Marked by by P.C Cast

Marked is the first book in ”House of night” series written by P.C Cast and Kristen Cast (Mother & daughter). This is entirely different than all vampire novels,because of House of Night vampire school. The concept of school makes this book interesting.

Zoey Redbird is marked by vampire goddess Nyx. She has to join House of Night vampire school now, where she has to live and study while her body will undergo certain changes. If her body rejects the changes in turning into a vampire then she will die. But somehow Zoey is different, her mark is different than others. She has some powers like blood lust and control over 5 elements which is quite abnormal for 3rd former to have. And there is Aphrodite who is evil and selfish going to be leader who hates Zoey for her specialties. Like all stories there is a handsome vampire guy who likes Zoey, and not to forget her best friends who will help her through out all difficult situations.

Story is interesting, but can not count it as  horror novel. Its suitable for young adults, its another vampire novel for vampire lovers. My rating is 3 out of 5.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I love stories where magic is involved, like ”Harry Potter series” and  ”Chronicles of Narnia”. For some reason I have been reading a lot of good books lately, & I am happy that I found this book to read.

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of those books, that I wish I would have written it! Sophie Hatter lives with her step mother, step sister and a sister, being eldest sister she thinks that her fortune is not going to be good. She’s a young woman living in a world where fairy tales and magic are a part of everyday life. People are scared of Howl the wizard and witch of Waste. Because Howl eats young girl’s hearts and witch of Waste is dangerous. Due to some unexpected twists Sophie gets under Withe’s spell and she is not young anymore, she is old. Worst part of the spell is that she can’t tell to anyone that she is enchanted. Now Sophie,old and tiered wants to find a place to stay away from everyone, but she ends up getting into Howl’s moving castle. It is wonderful tale of Magic and love.I don’t know how to write more that that.

After reading the book, I watched animated movie by the same name: Howl’s moving castle. Movie was good, but I liked the book more.  You will travel to magic world while reading about  floating castle, talking fires, bouncing scarecrows, and amazing spells.By the way Howl is my favorite character apart from Sophie, oh my god! I like Michael too   My ratings are 4 out of 5.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J.Watson

Only one word can explain this book ”Awesome”! My fellow blogger recommended this book saying that ” It is one of those books you literally cannot put down until you know the ending”. I totally agree with her after reading the book. And she told me not to read any reviews of this book before, thinking that some reviews may spoil the suspense for me. I should be very careful while reviewing this book because I don’t want to ruin the fun of others who didn’t read it.

I should say that it is really amazing debut novel! Christine wakes up every morning thinking she is still in her early 20s until she looks in the mirror and realizes she’s 47 years old. She has to remember her husband and friends by looking at photos plastered in bathroom. The man who sleeps next to her and lives with her says that he is her husband. She has no memory of getting married or loving him, but she has to believe what this man says because she don’t have option. But with the help of doctor she secretly starts to write a journal and finds a way to remember where she kept the journal. There are things which comes back to her memory. She is the only one she can trust. Lovely combination of psychology and mystery. I recommend this book to people who love to read mystery and psychology related novels. My ratings are- 4 out of 5.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I found it difficult to rate this book, well this book made me cry and sad, but hard to rate it. I don’t know if I just liked it or found it very good. It’s kind of hard to review a book when you don’t know what you exactly feel about it.

Mia is happy with her family, she has a boyfriend loving parents and lovely brother. She has an amazing talent of Cello and her boyfriend is one of the members of famous rock band. But her life goes upside down after an accident. Her mom and dad are gone, brother is half concision and is at the edge of death. But Mia watches people but nobody can see her or feel her. She sees her own body lying in ICU in coma. Now everything is changed, happiness is taken from her. She has to decide what she wants, whether she wants to live or go along with her parents.

This book reminds me of book ”Stalking Shadows” by SA Hunter. I wanted to give this book 4 out of 5 but some how I could’t,  here characters were so flat and readers won’t get emotionally attached with the characters because they were not introduced properly. But still it is a good book to read, my ratings are 3 out of 5.

Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter

Kylie Galen is facing very bad phase in her life. Her parents are getting separated, she thinks no one seems to care about her and want her anymore. Her mom is Queen of Ice who is so cool about her divorce, dad is not even saying anything, her best friend is acting all different hanging around with boys and drinking in parties. But wait, this is not weird at all, because weirdest of weird is that she can see a ghost now! Yes, a ghost which looks like it is directly out from some Hollywood war movie in armors.

One night Kylie Galen gets arrested with people from party, even though she didn’t even touch beer and came clean through all the testes but her mother doesn’t believe her. She was sent for a camp for troubled kids, and it is called Shadow Falls. What a creepy name isn’t it. It seems they are not troubled but they are supernatural kids! There are vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies and what not? But nobody can tell who is she, where she belongs to. She can’t even fit with ghost whisperers, because there is something more in her. Her life gets more complicated around two guys, Lucas  ( hot werewolf) and Derek ( a handsome half fairy) when she is getting to know herself a little some unexpected things happens. What is she? Who is this ghost who seems to follow her everywhere? If you want to solve this mystery then you will have to read the book.

If you are a fan of supernatural novels, then you will definitely like it. All  possible supernatural characters are mixed in this book. Their life style, food and culture are mentioned in this book  makes it worth reading. I have seen a lot of reviews hating this book, but why can’t we try reading something new when everything is about same old human vampire love stories.

I’m not twenty four I have been nineteen for five years by Sachin Garg

”Ooho.. I want those shoes” was what I had in my mind looking at the cover, lovely read shoes!  I am done with reading IIT-ians same old love stories. After Chetan Bhagat’s Two States hit the bestseller level, every student started writing about his own love story and publishing. I wanted something good in Indian fiction to remember the good old days where I had enjoyed reading books from Indian authors. This book was totally refreshing!

India is a small country but every state has it’s own tradition, so normally people from one state will have problem adjusting in another state. Language, food, life style is totally different all over. Now about the book, Saumya a north Indian (Delhi) girl gets a job in South India ( Karnataka). Very rural place in Karnataka indeed, where she meets Malappa and Shubhro. Shubhro is a Indian hippie kind of person always smoking pots and roaming in Old temples of Hampi. It was supposed to be a love traigle but it’s not! There is no space for love when you are surrounded by dying people, Saumya was welcomed by blood, riots, violent bosses and cut limbs of labors. Which girl will like to stay there? But Saumya did! Will soumya survive there? What about Malappa? Will Shubhro can show who is he when he is surrounded by smoke and drinks?

I just loved this book, amazingly story sets through the end by leaving a strong feeling. I will recommend this book to people who want to read some good Indian fiction. My ratings are 4 out of 5.

Who Will Cry When You Die by Robin Sharma

Life is always full of up and downs, every turn is different from the previous one. Life will have value when we live it fully by knowing the value of life, I totally believe in it. Self help books are not my choice, according to me nobody can teach you how to live your life but a little guidance is not bad

I have read couple of self help books in my childhood, ( mostly for interesting stories in it) my mom is a big fan of inspirational books. I have read- ”Badukalu Kaliyiri ( Part 1 and 2 ) by Swami Jagadatmananda and Vijayakke 5 ne mattu 6 ne mettilu by Yendamuri Veerendranath both are in my regional language Kannada. I have enjoyed reading stories with innner meaning hidden in it. According to whatever is told in the form of stories or examples will remain in our memories forever, life lessons in the form of stories makes it interesting read.

”Who will cry when you die?” is about how to lead a good life, everything is mentioned in the form of list rather than stories. But here I observed a fact that whatever was mentioned in this book was what exactly I did or was doing in my life ( except wake up at 5 concept ) According to me it is not life enlightening read but if you want to re-check the things which you are already following in your life you should read this book.

World War Z by Max Brooks

This is a major war against enemies, who don’t rest till the end.They don’t need water to drink or air to breath. They don’t rest because their motive is to eat as many people as possible. Yes, here enemies are walking dead zombies! This is the first zombie novel I have read, I liked  reading ”The walking dead” comic series but never read a novel before. Vampires and werewolves are my favorite supernatural characters, but I don’t know where this zombies fit in? there is nothing properly mentioned in this book about their origin. I guess it started after the world war because many of  the diseases started after that. I don’t know if I have to call it a disease or supernatural thing.

World War Z is a oral history about the zombie war. It is written in the form of interviews, where survivors reveal and share their horrible experiences from all over the world.  The book begins with how first few cases of this zombie madness found.  Later it explains how it started infecting in worldwide when  infected refugees started travelling, what did the government do to prevent this,how people suffered by loosing their loved once and living in terrible fear for years, fighting dead things. Every war have to see the end so that’s what happens here too. World war Z ends after many years but leaves damages on human mind and body forever.

I felt this book was very slow going and I didn’t feel that excited while reading. May be oral history is not my type. Reasons for finding this book less exciting:  I felt that  all   characters had similar voices. Subject was little dry for the zombie concept, because when you say zombie that word gives you lot of ideas. So I personally feel that it is boring, I want to read about people in real time, like struggling to survive, not being told how people surivived after it was over.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

“Just remember, girls: The young male vampire is a predator by nature. Some boys may look at you not only as a romantic interest, but as prey . . ”

I love to read Vampire novels, but I have to say this one was different. At first I didn’t like the story but later found it difficult to put down. This one is interesting vampire novel with the touch of good  humor. I was just checking books in goodreads when I found this, and immediately I wanted to read this. Now that I have got kindle, finding books and reading is not that difficult task (still I want to own a personal library )

Jessica Packwood is an adopted Romanian orphan with loving parents who are strict into vegan diets and organic farms. She is seventeen and never been kissed, a math geek and love her life as it is. But things can’t seem to stay normal in her life when Lucius comes from Romania as an exchange student and stays in her garage. That could have been better if he didn’t cliam her as her fiancee and himself a vampire. Things gets worst when her own parents support him but she likes anothet guy from class. What is going to happen to her? Is she a real vampire? Will she ever fall in love with this Vampire prince? What if she is late and he is already falling for some one else? A wonderful tale of vampires and their rivalry within the species.

It is a good time pass read if you are interested in little funny, romantic vampire stories.

I Love You.. Till I find someone better by Durjoy Datta and Maanvi Ahuja.

What a name for a book?? Wow.. I was curius to know what is it about. I always fall for fancy names and book covers So I bought it last year with two more books which I have already mentioned in my previous posts- “I too had a love story” and “Anything for you ma’am” (books form Indian authors) all three best sellers.

This book is a confused love story which has unexpected twist till the end. It was ok, not a dissapointment. Its written by 2 authors Durjoy Datta and Maanvi Ahuja. Coming to the story it is quite simple and well expected story from a guy who was just a fresh engineering graduate from a metropolitan city college in the year 2008. Deb always tries to find the best out of his girl friends and fails in it but one day he comes to a situation where he  finally finds his love. This is a book which contains at least one coinciding incident from any engineering graduate life starting from his college life to his final career life.

There are sequels to his first book,I would want to read it someday are-

Now That You’re Rich … Let’s Fall In Love by Durjoy Datta and Maanvi Ahuja.

She broke up, I didnt!.. I just kissed someone else by Durjoy Datta

Ohh Yes, I am single.. and so is my girl friend by Durjoy Datta and Neeti Rustagi

You were my crush… Til you said I love you  by Durjoy Datta and Orvana Ghai.

First book was a good time pass read Hope to read his other books soon.