Netherfield Park Revisited

Netherfield Park Revisited

Rebecca Ann Collins

5 Stars

I just finished the 3rd book in The Pemberley Chronicles and have to say that I loved it. Out of the entire series, it might just be one of my favorite ones.

Netherfield Park Revisted tells the story of Jonathan Bingley, son to Jane and Charles Bingley from Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice. I have to admit, I was sad and a little skeptical about reading a book about Jonathan. I really love the books that follow the women from this series, not the men. However, this book was not a disappointment. There is romance, history, stories of families, trials and triumphs.

I have said this before, with the previous 2 books in this series, but if you love Jane Austen, you will really enjoy this series. It is by far the most enjoyable, and true to her style sequels I have found out there. I cannot wait to read book four and book five. I pretty sure that they won't disappoint.

I suppose if I have to say anything to the contrary about this book, it would be I really wish the list of characters in the appendix were in a family tree form. Perhaps before reading the fourth book I will have to draw my own copy.

Award

Wow. My first web-award and I feel that I've totally let this blog go for the past few months.

Before my move I was nominated for a Brillante Weblog award by Jeanette from A Comfy Chair and a Good Book. She has such great ideas and each time I've read a book recommended by her I haven't been dissapointed.

So now it's my turn to recommend some awards. Some of my favorite (non-personal) blogs to read are:

Simply Prim Creations
Becky's Book Reviews
Bloggin' 'bout Books
Make and Takes
Internecipes

Rules for award:
Post the logo on your blog.
Add a link to the person who nominated you.
Nominate 5 other people for this award and add links to their blog.
Leave a message for the people that you nominated.

Emma Smith, Woman of Faith

Emma Smith, Woman of Faith

Anita Stansfield

4 Stars

I picked up this book while in Utah and it was a quick and easy read. True Anita Stansfield fashion. I thought it was a nice read and I did love reading more about Emma Smith's life and struggles. Some parts lacked and I really wanted more information, but I think there are more books on Emma that are available that might have more information then this book. This book was under 200 pages.

Emma was a true woman of faith. I can't believe all the trials that she went through and all the children that she lost. I really don't think that I could do it. She was amazing.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a easy read on her life. It did make me want to pick up my copies of The Work and the Glory again and re-read them.

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer

3 1/2 stars





So I know, some people might not want to be my friend after this review, but it's an opinion. I can like red, you can like blue. It's what makes this life interesting, different opinions. So, if you are going to leave me a nasty comment about how I am wrong, please keep it to yourself. I don't think anyone else is wrong who loves this book. This is just what I think.

I think the easiest way to post this will be list form.

Dislikes:

Imprinting. I've thought the idea is strange and wrong since the first introduced and really was disappointed that Jacob imprinted. My main complaint with this is that he imprinted with a half-vampire. I thought the whole point of imprinting was to make sure that the pack "line" continues. How will that work with a half-vampire? I think I would have been happier if he would have just ended up running off with Leah and never imprinting.

Carlise - is he a super Dr. or not? If he has had all these years of medical training, then why couldn't he do more for Bella. I understand that he was dealing with a half vampire baby, but he was on a hunting trip when he had just said it would be any day. He also I think could have just done some sort of C-section and taken the baby out at anytime. It just seemed so strange to me that he left during this critical period.

Rose was so freaky during this book. I really didn't like her. I know she was thinking about the baby but she was strange. I also missed Alice, she was absent for so much of the story, even before she left. I like Alice.

Bella's love for this baby. Ok, I know some mom's love their baby from the second they take the pregnancy test, that's great, but most of these women aren't carrying a baby who for all they know will eventually kill them when they are born. Most of these women aren't Bella, who was so against turning into her mom - getting married at an early age and having a baby so fast. I think that if someone told me that I was carrying a monster baby who was going to kill me, it would be something to think about. Bella was so passive about it, she never even had one doubt. It really bothered me.

The book was getting a bit predictable. There was a whole section at the beginning about the immortal babies. Of course Bella was going to have a baby after that. It was so easy to see.

Not that I wanted Stephenie Meyer to write more graphic descriptions of the physical encounters that Bella and Edward had, but Bella didn't even remember certain aspects. Edward breaks a headboard in half and she doesn't even know? Where is her head, she is still a human woman at this point in the story. Seemed a little strange.

At the end of the book Bella makes a comment to Jacob and calls him "son." This really bothers me. Really.

Vultri. What's all the hype about. I think it was so over-done. Nothing even happened. Since when do they let you walk away - or even walk away themselves? It bothered me there wasn't even a fight. I wanted a fight and some excitement after all the talk about it.

Basically everything was so too-good-to-be-true. I like happy endings, but I think Harry Potter had a happy ending too and people died and bad things happened in it too. Something should have happened, but instead we got everything wrapped up in a pretty little package with a boy on top. It was just too over the top for me. I think a good ending would have been Bella becoming a vampire, even having the baby, but not having Jacob too - that made it too much.

Didn't it bother anyone how "in-love" Bella seemed with Jacob each time he came to visit. Sure, it was the baby, but I really thought this was strange. She had just got married and now each time she saw this different boy she got all happy and giddy.

Likes:

I am glad that Jacob became the Alpha. Really happy that he stepped it up.

The chapter titles in Jacob's section really cracked me up. They made me smile and I loved them.

Jacob's section. I know a lot of people didn't like this but if we read this in Bella's point of view I think all we would have heard is "I am pregnant, sick and feel like crap." It was much more interesting from Jacob's point of view.

Thoughts:

Perhaps if I re-read this book I might like it more. I'm not going to re-read it for a while. If I have to pick a favorite book out of the series it would be book two.

I am happy that Bella is with Edward. The reason I didn't enjoy the book doesn't come down to the fact that I was a "Team Jacob." I never thought that Jacob would win her over in the end. I just can't stress how much happier I would have been if he would have gone off alone or with Leah then imprint.

Again, these are just my thoughts. I don't think you are wrong if you like it, so please don't tell me I am wrong. We are all entitled to our own opinion.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights
Emily Bronte
4 Stars

Since there are so many references to Heathcliff and this book in Eclipse, I thought I would read it before Breaking Dawn comes out. I thought it might help me come up with some ideas for what might happen in the fourth Twilight book - boy, was I wrong!

Wuthering Heights is a not your typical love story. It's twisted and the characters are despicable. I really just didn't like them at all and wanted to badly for any one of them to redeem themselves in the end. That being said, I still couldn't put this book down. There is something about it that draws you in. I read it fast and couldn't seem to put down the dark novel. It was almost like when you see an traffic accident you always find your self looking- I had to look and finish the book, even though I knew it wasn't going to be pretty.

I am giving it four stars because the characters and plot were so complex it made such a great novel, and for the fact it was so well written that I just couldn't put it down.

I did rent the movie from the library and tried to watch it after reading it and only made it 30 or 60 minutes in before I had to turn it off. I couldn't see the horrible characters in real life. It just made me sad.

As far as predictions for Breaking Dawn? If Meyers is comparing Edward to Heathcliff like I think she is in the 3rd book, I think that readers are in for bad news in the fourth book. I hope that doesn't happen, because as much as I like Jacob instead of Edward, I think too many people would be upset if it ended similar to Wuthering Heights. Reading this book made me want to get back out Eclipse and read each passage that referred to Wuthering Heights. It's packed away in a box somewhere and will just have to wait.

Don't read Wuthering Heights if you want a love story like Twilight, but do read it if you enjoy dark, suspenseful novels.

Summer

I promised I have not abandoned this site. I am back!

Summer is usually a big reading season for me. This summer, however, has been quite the opposite. Numerous excuses - not feeling well, catching up with scrapbooks, and preparing to move across the country, have been most of the reasons I haven't been reading. (With the exception of children books so my boys can participate in the summer reading program at their library.)

I did manage to re-read the Twilight series while on vacation, as well as two new books that I reviewed below. If I hadn't packed my Twilight books already I might be re-reading them again right now. I am really looking forward to reading Breaking Dawn, but am sad that it comes out the first day of my almost 2000 miles drive across the western states. I hope I don't see too many spoilers before getting the chance to read it myself.

Is summer a big reading season for you? Is anyone excited - or not for Breaking Dawn? If you are excited - what are you reading now? I need some really good book suggestions to pull me out of my rut!

Hattie Big Sky

Hattie Big Sky
Kirby Larson
4 ½ Stars

Set in 1918, this is the story of orphan Hattie Brooks, who leaves what little family and friends she knows for Montana to settle her late Uncles claim. The book is a Newberry Award Nominee and a great historical fiction written for Young Adults.

I first saw this book recommended on another book blog and was so excited when I found it in the stores during a vacation. I loved the little stories of Hattie’s life, the work and dedication that settlers had in those days. At first I was disappointed with the end, it was a twist that I was not expecting, but after re-reading the ending I felt more closure. I do hope there will be a second book containing more of Hattie’s life.

The book was well-researched and made history fun to the reader. It totally made me grateful for all the modern convinces that we have today. The only reason that I didn't give it a full 5 stars is that I did have to think about the ending and re-read it. It wasn't so bad that I wouldn't recommend it, I actually liked it the more I thought about it. I recommend this book to anyone!

Tending Roses

Tending Roses
Lisa Wingate
5 Stars

A friend gave me this book to read when I was recovering from surgery and I absolutely loved it. Tending Roses is a book that makes you want to slow down your life and think about what is really important.

Kate Bowman finds herself on maternity leave at her Grandmothers farm in Missouri with the task of telling her Grandmother that she must leave the farm she has always known and move to a retirement home. Kate and her husband face difficult times and throughout the book find out what is important to them, to their family and what they really want out of life. One of my favorite quotes, "Maybe you should start wanting less." is something that rang true in this story.

I am so glad that I took the time to read this book. At times I get so sad that life is moving so fast that I am so busy with so many things and this book came at a time that was a perfect reminder. It reminded me about how glad I should be that I am taking the opportunity to spend these early years with my kids at home. Almost every time I picked up this book to read it – and still thinking about it now that I’ve finished it, the song Mayberry, by Rascel Flatts, comes to mind.

	Rascal Flatts - Mayberry
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

What to Read After Twilight

(click on the image to enlarge)

I've been on a month long vacation and will return home next week - and hopefully have some good reviews to post; including my Edward vs. Jacob list - I re-read the series last week.

In the mean time I found this pamphlet at the local library today...does anyone else go to libraries on vacation? It just must be something I do - but when you are in a place for 5 weeks, what else is there to check out?

I think this had some really good suggestions - they are mostly Young Adult. I've read about 12 on the list - not including the entire Harry Potter series. I can't wait to check out some more!

The Host

The Host

Stephenie Meyer

3 1/2 Stars

I am a little disappointed with this book. I am not sure what I expected but this book was not it. I am not going to spoil everything, but I cannot guarantee that this is spoiler free.

One - it took me a long time to get into the story and plot. About 300 pages to be exact. I don't like turning a book down and not finishing it so I just kept telling myself to give it another 100 pages. The plot really picks up for the second half but I really struggled during the first part.

Two - Characters and development. I had a hard time falling in love with Jared. I know Melanie was in love with Jared before the book began, but Wanderer wasn't and before I knew it and before many memories, she was in love with him. I felt no connect to Jared and then wham, she was in love with him. Seemed a little fast for me. Then we met Jared - and he was so mean to her. I really had a hard time with this as well.

Three - The book really seemed similar to the Uglies series to me. I kept thinking Uglies over and over. I don't know if anyone else that has read that series and this book feels the same, but that is how it felt to me. Uglies was an interesting read, but not my favorite.

Four - I did love Ian, he was so gentle and kind and came around a lot faster at the beginning then the others. I was so sad for him near the end I wanted to cry. I was so mad at Jared and Melanie for taking over. It took only a few pages later and I was happy again for Ian.

Five - The ending, a little strange. I was predicting this from the beginning what would happen and it was just a matter of time until they all figured it out. It is the only way that everyone could have been happy. A little strange, a little unnerving, but again, the only way we all got a happy ending. (I actually thought it would be Kyle's girl, but I was happy with that ending as well.)

So there you have it- I would recommend reading it, just know that it's slow to begin with. It's not my favorite Stephenie Meyer book, but it's a good book.