Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi

Girls That Growl

by Mari Mancusi

October 2007

Romantic/Paranormal Young Adult

Penguin
$9.99


Why I read it: To decide whether or not my boss should put it in our stores (along with the rest of the series).

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

Third in Mancusi's hip, sassy vampire series, featuring the heroine of Stake That!

She's a vampire. She's also a vampire slayer. (It's a long story.) And now Rayne McDonald, Goth girl, has to carry out her most deviant mission yet: trying out for the cheerleading squad.

Rayne already has enough on her plate: her twin keeps whining about whether or not to go all the way; her mom's boyfriend is moving in; and her man, Jareth, who's now allowed out in the sun, has turned from a dark, brooding hottie vamp into a surfer dude.

But this vampire slayer is still on the clock, and she has a new assignment. A member of the football team has disappeared-and her bosses at Slayer Inc. think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now they want her to infiltrate the squad and get the dirt. But first, she'll need an extreme prep makeover. If only they'd let her wear fishnets under that revolting uniform.

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I read this back on 4/16/10, things are starting to sort-of coming back to me since I took notes (two note cards worth!) so I may have a lot of "if I remember correctly"s and "I believe".

Rayne was doing the thinking again in this book. And now she's vamp. And a vamp slayer.

Their mom still knows how to rub me the wrong way, I swear. I believe she had a boyfriend staying for a while and he was using one of her daughter's rooms to sleep in. I had a MASSIVE problem with this. If your already sleeping with the dude (implied) then just have him stay in your room. Don't disrupt your kids' lives further by kicking one of your daughters out of her own room so that you can play house with your boyfriend. If you're not sleeping with him and you don't have an extra room, TOO BAD!! A grown man can't afford a hotel room for a couple of weeks and you're with him? I don't think she was even seeing him for very long either. Picture perfect of a stupid mom, in my humble (psh) opinion.

I asked for this in my review of "Stake That": for Rayne to lose control. And it looks like she finally did on her mother. notes literally say: "Finally, Rayne loses control. & the mother just keeps looking worse." From what I remember, Rayne confronts her mom about her boyfriend and they get into a fight. Her mom chooses boyfriend over the emotional stability of her kid. Yeah, kids don't have much to begin with, but there's a point when they need you more than normal. Sadly, that's usually when parents run away from them fastest.

Jareth and Rayne spend a lot of time together in this book. The feeling I got from Jareth is that he's an idiot. He's too easily fooled by a young girl with no extraordinary talent for mischief. I'm not very good at it myself, which leads me to the point of "Jareth is an idiot" because even I could fool him. I think Ms/Mrs. (not sure) Mancusi's idea was to make Rayne cunning and sneaky, and there were times when it really just made Jareth look bad. Their dialogue was hard to follow, they'd skip (leading) sentences. They both are in crazy-town if they can understand each others half-explanations. Which, I find myself doing in my own "babies". I make that illogical jump in my head and I don't explain the steps my mind automatically skips over for others to understand. Reading it a long time later or a few projects later helped me realize that there was no sense in what I wrote. I think using that method would have helped this book immensely.

Notes: "Rayne's a bitch". hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. She just kept torturing everyone around her (minus her mom) and when Jareth FINALLY scolds her, she responds by crying like the world is out to get her. Hey, I know how it is to be a bitch. Grew up being one in fact. But the one thing I noticed when I lessened my bitch was that: hey! The world was only out to get me because I was out to get it! Crying for a hard ass after getting just one scolding doesn't seem authentic to me. Especially if it's made to believe that she's feeling the hardship of it and has remorse. It all felt like guilt-play to me.

Once again, Mancusi wraps the story up in some expensive paper and a huge bow. All of her plans go so smoothly it makes me wonder why she's "goth". She was supposed to have Jareth as backup and still everything went smoothly. I needed a glass of wine to go with all that cheese! K, not really, I can only drink wine if I chase it with coke (yeah, not joking). The comment still means the same thing though, I can't handle all that fakeness! The supposed challenges that aren't challenges when Rayne can get through it without sweating. If she's supposed to be so smart then make her challenges harder. That's easy enough if you throw in a failure or two. Make it so she fails and someone else has to save her. Or even that she's getting tired and then up the ante by bringing in another bad guy. who's holding someone she loves by the neck. at knife point. Add tension. Add curiosity. What would she do if her arm was dislocated? Would she give up and run or stay and fight? Would she be able to handle the pain or lose consciousness? We don't know this about Rayne because nothing bad ever happens to her. I think the worst thing in her life is her mother (Yes, I know she's a vampire and a vampire hunter, but sooooooo what compared to her mom. She can deal with every other dead thing, her mom is.... stupid)

All that being said, there was a bit of drama towards the end again that made me keep reading. I think I would have loved it if she would have left some opening or tension or unanswered questions in the end (especially since there's still another book in the series). Alas, it did not happen.

Favorite Quote? I giggled when I read it in my notes too, so it's good!

"Does one shake hands with a werewolf? or do they, I don't know, sniff butts to get to know one another? Ew, I so don't want to go there" 

hehe, good right? Which leads me to comment that Mancusi's writing reminds me of shows like 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation (no, not the office). A fast paced sitcom with random silly-ness and dialogue. Which I love. They're great mindless things to watch. Reading isn't so mindless, but it helps to read something that you like watching. No matter how mean that sounds I really mean it as a compliment. I'm the beginning of the "youtube generation" where we like things moving and fast and short. Mancusi does a great job with that audience.


Should you read it?: I definitely think you should read Boys that Bite and Stake That first so you can get the gist of where the characters have been. This one isn't as good as Stake That but it's still nice to read about characters you've put some time in to.

Would I read it again?: Probably not. Just because it's too short and it didn't leave a lasting impression on my mind. I was interested in the well being of the characters, but it was just too neatly wrapped I think. And the passion in there was lacking a bit. (same as the Stake That review)




Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +0

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +1

5. Re-Readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+0. 5

(also the same as the Stake That review)
so it looks like this gets a 5.5 out of 10.

Others in series:

Boys That Bite

Stake That

Girls that Growl

Bad Blood

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

Happy Ever After
by Nora Roberts
9-780425-236758
$16.00
Bride Quartet Series

Barnes and Noble synopsis:

Parker Brown turned the quartet’s childhood game of Wedding Day into their dream jobs. And now she’s the face of Vows — the one who meets every bride’s demands; keeps every event on schedule; and brings Emma’s romantic flowers, Laurel’s delicious treats, and Mac’s stunning photography together in one glorious package. She knows how to make dreams come true…


Mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker Brown — with her mile-long legs — is no exception. But as a good friend of Parker’s brother, Mal knows that moving from minor flirtation to major hookup is a serious step.


No man has rattled Parker in a long time, but the motorcycle-riding, raven-haired Mal seems to have a knack for it. His passionate kisses always catch her off guard, much like her growing feelings for him. Parker’s business risks have always paid off, but now she’ll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart…

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I enjoyed this whole series. One thing I don't like is that it's too girly. All the girls get in to this mushy mushy time and it happens so often that it's hard to read. I almost skipped over those things. But I would have missed some key parts.

But I loved Malcom. I think he held my attention. The guys also were too mushy. It makes me sad that they were just as bad as the girls. Guys don't do that. At least the manly guys she portrayed every one of them to be (well, maybe besides Carter).

Anyway, I suggest reading the others (obviously first) and you'll end up reading all the way to the end of this because you like the other characters. I thought Parker would be the best, especially with Malcom, but I think my favorites are Emma & Jack and Laurel & Delaney.

Read Vision in White, Bed of Roses, and Savor the Moment first.

I thought Nora Roberts might wrap everything up, but maybe she's going to write another general one? Because they only got to Mac and Carter's wedding at the end, and everything else was totally left open with the "possibility of it".

The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller

I took a hiatus from books for a while. With the wedding and planning some vacations and our honeymoon... But I'm back!! I've got a couple of recent books I have that I read. Here's the first one:

The Christmas Brides
by Linda Lael Miller
9-780373-775026
$7.99

B&N Synopsis:

A McKettrick Christmas


Lizzie McKettrick is on a homebound train with a Christmas Eve surprise for her family—a special young man, Whitley Carson. He might seem a little too interested in the McKettrick money, but Lizzie's certain Whitley cares for her deep down. But fate has a surprise for Lizzie—Dr. Morgan Shane. When their train is stranded by a massive avalanche on Christmas Eve the handsome doctor takes charge—with Lizzie by his side. Time's running out for the passengers. But with faith, hard work and some unexpected help, it just might be a joyous McKettrick family Christmas after all….


A Creed Country Christmas


In the Montana wilderness of 1910, Lincoln Creed is up against more than rustlers, wolves and winter storms. His young daughter, Gracie, has needs beyond the beans and bacon he can barely cook. The widowed rancher must find Gracie a suitable governess who won't set her sights on him. Disowned for her refusal to marry, the young schoolteacher Juliana Mitchell seems like a perfect fit in the Creed home. As she gets to know Lincoln and Gracie, Juliana suddenly doesn't feel so strongly against marriage after all. In the season of miracles, Providence just might find a way to bring these souls together in a wonderful Christmas blessing.

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The first book (McKettricks) was slow building. Right away the main character threw away her first choice which made me wonder if she wasn't strong enough to stick with her decisions. But she ended up proving me wrong. I did feel like towards the end it just kept continuing when it could have ended several times. But Linda Lael Miller wanted to wrap everything up. I haven't read any of the McKettricks before, so I bought her other books in the McKettricks series for my kindle.

The second book (Creed) was really sweet. The tension was built quicker. The back of the book explained more about the the female character than the actual book did. Or at least the reason she is anti-______ (don't want to ruin it!). Parts were very touching between the two main characters. I do feel that some of the men's advice scenes are a little too far. Not much, but I can't imagine two tough guys laying their emotions out in front of each other, no matter the situation. At least in that situation. I dunno. I still really loved it.

Definitely read this book :) 
 
Ratings:


1. Cover +1
2. Hooked: +1
3. Finished the book: +1
4. Overall Feeling: +1
5. Re-readability: +1
6. Suggest to others: +1
7. Lost time: nope +1
8. Readability: +1

8 out of 10.

Don't Worry!

Hey Guys! I want to address my sudden change of reading preferences... don't worry, it's TEMPORARY! I just needed a "break" so I can re-love the romance/paranormal/ and young adult. I was getting bored because I kept reading the same thing over and over again.

I'm almost back! Don't worry! I did read a Jennifer Echol's book (young adult) that I LOVED! So I'll come back with a review on that :)

Thanks for hanging in there guys!

Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
9780061142826
$13.99

B&N Synopsis:

The long-awaited follow-up to her groundbreaking bestseller, now Dr. Laura focuses on how men and women need to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of masculinity and femininity; what the best ways to relate, caretake, and nurture each other are; and how to bring a marriage back from the brink of disaster.


Jumping off her million-copy bestseller The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, Dr. Laura asserts that in order to produce and sustain a wonderfully satisfying marriage, spouses must recognize and appreciate the polarity between masculine and feminine. Both husband and wife have power in the relationship, and each needs to realize this in order to ensure personal satisfaction. Using real-life examples from her call-in radio show, and giving real-life solutions, Dr. Laura focuses on the typical mistakes made by men and women in their relationships and shows how marriages can come back from the brink of disaster and divorce.

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If you haven't noticed, I kind of needed a break from the regular Romance and Paranormal and Young Adult books. I've also been needing to get some outside perspective on what a good marriage is... since I'll be getting hitched in... 45 days! eeek!

I've also been listening to Dr. Laura on the radio and I've heard great things about her book.

I enjoyed it. She's a straight forward, no bullshit kind of person and I admire that. Of course, with all radio personnel I get frustrated when she doesn't allow others to spit out everything, but I understand it and it's not always necessary. Anyway, she does have awesome points that I can agree with when I think logically.

She explains that the fundamental way to be happy in any relationship but  most importantly marriage is to make your other half happy. Give your all in to making them happy and feeling your love for them and you will most definitely get it in return. Unless they're a scumbag.

As elementary as that sounds, I was really shocked to read it. I didn't grow up in the super-feminist era of course, but I've definitely not been without the influence around me. The "I'm a woman, I can do it all!" mentality that creates more problems than solves them is absolutely prominent in school, home, and work. And without revealing too much, I noticed at home how awful that thought can be on the wrong people. It drives them to the edge of clinically insane and more insecure. Sure, women are meant to work, but where you work shouldn't matter. You can work in a boardroom or a home, and there's still an enrichment you can get from working at the one that most suits you. I personally would prefer to be a homemaker. Or as it's more commonly known (and said with disdain from others) a stay-at-home-mom. I have a while before I climb that mountain, but I know that's what I want to do without any doubt.

I'm not nervous about talking about this passionate subject, I just don't want to get in arguments over my "anti-feminist" views and whatnot... just because I want to be a homemaker... Which, btw.. I can't.. my fiance wants me to still bring in money, so I'm learning photography, wedding planning, and searching like a madwoman for a lot of acreage so I can start businesses at home (horse trails, camping sites, horse boarding, wedding --ceremony & reception--, etc etc).

Okay!!!! Dr. Laura's book has such great ideas. I recommend this book to absolutely everyone! I even gave it to my mom. I especially recommend it if you are about to get married and aren't going to go through pre-marital counseling. Another especially read is for those that are selfish with their own feelings, gone through infidelity, and/or thinking about getting a divorce (with kids).

It feels like pretty much everyone, huh?

Anyway. I give this book 10 stars. I've never been helped so much by a self-help book. Usually I look at it with my nose up and say "I'm better than that" and walk away. But I wanted to go into my marriage with a fantastic outlook and tools guaranteed to work. And I didn't have a good example at home. But I have the tools now. Make him my world, and I'll be his. Take care of him how he needs to be taken care of and he'll take care of me how I need it. Show how much I love him by doing things he can interpret as such, and open my eyes to see him showing how much he loves me in the best way he knows.

Read it with an open mind and heart and the intent to be your best and you'll get so much out of this book!

Have you heard of this?

This looks pretty cool. What do you guys think?

Blog2Print

I'm not sure which blog I'd do, maybe the one that has my photography on it. Just to see my progress and all. But I thought the idea was neat enough to share it with fellow bloggers :D

Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman

Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman

Nonfiction-Psychology/Psychotherapy

9-780767-930697

$14.95

Barnes and Noble Synopsis

In our mothers’ day there were good mothers, indifferent mothers, and occasionally, great mothers. Today we have only Bad Mothers: If you work, you’re neglectful; if you stay home, you’re smothering. If you discipline, you’re buying them a spot on the shrink’s couch; if you let them run wild, they will be into drugs by seventh grade. Is it any wonder so many women refer to themselves at one time or another as a “bad mother”?

Writing with remarkable candor, and dispensing much hilarious and helpful advice along the way—Is breast best? What should you do when your daughter dresses up as a “ho” for Halloween?—Ayelet Waldman says it's time for women to get over it and get on with it in this wry, unflinchingly honest, and always insightful memoir on modern motherhood.


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I actually really like this book! I didn't get to read it to its full potential (I needed to return it to the library and I tried to read the Men/Mars, Women/Venus book before hand and I ran out of time!!). But it was very enjoyable.


I found myself thinking the same things that she pointed out. Whether it be the things I think about when I see someone being a "bad mother" or about loving her husband more than her kids. Just yesterday, I caught myself thinking to myself, "wow, what a horrible mom".. then instantly tried looking at it from her point of view. And I understood. Sort of. It's a work in progress, but I think the situation in which I speak of could have actually physically harmed her daughter. And I can't imagine any mom wanting their kids hurt. Even if you love your husband more than you do your kids.


Aaalright, I'll tell you what happened. I was backing out of a parking space and was waiting for this mom and her 3 small children (I'd say 3, 5, 7) to cross past us, but they stopped to let me out. So I proceeded to back up and right as I started turning to decide which way of the "parking aisle" I was going, she started walking in between me and the car beside me. Her daughter was right next to my front left fender, squished in between me, and her mom that was pushing the cart through the impossibly small space. Of course I stopped, said "geeezus" and thought the "bad mom" thing. But JUST getting done reading Ayelet's book, I stopped, because that was an unfair assessment. I've never met this woman, I don't know what she's like. Just because of one incident where she may have been thinking about when dad was coming home, dinner, getting her kids and herself out of the heat, and whether or not she was going to get a shower tonight, it doesn't mean she deserved the title. So, I changed it from "bad mom" to "potential moron". haha, not much better, but at least it gives her a break on being the perfect being and allowing mistakes that remind her and us that she's human.


The other part I related to was the loving her spouse more than her kids. And I've gotta say, I INSTANTLY related to it. But, that might have been because I don't have any kids. But when I grudgingly fantasize it, for the sake of Ayelet's point, I realize that the love is completely different. Marriage is not an unconditional thing. Love for another with no biological relationship, is not an unconditional thing. You work at a marriage if you want to be successful. Or even just a relationship. You work at it like you would if they were your bf/gf. You have to keep it exciting and real and romantic. But with kids, there's the very biological connection. You made them, they carry some of your traits and attributes, their DNA is from you! So.. it's a majorly different feeling!

Anyway, she's witty and fun, I recommend it for those that need a break from our usual reading ;)