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Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Time of My Life in Books
Mar 7, 2018
The Time of My Life by Nora Phoenix
Nora Phoenix is a relatively new author to me. I've only read her No Shame series up until this one. For No Shame, I was hooked. I loved how Ms. Phoenix was able to introduce her characters and ways of living. So when I saw The Time of My Life I immediately signed up to review.
And I am glad that I did!!!
This is an amazing story, that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. The characters, whether they are there to be liked or loathed, all ring true, and sometimes in a whole that's-too-realistic-and-it's-scary kind of way! Judah and Denver are very different, in more ways that one, but they complement each other perfectly. The path to true love is never smooth though, and these two know that more than most.
I honestly don't want to talk too much about particular points in the story as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. For myself, I loved going in blind, not knowing anything about it. What I can and will say is that there are no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Spread out over time, this is no insta-love, but it builds up over time, making it all the sweeter. The pacing is smooth and the transitions from one scene to the next are flawless.
Just one more thing that made me laugh to myself - and yes, this is a big hint, I guess - I never considered the title of the book until the ending. Perfect.
Absolutely recommended by me!
* 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!
And I am glad that I did!!!
This is an amazing story, that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. The characters, whether they are there to be liked or loathed, all ring true, and sometimes in a whole that's-too-realistic-and-it's-scary kind of way! Judah and Denver are very different, in more ways that one, but they complement each other perfectly. The path to true love is never smooth though, and these two know that more than most.
I honestly don't want to talk too much about particular points in the story as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. For myself, I loved going in blind, not knowing anything about it. What I can and will say is that there are no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Spread out over time, this is no insta-love, but it builds up over time, making it all the sweeter. The pacing is smooth and the transitions from one scene to the next are flawless.
Just one more thing that made me laugh to myself - and yes, this is a big hint, I guess - I never considered the title of the book until the ending. Perfect.
Absolutely recommended by me!
* 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!
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Surfacing in Books
Nov 28, 2017
Surfacing by Daniel Stephens
Surfacing is the engrossing story of a young man, hurt beyond belief and grieving, lost to his world but desperately trying to reconnect. Everywhere he turns, he drowns in memories of the life and loves that have been taken from him. So he returns to his roots, to the cabin where he spent the summers with his grandparents, hoping to find some solace. What he finds is a family - a group of people where many of them remember him from his youth. Where he can find out just who he is, and learn to deal with the grief, and maybe even move forwards and find love again.
The descriptions in this book are second to none - whether it is the characters, the wolf, or even the cabin. They will pull you in and keep you reading. It is a story of pain, of loss, of heartbreak. And yet there is also the glimmer of hope, of the future, if only you feed the right wolf! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. Whilst this book is also about love, the only thing that is 'shown' is kissing - the rest is fade to black.
This is a poignant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend to all.
* 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!
The descriptions in this book are second to none - whether it is the characters, the wolf, or even the cabin. They will pull you in and keep you reading. It is a story of pain, of loss, of heartbreak. And yet there is also the glimmer of hope, of the future, if only you feed the right wolf! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. Whilst this book is also about love, the only thing that is 'shown' is kissing - the rest is fade to black.
This is a poignant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend to all.
* 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 (11950 KP) rated Chalvaren Rising (Kingdom of Chalvaren #2) in Books
May 5, 2023
Different worlds, dragons, elves, evil yet misguided women - what more could you ask for?
Now, this is the first 'full' book in the Kingdom of Chalvaren series, although there is the novella in which our two main characters meet. What made this book interesting for me is that they were already 'together' right at the start. So although I knew that things had moved quickly in the prequel, it actually made for fantastic reading as the two of them got to know each other and explored their feelings for each other. Trust me when I say those feelings run hot! Their relationship has the normal ups, downs and misunderstandings that occur when two people are trying to live together and that made for excellent reading. Throw in a world in chaos, with a crazy woman trying to resurrect the dead along with killing the dragons, you have an action-packed world, full of character and heart.
With a smooth, steady pace and excitement on every page, this is a wonderful Fantasy Action Romance. I know that there are two books in this series but I am really hoping for more. I loved the world of Chalvaren and hope to see more of it, and the dragons, in the future. Highly recommended for all fans of Fantasy!
* 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!
Nov 25, 2015
Now, this is the first 'full' book in the Kingdom of Chalvaren series, although there is the novella in which our two main characters meet. What made this book interesting for me is that they were already 'together' right at the start. So although I knew that things had moved quickly in the prequel, it actually made for fantastic reading as the two of them got to know each other and explored their feelings for each other. Trust me when I say those feelings run hot! Their relationship has the normal ups, downs and misunderstandings that occur when two people are trying to live together and that made for excellent reading. Throw in a world in chaos, with a crazy woman trying to resurrect the dead along with killing the dragons, you have an action-packed world, full of character and heart.
With a smooth, steady pace and excitement on every page, this is a wonderful Fantasy Action Romance. I know that there are two books in this series but I am really hoping for more. I loved the world of Chalvaren and hope to see more of it, and the dragons, in the future. Highly recommended for all fans of Fantasy!
* 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!
Nov 25, 2015
I have to admit, when I first started reading this book I did stop several times, look at the cover and the blurb and think “What the heck am I reading?”
This is the first Max Porter novel I have read. He has a very interesting way of laying out his prose which baffles the brain at first, but once you adapt to the flow you just float along with the story. The book is broken up into three parts, and each part is told in a different but distinctive way.
Lanny is a young boy with a gift, a very peculiar gift that his parents can’t quite figure out. So Lanny’s mother enlists the help of ‘Pete’ a local grizzled artist to teach the boy and harness some of his ‘eccentricities’. However, a mysterious event soon throws the lives of Lanny’s parents, Pete, and indeed the whole village in to utter chaos. Questions are asked, relationships are closely examined, but what really lies beneath all that goes on in this little village just outside of London.
One aspect of the book I admired was in part two, after the main turning point of the story. This part of the book is told in sporadic paragraphs of peoples thoughts and deeds during the event. It’s not always clear whose thought or deed you’re reading (and it’s not always necessary to know) but through this episodic storytelling you build up a picture not only of what is happening but how the people involved are feeling about it.
This was very cleverly written and the way that Porter plays with words builds up a very vivid image of the events happening in ‘Lanny’. What Porter has shown us is that in order to tell a good story you don’t necessarily have to write in a smooth and progressive way, sometimes you just have to throw words at the pages and see what sticks!
This is the first Max Porter novel I have read. He has a very interesting way of laying out his prose which baffles the brain at first, but once you adapt to the flow you just float along with the story. The book is broken up into three parts, and each part is told in a different but distinctive way.
Lanny is a young boy with a gift, a very peculiar gift that his parents can’t quite figure out. So Lanny’s mother enlists the help of ‘Pete’ a local grizzled artist to teach the boy and harness some of his ‘eccentricities’. However, a mysterious event soon throws the lives of Lanny’s parents, Pete, and indeed the whole village in to utter chaos. Questions are asked, relationships are closely examined, but what really lies beneath all that goes on in this little village just outside of London.
One aspect of the book I admired was in part two, after the main turning point of the story. This part of the book is told in sporadic paragraphs of peoples thoughts and deeds during the event. It’s not always clear whose thought or deed you’re reading (and it’s not always necessary to know) but through this episodic storytelling you build up a picture not only of what is happening but how the people involved are feeling about it.
This was very cleverly written and the way that Porter plays with words builds up a very vivid image of the events happening in ‘Lanny’. What Porter has shown us is that in order to tell a good story you don’t necessarily have to write in a smooth and progressive way, sometimes you just have to throw words at the pages and see what sticks!
AT (1676 KP) rated Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther in Books
Feb 15, 2020
I ran across Cat Tale on the New Books shelf at my library. I had no real interest in the subject prior to seeing the cute picture on the cover, along with the bright color scheme. I was also drawn to the word, "Weird," in the title. I flipped the book over, and read the praised reviews on the back, so I decided to give the book a try. I'm so glad that I did! Number one, I live in Florida, but am a transplant from the north. So I see a lot of names on counties, streets, schools, etc., and know them from that, but not from what any of the people or places were involved with in their day. So I did get a little basic name history while reading, which was an added bonus.
The book, itself, reads like a fiction novel. Plus, it's pretty funny throughout, which made it that much more enjoyable! I kept looking names and events up to make sure that they were real when the book seemed too fictional. (They were real.) It's amazing how messed up the whole process got while trying to save the species, and how such a small number of people can end up being so detrimental to any project. There were some unforgettable characters (again, real people!) that assisted Florida during this process. I quickly was drawn to the story and information. To me, it ended up being wildly interesting. Without ruining the details for you, I realize that any non-fiction account needs to be taken with an open mind and a grain of salt at times. However, everything that I questioned was information that could be found easily. I wish more non-fiction books were written for smooth reading like Cat Tale was. Craig Pittman took a potentially dry, possibly boring subject, and made it very engaging all the way through. It's definitely worth reading, if you're even the least bit curious. (Or, if you simply like the cover picture and color scheme!)
The book, itself, reads like a fiction novel. Plus, it's pretty funny throughout, which made it that much more enjoyable! I kept looking names and events up to make sure that they were real when the book seemed too fictional. (They were real.) It's amazing how messed up the whole process got while trying to save the species, and how such a small number of people can end up being so detrimental to any project. There were some unforgettable characters (again, real people!) that assisted Florida during this process. I quickly was drawn to the story and information. To me, it ended up being wildly interesting. Without ruining the details for you, I realize that any non-fiction account needs to be taken with an open mind and a grain of salt at times. However, everything that I questioned was information that could be found easily. I wish more non-fiction books were written for smooth reading like Cat Tale was. Craig Pittman took a potentially dry, possibly boring subject, and made it very engaging all the way through. It's definitely worth reading, if you're even the least bit curious. (Or, if you simply like the cover picture and color scheme!)
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Hidden Deep (Hidden Saga, #1) in Books
Dec 12, 2017
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review when I signed up for the book tour.
I loved this book so much that I had to stay up late to finish reading it because once I started I could not put it down! Ryann is a teenage girl living with her mom and grandmother and due to an "incident" that occurred when she was young, she is overly protected.
Lad is a young and mysterious man who is keeping secrets from Ryann and who also finds himself with some important decisions to make.
Nox is the arrogant band leader who also has a secret that will in time be revealed. You want to hate and love him as you find yourself questioning his ulterior motive.
The storyline kept me on my toes. I was surprised, shocked, happy and sad as I read this book and I love how the author pulled me in from the very beginning. Smooth flowing storyline and well developed characters make this a must read book and I cannot wait until the next book in this trilogy is released.
I loved this book so much that I had to stay up late to finish reading it because once I started I could not put it down! Ryann is a teenage girl living with her mom and grandmother and due to an "incident" that occurred when she was young, she is overly protected.
Lad is a young and mysterious man who is keeping secrets from Ryann and who also finds himself with some important decisions to make.
Nox is the arrogant band leader who also has a secret that will in time be revealed. You want to hate and love him as you find yourself questioning his ulterior motive.
The storyline kept me on my toes. I was surprised, shocked, happy and sad as I read this book and I love how the author pulled me in from the very beginning. Smooth flowing storyline and well developed characters make this a must read book and I cannot wait until the next book in this trilogy is released.
It’s time for Homestead Days in the town of Broken Boot, Texas, and the big draw this year is up and coming country singer Jeff Clark, who happens to be the ex of Josie Callahan’s best friend Patti. At the opening night concert, the two seem to be reconnecting, but the next morning, Josie finds Jeff dead in Patti’s living room. Naturally, the police think Patti makes a great suspect, and with pressure to wrap the case up quickly, they aren’t looking for many other suspects. That means it is up to Josie to clear her best friend. But can she do it?
This is a fun second entry in the series. I did find the book needed another pass to truly smooth out a few of the scenes, but it was still definitely worth reading. The characters are unique for a cozy and truly so much fun. The plot gives us great suspects and twists right until the can-only-happen-in-Texas climax.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-good-bad-and-guacamole-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a fun second entry in the series. I did find the book needed another pass to truly smooth out a few of the scenes, but it was still definitely worth reading. The characters are unique for a cozy and truly so much fun. The plot gives us great suspects and twists right until the can-only-happen-in-Texas climax.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-good-bad-and-guacamole-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated No Filter (no shame series book 1) in Books
Feb 27, 2018
No Filter (No Shame #1) by Nora Phoenix
No Filter is the first book in the No Shames series, and we meet Indy, who is disguised as a woman. The reasons for this become clear, so don't worry about that. He meets Josh in a shop, and has to help him in an unusual way to stop him from being hurt. This in turn leads him to meeting Noah.
I won't say any more about the story, but I will say that this is one of the best written, original, storylines I've had the pleasure of reading. Nothing is plain and simple, but you are kept within the story as you learn more about situations and circumstances.
With no editing or grammatical errors, this book was a delight to read. It had a smooth pacing to it, and the writing style was very easy to read. It does contain parts about abuse and PTSD, but I thought it was written very well indeed, telling of the horror without glamorising the events.
Looking forward to the rest of the series, and highly recommended by me.
I won't say any more about the story, but I will say that this is one of the best written, original, storylines I've had the pleasure of reading. Nothing is plain and simple, but you are kept within the story as you learn more about situations and circumstances.
With no editing or grammatical errors, this book was a delight to read. It had a smooth pacing to it, and the writing style was very easy to read. It does contain parts about abuse and PTSD, but I thought it was written very well indeed, telling of the horror without glamorising the events.
Looking forward to the rest of the series, and highly recommended by me.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Blood of Four Gods and Other Stories in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The Blood of Four Gods and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Jamie Lackey, with a strong Asian/Native American theme. None of the stories are guaranteed a HAE, and in fact, I would say at least half have their own particular ending. These stories are all very vivid when you read them, which is excellent - Jamie Lackey's descriptive voice is in full flow. However, some of them are not so 'nice' to read, and so the descriptions can make you swallow slightly as you read them. Some only seem like snippets, and I would love to know more about the characters and the worlds in which they live.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories. With smooth pacing, well rounded characters, and with individual stories for each and every one, this is a wonderful collection of stories, sure to delight. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories. With smooth pacing, well rounded characters, and with individual stories for each and every one, this is a wonderful collection of stories, sure to delight. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Angel's Flight (Legion of Angels, #8) in Books
Jan 9, 2020
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library.
This starts from where the last one left off. Leda is now an angel. Pandora, The Angel of Chaos. She is given her own territory but things never run smooth for Leda. There's a plague of issues attacking the New York City office of the Legion, making its members turn on each other and causing mayhem that eventually starts to travel further afield to the Chicago office and beyond. Initially suspecting demons, Leda and the team try to find the cause but there's nothing that stands out. Then Nerissa, the Legion doctor figures it out, taking everyone by surprise.
I don't want to spoil it by going into too much detail, you'll have to read it to see what else happens in this one.
I do enjoy reading this cast of characters. I love Leda and Nero. I've been cheering them on from their first meeting in book 1, so to see them so happy makes me want to squeal in excitement. They are the perfect bad-arse angel couple.
I cannot wait to read more of this series and this couple.
This starts from where the last one left off. Leda is now an angel. Pandora, The Angel of Chaos. She is given her own territory but things never run smooth for Leda. There's a plague of issues attacking the New York City office of the Legion, making its members turn on each other and causing mayhem that eventually starts to travel further afield to the Chicago office and beyond. Initially suspecting demons, Leda and the team try to find the cause but there's nothing that stands out. Then Nerissa, the Legion doctor figures it out, taking everyone by surprise.
I don't want to spoil it by going into too much detail, you'll have to read it to see what else happens in this one.
I do enjoy reading this cast of characters. I love Leda and Nero. I've been cheering them on from their first meeting in book 1, so to see them so happy makes me want to squeal in excitement. They are the perfect bad-arse angel couple.
I cannot wait to read more of this series and this couple.