The Bad Girl - Mario Vargas Llosa

Comment: I've finished this book in portuguese.

At first I wasn't very thrilled to be reading it, I confess I'm not very used to south american authors's way of writing. It sounded too "spaced out" if you know what I mean. But the fact the main character - 1st person narrator - was a translator (my aim in life...) I was very curious to follow his life, his job, his travels...not so much his devotion to the bad girl.

The book follows the life of Ricardo, since he is a young man until he's more than 50 years old. We see his feelings, his life, his love. We see his relationship with the "bad girl" from the title and what she does to him, both mentally and physically.

She used him in every way, she appeared there when it was convenient, she left him 3 times too, also when she wanted and I felt for him, I don't think devotion should be met with such games. I'm not saying she should love him back, but respect? Yes, that he deserved. He took care of her when needed, he gave her money - which she stole, in several different ways - but worse, she used him their whole life and still, in the end, she came back and sais yes.

Is this love? This almost blind devotion to someone even when it's bad for you?

I actually enjoyed the book, even when I was sad about it. Much better than what I anticipated.

Two for One

Comment: In the last two days I've finished these books by Cheryl St John.

Both are sweet stories, where love and trust conquer all, although I must say the second one is better.

In The Tenderfoot Bride, Linnea has to find a job before her baby is born but she doesn't tell her new employer that. When he finds out she thinks that's it, but considering the new feelings between them, she stays and he even helps delivering her baby girl. She still thinks she's unworthy of him, of course, but in the end she understands she's got the right to be happy.

I just melted, I really like it when things seem to be doomed but then hope and love make it all better and perfect in the end. Real Life isn't like that, so I love it in books.

In The Lawman's Bride, the same formula but I didn't like it as much as the previous one.

Sophie Hollis is a Harvey Girl (she works for the Arcade Hotel - as did Ellie from The Doctor's Wife) and she finally has an honest living after years with a con-man who forced her to do things because he had bought her from the Indians. Now she's free and working like any other girl...except she's lying about who she is. When the marshal Clay Connor threats her now peaceful existence with the talk of new Wanted posters in the jailhouse she goes there one night to steal them and avoid recognition. However a fire has started and she ends up saving the marhal's dog. After this, she simply can't avoid the marshal...or falling for him.

It was a cute, sweet story too although I din't like Sophie as much as the heroines from the previous novels.

All in all it's a nice trilogy and I'm quite happy to have read it.

Cheryl St John - The Doctor's Wife

Comment: This is a sweet story, and I love it when one of the elements of the couple is in need to be loved, to be cherished, to know when tough there's an awful past behind, love is in the future.

Just like in this book. I've discovered that Ellie's feelings aren't exagerated, or stupid, they simply are and it was very good to see their relationship developp.

I'm quite happy with this author, I'm going to keep reading books by her.

Colleen McCullough - The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet

Comment: I've finished this book.

After an awful beginning, where I suddenly saw myself in a world totally opposite the one we find in the original Pride and Prejudice and where I couldn't see any traces of the characters I've loved - I love - then, now I must confess it isn't such an horrible book after all.

The trick is to not think of it as a sequel or as a true follow-up of the original. This an adaptation, freely thought by the author, where she imagined what might have happened, but in an independent way, because the way she portrayed the characters isn't true to what Miss Jane Austen has done in the past.

The story beginns when Mrs Bennet dies, and Mary, the third sister, is now free to live her life, at age 38. Mary has been reading some letters in a newspaper by a certain Argus, and she is compelled to see for herself the poor conditions of the people without privelegies. Obvioulsy, this against Darcy's orders and without any help she ends up kidnapped.

I won't tell any spoilers, but to be honest the story was more about feelings lost and feelings gained, than about Mary.

I hate what mrs McCullough has done to "my" characters's personality. These characters aren't the ones I love and enjoyed seeing in Pride and Prejudice.

I think that what cost me the more, was to see them changed to something like this. I'll be reading the original as a therapeutic read now.

However, as a single book, this one isn't that bad, just inventive.

L.A. Witt - Cover Me

While finishing Colleen McCullogh's book, I've also read this one by L.A. Witt, a gay novels author.

I've read Cover Me, which tells us the story of Nick and Andrew, a paramedic and a cop involved with a ruined drug operation, threats and...each other.

I enjoyed the story a lot, their feelings for each other seemed to be realistically developped, nothing too rushed or too slow.

A wonderful read, I'll try to read more things by this author.

New Book

I've finally finished my re-read of The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. Amazing the amount of details I've had forgotten. It allowed me to enjoy the re-read much more.

Now I've started The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough and I must say, I feel like yelling at Mrs McCullough for what she's doing. I'm only at chapter 1, for that!!
I have a strong belief after this book I'll need to re-read Pride and Prejudice just to ease my pain...

Styx's Storm - Lora Leigh

To save innocent, young Storme Montague from the claws of Breed slave traders, Wolf Breed Styx is forced to claim her himself-on the condition that Storme will no longer be a virgin by night's end. And though Storme's defenses are up, Styx will free her-in ways she never expects.

Comment: This book isn't as good as some of the previous ones in the series. The description between the main character's relationship seems the same as the others. I wish there would be something different besides names and a main look on breeds from females (whether fear or caught in surprise). The males always act the same way too.
Apart from that, this story did bring something new at the end, it would be interesting to know more about it and we also get to see previous characters (especially from the Wolf breeds) and it was fun.
Besides this, nothing too amazing in this book.

Crave - JR Ward

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls that must be saved. One more no-holds- barred battle between a fallen angel with a hardened heart and a demon with everything to lose.

Isaac Rothe is a black ops soldier with a dark past and a grim future. The target of an assassin, he finds himself behind bars, his fate in the hands of his gorgeous public defender Grier Childe. His hot attraction to her can only lead to trouble-and that's before Jim Heron tells him his soul is in danger. Caught up in a wicked game with the demon who shadows Jim, Isaac must decide whether the soldier in him can believe that true love is the ultimate weapon against evil.

Comment: I've finished this book on saturday night. I liked it, mostly because it's written by this author, but although I always like the feeling of reading something by her, I must confess I much prefer the world of BDB. This one in the Fallen Angels is to gritty, there's not such an intense feeling of belonging, of unity between characters. The evil is undetected, we can't always know exactly where it might come from. I don't particularly like that. And it annoys me a bit (in all books, not just here in particular) that we have so much voice from the bad guys. It makes me feel there's a doom coming and I hate it.

The romance was ok, cute ending.

I preferred this one to the first, though.

Update

These past few days I've finished Crave, an online story and the newest book on Breeds by Lora Leigh, Styx's Storm.
I'm still unsure what to read next, but I'll take a pick even today.
I'm also taking a look at The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, for my bookclub. Well, I'm only participating in one, so...

To begin

Here I am with a new blog, dedicated to books, my biggest passion - and I'm biggest vice as well.

I'll do something simple here, no special goals or purposes.
Just a comment, mostly something brief, of the books I read.
It's the 15th, middle of the month...
I'm currently reading Crave by JR Ward, which is the first book mentioned here. I've read many before, will read many after...it's my life, to read books.
I hope I can find the patience to do so.
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