HipMamaB Lit: My Favorite Read of the Summer So Far

Candice: "Beth. I hate you right now."

Me: "What? What did I do?"

Candice: "That book you told me to download yesterday..."

Me: "Remember When? Oh, yea. You were up until 3 reading, huh?"

Candice: "5. I didn't sleep at all. I now I downloaded book #2 so I don't know when I will sleep again. Bitch."

 *actual conversation between Candice and I a few weeks back...

I love those books that you somehow stumble upon and fall madly in love with. Even better is when you tell your friends about them and they love them as much as you. 

Remember When, the first in the Remember Trilogy, is that book. 

So first off, if you are one of those people who can't sleep when they are engrossed in a good read, then please make sure you have adequate daylight hours to spend reading this book before downloading. I don't want anymore hate letters. And this book is addicting.

It's a fast-paced, amusing story of a 1990's high-school romance told from the view of the Layla Warren - a somewhat popular New Jersey girl who falls head over heels for the new boy Trip Wiley. Trip is beautiful and engaging and every girl in the school is desperately trying to get his attention... Oh yea, and in the future he turns out to be a Hollywood IT BOY the likes of Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp. 

Ever wonder how often Brad Pitt’s high school girlfriend must ponder jumping off a bridge? Ever think about the girl that had her hooks in George Clooney before he took off for TV stardom? How about Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex, or Johnny Depp’s first groupie, or any number of young women who got left behind when their boyfriends set off for greener pastures and eventually achieved unfathomable Hollywood fame?

My name is Layla Warren and I don’t need to wonder about any of those things. I already know. Because years before Trip Wiley could be seen on movie screens all over the world, he could be seen sitting in the desk behind me in my high school English class.

OMG. Can you imagine? But it had to have happened. There is some girl out there that was Brad Pitt's first kiss, or that went to prom with George Clooney. This is that story. And it's SO GOOD.

This summer, book #2 in the trilogy came out. Reuniting Trip and Layla 10 years later, book #2 is defiantly the sophomore book of the series, but still tells a fabulous story of how a first love will never really die. 

Put your shirt down Austin Moon!My ONLY issue with the book is as I was trying to imagine the characters, in my head the person playing Trip kept defaulting to Ross Lynch from Disney's Austin and Ally. Which isn't bad, until it came to the sex scenes.. because then I felt like a total perv. 

So my advice, look up a picture of a young Brad Pitt (and don't listen to "Heard it on the Radio" on repeat with your kids for days before) and start the book when you have at least a 12-hour period you can dedicate to reading... and you will come back to thank me later. 

HipMamaB Lit: The Elemental Mysteries... Vampires for Grown-Ups

What does one write about after a post like my last one? Jumping back into make-up talk seems a bit frivolous at this point… so I’ll talk about books!

I love reading. I also love just how easy it is to read suggested books when you have an eReader. It used to be that someone would recommend something, you would have to write it down then hope that you remembered the name/author/note with the information by the time you made it to Barnes and Noble. Now I go on Amazon and download the book instantly. At least that was what I did when a friend suggested the “grown up Vampire series”, The Elemental Mysteries by Elizabeth Hunter, to me.

Billed as a “paranormal romance,” this series contains four titles that follow librarian Beatrice “B” De Novo and 500 year old vampire Giovanni Vecchio as they search the world unraveling an ancient mystery. While yes, it is a love story, I hate that it’s paranormal romance, because these books are really so much better than that.  

I loved the characters, I loved the story line, I loved the history and I loved the descriptions of the places they visited. The story dragged just a bit in book three and the beginning of book four, but by that point you are so invested in the story line that it doesn’t weigh the series down. The books are not silly or comical like other books of this genre can be, and while it is an “epic romance,” its not a smut read. The author does a fabulous job of weaving the story through all four books and while the romance between the characters is anticipated and felt from page one, it develops and grows over the course of the story arch.

Elizabeth Hunter is a independent writer that I’m amazed hasn’t been immediately snapped up (but maybe she has by now?). In an oversaturated market, The Elemental Mysteries series will remind you how good vampire books can be.

The four books in the series are: A Hidden Fire, The Same Earth, The Force of Wind, A Fall of Water. Bonus? They are all super cheap and sometimes free on Amazon and iBooks. 

HipMamaB Lit: Let’s talk about Sex (books) ba-by…

If you know me IRL, then you know that in the past 6 months I’ve somehow become the go-to for “romantic erotica” books. I guess my openness to discussing 50 Shades of Gray has led me to this role – with friends and book publishers alike sending me titles to read and review. While I’ve mentioned a few here and there, I still hesitate to really go into details, but every once in awhile I come across a book or series that I think really deserves recognition.

Months ago I came across the book Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour #1) by Olivia Cunning, while actually searching for something else on iBooks. I ended up downloading it and WOAH-MY-GOD, it makes Christian Grey look downright virginal.

One of the reviews on Goodreads actually says “How much sex can one get into a book?” A question I found myself asking a few times. I’m not even sure what type of research this author did to be able to come up with some of these scenarios. But sex aside (which is hard to put aside with this book), I enjoyed all the books in this series because at their core, they are well-written, heart tugging, love stories.

No, seriously. 

The Sinners on Tour series chronicles a (fictional) famous, heavy metal rock band as they each individually find love and relationships in ways that work for them as individuals. While each book follows a different member of the 5-person band, the book’s point-of-views switch back and forth during the stories, showing the emotions of both (or in one case, *spoiler* all 3) of the main characters in the book. Each of the characters battle with past issues, intense emotions and the struggle of how to create a future while on tour.

The best part about these books is that I genuinely have grown to like each of the characters. While towards the end of other books you want to scream “If you can’t stop fighting just break the hell up!!!” in these books I found myself rooting for the characters to make it work. Yes, a few of the plot lines got a little silly, but if we’ve learned anything from Downton Abbey, it’s that one group of people can suffer through disaster after disaster in fictional situations.

One note – if you end up reading the whole series - read them 1, 2, 4 and then 3. For some reason the publisher released them in a different order than they were written.

If you are not sure you want to dedicate the time, or you want to see if this type of book appeals to you, Cunning also has recently released a few novellas of similar note in a series called “One Night With Sole Regret,” which highlights one (hot, steamy) night in each of the members of (another) rock group called Sole Regret. These short stories give you all the sex with not a lot of that fancy plot or character development crap - pretty much JUST enough of it to not make it read like a cheesy porno. 

So tease up your hair, put on a mini-skirt and relive your high-school fantasy of falling in love with a rock star and get to reading.  

HipMamaB Lit: 3 Books for {January} 2013

The best part of the past few weeks is that I actually had more time to read. A few train rides, self imposed “Pajama Days” and down-time while the kids played with their new toys gave me some much needed lay-around-and-read time.

And yet I was still up to 2 am reading a few nights…

Here are my picks for the 3 books you should should read in January 2013:

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

One of the other authors I follow on Facebook sent out a plea last week to help her friend reach number #1 on the Amazon sales list. I like this author, and the book was only $4 so I downloaded the book without much thought. While I had hoped it would be a good read, I was shocked by JUST HOW GOOD it was.

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies...

That's what Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he's nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn't at all who he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life will change forever.

I read this book in 24-hours.  I honestly almost cancelled a babysitter and a date night out to finish this book. While the characters are teenagers, this is NOT a book for teens.  It’s a bit of a romance, but more of a mystery.  I enjoyed the characters and felt their emotions – highs and lows. I also think this book would make a fabulous movie.

Summerset Abbey – TJ Brown

If you are fan of Downton Abbey, you will enjoy this book. It’s set in 1913 England, and while the storyline is different than Downton, it’s the same subjects… the high-bred daughters and the servants, their worlds and coming to terms with their place in society.

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war. . . .

So here is something that I’m embarrassed to admit – I only recently watched Downton Abbey. I KNOW. I KNOW. Why it took me this long I don’t know… but I will also say that I’ve had a glorious time watching both seasons back-to-back.  Reading this book before watching Downton Abbey I had a hard time visualizing some of the things that I didn’t know about – such as the bells that were rung to get the maids to come up and even some of the fashion and styles that are mentioned in the book. After watching DA, I realize what another great view of this lifestyle in the early 1900’s this book is... and I can't wait for book 2, due out in March!

A Passion for Him – Sylvia Day

Since Sylvia Day’s Bared to You was such a huge success, it appears that her publisher is jumping at republishing all of her older titles. This one is another piece of historical fiction, also set in England, also about a young lady trying to marry in her same social spectrum.

Stranger

He wears a mask…and he is following her. Staring at her like no other man since Colin. But Colin is dead and Amelia believes she will never again shiver with pleasure, never again sigh his name.

Lover
Until her masked pursuer lures her into a moonlit garden and a single, reckless kiss. Now she is obsessed with discovering his identity. Perfectly attuned to his every desire, his every thought, she will not stop until she knows his every secret.

Just like her other novels, this one is a good, quick steamy read with lovers that shouldn’t be together but can’t be apart and multi-orgasmic virgins. All the things one would EXPECT in a good, sexy, romance novel. 

Those are my picks for the month - what books are you reading? 

HipMamaB Lit: Books to Read and Books to Give

I will admit that Ms. Kim Tracy-Prince inspired this post with her "A month of reading" series she is currently doing. Back at Creative Alliance (what today seems AGES ago but was really only a few months ago) Kim and I talked a lot about how much consuming, rather than broadcasting, we had been doing. And it continues...for both of us apparently! Thanks to both my iPad with iBooks and a Kindle App and my Sony Reader, I'm a reading MACHINE. Seriously, I have books downloaded all over the place these days. 

Today I threw my favorite question out to Twitter: "What book should I read next?" I love getting random suggestions. In fact, it was through one of these questions to the Internet that I first heard of The Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey. {Hey - you never know what the Internet will tell you to read.} But after throwing this out there, I realized my recommendation may lead someone else to a great read, either for yourself or as a gift. 'Tis the Season!

For the young reader / thinker:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back

So, I will admit that I didn't realize this was a YA book when I downloaded it. When I started it I did note that it was short in length, and that the main character is 11 years old - but that means nothing. The book was intriguing. It made me think. Made me wonder. It also left me with a lot of questions. So yeah, I felt really stupid when I realized it was written for 10 year olds. But it was a beautiful book, and one I can't wait for Lucas to read.

 For A Girlfriend or Even Your Mother/Mother in Law:

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown 

Bellamy Lyston Price was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy's fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene as well as her memory of one vital fact that still eludes her... 

Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a novel based on Susan's murder. It's her first book, and it's an instant sensation. But because the novel is based on the most traumatic event of her life, she's published it under a pseudonym to protect herself and her family.

But when a sleazy reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on a real crime, Bellamy's identity - and dark family secrets -- are exposed. Suddenly, she finds herself embroiled in a personal conflict and at the mercy of her sister's killer, who for almost two decades has gotten away with murder...and will stop at nothing to keep it that way

You all know that I've been on this smutty romance kick (more on that later) and I actually don't normally read mysteries, but when this book came across in a search I was doing I was excited to get my hands on it. Apparently Sandra Brown is a fairly popular fiction/mystery writer, also something I discovered after reading this book, but not knowing her previous work, my thoughts on this book are fresh with nothing to compare it to. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that kept me going the whole time. The story unfolded in a few different ways, leaving me guessing until the end. Which honestly may not be saying much since I was surprised by the ending of M. Night Shamalan's The Village.

Now on to the smut!

For Your Friend Who Loved 50 Shades of Gray - a lot.

Release Me by J. Kenner

He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist. 
 
Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.
 
Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.
 
But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

Yes! Another young girl/young millionaire with control issues book! Better writing than FSOG but a similar story.. and very obviously going to be a multi-part book series. But an enjoyable read. Steamy sex scenes and interesting characters. Fans of 50 will eat it up. 

For Your Friend Who Liked 50 Shades A Little Too Much... and Wants to Take Things to the Next Level. 

Tiffany Reisz's The Original Sinners Series

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...preferably in bed. That's always been Kingsley Edge's strategy with his associate, the notorious New York dominatrix Nora Sutherlin. But with Nora away in Kentucky, now it's Kingsley's chance to take her place at the feet of the only man he's ever wanted -- Søren, Nora's on-again, off-again lover -- until a new threat from an old enemy forces him to confront his past.

Wes Railey is still the object of Nora's tamest yet most maddening fantasies, and the one man she can't forget. He's young. He's wonderful. He's also thoroughbred royalty and she's in "his" world now. But Nora is no simpering Southern belle, and her dream of fitting into Wesley's world is perpetually at odds with her dear Søren's relentlessly seductive pull.

Two worlds of wealth and passion call to her and whichever one Nora chooses, it will be the hardest decision she will ever have to make... unless someone makes it for her..

GAH.

This sums up my feelings quite accurately. See, I didn't realize it was a series until the end. I also didn't realize that I started with book THREE in the series until quite after I finished reading The Prince. And OMG. This book? Well - GAH. Not for the squeamish. This book actually makes 50 Shades seem like a YA read. There were a few times that I almost put it down. There were a few scenes I couldn't read. There were a few times when I thought a lot about just how screwed up some people are sexually ... and I'm not even talking about our friends over on Showtime's Polyamory. Those people are just orgy loving kittens next to the BDSM freaks in this series. 

I almost can't admit to having read this... but sigh, its a series. And the author did a good job of mixing up the hard core "WHAT THE FREAKING HELL" storyline with a mystery and an a much simpler, "Vanilla" romance. And the ending... well, now I HAVE to read book 4. 

And apparently go back and read books 1-2. 

GAH. 

*disclosure: I was given e-copies of Low Pressure, Release Me and The Prince for review purposes from the publishers.