Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Time for a book review!

I read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2014.

The story is about Theo Decker, who is 13 years old at the beginning of the story. He lives in New York City with his mother, and the two share a very close bond. When she is killed in an explosion in a museum they both visit, Theo survives and in his confusion takes with him a painting of a goldfinch that was torn down during the explosion. During the next time, Theo's life is determined by his sorrow and grief for the loss of his mother. As his father left his family years ago, Theo goes to live with the rich family of his best friend. Simultaneously he becomes friends with an owner of a antiques store, whose partner was also killed in the attack. But when he finally adjusts to this new life, his father comes to pick him up. He is now forced to come to Las Vegas and stay with him and his new girlfriend. These new surroundings change Theo a lot. Being under no parental control or care, he has to learn how to take care of himself. Together with his new friend Boris, he isn't exactly doing a great job, getting into drugs and theft. All the while he takes great care of his 'stolen' painting and hides it well, even though the possession does not make him feel at ease. At some point, he decides he has to go back to New York. Becoming an adult makes him face all kinds of challenges and ultimately, he gets into trouble and criminal activities due to 'his' painting.

Essentially, The Goldfinch tells a big part of Theo's life, and it is all narrated from his point of view in the first person. The grief for his mother and the mixed feelings the painting causes him are what make his story so different and special. It's never boring, even though not positive at all. Often he realizes he doesn't know what he's doing or why he is doing certain things. These moments, and different kinds of setbacks, make for lots of negative experiences.

Still, the main story, the actions and events that is, are not exactly extraordinary. The odds that things like these happen to a person are small, especially those concerning the painting. But there's still something to the story that makes it all seem very plausible, and in some cases not too exciting. I found that for example during the events in Las Vegas, it felt a little stretched.

Theo's character is mainly shaped by what happens to him so early on, and how he can or can't deal with it. That makes him a variable protagonist and his actions not predictable. But not only his character is an unprecedented individual, but all the other ones are definitely special. His companions are far from normal; not one of them is one-dimensional or simple. They all have their traits and peculiarities, which makes them likeable and interesting.

There's one thing that makes this book utterly interesting and a must read: the way everything is described. The author has a great talent for telling everything in its smallest detail, but still not making it seem overdone. Theo's way of perceiving the world is so fascinating that no matter what sentence you read, you can see and feel every detail. That's why even when the plot of the story in some parts lacks suspense, it is never bad or boring. The writing is so good that you will love reading it.

I really enjoyed this book. As I said, the writing makes for such a special and different reading experience. It is a long story, and a lot to take in, so I'd have never been able to finish it in one go. But you always want to read on and find out what happens next and how everything evolves.

Has anyone of you read this book? How did you like it?
xx, Misch

Book Review: A Casual Vacancy by Joanne K. Rowling

Hey everyone!

I tried Grammarly's online plagiarism checker free of charge because failing whole classes because of tiny little citation mistakes in your term paper is a real thing here in Germany, and it isn't nearly half as much fun as it sounds.

I've finally had time to get around to a bit of reading, which I especially love doing during Christmas time. Well, I don't mind reading during any other time of the year either, but cuddling up on the couch with a good book is the perfect excuse not to go outside when it's cold :D

So, I read Joanne K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy. I tried not to see it as a book from the wonderful person who wrote my favourite books ever, the Harry Potter series, because I knew that would lead to my comparing the two. And luckily I was able to do that! So you also won't find any comparison in this review.

A Casual Vacancy is the story of the little town of Pagford, where one of the town's most beloved citizens, Barry Fairbother, dies. The story then starts right there, and then continues to describe what happens in the following time. There is no definite story visible in the beginning, as the book picks up on different persons' lives.
A huge variety of people is represented: you have your poor and your rich families, ones that are liked and some that are outcasts, people with illnesses, people of all ages, people that are nice and some that are just utterly hateful. Drug addicts, alcoholics, social workers, gossipers, teenagers in love, pretty much everything you could imagine. Each person has an interesting personality with specific reasoning for any action, and Rowling does a wonderful job describing them, making them comprehensible and authentic. That does not mean, however, that they are all likeable. To be honest, I found myself to dislike most (pretty much all actually) of the characters.
None of these characters is utterly positive or does only positive things. That means on the one hand that none of them can be identified as the hero of the story or any of the sorts. On the other hand, however, it also makes the people wonderfully realistic. Not realistic in a sense that readers can relate to them, however, because I don't expect the main readership to be similarily behaving drug addicts. But realistic in a sense that these people are, just like your everyday people, flawed, uncontent, selfish and insecure.
It was very interesting to follow the evolvements of the characters. Some undergo growth, others just remain as ignorant and pretentious as they have been all along. There are of course a lot of different events that take place during the course of the book, connecting all characters.
Partly I was very infuriated by this story. Some characters' behaviour or actions just made me very angry, as they were reminding me of the fact that these things can be very real to a significant number of people in real life. The story is filled with domestic violence, abuse, rape, manipulation, greed and ignorance. Not very pleasant topics to be honest.
A Casual Vacancy was a very very interesting book to read. Even though in the beginning no real plot is foreseeable, I was hooked. I wouldn't call it a pleasure read, but it's not that difficult either. Definitely nothing for you if you look forward to a perfect little story with likeable characters and one main villain, because that does not exist. But that also makes it special and worth a read.

Has anyone of you read it? What did you think of it?

xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Mystery Man by Bateman

Hi guys!
Today I'd like to review a book I read during my vacation. It's called Mystery Man and is written by Bateman.

Mystery Man is about this guy from Belfast, who owns a bookshop that specializes in crime fiction. Next to his shop there's a detective agency, but one day it doesn't open anymore. The agency's clients then start coming to our bookshop-owner and ask him to solve their cases. They are not particularly hard to solve, and the main character soon has more people coming to him for help.
After a while the main case of the book establishes, and it is full of interesting turns. It keeps our main character pretty occupied and pushes him to his limits. He is also able to form a relationship with his long-term crush, and she helps him solve the case.

This book is really really funny to read! The main character is not your standard narrator who just tells what happens, but he mainly comments on what is going on. I wouldn't exactly call him normal, maybe not even sane in some moments, but that makes for a very funny reading experience! His perspective is a very personal one, and it is hilarious to read.
There are lots of plot twists going, I never really knew what would happen next, and that makes the book a whole lot more interesting.
It's not your typical crime fiction book! As the talented Benedict Cumberbatch already said in his review of Mystery Man: This book is mad! Seriously, go watch his review, it's what made me purchase the book in the first place!

I actually found myself laughing out loud when reading Mystery Man, and that really doesn't happen often! It's not the actual plot that made me laugh so much, because with all its twists and turns it can be a bit hard to follow at some points, but the unique way to telling the story.

I can highly recommend it if you're looking for a hilarious pleasure read, it's very entertaining and therefore great for vacation :)

Does anyone of you know this book?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Hey there!
Today I'd like to review a book I recently read, the first novel in a whole series written by George R.R. Martin.

This book plays in a fictional world with kings and castles and lots of powerplay, which makes for a rather medieval touch. It does not have a historical background, however!
The book is told from a third-person-narrator's perspective, and it switches between the numerous characters that play important roles. Therefore the reader gets to know different backgrounds and events that some characters don't know about.
It is very interesting to read because it's full of suspense and at a certain point definitely makes you want to learn more about everything.
I found it a bit difficult at first, however, because the story just starts and you have no idea what all of these weird names and things are. But you can easily work it all out by just continuing to read it.
I think that you kind of have to like this type of book. I'm never sure whether I like stories about 12-year-olds being married to old men, lots of slaughter and powerplay. But I did quite enjoy this one, and I'm sure that I'll read the sequels!
Has anyone of you read this one? Or maybe seen the TV show?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Hey everyone!
Today I'd like to review a book I read a couple of weeks ago during my trip to Italy. It's called Looking For Alaska, written by John Green.

Looking For Alaska tells the story of Miles "Pudge" Halter, who is rather bored by his life. In his search of something exciting to happen he decides to join a boarding school. There he meets a couple of interesting people, who seem to be just as not-fitting-in and crazy as he is, among them Alaska Young, whom he finds highly fascinating.
The book basically tells what happens to them at boarding school, parted into one part of "Before" and one of "After". In between there's a life-changing incident. Life at boarding school might sound pretty boring, but it is very entertaining to read as there aren't any boring things happening to our main characters.
I love how the characters are very well described. They all have very special but relateable personalities which makes reading about it a lot more fun.
I love the way the story is told from the perspective of Miles, you can very easily feel with him and understand his actions.
Somehow, this book kind of reminded me of the Dead Poets Society! I guess that's due to the story taking place at a boarding school, and the rather unusual main characters. In terms of how the book is written they don't seem similar at all.
After all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and highly recommend it! Love John Green looks in general :)
Has anyone of you guys read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: The Tortilla Curtain by T.C.Boyle

Hey there!
Today it's time for another book review! This time I'm talking about The Tortilla Curtain by T.C.Boyle, which I had to read for my English class.

The Tortilla Curtain tells the story of two different people and their lives. The first person, Delaney, is a somewhat rich white guy, living in a gated community very near Los Angeles. The other one is a illegal Mexican immigrant called Candido, who lives in poverty. Both lead their life together with their wives, and the book basically tells what happens to them. They meet at a couple of points in the story.

For the most part the chapters a devided between the views of Candido and Delaney, sometimes also their wives. There isn't a first person narrator, however.
The book shows a lot of details in the story, and it all was described very well. However, I did not enjoy it too much, some parts were too gross for my liking, all this talking about excrements and abuse was simply disgusting. Also some parts very just not interesting to me, how can so much fuss be made about a dog for example? This might not make sense to you if you haven't read it, but it doesn't matter really.
Also, I wasn't able to see so much of a "intersection" of the main characters' worlds apart from a few incidents, that was disappointing.
What I also didn't like was the end, how can a book just go on boringly for 300 pages and then on the last couple there's a kind of show down that ends right in the middle of it? Don't think a book can have more of an open end!
I found the book okay, but not all that great. To be honest, if I'd been able to choose whether to read it or not, I wouldn't have read it. It's just not my kind of book!
And I'm supposed to add that my best friend also didn't like it, she explicitly wanted me to tell you :D
Has anyone of you read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Hi there!
Today it's time for a little book review, this time about J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit.

The Hobbit is the prequel to the Lord Of The Rings series. The book has been adapted to a movie, or at least the first part of it. Here *click* I reviewed the movie when it came out.
The Hobbit basically tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, who experiences a great adventure when he goes out on a journey with some dwarves to the Lonely Mountain to claim their heritage. On their way there a lot of different things happen to them, and that's what the book tells.
I don't want to give anything away concerning the story and its details, I'd just like to tell you how it felt reading it.
First of all, the book was by far less detailed and descriptive than the movie. That hardly ever happens, but here it's the case. A lot of scenes were just very short and abbreviated, not going into detail. It often felt like the narrator was quite distant from the actual story. Feelings and thoughts don't really play a big role, and for me that means it's quite hard to feel along the characters. It is, however, still comprehensible.
All of the events were really creative and different and well thought-out, and I really liked that.
After all, I think this book is definitely worth a try, but don't expect it to be detailed. That's the main part that is bugging me about this one!
What do you think of this book?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Richard Castle - Naked Heat

Hey there!
Today I'd like to share a book with you guys, Naked Heat by Richard Castle. It's a sequel for Heat Wave which I reviewed here *click*. I strongly suggest you read that review first, because it'll help you understand this one :)

This is again a book for the TV series Castle, not with the exact plot of an episode, but there are similarities.
Naked Heat goes on with the story of Detective Nikki Heat, just a little after where the last book ended. Just like the other book and the TV show, it starts with a crime scene, and that way our second main character, Rook, is again included.
This book gets even more active than the previous one, with our main characters actually being involved in scenes of violence and crime. It's very exciting and thrilling again, you always want to find out more and read on :D
I also like the style of writing a lot, it's very entertaining and fun :) I enjoyed reading it! :)
Did anyone of you read this book?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Richard Castle - Heat Wave

Hey there!
So, some of you might know the TV series Castle. It's one of those crime shows, and it's actually pretty cool, I like stuff like that. In the series, there's this author called Castle, and he writes books during the show. And these books have actually been published, written by that same author Castle, and about the same topics that are mentioned in the TV show. Just for the background information :D

Now, I've just finished the first book out of that series, called Heat Wave, and I'd like to review it today.
The book is built just like an episode from the TV series, beginning with a crime being committed and then our main characters trying to solve it. Sounds kinda boring, but it's just a part of the story! Our main characters are Detective Nikki Heat and author Jameson Rook. There's always a personal part to the story, when our main characters get involved in some crime themselves, and their personal life also always plays an important role.
I don't want to really tell you things about the story line, because that would pretty much give everything away already. Just read the book description on the picture so you at least get a little idea of what it is about.
I really like this type of book, because it's entertaining and a lot of fun, combined with a crime story. It's easy to read, I only tend to mix up some smaller characters due to the high number of them. But it's still a nice pleasure read, and you definitely want to know how it goes on :)
Does anyone of you watch Castle or has read this book?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: A Bend In The Road by Nicholas Sparks

Hi guys!
Today I'd like to review another Nicholas Sparks book! I've been reading a lot of them lately, because I really enjoy this type of book :)

A Bend In The Road is about this guy named Miles, whose wife died in a car accident with hit-and-run driving. He also has a little son, and when he gets to know his teacher, a young woman who just recently moved to town, he finally starts to live again, little by little getting over the loss of his beloved wife. But he is still determined to find the person who killed his wife and caused that much pain. In the meantime, his love story with his son's teacher, Sarah, evolves, but there are some secrets waiting to be uncovered...
I really love how this book is not only concentrating on the new love of Miles, like it was just a plain love story. It deals with the love to his son, his dead wife, the sorrow he feels at her loss, and the hate towards the murderer. It is very emotional in that way.
There are always Miles or Sarah as the main acting character in the chapters, but there are always short parts written from the I-perspective of an unknown person. These are flashbacks and complete the whole story in a different way.
The book partly creates suspense, and it's also surprising sometimes. I really wanted to read on, find out all about it, and especially who the murderer is. It gets really interesting at that part!
After all, I'm a big fan of this book, and I like the fact that it has all of the good parts a Nicholas Sparks novel has, but it's not as dramatic as some other ones are.
Has anyone of you read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Hey guys!
Today I'd like to review a book I just finished a couple of days ago, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.

Safe Haven talks about a young woman named Katie, who's just moved to a small town, and always stays to herself. She doesn't reveal anything about her past, but then she gets to know a guy named Alex...
It's like to super hard to sum up the story of this book without giving anything away, you'd better read the back of the book in the picture :D
Now, this is another one of these Nicholas Sparks love novels, the ones I love so much :D It's not soupy, but very emotional.
I gotta warn you, there might be some spoilers following, I just can't review it without mentioning some things :D
I love how it changes perspective every now and then, because that makes it all easier to follow. It also creates suspense a little, especially when Kevin is finding out where she lives. I found him very well-described anyway, and the way the parts out of his perspective were written, so you could fully understand his character. The way Nicholas Sparks built the sentences, from time to time even confusing, made it authentic because you were able to see how he thinks.
I also liked how you get to know about Katie's story at a part quite early in the book. That way you don't have too much guessing going on, and you understand it all way better.
To be honest, parts were really horrible not because of the book itself but its content...but they definitely made a good story, and I enjoyed reading it :)
The end is thrilling and full of suspense, and I found myself wanting to know how it goes on. If you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks novels, this is a good one to read :)
Has anyone of you guys read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Numbers by Rachel Ward

Hey there!
I just recently finished this book I've been reading, Numbers by Rachel Ward, and thought it might be nice to write a book review :)

The main character in Numbers is Jem, who has a special ability: when she looks somebody into the eye, she sees a number. And that number is the date of the person's death. That's pretty much all you need to know about it, and this is also the main topic. Around this thing of her seeing dates of death, there are of course things happening to her and a friend of hers. It's getting super exciting and it's really not what you expect right away, I don't want to give anything away! :D
I really liked how the main character is not your average good novel hero: Jem's 15, she's socially awkward, has this ability to see death dates and a history that makes her the person she is. She's poor, a kid in foster care, and doesn't want to do what she's told by anyone else, she doesn't care about a lot of things. She's one of those teenagers no one wants to be in contact with because they just seem bad, but that's not all about her character. The book's written from her perspective.
You get right into the story, and some things only become clear to you when you go on reading. You can always feel with the characters, I never found it confusing. Even though it's fiction, it never feels totally bizarre or unrealistic. I was able to read it really quickly, there aren't tons of thinking needed to stick to the story. It's a good book in my opinion, I like how it's emotional, a little thrilling - but not in a way you get afraid - and has a love story part. It's a nice pleasure read, not something I'm head over heels for, but I enjoyed it.
Did anyone of you read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Sophie Kinsella - The Undomestic Goddess

Hi there!
Today I want to review a book I read a couple of weeks ago, The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella.

This book is basically about the lawyer Samantha, who is pretty much a workaholic. But when she makes one single mistake, her whole career is destroyed and she just leaves. She finds herself in a little town and before she even knows it, she's offered the job as a housekeeper. Problem is, she has no idea how to cook and work around the house. She has to deal with a lot of things in her new life, and also with her past.
I really liked reading this book, it's a simple pleasure read, and you get addicted to it. It's always that way for me with Sophie Kinsella books! I like the story, it's nothing extraordinary or super new, but it's a nicely thought-out plot with great characters.
I think it was really fun to read, and but of course there were the occasional parts I didn't like. In the end I think it was a little too much of being torn between two options, and always choosing one, then the other again. That got a tiny bit repetitive. But on the other hand it makes it a little more thrilling because you really want to know the truth and what she actually decides on!
It's of course a love story, but it's really not the one dominant topic of the book, other ones are just as important.
I'd really recommend this book to anyone who likes to read Sophie Kinsella books, I'm quite sure you'll enjoy this one! It's super fun and cute, and I enjoyed it :)
Did anyone of you read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks

Hey everyone!
Today I want to talk about a book I just recently finished, The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. This isn't the first book by Nicholas Sparks that I reviewed, you can also click onto my posts on Dear John and The Notebook.

The Lucky One is a very typical Nicholas Sparks book, it's a love story that is enchanting and fascinating and not soupy at all, the reason that I love his books.
The main story is about US Marine Logan Thibault, who finds a picture of a woman during his tour in Iraq, and this photo seems to be his lucky charm, it protects him during his time in war. Back at home he walks across the country to find the woman in the picture, and when he finds her he gets into her world and affects everything around her. But it's not all as perfect as it seems, and there are some problems coming up.
This is the story summed up really briefly, and it's of course not everything that happens in this book. The a good part of the story, Thibault's life before he meets Elizabeth, is told in flashbacks, and they make you understand the person Thibault is. The story is full of love and tenderness and it shows all kinds of different parts of life. It's never written out of one person's perspective, but the chapters always center around a certain person and show their thoughts and feelings.
The very end was a little confusing to me at first, but I'm quite sure that's done on purpose. If you read it, you'll know what I mean ;)
A small part of the book was predictable in my opinion, but not in a bad way. I also didn't find myself having a lot of expectations for this book, I just read through it and felt with the story. It's very good to read, just like these types of books are, and it was fun. You definitely want to know how it goes on, and I like that about a good book :)
The Lucky One was turned into a movie this spring, starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling. I already watched it, and I didn't like it as much. The book's way better, and the movie's just missing all of these thoughts and character properties that the book portrays. Rather read the book!
I really recommend it for all of you who love love stories and/or Nicholas Sparks books and/or want to try a nice pleasure read :) It's a good one!
Did anyone of you read it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Hide*Out by Andreas Eschbach

Hey there!
Today I want to do a book review! I already introduced the novel Black*Out to you here *click*, and now I want to talk about its sequel, called Hide*Out. It's again written by Andreas Eschbach, a German author.
Please read my first review linked above to get the main ideas behind the book. It has the same topic, but the story goes on, like they normally do in a sequel ;)

Unlike the first book, this one has a lot more characters in it who actually do something. That way there are also more points of view to every part of the story. The whole book is written in a narrative style, but there's no "I" who tells the story. Every chapter has a different acting character. It also doesn't have as many flashbacks as the first book had. I guess all of the important flash-back parts were already done in the first book!
I'm really glad that in this book, nothing of the first was repeated, concerning the actions taking place. I didn't think it would be possible to write so different events taking place in the same context, but it really does work. The places where certain parts take place are really creative and described detailed. That always adds a special part to the story. What I kinda liked, because it is a contrast, was the part where the author combined modern technology with a Native American kind of outback area. These kinds of things that appear all over the book make it seem a little like it's meant to be turned into a movie ;)
Some parts of this book seemed a little weird to me while reading, I'm being honest with this. I hope not to spoil you, btw! There was a little bit of love going on, but not too much, rather in the background. But this "he likes her, no, he likes the other girl more" thing is kind of a little annoying and doesn't make much sense since it's not really explained.
When I was done with about three quarters of the book, nothing special had happened yet, and I was thinking that this couldn't be it. Luckily it wasn't, the last part of the book was really thrilling and interesting!
Computers and technology again played a big role in this book, but on a level most people can understand, luckily ;)
After all, this might not be the best book ever, I'm not utterly smitten, it was still a good read. I think it makes a nice addition to Black*Out, and I definitely want to read the final part of the series when it comes out.
Did anyone of you read this?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

Hi there!
In my February Favorites I mentioned that I've been reading the whole Shopaholic Series, and now I want to review it for you guys. I know it's super popular and stuff, but I'm sure some of you will still enjoy a review of the full series ;)
I'm gonna try and not focus too much on the story, but let me summarize it all for you a little first:
Book #1: The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic - Becky Bloomwood, who is a financial journalist, gives other people advice on how to spend their money while she herself is in total dept because she loves to shop.
Book #2: Shopaholic Abroad - Becky goes to New York with her boyfriend Luke and has to face all kinds of difficulties, from shopping again to her boyfriend's Mom.
Book #3 Shopaholic Ties The Knot - Luke proposes to Becky, and she wants to have the perfect wedding. But there are huge plans being made about the ceremony and she gets in real trouble.
Book #4: Shopaholic & Sister - Becky finds out she has a long-lost sister and wants to share everything with her. But they couldn't be more different.
Book #5: Shopaholic & Baby - Becky finds out she's pregnant, and she's super happy about it. But it's all more difficult than she thinks, especially with her obstetrician who turns out to be Luke's ex girlfriend.
Book #6: Mini Shopaholic - Becky's little daughter is super stubborn and in addition to dealing with her, she wants to throw a surprise party for her husband.
Super duper short summary of every book, and it's really just the main part. There are of course more things happening, but that would be too much to mention that here. You can read about all of the stories on the book cover pictures I'm putting here, too. I only don't have one of the first book, sorry about that. Make sure you enlarge the pictures to read them!

Now, the thing with the main character, Becky, is that she ALWAYS gets herself in trouble. It's like, nothing can happen right, there's always a glitch. You would think that this fact makes it a bit repetitive, and it is from time to time, but it's so funny all the time that I don't have a problem with it. It's like, every book starts with "OK. Don't panic. Everything's gonna be fine." or something in that direction, and it's really hilarious! And even though she does the craziest things, it all seems totally likely to happen and makes all of the books appear very "real". And since the main character has a few flaws, us people can relate better to it since we're not perfect, either. Sounds lame, but it is like that ;)
The stories of all of the books is very fun and original, and even though it's "just" a chick-lit, I think it's quite creative, too. Sophie Kinsella writes in a light, easy-to-read way and that makes it a great pleasure read. Very enjoyable, and nice to just read on at night. I do find, though, that I always want to know how the story goes on and I can't put the book away ;) I already reviewed other Sophie Kinsella books, Remember Me? *click* and Can You Keep A Secret? *click*, and those were just as much fun.
I also really like the fact that after a few chapters there are always letters and stuff that just show the thoughts and proceeding of the story a little! :)
The only thing is that the topics of the series are all used up after a while, and I found the last book, Mini Shopaholic, to be a little disappointing. But all of the others were great!
I don't want to do any spoilers in this review, so all I'm still gonna say is that I really recommend this series, it's great to read and if you look for something for the beach or just to relax, you could definitely go for this one!
Mini Shopaholic is the last book in the series, but I think that the end is open enough for a sequel. Maybe one day there'll be a new book in the series? The first part of the series was also turned into a movie, but I haven't seen that one yet.
Do you like Sophie Kinsella books, especially the Shopaholic ones?
xoxo, Misch

February 2012 Favs

Hey there!
And another month is over...it's starting to get spring! I'm so looking forward to it, yay :D
But let's not immediately forget February, here are my favs for this month:

Alverde Hair Tip Fluid - My hair had got really bad lately, so I decided to take better care of it. I already once tried this Hair Tip Fluid, and I thought I'd give it another chance :)
Essence Tinted Moisturizer - You guys know that I'm trying out this one, and I really like it so far! A review will be up tomorrow :)
Catrice FeMALE LE Cream To Powder Blush - This is an awesome thing of a blush. I love the texture, the color, everything. Here *click* I reviewed it.
Catrice Nymphelia LE Unbeleaf'able Blush - Another blush that is really pretty, and I like it a lot. Here *click* is the review.
Shopaholic Series - You guys know that I like to read chick lit books, and I like Sophie Kinsella. A friend lent me the whole series, and I really enjoyed it ;) A review will follow :)
Rival de Loop Kabuki - I've started to apply my powder with a kabuki again, and I love this one! It's so inexpensive and great quality! Interested in a review?

That's it for my favs of this month guys! What were yours?
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you :) Thank you so much for 110+ followers and amazing 10.000 clicks in the past month! I'm so proud of this little blog growing a bit, and it's good to know that you're interested in it :)
I will see you soon!
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Dead Poets Society by N.H. Kleinbaum

Hi there!
Today I want to review a book that I had to read for English class, and that I actually really enjoyed!

The Dead Poets Society is a book based on the film with the same name, starring for example Robin Williams, and it's basically about a few boys, who go to that exclusive high-standard prep school in Vermont, called Welton. In that year the book plays in, they get a new English teacher, who is different from all the other strict ones and teaches them things that are more important for life. His motto, Seize The Day, makes the boys meet up secretly, reading poetry, in the so-called Dead Poets Society. Doing what they feel like makes life risky for some of them, and it causes a lot of problems. The book talks about pushy parents, strict school rules and what the teenagers want to make out of their lives.
It's definitely more interesting than it sounds in my summary :D It really is super interesting, and even though it plays in 1959, you can totally relate to it, even though it definitely is extreme.
The book is kind of written pretty neutrally, without a ton of feelings in the main part. Sure, there are feelings, but it's not like super soupy or anything all the time.
Because of the many main characters, which are sometimes called by their first name, sometimes by their last name, it can get a bit confusing at first. But that'll work after some time.
I find this book quite surprising, it was far from being boring like I expected, and there were some unexpected parts for sure. I don't want to tell you all about it, because that would take away the suspense ;) I found their lives all quite surprising, and I didn't know this could all be so strict and severe!
It was a really impressive book, I enjoyed it a lot! The poems, the way of thinking, the different actions of the boys...it makes it a good book :) And it is pretty short, just like 100 pages.
I unfortunately haven't seen the movie yet, but I guess it's pretty close to the book since it's based on the movie. I might talk about that another time ;)
The only thing I hate is that we're talking about it in class. That means a lot of analyzing, and we just don't really read the book! You know, like just reading, lost in the book and your own thoughts about it and stuff. That's one thing I love about books, and I hate it when it's not that way! I hate to have to find reasons for my thoughts, and analyze someone's behavior with certain background stuff...That's also the reason why I always immediately read the book when I get it in class, so I can first make up my mind about it before I have to analyze and stuff. It's better that way :D
Did anyone of you read this book? And what do you think of books read in class?
See you soon,
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Black*Out by Andreas Eschbach

Hey there!
Today I have a book review for you guys, about a book my Grandma got me for Christmas. I love that she always gets me a new, thick book I can look forward to :)
This one is called Black*Out, and it's by the German author Andreas Eschbach.

This book is a, I don't know, maybe a Science Fiction thriller? Something into that direction.
It plays in the future, and is about this guy, Christopher, who is trying to escape from something, together with the siblings Serenity and Kyle. They want to find Serenity's and Kyle's Dad, who has to hide from the government. Christopher himself is a hacker, and he's a afraid of being caught by some kind of coherent society, it's really hard to describe. I'm not gonna tell you more about the content, that's so hard to do!
The book always gets into the plot right away, there are no explanations for people or anything, and there's almost always something exciting happening. It's not all explained in detail all the time, and that's one of the parts that make this book so interesting. You want to find the reasons for the things that are happening, and you want to know how it all happened. There are always flashbacks, so you definitely can understand it all, and you do get all of the reasons. There's always a flashback, it's super interesting, you get totally lost in that, and then you're suddenly back to the present time. And of course you want to know how it goes on, also how the flashback goes on, so you keep reading. That makes is a page-turner!
I'm not really big on technology, computers and stuff, and these are some of the main topics. That's also the reason why I would say it's a bit of Science Fiction. But that didn't make it any less interesting for me, it was a great read!
On Amazon they say this is meant for a teenager, but I don't see that point. I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate it, and you can definitely be older to read it.
There's close to no part of romance in this book, and that's a good point in my opinion. Sure, I have nothing against a love story, but here it's cool that there's pretty much none. Although I have that secret thought that that could change with the next book.
This is the first book in a trilogy, the second one is already out in German, and the final third one is supposed to follow in about June. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels!
After all, I really liked this book, and the idea behind it was rather new, I guess (read it, and you'll know what I mean). Maybe some of you already read this one?
Until next time,
xoxo, Misch

Holiday Gift Guide Part 1: Books

Hi guys!
Yesterday *click* I announced that I'll be starting to do a Holiday Gift Guide, and here is the first part of it. I decided to start with books because that's something that works most of the time.
Who to give a book as a present?
Of course, the bookworm among your friends, because for him/her, books are always great. Also, a book is a great present for a person you don't know too much, because when you give them a book you really like, they will also get an idea of what person you are. Books are good for boys and for girls, and there's a certain topic for everyone.
What to keep in mind when giving a book as a present? 
When you're giving it to a bookworm, make sure they don't own it yet. That could be reached by stepping out of their comfort zone in terms of topics, or getting something really new or really old. If it's a close friend, you can of course have a look at their book shelf the next time you're at their place, and look what they already have.
When it's more of a stranger, get something a little more safe. It could be best not to go all out and get a very special, hard-to-get-used-to book. Keep it kinda "normal".
Get them the right genre! There's nothing worse than receiving a love story when you just read horror books, and vice versa. Just ask them about their fav books, that should give you an idea :)
I would rather get paperback books to give away, because they're less expensive. Sure, a hard cover one can be way prettier, but don't you rather get 2 paperbacks for the same price as one hard cover?! :D
What book to give the romantic girl?
The romantic, Twilight-loving girl is our first example. She likes it romantic, and maybe also not to serious. A good idea to give her is the first book of the Shiver trilogy, I reviewed it here *click*. It's similar to Twilight, and she'll enjoy it for sure. Another idea, when she likes it to be a tad more serious, get her a Nicholas Sparks book. They're romantic, there are a lot of them available, and she'll love them.
What book to give to a more thriller kind of fan?
I highly recommend Dan Brown books, I did one review here *click*, because they're super thrilling and interesting. But it is more for somebody who doesn't mind thinking while reading, because it's not the easiest stuff ever. Other than that, I just recommend going to Amazon.com or anything and just click through the lists of bestselling thrillers.
What books to give to younger people/teenagers?
I'd say something like The Host by Stephenie Meyer (*click*) or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (*click*), books like these are perfect for like teenagers. But that doesn't mean they're bad for adults ;) Just keep in mind that these are popular books, and they might have them already.
What book to give to somebody who likes only some special books?
For freaks, that are in love with something special, like a series, there are also options to get. Think me, the Harry Potter fan. I love Harry Potter, and luckily, there are some special Harry Potter books available. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Quidditch Through The Ages or Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them are just examples of what other Harry Potter books are available. I have all three of them, and they're just awesome for a fan :) Special books like these are available for a lot of famous series.
What book will always work?
There are a few that can't be that wrong if they just work a bit for the person's taste, and these include classics, like Breakfast At Tiffany's or something. If the person is a huge fan of somebody, get them a biography of that person. Cute little pleasure reads are always welcome, just comedy books or something really different but sweet, like 14000 Things To Be Happy About. There are endless opportunities!
And you can of course always give away a DVD to the book :)

I hope this little book gift guide helped you out! It's super fun to think about what to get for which friend, and things like books are always great presents :) And they look nice when wrapped! :D
Will you be giving books away?
Next episode will cover make-up, yay :D
I'll talk to you soon!
xoxo, Misch