Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett

Read a synopsis here!
How much it cost me: Free! (Paperbackswap!)
Retail price: $7.99
Number of pages: 320
So, unlike the Kate Kennedy cozy mystery series by Nora Charles, this series HAS to be read in order! A lot of things won't make sense if you don't. I noticed that when the lives of the characters started to get more personal and let's just say a few of them may start...disappearing. (I don't want to give anything more away than that!)
Still a pretty good series, although it's still being kind of repetitive. One thing I didn't really like in this book was Tricia (the main character) is always SO nice to everyone even if she doesn't like them. Like okay there's a point of being civil but sometimes she takes it too far which is a little annoying. Also she's sooo nice to everyone and all that her friends say back is thank you and she doesn't even bat an eye. She doesn't expect anyone to do anything nice for her which makes her a little spineless in that category.
The way people are dying has changed but basically it's the same characters doing to the same old thing to solve the crime. Have some originality! Bring in a new character! Add some amazing twist! Hopefully the next book in the series will be more unpredictable than the last couple have been. And I can tell I'm getting frustrated with the story lines when half way through the book I'm thinking, "When is this book going to be over?" and when I set it down and I have time to read I think, "I guess I should read that to get it over with, so I can move on to the next series." but then the story has some high points that help me stay interested.
Hope this was helpful! See you soon!
-Paige

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Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Schecter

Read a synopsis here!
How much it cost me: $4.50 (purchased at Scholastic Warehouse)
Retail price (paperback): $8.99
Number of pages: 351
I loved this book! I'm a sucker for historical fiction and it's so hard to find one's that are written so well. Cleopatra's Moon topped the charts for me! I mean just look at some of these sentences, "I stared up, squinting into the brilliant blue of the sky as waving palm fronds skewered fluffy white clouds. The intermittent calls of shipmen and merchants drifted in from the Royal Harbor." That's how the whole book is! It's beautifully written.
The story itself is amazing and one of triumph and you find yourself really rooting for all the right characters. Reading the Author's Note and The Facts Within the Fiction at the end really helped me understand the story even more too.
Another thing I found helpful was the List of Characters at the beginning, because with all those old names and so many of them, I got confused in the beginning and found myself backtracking to check and see who was who.
The reading itself was fairly easy. Not as easy as some books like the Gossip Girl series and other likenesses but it was very enjoyable! I wholeheartedly give this book a Paige-Turn! So if you're looking for a really good historical fiction pick this up! It doesn't feel like you're getting a history lesson while you're reading it and it's soooo good!
See you soon!
-Paige

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Snow Queen by Emma Harrison

Read a synopsis here!
How much it cost me: $3.00 (purchased at used bookstore!)
Retail Price: $5.99
Number of pages: 377
This book was such a fun and easy read! I loved every second of it and was sad to see it end. This book is one of those typical teen chick-lit books where there's a girl and a guy, and well, you just know what's going to happen at the end of the story! :)
As much as this story was predictable, it was still really good! The reading level wasn't very high, you can just tell from reading the first few pages, but it was still great! A really good Christmas/Winter read (which is perfect because it's Christmas today!) Anyone will just plow through this book in a few hours because it was so much fun to read and you always wanted to know what would happen next!
Overall, a great book and I definitely give this a Paige-Turn!
Merry Christmas by the way! Did you get anything good? I got a Kindle 4! Yays! But we'll talk about that later at my end of the month haul! See you soon and Happy Hollidays!
-Paige

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Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

Read a synopsis here!
How much it cost me: Free! Paperbackswap!
Retail Price: $7.99
Number of pages: 310
This is the third book in the Booktown Mystery series and I'm still loving the series! SOME parts are a little redundant but there is new twists and turns that I never suspected with characters who have been in the book since the beginning. This is definitely a series you would have to read in order!!
By the way I don't know if I've talked about the covers much on these books but they are so adorable! At first you glance at the cover and think oh that's nice, but once you start reading the book more and more, there are elements of the story that show up on the cover, which I think is awesome!
I'm anxiously awaiting the next one, and I hope something drastic will happen because in this book it was sort of mediocre. I felt it could have been a lot more suspenseful but this specific book in the series fell a little flat for me. Also I felt there were a couple things that didn't get resolved at the end of the book, which I totally forgot about until I was reading the synopsis again. Weird. I don't really want to say much of anything else for fear of spoilers but I would give this book a tentative Paige-Turn. (As always I think the first book in the series was the best!)
See you soon! Only 5 days until Christmas! Have you finished your shopping? I have!
-Paige
P.S. I'm still plowing through the Gossip Girl series, so once I finish I hope to have an entire series review up by the end of the year!

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Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 297
I'm going to try to not have any spoilers in this review, but if I have a slip up, then I'm sorry!
So, as usual I loved this cozy mystery! These books are so good! The stories are adorable and I loved how Lorna Barrett puts other side plots into the story that sometimes help solve the murder or that just make the story more interesting. The way Tricia (the main character) solves the mysteries is not the same as in the last book which is really nice because some mystery books get really repetitive.
I just love how cute the whole series has been so far! I've come to the conclusion though that these stories are more geared towards women. Like I don't think men would like these as much. Is it because the main character is a woman? Perhaps, but there are more strong female characters then men.
I think high schoolers could read this too (I mean look at me!) as well as adults. A great read, for a lot of age groups!
I've already started the third book, which I'm borrowing from my library for the time being. I'm sure I will get through that one quickly! Gotta go! Dinner's awaiting!!
See you soon!
-Paige
P.S. Today was my last day of school so I have 2 wonderful weeks of break which means lot's of reading! Yay!

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Evermore by Alyson Noel

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: ???
Okay I have to admit I didn't get past page 50 of this book. Maybe I'll try it again some other time like next year, but it just was not that great. The story progressed to slowly and I was bored with the story line. It didn't feel fresh or new to me. The only thing I really like about this book is the cover which is gorgeous but I guess that proves don't judge a book by its cover!!
I'm going to try some of Alyson Noel's other books that are not part of the series but honestly not any time soon because this book is like putting me off her for awhile. I think I had a problem with a lot of the characters. Ever and Damen were Mary Sue's and Gary Sue's (very stereotypical characters with little development that makes you believe you can be the character)
Not a fan. So, as much as I hate giving bad reviews, this was not my cup of tea and I would not give this a Paige-Turn! Like I said though, maybe I'll try it some other time!
See you soon!
-Paige

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Reading, reading, reading

Let me just say that I cannot wait until I go on Christmas break because then I will have all the time in the world to read, read, read.
This whole week has been crazy busy with homework and tests that a book that I should have finished probably yesterday I'm just a little more than half way through. I'm going to try to finish it tonight so that I can move on. (The book I'm talking about is Gossip Girl #7)
I'm still hoping that something new will happen in these Gossip Girl books because everything seems pretty monotonous. I mean it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't dragged out for so long. Like move on already! Oh well, I'm halfway finished with the series and it doesn't feel like it because I've gone through the books so quickly. As much as the story moves slowly I just plow through these books. They're still great but I just wish there was a new twist!
I think I'm going to read Evermore for real after I finish Gossip Girl #7 but I'm not 100% sure yet. Anyways! Just wanted to give you that little update! Hope you're all being good little children because Christmas is right around the corner (only 16 more days! Can you believe it! I still need to put my tree up, and go Christmas shopping, and oh! So much to do, so little time!)
See you soon!
-Paige

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Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 306
I definitely had my doubts about this book when I started because I think I've heard more bad reviews than good ones. However, I loved it! It is definitely one of those guilty pleasure books (like Gossip Girl) and I got through it super quick! (Yeah, sorry that this review is so late. School has been CRAZY!)
The characters could have used a little more development but I have high hopes that they will grow throughout the next novels. (How many are there in the series anyway? Like 8!? Lot's of room for development!)
I don't know why but I really loved this book so much! Although the use of language could have been cut down a little it was actually really good! Sometimes the story line was a little predictable but that was okay because you wanted that next event to happen the way you imagined.
The conclusion was awesome! Normally conclusions are kind of boring for me because they basically tie up loose ends but this conclusion had so much excitement and action that I just loved it. I also loved how everything played out but I don't want to say more than that in case I ruin it!!
Overall, when I heard that there's was lot's of language and sex material I expected there to be something on every page but really they mentioned sex like 3 or 4 times. Some other young adult books are WAY worse than that!
Great read! Definite Paige-Turn seal of approval! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!! Catch ya later!
-Paige
P.S. What's on your Christmas Wish List? Only 18 more days!

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Book Hauls?

As you know from my last post I went book shopping yesterday and I bought A TON of books! Since I know that I'm getting some for Christmas, I'm going to wait until the end of the month to post a collective December Book Haul. I think it will be easier/more fun to see how many books I've collected or received over the month. (Maybe I'll do this for the rest of the upcoming year too. I can't decide! What do you guys think?)
I'm almost done with Marked! I'm so sorry it's taking forever but I do have to juggle schoolwork into my schedule as well! I only need the last like 100 pages and then I'll be done! Also for the rest of the month I'm going to read the rest of the Gossip Girl series (my goal is to finish the entire series within December) and the rest of the Marked series. (I'm not setting a deadline for that one because the series is not even completely written yet!) So there may not be as many reviews this month but y'all should be spending time with your families and getting into the festive mood! Happy reading! See you soon!
-Paige

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Done!

Last night I finished another Gossip Girl book (Because I'm Worth It - number 4) and it was pretty good. I'm just hoping that maybe some new stuff starts happening because it's kinda getting repetitive.
I'm about half way done with Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast and so far I LOVE it!!! I was skeptical about reading it because of all the bad reviews I've heard but I have to say, I think this is going to become one of my favorite series'. Although I did find some grammar errors....
Christmas is coming up and my wish list is ever-changing. I can't decide between all the books I want! Today I'm going shopping at this book place (will explain more later) and if I find some books there that are on my wish list I'll have to update it AGAIN! Haha it will be worth it though! Can't wait until Christmas! (Only 22 more days!)
So I guess I'll see you guys later! I've got a long day of book bargain hunting/shopping ahead of me and I can't wait!
See you soon!
-Paige

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