The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 12

A book you used to love but don’t anymore

I think for this one I will go with Twilight. I read it before it got popular and enjoyed it well enough. It wasn't my favourite but as more and more people went fangirl over it, I lost interest. It isn't as good as everyone seems to think. Now it just drives me nuts. Also, The Series of Unfortunate Events. I had that faze.

~ Kelsey

I used to be obsessed with Walk Two Moons by Shaorn Creech (I think that's what it's called - I checked, it is). I still like it, but I'm not nearly as obsessed. 

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 11

A book you hated

This question is not at all Christmasy. I call for a redo on this question list!!
I hated Anna Karenina. The names confused the heck out of me. There were like four stories all happening at the same time and I didn't care about most of them. Plus, the book was freakishly long. I hated that novel. I never finished it even though Kristen and I were going to make a contest out of it.

~ Kelsey 

If I say Harry Potter will there be spells cast? And if so, what kind of spells will be cast? Just kidding guys, I didn't hate that one.

I did, however, hate Looking For Alaska. 

Don't even get me started. 

- Kristen

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 10

Favorite classic book

This is an easy one. Dracula. It kept me interested for the whole novel even though it was super long. I found it fairly easy to imagine what the author was explaining and the story she was telling. I guess it helps that so many movies and TV shows have come from this novel. I could have been influenced.

~ Kelsey

Catcher in the Rye counts, right?

- Kristen

The Longest Ride

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 398
Rating: 10 out of 10

Summary (GoodestReads and longest summary): Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

My Thoughts: Guys...I love this novel. I love it. Also, I loved it. Did I happen to mention that I loved it? I'm sorry but I really, really did.

This novel made me feel all kinds of crazy emotions. It made me cry, laugh, and, worst of all, this novel made me smile. I mean, it really made me smile. I smiled like an idiot while I was reading this novel. I'm sure people were judging me while I read at school. Then there was the crying, urg the crying...

As much as I feel like this novel was perfect (exaggeration), I feel like we didn't learn all that much about Sophia. Looking back, I guess we did but compared to what we learned about Luke, it was nothing. We learned so much more about Luke. We were told what drove him, why he made choices, what he cared about. In this way, it was almost as if he was more of a main character. It was told from three(ish) perspectives. It was complicated though because Ira's point of view was told first person but Sophia's and Luke's parts were both told third person. It's didn't really bother me; I only noticed in passing. 

Also...I'm in love with Luke but he could be really stupid sometimes. I don't understand why he would be so crazy. Didn't he realize that he was hurting his mom more than anything else would have? urg! Boys are so stupid!

Ira and Ruth were like the couple from Up. Cry some more there.

I loved how it all came together in the end. I sort of figured out what was going to happen in the end before it came but I still really enjoyed it when the time came. I was impressed with the planning that must have gone into making this novel. I mean, I'm sure it didn't require more planning than any other novel I've read but, while reading it, it felt like it did. It all tied together perfectly and amazingly and I was so pleased with it all.

This novel was a quick, easy, interesting read. I didn't put it down until I was finished. I already have plans to read it again.

This is definitely one of my favourite novels and, for certain, it is my favourite Nicholas Sparks novel. I think this book was interesting in both the story that was told and the way it was told. 

To whom would I recommend this novel? Everyone. Read it.

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 09

A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving


I think I'll have to go with the Diviners by Libba Bray. I read other books of her's and liked them but this one was a weird story line, was set in a weird time period, and was fricken huge. I was certain that I would get bored as soon as I started but after the first chapter I was into it. I was interesting in the characters and though the plot was at times confusing I liked it. It was a challenge and it was big but I liked it. The visuals were brilliant. I can see myself reading it again.

~ Kelsey

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm dfkjsafkdsljgsafkljasfkljsfldsfjdslkfjdsfkdskjfgsfdgjdfkjasdhasljdkjasflksajfsalfjkasfklsafjsakf (i'm going to do this till I get an answer) kjsfsalkfsjafkasljflskjfa 
OKAY I GOT IT! (After a gander at my Goodreads list, but shh) 

Flawed by Kate Avelynn
Holy amazeballs is all I can say

- Kristen 

Hemlock

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Format: eBook
Pages: 404
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (a bite of Goodreads): Mackenzie Dobson's life has been turned upside down since she vowed to hunt her best friend Amy's killer: a white werewolf. Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country, and bloodlust is not easy to control. But it soon becomes clear that dangerous secrets are lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, Mac's hometown—and she is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her in grave danger.

My Thoughts: It took me quite a long time to get into this novel. I don't remember reading the summary because I don't think I would have read this novel if I had read the back. Werewolves just aren't really my thing, most times. Anyway, it mysteriously ended up on my list so I read it. I enjoyed it once I got into it and got past my eReader screwing it up. 

I liked Mac but I felt like she was a bit bipolar. Also, I wish the novel would have talked about the fact that she was seeing her dead friend because that's very strange and probably not healthy. I feel like that should have played a larger part in this novel. It probably would have been good for her to maybe tell someone that it was happening...

I'm tired of love triangles. My love life sucks and I no longer believe that this happens. If it does it's only with "those" people. If this is the case, I vote that they no longer happen. It was especially confusing in this novel because it was sort of the reason for a lot of things happening but you don't figure that out by the end but then it gets even more confusing. BUT TO MAKE IT WORSE, it's also not the reason for it happening. I feel like it might have been just to move the novel along but I didn't agree with it's use here. There are a million other things that could have moved the novel or built up the characters. I don't like how it was done in this novel. It was tired and made me tired and the motivations for everything were so convoluted that I ended up with a headache.

Love Kyle but he too is bipolar. Of course he would beat himself up and do things before calling them a mistake. I don't like the stunt he pulled at the end. It's very...New Moon. Blah.

I wanted to constantly punch Jason in the face. I think I was supposed to feel bad for him but I didn't. Grow up. Learn to deal. Life's tough. You screwed up. She screwed up. Everything went wrong but move on. A high school student with an alcohol problem is not an uber normal thing to have, especially in novels, and it didn't work to do anything but make me hate him.

I think it could have been so much more. If there is a second one, I won't be buying it but this one was an okay read right before exams, I guess.

Basically: Werewolves aren't really my thing. This novel is fine once you get into it. It was an easy read and I ended up enjoying it but I didn't really like the ending. I guess if you like paranormal novels than you will enjoy this novel.

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 08

Most overrated book

Twilight and series, easy. I read all the books before they were a big deal. I own them all and have  read them all more than once, I won't lie to you. I've also seen all of the movies but come on people! This is not the best book I've ever read. It's not as good as the hoards of screaming teenage girls claim. I mean, they dragged and the author wrote to please the readers instead of writing the story. She let what people wanted dictate what would happen and how it would end. It was so anti-climactic (Granted the last movie did a very good job or trying to make it better). Also, talk about an unhealthy relationship, laying in the woods because he left you. Stop being stupid, you're world did not end because he broke up with you. It was probably for the best anyway, Bella. But, like I said, I read them all and even waited in line for them.

~ Kelsey

Can I mention a book I haven't completed? If so, I pick 50 Shades of Grey. 
Like Jesus, I don't want to read about bloody tampons okay?! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!?

- Kristen

Losing Hope (Hopeless #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: eBook
Pages: 321
Rating: 6 out of 10

A Summary (cause Goodreads loves us): In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Kelsey's review of HOPELESS

Kristen's review of HOPELESS

What I think about this one: I read Hopeless and loved it. I though I would like this one too and I did but I had a few issues with it.

First, I thought that as a whole the novel went too fast. I understand that, yes, we read Hopeless before this one so it is assumed that we know what is happening. I didn't have a problem with that. I feel like maybe this novel should have been treated more as a separate novel instead of just a bonus extra for Hopeless. There should have been enough material to make this a full book. It would have been a good full book but as it was, I don't know, it wasn't my favourite. I think more could have been done from his point of view.

Also, I wanted to know more about how he felt. Holder went through a lot and some of the emotion was shown but a lot of it was lost in the speed of the rest of the novel. The novel felt like it was only three days not a year and some that it was. I'm okay with the falling in love happening fast because that's the fun of reading novels. 

I don't really like male point of views. I don't relate to them well and I feel like, when they are written by a woman author, they are romanticized. I just want an honest view into the narrators mind.

All of these small problems added together created a big problem for me. Luckily, I still cared about the characters and was able to remember who everyone was. It was a fast and easy read which I enjoyed. It was a cute little book, full of emotion, that won't take too long to fall into. It was alright.

So basically: I liked that it was easy. It helped that I remembered the characters but it went too fast and I don't particularly enjoy male point of views. If you read Hopeless than you should read this novel but you cannot read Losing Hope without first reading Hopeless!