Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James (series: #2 Fifty Shades)
Originally published 2011 Publisher: Vintage Erotica
4 stars
Now this is the second book in the series (Fifty Shades). The genre is erotica, and yes there is a lot of sex in these books, graphic. So it definitely is not a book for everyone. But even if the genre says erotica, I would say it is so much more than that. The point is not in the sex. The point is about the story and the romance. So basically it is a romance book, that has erotic scenes in it. Not an erotica book with a good plot to it. Do you know what I mean with this? Well at least that´s what I think.
I couldn´t
keep writing notes (which is what I nowadays do with every book I read) after reading like half of the book, I just didn´t want to/
have time to. On my way to work I kept reading this book till the last
seconds. So yes, it was again a really good book! This story will definitely be in my favourites. It has surprised me many
times and surely still will on the last book. At times I felt that maybe there was too much happening in this book.
So there´s also a movie coming of these books. And there is only one man
I keep thinking of as Christian Grey.
That is Matt Czuchry. (Come on, look at him: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3000534784/nm0194516). I have read and watched photos of
suggested cast for the movie, but I haven’t seen him anywhere. I´m not sure if
I´ll get over it if he´s not in the movie :)
I just got to say one more things. These covers are beautiful! I love them. Hopefully I´ll get to read the last of the series soon because I know there is some very interesting events coming up..
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: M.K. McClintock
So, a little while ago I read a book called
Gallagher´s Pride. I received the book through a Goodreads group Making
Connections as a ARR book – author requesting reviews. I don´t know what
exactly caught my attention when I decided to ask for the book, for it is not
of a genre I typically read. But I do not regret!
Gallagher´s Pride is a historical/western romance.It was published January this year and it is the first of a series, the second
one to be published in August.
After finishing this book I was left with the
familiar feeling of GIVE-ME-MORE-OF-THIS that you get after finishing a book of
a series that you´ve been too eager to read. You know what I´m talking about..
it´s annoying, but in a good way! Now here I have the interview of the author of that book, M.K. McClintock,
but at first a little bit more about the book:
BOOK
SUMMARY
She
was on a quest of discovery.
He
was on a quest for revenge.
Together
they would discover a second chance.
Brenna Cameron travels from Scotland
after losing someone she loves in search of family she didn't know existed.
Alone now in the world, Brenna makes an arduous journey, following the trail of
discovery to Briarwood, Montana. Here she meets Ethan Gallagher, and the rest
of the Gallagher clan. Only with their help is she able to discover lost
family, heal old wounds and embark on a treacherous confrontation with a man
who destroyed her family. As head of the Gallagher clan, Ethan has more than
enough to occupy his thoughts and time-he didn't need the complication of
Brenna Cameron and he certainly didn't need the trouble that came with her.
Ethan takes on the unwanted duty of self-appointed protector to the headstrong
Scot, only to discover there is such a thing as second chances and more to life
than revenge.
And here´s the trailer:
Published January 7th 2012 by Trappers Peak Publishing
-Gallagher’s Pride is currently available on
Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.
What new is in the second
edition of the book?
-I have a wonderful new editor who worked on the
second edition with me. I’ve also added what I feel are a couple of essential
scenes, but the heart of the story is the same.
How many books will there be
in the series?
-There will be four books. Originally there was
going to be a fifth, but a death in the third book prevents that and no, I’m
not going to give anything away. :)
How long did it take for you
to finish Gallagher´s Pride?
-About 6 months originally and then a couple
extra months were added on with the additional editing.
Did the plot of the book turn
out the way you thought it would or did something change during the process of
writing it?
-Not exactly. I had an idea of where I wanted it
to go, but halfway through I realized that wasn’t going to happen. The
characters took on a life of their own and I found that if I went with it, the
single book would become a series, hence the Gallagher Series.
If you could get anyone to
read your book, who would you want to read it?
-That’s a tough one, but I’m going to go with
Johanna Lindsey.
If your book was to be made in
to a movie, who would you choose to play the leading roles?
-Some of my responses have actually changed
since the last time I was asked this question and will probably change again
when I see a good-looking guy in cowboy getup! For now my picks for the three
Gallaghers are Dylan McDermott as Ethan, Victor Webster as Gabriel and Emily
Blunt as Eliza.
THE AUTHOR
Was Gallagher´s Pride the
first book you wrote?
-It wasn’t the first complete book, but it was
the book I’ve published and promoted. The first full-length book I wrote was
temporarily published and will be available again once the editor has worked
her magic.
What other books have you
written and what are they about?
-Alaina Claiborne was my first full-length novel
set in Victorian England (late 19th century) and is the first
of what will be three British Agent novels.
Did some music inspire you
while you wrote the book? Or something else, what?
-I generally like my surroundings quiet while I
write, but once in a while I’ll listen to classical or Celtic music during a
particular scene. It helps me to play the scene out in my head before writing
it.
What was the hardest part in
writing this book?
-The ending. I knew it would carry over into a
second book and so I wrote it with a bit of a cliff-hanger. I debated doing
that for a few weeks because not everyone likes unanswered questions, but I
knew it would be the best way for the story to end and transition into the next
book of the series. I’m now happy that I went with the ending I did.
Did you do everything in the
book yourself, or did you have some help? (cover design, proof reading..)
-Originally I did everything myself, but no
writer can edit on their own, so I began working with an editor in May for the
second edition of the book. Never again will I attempt that on my own. Everything
else I do myself and luckily enjoy it all.
THE PERSON
How did you end up writing a
book?
-The story was in my head and wanted to be
written, so I wrote—simple as that.
What sort of things do you
enjoy doing?
-I love being outdoors and spend a lot of my
free time during the summer in the lake, hiking or in the gardens. During the
winter I like to snowshoe. I also bake, read, knit, see a movie. . . I like to
keep busy.
What is your pet peeve?
-I only get one? :) The latest is hearing
people use the phrase “you know” twenty times in a conversation.
Your favourite authors/books?
-My favorites are Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (pick
any book) and Edward Rutherford (Princes of Ireland and Rebels of Ireland).
Do you prefer reading
paperback/hardback/ebook? Why?
-Print books (hardcover or paperback). I
sometimes read eBooks for reviewing, but I spend so much time at a computer
during the day, that I don’t want to spend my leisure reading time looking at
an electronic screen. I also like holding the book, turning the pages and
setting the ones I like on my bookshelf.
Monday, June 25, 2012
KELSAUR THE MIGHTY TAGGED me for Liebster award! Thank you!
This award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning sweetest, cute, kind, valued and several other words of adoration. Ain´t that lovely!
Here are the rules: 1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves 2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you've tagged. 3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post. 4. Tell them you've tagged them 5. Remember, no tag backs.
My 11 facts: 1. My mother tongue is Finnish. 2. I´m 27 years old. 3. So far, I have read 37 books this year. 4. In the winter, I love knitting -------------------------> 5. I love dragons, or things with dragons. 6. I work in a hospital. 7. I used to work under ground. 8. I like computer games or xbox, the last game I´ve played is Diablo 3. 9. I am terrible with houseplants! Almost none has survived in my apartment. 10. I think that I would love to work in a library or even better, a bookstore. 11. I would also love to write a book. Even if it wasn´t a really good book. I think that just being able to make up a story that has a few hundred pages would be marvelous! And to be honest, I have started writing something but there is only about 10 pages and the basic idea. Who knows if I ever finish it.
My answers:
1. If you were stranded on an island with only one book, which book would you choose? I have seen this questions so many times and I just hate it! :) A bookaholic should never be made to choose ONE book. But, I guess I have to answer it now..so I would pick Lord of the Rings. Because it´s good and there´s lots to read!
2. Where is your favorite place to read? In the kitchen, with a cup of coffee.
3. What is your favorite book series? Wolves of Mercy Falls and Hunger Games are my favourite of the newer series I´ve read.
4. Do you read ebooks? Yes, but I´ve only read a few so far. I just got myself a Kindle few weeks ago but I haven´t really gotten to use it yet.
5. How long have you been blogging? A few weeks?
6. What is your favorite thing to do besides reading? Watching good tv series!
7. What was your favorite book as a child? Oh my, will I even remember..Well I´m not sure if this counts as a book but this is one that I remember liking, it´s about a bunny character called Pupu Tupuna, and they were written by a Finnish woman called Pirkko Koskimies.
8. What book have you hated the most? Um.. another hard one. I´m not sure if I´ve actually hated any book, but disliked enourmously, sure. From the books I´ve read during a year, I´d say I liked Frankenstein the least.
9. Do you ever cry over books? There is some occasional tearing up, but a lot rarer then while watching a movie.
10. Who is your favorite author? There´s not many authors that I´ve read more than for one book or one series, but out of the few I´d say Neil Gaiman.
11. How do you feel about books being made into movies? I love it! I am not a good movie critic so it takes a lot for a movie to be completely ruined for me.
It´s been difficult to find blogs with less than 200 followers that I could tag, so I will add more later if I remember!
My quetions for the bloggers I´ve tagged: 1. Your favourite evil character in a book? 2. Least favourite main character in a book? 3. If you wrote a book, what genre would it be? 4. If a movie was made of a book you wrote, who would you like to act in it? 5. How did you end up starting your blog? 6. If you could have an authors interview on your blog, any author, who would you choose? 7. Which book has surprised you the most in NOT being good? 8. Is reading for you the most enjoyable way to spend your leisure? 9. If you could meet a character of a book, who would you want to meet? 10. Do you read books about sports? Fiction but where a certain sport is part of the plot. If you do, which would you recommend? 11. Do you pay attention to the publishers of the book you read? Do you have some favourite publishers?
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
3 stars
This book started off slowly for me. I was interested in how the story would turn out, but it took quite long for me to really get into the story. In the beginning, I thought I´d only want to read this first book of the series, but now that I have just finished the book I do want to continue the series, just not right now. So my mind changed a lot during this book. It was not bad at any point, it kept getting better and better from the ok start. I would´ve given the last half of the book 4 stars.
So I liked the story. But I would have wanted a little bit more out of the characters. In the beginning I also felt that at some points an event was rushed to get to another point in the story. If the story would have been written a little differently, with the emphasis on the events that were written at the last half of the book and a little more introducing the characters, I would have given it more stars. If I did not too many books to read right now, I would continue the series immediately because the ending of this one..well you know how they make these books! :)
STACKING THE SHELVES for week 25 ..hosted by Tynga´s reviews.
This is something I have copied from another blog, hosted by Tynga´s reviews. (http://www.tyngasreviews.com)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
It´s a weekly meme, which obviously means that it´s a thing that spreads from one person to another. :)
Purchased:
Rapture will be out 21st June!
Free from Amazon: these books were free when I got them, but that offer might have ended now.
No and Me by Delphine de Vigan Originally published 2007 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Young Adult
3 stars
No and Me. And Lucas. Three kids/teens, who have all been left alone, in different ways. They all have different backgrounds. Still something puts them together to form a friendship. No is homeless. Lucas has a home, but alone. Lou has a home too, with her parents, but she still feels alone. This book is pretty short, it easy enough to read even if it has some quite serious subjects in it.
Come to think of it. I actually don´t know where the homeless in my country/city are. I know that there are homeless people, places that give out food and all that. But places with people actually living on the street, I´ve no idea. Or haven´t I just noticed? I notice the people on the street walking past me looking like they might be homeless. But I do not know where they go. Do you?
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (series: #1 Fifty Shades)
Originally published 2011 Publisher: Vintage Romance, Erotica
5 stars
I definitely loved this book! It caught my attention on the very first pages which is always the sign of a good book. It read easily and fast. The sexual scenes weren´t anything I expected, even they were easy to read even if I had some preconception about it. I liked how the characters were written, well Ana and Christian, there was not much room for the others, at least in this first book. I liked that they both had more to them than one side, because that´s what humans are like. An always happy person has his down moments too. The ending was very emotional and I would love to start on the second right now. But I´ll contain myself for a while and read another book before continuing with the series. Definitely a book to recommend!
Gallagher´s Pride by M.K. McClintock (series: #1 Gallagher) Orinally published 2012 Publisher: by Trappers Peak Publishing Romance, Western
4 stars
I really liked this book, I would give it 4,5 stars. I´m not sure what it is that is missing from the book, why I´m not giving five stars. But I liked the plot, I liked the characters and it was well written. It was really easy to read, only I don´t have a kindle so I had to read on my laptop.. What I liked about the book a lot, is that it surprised me by being a lot more than what I was expecting. It was more deep and the characters felt real with real emotions, making me quite irritated at times (in a good way!). The characters all had their unique things that made it easy to remember them after they were first introduced, but they weren´t obviously cliché. The book left me wanting to have the next book of the series to read, soon rather than later! I wouldn´t mind for a bit of Gallagher for myself! ;)
Originally published 2006 Publisher: Definitions Young Adult, Historical Fiction
5 stars
In the very beginning there was a short part that annoyed me, after that it was all good! Quite a powerful story. I liked the characters, I liked how their relationships slowly evolved. I loved the way this one girl made a difference in so many lives. Somehow I kept imagining her as a girl throughout the book, even though I knew she was a lot older in the end. It was easy to read, so even if it´s quite a big book I would recommend everyone to give it a try, it shouldn´t take long to figure if you like this book or not. A book with Death as a narrator. That just can not be not good! Also this cover is very cool I think!
Fifty Shades Darker
![[STSmall%255B4%255D.png]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3m9DjVLrQNw/T6P67VniaaI/AAAAAAAAFKA/4nyREmQZbp0/s1600/STSmall%25255B4%25255D.png)
