BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE by Wendy Holden

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BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
Author: Wendy Holden
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (April 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402237154
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402237157
SYNOPSIS:
A witty, utterly addictive novel from bestselling author Wendy Holden, Beautiful People is a tale wicked in its observations yet buoyant at its heart: an irresistible confection you’ll want to devour immediately.
Darcy—a struggling English rose actress when The Call comes from L.A. An Oscar-tastic director. A movie to make her famous. The hunkiest costar in Hollywood. So why doesn’t she want to go?
Belle—a size-zero film star but she’s in big, fat trouble. Hotter than the earth’s core a year ago, she’s now Tinseltown toast after her last film bombed. Can she get back to the big time?
Emma—a down-to-earth, down-on-her-luck nanny trying to weather London’s cutthroat childcare scene and celebrity mom whirlwinds. What will it take for her to get back in control of her own life?
Jet to London, Hollywood, and Italy; toss in a passionate star chef, a kindhearted paparazzo, and a reluctant male supermodel; and find Wendy Holden at her best—a smash international hit.
MY THOUGHTS:
Is it me or does this cover remind you of a self help book? I like the cover so don’t get me wrong.  It is just not something that really sparks my interest. 
While the cover is confusing, the rest of the book is not.  I enjoyed some parts of this book, but the rest of it fell flat for me.  There were a lot of loose ends and the characters were not interesting to me.  The author did have some great moments though in the book. The author did a great job of detailing who is who in the book.  You will quickly decide who you will like and who you will despise. My problem is that I despised more characters than I liked.  It made me lose interest in the book quickly because I didn’t care what happened to them because I didn’t care about them. 
Overall, I would say it is an okay read to have on hand when nothing else sparks your interest.  It is not something I would normally buy, and it certainly is not one I would read again. 
MY RATING:

 
I did not enjoy this book.

 

SING ME TO SLEEP by Angela Morrison

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SING ME TO SLEEP
Author: Angela Morrison
Source: Library
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Razorbill (March 4, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1595142754
  • ISBN-13: 978-1595142757
SYNOPSIS:

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?
THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.
MY THOUGHTS:
I was really looking forward to enjoying this book.  It was a young adult book that wasn’t focused on the paranormal and it seemed like it would be a touching book.  It had the Beauty and The Beast feel to it, and the blurb sounded great.  
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book.  The characters were not great.  The only character in the book I cared to know about was Scott. He seemed honest and tender. I hated the extremes the author used to achieve beauty for the ugly girl.  I can understand a slight makeover of say hair styles and makeup, but laser skin therapy and lasik for the eyes just to look good for a singing solo?  I always felt like the beast in school because I had the thick glasses and slightly overweight, but I would never consider the treatments Beth goes through.  The characters never had spark and the only thing that kept me interested was the characters of Scott and Derek.  I wanted to know who she ends up with and why. I will say that tears will flow when you read more into Derek and Beth.  You will get choked up and wish you had not made it that far in the book because of the pain you will feel.  It was the only part of the book where I felt real emotion from the writing.  It was the saving grace of this book.  It is what I wanted it to be from the beginning instead of just the end of the book.
Overall I wouldn’t be reading this book again. I will say that the author does have writing skills that could be great!  I just wish the characters would have been more realistic and warm instead of superficial and dull.
MY RATING:


 
I did not enjoy this book.

 

NIGHTLIGHT : A PARODY by The Harvard Lampoon

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NIGHTLIGHT : A PARODY
Author: The Harvard Lampoon
Source: PBS
  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (November 3, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0307476103
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307476104
SYNOPSIS:
About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him–which I assumed was wildly out of his control–that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious send-up of Twilight.

Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events–Edwart leaves his tater tots untouched at lunch! Edwart saves her from a flying snowball!–Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?

Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalker-like behavior, and a vampire prom, Nightlight is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl, looking for love in all the wrong places. 

MY THOUGHTS:
Okay, I admit that I want to read anything Twilight related. I AM one of those people. I was so excited to finally get this book through PaperBackSwap. 
At first, I was enjoying the humor. As I continued to read it though, it just got stupid.  Yes, there were some funny parts, but not enough of them to really keep me interested or to make this book entertaining.  I found most of it just stupid and nonsense.  I understand that it was suppose to be a parody, but with the lame writing and the use of big words that didn’t fit with this type of book, it got old by the second chapter. 
If you are a Twilight follower like me, then I recommend saving your money.  Check it out from the library if you can’t find anything else to read.  The only thing that I did like was the cover. 

MY RATING:


 
I did not enjoy this book.

THE CRAZY SCHOOL by Cornelia Read

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THE CRAZY SCHOOL
Author: Cornelia Read
Source: Publisher/Contest Win
  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (February 12, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 044619820X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0446198202
SYNOPSIS:
Recently settled in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, Madeline Dare now teaches at the Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers. But behind its ornate gates, she discovers a disorienting world where students and teachers alike must submit to the founder’s bizarre therapeutic regimen. A chilling event confirms Maddie’s worst suspicions, leading her to an even darker secret that lies at the academy’s very heart. Now cut off from the outside world, Maddie must join forces with a small band of the school’s most violently rebellious students–kids who, despite their troubled grip on reality, may well prove to be her only chance of survival.
MY THOUGHTS:
Oh my. Where do I even begin?
I had such high hopes for this book.  The cover was amazing. The blurb sounded interesting, but the book was not.  The story is all over the place. The characters are horrible and uninteresting.  The writing style was not good.  I had to force myself to finish this book even though I wanted to put it down many times.
I will say though, that the beginning of the story had promise. It seemed like it wanted to take off, but just couldn’t get its feet off the ground.  This is my first read by this author and will probably be my last, but this is only my opinion of the book. It may be your cup of tea and you may enjoy it, but it was not well written in my opinion.
MY RATING:


 
I did not enjoy this book.

KINK by Saskia Walker and Sasha White

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KINK

Authors: Saskia Walker and Sasha White
Genre: Erotica
Source: B&N purchase
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 6, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0425213994
  • ISBN-13: 978-0425213995
SYNOPSIS:
Watch Me
Some people have coffee. Some have tea. But the only thing that really wakes Bethany Mack up in the morning is sex. Too bad marriage to Grant has settled into a sex-starved routine. That is, until she spies a hot roofer next door. Broad, sexy shoulders: check. A muscular chest you could nuzzle all day: check. And under those jeans, well, the thought just makes her weak. So she puts on a little show for him through the window, letting her inhibitions loose, and discovers a naughty new addiction. But how will her husband react when he discovers just how far a desperate housewife will go for some lov’n from him? 

Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape
Clayton’s one hunk of a musician. A pin-up hottie for squealing teens everywhere. And he’s gay, Kelly Burton discovers when she sneaks into his dressing room for an autograph, but gets a peep show instead…But Kelly’s soon distracted: a bouncer has found her. A bouncer with pecs of steel, a six-pack, and sinewy arms. After a scolding, the bouncer decides to have his wicked way with the naughty-but-eager groupie. And what follows is a night of passion, hard-rock-style… 
MY THOUGHTS:
Yes, I was on the hunt at the bookstores for some erotica’s for my reading challenge.  This one caught my eye because of the kinky cover.  I though perfect. I read the back of the book and thought this would be great for the challenge. I got home, and started reading it.
Why, oh why, did I even bother.  The stories were boring to me.  They had no spark.  Yes, it had its erotic sex scenes, but the story had no bite to it.  They stumbled along and part of the time I wondered how this book even made it to print.  I like a little plot to go with my hot sex, and the stories were so boring and dumb.
Not at all what I was hoping for, but at least I did finish it.  Not one I will be reading again.
MY RATING:



 
I did not enjoy this book.