Author: Les

I love books! what else is there to say I read 24/7 and review them all. I read anything that catches my attention so I am not stuck in one Genre, so you won't be either. I am a geek and proud of it.
Books, great reads, Out of the Box Blogs, rant, Reviews

The Last Book in a Series and Me

Les

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So I have issues with reading the last book in a series. I buy them, but never read them. I have an entire shelf dedicated to last books. Does anyone else do this?

I want to read them, but then I don’t want to read them. I just can’t bring myself to read them. My reasons that I keep telling myself is that I don’t want the series to end, so if I never read it, then it never has to end. I also tell myself I am afraid to read it, because what if I hate the ending, and I will regret reading it, and be mad at the author for it.

Let me just say that I have been coerced into reading a few last books. I HATED EVERY SINGLE ENDING! I am sorry Jeanine Frost, but the ending of the Cat and Bones series sucked. (if you don’t know this series, you must correct that error) The ending only sucked because she should have killed Tate 3 books before the last one or at least gave us the joy of  Bones killing him in the last book. I HATE TATE!!

See this is what I’m talking about. Here I go on a tangent about the ending because she decided to keep the worst character in the book all the way to the end. This is what happens, so I don’t read them. If I hadn’t read the last Cat and Bones book, I could have pretended that Bones finally killed him! Can someone besides Karen and I who has read this entire series tell me if you agree with us?

I am stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Darynda Jones will be putting out the last book in the Charley Davidson series soon, and I love that series, but I don’t know if I am going to be able to read it.

Ok I am ready for your comments, opinions, and if anyone has overcome this, please let me know.

Peace,

Les

Books, great reads, Out of the Box Blogs

Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter by: Randy L. Schmidt

Les

little girl

**THIS ONE IS MORE OF MY FEELINGS AND OPINION OF KAREN AND HER LIFE, THAN THE BOOK**

To be honest I forgot that my Goodreads is attached to the blog, and the whole world sees what I read. Kind of strange to think about it now. This is a book I read for me and my mother. She loved Karen Carpenter, and thought she was a victim of circumstance and an overbearing family as well as the fame.

This book dives into her entire life, even the not so glamorous times, and the low points. There are a lot of interviews with her friends in this book, which is the reason I decided to read it. I know the music, but who was she? My take on Karen is she was a beautiful soul looking for unconditional love, and a life as a wife and mother that she could be proud of. She had this amazing gift, that voice was so unique and so recognizable. I didn’t  know until this book that she recorded a solo album while Richard was in Rehab for his addiction issues. While reading this book told by some of her closest friends, there were times when I was so mad for her. I was so angry, when I found out about the solo album, and then to find out they made her shelf it. They told her it wasn’t good enough. I think they were afraid. They were afraid to release it. What made me the most mad was that they released it after her death. My favorite Karen Carpenter song is on this album. I wish she could have seen how many people loved that album.

So many people controlling her life and micromanaging her. She was already a perfectionist when it came to her singing. The constant comments about her weight in the beginning, to the butting in of her relationships with men. She never had a moments peace. When she found out the truth about her fiancé being a fraud, it is said she wanted to cancel the wedding. Her friend claims her mother wouldn’t here of it, too many invitations had gone out. It would have been too embarrassing. So she married a con man who blew almost all her money, and it is said he even told her ” Look at you, I would never have a child with you, you look sick. Nothing but skin and bones, how can I love that”. It is no wonder she sought refuge in the few who did love her as she was. She tried to be perfect on the outside in front of the world, but she forgot to love herself. This is why my mother told me this story, so I can always remember to love myself first.

She tried to fight her bulimia and anorexia, she was doing well, but she just couldn’t get that monkey off her back. Some friends say she was taking a prescription medicine, instead of her usual laxatives, but some friends truly thought she had beaten it. Some say she was doing so well. Her autopsy says she did have the prescription in her system, but some say it was because she was sick. I say no matter what we lost a great artist, and an amazing woman, who never got to live up to her full potential.  I listen to her music almost daily, and I am saddened by the fact that she didn’t get to see how many people still listen even now.

Here is my favorite song from her solo album. I hope you enjoy it. *of course I do not own the rights to this song*

Peace,

Les

Books, funny, great reads, indie author, Kissing booth, Movies, Out of the Box Blogs, Romance

The Kissing Booth the movie and the book by: Beth Reekles

Les

Original Book Cover                              Movie Cover

Hey everyone! I just watched the movie The Kissing Booth on Netflix. I realized it was based on the book by Beth Reekles. I have a story about this book, so I thought I would share.

I used to read a lot of stories on WattPad. If you’re not familiar with WattPad, it is an app where people share their stories, and others can read them. They are normally unfinished stories that are updated every week or so. So every week you get a new chapter, and you give feed back on what you liked or didn’t like. I actually found a lot of great stories on there, and every so often I pop back in the app to see what is new.

I found the story ” The Kissing Booth” one day, I think it had maybe 2 chapters done at the time, and it grabbed my attention. So every time I would get a notification that it had been updated, I would drop what I was doing , or reading and read my new chapter. I was really into this book. I liked the characters and also story line.

Fast Forward and Beth makes an announcement that she has an offer and will be publishing her story. This is kind of a close knit group that have been growing with the characters and the story, so we are hella excited for her! I love supporting new and indie authors, so as soon as it came out I bought the paperback. Funniest thing: I never read the paperback! I was always afraid that they may have edited out some of my favorite parts.

All of a sudden Harper Sloan (another author) makes a post about watching the movie The Kissing Booth. I am like, WAIT!!! It’s a movie now? I got super excited and swore I would watch it. But lets be honest, I work in tourism and this is busy season, and I have a company to run. (For anyone who didn’t know Kar and I are both in tourism, and both run companies, hence why we fall off the grid sometimes)  Meanwhile, my daughter is watching a movie on her phone in the car, and I ask what she is watching. She replies, “The Kissing Booth, and it is really good”. So, tonight I cooked dinner and kicked everyone out of my family room, including the husband, (not a family room tonight! It’s my room) and I watched the movie.

I LOVED IT!! It stayed pretty true to what I remember from the book. I mean it was published in 2012, so I read the original draft before that, so I don’t remember every detail. I have added it to my list on Netflix, so I can watch it again and again. My daughter has watched it 3 times already, so look at me being cool, and now she is reading the book! I love it when I can get her to read books I have read and we can talk about them.

Has anyone read the book and seen the movie as well? What are your thoughts? Should I read the published book? I am still scared of that one.

 

Peace,

Les

Books, funny, great reads, indie author, Reviews, Romance

“Unconscious Hearts (Hearts of Vegas Book 1)” by: Harper Sloan

Les

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Hi Everyone! I have been it such a reading rut. I finally found a book that held my attention. This is my first book by this author, but won’t be my last. Let’s get this party started!

Blurb:

Ari Daniels didn’t count on her whole world tumbling down around her in a mess of shredded promises, broken love, and unbelievable heartbreak. Alone and stricken with grief, she shouldered the blame and eventually closed her heart off, refusing to open it for another. After all, anytime she tried, guilt and regret were waiting in the wings to remind her how painful it was.

A bet and one steamy night with a stranger force Ari to confront all she’s been hiding behind. She tries to move on, but he refuses to stand down, wanting what she is terrified to give—herself. This man may very well destroy her in the end, especially when it’s clear he has his own demons.

What happens when two broken souls come together, finally allowing themselves to believe in the beauty of love … only to have to fight harder than ever to keep it?

 

Okay! So I feel like I should first tell you that this is a series, however each book is another set of characters story. NO CLIFFHANGER HERE! Thank you Harper! If you don’t know Harper Sloan, you need to look her up, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and snap chat. She is hilarious and amazing. She also has an amazing cat Kevin, who has his own instagram page, and is an outlet for her humor. I have followed her for a while before I actually bought a book. I don’t know why it took me so long, but I was having such a hard time finding a book that called to me, but I read this in one day.

This may sound surprising to any of you how read my reviews all the time, I like Ari, the main girl character! I know what is the world coming to! So, Ari is a girl with a devastating past and is content to be alone for the rest of her life. She owns a high end thrift shop, and works with her best friend Piper (who I also love). Ari, who’s real name is Paris, is estranged from her sister London, and her sister likes to call Ari and make her life a little harder.

Just when Ari has come to terms with being alone with only Piper and her business in her life, in walks Thorn. Thorn is a huge, tattooed, hot bad boy that needs to get rid of some high end items left to him in a will. He invites Ari to the house he was left and all the hundreds of items he wants to sell really fast. Only, Thorn sees Ari and has to have her, so he makes a deal. She will beg him within 30 seconds to take her, or she can take all the items for free. Let me just say, This is a Hugh bet, like a $4 million dollar bet. To say he is cocky is an understatement. And it just gets better from there.

They are both trying to stay away from attachments, and relationships, but both feel something immediately. They are drawn to each other, but the big question is whether or not they can convince themselves and each other to take the chance. Will it work when they want to run, or because of their past, will they fall back into old habits. Will they listen when someone tells them they deserve happiness, or believe that they still don’t because of their past? You know I am not going to tell you, you will have to read it to find out if they make it.

Finally, just when I thought this was just a love story, she throws in some serious action and a total “WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?” moment that you don’t see coming.

Ahhhhh yes! My favorite part, it is written in both Ari, Thorn, and a mystery persons point of view. I love multiple point of views. Everyone says its because I am nosey by nature.

If you are modest and don’t like vulgar language, find another book. This is an erotic romance, and trust me it delivers. This is a steamy book, and is very descriptive. I don’t feel like it was done in a distasteful way, or took away from the story. Sometimes I feel like it is forced in some stories, however I didn’t feel that way at all in this book.

I have to say a congratulations to this author, she has officially written a story where I didn’t absolutely hate the lead girl, or the important characters. I can’t remember a book, since my last Darynda Jones book, or Jeanine Frost books, that this has happened. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised since Harper is a great girl herself.

I would read this book again, I have since bought another of Harper Sloan’s book. I am sure it won’t be my last. I can’t wait.

You should definitely give this a chance, and read it. I can’t see how you would be disappointed!

 

Peace,

Les