Review | Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

On the eve of his ninetieth birthday a bachelor decides to give himself a wild night of love with a virgin. As is his habit–he has purchased hundreds of women–he asks a madam for her assistance. The fourteen-year-old girl who is procured for him is enchanting, but exhausted as she is from caring for siblings and her job sewing buttons, she can do little but sleep. Yet with this sleeping beauty at his side, it is he who awakens to a romance he has never known.

Tender, knowing, and slyly comic, Memories of My Melancholy Whores is an exquisite addition to the master’s work.

Cover: I don't like the cover, although I guess it's because it seems a little outdated, but then again, the book is a little older.

Thoughts: This is one of those books I picked up at the library because the author has so much praise and everyone always says that his books are really amazing and must reads. And yes, I think they are great and this is the second one of his books that I've read of his and they are really great. But I always find older books like this one a bit hard to really get into and sometimes the writing is just a bit too much to understand.

I must admit though, as soon as I read the first few pages, I really didn't want to put it down. There might be many out there who would have really put it down after the first sentence..."The year I turned ninety, I wanted to give myself the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin." Yes, I thought, that is just wrong in so many ways. But the story develops in something that is so much more than that.

Our nameless protagonist is a sad character to read about, and his life has not been the greatest, but living to be ninety and still being able to tell about it, well that's got to mean something. He is just such a different character to anything I have ever read and the author's writing is really beautiful, almost poetic, and I was just enchanted by the story.

I really only recommend this book to fans of the author, because I don't think you would enjoy it otherwise.

Favorite Quotes: "My only explanation is that just as real events are forgotten, some that never were can be in our memories as if they had happened"

This book was provided by my local library.

Review | Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

A plane crash in Alaska takes Winter’s first love away forever...

When Winter's boyfriend is killed in a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, she's robbed of the future she'd only just allowed herself to believe might be hers. Winter and Spencer had been destined for one another. And after his death, Spencer's presence continues to haunt her.

But when her next-door neighbor becomes an unlikely friend, Winter begins to accept all that she can't change. Can she open herself to a new future... and a possible new love?

Cover: I like the cover, I think it's sweet and then it sort of has me wondering if it's Winter and Spencer or Jesse...and I love the colors.

Thoughts: From reading the summary, you know what's coming. Yet, reading about the hope Winter has of seeing Spencer again makes you sort of hope that she will see him, and you sort of forget what we already know what's going to happen. And when he dies and Winter finds out, I was every bit as heartbroken as she was.

I really liked Winter, and she reminded me of myself sometimes. I could easily put myself in her shoes and the author's way of expressing her emotions really had me feeling the pain with her. Her best friend Lindsay is also a great character and the way she struggled with her problems and the death of Spencer added so much to the book and to her and Winter's friendship. And what can I say about Jesse? I loved him. I thought he was a great, sweet and very patient guy who cared about Winter and who really helped her.

So obviously after reading only the first few pages, I was hooked to the story and I wanted to keep reading and not stop. So I did. I read this book in a few hours and I definitely recommend you to pick it up. It is a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story about young love, pain and moving on. It is really a great book you shouldn't miss out on.

Favorite Quote: "Why couldn't a broken heart heal as fast as a broken bone?"

This book was provided by YA Addict ARC Tours.

Review | Plus by Veronica Chambers

"This is the unbelievable story of how I went to college, gained twenty-five pounds, got dumped by my boyfriend, failed physics and became a worldfamous supermodel."

So begins the Cinderella story of Beatrice Wilson, whose life changes overnight when she’s discovered by a scout for the oldest, most prestigious modeling agency in America—for their plus-sized division.

Now she must find the confidence to vanquish skinny rivals, fend off sleazy photographers, and banish scheming frenemies in her rise to superstardom, all while trying to get her ex-boyfriend back. But Bee learns that to win prince charming, you first have to find a way to love yourself.

Cover: This was not the cover for the copy I read and I don't like this cover because it doesn't seem to portray the "real" Bee.

Thoughts: Bee seemed like a real seventeen year old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend. She becomes depressed and only worries about how she will win him back. I've been there, as I'm sure many other girls have too. Bee also happens to be very smart, overweight and almost overnight becomes a super model.

I liked the author's writing, the way she develops Bee's story and how Bee seems to "grow" through her experiences. I was rooting for her the entire book and hoping she would realize what a jerk Brian really was so she could focus and more suitable guys. She ends up feeling pressured in the modeling world, becomes stressed out with school and although she has much more money, she doesn't spend it like crazy. Just those little things made her seem a bit more real and I felt connected with her.

The other characters, like her best friend Chela, the cute guy she tutors, Kevin, and her parents are also great characters to read about and so much fun. The diversity of each character was a great addition to the story. Even the other models were all great and I really loved each person individually. They all added a lot to the book and I really liked the relationships they had with Bee and how they all dealt with her modeling differently.

The story had its ups and downs and although the ending was a very cliche sort of "happily ever after" with everything sort of wrapped up, it sort of left a few questions open. I don't know if there is going to be a second book, but it would be nice to know what happens to Bee next. But if there isn't, I was pretty satisfied with how the story concluded. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted read about a girl learning to love herself. It's a really sweet novel and I really enjoyed reading it.

Favorite Quote: "That's the only way you're ever gonna get anywhere, be anybody, do anything. Don't worry about everybody else, just do you."

This book was provided by YA Addict ARC Tours.