so boring there, but I don’t think people are that influence-able, that as soon as Trevor, a popular boy, says it’s okay, they’re all on board. That’s a shallow assumption. Not to mention a dumb one.

I just don’t understand why all these people that give Raven crap would suddenly decide to go to a goth club, just because it’s there. And why Jagger would decide that their town would be the place to put a club, out of all the other, more popular, towns. Why would he think that he would make money off of it in the first place? That doesn’t make sense to me.

Now, the vampire thing. My main problem revolves around the fact that most vampires are born that way. You are not born as an evil creature, okay? You grow into that. If they are born with the vampire traits, okay, but everyone is suggesting that vampires are evil, terrible things, when they are born like that. And why, exactly, can’t they look in the mirror or get their picture taken? Usually, as far as I know, that means that they don’t have a soul. But how can they not have a soul, when they are born that way? That just doesn’t add up in my head. Also, Raven called them ‘undead’ once. You can’t be undead if you are born like that. Being undead means that you were dead, are in a dead-like state, and you are not in that kind of state, if you are still growing. If you age, and reproduce. That does not work, okay? I’m just having a hard time accepting the logistics of it all.

And Raven wants so badly to be one of them, to be joined forever with Alexander, while he’s hesitant to do it. He’s smart to be hesitant. Because that would change her life forever, which she doesn’t seem to realize, because she thinks that her life revolves around him and doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. Although, honestly? It would change how she lives her life, yea, and that she would have to drink blood, which is a big deal, but the vampires aren’t dangerous. These vampires are not dangerous, at all, and so I don’t see why anyone should be afraid of them. They apparently aren’t controlled by their thirst, some of them are just assholes. Well, you know what? Some humans are assholes, too; not a big deal.

Another problem I have with this book, is the whole ‘love’ thing. At one point, Raven’s mom asks her about college, and she says something along the lines of how she would go with Alexander, if he went. Because her decisions are made when he makes his. Because, you know, they’re in love and that’s apparently all that matters in life. And her mom just lets the subject go, because she believes that Raven has found true love, and that’s the most important thing, I guess.

And, later in the book, Becky (Raven’s best friend) finds out that Alexander and the others are vampires, and freaks out a bit. Raven tells her that no one else can know. Becky responds by telling her that, oh, yea, of course, she won’t tell anyone. Except for Matt, her boyfriend, because, you know, they’re in love and she can’t keep a secret like this from him. And I get not wanting to keep a secret from him, but this is kind of a big thing. And you’ve been together maybe a year. I think this is something you can keep from him.

Which is another thing. As of this book, they’ve been together a year. A year. That’s not very long. At all. They shouldn’t be planning their lives together after a year, when they’re seventeen and eighteen years old. That is not old enough. Especially when they act like they’re closer to thirteen/fourteen (well, maybe fifteen for Alexander. He does act a bit more mature than everyone else). They barely even know each other. Raven didn’t even know Alexander had a younger sister until this book, in fact. (Who, of course, we will be meeting in the next book.)

It bothers me that this is such an immature book (especially with the way the towns are called ‘Dullsville’ and ‘Hipsterville’), and yet it’s talking very seriously about spending the rest of your life with someone and what their version of getting married is, when the characters aren’t even out of high school yet. I read this in middle school/early high school, which is the age I would recommend it for, but there’s all this other stuff that makes this not a good book for those ages.

Next, the writing. I mentioned in my other review, how much more tell there is than show, and it’s the same way in this book. Alexander is described, several times, as saying something seductively, or in a sexy voice, which isn’t really a description at all. And we’re told, several times, that Alexander is her vampire boyfriend; which is just one example of the repetitivity. And, again, the kissing/romantic scenes are not very good in description, at all, and thus not exciting.

Oh, another thing that’s repeated so many times, is how Trevor is her nemesis. She kind of has feelings for him, but doesn’t want to, because she’s in love with Alexander. And of course, her feelings for Alexander win out by far, but it was a rather annoying subplot that I didn’t really care for.

The writing makes it very easy to get through, but not particularly a nice read. Although, this series is, by far, easier to read than her Full Moon one, so that’s saying something.

I did not really enjoy this book, but it wasn’t completely terrible. And I’ve had it on my shelf since around the time it came out, so it’s been a while. I finally decided to read it, and, because I knew that I’d pretty much grown out of it, I planned to read this book and be done with it. Then I found out that there’s only one more book in the series. Which, of course, means that I’m going to have to read the last book. It's not going to be terrible or anything, but it still might be a while until I decide to get it.