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The Third Floor (Angel Hill, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


The feels with this book! This book scared me, and I loved it! It was the blurb that made me want to read this book. Even reading the blurb now sends chills down my neck. This is the kind of horror I wish more authors would write.

The title is perfect for the book. Most of the ghostly goings on happen on the third floor. While it's not an overly creepy title, it still works.

I don't really like the cover. Yes, it is the house the story is about, but it doesn't give off any spooky vibes. I, personally, would've liked to see some creepy stuff on the cover like ghosts, but to each their own I guess.

The world building was eerie and perfect for a horror novel. I got chills so many times while reading this book. Moore did an excellent job as portraying just how scary Angel Hill is as well as the spooky house the Kitches live in. (Oh, and if you're a fan of Silent Hill, I just want to say that Angel Hill reminded me a bit of Silent Hill). I read this book at night, so every noise and shadow scared me thanks to this book. (I did like being scared though).

The pacing was fantastic!! I was hooked from the first page. In fact, I was actually hooked from the first sentence. I love the way the story unfolded and flowed easily from one paragraph to the next.

The story line was great! While the whole plot of a house being haunted isn't new at all, Moore did a fantastic job of making it feel like it was a whole new concept. There was a skeptic and a believer in the same household, and while it was frustrating that Jack didn't believe Liz, I was interested in finding out what it'd take to make Jack believe. There was a minor plot twist that I wouldn't have predicted either. For those of you who don't like cliff hanger endings, then this a book for you. No cliff hanger endings are found in The Third Floor.

I thought all the characters, even minor ones, were very well written. I sympathized with Liz because she had to experience all the ghostly activity first hand. I felt scared for her, and I was also worried that something bad would happen to her in that house. I found myself wanting to protect Liz. I didn't really like Jack to much, not because he was a poorly written character which he's quite the opposite. I just didn't like how he, to me, tried to make Liz feel like she was crazy. He'd get angry with her about things that she didn't do. It was like he didn't trust her at all. I understand that he's a big time skeptic, but I thought, maybe, he could've been a little bit nicer to her and more willing to listen. I loved little Joey. He came across as such a sweet child. He was also experiencing supernatural events firsthand and even more so than Liz. I just wanted to go over to that house, get Joey, and never bring him back until Jack realized what was going on.

The dialogue in this book was never awkward or disjointed. The character interactions felt realistic and never forced. There were a few grammar mistakes that I came across in the book, but nothing major that would take away from how fantastic the book is. There is violence and swearing in the book as well as a few sexual references (though not many).

Overall, The Third Floor is an incredibly spooky read which I think most horror fans will love. It has a fantastic plot, great world building, and likable characters. This is a story that you may want to leave the lights on when you read it though.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who are into spooky ghost stories and those who like being scared.

<b>I'd give The Third Floor by C. Dennis Moore a 4.75 out of 5.</b>


(I borrowed this book for free from the Amazon's Kindle Owners' Lending Library. I was not required to write a review).
  
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Merissa (12943 KP) rated Paper Cranes in Books

Jun 19, 2017  
Paper Cranes
Paper Cranes
Jordan Ford | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Paper Cranes by Jordan Ford
Paper Cranes is a fairy tale retelling, taking you away from the contemporary romance/suspense that Jordan Ford has previously published. It starts with a sullen Tristan, who has had his life disrupted due to his parents' divorce. He moves away from his mum and her new boyfriend to stay with his dad, but didn't realise that he would end up looking after him. All seems lost as he sinks deeper into bitterness and sadness. However, when he goes to rescue a lost baseball, he finds more than a ball. He finds the light of his life, and so the adventures begin.

As bad as this may sound, each time I start a new Jordan Ford book I think to myself that I can't possible enjoy it as much as I did "...", and yet each time Jordan Ford proves me wrong. I LOVED this fairy tale retelling, mainly because of the tongue in cheek references to Rapunzel that the characters themselves tease each other with. Seeing the rises and falls that Tristan goes through, the calm acceptance of Helena, the joy, love, and laughter that these two share... it's just wonderful. I also have a re-appreciation for Shakespeare and poetry! Now, this book isn't all sweetness and light, so don't think it is, BUT it does show what can happen if you keep the faith in love, hope, happiness, and fairy tale endings.

Exceptionally written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have no hesitation in recommending it.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
B is for Burglar  (Kinsey Millhone, #2)
B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2)
Sue Grafton | 2005 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
6
8.1 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ok mystery bogged down in detail
I listened to the audio book of this read by Mary Peiffer.

Another outing with the independent PI Kinsey Millhone. This time she is approached to track down the missing sister of Beverly Danziger in what appears to be a straightforward case. It quickly starts to look a lot more suspicious when even the sister herself doesn't seem to want Kinsey to get to the bottom of the matter. A lot of different threads appear for Kinsey to try and unravel.

I found this book to really get bogged down in minor details and excessive descriptions of every little thing, making it a bit of a drag. The strong female lead was wasted on a bit of a drawn out story line, I felt it lacked something to keep the reader engaged (descriptions of egg sandwiches just doesn't cut it).

Written in the 80s I do love the nostalgia of a world pre mobile phones, saving the “battery died” line most books feel the need to throw in now. I also like having a female protagonist that doesn't get bogged down in a romantic relationship storyline which seems to be a habit in crime books with a female lead.

Kinsey has a good level of dogged determination and we were given numerous avenues of investigation to explore keeping the mystery engaging (although her missing an obvious clue which seemed totally unfathomable for her or any PI to miss drove me a little potty.). The main let down with this book though was the ending where it just seemed to go off the tracks a bit with unnecessary risk taking and crazy plot device.

The audio-book is a nice easy listen so I’ll probably continue on with Kinsey in that format.
  
Alice in Zombieland - White Rabbit Chronicles
Alice in Zombieland - White Rabbit Chronicles
Gena Showalter | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.0 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was an interesting re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. In Alice in Zombieland, Alice Bell's life has always been curtailed by her father's insistence that monsters exist. The family cannot leave the house after dark, she's been taught how to fight hand-to-hand and with a couple of weapons, and they never - NEVER - drive past the graveyard. All of this changes in one night - when Alice "falls down the rabbit hole" as it were - and discovers her father wasn't insane after all.

Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.

I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Amber Malloy | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Winning Her is the first book in the Perfect Stats series and we focus on Bane and Dahl, both African-Americans and successful in their own ways. Bane is frustrated because he is blocked by the owner and the coach at the club he works for and constantly feels like he needs to be prepared for the chop. Dahl is an award-winning chef with plenty of TV shows and books behind her. At this point, she is helping her cousin with her restaurant in a vain attempt to keep it afloat.

Now, hold onto your hats, because there is LOT that goes on in this book. I'm still not actually sure when Bane crosses the line of wanting to get back at his ex-wife and just wanting her. I'm also not sure about a lot of went on in this book simply because there is so much. You have all the intrigue of the sports world, the cooking/baking world, drop-beat cousins, cheating cousins, a stalker nanny, (another) ex-wife and her anchor job, and a custody case - to name just a few 'themes' in this story. Due to this, it took me a while to get into it because I just couldn't figure out what was going on!

Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story but I had to work at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would love to know more about Warner. As for Bane and Dahl, I liked them but found the whole thing a bit too confusing for my tastes.

* 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!
  
The Devil and the Dark Water
The Devil and the Dark Water
Stuart Turton | 2020 | Mystery
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I listened to The Devil and the Dark Water on Audible, read so well by Julian Rhind-Tutt. HIs voice suited this story so well, and it transported me on to the ‘Saardem’, which had left Batavia, en route to Amsterdam. The sights, the smells, the business, the people, the chaos, were all so well described. And then a leper appears on top of some packing crates, loudly issues a warning that the ship will end in ruin - and bursts in to flames. Sarah Wessel, the Governors wife and a healer, tries to help him but he dies - and this is where it starts to get really strange. It transpires that the leper had no tongue. So how did he speak?

Once the boat has begun its journey, the really menacing things start to happen. A demon called Old Tom makes his presence felt, along with his threats, and the Three Unholy Miracles he promises seemingly come to pass.

On board is the infamous detective Samuel Pipps - except he is imprisoned and on his way to be executed in Amsterdam. His Bodyguard, Arent Hayes, has been employed to ensure his safety (by Pipps) and he asks his advice when he can. But it seems that Pipps’ invaluable detecting skills will go largely untapped. It’s up to Arent.

I loved the menace that runs through this book. Now, I don’t believe in Demons, but even I was wondering when it would appear! And there was NO way that I was EVER going to guess the ending (I would be interested to hear whether anyone else did!).

It’s a great book: full of adventures of the High Seas, with ruthless sailors, soldiers and passengers!
  
Apprentice (The Black Mage #2)
Apprentice (The Black Mage #2)
Rachel E. Carter | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
7 of 250
Kindle
Apprentice (The Black Mage book 2)
By Rachel E. Carter

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

She survived a trial year at the Academy, but that was just the easy part....

Now 16-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice of Combat, her school's most notorious faction of magic. When she finishes she will be a mage, but in order to do so she has to survive four years with a training master she hates and her old nemesis, Priscilla. To make matters worse the unwanted attraction Ry feels for her sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival Prince Darren is at an all-time high - even though he is betrothed to the very girl she can't stand.

Really, the only bright spot to Ryiah's new life is the time she spends with her friends, including an older apprentice named Ian, who she finds herself thinking about quite often.

Just when things start to get comfortable they take a turn for the worse. An apprentice is killed in a rebel attack and several mages end up dead. Unwittingly, the apprentices find themselves in the midst of a budding unrest between Jerar and its northern neighbor, Caltoth. For Ryiah the impending conflict means many things, but as her apprenticeship draws to a close she finds her biggest problem at home.

Unfortunately for her, Darren's not going anywhere.


So it was ok! It went exactly how I expected to be honest and followed a familiar pattern to other similar books! That’s not saying I didn’t enjoy it but it lacked a little depth! The characters were wispy washy and even when we lost Eve it wasn’t emotional enough! So hoping I can find a deeper connection in the next book.
  
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Kate (493 KP) rated Until We Collide in Books

Jul 27, 2020 (Updated Jul 27, 2020)  
Until We Collide
Until We Collide
Charlotte Fallowfield | 2016 | Contemporary, Humor & Comedy, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Feel good book (0 more)
Some paragraphs not put in (0 more)
I really enjoyed this book and was just what I needed. I wanted a feel good book and this was definitely one of these. It made me smile, chuckle and get frustrated at the bad timing. I was frustrated but in a good way.
I read a lot of crime so love reading a heart warming book every now and again.
I got straight into the book and was hooked. I couldn't put this down.
There was one thing about the book that I didn't like and I realised this happens in other books by this author. The writer doesn't put a space into a new paragraph in some sections. For example: Alec and Paige are eating a meal and having a conversation. The meal has just arrived. She asks him if he is staying at the hotel and I realised after a few lines that they had finished eating and were back at the hotel but this wasn't clear as there was no break. There was just a new line but it looked like they were still talking. This happened a few times and did make it confusing when you realised it was at a different time or day.
As previously mentioned the story was so heart warming but both frustrating. Paige is hilarious and you cannot imagine someone having such bad luck. I felt embarrassed for her like a friend would.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good romance book with a bit on comedy. This gives it a really feel and relatable aspect to the book.
Despite the writing style, no clear paragraphs when the time has moved, I would purchase other books by this author.
  
Jenelyn&#039;s Journey: The Werewolf of Wittlich
Jenelyn's Journey: The Werewolf of Wittlich
E.E. Byrnes | 2021 | Mystery, Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very different story is being told here and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
JENELYN'S JOURNEY: THE WEREWOLF OF WITTLICH is the first book in the Jenelyn's Journey series and we start off in L.A. with Jenelyn and her parents. Because she is now eighteen, she must start her Journey, following where the Spirits lead. She will start her Journey in Germany, the starting point changing for each person but following as tradition dictates. Luckily for Jenelyn, a German couple who helped her mother on her own Journey, have agreed to let Jenelyn stay with them.

I loved the changes in German and American cultures and traditions, as seen through Jenelyn's eyes. She had a wide-eyed wonder about the architecture, places, and people that I thoroughly enjoyed. She was both naive and street-smart which worked for her. She makes friends and has great relationships with various people in her life, which just makes the goodbyes so much harder! Gretchen and Laszlo were brilliant characters with their own secrets but always supportive of Jenelyn.

I would say this book was a bit heavier on the mystery side than the Spirits. There wasn't as much on the supernatural side as I was expecting, but I still found it interesting, especially with how it all tied together. The book is immersive in Germany, so I expect the same will happen in the next book - I won't say where she's off to next so I don't spoil it for anyone.

A very different story is being told here and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!