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The Eternal Hourglass (Magickeepers, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Series Review:

I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot.

The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.

My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.

The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though.

I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.

I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.

Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well!
  
TP
The Pyramid of Souls (Magickeepers, #2)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Series Review:

I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot.

The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.

My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.

The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though.

I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.

I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.

Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well!
  
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Susan Cain | 2015 | Health & Fitness
9
7.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
2019.

One of the worst years of my professional working life.

In the early part of the year, I ended up getting dragged to the Doctor by my significant other, with the Doc then putting me off work with stress for just over a month. I returned, and then, roughly 6 months later, ended up putting myself off on unpaid leave for a year (which is ending soon, but that’s another matter).

Looking back on it, I believe a MASSIVE contributor to me feeling the way I did was the change in the office environment, and in my role: a move from being a key member of a small technical team (with its own side office) to being put in charge of a customer focused role I felt ill suited to, and slap-bang in the middle of a massive open plan office no less (which had the effect of leaving me completely and utterly drained each and every day, having to be always ‘on’).

Which is a long winded way of saying that I am, as I’ve always expected, a massive Introvert. (That could also probably be borne out by the fact that it’s now been more than 10 months since I last physically saw most of my friends due to Covid-19, and that I can count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I’ve spoken to them in the same period (we more often text). Which I’m perfectly happy with.)

I’ve always felt exhausted by daily interactions, always felt happier in my own head than in the midst of a crowd. A music festival, or rock concert? My idea of hell. However, I’ve also always felt guilty for feeling the same, with society (seemingly) geared towards the go-getters, the ‘look at me!’ life and soul of the party (which I always leave early), to those who make the most noise. In short, to the Extroverts.

While it’s true that this book is American centric (I’m glad to say, in the UK at least, the large gatherings/conventions described in the chapter about ‘The Extrovert Ideal’ don’t seem to happen), I’m also glad I’m not alone, that – actually - there’s nothing wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with being quiet, reserved, needing time alone to recharge. Just ask Mother Theresa. Steve Wozniak. Eleanor Roosevelt. Rosa Parks.

This should be required reading in our schools.
  
I was overly excited to review Marlene Wynn's The Return of the Avatar Queen when I heard what genre it fell in the New Adult world: fantasy. NOT Contemporary or Romance (or both!) like most seem to be these days. Really, the only New Adult book I've come across that's something other than Contemporary is the Everlast Trilogy by Juliana Haygert (among a few others).

The first in the Averill series is just another step towards some more diversity in the ever growing pool of New Adult books. But here are a few reasons why you should take a moment and read Marlene Wynn's debut novel:

Character Development and World Building – Here's what is probably one of the most difficult things in fantasy and paranormal novels: developing the world – the entire world, because in a fantasy book, most worlds are fictional and completely made up! Wynn has it patted down nicely enough within the book that it's not necessary to have a separate dictionary. I definitely feel as though I know enough about the world of Itova as Chandrea does, and the characters don't feel as though they're miles away from me.
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ6pA2Tm_Sk/VIi50dboa_I/AAAAAAAAEEg/IQqffnS_y1w/s1600/awesome.gif"; height="180" width="320">
It's Funny – I had the highlight of my book week while reading Wynn's novel, but whenever there are flying raccoons, I can't really help but find it hilarious. It definitely helps when Shawn becomes a major character and lightens things up. He's just a fantastic edition to the book and he seems to make the lighter side of Chandrea come out as well – I certainly hope the author won't kill him off anytime soon. Not that I actually have a say, of course.
<blockquote>“If you don’t, I won’t bathe, and I’ll sleep curled up right next to you, in all my stinky glory.”</blockquote>
Of course, it's definitely not as hilarious as something I saw in a NCRA magazine about a month ago, or finding out what "bae" really means in another language.

No Surprises – This is more of something I really disliked about The Return of the Avatar Queen rather than something I liked. As much as I love knowing all the side characters' history, I really think I would have enjoyed my reading experience more if there were less views. With the amount of views (which, by the way, is quite a lot), I feel as though I'm one step ahead and the author loses the element of surprise. Whatever seems likely to happen in the future to a character or two is already expected by the reader.

Last time I checked, not being surprised does not dwell well. But credit to Wynn for not making me feel like Hansel and Gretel with bread baked by Peeta, to which I turn into crumbs (the bread, not Peeta). Two facts: 1) I like surprises in books. 2) I don't necessarily like surprises in real life.

Here's a little elaboration on #2: A good friend of mine – I call him Mr. Pokey and yes, he's probably related to Lupe. AKA Miss. Pokey. – volunteered to take me to chess tournaments. A few days later, his mom said she could take both of us, but said friend told our coach that I could go without telling me about it first. As a result, I'm have been plotting his demise. Would I really do it? No, but sometimes I want to throw something at his infuriatingly overconfident face.

So here's a word of advice: Don't try to make decisions for others without telling them about it first. At least, don't make decisions for me unless you're my mom. You could regret it dearly.

Basically, you won't really regret reading The Return of the Avatar Queen. Marlene Wynn's debut novel shows a lot of promise in the future and I'm curious as to where the storyline goes from here on out.
-------------------
Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
Original Rating: 3.5
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-tour-chandrea-the-return-of-the-avatar-queen-by-marlene-wynn-review-and-giveaway.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
  
The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales
The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales
Kate Mosse | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am not going to ramble on and on giving you a synopsis for all the stories but I will let you know some of the ones that I enjoyed the most out of this collection. I really wanted to start reading some more short stories so I have continuously made an effort in reading a collection per month. With each book there are obviously going to be some better than others. I think the hardest thing for the authors is to create a really good and atmospheric story that will truly grip you and Kate Mosse has certainly done that in some of these stories. Others were a bit weak and easily forgettable.

The stories included are:

The Mistletoe Bride – 4/5 stars

Duet – 3.5/5 stars

Red Letter day – 2.5/5 stars

The drowned village – 3/5 stars

The house on the hill – 3/5 stars

Why the yew tree lives so long -1.5/5stars

Sainte-Therese – 3/5 stars

The ship of the dead -4/5 stars

La Fille de Melisande -2/5 stars

The revenant -5/5 star – FAVOURITE

On Harting hill -3.5/5 stars

The princess Alice -3/5 stars

In the Theatre at night 2.5/5 stars

The yellow scarf -3.5/5 stars

Syrinx 1/5 stars

Each of these stories comes with an authors note as what inspired her to write them. There are also some black and white gothic illustrations before each of the stories drawn by Rohan Daniel Eason which sets the tone. The stories are set in Sussex, Brittany and Languedoc that are based on Folk tales ranging from the 1800’s to the present day.

I will admit as writing this review I had to check the stories again to see which ones were which as they are somewhat forgettable. The ones that have clearly stuck with me is ‘The Mistletoe Bride’, ‘Duet’ and ‘The Revenant’.

The revenant was the best story by far in the book, it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat with my pulse racing as I was actually scared but couldn’t stop reading. It is probably one of the scariest short stories that I have read! Mosse manages to create an intense atmosphere and completely grips the reader. The writing style is very easy to read and flows beautifully.

I would recommend this to people who are looking to read some short-stories that have historical fiction with supernatural elements and a bit of horror.

Overall I rated this 3.5/5 stars
  
Salvaging Love (Rescue Me #1)
Salvaging Love (Rescue Me #1)
Sara Ohlin | 2019 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
warm and fuzzies and fluffers too!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Faced with the destruction of her beloved neighbourhood, Ellie is given a month to persuade lawyer and new block owner Jackson to renovate, rather than rebuild.
This appears to be only the second book Ms Ohlin has written. And I really rather enjoyed it!
It's light a fluffy in places, and dark and deadly in others. It's funny and sexy in places, its heavy and emotional in others. It spans a huge range of emotions and all are extremely well portrayed and delivered.
Ellie is a vet (as in animal doctor, not ex service person) and Jackson is lawyer to the criminal underworld in town. Jackson is jaded and buys the block as a new career. Ellie loves her community and fights Jackson all the way. But Jackson is, quite literally, smitten as a kitten with Ellie and it really doesn't take much for Jackson to see what Ellie does.
Jackson's job clashes with his personal life in a way I so did NOT see coming at me and I loved that! I absolutely did NOT have a clue that was coming at me, and I must have shouted out, cos my daughter stuck her head round the door and asked if I was ok! It was a blinder of a plot twist! Very well played, there, Ms Ohlin, very well played!
It does carry some darker story lines: parental/spousal abuse, as well as animal abuse. Some of this is described in great detail. Readers may have triggers.
Both Ellie and Jackson have a say, and I loved that they did. Ya'll know I need to hear from everyone!
This is billed as book one in the Rescue Me series, and I cannot wait to see who comes next, and what Ms Ohlin pulls out of her hat for them!
4 very VERY good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Three Blind Dates
Three Blind Dates
Meghan Quinn | 2018 | Romance
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked this up a month or so ago when it was 99p as I've enjoyed this authors books before.

So this starts with Noely doing her Going in Blind profile interview. She's a Good Morning Malibu show host and has used some of their equipment to film the interview, which, when her producer finds the disc informs her that she will be doing a segment on the show detailing her dates. She tries to protest but he's not having any of it and she reluctantly agrees.

Noely has three dates, as the title suggest and has a great time with all three, all for different reasons. Jack is her first option, the mysterious Suit. Then Beck, the bike riding Rebel. And lastly Hayden, the ice hockey Jock. She gets on with all three really well but something seems to go wrong on the second dates, leading her to look for someone else.

Then we get a "mystery man". One of the above guys who starts messaging Noely in the hopes of getting her to fall for him after the mess he made of their date. I was a bit stumped about who it was going to end up being but a certain guy did keep turning up places quite regularly.

I liked this but it did seem quite long for what went down. Each guy took up about a quarter of the book, including the final mystery one. It didn't entirely pull me in but there were some truly fun bits, and for me, personally, those involved Noely's brother, Alex, and his wife, Lauren. And little Chloe, too.