The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith

Title: The Geek's Guide to Dating
Author: Eric Smith
Publisher: Quirk Books
Page Number: 208; Hardcover: First Edition
Release Date: December 3rd, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
+Review copy received from Quirk Books

        

200 pages of geeky references can be quite exhausting if one doesn’t fully understand all of them. The Geek’s Guide to Dating is a novel that can appear to be written in a different language if one doesn’t understand gaming, comic book, or nerdy movie references.  The novel is written as a how-to guide to help the socially awkward types to make a move on the girl of his dreams. Despite claiming to be applicable to girls, it doesn’t really do such, as everything is referred to in the “male” sense. It also tends to be difficult to relate to, since you play as your own character in a sense, so throughout the whole book, you’re rooting for yourself to win the person of your dreams. However, the problem with this premise is that it leaves the reader detached and apathetic to the book.

            Despite my unenthusiastic start, I had fun with the book. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and charts, which is quite refreshing since I haven’t read a book with pictures in a long time.  I would be cautious with whom I recommend the book to (if I do), because it definitely isn’t for everyone. The book tends to tell the reader what to do, and provides different scenarios on approaching the situation. Although this may seem fun at first; it actually gets really old quickly, because it takes awhile for Smith to get to the point. It rambles on a little too much, and I felt that I was reading a lot of gibberish, since I am not as geeky as the book needs me to be. Be careful when deciding if this book is for you.

            What I appreciate most is how the book handles the first meeting to the possibility of a serious relationship, or a breakup. I believe that it can actually help those in need of dating advice, and it does its job well. I like how Smith addresses the rights and wrongs on the first date, and what is appropriate to discuss at the right time. I understand that there are many of guys who find it difficult to converse with a girl he likes, and the novel actually provides tips on how to find topics to talk about.

            However, I was aloof from the novel the whole time. Seeing as I am not planning to ask someone out on a date, or needing to tell someone I have feelings for them (and if I did, I have my own ways), I didn’t need all these tips; nor do I find them applicable to me. I know how to talk to people, and I know how to make sure I am not stepping on boundaries. For the most part, I doubt I’d actually want to be the one to plan all these steps in a relationship. Sure, I would be a part of them when the time comes, but I doubt I’ll actually be the one to execute them.

            The novel is a cute and quirky read, filled with a vast knowledge of all things geek-like that I couldn’t fully participate in. Make sure that you are the right audience for this type of novel; otherwise you will not enjoy it. 

Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Title: Anatomy of a Boyfriend
Author: Daria Snadowsky
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 9, 2007)
Page Number: 272 
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Video Review: Anatomy of a Boyfreiend

Synopsis
Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body.

Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love.

And then came the fall.

Review
When I was asked to review this book on my vlog, it brought me back to my freshman year memories (5 years ago) in Geometry where I first read this book. At the time, I was too immature to handle the novel, and laughed incessantly at the sexual references with a vague understanding. Needless, to say, I did not love it as much then, because I did not really understand it. At the time, I thought it was just about a weird girl who wanted to study her boyfriend's...ahem...anatomy and lose her virginity. Once I read it the second time, I realized that it held much more meaning than a mediocre book with a horny teenage girl. In fact, I realized how honest and raw it was in depicting the intense emotions that a first love brings--from friendship, lust, love and heartache.

It began with a clumsy, anatomy obsessed teenage girl, Dom, whose school life never permitted her to consider the possibility of even having a boyfriend. However, this all changes when she encounters Wes, the male protagonist, who ends up being her first love. 

I found the novel very humorous, snarky, witty, and awkward at the same time. Snadowsky has no problem in blatantly writing about sex in the innocent view of a virginal teenage girl. Dom, whose dream is to become a surgeon, probably knows so much about sex in a medical way, but her innocence and lack of experience shows when she is put in relationship-like circumstances with Wes. 

I really enjoyed Dom's character, because I like her intelligence, neediness, and lustfulness. I loved how she portrayed a lovestruck teenage girl whose world revolved around her boyfriend, because it is so relatable for young adults her age to feel the same way. I find that people can easily connect with this book, because they either feel one of two things: reminiscing about their first love, or anxiously awaiting for the first love to come. 

I also find the progression of the story to be charming, because Snadowsky did not sugarcoat the awkward sides of the relationship. She did not make the first time to be amazing and magical, because 8 times out of 10, not every girl enjoys her first time. Snadowsky wrote the awkward scenes with the purpose of having a realistic portrayal of the trials and errors of first love, because frankly, it really starts off as experimentation. 

My only qualms in this book is Dom's character flaw in making Wes to be the center of her world. I disliked that she aimed the most important decisions of her life with Wes always in mind; forgetting what she truly wanted. Also, Dominque's obsession with anatomy is a little too weird. I am more of a physiology kind of girl, but I would never think about the anatomical parts of a man, and label them in my head in the times of intimacy, I guess she did that to comfort herself in the awkwardness of the situation, but it was still too weird for me.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend is a wonderful read, that will have many readers reminiscing the days of their first loves, and have many awaiting theirs! 

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E.L. James

Publisher: Vintage (April 3, 2012)
Page Number: 528 pages
Rating: Seal Those Bindings (for the sluts in literature)

Synopsis
When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever


Review

Alright, so I filmed a reaction to this novel, but I didn't fully review it. I find that through reviewing it, I would have to talk about the effectiveness of this novel, which I did not really want to talk about on YouTube. 


There's a difference in being able to hide behind words as opposed to being watched in a video. It's easy to be shameless on a blog post rather than a video, because no one actually sees me.


That being said, I will be more direct in this review, so be warned. 


I did not like this book at the very least. I found it bland, boring, and hilarious (which is not something to be said about erotica). I did not think James succeeded into really opening people's mind into this type of sexual lifestyle, and frankly, it just made BDSM seem funny! 


It was not arousing at the very least. 


The fact that this book is based off Twilight did not really put me off from reading it, it just made me see the similarities clearer. Christian and Anastasia are very much the epitome of Edward and Bella in a non-supernatural world and it made the work seem more unoriginal.   I find that there is no character development whatsoever and that Anastasia's rash and stupid decisions made the book easy to hate. I also think that James wrote down a bunch of seemingly sexy characteristics to match Christian, but because they do not hold much ground, his character had no substance.


I find that there doesn't seem to be much of a plot line and it is  a story that is to be read plainly for the sex. And even then, the sex was not really all that great. I feel like I've read it all before and yes, it is kinky, but that's it. There's nothing else behind it.


Frankly E.L. James is better off sticking to writing fanfiction. And although this book is a bestseller, it's not a brilliant piece of work and it never will be.

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Release Date: July 7, 2009

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Count: 272

Rating: BURN THOSE PAGES

It has been awhile, I know, I know. There is no need for any explanations of my hiatus, so diving into a review would be the best idea. Any questions? No, good. 

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris tells the story of four teenagers who make a pact to commit suicide after a road trip through America, by visiting grave sites of famous people who have committed suicide. These set of four: Owen, Audrey, Frank and Jin-Ae are thrust into a world of misunderstanding and depression, and through this road trip they learn to cope with their lives as well as themselves. In this story, these four teenagers learn whether or not suicide is the best option for themselves and the rest of their peers.

Now that I have discussed that in a nutshell, it is probably best to warn you that this book is heavy on the suicide. It leaks of suicide juice and it will not cease to leak. It is depressing (and not in a good way) and it is a VERY boring book. I am not one to really hate on books, but I find that this book is just dreadful. I find that Albert Borris does not depict suicide well, and it doesn't discourage people from committing the act. It is extremely disappointing, and I am glad that I only bought this book for four dollars.

I find that suicide in books--especially in young adult---needs to be represented right because a lot of teens are contemplating suicide, and I don't support it. The problem with this book is that is that it is like reading a rock. It is dull and lifeless, and I just feel that it is a book of nothingness. 

The characters are dull. Everything is dull. Even the trips are dull. I mean, seriously, who visits a stinkin' gravesite and expects enjoyment? NO ONE. 

This book is definitely not recommended for readers. Do not waste your time.

Between by Cyndi Tefft

Title: Between

Author: Cyndi Tefft

Release Date: April 5, 2011

Publisher: Self-Published

Page Number: 252

Sequel: Hell Transporter

Video Review (because I say other things too!)
SYNOPSIS

         I didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading “Between.” All I know was that I really wanted to read it, because it sounds amazing! I have never read a self-published novel and I didn’t know what to expect. I’m proud to say I wasn’t disappointed!

         “Between” isn’t the best novel that I have ever read, but it isn’t the worst either. I found that there are elements in the novel that I find entertaining, and yet there are some that I find downright irritating. However, to start this off positively, it is obvious that I am really fond of the idealism in this story. I want to find love like Lindsey and Aiden's so easily. I want there to be that one guy that I see in which I instantly know that he is “the one." In this book, everything appears easy, and it’s great to read novels like this every once in a while.

         Although I liked the novel’s general idea of love and romance, I wasn’t too keen on the pacing and the characters. The pacing of the novel is a little too fast for my taste and I found myself constantly overwhelmed by the information that rains down on me from page one. It appears that the plot doesn’t necessarily flow from point A to point B, but instead it just literally goes from point A to point B.
        Moving on to the characters, I find that I couldn’t relate to Lindsey as much as I’d like, because I just don’t see myself the same way she views herself. In truth, however, I might be wrong considering that I couldn’t find her relatable during the times when she’s in love (an emotion I’m nowhere close to experiencing).
         I am okay with Aiden. I do not love him as much as I love Four, Patch, or Jace, but he is quite the charmer. I love his presence around Lindsey’s, and their interactions are just plain adorable.

         What I also enjoyed are the interactions between every one of the characters. They’re fun, simple, and not too complicated. “Between” is a novel where I would love to just substitute my name for Lindsey’s and the guy I like’s name for Aiden’s, because the canoodling is definitely HOT which I would one day love to experience.

         All in all, I enjoyed “Between” because I love feeling the feeling of being in love. It’s something new and foreign to me and I’m glad it’s the focus of the book. It has definitely sparked the idea in my mind that I should give self-published books a shot, because some of them like, “Between” are worth it!

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Information:

Title: Shift

Series: Shade Trilogy

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready

Release Date: May 3, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Number: 384

Sequel: Shine (2012)

Buy Shift: Amazon

Video Review (Because I say other things too)

Grabbing Line: Do you love her enough to let her go?

Synopsis:

Aura’s love has brought Logan back from being a shade. But now that he’s a violet-hued ghost again, Aura is more confused than ever. She wants to be there for Logan and support him as a friend, but their relationship will come at the expense of her relationship with Zachary, her very alive, very handsome, very Scottish research partner. Both boys hold a piece of her heart—and secrets that can help Aura unlock the mysteries of the Shift and of her past. Aura must decide between the two or risk losing them both. But how?

Synopsis from Amazon

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore

Author: Kelly Creagh

Release Date: August 31^st 2011

Publisher: Athenum Books for Young Readers

Page Number: 560

Buy Nevermore: Amazon

SYNOPSIS from GOODREADS

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.