Search

Search only in certain items:

Monster Hunter International
Monster Hunter International
Larry Correia | 2008 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
One book - I'm hooked!
Well, heck. That’s just what I needed. Another bloody series to get hooked on. If the second book is as good as the first, I’ll be well and truly hooked. So, honestly, I’m kind of hoping the second book sucks a bit so I can get off this fan train and save myself some money.

So, in case that first paragraph wasn’t very clear: I loved Monster Hunter International. I was hooked from the beginning, and happily went along for the whole crazy, monster-killing ride. It was just different enough to keep me interested. Oliver Wyman did a great job with the narration. His regular reading voice is soothing, and his voices are very different from each other. He never made me wince like some readers (ie: the guy who read King’s IT) do.

I’m not a gun nut. Not really. I mean, I don’t currently own one. I don’t see the need for automatic rifles. Blah, blah, blah. I do, however, like to shoot them and I like book and screen violence. Therefore, the sheer amount of shoot-em-ups and physical thumpings that went on in this book made me very happy. Pitt, Holly, and Harbinger (and the plot) were just a happy bonus.

One of the things that surprised me was that Monster Hunter International hit what would normally be a climax and cliffhanger scene with about six hours left to go in the audio. After how intense that particular scene was, I wondered how Correia could go on for six more hours. But, I trusted him, and his ass-kicking game had been strong so far, so I listened on. He managed quite well.

This book hit all the high points for me. The main character (Pitt) wasn’t perfect, wasn’t even sure of himself, didn’t feel like he was God’s gift to women, etc. Julie seemed a bit too perfect, but she didn’t have a lot of screen time, so she was easy to forget about. Holly and Trip were great side-kicks. However, Harbinger was the one that won me over. I spent half the novel going “Okay, something’s definitely not right about him? What..” and then when it was revealed, I was totally “HOLY CRAP!” Because I did not expect that.

I am telling you right now, if Harbinger dies in one of the Monster Hunter International books, I will immediately stop reading the series.

Epic fights, interesting story, fun characters, and a great narrator all combined to make Monster Hunter International a clear winner. Highly recommend this book!
  
Dead In The Pond (Grasmere Trilogy #2)
Dead In The Pond (Grasmere Trilogy #2)
Dahlia Donovan | 2018 | Crime, Romance, Thriller
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
i love Bishan!
This is book two in the Grasmere Cottage Mystery Trilogy, and you MUST read book one, Dead In The Garden, before you read this one. They are NOT stand alones and they follow on.

Bishan, now out of jail, and Valor still have no idea who is killing, and why Bish and Valor have been singled out. Then another body is discovered, and Valor's worst nightmare comes true. Bish tries, he really does, but he just wants things to go back to the way they were, before.

Bishan has his say here, and just Bishan. He is Autistic, and his minds does go off at tangents all over the place, and he does take some following.

But I'm so bloody glad he gets his voice here!!

The guys are trying to piece together who might be doing this, and getting nowhere. Neither are the police. Things seem to calm down, then Bish and Valor are in a car accident that appears to be anything but. Didn't expect that particular person to stoop quite so low, but when HE turns up dead, and Valor is faced with having to deal with the family who disowned him so long ago. Bish struggles with that, but knows it's gotta be done.

Bish's mind wanders all over the place, but always seems to come back to the point at hand, he just goes the long way round. You have to concentrate, pat attention and keep up! For ME?? That's a really good thing! Being a speed reader at the best of times, if I've gotta slow down, it's the sign of a great book.

There is almost two plot lines going on here: the murders, and whatever is happening with Valor's family and just WHY they are so desperate to bring him back to London, away from Bish. But Valor won't go, not without Bishan. He LOVES Bishan, I loved the scene where they decide to definitely NOT get married! The love these two have for each other comes across every time Valor reaches for Bish and is rewarded with their joined hands, every time Bish makes tea for Valor, in every single thing they do for each other.

I fell in love with Bishan here, and his mum!

I'm still none the wiser as to whodunnit or why, but it's great that I'm being kept on my toes!

OH!!! Massive cliffhanger here! There was one for book one, but here's is far bigger!

Since Bishan has such an interesting voice

5 full stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Scar Me (Haunted Roads #2)
Scar Me (Haunted Roads #2)
India R Adams | 2018 | Contemporary
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Scar Me (Haunted Roads #2) by India R. Adams
Scar Me is the second book in the Haunted Road series, and believe you me, it has a lot to live up to. Steal Me, the first book in the series had me throwing my kindle at the wall when it finished. Would, and could, this one possibly live up to its predecessor?

Abso-bloomin-lutely it can!!! It starts exactly where Steal Me ends, but then we proceed to go back in time. Back to a time when Lilah wasn't shattered from her experiences. Back to when she thought the world, and people, were good. We stay with her as she makes the decisions and choices that lead her down her haunted road. We are there for the trauma inflicted upon her. We are there as she shuts down - only this time we know the reasons for it.

Scar Me has a warning about triggers - and trust me, it is well deserved. In so many ways, this book is horrible. It gives you the truth that you might not want to admit to. It shows you how so many people don't see, simply because they don't expect to! And yet this is about hope too. You get to fall in love with a gentleman all over again, seeing him through Lilah's eyes this time. I love Viola's definition of 'scar me', and have no shame in admitting that brought a tear to my eye. There are a multitude of characters introduced in this book, that showed up in Steal Me, but you just didn't 'see' them. Now you will, and find out their back stories too.

Now, fair warning, this book ends on just as much of a cliffhanger as the previous one. However, I am wise to Ms. Adams' tricks now, so I didn't throw my kindle this time. I am left deliciously confused, and yet not surprised, at her twist. This only leaves me wanting more.

Do I recommend this book? Don't be daft, it's an India R. Adams book. Of course I recommend it. I haven't read a bad one of hers yet, and I honestly doubt I will. This is an author that gives you a piece of her heart and soul with every book she publishes. Was it worth the wait? Once again, absolutely. That doesn't change the fact that #INeedBleedMe NOW!!!! ??

* 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!
  
TW
The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2)
Marie Rutkoski | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

The second book in <i>The Winner’s Trilogy</i> continues with the story of Kestrel and Arin, two characters from totally different backgrounds. In <i>The Winner’s Crime</i>, Kestrel is engaged to Prince Verex and in line to rule the Valorian Empire. Arin, however, is in Herran and no longer has anything to do with Kestrel.

Previously in <i>The Winner’s Curse</i> some sort of relationship seemed to be building between the two teenagers despite their contrasting lives. However with Kestrel now being someone of importance it is impossible for the two to be together. Kestrel denies her feelings for Arin and, although she does not wish to marry the prince, goes along with the emperor’s plans. Arin on the other hand believes Kestrel is acting this way because she wants to and so grows to despise her.

As the story goes on the reader gets to experience both Kestrel and Arin’s point of views on the situation. Kestrel secretly tries to side with the Herrani, however Arin misunderstands her motives. But with such a powerful Emperor in charge, everything Kestrel does is at a great risk of her own life and can only end badly.

I must admit that I had forgotten a lot of what occurred in <i>The Winner’s Curse</i> and therefore it was difficult at first to understand what was happening in the book. Personally I think <i>The Winner’s Crime</i> was the better of the two books so far as it was clearer from the readers point of view what was happening in the lead up to Kestrel and Prince Verex’s wedding. It was the characters that were misunderstanding each other, but who slowly began to realize each other’s intentions towards the end of the novel. The book ended on a cliffhanger and hopefully the two main characters will view each other in a better light in the next in the series.

Overall this series has not gripped me in the way that I would have hoped. The setting is similar to books set in the distant past however women appear to have similar rights to men, such as fighting in the army, which makes it difficult to get your head around as the two ideas conflict with themselves. <i>Goodreads</i> has the series listed as fantasy, however this is slightly misleading as there are none of the typical feature associated with this genre – e.g. magic.
  
SS
Such Sweet Sorrow
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b><i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> is quite literally an unwritten sequel to <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> coinciding with <i>Hamlet</i> with a dark twist, or in other words, a bridge between the end of one Shakespeare play and the beginning of another.

I personally liked Trout’s version of Romeo as he journeys to Denmark in the quest to save Juliet from death - he's much more spunky, but he has his romantic elements as well that Shakespeare originally placed in him. Hamlet is just as cheeky as his original counterpart, if not more cheeky (<i>Hamlet</i> is my favorite Shakespeare play, and it's not actually because of the ending). Juliet, like Romeo, also has another side to her Trout creates - she's more badass. (<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> is my least favorite - interesting combo going on here honestly.)

But <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> can be overwhelming. Trout doesn't just have <i>Hamlet</i> mashed with <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> - she's got Norse mythology and Greek mythology and who knows what else (some reviewers on Goodreads say anything you can think of... Essentially). Regardless, there is definitely a mess of things going on throughout and I just decided to go with it rather than question the book in its entirety (like what other mythological aspects are involved).

For the first half of the book, Romeo and Hamlet are, for the most part, wandering around cluelessly through this place called the Afterjord - it can get boring pretty quickly, but there is so much going on with the creatures they come across, it's not actually boring (I'm too busy trying to keep track of what's going on so I'm not lost). <i>Such Sweet Sorrow </i>doesn't actually pick up until after Romeo and Hamlet finally rescue Juliet and try to make their way back to the mortal world.

But while there is so much going on throughout, I actually liked this strange little book in all its weird complexities. However...

I'm disappointed that a cliffhanger is involved and nowhere on Goodreads does it say <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> has a sequel in the works.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-such-sweet-sorrow-by-jenny-trou/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
Thirteen Reasons Why
Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher | 2009 | Children
10
8.4 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
I will start with a confession, I requested this book because I knew the TV Series is out, it can’t be bad if it’s on telly right? And guess what, I was right. I loved this book.

This book is a quick read because it is tiny and really gripping. This book carries two stories at once, the story of Hannah and another one of Clay. This novel is filled with feelings and regret. I loved Hannah’s character in this book, yes, even though she is dead, she is still the main character in this book. I loved her courage for this confession and the secrecy and originality of all this “business”. The palette of characters is really wide in this novel and offers a great variety of personalities to choose from. The characters are very realistic, just like ordinary school kids, which most of us faced in our lives. The whole story is told by Clay and Hannah, but that is sufficient to showcase the feelings and powerful meaning of this novel.

I absolutely loved the message of this book, and I think that Jay Asher has done a great Job, by highlighting suicide and its causes. I loved the way he showed, how small and to some, unimportant actions might influence young people and what it can lead to. I loved the difficulty of relationships which Jay Asher was portraying in this book, and how it changed due to particular actions. The narrative of this book is flowing smoothly and there are no much twists or turns, but every chapter has a great cliffhanger, which creates suspense, makes you wonder of what is waiting on the next side of that cassette. One thing that made it difficult for me, was the merging of these two stories, I would’ve preferred that Hanna’s stories would be uninterrupted by Clay’s commentary and thoughts.

The language of this book was easy to read and understandable, and the chapters are reasonable length, so it is easy, quick and very powerful read. The ending of this novel is well-thought throw and shows to all of us, that life goes on. So, to conclude, it is very amusing and extremely deep book, full of friendships and teenage relationships, and I think this book is absolute must read to all the school goers (and others as well), as in my opinion, most of them can relate to this book and learn few great things about life as well.
  
Follow Me Back
Follow Me Back
A.V. Geiger | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the sixth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet.

Tessa Hart spends most (okay all) of her days in her bedroom. After an incident that causes her intense anxiety and agoraphobia, her one outlet and escape is the online world of pop star Eric Thorn. She can lose herself in his music, as well as the digital chatter of Twitter. For Eric, though, online is a scary place, where he fears his fans' obsessive behavior. He's even more scared in real life, especially after one of his fellow stars is murdered by a crazed fan. But online media is key to his success, according to his PR team. So Eric decides to ruin his image via a trolling Twitter account--of his own making. But his plan derails quickly and he finds himself involved in his deepest and most meaningful relationship to date, albeit a virtual one. But when he and his Twitter friend agree to meet, everything goes wrong.

This is one of those books that you know will probably be incredibly silly and cheesy, and it was definitely both of those things. But I still read it in one day, because, well, sometimes you just need silly and cheesy in your life. I was all for something related to Twitter that didn't involve politics and the world ending.

Honestly, Follow Me Back was quite addictive and easy-to-read, even if I wanted to shake Tessa and Eric sometimes for their bad decisions. Some early honesty would have avoided a lot of angst. It's told via the point-of-view of both characters, along with excerpts from police interrogations. Through the police pieces, we know something bad has happened--then we back up to the events that lead up to it. The book delves into the pressures of stardom, along with anxiety, assault, and mental illness. It's a little all over the place, at times--perhaps trying to throw us off course, but I appreciated that it did try to cover Tessa's issues respectfully. There's Eric and Tessa's relationship, as well as a bit of a mystery element.

Overall, this was just an escapist novel for me, and it did its job fairly well. My only problem was that it ended with a cliffhanger ending, so while I did move this book off my shelf, I am going to have to track down book #2 to see how it all ends. Darn it! Still, 3 stars for a fun and crazy ride.
  
10 of 220
Kindle
Between Wrath & Mercy ( The Divine Between 1)
By Jess Wisecup
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mother will do anything to save her child, no matter the cost.

After her daughter is kidnapped, Emmeline Highclere—a thirty-four-year-old mother living in isolation with memories and grief her only companion—must do everything in her limited power and divine abilities to get the girl back.

Emmeline believes her daughter, Elora, is the Beloved—the conduit with goddess-granted divine abilities prophesied to bring peace to the Three Kingdoms. Because the last person thought to be the Beloved was brutally murdered by the enemy kingdom of Folterra, Emmeline has dedicated the last sixteen years to hiding her daughter and keeping her safe. When Elora is kidnapped by a Folterran prince, Emmeline must leave her place of hiding, resolving to do anything to rescue her daughter. But to have any chance against those who took the girl, Emmeline must call upon one of the most powerful conduits in the Three Kingdoms, the Crown Prince of Vesta—the man who broke her heart—and hope he helps her despite their estrangement.

With the weight of his father’s impending death hanging over his head, Crown Prince Rainier has begun to make moves to prove his dedication to assume the role of king. When he is visiting the estate that was once a second home to him, the woman who has long haunted his dreams and consumed his thoughts appears before him, asking for his help to find the child she had with another man. Now, he must decide: does he drop what he is doing to help Emmeline, or does he maintain his unwavering duty to the Crown?

Now, Emmeline and Rainier must work together to find the Beloved—to save the girl from the Folterrans and fulfill the prophecy of peace—while they both battle feelings of remorse, grief, and heartbreak, trying to ignore the heated desire and simmering attraction between them that never left.

This was really good! The characters really draw you in and I love the story. My only issue was it was very repetitive and could have done with a lot less it. I settled for a 4⭐️ as 3 was a bit to low as I did really like it. Also a very abrupt cliffhanger at the end which is Annoying. Oh and how did they not see who the father was from the start?