The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty

I think I decided to read this series partly because of the whole Fifty Shades of Grey fascination. It's on the cover of the newest edition of this series that was published in 1983. "If you liked 50 Shades of Grey, you'll love the Sleeping Beauty trilogy".

But here's what they don't tell you. If you liked the domination/submission part of Fifty Shades, you'll love these. What I truly enjoyed about Fifty Shades is so not in this book.

The first of the trilogy, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is just that. It's the tale of what happens after Sleeping Beauty is awoken from her long slumber in her castle. But it's entirely about sexual submission and beatings. There are words like "love" and "passion" scattered through the emotions of this book, but what it really is in simple terms is control and abuse. More than was ever in Fifty Shades.

It was a good enough book considering it's erotica. But there's not much story to it. Beauty is a sex slave, plain and simple, and the entire 250+ pages are about the Prince gaining control and dominating her through the use of cruel means.

I wouldn't really recommend this to, well, anyone I know. It's just not that kind of book.

Little Women

I can confess that this book took me so long to read because I was reading it to my daughter at night. I wanted to read classic novels to her at bedtime, and I figured I could start with Little Women.

This is such a moving story when all is said and done. There is love and loss, but the most important aspect is the growth of the four young women - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The way that they grow and learn is the heart and soul of this story and I so enjoyed sharing that with my two year old. She doesn't understand, but I feel great sharing it with her.

Tissues are needed for a certain chapter in this book (where the loss happens), because I know I was driven to sobs by it.

The only thing I did not completely enjoy about the book is the almost preachy nature. It has a lot of religious references, but I was able to overlook a lot of them because Louisa May Alcott managed to cover the preaching and religious stuff under some good morals that anyone can use - religious or not.

Debt of Bones

The prequel to the Sword of Truth series. Yes, another epic fantasy series that I own. This is a short and sweet book. 160 pages and you're done. It really shows you the character of Zedd before you meet him in the first book of the series. He is a good guy, but he has a pair of nicknames. He is the wind of death, but he is also the trickster.

I enjoyed this book - novella really - because it is a brief introduction to a character that will be confusing and difficult to read in the coming book.