BOOK REVIEW: I HAVE LOST MY WAY by GAYLE FORMAN - YA CONTEMPORARY - SIMON & SCHUSTER
tháng 3 31, 2018
4.5 STARS, Book Reviews 2018, Gayle Forman, I Have Lost My Way, Simon and Schuster, YA Contemporary
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BOOK REVIEW:
This is a book to go in cold turkey, read it on Gayle's name alone.
For me, Harun, was a stand-out character and his family.
Then Nathaniel was very close and then Freya. Her troubles seemed less than the boys, yet they were still important to her and meaningful.
What happens when an Ethiopian girl, a white all American boy, and a Muslim are in a park? Which could read like the start of a joke.
Well, you’re gonna have to read to find out.
I think this is one of those books where possibly the movie might be better, but we may never know. I could see some funny moments and some deep and emotional moments that would transfer onto the big screen better, adding that something extra.
I was delightfully surprised by this book—even though I shouldn’t have been because it is a Gayle Forman book.
I would not call this a contemporary romance. I would call this something unique to read and to appreciate it for what it is. I want to say more, but I shall not.
A very different book to what Gayle has written in the past. It almost is as though it isn’t a Gayle Forman book…but it is.
You will only get one day with these characters, but you will get flashbacks to enrich your knowledge of these characters.
My heart cried and I didn’t think it would.
Unfortunately I had something spoiled because I chose to read several reviews beforehand from ARC readers who were given this special chance to keep those spoilers secret, and they chose to boldly hint at them in far too much clarity. Knowing what I knew, I still did not think my heart would cry and it did.
I’m going to be honest and say, even before I read this book, I didn’t think I was going to like it, even though it is a Gayle Forman book. The blurb didn’t seem to tell me that it would be an interesting read.
When I set out on my reading journey of this book, flipping the pages, I thought the characters weren’t going to be interesting—but I reminded myself this was a Gayle Forman book and I kept reading and enjoyed the experience.
BOOK REVIEW: BORN OF ICE by SHERRILYN KENYON - THE LEAGUE # 3 - PIATKUS - PARANORMAL ROMANCE - SCI-FI
tháng 3 31, 2018
3.75 STARS, Book Reviews 2018, Born Of Ice, Library Loan, Paranormal Romance, Piatkus, Sci-Fi, Sherrilyn Kenyon, The League Series
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Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner; someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.
Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone, in Born of Ice, the third bestselling League novel from Sherrilyn Kenyon.
BOOK REVIEW:
Okay, here’s the deal: I do LOVE Sherrilyn Kenyon’s writing and I am making my way through both The League and Dark Hunter series. I am coming in very, very late to both series and I love all the five and four star reviews. Bravo!
I just referred to my reviews of the first two books in this series and I gave them 4 and 4.5 stars. I enjoyed them very much.
This book took me by surprise…fast forward at a guess thirty plus years and we have Devyn, son of Syn and Shahara, which is great , but being the third book in the series, it was a leap into hyperspace. Bahahaha. It felt kinda weird going there after only two books in the series prior, but it was okay. I got used to it and I forgot about Syn being an older man.
I had a little trouble with connecting with Devyn and Alix as a couple. I was trying to deal with it as I read, but there wasn’t that reader/character connection for me personally.
You win some; you lose some.
Born of Ice got my eyes a little twitchy, especially when pages 173, 175, 177 and 181, Claria does a switcheroo and becomes Claire on several occasions. I read from the Piatkus published copy. These are the ones I could quickly find.
At first I thought, eh, they are being silly with her name, but then the more I read, my eyes started twitching.
“Thanks, Claire.”
“I’m not your bitch, Claire.
Devyn took a step forward. “Claire—”
Devyn motioned for Zarina to follow him so that he could give Sway and Claire privacy.
I still enjoyed it enough to give it 3.75 stars. Not as good as the first two, but still I read cover to cover and glad I did read it.
Original Publication Date: January 01, 1990
This is the correct reading order for The League® series that Sherrilyn means for the series to be read in. For those who are wondering why the series jumps ahead in time from League®: Nemesis Rising® to League®: Nemesis Legacy®, the reason is simple. Back in 1991 when Sherrilyn first sold Born of Night, her original publisher tied up the Nemesis Rising books with the option clause of her contract for many, many years. Since the books were so original and unlike anything currently published back then, they were delaying the publication dates and refusing to release the books back to her (again, the book sold in ’91 and wasn’t released for publication until ’96). Unable to touch the series since the main characters were under contract, Sherrilyn went on and began the second set of League characters under the Nemesis Legacy® banner and started writing about the children of the first set.
She quickly sold those books to two more publishers. But because they were tied to the first, she was advised to change their names and break them away from the original books so that no one would know the Legacy books were tied in any way to the Nemesis Rising books. As a result, Paradise City (League: Nemesis Legacy) was released in 1993 by Dorchester and Fire & Ice (League: Nemesis Legacy) was released in 1995 by Time-Warner. After their stellar success, Born of the Night (League: Nemesis Rising) was then finally by its original publisher in 1996 who saw that there was indeed a market for Sherri’s work. Sherri was then able to get the rest of the Nemesis Rising books away from that publisher and Born of Fire (League: Nemesis Rising) became the first ebook in history by a bestselling New York published book author when it was released in the summer of 1996. Then, in 1999 Born of Night (League: Nemesis Rising) and Fire & Ice (League: Nemesis Legacy) were both rereleased by Time-Warner where it immediately skyrocketed to #1 and stayed there for months. However, their program was summarily cancelled the next year and all their editors let go. Sherri was again cast adrift with the series and her e-rights, as well as the print rights were again tied-up.
In 2004, Fire & Ice (League: Nemesis Legacy) was then bought by Penguin Group, USA where it immediately it more bestseller lists and was again republished in 2010 as part of an all Kenyon anthology collection entitled In Other Worlds.
Due to contract restrictions on the original Born of Night, Sherrilyn had to wait for all her rights to be returned to her before she could continue writing the League®: Nemesis Rising novels®. But in 2009, once her rights were again her own and she had all of the original books back, except Fire & Ice, Sherrilyn returned the titles and the character names to their original ones and was able to republish the first three published League books as a cohesive unified series and the first three Nemesis Rising and Nemesis Legacy books (which at that time were selling on eBay for thousands of dollars a copy) were brought out back to back. Born of Night (League: Nemesis Rising), Born of Fire (League: Nemesis Rising), Born of Ice (League: Nemesis Legacy).
From that point on, Sherri has continued the series as she wanted to originally in the ’80’s, starting with the League: Nemesis Rising characters and then moving to the League: Nemesis Legacy once she finished the Nemesis Rising arc that takes place during the League-Sentella war.
NemesisLegacy books begin approximately 30-35 years after the war ends.
As to why all the books aren’t listed in the front of other League books is simple. The series has never been published by a single publisher. And sadly, publishers only list the books that they publish in their own company. Therefore, the only place the get the full list of all the League books is here on Sherri’s site.
If you want to read the books chronologically, you can choose that option on the menu bar above, but please note that Sherri didn’t write them that way. She wrote them out of sequence and that is how they’re meant to be read. So it’s safe to read them in the order she wrote them in, as she was very careful in how she gives out character details. So while the books might go back in time, there is a carefully thought out reason for this. She doesn’t do that arbitrarily.
Nemesis Rising Books setting: Before & during League-Sentella War i.e. Nykyrian/Nemesis rising to become emperor of the Andarion and Triosan empires
Nemesis Legacy Books setting: 30-35 years after the League-Sentella War ends. The are about the reign of Nykyrian/Nemesis as emperor.
FREEBIE - FIRST TIME EVER - WRENCHED ( HELL'S BASTARD # 1) - DARK SUSPENSE ROMANCE
tháng 3 27, 2018
Dark Suspense, Ebook, Free, Hell's Bastard Series, Kindle Unlimited, Sale, Suspense Romance, Wrenched
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BOOK REVIEW: LOYALTY IN DEATH by J.D. ROBB - IN DEATH # 9 - PIATKUS - CONTEMPORARY CRIME
tháng 3 18, 2018
4.5 STARS, Book Reviews 2018, Contemporary Crime, In Death Series, J.D. Robb, Library Loan, Loyalty In Death, Piatkus
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Discovering that Cassandra is linked to a previous group, responsible for blowing up the Pentagon several years ago, things turn increasingly sinister as Eve realises that the murdered man and his family are implicated, and she races to break down the web of deceit and destruction before the city falls.
BOOK REVIEW:
I LOVED seeing Roarke quite speechless over something Eve did. It was moving and you can see how something as simple as an imperfect rose could mean a great deal to him. Especially to a man that has and can have anything in the world, or off planet.
I have to say, the case-to-solve part of this installment wasn’t as interesting as in previous books, but it was still very good. It definitely had its tense moments. I think the "cassandra" group irritated me a little. A case of it's me and not you.
Peabody’s bro makes an appearance and the poor love is a bit of a softy. A free-ager who falls hard pretty quickly. I did enjoy meeting Zeke.
BOOK REVIEW: THE ART OF SEDUCING A NAKED WEREWOLF by MOLLY HARPER - NAKED WEREWOLF # 2 - SIMON & SCHUSTER - PARANORMAL ROMANCE
tháng 3 16, 2018
3.75 STARS, Book Reviews 2018, Molly Harper, Naked Werewolf Series, Paranormal Romance, Simon and Schuster, The Art Of Seducing A Naked Werewolf
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Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .
BOOK REVIEW:
This is my first Molly Harper read and she is very tongue-in-cheek with her humor.
I did start at book number 2 because my local library only had books 2 and 3. I didn’t really miss out on anything by not reading book 1. Sure there are mentions of little things from the previous book, but not enough for me to feel I needed to read the first one. This book was centered around Maggie and the ever cute, geeky Nick.
I did read some reviews for How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf and I do understand Maggie may have come across with a different personality as she did in this book, due to the circumstance of HTFWANW ( I had to abbreviate). She's now alpha and has a pack to look after.
I am giving this book between 3.75 stars and 4 stars. For me this was an okay/good read. I really enjoyed the twist that you can’t pick coming, because there is no reason for you to see it coming.
Touché!
I did find the storytelling a little predictable and a little too convenient in places and I really didn’t connect that well with Nick and Maggie as a future couple. He’s a great guy, sweet and intelligent, and a little sexy, but I wanted to believe in Maggie and Nick.
The cover art is fun and I do realize this is a very light, fluffy sort of story when it comes to paranormal romance and that is great. I enjoy the fluffier side of reading quite a lot, but I do also have to be invested in the characters a little more than I was.
This is certainly a great poolside read to enjoy.
BOOK REVIEW: WRITTEN IN RED by ANNE BISHOP - THE OTHERS # 1 - PENGUIN - URBAN FANTASY
tháng 3 12, 2018
4 STARS, Anne Bishop, Book Reviews 2018, Penguin, The Others Series, Urban Fantasy, Written In Red
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As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.
Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
BOOK REVIEW:
This is my first Anne Bishop read that I had recommended to me. I adore urban fantasy and paranormal romance in YA and adult.
This book has garnered many, many thousands of five star reviews and that is absolutely fantastic. It is a real mixed bag when it comes to the age bracket.
It’s not typical YA. I am not sure how old Meg the lead female character even is, but she feels young, but parts of this story feel not YA.
Anne has done a wonderful job with writing something very different in this genre. The ‘others’ are quite scary, if you are a human. They will eat you, if you fark-up, without hesitation.
Meg is like the missing jewel in their crown. She's a special snowflake to this group.
Meg is a character I found pleasant. She’s super nice. She delivers the mail for the others and builds relationships with the most unlikely ‘others’.
Simon, Vlad, Henry, Tess… to name a few, have their roles that are sometimes scary, but then they can be so understanding and totally love Meg, in their own way.
“Is it that time of the month?” Vlad asked.
Some feeling blew through her. It might have been embarrassment, but she suspected it was closer to rage. “What?”
He studied her. “Is that not an appropriate question to ask?”
“No!”
“Odd. In many novels I’ve read, human males often ask that question when a female is acting…” Puzzlement as he continued to study her face. “Although, now that I consider it, they usually don’t make that observation to the female herself.”
They all love her and that is lovely. Meg has her secrets as she is in hiding from the peeps we don’t ever meet, but hear about. I didn't get a real sense of these villains, because they used their henchmen to do the dirty work. I can't put a face to The Controller, Meg's controller.
Anne has thrown in the annoying character, Asia, who is more a fly you want to swat, rather than a character that has great importance to the story. She is used more as a means to an end.
I adore Winter. She really is my favorite sub character in this story. The seasons in this book were amazing. So well written. They do have the power to wipe the earth clean… hence the ice age and the dinosaurs. Which made me question who truly was the leader when you have that kind of power that could really stop Simon and the others in their tracks?
“Kindness,” Winter murmured, taking the scarf and wrapping it around her neck. “So unexpected.”
The first 100 odd pages, give or take, I found hard to get through, for a little lack of interest, but I could see how many four and five star reviews were on Goodreads, and the 37,000 plus ratings the book currently has received, so I pushed on.
Meg’s character honestly really does just deliver mail in this first instalment for most of the book. But it is the connections she makes with the others along the way that writes the story. Sure she is the blood prophet and she does her thing and sees things, but predominantly her character delivers mail.
This is an incredibly descriptive story to a point I was like, dude!
There is no romance, but Meg is kinda the romance for the 'other' characters. They simply adore her, for the most part.
Sam the wolf pup is a great character and I loved the interaction with Meg and Sam. She does things the way she innocently thinks is right and she in a way teaches the others a new way of looking at things they would normally take insult to—or kill you for.
I liked Monty and his interaction with the others. He’s a good guy who is trying to work alongside the others and stay alive doing it.
If you are looking for a lead female character that is written to be kickass, then Meg isn’t that in this book, she's more a gentle, thoughtful soul. By the end of this installment, she's taught the others a few things, which in a way helps them to be a little teeny bit more compassionate to the humans working for them.
“They really aren’t human, Karl,” Monty said. “Intellectually, I knew that. Now I know that with the body as well as brain. The terra indigene aren’t animals who turn into humans or humans who turn into animals. They really are man shape because it suited them. They gained something from the human form, whether it was standing upright or having the convenience of fingers and thumbs, just like they gained something from the animal forms they absorbed.”
I enjoyed the last 70 pages the most as the action came into play, otherwise there is a lot of pages where Meg is delivering mail and who she meets along the way. She likes to hand out treats, with Asia popping in and out to be really just annoying. (where’s that fly swatter?)
I still give this four stars, but for me and my reading tastes, it is a very slow large middle section, but I am totally invested in reading the rest of the series.

















