Tag: #bookreviewpost

Book Review: 3volve by Josefina Gutierrez

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3volve

By Josefina Gutierrez

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Multicultural, Contemporary Romance, NA, Coming of age

Released: July 14th, 2015

Rating: 3/3.5 Stars

Goodreads OR buy 3volve  here: Amazon

Blurb:

From author Josefina Gutierrez, of “The Shadow of Loss”, comes a new New-Adult contemporary love story.

I thought my life began when I graduated high school and moved far, far away—okay three hours away. But I was wrong. My life didn’t start until it almost ended.

I’m Cristal Escobedo, twenty-two years old and a former wild child who favors tequila far too much. But that all changed when life happened, and I ended up being responsible for my younger brothers. To top it all off, I think I’m falling in love with my best friend—dammit.

This is my not-so-happy story of how I grew up and got my shit together. My story isn’t filled with a bunch of pretty analogies or hyperboles. The people are real, the hurt is deep, and the love is complicated. People are flawed in the ways that matter; it’s what makes us human.

A Short Excerpt:

I’ve never claimed to have it all together. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was roaming through life high and excited for the unexpected. I love my family, my parents, my brothers, my friends, but their love was never enough to save me from myself. My self-destructive way, how I always kept ruining the best things I didn’t know I even had.

My story isn’t filled with morality. It doesn’t have some intriguing message about love, and life. Shit, it’s a mess. I’m a mess. I’m not here to tell you what should be important—we all have different values. I’m not here to tell you about responsibility. Hell, if you finish reading my story and gain insight, then more power to you!

I thought my life began when I graduated high school and moved far, far away—okay three hours away. But I was wrong. My life didn’t start until it almost ended.

I’m Cristal Escobedo a twenty-two year old, former wild child, and this is my not-so-happy story of how I grew up and got my shit together. It isn’t filled with a bunch of pretty analogies or hyperboles. The people are real, the hurt runs deep, and the love is complicated. People are flawed in the ways that matter; it’s what makes us human. If you want a sugarcoated story, look to someone other than me.

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Bluescreen (Mirador #1) by Dan Wells Book Review (+ Giveaway)

Feb 27th Blog Tour Date

Welcome to the Bluescreen (Mirador #1) Book Tour hosted by FFBC. Be sure to follow the full Book Tour Schedule and the other posts 🙂.

Bluescreen (Mirador #1) by Dan Wells

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release Date: February 16th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Action, Teen

Rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | B&N | Bookdepository | iTunes

Synopsis:

Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. That connection is a djinni—a smart device implanted right in a person’s head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen—and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it.

Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, the small, vibrant LA neighborhood where her family owns a restaurant, but she lives on the net—going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it’s Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen—a virtual drug that plugs right into a person’s djinni and delivers a massive, non-chemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.

Dan Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling Partials Sequence, returns with a stunning new vision of the near future—a breathless cyber-thriller where privacy is the world’s most rare resource and nothing, not even the thoughts in our heads, is safe.

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Book Review: Same Page by GL Tomas (ages 18+)

Same Page by GL Tomas

Release date: December 4th 2015

Genre: New Adult, Romance, ages 18+

Publisher: Rebellious Valkyrie Press

Review copy: received from Author in exchange for honest review

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis: Naima vibed with Timothy from the first moment they met. Attraction wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did with no time to turn back.

Timothy knew better. But that kiss made him forget about his girlfriend and he would do anything to get another chance to kiss those lips.

Can two close friends be on the Same Page in this “Brown Sugar meets Love Jones” Interracial Erotic Romance!

*Same Page Book One in a duology. It is suggested for Mature audiences due to strong sexual content and slight drug use.

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Free Men: A Novel by Katy Simpson Smith Book Review

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Free Men: A novel by Katy Simpson Smith

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper (February 16, 2016)

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Historical, Literary Fiction

Copy Received from Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | HarperCollins

Synopsis:

In 1788 three men converge in the southern woods of what is now Alabama: Cat, an emotionally scarred white man; Bob, a garrulous black man fleeing slavery; and Istillicha, who seeks retribution after being edged out of his Creek town’s leadership.

In the few days they spend together, the makeshift trio commits a shocking murder that soon has the forces of the law bearing down upon them. Sent to pick up their trail, a probing French tracker named Le Clerc must decide which has a greater claim: swift justice or his own curiosity about how three such disparate, desperate men could act in unison.

Katy Simpson Smith skillfully brings into focus men whose lives are both catastrophic and full of hope—and illuminates the beating heart of a new America. A captivating exploration of how four men grapple with the importance of family, the stain of guilt, and the competing forces of power, love, race, and freedom.

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Running In The Dark Book Review + Giveaway

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Feb 12th Blog Tour Date

Happy, Friday, guys! Welcome to the Running in The Dark  Book Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tour. Be sure to follow the full Book Tour Schedule and the other posts :-).

 

Running in the Dark (Running in the Dark #1)

Author: Inger Iversen
Publication date: February 8th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young/New Adult, Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

He is known only as Trace—because he leaves no trace of his victims behind.

A deadly Russian slayer, Trace’s life has always revolved around death. Death, and preventing humankind from learning about the legendary creatures of the night. But now his position as a Watcher has become a prison, and dealing death for the Vampire Nation isn’t as prestigious as he once believed it to be.

College dropout Bessina Darrow has witnessed things she isn’t permitted to see, a simple case of wrong place at the wrong time putting her life in danger. When Bessina becomes his new mark, Trace is prepared to eliminate her—until he discovers a way out for them both.

Protecting Bessina means defying the leaders of the Nation, an act that has them both running for their lives. The more Trace fights to disappear from danger, the more he unravels the secrets crafting his world—secrets he must unveil in order to finally save a life, instead of destroy it. Okay, I can do that.

Review

If you love the paranormal, or ever wondered what goes on in the vampire underworld that may, or may not exist in real life, then you will enjoy this book.

Now, I am not the biggest vampire-based/concept fan in the world, but I do love strong story and universe structure. At times, I forgot I was even reading a book about vampires, which means the story and characters were so immersive that I didn’t notice and I love that.

Out of everything, the intensity and chemistry between Bessina and Trace is definitely the driving force within this book, never mind the fact that the two of them are running for their lives! XD If I had to put a level or peg their heat meter, I’d say it’s between 3 ½ – 4 out of five.

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Stormwielder (Book #1 of The Sword of Light Trilogy) Book Review

Stormwielder (The Sword of Light Trilogy Book #1)
Author:  Aaron D. Hodgens
Release date:  December 1st, 2015
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format: eBook (495 pages)

Genres: YA fantasy, Magic, Adventure

FOR A LIMITED TIME – STORMWIELDER IS ON SALE FOR $0.99 ON AMAZON.
Amazon | Goodreads

 

Synopsis:

For five hundred years the Gods have united the Three Lands in harmony.
Now that balance has been shattered, and chaos threatens.

A town burns and flames light the night sky. Hunted and alone, seventeen year old Eric flees through the wreckage. The mob grows closer, baying for the blood of their tormentor. Guilt weighs on his soul, but he cannot stop, cannot turn back.

If he stops, they die.

For two years he has carried this curse, bringing death and destruction wherever he goes. But now there is another searching for him – one who offers salvation. His name is Alastair and he knows the true nature of the curse.

Magic.

 

Review:

When I began this book, I was expecting Eric’s character to be connected to or be one of three things: Humanity’s last hope/sole savior from the coldest and darkest of all evil, a descendant of the gods or gifted with the power of the mythological power of the unstoppable Greek fire. When I finished the book, I was certain that two of these three things were not true and for the third, only time will tell preceding the release of the remaining books in this series.

I gave this book three and a half stars because I liked the story’s concept and most of the characters in this book. I immediately liked Eric’s character and genuinely felt his sadness and fearful state of mind he was stuck in since discovering his ‘ability’. It is really easy to connect to Eric in this book as the reader is able to learn about him and Alistair’s true quest through Eric’s eyes.

Although my opinion about Inken eventually changed by the end of the book, I wanted to also mention that I liked her character’s introduction (pretty visually graphic and memorable). I didn’t much care for her character once Eric started to crush on her character though because then her character was no longer independent from Eric’s storyline. Her character, in my opinion becomes a prop for Eric’s character development and I would have liked to have seen a neutral friendship form in this book between these two characters as they forged on against Archon instead of the two of them falling for one another right away.

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Book Review Post for: Spark Joy

Greetings, Guys:

Before I get into the review, I have to be honest: I think that we as human beings are hoarders; on a physical and emotional level. We collect and collect piles of excess weight in our lives and we continuous carry all of this baggage around with us-to work, to family event, on dates, into relationships etc.

And I’m the type of person who always feels like that weight is going to land me in a ditch somewhere, so I am always looking for ways to relieve that pressure and let go of those unhealthy tethers that follow me around.

Therefore, in the spirit of the New Year, and as a person who color-coordinates her closet (yes, color coordinate) I jumped at the opportunity to read and review Marie Kondo Spark of Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.

Synopsis:

A comprehensive, illustrated manual on how to declutter and organize specific items throughout the house, from kitchen and bathroom items to work-related papers and hobby collections. User-friendly line drawings illustrate Kondo’s patented folding method as it applies to shirts, pants, socks, and jackets, as well as images of properly organized drawers, closets, and cabinets. Kondo also add in-depth advice on moving, packing, and dealing with necessary objects that may not spark joy—answering all the questions she’s gotten since her first book. This manual is perfect for anyone who wants a home—and life—that sparks joy.

B&N | Amazon | Target | Goodreads

 

Review

For those of you who have not heard about the book before or its function and overall purpose, Spark Joy is based on the idea of gaining an overall sense of commitment to cleanse your life, which sparks overall joy or a sense of contentment in your life. The Komati method actually is meant to transform a person’s internal outlook on life through external cleansing by starting in the home or living space. Where else is a better place to start really; as you go through all of your belongings to really get a sense of yourself and what brings you happiness.

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Book Review: Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)

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Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)

By Kristin Cashore

Genre: YA, Action, Adventure, Paranormal, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads | B&N | Amazon

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight – she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace – or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…

Graceling Review:

From start to finish, I loved everything about this book. It was given to me by my younger brother and it had been sitting on my shelf for some time, but it only took the first two pages for me to get into it.

I found this story to be so compelling and I loved the way the book had so many different levels: female independence, gender equilibrium relationships amongst Kasta and most of her male counter parts, Love, friendship, combat, adventure, comedy and even a layer of evil so unspeakable with King Lec. It made my heart stop, my stomach turn and my skin crawl.

I do not think that I can praise this book enough for giving me Kasta. A character so uniquely independent and self-driven with a powerful perspective and aspirations aimed toward helping those in the 7 kingdoms. Kasta knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want in her life and she does not let anyone, not even Po take that away from her by trying to change her mind. And what was even more rewarding, was Po’s acceptance of Katsa as she was and his unwavering love for her and contentment of being by her side without trying to change her.

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