Currently reading
The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
Death of a Salesman
Conscripts: The First Book of The Off World Trilogy
Vivian Versus The Apocalypse
Hitler's First Victims: The Beginning of the Holocaust and One Man's Fight to End It
Charlie Chaplin
Oh wow! Just WOW! I never saw that ending coming.
Great read and a must to add to your must reads list, if you haven't already.
I was at our local group meeting last night and this book was brought up in the discussion. It has come highly recommended by a few of the members and it invoked a lively discussion. I came home and immediately went to the library catalog and requested it. I'm #23 on the wait-list. Wonder if I can stand waiting that long or if I will break down and buy it.
Alice is an interesting little girl - one who seems privileged and somewhat spoiled. I found her somewhat tedious and aloof and had a hard time connecting with her or really caring what happened. This is one of those books I kept looking at the page count to see how long it would take to finish.
I know there is lots of symbolism and other connections in the story and with the footnotes I had, it did make a bit more sense. Maybe a good annotated version would help me appreciate this story more.
Love Is Pink!
"Love is Pink" has to be one of my favorite romances. It is a fun and quirky romance that actually made me laugh-out-loud at times. I loved David and his daughter and Michelle was just hilarious! She was a character that I didn't much care for in the beginning, but as the story continued, she grew up and became someone I really liked.Written by Roxann Hill who was born in the Czech Republic and now lives in Germany, this translated novel is not the formulaic romance that seems to be popular today. This novel was fresh and fun and boy didn't hate girl nor did girl hate boy. This was a well laid out story with no sex or anything objectionable. It was truly a fun and feel good story that had a great ending.
I highly recommend this story to anyone that just enjoys a fun and sweet read with a little romance sprinkled in.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.
Serotonin Revolution: The Science-Based Diet for Long-lasting Weight Loss
Although the reasoning and the recipes in this book are good, the title of being a low-carb cookbook are quite misleading. For anyone on a diabetic low-carb diet, you may want to look elsewhere as quite a few of the recipes are high carb - ie: Pollock with Salsa Verde & Carrot Puree has 89g carbohydrates per serving!I do understand that this book focuses on carbs and serotonin, but when the subtitle says "The Low-Carb Diet That Won't Make You Crazy", I'm expecting something with regards to low carb eating.
The recipes are delicious, but if you are on a low carb diet for health reasons, this isn't the book for you.
The Vault of Dreamers
Rosie Sinclair is a student at the Forge School - a school where you are voted to stay or go (much like American Idol or other reality shows). Everything is televised and nothing is private. The more that is disclose to the audience, the more votes a student may receive. At night, each student goes to sleep in a pod after taking a sleeping pill. This pod is designed to subliminally help the students become more creative.Rosie is a rebel and doesn't take her sleeping pill. This allows her to stay awake and be "normal" for a bit. She wants some alone time and can only find it at night. Then she starts discovering what happens at night when everyone is asleep and as time goes on, Rosie finds out too much information...
This is a fantastic story that keeps the reader both interested and guessing. Not the run-of-the-mill dystopia, "The Vault of Dreamers" has an interesting premise and the characters as well as the ending aren't predictable. Being the beginning of a series, the book ends leaving the reader with questions and wanting answers - but not in a frustrating way.
Great start to a new dystopian series! I can't wait for the next installment!!!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
"Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy" is truly a charming and enchanting book that will delight all audiences - not only the younger sect. Well written, this novel was impossible to put aside until it was finished. I adored Ophelia and when she happens upon the Marvelous Boy (whom I also was enchanted by), all the pieces of the puzzle start falling together. She now understands her father's actions, the wicked "step mother", why things are happening the way they are...Well described as a modern-day fairy tale, this book has all the elements of one - magic, mystery, good -vs- evil, a character that needs rescued and a hero. Unlike many of the other stories I've read, this one has a gender role reversal with the female being the strong character.
If there is one book you'd love to pick up to get lost in, this is the one. Yes, it is written for middle grade, but it seems that it is geared towards many ages. Between the beautiful prose and the tale, it was probably my favorite read of 2014. Make sure to add this one to your must reads list!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.
Sekret
Yulia and the other children have abilities that get them kidnapped and trained for missions that will help Russia undermine the United States. Taking place during the Cold War in the 1960's this novel will have you on the edge of your seat at times. Russia was not known as a place that treats their prisoners well, so the children are basically prisoners with above average psychic abilities - so you can imagine how things are for them.Even so, the children have learned to adapt and learned how to do things to keep them off radar. The are strong, intelligent and of course, have feelings that they learn how to protect.
This novel was both disturbing and exciting. I had a hard time putting it aside and an even harder time when I closed it up and realized it would be a while before I could read the next installment. The characters were engrossing to me - each had personalities that were quite a bit different than the rest, but they all had the same problem/outcome facing them. I really appreciated the mix and the feelings that to me were quite true to form for that situation.
This book should appeal to most that enjoy fiction centered around true historical time periods/events as well as those that just enjoy a great page-turning young adult novel. I loved it for both reasons.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.
Solom
I'm not a much for gore in horror stories. I like the ones that make my skin crawl, the hair stand on the back of my neck and make me jumpy while reading them. Scott Nicholson does all that for me with Solom! Taking place in the back hills of the south, the remoteness and the religious aspect is enough to creep anyone out, but when Scott adds a girl and her mother on a remote farm, a new creepy husband/stepfather adds a few scarecrows, a circuit preacher, goats and a ghost, he creates a new way to make my skin crawl.This page-turner kept me occupied through a bout with the flu and had me so engrossed that I forgot I was even feeling miserable. I was soaring through e-pages and found myself finishing the book in the wee hours of the morning, leaving me a bit disturbed and shaken.
As much as I loved the book, I did have problems with the amount of reference about drug usage. Yes, there was a point to be made, but it seemed to be overdone and I found myself thinking "Really? Not this again!!"
Outside of that, Solom was a great book! I am eager to read more of Nicholson's work.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Getting Rid Of It: Eliminate the Clutter in Your Life
Although there were many good ideas throughout this book, it was actually an ad for their website and program. There was a continuing mention of going to their site to learn more about the program. That was a turn-off to me.
For Love or Loyalty
"For Love or Loyalty" takes place in Scotland in 1760 and involves two feuding families: the Campbells and the MacGregors. When Duncan Campbell oversteps his position and ruins Malcolm MacGregor's home and family, Malcolm decides he will seek revenge, and that means using Duncan's daughter, Lauren, to get it.Fast-paced and fully captivating, I found myself lost in the past and totally involved with both Malcolm and Lauren who both ended up being victims of Duncan's wrath and sick sense of justice. As the story unfolds, I became truly in love with both Malcolm and Lauren. Lauren because of her patience, love and faith and Malcolm because he was a very good and honorable "mon" underneath all the anger he felt caused by Duncan's horrible deed. As Malcolm spends time thinking and seeing the Lord move through Lauren, he slowly realizes his actions have consequences that are just as bad as what Duncan did to his family.
This book is a must read for any fan of Scottish or early Colonial history as well as those who enjoy great Christian fiction. The Christian message is not over the top but is placed well throughout the story. It is realistic and is where it would be most used in certain situations: death, sickness, danger, etc. It is also realistic in the fact that some characters question where God was when things happened. Because of this, I think that even a secular audience would enjoy the storyline without feeling preached to.
This book/new series comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
This ebook was provided by the author in conjuction with FIRST Wild Card Tours. I was not required to provide a favorable review, but instead on that reflects my honest opinion.
Journey's End
First a warning - Before you decided to snuggle up with this book, make sure you get extremely comfortable and have all the basic needs surrounding you... your favorite blanket, a cup of tea (or coffee) and a nice comfortable chair that you won't mine sitting in for a long time, because once you start reading "Journey's End" you aren't going to want to put it down! This captivating read is not very long and with the nice pace of events, it is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages to see what is going to happen next.I was surprised to see that this was Mrs. Hiers' debut novel, as it reads like one written by a seasoned author. She has all the elements that makes a great story: main characters with flaws that make them realistic, a tragedy that creates tension, a budding romance that isn't perfect, a lurking danger that keeps the reader interested and on edge - and all unfolding at comfortable pace that keeps one interested enough that there is no "good" place to put the book down!
This is truly one of the best romantic suspense novels I have read in a long time. I enjoyed the subtle inclusion of faith just where it belongs - realistic and far from over the top. Mrs. Hiers has impressed me with this first novel and I'm looking forward to her next books "Journey's Edge" and "Journey's Embrace". If this is any clue what the next two books hold, I know they will be fantastic!
Make sure to put this one on your must read list ASAP!
In conjunction with FIRST WildCard Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a favorable review.
NOS4A2
WOW! I had no idea what to expect from this book, but what I got was certainly many nights of page turning scariness. After I won this book from the Goodreads giveaway, I found out that Joe Hill was Steven King's son and I really wondered if he would be as good as his father or worse - would he write a copycat style. My fears were unfounded as Hill is brilliant and scared the pants right off me. His style is his own and in some aspects may even be better than his father (Did I really say that?!) Oh yes, this is certainly a book to read before bedtime so you can enjoy the nightmares it will produce.
This one will stay permanently in my library and I'm looking forward to reading more by Hill!
Strait of Hormuz
Davis Bunn is one of my favorite authors, so you can just imagine how excited I was to get my hands on a copy of "Straight of Hormuz". Of course, with that excitement came a great amount of expectations, and believe me - this book didn't disappoint!This is the third book of the Marc Royce series but can easily hold its own, but do yourself a favor and start from the beginning with "Lion of Babylon" (if you haven't already). Bunn takes us on another political adventure that will keep you turning the pages and will leave you unable to put the book down and needing to know what happens next. This fast paced thriller will keep your heart racing and and wondering how, when and why. Oh my!!
Bunn has written across different genres with a fantastic Christian message in each of his stories, including the Marc Royce series. If you enjoy political thrillers, mysteries, or just a great page-turner, you'll certainly enjoy this latest book from Davis Bunn. I give him 11 stars out of 10 for this one!
Highly recommended!!!!!
