Mini Book Reviews: The Year of the Witching...

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Published: July 21st, 2020 by Ace

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Immanuelle shouldn't even exist. Her mother's union with an outsider was considered blasphemy. Her father was killed at the stake before she was born and her mother died giving birth to her. She lives with her grandfather and his three wives and their children. Her religion is one of absolute obedience to the Prophet and disobedience is punished severely. The woods are strictly forbidden since that is where Lillith and her witches were cast out long ago in a great religious war. But Immanuelle is drawn to those woods and one night she enters them and soon after the plagues are unleashed. It's up to her to find out why and how to stop them. And through this all she begins to question her religious leaders and their intentions....

Fascinating story and world. I'd love to hear more about the world Immanuelle lives in. All that rich history of goddess and god magic and sorcery and visions is exciting and different. I really hope Henderson tells more stories in this world. I do feel the pacing was a bit off in some spots and some of the things that happen seemed a bit unrealistic or brushed over...but it's a small complaint. I can't wait to read more from Alexis Henderson. Fantastic world-building and characters. It was a fun and exciting spooky and feminist-leaning read for Halloween time.

The Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

Published: April 7th, 2020 by Scholastic

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Paranormal

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

When Lucely and her best friend Syd accidentally cast a spell that summons malicious spirits they must join forces with Syd's with grandma Babbette, her cat Chunk, and Lucely's ancestor ghosts to stop them and save their town St. Augustine.

My son and I really enjoyed the mystery and friendship and folklore all on display here. Chunk was a favorite with both of us. Cutest fat kitty ever! And super helpful. I also really enjoyed Lucely and Syd's friendship. They were supportive and loyal and it felt really genuine. It's also a fun ghost story for Halloween time.

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Mulholland Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover, 354 Pages, Library

Rating: 3 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked the storyline. The Bennett family is fleeing the New York City way of life to hunker down in the middle of nowhere where the Bennett patriarch will create his artistic masterpieces. But Orla misses everything about her old life where she was a ballet dancer until her injury. When they get to their house in the middle of the woods, everything starts to feel off. Strange weather occurs. Her nine-year-old daughter also feels something strange from a large tree in the back of their property. Even her husband starts to become obsessed with painting this tree. What's this strange force that has taken ahold of her family?

A great premise but the execution wasn't there for me. The story slogged in parts and I felt like one part of the book happened too quickly and didn't know where to go from there. The ending felt a bit rushed but overall it was satisfying. I liked it. It had a great atmosphere and mood and isolation about it that felt creepy. But overall, I didn't love it and wished the pacing was a bit better. I do now want to read her first novel "Baby Teeth," though. She's a great writer and look forward to more from her.

Mini Book Reviews: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Devolution

 

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Published: September 5th, 2017 by Sterling Children's Books

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Format: Ebook, 262 Pages, Scribd

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

Aven is a middle schooler with some different abilities. She can do almost anything with her feet since she was born without arms. Her life is good. She's got friends who understand her and a life that she's used to...until her parents uproot their lives to Arizona in order to manage a run-down desert and cowboy theme park. That means a new school and new people who don't know her and aren't used to her amazing abilities. Along the way she meets some other differently-abled friends and they set out to solve a mystery about the park and her past.

I read this aloud with Gabe and we both enjoyed it immensely. Aven is hilarious! She faces life's obstacles with humor and insight while making mistakes along the way. It's a great book that talks about people who are differently-abled and what some of their experiences both good and bad and in between are as they interact with humans in this crazy world. 

The Shadows by Alex North

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Celadon Books

Genre: Horror, Crime Thriller

Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I loved most of this book. It was super creepy. It had a great atmosphere. This one takes place in the same world as "The Whisper Man" that North wrote last year, I think. The same detective comes to town to investigate. It's a really creepy premise that ends up being pretty lackluster, unfortunately. The ending was a bit of a letdown. But overall, I'm enjoying the worlds Mr. North puts down. I look forward to the next one.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Published: October 22nd, 2019 by Oni Press

Genre: Graphic Novel, Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA

Format: Paperback, 256 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a fun supernatural fantasy with witches, ghosts, demons, and werewolves. Throw in some romance between the two fantastic leads and it's quite a fun story. The illustrations were pretty and detailed as well. I look forward to more in this series.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Versify

Genre: Children, Poetry, History

Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a beautiful book to read out loud with Gabe. We learned so much about many diverse Black artists, activists, athletes, musicians, writers, etc. Alexander had little bios of each person in the back we were able to read after the book. The illustrations are gorgeous. This is a must-read for all ages.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Published: June 16th, 2020 by Del Rey Books

Genre: Horror, Sci-fi

Format: Hardcover, 286 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun book. It's very similar to World War Z but not as long or detailed, and a little more tongue-in-cheek, I think. But the brother of Kate Holland hires a reporter to look into her mysterious disappearance after Mt. Rainier explodes and chaos ensues in her little commune of Greenloop, Washington. Looks like Bigfoot and her brood are chased out of the mountains and attack Holland and her group. We get her firsthand account with the reporter adding in details about sasquatch and its many myths, and park rangers, and Kate's brother. I also enjoyed Brooks' social and political commentary, which is very relevant. Overall, it's a quick, fun read. Just what I needed right now.

Mini Book Reviews: Recursion, Fake Blood...

More mini book reviews! Yay! I've read a lot this summer. Go me!

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Published February 5th, 2019 by MacMillan Audio

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Format: Audio Book, 8 hours and 43 minutes, Library

Rating: 3 stars

My Thoughts:

It's a page-turner, or for me, an ear burner? It's quick and dirty and a fun twist. I didn't get it totally figured out but I guessed some of it so I can now pat myself on the back! Ha. Some of the character development was a little flat but overall it was a great summer "beach" read!

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Published June 11th, 2019 by MacMillan Audio

Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller

Format: Hardcover, 329 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a fun one! Crouch knows how to make very smart sci-fi thrillers. It got a little bogged down toward the end but overall it came together nicely. Another fun summer "beach" read. This would make a great movie and then a spin-off TV series. Seriously.

Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner

Published September 4th, 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Humor

Format: Paperback, 336 Pages, Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a cute coming-of-age story about a kid who fakes being a vampire in order to impress a girl in his class who is obsessed with vampires. The illustrations were great too. Enjoyed this one.

Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu

Published July 19th, 2016 by Image Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Format: Paperback, 235 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

It's gorgeously illustrated. The plot was a little hard to follow but there are talking magical cats in this one. So bonus. It's a thrilling fantasy with a complicated protagonist. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

The Time Museum by Matthew Loux

Published February 21st, 2017 by First Second

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Format: Paperback, 250 Pages, Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

It's a fun sci-fi/fantasy graphic novel for middle schoolers. Plot is a bit convoluted toward the end. But it shows some promise. I'll probably pick up the next in the series. G also really enjoyed it.

Jukebox Joyride by Jacob Stein

Published June 6th, 2019 by First Second

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy

Format: Audible, 3 hours and 31 minutes, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Another listen in our long drive to and from Washington! A music box transports two siblings back in time to help save their uncle and restore order. It wasn't fantastic but it was cute and exciting and it kept G entertained. So an extra star just for that!

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

What can I say? The Dark Days Club was supposed to provide a nice historical fiction feel from the vein of Jane Austen along with a fun supernatural fantasy and of course, a kick-ass female....

I did not get that. Goodman was very very proud of the fact that she did so much research into the Regency era that she had to let us know throughout the book about all the details! All the words like hoyden and by jove! She took me out of her world fast with her blatant snippets of historical minutiae. The story refused to flow for me. And because she focused so much on the Regency details her supernatural world-building completely fell apart. Her mythology is confusing. Demon-like energy beings from who knows where sucking out the lifeforces of all humans via nasty energy tentacles and whips only seen by our heroine and her fellow reclaimers and only via some weird crystal apparatus.

She tries really hard to combine supernatural Christian and Eastern philosophies along with natural philosophies. It just ends up a mess. Lady Helen says how well-read she is but the author doesn't show how well-read she is. Her thoughts and views and inner musings are really not well-read. She's your typical selfish rich upper class Regency Lady. All about duty and the balls and social graces. After she gains her powers she only plays with them once dancing alone in her room. That's it. No tests on how far she can go to read her uncle or aunt or anyone else unless she's told to. No tests of strength unless she's told to.

Also the love triangle? Was so weak. Both are boring and of course both hate each other and are in love with her because author said so....

I also didn't like the literal demonization of all of humanity. Yes we have sex and we lust and we're greedy but lets not say it's only the lower classes that take it too far and basically all the demons have control of the lower classes...just not my cup of tea. Lady Helen has to go down to the horrible parts of town, aka where all the poor people are. The stench and filth are terrible and she has the gall to ask how people can live like this? Really? The fate of the world rests on such caring and humane people as Lady Helen....oh boy. And let's not forget how she discovers Lord Carlston's humanity when he deigns to bow low to a lower class mother whose son's soul has just been redeemed....Really? What a super guy to bow to a lowly woman.

I know my modern sensibilities are getting in the way. And I'm not denying that that would be a sign of humanity back in those days. But it's not a story I'm really interested in. The characters are just blah. The secondary characters are worse. Poor things. Her lady's maid Darby only exists for serving Helen. She has no mind of her own at all. She couldn't be happier than to be a lowly servant in a rich upper class home. I'm sure she's grateful but that's all she wants to be or achieve in life? Don't think so. Servants are human beings with lives and wants and needs. She was so bland I didn't even realize she was only twenty until the author said so 3/4 through the book.

I can also appreciate that Helen may have a hard time with gaining all these new powers and finding out about demons and the Dark Days Club. I can accept all those things. But the author did not make me care one whit about Helen or any of that Regency World. I'm kind of rooting for the demons. At least they know how to have fun....

Maybe the second book gets better? I hope so.

Before I Go to Sleep, Shatter Me, Hunted (Mini Book Reviews)

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Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson:

This book was 50 First Dates and Memento's love child. It was a great thriller with quite a few plot holes but it's so fast-paced I didn't mind them too much. Looks like this is going to be a new movie this year as well. Starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth! Woot!



Shatter Me by Teherah Mafi:

I read this for Misty's (from Book Rat) Wednesday YA book club.

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It's a unique book. Mafi writes this as first person stream-of-consciousness. It's odd and off-putting. It's really a romance thrown into a dystopic setting. She uses the dystopic world to throw out a few jabs about how evil humans are for killing the world but for the most part it's second fiddle to her love triangle with the hero Adam and the evil villain Warren. Overall, it's an interesting story and since the books are pretty short, I think I may pick up the rest of the series just to see how it all ends. But it didn't hold me. There weren't a lot of stand out characters or storyline to keep me hanging on the whole time. There were a few action scenes but overall it just left me unimpressed.


Hunted by Kevin Hearne:

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This is the 6th book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I've reviewed the first 5 here, here, and here.

The Greek and Roman goddesses Dianna and Athena are after Atticus and Granuile and their Irish wolfhound Oberon. Lots of fighting, death, new alliances and old ones come into play.

Once again I adore Hearne's way of bringing mythology to life in such a glorious and funny and creative way.

The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova Read-a-long Review and Wrap-up!

I finished! This was a really thick book but it didn't seem that long and it moved along pretty fast. Thanks to Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings for the R.I.P. VIII challenge and The Estella Society for hosting this fabulous readalong!

Publisher's Summary:

For centuries, the story of Dracula has captured the imagination of readers and storytellers alike. Kostova's breathtaking first novel, ten years in the writing, is an accomplished retelling of this ancient tale. "The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper.. As an historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it." With these words, a nameless narrator unfolds a story that began 30 years earlier. 
Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library -- a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send her on a journey of mind-boggling danger. While seeking clues to the secrets of her father's past and her mother's puzzling disappearance, she follows a trail from London to Istanbul to Budapest and beyond, and learns that the letters in her possession provide a link to one of the world's darkest and most intoxicating figures. Generation after generation, the legend of Dracula has enticed and eluded both historians and opportunists alike. Now a young girl undertakes the same search that ended in the death and defilement of so many others -- in an attempt to save her father from an unspeakable fate.

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My Summary:

Kostova really knows how to weave stories and characters and times and places. I felt transported to the lands and times she wrote about. I could taste the food and feel the cool mountains.

There are only short bouts of real time when the author (the daughter of the main characters) writes about her real-time journey. The rest is told through very long letters. And some are told letters within letters or a story within a story. It gets pretty layered quickly and sometimes I had a hard time remembering whose story was who's. But it worked for the story she needed to tell and so I just went with it.

She paints quite the trail for Drakula. His story is creepy and his minions are always around the corner. I liked how she drew the myth of Dracula into a modern-day legend, tying him in quite nicely.

The ending was a bit anti-climatic but still satisfying! I thoroughly enjoyed this creepy and beautifully written book!

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I also read this as part of R.I.P. VIII.

Goodreads summary:

R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world. 

My Thoughts:

I love me some zombie stories. I do! I love the premise behind this book. A zombie romance and a slight retelling of Romeo & Juliet, sounds like it should be a zombie book made in heaven, right?

I'm sure most people find it a good one. But it was too preachy. I didn't like that. And it just didn't make sense...all this time no zombie has figured out how to come back but take a young, nubile, white, blond woman and a once-white guy in suburban America....sparks fly and they can save the whole human and zombie race!

It had so much potential. And I know I'm nitpicking...but this story didn't speak to me. I'd say more but don't want to give away any spoilers.

Book Vs. Movie:

The movie was completely neutered from the actual book but that actually made me relate to the movie a whole lot more. The movie was more about the romance and love saving the world and more about tolerance. So hands down, the movie for me! Even though it's still only an OK zombie movie ;)

Image Sources: Goodreads.com

Chime by Franny Billingsley

This was a thoroughly bewitching book. I really liked it. It is definitely not what I expected. There are some twists and turns and gotcha moments that really kept the story moving along.

Briony Larkin is the protagonist and narrator of her story. She believes she is a witch and we open with her pleading her guilt before the court. But then she tells us her story from the beginning and it begins with a boy-man named Eldric.



The prose is beautiful and lyrical, which is really funny since Briony doesn't like poetry and thinks she's terrible at it. We gain glimpses into her past and her family. She loves her stepmother and has nothing but praise for her but we as the audience know or at least feel differently. All is not what it seems. Why does she feel she's a witch? And what time period is she living in? It took me almost til the middle of the book before I was able to pin it down, but that's one of the beauties of this book. It's a totally surreal setting. She almost takes us in and out of time, even though there's no time travel. Supernatural beings exist alongside science, progress, and technology. The author was able to combine all very flawlessly.

But Briony was hard to listen to. She droned on and on about how horrible she was and why she deserved to be punished and unloved, on and on about her guilt. Though we never understand until the very end what's going on. So her voice became a bit tedious by the end, especially since we knew all was not what it seemed in her own head. I'm sure that was part of the point, though, to make us feel like her friends and family and not being able to get through to her until the end.

It's also not your typical boy saves damsel in distress. They saved each other and I loved that!

I only have one other complaint...the whole premise of the book/its world is that witches are inherently evil. This is a fantasy book and I get that but so many people were killed during the inquisition and witch trials throughout history that I get my hackles raised when these stories surface about witches. These stories play down that nasty part of history when they say witches actually existed and they were, of course, evil and thus deserved to die...

I will end on a happy note with one of my favorite quotes from the book:

"I think about the inevitability of death, and whether it's not that very inevitability that inspires us to take photographs and make scarpbooks and tell stories. That that's how we humans find our way to immortality...That's how we find our way toward meaning. Meaning. If you're going to die, you want to find meaning in your life. You want to connect the dots." (p. 351)

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

This is the second installment of the Beautiful Creatures series. At the end of the last book Lena was able to avoid being claimed for good or dark but her uncle Macon died and she's unsure where her mother has gone.

Ethan feels confused about that night. Did something happen to him? Lena and Amma are acting strangely. Lena seems drawn to a newcomer who is both caster and demon. Her eyes are also turning gold--the sign of a dark caster...will she choose the dark side?

OK, this installment was a bit on the cheesier side. The authors let Lena explore a bit of her dark side. We learn more about the link between Lena and Ethan and more about the history of Uncle Macon and Ethan's mom. Well, lots more history which makes the book big.

This series isn't the best written. But I really like it. It's just good fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously. I would let my teenage daughter (if I had one) read this book without fear of wanting a controlling and abusive/stalker boyfriend. I mean, it still has its star-crossed lovers trope. They literally can't have sex because Ethan will burn into ashes....kind of silly. But I guess it allows them to have lust and passion without getting into the nitty gritty of sexuality with teens. But it's still all heavy-handed about true love and soul mates, while romantic and great for fantasies, isn't healthy for teens.

But despite the faults, it's a great fun series. The world they create is amazing. I love the Caster world. They have created an amazing world. The characters aren't nearly as great as the world they live in. I think it's worth it just for that.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Genre: young adult, paranormal
FTC Disclosure: bought from Walmart
Published: 2011
Pages: 348
Content: Some bloody bits. 

Summary: A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

One Line Review: A creative idea for a book with the old, weird pictures. 

Ransom Riggs is definitely creative and did a great job with splicing together a story from an old set of photographs.

But that also is somewhat why it's not quite a four star for me. The story seemed a bit contrived at times, which it was since he had to make stuff up to fit the pictures.

Also the ending was...lackluster. I was expecting something pretty big to happen and all we was something like if the Harry Potter series had ended with Harry walking into the forest to face his doom...I hope there's a second book because so much is left unanswered and in the air. If there's not one in the works? Shame on Riggs.

Overall, it was a fun and different read. I loved the crazy old photos and enjoyed his story telling.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

goodreads.com

Genre: young adult, fantasy, supernatural
FTC Disclosure: bought from Amazon.com
Published: 2009
Pages: 563
Content: mild language and violence.


Garcia and Stohl really opened up a new world with this series. I've been looking for a fun series to really sink my teeth into and this one is it. It's not the greatest but it's fun and different and has a rich storyline.

The story is told from Ethan's point of view...a boy's voice. Definitely different but I honestly didn't notice so his voice as a boy wasn't really distinct! Anyway, he lives in a small Southern town called Gatlin where everybody knows everyone and outsiders are just not welcome. That's where Lena comes in. She's the niece of the local crazy "Boo Radley." He's a recluse and the town hates him and thus hate her. But Ethan can't get her out of his mind because she's the girl he's been dreaming about for the past year and 2, she literally is in his head...telepathically. Strange things happen when she's around and Ethan eventually realizes that she is a Caster/witch.

This was just a fun story. I enjoyed their budding relationship. I enjoyed the mythology of the Caster world. I liked that there weren't any love triangles. Those really bug me right now and neither was a "bad boy" who treated the one they love like sh**. So it had all those things going for it.

Some of the bad things...sometimes the story dragged on a bit too long. Also, the essence of the story is like every other paranormal teen novel. We have one person who's some kind of supernatural being who loves a mortal human and somehow they can't be together...sigh.

But overall, a fun story and looking forward to the next in the series.

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

Other Covers:

Bulgarian

Catalan

Dutch and Flemish

French

German

Serbian

 Quite a few covers for this one. I had no idea! I really like the Serbian cover and the German cover. They give it a more personal feel. The French one, I don't get. That pic doesn't really have anything to do with the story. The Dutch/Flemish version feels like a throwback to the 70s...just does, don't know why! The Catalan cover is more like the American version but more bland. The Bulgarian one is mysterious. I like that one too. But my faves are the Serbian and German covers. What about you?

All cover pics were taken from goodreads.com.

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Genre: young adult, death, supernatural
FTC Disclosure: library
Published: 2010
Pages: 228
Content: PG for dramatic themes and some violence
Reading Challenges: 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge 

I thought this was a cut above the other teen fic of late. It didn't feel too cliche and I thought it had some interesting ideas on fate, destiny, choice. I think this could be a great book for some discussion on death as well.

Cassie, 16, and knows if someone is going to die today; she sees the mark, a glowing essence around the person that marks them for death by the end of the day. Can she do anything about it? Can she tempt fate? Why does she have this power?

Cassie struggles with all of these questions after her grandmother's death and a summer in her deceased parents' home town.

It's really short, but it packs a powerful punch. It was a good read.

Rating: 4/5

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Genre: Young adult, vampire, romance
FTC Disclosure: library
Published: 2010
Pages: 339
Content: PG-13 for violence and mayhem!
Reading Challenges: 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

This was another great sequel in the Evernight series! And another horrifying cliffhanger!

Bianca and Lucas are on the run after the ransacking and burning of the Evernight Academy. They are stuck with Lucas's Black Cross gang. How do they hide who Bianca really is and what Lucas may be turning into?

Then there is the ever present wraiths trying to reclaim Bianca and Balthazar's insane sister Charity causing mayhem as well!

It's fast-paced with the story moving along smoothly and plenty of fighting and loving in between and a crazy cliffhanger to boot.

I really like this vampire series. I feel it's a cut above the rest and really enjoy Bianca and Lucas's relationship. The author portrays them on more equal footing and relationship that took it's time to grow instead of crazy and debilitating lust that people think is love...no reference to other vampire novels...

Can't wait for the next one!

Rating: 4/5

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith and Quirk Books Giveaways!!!!!!

Genre: austen-inspired, zombies, paranormal
FTC Disclosure: ARC from Quirk Books
Published: 2010
Pages: 288
Content: PG-13 for zombie mayhem and violence


One Line Summary: More zombie mayhem with the lovely Bennets in tow.


Velvet at vvb32 reads let me know that Quirk Books was offering advanced review copies to all who wanted one! So I signed on up and received my own free copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls. As part of the deal Quirk Classics is offering readers with a chance to win one of 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs, each with a retail value of more than $100, which will also include:

• An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• A password redeemable online or sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls poster
• A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies journal
• A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies postcards

And since I'm participating in their Dawn of the Dreadfuls mayhem week I am including an unashamedly fast link to their site so that you can mention my blog on it! Dawn of the Dreadfuls Reviews.  OK, I've held my end of the bargain, so now onto the review!

I liked this book. It still had lots of zombie mayhem and violence, which I always find extra delightful! This book takes place four years before P&P&Z, when Lizzie is just about to hold her coming-out into society ball. But while at a funeral the deceased comes back to life as a zombie Lizzie's father Mr. Bennett knows the unmentionables are back. He rallies his daughters together to teach them to fight like warriors! While he's trying to round up the army to fight he sends for a new master to teach his daughters the warrior ways and in comes Master Hawksworth. Lizzie feels strangely attracted to this man...and along comes a scientist doctor Dr. Keckilpenny to throw more romance strife into her life too! And poor Jane must fight off the lecherous advances of the Lord of Netherfield Park!

I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a little better, though. I'm it's because it already had the story I loved with some zombies thrown in. But this one can stand on its own. Lizzie is still witty, Jane is still beautiful and thinks everyone is wonderful, the rest of the Bennets are still as annoying as ever! The only thing that I didn't like was the plot inconsistencies from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (since it's supposed to be a prequel) and, of course, from Austen's beloved original. But those are minor and as a story by itself I really enjoyed it! Lots of zombie killings and beheadings and such. You just can't go wrong there!

Rating: 4/5

Don't forget to click on the links to plug my blog and enter to win some prizes! Thanks again to Tiffany at Quirk Books for this fun opportunity!

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Genre: young adult, paranormal, romance, mental illness
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from library
Published: 2010
Pages: 464
Content: R for language and violence
Reading Challenges: 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

What can I say? This book is unlike any book I've ever read! It was so wacky and crazy and fun. It really can't be compared to any other book.

Hanna is mentally ill and has just run away from her Aunt's in order to escape the death of her father and to find her mother Rosalee. Hanna's hallucinations become real once she enters her mother's town of Portero where nothing is as it seems.

She falls in love with Wyatt who's part of the local "we kill all things that go bump in the night" gang. And there is plenty of that...giant blood-sucking leeches, haunted houses, possessed mothers, mysterious doors, Hanna's dead father coming back as a ghost....it's all there!

Her romance with Wyatt feels pretty real. They have their ups and downs and yet still manage to come out on top. She's also a really strong female character and those are always nice. And I really enjoyed that Hanna wasn't white; she's biracial and has a different perspective. Also Wyatt is part Latino. It's nice to find some diversity, especially in teen fiction when it's usually all about white boys and girls. And the cover is just lovely!

The only thing I have against this is that it's targeted toward a teen audience. The book says 14 and up...I'd say more like 18 and up. There's a lot of sex, language and violence in this one. Not something I would want my teenager reading if I had one. It's definitely an adult book and not one for the squeamish sort!

Rating: 4/5

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford

Genre: austen-inspired, romance, vampire
FTC Disclosure: bought from Walmart
Published: 2009
Pages: 299
Content: PG for adult vampire themes


One Line Summary: Bad form with Charlotte Bronte, grrrr!

Another book in the austen-inspired fiction world I absolutely wanted to love...but didn't. Don't get me wrong it was on the witty side, but I hated the way the author portrayed Austen. Yes, she's a vampire and has been for a couple hundred years, but in all that time she's done nothing with herself except pine away after Lord Byron and open a book shop and has learned nothing about herself or the world so she has to rely on Byron to teach her and thus abuse her and manipulate her and so on. She's much too timid and not the way I would ever imagine Jane Austen. But the thing that really clenched it for me was the author throwing in Charlotte Bronte into the mix! She's also a vampire and now is a crazy lunatic that hates Austen and wants to destroy her! I love my Charlotte as well as I love my Austen so to make them both to unlike what they really were is just abhorrent to me.

Rating: 2.5/5

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain and Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Giveaway Now Closed

Genre: young adult, paranormal, romance
FTC Disclosure: bought from Dragons and Fairy Tales
Published: 2009
Pages: 372
Content: PG thematic elements
Reading Challenges: A to Z Challenge (Author D), 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

One Line Summary: Girl loves boy and becomes what boy is.

I picked this one up for the cover alone! I thought it was fantastic! Does it live up to its cover?....

We join Grace Divine. She's the perfect daughter to her preacher father, goody-goody brother Jude. Their family took in Daniel a few years ago her brother's best friend and the boy she's always had a crush on. Until one night Jude comes back covered in blood and Daniel has disappeared. But nobody talks about that night. We jump ahead three years when Grace happens to run into Daniel at school and everything changes.

I really enjoyed the interesting plot line. The ending definitely had a twist, which really made the rest of the book, at least for me, a lot better. I'm really looking forward to the next in the series due out later this year.

Grace was a bit too good for me; I like my heroes a bit more on the human and edgy side. But Daniel was a bad boy without being too bad like stalking and abusing his supposed love. But overall the characters were interesting.

The author also brings a lot of Christian themes into the novel with forgiveness and redemption and the worth of souls.

Overall, I enjoyed it for a fun and fast read, but it wasn't the greatest novel ever.

Rating: 3.5/5

And now onto my giveaway!!!!!!!!! The author Bree Despain is a local of mine and she was signing books on Friday and so I decided to pick up an extra signed copy to give away! She's really friendly and had some good goodies to give away. I got some book cover stickers and bookmarks and even some nail polish in the book cover's violet! I love meeting authors! It's so exciting.

To enter:

Leave your name and email address and what have been/are your favorite book covers. Also tell me if they lived up to the hype/book cover and why or why not.

Extra entries:

+1 if you become or are a follower
+1 if you either post about it or put it in your sidebar with a link
+1 for a Tweet with a link

This giveaway ends at midnight Sunday the 21st of February MST. I will then randomly draw all entries from my son's hat! Please make sure to include your email address or no entry.

Giveaway Closed.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Reading Level: Young Adult 
Genre: paranormal, romance
Pages: audio book format
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from library
Rating: 3/5
Content: One implied sex scene, just a few swear words, no f-bombs
Reading Challenges: A to Z Challenge (author-M), 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

Summary:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

My Take:  I went back and forth on this one throughout...two stars...2 and a half...then back to two. I thought it was all right, overall I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite. It took awhile to get to the plot. It started off with Grace and Sam just mooning over each other without a lot of action. The series is about werewolves...so give me some action, a plot.

The action never got too exciting, though, which was really disappointing. Just when you thought it was going to get good, it ended way too fast; it was very anti-climatic.

Grace and Sam seemed a bit too obsessed with each other...but compared to Twilight they were pretty normal! So there were a few cheesy lines to each other, but the author did manage to create a feeling of coldness throughout the book so that's pretty impressive.

Also Grace didn't go catatonic after she thought she lost Sam...she still had a life with school and friends, etc...unlike another certain character I know...

But it felt like another Twilight knockoff and why do YA novels have to get rid of the parents? They are either dead, took off, or just uninvolved and/or clueless. Well, Grace's padres are both uninvolved and clueless and Sam's tried to kill him....

But it was relatively clean and pretty well-written and the ending makes me want to pick up the next in the series.

A note about the audio book version: I thought it was done pretty well, the actors were great, but the voice for Sam was too old. He sounded in his mid to late thirties when Sam is supposed to be a teenager so that was a bit annoying...just a heads up!

Soulless by Gail Carriger

 Summary: Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

This was a perfect blend of mystery, romance, steampunk, and the supernatural! Alexia Tabarotti is sensational; she's a wonderfully strong female character! Gail Carriger opens up a whole new world of the Victorian era of England. What would life be like if the natural and supernatural worked in league together?

Alexia just happens to be a preternatural, one who neutralizes the powers and characteristics of those who are supernatural...and thus they call her the soulless one.

There are a lot of Jane Austen homages in this book as well...the dress, the decorum, Alexia's family! Her mother is Mrs. Bennet and her two sisters are Lydia and Kitty. And her Lord Maccon is Austen's Mr. Darcy! Just lovely.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

One Line Summary: Death is only the beginning.

This was a beautifully written novel. The perspective was amazing from the ghost of the girl who dies in the first page of the book how she looks down up all those she loves and those she wanted to, and the one who murdered her. Questions I thought of while reading were, How do the dead perceive us? Do they watch us and hear what good and bad things we have to say about them? I like to think if I ever have someone I'm close to die, that I could talk to her and tell her my thoughts and feelings. I do feel we're connected to those who've passed on and this story just brings that to life.

Disclaimers: There were a few scenes in here with a murder and some sex...they don't last long an I think there were a couple of f bombs, but overall the book was pretty clean.