Search

Search only in certain items:

Nightmare on Elf Street
Nightmare on Elf Street
Laura Levine | 2013 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder of (a Mall) Santa
Freelance writer Jaine Austen has taken a job as the elf at a mall to a pretty despicable Santa. When he is killed with a Christmas ornament to the heart, there are no shortage of suspects, but Jaine dives in to make sure the case is solved before her annual trip to visit her parents.

The series always features wacky humor, and this story is no exception. Even though the story is only 100 pages, we manage to get a couple of sub-plots and some twists as well. The characters are developed enough to pull us in while making us laugh as well.

This is a novella length story, so it will be faster than a full novel. As long as you know this, you’ll be fine.

Also note that this was originally released in the romance anthology Secret Santa. You’ll want to make sure you haven’t read it before purchasing it again. Although, if you haven’t read it, you’ll be thrilled to add this fun, festive mystery to your to be read pile.
  
I See London, I See France
I See London, I See France
Sarah Mlynowski | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charming (2 more)
Enjoyable main character
Easy-to-read
Great story of friendship with some delightful romance tossed in
When Sydney's childhood best friend Leela breaks up with her boyfriend, Matt, Leela is in desperate need of consoling--she's also in dire need of a travel companion for the four-and-half week trip to Europe she had planned with Matt. Leela and Sydney have dreamed of this trip since they were kids, but Sydney has a lot going on at home, mainly her anxiety-ridden mom, whose agoraphobia prevents her from leaving the house without having major panic attacks. Sydney has been taking care of her--and her younger sister Addison--for as long as she can remember. She even lived at home for her first year of college. But this is her and Leela's dream trip; surely her Mom and Addison will be OK for a few weeks, right? But once Leela and Sydney are on the plane to London, they realize Matt is as well, sending Leela into a fit of anger and depression. This isn't what Sydney bargained for...

This was a charming and surprisingly enjoyable YA novel. I'm so glad I finally received a copy through Paperbackswap.com. I was worried this book would stress me out too much, as I myself am a totally anxious traveler, but I really warmed to Sydney and her various travels and wasn't even that concerned as her bank account dipped and she and Leela flitted throughout Europe without too much planning. (I'm such a Mom.)

Seriously, I really enjoyed Sydney, even though I wanted her to stand up for herself, as Leela wasn't the best friend for her at all times. Leela, although she might have been supportive about Sydney's family situation, was incredibly irritating! So much blathering about Matt, making Sydney plan the whole trip, and just being generally inconsiderate. Ugh! Still, you'll find yourself just loving Sydney--she's so fun, sweet, and just awesome. I love how she's a great, realistic character: she has real-world problems, but she's also entertaining. It was great to see her spread her wings on the trip.

Big portions of the book just made me smile--it was a great little break. The supporting cast is really amusing and enjoyable. The entire novel is just easy-to-read, and I was very into the characters. It wraps up a little easily/quickly, but I was still happy with the ending. Supposedly the next book (this is a series, Goodreads tells me) features complementary characters from this novel and isn't coming out until 2020--is that right? I hope not!

Anyway, if you're looking for a quick, easy, and pleasant YA read, definitely pick this one up. It's a great story of friendship, with some delightful romance mixed in. Really enjoyed it.
  
40x40

Hazel (1853 KP) rated What Light in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
What Light
What Light
Jay Asher | 2016 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Almost a decade after Jay Asher wowed readers with his debut novel, he returns to the literary scene with a brand new young adult romance. <i>What Light</i> focuses on the life of a good-natured girl living a complicated life. It is almost as if the teenaged Sierra is living two lives: eleven months on a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, followed by a month selling them in California. Due to the struggling business, this year may be the last time Sierra spends Christmas in California; however it is also the first year she meets the boy of her dreams.

Knowing that a romantic relationship is unlikely to survive the long distance between the two states, Sierra cannot help her developing feelings towards the handsome Caleb. Using his own money to purchase Christmas trees for families who cannot afford them, Caleb seems like the perfect guy; however rumours suggest he has a rather dubious history. Struggling to convince everyone that Caleb is a good person, Sierra suffers the consequences of strained relationships with her friends back home. The big issue is: should she continue to support Caleb even though in a couple of weeks she may never see him again?

As young adult romance novels go, <i>What Light</i> is fairly typical. Girl and boy meet; there are various issues to resolve; but things turn out all right in the end. If you are into those types of stories then this is the book for you, sadly, Asher does not bring anything new to the genre.

After reading several of these types of predictable novels, it becomes noticeable how unrealistic they are. The amount of youngsters in committed relationships is rather suspicious, especially the ones that seems to happen as if by accident or fate – although, from the readers perspective, are so obvious from the very beginning.

There is nothing deep or meaningful within this narrative – not a criticism of <i>What Light</i>, rather an observation of the genre – but it is sufficient for a quick read to pass the time, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period. There is nothing to disappoint the reader in terms of conclusion – it could be described as what some would call a “fluffy read”.

Overall, <i>What Light</i> is a novel that maintains the status quo of young adult romance, providing brief entertainment for those seeking a happy love story. With beautiful (in terms of personality) characters and settings, Jay Asher is likely to win back all the fans that had given up waiting for his next book to be written.
  
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12684" src="http://cafinatedreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Review-Cafinated-Reads-UPDATED-1.jpg"; alt="" width="350" height="214" />
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;">Holy smokes! Ms. Ellis is amazing! I'm used to reading her Amish books, so when the chance to read her Sunset In Old Savannah novel, I jumped on the chance. I wanted to see her talent at work in a suspenseful genre. It was not disappointing, that's for sure. I lost myself among the pages of this gripping novel and I wasn't expecting the ending that I got! I love a book like this.</span>

<span style="color: #993300;">Ms. Ellis created a novel that all readers will love. It's a touch of romance, Godly messages woven through out, a whole lotta twists, and a dash of humor. Beth and Michael's characters will quickly work their way into your heart and they will stay there. They will take you on the whirl wind that is investigations, and lead you on a roller coaster ride that is evident with murders. Following Michael and Beth along the streets of Savannah (I've been once, and fell in love with the quaint town!) was so much fun! I was definitely on the edge of my seat for each page and stayed up long into the night reading.</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"> Ms. Ellis is a wonderful author. I haven't had the pleasure of reading books 1-3 in this Secrets Of The South Mysteries series, but this 4th installment didn't leave me confused. I was easily drawn in and had so much fun trying to figure out the clues.  The plot twists are perfectly written and the ending is amazing! I am looking forward to going back and seeing where these awesome mysteries began and meet the characters of this series from the start. I highly recommend this read with 5 stars and hats off.</span><a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-sunset-in-old-savannah-by-mary-ellis/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>