Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
If You Like: Romance, suspense, a good book
Similar to: Nothing I've ever read before, except maybe other Nicholas Sparks books.
Ages: 18-100

I love when you are so invested in a good book that time seems to stop for you because you are transported to a completely different place, but then you finish the book, and you're happy you finally get to the ending you've been anticipating, but then you realize that it's over, and you lay in bed for a few minutes just basking in the fact that it was such an amazing book, and then you don't know what to do with your life.  That's how I felt when I read this book.

Katie has finally escaped her past. She has escaped her abusive cop husband in Boston and has settled in a small town in North Carolina called Southport.  She doesn't have much, but at least she has her freedom.  Katie plans on saving up money to be prepared when her husband, Kevin, finds her again.  What she doesn't plan on is having a reason to stay in Southport when she meets people in that make her feel more safe and at home than she's ever felt in her life.  Although she's gaurded her heart as best she could, she finds herself falling for a handsome and gentle widower, Alex, and his two children, Josh and Kristen.  The problem is, Katie's detective husband just won't give up until he finds her, and punishes her and everyone she loves for running away.

Will Kevin be able to find Katie in Southport, and if he does, what does that mean for her and Alex, Josh, and Kristen?

Although I have a special place in my heart for all Nicholas Sparks' books, this one was one of the best books I've ever read.  It was romantic, suspenseful, and real.  It stood out to me, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
If You Like: Teen romance, witchcraft, paranormal, books set in the south
Similar to: Twilight, Meg Cabot novels
Ages: 14-30

Although it took me a while to finish this book, I found it to be a pretty good story.  The characters are easily likeable, and I loved the way this book made me feel while reading it.

When Lena moves into the small town of Gaitlin, Ethan's whole world changes.  He meets Lena, and it's love at first sight. In fact, it feels as though he's known her and loved her forever.  He finds out that Lena is a Castor, and that on her sixteenth birthday, a curse is going to claim her for either the dark side or the light side, but no one knows which it will be until the day of Lena's birthday.  It could be dangerous for Ethan to be getting so close to Lena, but he can't resist fate.

Will Lena be claimed for the dark or the light?  What will happen to Ethan and all of the people that Lena loves?

This book was really good and I enjoyed reading it, but it was long, and the story tended to drag on.  I want to read the other three books to find out the ending of the story, but if I never picked up any of the sequels, I think I'd be ok with that too.  This book is still worth a read.
Sidenote: Don't expect the movie to be anything like the book, or you will be sadly disappointed with it, like I was.