Fallen (Fallen, #1)

Fallen by Lauren Kate

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked the book, and while it is different from the "Evermore" series by Alyson Noel, I kept drawing similarities between the two.  I definitely liked the characters in this book better than in the "Evermore" series.  The females are strong and determined. I'm tired of reading books where the female characters are weak and are continuously making poor choices.  Lauren Kate does a good job not portraying her female characters like this!

A Little Night Magic by Lucy March

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a fun, quick read.

Betrayal (The Descendants #1)

Betrayal by Mayandree Michel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was really torn with the rating of this book.  I REALLY liked the storyline and enjoyed it from start to finish -- 4 stars.  On the flip side, the editing of the book was poor and I found myself skimming through pages and pages of irrelevant descriptions -- 2 stars.  I'm still likely to read the second in this series, Sacrifice, when it comes out later in the year.

Pieces of Eight (The Frey Saga #2)

Pieces of Eight by Melissa Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anxious to continue Frey's adventure, I downloaded this book as soon as I completed book one.  As much as I liked Frey, I enjoyed Pieces of Eight ten times more!  I couldn't put this book down and completed it in one day.  I HAD to know if Frey would regain her memory or if she and Chevelle would finally reconnect on a personal level.

Frey (The Frey Saga #1)

Frey by Melissa Wright

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In the first book of the Frey Saga by Melissa Wright, we are introduced to Frey.  Unknown to Frey, her magical elfin powers are bound.  She thinks she is a freak in her village, being the only elf that cannot use magic. A series of events changes everything, and Frey finds herself running for her life, accompanied by a man she cannot take her eyes from.

Become

Become by Ali Cross

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ali Cross' Become sets the stage for the ultimate battle for Earth:  Heaven versus Hell.  Heaven's only hope to defeat Lucifer rests in a child, but not any child -- she is Lucifer's daughter.

Desolation has spent most of her life in Hell.  She's destined to inherit her father's kingdom, whether she likes it or not.  A trip to Earth challenges Desolation to find her true self.  Is she the monster she thinks she's destined to become or can she choose a different path for herself?

Bound

BOUND by C.K. Bryant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Kira has a gift that allows her to read people.  While she and her best friend, Lydia, are in the mountains taking photographs, they are attacked.  Lydia transforms into another person to fight off the attackers before Kira's eyes.  Stunned, Kyria is left to question what she really knows about her best friend.  Lydia is wounded during the attack, and now Kira must choose if she is willing to risk her life to save her friend, whom she realizes she barely knows.

Channeler's Choice

Channeler's Choice by Heather McCorkle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Channeler's Choice is the second novel in Heather McCorkle's Channeler series.  This book continues the story of Eren and Aiden, as they learn how to control and expand on their channeler powers. 

The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Channeler Novel

The Secret Of Spruce Knoll: A Channeler Novel by Heather McCorkle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eren's life takes a dramatic turn when her parents are killed in an animal attack, forcing her to move in with her aunt that she never met.  Eren's arrival to Spruce Knolls is met with open hostility, that she does not understand.  Slowly, Eren discovers Spruce Knolls is unlike any other American town, and she is not like other normal American girls. 

No Proper Lady

No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The apocalyptic world in which Joan resides is in dire straights of a savior.  As the final hope to a better life, Joan finds herself entering the stone circle.  The mission:  Go back in time and destroy the trigger to her world's destruction.  Joan is transported to 200 years in her past.  Along the way, Joan befriend a wizard and his sister, whom ultimately assist her in her mission. 

I agree with other reviews, stating this is very "Terminator" like;   substitute robots and human destruction with witchcraft and demon hunting.

A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The third book in the series by G.R.R. Martin is action packed and full of surprises!  This is a nice contrast to book two.  If you read book 2 and wonder -- do I keep going??  The answer is YES!!!  You will not be disappointed!

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The second in the Games of Thrones series, A Clash of Kings, was a disappointing compared to its predecessor, A Song of Ice and Fire.  This book lacked the excitement and fluidity that was so evident in the first book in the series. 


Varys poses the below riddle to Tyrion, its my favorite line in the book:

"In a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. 'Do it,' says the king, 'for I am your lawful ruler.' 'Do it,' says the priest, 'for I command you in the names of the gods.' 'Do it,' says the rich man, 'and all this gold shall be yours.' So tell me- who lives and who dies?"


I'm  hoping that while this book was not exciting, it was required so the rest of the story can be told.  With that hope, I will continue with the next book in the series.

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die," Cersei Lannister tells Lord Eddard Stark when she confides her deepest secrets. 

This Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin hooked me in the first few chapters.  The story is told from the perspective of eight different characters:  Eddard (former best friend of the King, and his newly appointed Hand); Catelyn (Eddard's wife, who makes decisions based on her emotions), Jon (the bastard son of Eddard, who is constantly struggling to find where he fits in); Arya (the youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn, she is very independent); Sansa (the oldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn, whom is betrothed to the King's son, Joffrey); Bran (the middle son to Eddard and Catelyn); Tyrion (a very observant Imp); and Danereys( her family's lineage is known to have dragon blood and she is the true Queen of the realm).

These characters' joys are our joys, their loss, our loss.  This book should have a warning label because its an Immersion Experience.  You think you sitting somewhere in the 21st century, but this pick you up and plops you in a different time dimension. In this book, we see see good, evil, wicked, and demonic.

The Paris Wife

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I really give this book 3 1/2 stars.  It would have been 4 stars, but the use of nicknames throughout the book was confusing.  There were some editing errors on this Kindle edition as well.



Hadley Richardson's life with Ernest Hemingway was a roller coaster ride in a House of Mazes as she lived through his bipolar highs and lows. I wished we were able to experience her discovering herself, instead of constantly being overshadowed by Hemingway.  I think him falling out of love with her was the best thing that ever happened to her, despite how hard it was to face at the time.



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Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a roller coaster of a story!  I wanted to put the book down, seriously, I did!  I didn't want to enable the cycle of violence between the main characters, but I couldn't stop reading. The relationship reminds me a lot of Bella and Edward's, without the vampirism and werewolves.

Chasing Amanda

Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


What drew me in to this book, was the familiarity of the setting.  I know Boyds, the Adventure Park, and Sugerloaf Mountain.  The story was just okay for me.  I never felt gripped to the seat.  I didn't feel like I had to keep reading, because Tracey's life depended on it.  Earnestly,  I never felt like I bonded with any of the characters, and finished the book feeling void.

Bossypants

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I think this is more of a 3 1/2 star rating for me.  There are stories in this book that had me laughing out loud, thinking, "SHUT UP!  She did not just say that!?!"  I don't ever recall bursting into a gut busting laugh while reading before this.  By the time I reached Tina's experiences with SNL, 30 Rock, and Sarah Palin, her stories became much more somber, which was a sharp contrast to the earlier chapters.  Overall, I admit that I was entertained by this collection of short stories.

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal by Lani Woodland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a charming collection of short stories!  In one cover, you can experience  all sorts of otherworldliness:  sirens,  shape shifters, ghosts, vampires, and out-of-body experiences just to name a few.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow!  What an intriguing story of perceptions and tolerance!  I enjoyed watching Kit transition from a tropical life in Barbados to a Puritan life in 1687 Connecticut.  This story has a meaningful lesson to both the young and old!

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed watching the characters overcome their personal challenges in this tale!  The feel of the Southern small town that Sarah Addison Allen depicts makes me want to pack my bags and head to North Carolina! 



There are two things in this book that really draw you in as a reader:



1) She can make us relate by our sense of taste - Oh, the cakes she describes in this book!



2)  The hint of mysticism.  - How does wallpaper change its pattern by itself based on the room occupant's mood?  What are the white lights that come out at night in the town?



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Books!!

I've enjoyed books  since I could hold them in my hands.  When I was small, I was drawn in by all the colorful illustrations.  Once I started reading, my nose was always in a book.  I'm using this blog to share with others books that I've reviewed, and reading challenges I'm participating in.  If you have any book recommendations or reading challenges for me, please let me know!