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Merissa (12339 KP) rated Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) in Books
May 7, 2018
Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert
Squared Away is the fifth book in the Out of Uniform series, but can be read as a standalone, as I did. However, I must say that now I have found out what an exceptional writer Annabeth Albert is, it won't be the last book of hers I read!
Isaiah is a bit of a 'flirt', and at eighteen he decides he is going to lose his V-card to a SEAL at his brother's wedding. However Mark, the SEAL, isn't interested in just being 'someone' to sleep with, and so tells Isaiah he isn't gay or interested. He then manages to avoid Isaiah for the next five years, although he still hears about Isaiah's exploits. Trust me, he is no longer a card-carrying member! These two get thrown together by tragedy, and are both left in charge of three children. This story revolves around the decisions they make, and how they learn to love and live together, whilst loving three mini-humans who demand so much time.
Squared Away is a complex love story that goes so slow it is completely and utterly scintillating. I wondered how it would work with Isaiah's reputation, but it was simply amazing. Yes, his reputation bites him in the ass, but with Mark, he goes slow - and it is beautiful. There are reasons for this as Mark is demisexual. We find out exactly what this means for Mark, and the struggles he has, both with it and with being scared to want more with Isaiah. Oh man, this is so good. I mean, seriously! The chemistry between these two melted my kindle, and I loved every word. It is heart-breaking, it is beautiful.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, Squared Away is an exceptional story, told by a brilliant author. Her style of writing is realistic, with plenty of complex emotions and situations. Life doesn't always go smoothly, but it can be worth the effort you put in to a difficult situation. Absolutely amazing, and I am now putting more books by this author on my T-B-R list! You'd be a fool not to read this one.
* 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!
Isaiah is a bit of a 'flirt', and at eighteen he decides he is going to lose his V-card to a SEAL at his brother's wedding. However Mark, the SEAL, isn't interested in just being 'someone' to sleep with, and so tells Isaiah he isn't gay or interested. He then manages to avoid Isaiah for the next five years, although he still hears about Isaiah's exploits. Trust me, he is no longer a card-carrying member! These two get thrown together by tragedy, and are both left in charge of three children. This story revolves around the decisions they make, and how they learn to love and live together, whilst loving three mini-humans who demand so much time.
Squared Away is a complex love story that goes so slow it is completely and utterly scintillating. I wondered how it would work with Isaiah's reputation, but it was simply amazing. Yes, his reputation bites him in the ass, but with Mark, he goes slow - and it is beautiful. There are reasons for this as Mark is demisexual. We find out exactly what this means for Mark, and the struggles he has, both with it and with being scared to want more with Isaiah. Oh man, this is so good. I mean, seriously! The chemistry between these two melted my kindle, and I loved every word. It is heart-breaking, it is beautiful.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, Squared Away is an exceptional story, told by a brilliant author. Her style of writing is realistic, with plenty of complex emotions and situations. Life doesn't always go smoothly, but it can be worth the effort you put in to a difficult situation. Absolutely amazing, and I am now putting more books by this author on my T-B-R list! You'd be a fool not to read this one.
* 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!
Merissa (12339 KP) rated Hidden Realm (Legends of Lightning #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2021
HIDDEN REALM is the first book in the Legends of Lightning series, and I was really looking forward to it.
What I got was a fantasy with elements of Brothers Grimm and all their original fairy tales. Now, it DOES say it is dark, so please pay attention to that if you have any triggers.
Esther is content (as far as she seems possible to be) with her life, but it takes a strange turn when she starts to manifest injuries from her dreams. She does a minimum amount of digging and decides to pack up her life and travel to a different realm.
There is a LOT of violence and rape is inferred on what felt like every page. Due to this, the impact of it lessened with each repeat. The emotional connection with the main characters was also lacking for me. I felt more for one of the supporting characters when his family died than I did for Esther or Oisin.
Just a quick heads up - prepare yourself for whiplash as Esther's emotions change course on a dime.
There is a lot of potential to this story with plenty of intrigue and twists to keep your attention. It does need tightening up in places, but on the whole, it was a good read. I am engaged enough to want to know what happens to Esther and Oisin now.
** 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!
What I got was a fantasy with elements of Brothers Grimm and all their original fairy tales. Now, it DOES say it is dark, so please pay attention to that if you have any triggers.
Esther is content (as far as she seems possible to be) with her life, but it takes a strange turn when she starts to manifest injuries from her dreams. She does a minimum amount of digging and decides to pack up her life and travel to a different realm.
There is a LOT of violence and rape is inferred on what felt like every page. Due to this, the impact of it lessened with each repeat. The emotional connection with the main characters was also lacking for me. I felt more for one of the supporting characters when his family died than I did for Esther or Oisin.
Just a quick heads up - prepare yourself for whiplash as Esther's emotions change course on a dime.
There is a lot of potential to this story with plenty of intrigue and twists to keep your attention. It does need tightening up in places, but on the whole, it was a good read. I am engaged enough to want to know what happens to Esther and Oisin now.
** 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!
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Swamp Thing, Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows in Books
Nov 30, 2020
Earlier this year I had finished Vol. 3 and was ready to start on Vol. 4, but I just wasn't feeling it. The timing just wasn't right. So, I put off my re-visitation of Alan Moore's <b>EFFING BRILLIANT</b> SWAMP THING run...until the other night, when the "timing" returned and I devoured it two nights! Now, with that out of the way, onto my review...
In my reviews for the first three volumes, I mentioned that this was a re-visitation of sorts. It was always something I had intended, returning to a series I had not read since it first came out in the 80s, but it wasn't until going the digital route that I felt the time was due.
This is the volume that introduces that ol' bastard John Constantine, and for that alone, this volume is worth the price of admission! However, it was the path that Constantine sets Swampy on, and the tense and unforgettable finale that culminates in Issue 50, the last part of this volume! For that turns it all the way up to Eleven! Yeah, no Spoilers, despite it's age, but it is intense as a comic could be and then some!
Moore has become, in my eyes, some of a pain in the ass over the last few years. However, with SWAMP THING, as well as WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, he was totally on his game! There was not one issue in this volume that had me thinking, <i>"Yeah, this was good, but that one story was just absolute rubbish!"</i>. It was pure gold!
Now let it be said that I think the artwork of Jock is about as good as it gets as far as stirring horror images that stay with you long after the story is finished! However, after seeing the art of Stephen R. Bissette and John Tottleben, I was reminded of being scared reading this the first time out, and even now, on the re-read! Man, what I wouldn't give to seem them do another Swampy run, maybe even a guest spot on JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK! Oh, I am excited just imagining how frikkin' <b>AWESOME</b> that would be!
Look, there are a ton of great reviews out there, wherein the writer takes and analyzes everything of importance in this volume. And a number of those great reviews are right here on Goodreads! But, I can't add much to what has already been said! All I can add is this: You soooooo need to read this series! That's all I'm gonna say!
In my reviews for the first three volumes, I mentioned that this was a re-visitation of sorts. It was always something I had intended, returning to a series I had not read since it first came out in the 80s, but it wasn't until going the digital route that I felt the time was due.
This is the volume that introduces that ol' bastard John Constantine, and for that alone, this volume is worth the price of admission! However, it was the path that Constantine sets Swampy on, and the tense and unforgettable finale that culminates in Issue 50, the last part of this volume! For that turns it all the way up to Eleven! Yeah, no Spoilers, despite it's age, but it is intense as a comic could be and then some!
Moore has become, in my eyes, some of a pain in the ass over the last few years. However, with SWAMP THING, as well as WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, he was totally on his game! There was not one issue in this volume that had me thinking, <i>"Yeah, this was good, but that one story was just absolute rubbish!"</i>. It was pure gold!
Now let it be said that I think the artwork of Jock is about as good as it gets as far as stirring horror images that stay with you long after the story is finished! However, after seeing the art of Stephen R. Bissette and John Tottleben, I was reminded of being scared reading this the first time out, and even now, on the re-read! Man, what I wouldn't give to seem them do another Swampy run, maybe even a guest spot on JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK! Oh, I am excited just imagining how frikkin' <b>AWESOME</b> that would be!
Look, there are a ton of great reviews out there, wherein the writer takes and analyzes everything of importance in this volume. And a number of those great reviews are right here on Goodreads! But, I can't add much to what has already been said! All I can add is this: You soooooo need to read this series! That's all I'm gonna say!
Merissa (12339 KP) rated Smith's Corner: Faith & Fox (The Heartwood Series #4) in Books
Dec 3, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)
SMITH'S CORNER: FAITH & FOX is the fourth book in the Heartwood series. Fox has been the strong, silent one throughout the story so far, but now we find out why, and how it has affected him. We also learn more about Faith and what she had to deal with. Let's just say, it hasn't been easy for either of them.
Kingsley, I knew was going to turn up. After all, he did in Ash and Alora's story so there's no way he wasn't going to show here. But then, we find out just how much of a sadistic jerk he is, and I really REALLY disliked him. And it was so true what Faith experienced. You can train and train, but when confronted by someone like that, sometimes you do freeze. That's where extra training comes in, to try and stop that reaction from happening.
The romance between Faith and Fox is hot and sweet. She has her concerns, to be fair, none of which have anything to do with Fox. And I loved how she could read him, giving him a voice when he didn't have one.
The thing I love about these books is the heartache you get. Because you know that it will be followed by all the love and romance you could ask for. Now, in true Jayne Paton style, although I thought it was Faith and Fox I wanted, she's moved me along, and now my heart is aching for Storm and Stone, and Hunter and Holden. So much pain!!!! I can't wait.
This is a brilliant series that now has an extra jewel in its crown. 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!
Dec 3, 2021
Kingsley, I knew was going to turn up. After all, he did in Ash and Alora's story so there's no way he wasn't going to show here. But then, we find out just how much of a sadistic jerk he is, and I really REALLY disliked him. And it was so true what Faith experienced. You can train and train, but when confronted by someone like that, sometimes you do freeze. That's where extra training comes in, to try and stop that reaction from happening.
The romance between Faith and Fox is hot and sweet. She has her concerns, to be fair, none of which have anything to do with Fox. And I loved how she could read him, giving him a voice when he didn't have one.
The thing I love about these books is the heartache you get. Because you know that it will be followed by all the love and romance you could ask for. Now, in true Jayne Paton style, although I thought it was Faith and Fox I wanted, she's moved me along, and now my heart is aching for Storm and Stone, and Hunter and Holden. So much pain!!!! I can't wait.
This is a brilliant series that now has an extra jewel in its crown. 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!
Dec 3, 2021
Jaime Lynch (18 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale in Books
Jul 3, 2017
A dystopian novel not of the YA variety
I originally read this book because it was part of the Bioethics curriculum that I inherited at a high school I worked at. As I was reading it, I realized it wasn't your average high school blah fest. (That being said, now that I am rereading some of the books assigned in high school, those high school books aren't actually all that bad...it's amazing what reading for pleasure vs. reading for assignments can do) Some parts were like-...what...? and other parts were like WHAT??!??!?!?!??! Definitely kept me interested throughout. Just the right amount of backstory sprinkled throughout to help keep you following but still keep you wondering.
David (771 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Apr 8, 2018
Fantastic, the concept is awesome and in my opinion a snapshot of how the world could be on it's current path. Unfortunately I am not a videogame nerd, some of the references were lost on me but 80s film and TV, I loved the connection to the culture of the time period. Since Back to the future I have been a fan of the Delorean car and was excited it was bought back in this story. The book was a thrill, geek ride from start to finish. My only regret is that I didn't discover it when in was first published in 2011.
Now I have read it I can't wait to see the film, player one is well and truly ready!
Now I have read it I can't wait to see the film, player one is well and truly ready!
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Attack the Geek (Ree Reyes, #2.5) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Excuse me, but SQUEE! More Ree Reyes! More Drake! More Eastwood and Grognard! Yes, more Geekomancy!
Michael Underwood is back with a delightful novella and if I have ANY complaints, it's that this is a novella instead of a novel. That's just because I am a greedy fangirl reader. The story itself is fully developed, and the novella is exactly the right format for it.
Attack the Geek definitely isn't the place to start in the series, as it relies on previous knowledge of the characters and the universe, but if you've read the previous novels, you will NOT want to miss this installment when it is released on April 9.
Now I'm left hungry for Ree Reyes #3, though!
Michael Underwood is back with a delightful novella and if I have ANY complaints, it's that this is a novella instead of a novel. That's just because I am a greedy fangirl reader. The story itself is fully developed, and the novella is exactly the right format for it.
Attack the Geek definitely isn't the place to start in the series, as it relies on previous knowledge of the characters and the universe, but if you've read the previous novels, you will NOT want to miss this installment when it is released on April 9.
Now I'm left hungry for Ree Reyes #3, though!
Millie (22 KP) rated Duck the Halls (Meg Langslow, #16) in Books
Jan 27, 2020
So, I started this book around Christmas and am just now finishing it. I think that was a result not so much of the book itself - it wasn't poorly written or anything, I just kept picking up other books instead. Overall, it was a nice, fluffy, cozy mystery that I probably would have enjoyed more if I had read the whole thing at Christmastime. Yes, there were a lot of religious undertones, but I sort of expected that with a Christmas book. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a book to get into the Chistmas mood.
*Although I did receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads, all of my thoughts and opinions are my own.
*Although I did receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads, all of my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Emma (229 KP) rated The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry in Books
Jun 20, 2020
This book was very well received by my monthly book club, we rated it 8 stars. I found it very easy to connect with the character of harold, and felt like I was tagging along with him on his journey. I loved the twists and turns of his relationship with his wife and son, and I also found myself filling up at parts if the book. It wasnt just a physical journey harold found himself on, but also an inner journey of looking back over his past. I also loved the ending, which I was surprised about as it's not a book I would have found myself reading by my own choice, and I will now go on to read the next hook by Rachel Joyce.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Good Me, Bad Me in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Read my review here: http://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/
AVAILABLE NOW!
<b><i>I promised to be the best I could. I promised to try… Forgive me.</b></i>
Wow. This book was far, far better than I was expecting it to be. I had left it in my library for so long that I had forgotten what it was even about when I picked it up to read. <i>Be warned,</i> there are <b>triggers</b> to note in this book (sexual, physical and emotional abuse of a child, self harm and child murder) but Land is decent enough not to delve too deeply into any of these topics.
The plot for this was new to me, I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with a similar plot line, though I may be forgetting (I won’t be forgetting about this one)! Annie, whose name is changed to Milly for protection reasons, is the daughter of a serial killer. And while her mother's trial looms, Milly is trying to move on, forget her old life and fit in with her foster family but nightmarish nighttime visits and a constant inner voice from her mother don’t make any of this easy. Stuck in a battle of nature and nurture, Milly is terrified of what she might become. Fighting with herself daily to be the “good me” is tough, because afterall, she is her mother's daughter.
The writing style of this novel is incredible. It was snappy, fast paced yet added to the mystery of the plot. It kept me wanting to know more, which is exactly why I read the novel in under 24 hours. My only, <i>tiny</i>, gripe with the writing, was sometimes, <i>very occasionally</i>, sentences were structured in a way that made it sound like Milly was Yoda... but I only noticed it a couple of times throughout the entire thing.
<b>Twisted, shocking, unputdownable and unforgettable.</b> This is set to be one of the best debuts of 2017 and is by far one of the best debuts I’ve read this year (I finished this in late 2016, not early 2017!!). I’m excited to see what other books Land can produce.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
AVAILABLE NOW!
<b><i>I promised to be the best I could. I promised to try… Forgive me.</b></i>
Wow. This book was far, far better than I was expecting it to be. I had left it in my library for so long that I had forgotten what it was even about when I picked it up to read. <i>Be warned,</i> there are <b>triggers</b> to note in this book (sexual, physical and emotional abuse of a child, self harm and child murder) but Land is decent enough not to delve too deeply into any of these topics.
The plot for this was new to me, I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with a similar plot line, though I may be forgetting (I won’t be forgetting about this one)! Annie, whose name is changed to Milly for protection reasons, is the daughter of a serial killer. And while her mother's trial looms, Milly is trying to move on, forget her old life and fit in with her foster family but nightmarish nighttime visits and a constant inner voice from her mother don’t make any of this easy. Stuck in a battle of nature and nurture, Milly is terrified of what she might become. Fighting with herself daily to be the “good me” is tough, because afterall, she is her mother's daughter.
The writing style of this novel is incredible. It was snappy, fast paced yet added to the mystery of the plot. It kept me wanting to know more, which is exactly why I read the novel in under 24 hours. My only, <i>tiny</i>, gripe with the writing, was sometimes, <i>very occasionally</i>, sentences were structured in a way that made it sound like Milly was Yoda... but I only noticed it a couple of times throughout the entire thing.
<b>Twisted, shocking, unputdownable and unforgettable.</b> This is set to be one of the best debuts of 2017 and is by far one of the best debuts I’ve read this year (I finished this in late 2016, not early 2017!!). I’m excited to see what other books Land can produce.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.