Bella Andre: The Sullivans

I came across Bella Andre's books by accident. I was actually looking for Jaci Burton books over on Goodreads when I read a comment where someone suggested checking out Bella Andre's series, The Sullivans.

The Sullivans is about a family of eight siblings: Marcus, Smith, Chase, Gabe, Ryan, Zach, Lori and Sophie. Each book tells about each sibling's journey to finding true love.

From left: Chase, Marcus, Gabe, Sophie and Zach's stories

I've always enjoyed books that had families or connecting stories, which was what drew me to this series in the first place. Currently, there are five books out (Chase, Marcus, Gabe, Sophie and Zach).

What I like about each book is that it gives an insight to the personality of each character, both the Sullivan sibling and their partner. Their situation is believable, if sometimes a little unusual. Bella Andre writes their stories that make it appealing and endears each character to the reader.

The Sullivans as a family draws the reader in as well. It's not hard to imagine such a boisterous and close-knit family, and I don't blame you if you want to be part of a family like that. The men seem larger than life, and so far from what I've read, I like Zach and Gabe the best.

I'm already taken by the rest of the Sullivan siblings and look forward to reading the next books in these series. Note that these books contain really steamy love scenes, but even without them, the books are an entertaining read.

If you want to give Bella Andre's books a try, her story "Love Me" is free for download via the Amazon website. Even if you don't have a Kindle device, you can still read it. Enjoy!

BTT: Replay

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you went right back and started re-reading it again?

Oh definitely! When I find a book that I particularly enjoyed reading, I'd read that book again and again. Sometimes to a point where I unwittingly memorized passages, or if someone asks something about the book, I'd say that it can be found in chapter so and so.

Here are some of the books I've read and reread:

• Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 
• Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts 
• The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder 
• All of the Harry Potter books, particularly The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. I've even memorized the opening paragraphs of chapter six of the Deathly Hallows because I listened to it when trying to go to sleep.
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I realize my books seem a bit pedestrian, but hey, I don't judge a book by its cover. :) What are your replays?

My thoughts: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Though a popular writer, this is the first time I have read Murakami's work. When it comes to Japanese literature, my education is limited to manga adaptations. I am often of the impression that many such writing is lost in translation, especially given the nuances of each language.

Reading "After Dark" was, for me, similar to reading a manga that's a bit dark and melodramatic (a story from George Asakura's "A Perfect Day for Love Letters" comes to mind), or watching an anime like "Perfect Blue."

The story occurs at times between night and dawn, from sometime before midnight to just before 5 am. In between those times, so many things happen, intertwining the lives of the various characters of the story. Due to the "real time" treatment of the story (think of something like 24), where the events happen in a specific time, the reader becomes a part of the story, even if just as an observer.

Though I am far from impressed, I am intrigued. "After Dark" may not be a favorite of mine, but it's enough for me to want to pick up Murakami's other works.