The Struggle ( The Vampire Diaries # 2) by L.J Smith

This second book in ”Vampire Diaries” picks up exactly form where the first book ended. Stephen is missing, Elena is in search of him. Elena confronts Damon by her choosing. Damon is everywhere in this book, he is with her classmates, friends, and even with her family members in her house. This book is more focused on Elena’s missing dairy because entire story is revolving around that. This book is really a fast read, because  there is nothing to drag about. It is simple and direct.

Elena is lot more stronger here and her character is better than the first book. But I wonder why she is confused so much even though she likes Stephen, there is something in her which is attracted to Damon. ( I personally agree that in TV series Damon is hotter than Stephen ) Whatever, it is  an interesting read. My rating: 3 out of 5.

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

This is vampire and human love story. Where Zoey falls for Simon, who is 300 years older than her. This was published in 1990. I liked the book from the beginning, this is what real vampires are if there are! Because here Simon can’t cross the running water, can’t stand the crucifix, can’t enter without invited to anybody’s house and he can’t walk in the sunlight free.

Zoey is a normal teenager who is going through lot more than a normal teenager do. Her mom is dying at the hospital, her dad is so much into his work and hospital that he doesn’t get time to talk to her or he is avoiding her. Her best friend is moving to some where far, even she doesn’t want to talk about Zoey’s problems. Totally she is on her own. She meets this handsome guy called Simon one night at the park and falls for him with out knowing who he is but when she comes to knows she is gone far away to come back. Simon wants to take revenge on his brother who put him to this black hole and who is slaughtering women at night. Will Simon succeed in this? What will happen to Zoey and Simon?

It is kind of sad ending but it was somehow perfect ending. I have read this author’s ”Blood and Chocolate” novel. But ”The Silver Kiss” is her debut novel.   My rating: 3 out of 5.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I seriously don’t know why people write series! When the first book is awesome and you love it why you want a second book to spoil it completely and make you hate it? I totally liked the first book ”Hush Hush”  in  ”Hush Hush series” even though the name never made sense to me!

 Nora, age 16 is in love with Patch who was a fallen angel, but saved her life and is now her guardian angel. She is in love with him, likes to be with him, kiss him but Patch can’t feel anything physically. she tries to save him from the vengeance of the archangels because apparently it is illegal among angels for him to love a human so she breaks up with him and then suffers dreadfully. But Patch doesn’t seem like he is suffering because he is now going out with Nora’s enemy Marcie. Nora tries to go out with Scott, who is a bad boy and secretive, with whom her mom tries to link Nora. But she suffers even more seeing Patch and Marcie wherever she goes with Scott. But Scott is not human being! It’s like Nora can’t get a descent human being to date! Now that her love is gone, life is miserable there is more mystery to know about her birth and weird dreams she keeps getting about it. Everything comes to an end when she comes to know who is trying to kill her.

Reading this book was a mistake. But can’t help it when you start reading series. Hope to read the 3rd book but not soon. My rating: 2 out of 5.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

“The heart dies a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains.”

Memoirs of a Geisha is an amazing novel that discusses the life of a Geisha, a Japanese artist-entertainer. I’d been wanting to read this one for a very long time. I got mixed feelings while reading this book, so many emotions passed through me. I read this book last month and for almost 2 weeks I had hangover!

A slave, sold by your own family, and trained for the sole purpose of pleasuring men, whether you like it or not. Imagine living such a life where you don’t have enough happiness left inside you but still you have to make others happy.Geisha are not prostitutes, the happiness they give is purely from hanging around in tea house with gentlemen who seek their company and poring them tea, Sake and listening to their stories, telling them stories and jokes.

This is a story of a girl Chiyo who was sold into geisha training in Japan. Her struggles to achieve the goal and turn into a geisha. But this story is so unpredictable. Chiyo’s love for Chairman and Nobu’s interest in Chiyo, their customs and traditions to become Geisha is so complicated. I loved all characters even though some characters were real trouble to the main character.

I have watched the movie right after reading the book. In movie they haven’t changed much may be that’s why I liked the movie too. My rating is 4 out of 5 for this book. I recommend this book to fiction lovers.

The Awakening ( The Vampire Diaries # 1) by L.J Smith

From a long time I wanted to read this series. Whenever I wanted to watch the TV series I kept saying let me finish the book first. Now that I have read the first book may be I can start watching the series.

Elena, the queen bee of her high school, is confused when the new boy, Stefan shows no interest in her. He is so secretive about his past and he keeps to himself. Elena takes him as challenge and tries to do all possible tricks to win his attention. But there is someone watching her always, and there is attacker who killed a old man and attacked her classmate near the cemetery. Stefan can’t belong anywhere because he is not human, he thinks he is behind these attacks but he can’t remember anything. But Stefan can’t avoid Elena just because she brings back the memories of Kathrine whom he loved in past. He can’t avoid loving her and the feeling is mutual. Now that they both know that Elena wants to know his dark secrets. There is someone who can  manipulate everything and every mind around just to take revenge on Stefan. Who is that? What Elena will do if she comes to know that Stefan is a vampire?

It is a young adult vampire novel. Fantasies are only suitable for teens. I recommend this to people who are interested in vampire romance but not to those who want to read some serious vampire action. My rating: 3 out of 5. It is a good time pass read.

Predestined by Abbi Glines

Predestined is second book in Existence series. Ever since I read the first book, I was in love with the characters. Very interesting plot about death falling in love with normal girl holds the same effect in this book too.

Dank the death is completely fallen for Pagen. But for Pagen Moore life is more complicated, Leif Montgomery is missing but no one remembers him. But Pagen is worried because he is coming in her dreams uninvited, but these are not real dreams, but part of her memory from childhood which she has forgotten completely. Leif Montgomery is back to take Pagen’s soul as restitution with the help of his dad who is Voodoo lord. Now Dank has to fight against powerful Voodoo lord to get his love back.

Never read a novel which explains so much about  Voodoo. It is an interesting  read but first book was better than this one. My rating is: 3 out of 5.

Sand Dollar by Sebastian Cole

Sand Dollar, A Story of undying  love. It is truly a story of undying love! What an amazing book. I got this from author Sebastian Cole, I am really grateful. Fist I would like to thank Mr. Cole for giving this opportunity.

This is debut novel from this author! wish I could write novels like this. Noah Hartman has reached the end of his long and eventful life, and wants to tell the story of his undying love to someone. From there the story starts, story of Noah and Robin’s undying love. Noah meets his soul mate Robin one day. Robin is beautiful, young and lovely lady, but she has some secrets from past which she don’t want to share with Noah. One day suddenly she forgets how much she liked him and goes with someone else from past. Noah is totally shattered but he can’t forget Robin. What is this secret which is keeping Robin away from Noah?What will happen to Robin and Noah’s love story? What is that Dark secret?

This book made me laugh, cry and my  heart ache. I am glad that I read this book. If you are a fan of Romantic novels, then go ahead read this book.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Adam’s Promise: If you stay, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll quit the band; go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I’ll do that too. .. And that would suck, but I’ll do it. I can lose you like that, if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.

You will know who promised this to whom if you have read the first book in the ”If I stay series”.  Mia decided to stay back even though she lost all reasons to live,just because Adam requested her to hang on to her life. But in the second book ”Where She Went” she went away from Adam according to his promise he just let her go. Now Adam is a famous rock star, Mia is popular Cello player. Adam hates his celebrity life and not happy with so called famous new girl friend. One night when he thinks that his life is collapsed he meets Mia and his hopes returns. Will Mia and Adam get back? Why did Mia go away in the first place? Why Adam is not happy being famous and rich rock star?

I loved “If I Stay”. It was one of those books that made my heart ache. It moved me and made me cry. But second book is not what I expected.I admit to being a bit disappointed by the second book. My rating are: 2 out of 5.

 

Callum and Harper by Fisher Amelie

Another young adult story ”Callum and Harper”.  It is the story of young Callum and Harper, falling in love, misunderstanding, hiding the feelings, their struggle to get money as both are orphans.  It had all potential to be a great story but some thing was missing!

Callum and Harper meet each other when they are struggling to get a place to stay for one day, as most of the day they have to struggle getting places to stay as they are poor and orphans. They end up living in Callum’s friend’s place for few days and they start liking each other. They work very hard to earn the money to buy a place and live together. But Harper’s past is haunting her in the form of psycho lover from one of the  foster homes. Will they get what they want? Who is this psycho from Harper’s past?

A good love story with twist. My rating is 3 out of 5. It is the first book of Sleepless series. Second book is Thomas & January which I would like to read soon

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

I love summer stories where holidays, love, break ups, flirting, romance, sorrow& happiness that makes it perfect especially  if it is story of teenagers. ”The Summer I turned Pretty” is a novel with lot of emotions. This is first book of ”Summer series”.

Belly lives for the Summer. To her, the months in between summer are nothing but passing time until the next summer starts. Summer is a time that everything happens. Isabel, better known as Belly, has spent every summer at Cousins beach since she was born with her mother, brother Stephen and  Susannah (her mother’s best friend), and her two sons: Conrad and Jeremiah. From the beginning she liked Conrad but he kept his emotions to himself by being silent guy. But  Jeremiah was friendly with her and liked her. But this summer is different she is not a small girl anymore. When Belly and her family come to Cousins beach, she notices that Conrad and Jeremiah don’t treat her as a little girl like they used to; they notice she’s become a young woman. But Conrad is the same, he doesn’t pay any attention to her. To make him jealous Belly goes out with another guy called Cam. But  Jeremiah confesses his love to her. It is really confusing for Belly to follow her heart now! Meanwhile there is something happening to Susannah which may effect everyone.

I heart wrenching story of summer, my ratings are 3 out of 5. Recommended to read only  if you like to read young adult novels.