Friday, April 28, 2017

Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon

With her now-classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon introduced two unforgettable characters—Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser—delighting readers with a story of adventure and love that spanned two centuries. Now Gabaldon returns to that extraordinary time and place in this vivid, powerful follow-up to Outlander.

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER

For nearly twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time... and about Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his.

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves. @goodreads
 














This book broke my heart. I knew what was going to happen because I watched Season Two before reading the book but it doesn't matter.



I have been crying forever now, like my heart is going to break into a million pieces!


*******Let me stop right here. There are going to be some spoilers. There are going to be some thoughts about things in the next book. And who knows what else, so if you haven't read these books you should probably stop here. If you don't care then carry on.*******

It was worried when the book/show starts 20 years later. Jamie and Claire's daughter is grown and Claire named her Brianna. *Sob* because Jamie asked her to name the baby Brian if it was a boy before she left him to come back. I don't know if I can get through this, damn it.

20 years later, Claire brings her daughter, Brianna back to Scotland after Frank's death. Brianna has no idea, of course, who her father really is but she finds out. They are staying in Scotland and visiting all of the old sites and Claire took her to see a man named Roger. Claire knew Roger when he was a little boy. Claire actually knew his father, adoptive father, but he had passed away. He did keep extensive records. < --- it all leads back to things
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Claire goes back to some of the old haunts while Roger takes Brianna around. It breaks my freaking heart. Everything breaks my freaking heart.


I woke three times in the dark predawn. First in sorrow, then in joy, and at last, in solitude. The tears of a bone-deep loss woke me slowly, bathing my face like the comforting touch of a damp cloth in soothing hands. I turned my face to the wet pillow and sailed a salty river into the caverns of grief remembered, into the subterranean depths of sleep.

I came awake then in fierce joy, body arched bowlike in the throes of physical joining, the touch of him fresh on my skin, dying along the paths of my nerves as the ripples of consummation spread from my center. I repelled consciousness, turning again, seeking the sharp, warm smell of a man's satisfied desire, in reassuring arms of my lover, sleep.

The third time I woke alone, beyond the touch of love or grief. The sight of the stones was fresh in my mind. A small circle, standing stones on the crest of a steep green hill. The name of the hill is Craigh na Dun; the fairies' hill. Some say the hill is enchanted, others say it is cursed. Both are right. But no one knows the function or the purpose of the stones.

Except me.


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I'm so worried about the next book being more heartbreak. It's been 20 years after all. Jamie has been with other women and I think has a child, but they weren't like I was thinking. Yes, I asked ahead. He has never forgotten Claire but I hope they can get their love back. Anyway, on with this review.

At one point Claire finally admits everything to Brianna and Roger. Roger had already found some papers confirming things that Claire was saying but he was keeping them a secret because he didn't know what to make of it. Brianna freaks clean out as you can image.

But the best part is where we get to go back in time before Claire came back and hear their story.

They have set off for France to see if they can get in with Jamie's cousin < -- was it cousin, Jacob. Anyway, Jamie could not set foot back into Scotland so this is where they landed. Murtagh was with them but they left the others behind. They were going to try to change history so that the Klan wouldn't be killed during a certain battle.

It was very bizarre in France with all of the creeps they had to deal with and then Captain Randall shows up. Claire and Jamie thought he was dead. He's never dead, he just keeps on and on. Like I said before, there is a red hot poker waiting for that evil man.

The king of France is another nutter. You can read all of that for yourself.

Jamie takes in a little boy who is a thief and gets him off the streets. I fall in love with him. His name is Fergus and that Randall gets his paws on Fergus and I can't even say. Red hot poker people, red hot poker!

I was heartbroken again when Claire and Jamie lose their first child that was a little girl as well. There were a lot of different situations that could have caused that. Claire thinks it was because Jamie was dueling with Randall (there is a lot of stuff behind that) but she was poisoned at one point and attacked so who really knows.

Jamie gets put in jail and has no idea what happened to Claire. He thought she was dead. But Claire had to have sex with the weird king to get Jamie out of jail. It wasn't like me or Claire thought though, it was weird but not all, well anyway. It was just weird. And no way to leave her pregnant.

Jamie finds Claire a little later on when she is in the country staying with one of their friends. Claire is mad and doesn't want Jamie near her until they talk and finally get it straightened out. Thank goodness because it was all so very sad.

Then they are sent back to Scotland. It was another condition from the king and he said he would take care of him not being allowed there.

Of they go back home and they think they are safe but no. They thought they stopped what was coming, but no. They go to battle and it's not good and it's sad.

There are other things and more battle and Jamie sends Claire back. He just knows he's going to die and he doesn't want Claire or their unborn baby (yep they got preggers again) to be killed too and it just about killed me to read this. I thought I was okay when I watched it and I was over it and could handle it. Noooooooooooooo, I'm still heartbroken. I only hope they can get the love they had for each other back as strong as it was. The first book is the best book and will always be, but I will love them all as long as Jamie and Claire have their love. I love their love story! And that's all I need.




They cut each other's hands (Claire's idea) and . . . .

Unwrapping the blood-spotted handkerchief, I pressed my wounded hand tightly against his, fingers gripped together. The blood was warm and slick, not yet sticky between our hands.

"Blood of my Blood . . ." I whispered.
". . . and Bone of my Bone," he answered softly. Neither of us could finish the vow, "so long as we both shall live," but the unspoken words hung aching between us. Finally he smiled crookedly.
"Longer than that," he said firmly, and pulled me to him once more.






JUST KILL ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Claire, Brianna and Roger witness something that shows that Claire might can go back through the stones.

Then something else.


"One man, a Fraser of the Master of Lovat's regiment, escaped. . ." Roger repeated softly. He looked up from the stark page to see her eyes, wide and unseeing as a deer's fixed in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"He meant to die on Culloden Field," Roger whispered.
"But he didn't."




I also recommend listening to the audio versions of these books! The narrator, Davina Porter, has it nailed - freaking nailed! 

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1972608863

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

Summer, Winter, Iron.
Together at last.


Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of The Iron Fey plus the expanded Guide to the Nevernever and exclusive information about Julie Kagawa's unforgettable world of Faery.


Winter's Passage

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....


Summer's Crossing

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.


Iron's Prophecy

Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts’ gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan’s past returns with a dire prophecy: “What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them.” Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey—and her and Ash’s unborn child… @goodreads 












This was a book of three novella's about the Iron Fey. I enjoyed them and learned some little things in between or after the other books that I didn't know.

I love the little pictures the author added of Ash, Puck and Grim. They are so cute!


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Also, at the end of this book you get A Guide To The Iron Fey. This includes:

1. The Original Survival Guide To The NeverNever ~ It tells some really cool information!

2. Character Biographies And Useful Information ~ This tells about the main characters and the extended cast of characters which rocked!

3. Glossary ~ Self-explanatory

4. Realms Of The Nevernever (And Beyond) ~ Another awesome section

5. The Iron Quotes ~ Self-explanatory

The end of the book with all of the extras was my favorite part because there were just so many cool things =)

Of course now I'm worried something bad is going to happen in the next set of books with Meghan's brother as the main character! We shall see! 


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1981294171


The Menagerie Coloring Book

This lavishly illustrated, intricately designed collection of animal portraits offers hours of relaxing, absorbing fun to coloring book fans and animal lovers alike. It features sophisticated, custom-made artwork from two acclaimed illustrators whose work has captured the attention of keen colorists from around the world. From mighty bears to awe-inspiring tigers, and beyond, each page allows coloring fans to take their time, relax, and get lost in their own world, where color combinations and beauty are theirs to create and choose. Each exquisite headshot is printed on perforated paper, so it is easily pulled out and readily available for display once you've completed your coloring sessions. Long-time coloring book fans and beginners will be equally engaged and entertained, and will find their stress levels declining even as their creativity levels soar. @goodreads 











I don't color as much as I used to because for one, it gives me google eye and two, I see pictures of the same things on the web that other people have colored and theirs are amazing and mine are stupid. But, at least I'm having fun. =)

The first one I colored was the wolf, of course.


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I decided to start coloring in my tons of books I have while listening to audio books. I don't much like listening to audio books because I forget everything, lol. I like listening to them while coloring though, it's such fun.

The second one I colored was the lion.


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I have only colored three more pictures in the book. I might do more in this one later on but these are all for now. I really love this coloring book =)


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It was a lot of fun coloring these pages. Now, if I can just get up the patience to color each little piece then I could make them even crazier looking than they are =)

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1980373305?book_show_action=false

Monday, April 24, 2017

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Alina Starkov doesn't expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, she is sure of only one thing: her best friend, Mal--and her inconvenient crush on him. Until the day their army regiment enters the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. When their convoy is attacked and Mal is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power not even she knew existed.

Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina's extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart--and her country--in two. @goodreads 


 








There was only one part in the book I didn't care for and took a star off so there you go.

The rest of the book was pretty good. I enjoyed the characters and the different story lines. It seemed like it ended too soon or maybe I have been reading too many BIG books lately.

Alina and Mal had been orphans together for years until it was time for them to do their own thing. But, there is a secret about Alina and she goes from ordinary to extra-ordinary in the blink of an eye. < -- blink of an eye in more ways than one, and no, I didn't have that planned. And you will only understand what I'm talking about if you have read the book and know what Alina is.

Mal is one of the best trackers around and Alina ends up saving him and that's how they find out what she is and wow, just wow. Then she gets carted off.

Anyway, Mal and Alina get separated because she's beyond special now and goes to live with the other special people with the king. The king is an idiot by the way.

The Darkling was pretty hot and wanting to keep Alina all to himself and I loved him until he made me mad so there goes that. I loved Genya. I hated how she was treated at the castle by the others but she was my favorite character after the Darkling. Genya and Alina together were so funny and had such a good time.

Alina has to undergo training and I loved old Baghra that she trained with using her special magic. Of course, it took a little bit for Alina to get her magic to work on it's own but she figured some things out and it was all go. It was one of those revelations moments.

THEN

we find out some people are up to no good, or are they? I mean I don't know, sometimes things get twisted around and you find out something else in another book. Anyway, in this book some people are up to no good and Alina has to flee and ends up with Mal and then they get caught and some stuff goes down and then they are fleeing again.

It's all pretty vague right? Well, read the book. You know you probably have it sitting around forever like I did, so get it out.

Like I said I enjoyed it enough accept for one part and I'm hoping to love the next two books! 


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1848339965

Friday, April 21, 2017

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

My name - my True Name - is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.
To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. @goodreads 






OMG! I love Ash so much and I love this book so much ♥



This book picks up basically where the Iron Queen ended. Ash and Robin Goodfellow are going on quests in Nevernever. Ash is looking for something and they have the help of that sweet ish kitty, Grimalkin =)

And I love Nevernever. You just never know what kind of wonderfully, magical stuff you will find there. And things that want to eat you but we won't mention those!


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On this journey, the friends run into all kinds of crazy stuff. At one point the run into a huge wolf that helps save them from a giant troll or whatever he was, I forget. Anyway, come to find out the wolf was sent by Ash's mom Mab to help him on his journey. I guess a mom is always a mom even if she did disown you.

And then . . .

someone else returns that really made me mad at first. I was mad as hell because I didn't want that person in the picture, but it turns out that it was fine in the end. Things happen for a reason and it was all good.

Ash has to journey to the end of the world in order to take some tests and if he passes he will get his wish and be able to be with Meghan again. It was a very trying time but love does conquer all, at least in books =) I'm so very happy with this ending and this book is wonderful!




Fin 

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1977127797


Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide. @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

5 STARS 


Wow!




That was a great ending to this trilogy! I loved the new characters that were introduced in this book, Sofia and Gideon. Sofia is out to kill Roderick LaRoux the jerk of the book. Gideon is one of, if not the best hacker there is. They both get thrown together and eventually find out they are basically wanting the same thing, but they both have major trust issues. It takes them until the end of the book to truly trust each other and of course they fall in love because who can stop that from happening =)

They are trying to find out where the rift is so they can destroy it before LaRoux kills more innocent people. Well, more people do get killed but the end game is good!

Toward the last half of the book, Sofia and Gideon end up with Jubilee, Flynn, Tarver and Lilac. Sofia wants nothing to do with Lilac because she is LaRoux's daughter. But Lilac is against what her father has been doing and her and Tarver have been finding ways to take out any rifts around the galaxy that her father has set up. They already accomplished it once.

The book is just awesome with so much going on and we finally get a showdown with ole LaRoux himself and the Whispers. < --- read the book. I really wanted someone to blow him into space but . . . .

This book was very exciting and had me on the edge of my seat at times. I love these characters and I'm glad I got to go on this journey with them =)


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1977125766

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The Memory of You by Catherine West

Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?


When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma, something she never intended to do. She’s avoided her grandparents’ sprawling home and all its memories since the summer her sister died—the awful summer Natalie’s nightmares began. But the winery is failing, and Natalie’s father wants her to shut it down. As the majority shareholder, she has the power to do so.


And Natalie never says no to her father.


Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business. When Natalie Mitchell shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed. Natalie intends to close the gates, unless he can convince her otherwise. But the Natalie he remembers from childhood is long gone, and he’s not so sure he likes the woman she’s become. Still, the haunted look she wears hints at secrets he wants to unearth. He soon discovers that on the night her sister died, the real Natalie died too. And Tanner must do whatever it takes to resurrect her.


But finding freedom from the past means facing it.@goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

3 STARS 


Natalie Mitchell works for her father at his big corporation and so does her ex-fiance. As you can imagine this doesn't make it easy for Natalie. She's having problems at work and on her way to another nervous breakdown.

Natalie's father decides to tell her to go out to her grandfather's vineyard. He's had a heart attack and the business is not doing good. Go out there, take a break and find a way to shut down the vineyard. Well, Natalie is a part owner in the vineyard and she doesn't want it to fail.

Natalie finds that her grandfather is doing better than her dad let on although the business is not doing too great. Natalie starts to go about getting the vineyard into this century and earning money again.

An on old childhood crush works at the vineyard, Tanner Collins. He's pretty rude to Natalie for some time because she hasn't come and seen her grandfather or the vineyard since her twin sister died when they were younger.

The vineyard brings back some good and bad memories for Natalie but she pushes on. And she finally stands up to her father, she lets go of some demons by telling the truth about her sister and she finds peace with Tanner and maybe a little something else.

I thought the book was a good read. I didn't love it nor did I hate it. I usually read all kinds of genres and they are a hit or miss with me. I'm happy for all of the people that loved it the book though.


*I received a print copy of this book through the BookLookBloggers program.*

GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1977101170

♥ My Birthday - Part One ♥

April 19th was my birthday and I wanted to slowly share some of the wonderful things that I got from parents, goodreads friends and my dog (oh and myself) =) 

Now it's going to take some time for everything to come in but I wanted to share one picture from yesterday and then I will do them all at once when everything arrives. Most of it is bookish stuff of course =) 


Okay, this picture was drawn for me by one of my Goodreads friends and sent to me in an email and I had dad print it. But dad and mom were sneaky and took it to Hobby Lobby and got it matted and framed for my birthday. I didn't even clue in when I kept asking him if he printed it yet. I was thinking what kind of frame I was going to get to put it in but seems like I don't have to worry about that. Sorry about the picture not being so good, I took a quick one with my phone instead of camera last night. 

My friend is such a wonderful artist and I was touched that I got this picture drawn. I thank my friend Paul and my parents for making it even more beautiful. ♥

I have the best friends on Goodreads, people I have never even met in person. I don't know what I would do without them friend wise. I have one friend in real life that I talk to every day but the rest are just not there. I have wonderful parents and a great uncle. The rest are just not there. 

Appreciate what you have because some don't have any and life is only here for a minute. 

. . . . to be continued. 

 

Croak by Gina Damico

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice — or is it vengeance? — whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills? @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

3 STARS 

 I thought this book was pretty good. It's extremely funny and becoming a reaper or grim as they call themselves in this book is a cool idea for a book.
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Lex has become a delinquent. She's attacking kids at school, teachers, whoever gets in the way. Her parents have had enough so they decide to send her to live with her uncle Mort for the summer. She doesn't want to leave her sister but it has to be done. So they put her on a bus and her life is going to be changed forever.

"Hey there, cutie," he said. "What's your name?"
Lex rolled her eyes and turned toward the window. "Kill me."
"Kimmy? I'm Steve," he went on, undeterred. "So, are you in school? I go to NYU. Where do you go?"

Lex gave him the same look a cheetah makes just before devouring a gazelle. "Listen. I really appreciate your efforts to make my trip infinitely more torturous than it already is, but do you think that you could maybe just shut the hell up for the rest of the ride, lest I rip off those hideous sunglasses and start beating you over the had with them?"

Steve looked as though he had just swallowed a socket wrench.
"Sor-ry," he said. "Just trying to be friendly."
"Cram it, Steve."

Lex's mood was fouler than usual. Not only she was getting shipped off to Uncle Dementia's Land of Psychosis, but she had also received the mother of all gloomy farewells when her family deposited her at the bus station. Mom had cried. Dad's chin quivered. And Cordy wrapped her in a sullen embrace, digging her nails into Lex's back as she whispered, "Get it all out of your system. Bring back the old Lex, or so help me God, I'll tell everyone you went to musical theater camp."


It was hilarious from the get go when Lex met up with Uncle Mort and rode off with him on his motorcycle. He was pretty funny himself. Lex got to meet a lot of the people in the TOWN. She ended up working with some and getting used to things becoming a Grim and all. She even got to meet Edgar Allen Poe!

It was pretty sad doing the killing and taking the souls to send them on their way. Lex was mad that she couldn't kill bad people. I would be too for that matter. I would want to take out the bad people.

The book had a really, really sad ending. I didn't see that one coming at all, NOT AT ALL. I hope to read the next books to see what happens. While I don't love the book, I did enjoy it.



GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1976601645

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war. @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

4 STARS 


At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I was thinking it was okay but I am also sick today on my birthday as some of you know and was dozing in and out so that could be it too.

For some reason I was thinking this was going to be a book about the people that were on the planet from the first book. The people that were there before Tarver and Lilac crashed. Noooo, it took me over half the book to figure out that wasn't it at all.

Jubilee (Lee) is a Captain on planet Avon <-- I can't stop thinking about beauty products. Lee is there with a crew to try to get rebel colonists under control. Avon is a terraformed planet, apparently there are a bunch of them.

Flynn is one of the rebels and he captures Lee with luck because she is bad to the bone and most men and women are afraid of her. But they talk and he finds out some things that Lee didn't even know about and he keeps talking about a building that he has seen. . . that isn't there! <-- these books will mess with your mind.

Lee and Flynn try to think of some ways they can get a ceasefire once and for all and get things right with all of the people. But there are reasons other than what's going on - going on <-- don't you love my reviews! :-D

THEN, awhile later, Tarver and Lilac come into the picture! I was so happy and that is when I figured some things out. You know like it being another planet and some other stuff that I'm not telling you.

So far, I have enjoyed the first two books. I did love the first book a lot more than this one though. I hope I love the last book and that it's even better than this one! 


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1976497168

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and greedy scrambling for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces. Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.
Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should... @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

4 STARS 


When I first started the book things were just thrown at me left and right. My poor little brain couldn't keep up with all of the people and what was going on, but my peeps in the book group said it gets better. And guess what? It did, I started to learn some of the people and what was going on. Now make no mistake, I am still a little confused about things but I always am in books and that's okay.

This book is told through 3 different POV's. We have Tamas, who decided to (lets just say) take everyone out and try to make things better - ish. We have Adamat, who is a retired cop that is hired to look into some things. Then we have Taniel, he is Tamas son and he's awesome!

Taniel is a powder mage and they can do a lot of things with gun powder involving magic. Taniel can shoot for lonnnnnnnnnnnnngggg distances as well. I'm not going to try to explain all of these things as I will get confused.

There are different people with all kinds of different powers in the book. And after a bunch of people are executed, the shite hits the fan and there is war and all kinds of stuff going on. It was such fun!

My favorite character was Taniel because he was just too cool. But there are other people that work with some of the people in the book that I loved as well. Ka-poel works with Taniel and she's beyond bad to the bone. I'm sure we will learn more about her in other books.



Taniel found his father's command post just out of range of the royalist barricades. The empty streets were full of rubbish, the passing stones damp from a brief rain the night before. The city smells threatened to overcome his senses, enhanced from the near-constant powder trance he'd been in for two weeks. The world smelled of sh•t and fear, of empty piss pots and distrust.

Ka-poel was at his side. Even after all this, she was still mystified by the sight of the city-so many buildings, each one so tall on every side. She didn't like it. Too many people, she had indicated with a series of gestures. Too many buildings. Taniel sympathized. His real talent as a powder mage was being able to float a bullet for miles-to make long shots across the widest battlefield. What good was that when his view was obstructed on all sides?


We have Olem who is a guard to Tamas and I like Tamas too. I have to add that I love Tamas dogs as well =)

I like Adamat and his guard, Sousmith. It seems someone is always coming after Adamat and his big ole family even though he hid them away.

This book has so much magic involved with gunpowder and different things. It's really hard to explain but it was fun reading about one or the other that had magic, snorting the powder. I can't even imagine. Lol

Great book once I figured out who was who and what was going on for the most part. FIN


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496334344

Monday, April 17, 2017

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back. @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

5 STARS 


OMG! That freaking ending! I can't even people, the FEELS



I CAN NOT believe I have had these books for so long and they are so freaking awesome! I have so many books hanging out here with me that I haven't gotten to yet. How many more gems do I have?

Being able to love so many genres of books is just amazing. Yes, you get the ones you don't like from time to time, but mostly they are so wonderful. I love to be taken away to all of these places and it doesn't matter if someone else loves the same book as you. It doesn't matter if someone loves the same genre as you, just loving a book and supporting people that love books is amazing.

This book is both wonderful and sad. Meghan has balls of steel let me tell you. She's such a strong person, even when she's having sad moments. She is strong to do whatever it takes to save the ones she loves. *Sob*

In the last book, Meghan and Ash were exhiled <--- I spelled that wrong, from the Faery world. But they were only in the human world for like 5 minutes when the freaking Iron Fae come looking for Meghan. A person can't even have a minute to do anything!

Meghan and Ash are being dragged back into Nevernever because some stuff is going down. Oh, and Puck got exhiled too when he went looking for them so he's back in Nevernever going to go on a fight with them. It's like, yes you just killed one evil being but there is no time to sit down, we have to go and get this other evil being killed. The said evil being is the False Iron King. It's this whole thing, you need to read the books.

This time the Seelie and Unseelie Courts ban together to fight the Iron Realm and it's not easy because Iron kills them at the drop of a hat. But they hold off the best they can so Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin and a little ragtag go and try to defeat this false king. And this whole time the real Iron King that Meghan defeated before is still with her. She absorbed him, that's all I'm saying, it sounds gross but it's something else.

Anyway, with Meghan's awesome powers and insights things are mostly set to right.

I really hope in the other books in this realm some things will change what happened at the end of this book. I don't want it left like this, although, it could have been much worse. Sigh......


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1974178422

Sunday, April 16, 2017

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy. @goodreads
 


MY REVIEW:

4 STARS 


I really enjoyed this book the second time around!

 :

The first time I read this book was back in 2015 and I'm not sure why I gave it 2.5 stars. I had an old review that told me some of the reasons but they make no sense to me now!

I loved Tarver and Lilac and yes I wanted to smack them a few times. I always feel like that so it's nothing new.

Lilac is the daughter of one of the richest men if not the richest men and Tarver is a lowly Major that didn't come from a whole lot. They didn't really like each other at first either, but what are you going to do when your trapped in a pod with someone trying to escape the destruction of the ship you were on? The Icarus was being ripped from space and Lilac and Tarver need to get that pod out quickly.

They managed to get away with the help of some mechanics from Lilac, I know, who knew? Anyway, they crash land on this planet. This planet that seems really creepy after a bit. I mean when you start seeing things and hearing whispers, wouldn't you think it was haunted? I would think I was crazier than I am or almost dead and dreaming.

Lilac and Tarver have to go through some really bad things and near death experiences to make it off this planet. They learned to survive in weird and cool ways. They fell in love, yes love and it was great!

But, things on this planet really are not what they seem.

I thought it was freaking awesome, even though I got lost with some of the explanations, but other than that it was cool beans!

I hope the other books are just as good! 


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1310840983

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat--blindfolded--with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?

Interweaving past and present, Bird Box is a snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page. @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

4 STARS 


Holy crap on a cracker, y'all! This book!

Don't freaking go outside without your blindfold or you might open your eyes.


 :

I must say, if I had to choose what apocalypse I would be in, I would pick the zombies because at least you can go outside and see them and kill them. Unless you're blind and then your up sh•t creek.

One day they start getting reports of people seeing things and then turning violent and killing people and themselves. And of course you start thinking, wth?

Malorie was with her sister when these events started happening and she also found out she was pregnant. Oh happy day!

Malorie ends up with some people in a house and they only go outside when they need to look for more food. They make sure they are blindfolded and stuff. Sometimes when you're out there you feel something touch you. Or is that your imagination.




Then of course you freak out some more. People, I would never exist for more than a second in this world!

I liked some of the people Malorie was living with and they were doing okay, until . . . that one day they let the wrong person in. . . sigh. . . . . .

I mean you have a nice little set up with your dogs and birds and food and then, BAM! Anyhoo, none of that happens until later on during a very crazy night. That's all I'm saying.

Malorie lives in a house for 4 years. She raises children. Then what happens? Read the book and find out =) 


GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1121447332

The Iron Fey Includes Books: The Iron King & The Iron Daughter

The Iron King

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. But she never could have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about and stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face….

The Iron Daughter

Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, Meghan is now prisoner to the Winter faery queen. And as war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows the real danger comes from the Iron fey—but no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone could be deadly…. @goodreads 


MY REVIEW:

5 STARS 


I loved these first two books! I wanted to add so many fantasy pictures to try to show what I saw in my mind but it would take weeks to find that kind of stuff. If only I could draw =)


 :

I'm going to do a short review of each book. Let it be known that I want Puck as my best friend only and I'm in love with Ash and I don't care what anyone else thinks =) Although, I have a million book boyfriends but that's neither here nor there.

The Iron King

I have a whole page of notes on this book that I don't even understand so I'm just going to muddle along and hope I get some of it right!

Meghan Chase lives with her mom, brother, dog (Beau), and stepdad. I was mad at what happened to the dog, I had to mention that. They all lived out in the sticks (which is a good place to live) but Meghan's stepdad wouldn't let her have things like a computer without dial up, cell phone, the norm
.

**I guess I should say some spoilers will ensue**

Meghan does have a friend named Robbie that has been her friend forever and a day. Turns out he's really Robin Goodfellow (Puck) who is from the Seelie Summer Court sent to watch over her all of these years.

Well, it seems now that she's at the ripe old age of what? 16, she's starting to see things. Turns out she's part human and part fey princess. Her dad is King Oberon of the Seelie Court. All kinds of cray starts happening and Meghan's brother Ethan gets stolen and taken to the Unseelie court, or so she thinks. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, Puck takes her to Nevernever to find Ethan and bring him home. He tells her this is going to be a very terrible place for her and they might get killed but onward they go.

Holy crow! This world is packed full of everything! Satyr's, Dryads, ugggg, I can't list them all. It's just a wonderland <--- No pun intended. Accept when things are trying to kill and eat you then it's not so wonderful. But I mean the whole book is just rich with beautiful scenes and splendor and some blood and guts and handsome dudes and what not and so forth.

Anyway, Meghan meets her father and it's a little much to take in but there you have it.

Oh and before they get to the Seelie Court, Meghan gets to meet a certain cat named Grimalkin who reminds me of another certain cat in another story =) He helps Meghan out when she gets separated with Puck. But in this realm you have to make deals and contracts with everything and you better watch what you say.

Anway, back at the Seelie Court Meghan is trying to settle in and wrap her head around things and freaks out a bit when she looks in the mirror and she has the pointy ears =) She also finds out she has some pretty cool powers.

Then the Unseelie court comes for a visit and we get to meet Ash, although he was trying to kill Puck earlier so Meghan had already seen him before.

She spends some time with him through-out the book and falls in love. But she does that dumb arse kissing Puck stuff once in awhile in both books. I'm like like ew, just stop.

Then they find out that the Iron King has Meghan's brother Ethan! And the Seelie and Unseelie court are like, who the hell is the Iron King? We know of no such person. Welllllll, he's the reason your world is dying. Yep, their world is slowly dying. AND just being around any of the Iron people can kill the other groups. Iron is deadly to them, with the exception of Meghan, she's just too cool for all of that Iron can kill me stuff. (I did want to smack her and some other people several times, but I still love her tenacity to help others)

Meghan makes a deal with Ash to come with her, Grim and Puck to save her brother Ethan from the Iron jerk. This involves getting something from a dryad that can kill him because nothing else can.

We go on a whirlwind adventure and things happen for the good or so you think.

Either way I loved the first book! 


The Iron Daughter

So in the first book, Meghan made a deal with Ash that if he helped get her brother back home, she would go back to the Unseelie court with him. His evil old mother Queen Mab wanted to have her because she is resistant to iron and just because she's an arsehole too that I didn't like one bit.

Ash acts like an arse to Meghan too but he doesn't want his mother to find out that he's in love with her because she would kill them both or banish them or who knows what.

Note: Some evil beings in the book killed a wolf and a unicorn. I think they should be blown up for that act alone. Or ripped apart would be better. Now, back to the review.

Nowwwwwwww, we have Iron Horse coming out of the woodwork. He was a horse or dude when he wanted to be that was with the Iron King. But when The Iron King was killed, some fake person took over and Iron Horse wanted Meghan's help to try and set things right. And on we go on another adventure with the crew. Ash almost gets himself killed in this one but Meghan saved him.

They had to get him to a healer though and that was so much fun. She cracked me up the whole time. Then they were all going off to a party to try to get the sceptor back. Crap! I forgot to mention the sceptor That is the reason Iron Horse came back around was because the sceptor was stolen from the Unseelie Court and one of the Winter Princes and his wolf was killed. This sent Queen Mab into a rage and she blamed it on the Seelie Court and started a war. She wouldn't listen when Meghan tried to tell her the Iron peeps were back and they stole it. There is some other bad stuff that happened but I won't say.

Back to the party. (I'm going to quit reading two books in one because I'm all over the place worse than I normally am!)

They are getting ready to go through a portal or a thingy (I forgot what they called it) from the nurses house. She gets onto them to behave.



I didn't miss the subtle look that passed between Ash and Puck, either. Ash kept his expression carefully blank, but Puck's mouth twitched with a faint smirk-one of his dangerous ones-and his eyes narrowed a fraction.

The nurse must have seen it, too, for she clapped her hands briskly, and I jumped about three feet in the air. "May I remind you three," she stated in a no-nonsense voice, "that even though this is a party, we are there for a specific reason. We are not there to spike the punch, seduce humans, glamour the food, challenge males to a fight, or do anything pertaining to mischief. Is that understood?" She shot a piercing glare at Puck when she said this, and he pointed to himself with a wide-eyed, who me? look. It did not amuse her. "I will be watching you," she warned, and even though she was barely four feet tall, white-haired, and shriveled like a prune, she made the threat sound ominous. "Do try to behave yourselves."


Needless to say, some people died that I didn't want to die and other things were set to rights and other things were not. I can't even imagine what's going to happen in the next book but I hope it something good because even though it was a good enough ending, there are still things pending that need to get done and I'm not sure how they are going to do that!

GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1495671988