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Merissa (13780 KP) rated A Summoner's Tale (Knights of Black Swan #3) in Books

Apr 3, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
A Summoner's Tale (Knights of Black Swan #3)
A Summoner's Tale (Knights of Black Swan #3)
Victoria Danann | 2013 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Top quality once again. This series is just excellent. There isn't as much about Baka and Heaven as I was expecting but this is in no way detrimental to the story. Instead, you are taken back to Baka's life from childhood, through him being a vampire right up to the current day. In this was, you learn more about Heaven and who she is and what her gift is.

You also get the chance to catch up on "old" favourites and enjoy as they all intermingle with each other.

Definitely one of the best series I've read in a while. Can't wait for Book 4!
 
* Verified Purchase - May 2013 *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
April 10, 2021
  
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Merissa (13780 KP) rated Micah's Calling (All The King's Men #3) in Books

Jun 2, 2023  
Micah's Calling (All The King's Men #3)
Micah's Calling (All The King's Men #3)
Donya Lynne | 2012 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Religion
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A perfect short to accompany Micah, Sam and Trace's story. These three are so interwoven, I can't imagine reading about one of them without the other two. This gives more insight into Micah and Sam's relationship, and how Trace becomes more than just a friend, something a whole lot more that is difficult to label. I can't wait to read more about the AKM and these three in particular.

Once again, extremely well-written and a wonderful addition to the series. Definitely recommended.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 13, 2016
  
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Smashbomb (4687 KP) created a post in Smashbomb AMA

Jul 12, 2019  
AMA: SANDHYA MENON (AUTHOR)
ANSWERS
Author @Sandhya Menon has answered YOUR questions in Smashbomb's AMA.

On your FAQ, you mention you re-read Twilight. Do you enjoy re-reading any other books?
I re-read The Shining by Stephen King every autumn in preparation for the winter months! It’s the perfect creepy winter book, I think. I also tend to re-read Sophie Kinsella—I’m a diehard fan!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Keep going. There’s definitely a seat for you at the table if you keep writing what you love and keep improving at your craft.

Do you base the characters in your books off of people you know?
My characters are always amalgams of people I know or have known, including me!

What magical creatures do you wish were real?
Fairies! I’ve wanted to be friends with Tinkerbell for a very long time now.
 
What is a genre you would love to write a book in but been too scared to touch and why?
I don’t think there’s any genre I’m afraid to touch, necessarily, but I do wonder if some genres I’d love to write in are a good fit for my brand of fiction. For instance, I’d love to write a few super-dark, twisty, atmospheric books, but I might have to write those under a pen name!
 
What plot device do you feel has been overly used in books?
I don’t think any plot device is overdone unless it’s harmful or bigoted in some fashion. Other than that, it’s all about the author’s unique voice and the spin only they can put on the tropes and devices we know and love (or love to hate)!
 
What do you believe is the most underrated franchise in literature that should get more readers?
Quite a few!
Most recently, I really wanted the book The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton to blow up and get its own movie and TV show and graphic novel and theme park and I’m still bitter that hasn’t happened (yet). I also really adore the Timber Wolves series by Tammy Blackwell and am sorely disappointed they haven’t caught on as much as I feel they deserve to! And I absolutely loved Damocles by S.G. Redling, but almost no one I know has read it, which makes me very sad.

Do you have a favourite character from your books and why?
Gosh, an author picking a favorite character is kind of like a parent picking a favorite child; almost no one could bring themselves to do that! I love all my characters for different reasons.

Which book did you have the most fun thinking up and writing?
I’m really super-excited about my upcoming contemporary fairy tale retelling series. The first book is called Of Curses and Kisses and has a sprinkling of Beauty and the Beast. It follows an Indian princess who must con a misanthropic British aristocrat into falling in love with her to avenge her family’s honor.
There’s no outright magic, but there’s a lot of “is the curse real or isn’t it” ambiguity that was so much fun to write. I dreamed the story three years ago and am so excited it’s finally going to be in bookstores soon!
I’m thrilled to say my UK publisher Hodder and Stoughton has picked it up, so Of Curses and Kisses will be available in the UK in February of 2020!

How much of the books did you write based on personal experiences vs purely fiction you thought up?
All of my books are based loosely on my own experiences with a heaping helping of fiction thrown into the mix! For instance, like Rishi in When Dimple Met Rishi, I struggled a lot with the arts (in my case, writing) not being a “real” or acceptable enough career path for my family. And like Dimple, I struggled with well-meaning adults who told me my biggest mission in life was finding and keeping a husband!
Like Twinkle in From Twinkle, with Love, I worried a lot that no one would be interested in the stories I wanted to tell with my pen (she wants to tell them with her camera). I looked at all the bestselling books or the books being taught to me, and none of the writers looked like me or had a name like mine. Twinkle faces something similar when she looks at the biggest, most successful movies and the often white, male directors who direct them.
And Sweetie’s struggle with her weight and fat-shaming in There’s Something about Sweetie came directly from my own experiences as a fat adult at various points in my life.
 Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
So many things! In high school, I read the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and for the first time truly understood how powerful an unreliable narrator could be. Reading Ellen Hopkins’ Crank back when it first came out was such an eye-opener for me about the flexibility of story structure.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I don’t! I’m one of those authors who believes that reviews are for other readers. I get my feedback from a trusted few sources who’ve been with me since the beginning.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Too many to count, honestly! I think all authors have a metaphorical trunk full of unfinished work and I’m no different. I have all of these folders on my computer with half-finished stories and novels I’m still very partial to. Sometimes bits and pieces of them make their way into my current books and that’s such a satisfying feeling!

Thanks to Sandhya and her great answers!
   
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Camel Club (Camel Club, #1) in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
The Camel Club (Camel Club, #1)
The Camel Club (Camel Club, #1)
David Baldacci | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Baldacci does it again! If I wasn't already, I am now officially hooked on his books.
This particular book is the first in a series about the Camel Club. A group of rag-tag misfits who are hell bent on proving conspiracies within the US government. What's not to like about that!? Of course they all have "checkered" pasts that seamlessly weave into the premise of the book.
I do have to say that I gave this book only 4 out of 5 stars because it took me about a 100 pages before I truly got into the story. Once I was fully entrenched however the action was take my breath away GREAT!
I can't wait to get started on the next installment! I look forward to seeing what is in store for Oliver Stone, Alex Ford, & the rest of the crew this time around.
  
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Jessica Erdas (463 KP) rated The Book Thief in Books

May 16, 2018  
The Book Thief
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.8 (129 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's rare to find a book that grips you by the heart and takes you on a ride. There's so much to love about this book. Zusak definitely has a way with words that draw you in and make it hard to put down. The story is about a young girl torn apart from the life she's known during the holocaust. It details the pain of nazi Germany and the trials that went with it. This is a story about death, love, friendship, books, a love of words, and a young brave girl trying to do the right thing in a world gone bad. It's told in the viewpoint of death and his encounters with the book thief. Finished this in 5 days and I'm sitting here pining for more, even though the story was brought to an acceptable conclusion. Find the time to read this, it's well worth it.
  
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Chris (7 KP) May 25, 2018

While I have not read the book, I did see the movie which was excellent. I highly recommend the movie as well.
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Hunger Games in Books

May 10, 2018  
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.5 (277 Ratings)
Book Rating
I usually don't read books in this genre, I like to read about things that can really happen. So many of my friends were talking about what a good book it was, I decided to give it a try. The first couple of chapters were ok, I even stopped reading it for a couple of weeks to read something else. But once I got about half way through, I couldn't put it down. I was anxious to see what was going to happen next. Katniss is a young girl who is chosen from her district for the Hunger Games. Each year young people have to fight to the death to see who survives. Crazy right?? Well all that she has go to through to make it to the games and through them, are very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something a little different to read.