Sunday, December 28, 2014

Book Review: Julie's Butterfly











Julie's Butterfly was definitely a different read for me in that it was written specifically to give perspective on a very rare medical condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa. This condition has varying extremes of presentation and is characterized by bruising and blisters due to the skin not having the appropriate connective tissues. The author, Greta Milán, is married to a "Butterfly Child" which is the name given to sufferers of this disease due to their fragile nature. 

In this book the author gives us a rare look into life with people living with this condition. She also illustrates that they are capable of loving and being loved. One of the best aspects that is addressed in this book is the topic of bullying at the childhood level and its effects on individuals well into adult hood. The main character Bastion deals with some very deep ingrained bias and phobias due to abuse he suffered during his childhood. This leads him to isolation and leaving behind his family who cared for him in exchange for a life of solitude.  A very lonely life indeed.

I would definitely recommend the reading of this book, but not for the obvious reason of the romance story but for the struggle and psychological effects of the characters involved. I definitely shed tears throughout this book. There were a number of highly emotional moments that kept me reading and hoping.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, and I hope that you take the time to read it and leave me your opinion in the comment section down below. If you have already read this book, feel free to leave me some feedback. I love to discuss books that moved me in some way.



Monday, December 15, 2014

Whats your Favorite Reading Method?

Recently I have been watching a lot of BookTube videos and I have noticed the obsession some people have to own actual physical books, preferably hardbacks. Lately though I have been consuming the great majority of the books I read in ebook format. There are a number of reasons for this which I will get into in a minute, but foremost I just don't have the space to store hundreds of books. When I was living with my parent I definitely didn't have the space ( and I lived with my mother through my twenties because I like her and I was saving money), now I have a large home and still don't have a wish to fill any of the rooms in my house with books. Especially if I have no intention of lending these books out to people. I keep a few series that I love in large format paperback in my living room but other than that my books are generally ebooks.

A good friend of mines was just telling me the same thing about her book life. Things had gotten so bad she was storing books in the trunk of her car because she had no where to put them. Suffice it to say she has recently switched to reading ebooks as well.  Do we miss holding and reading physical books? Not really. The one thing I do miss is being able to visually see how much of the book I have left to read.

But here is a list of reasons I love Ebooks:

1. I have the ability to carry hundreds of books where ever I go.
2. My place in my books syncs across my devices. (iBooks and Kindle)
3. Multiple devices ( I can read on my iphone, ipad, or computer)
4. Sharing/ Social Media Integration (I can post progress to my bookclub, goodreads, or facebook)
5. Availability ( I can go online and download a new book from where ever I am)

I could go on but as you can see I am a convert.
Whats your favorite reading method, have you given ebooks a try, and what are your experiences?

Currently Reading: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Next review: Julie's Butterfly by Greta Milán

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Book Review: Sleepers By Megg Jensen



The description of this book really caught my attention and I decided to give it a try.

"An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her. 

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?" 

So first I didn't realize just how short this book was because I received it as an ebook. But this is a very short book and I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something to sit and read during a 24 hour period. Its also the first book in a series and the second and third books in the trilogy are available so if you like to marathon a series this would make a great series to marathon.

I can say that was honestly surprised by this book. The main character Lianne is a adopted child sent from a kingdom that was conquered by the kingdom she currently lives in. Her people have magic but this magic supposedly has disappeared leaving them defenseless and at the mercy of the Faithians. Lianne spends most of the book debating on the choices she should make. She is definitely torn between two boys and these boys are the other two adoptees from here country. Each boy has an idea of how Lianne should help them, their country and countrymen, and the friends they have developed during there time there. 

Ultimately Lianne has to learn to make her own decisions and to trust her gut. I definitely would like to continue this series because the twist at the end of this book left me speechless and kinda mad because the entire book steered your feelings towards things in one direction and them BAM! plot twist. 
I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, it was an excellent read and I loved that the book stood alone in the trilogy and left me with a sense of closure about the events of this story. I hate waiting to see what happens to culminate a story line and I can say that Megg Jensen managed that closure while still keeping me wanting more. The only reason I deducted the star was I thought the book was a tad short and because of this the first few chapters of the book felt rushed. A little more character development would have gone a long way in this first book. Otherwise a good read.