Blog Archives
Quickie Book Review – Spirit Horses by Alan S. Evans
Spirit Horses by Alan S. Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What was Great: The plot, characters, emotions, scenery and plight of the horses.
What I had a problem with: the chunks of “story teller” passages.
I understand the need to condense larger amounts of information for the sake of book length, but I didn’t care for the longer voice-over type of narratives toward the beginning of the novel. I felt like a really good editor would have pruned and condensed these areas for better readability. Had it not been for the things that were great about this novel, I wouldn’t have been able to overlook the parts that irked me.
Now, with all that said, this is a book that I could see some Hollywood big-shot making into a fabulous movie. It has it all– heartache, tragedy, a man on a mission, second-chance love, beautiful scenery, historical references, and an ending that you won’t see coming.
Book Review – Life is But A Dream: On the Lake by Cheryl Shireman
Life is But a Dream: On the Lake by Cheryl Shireman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s not everyday that a book can be depressing one minute and funny the next. Or suspenseful. Or both. But this novel manages to run the gamut of human emotions, much like real life.
I found the writing to be exquisite and insightful. Most of the character’s were fully fleshed-out and just quirky enough to feel real and not contrived.
I’m still thinking about this book a few days later, so that has to tell you something about it’s ability to invade your neural pathways and hang around for a while!
Read it. Seriously.
Book Review – Death’s Hand by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Like my review for other books in this series, I loved the non-stop, pulse-pounding action in this book. The characters are flawed (human, working on their own issues and emotions)and compelling, the author’s knowledge of weaponry and fight scenarios is A+ and I can’t get enough of these books!
Book Review – Thoroughly Modern Monsters by Jennifer Rainey
Thoroughly Modern Monsters by Jennifer Rainey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If these stories contained in this collection are any indication of the freaking genius lurking in Rainey’s mind, I foresee many fantastic books to come in the future. I loved the author’s creativity and spunk, which shines through each story in the collection despite their length (which is hard to do, mind you.)
A Day Late… Ebook Deals in Honor of National Coming Out Day (October 11th)
My sister always says I’ll be late to my own funeral. She’s probably right. I can picture it now, the hearse will have a flat, or the driver will be sleeping off a bender under the shade of an old oak tree 
So I *technically* missed National Coming Out Day, but the good news is that the book promo organized by a fellow author to bring awareness to the event is running for several more days, so there’s still time to get some fantastic bargains of at least 50% off (and even some free books!) via Smashwords.
For those of you not familiar with Smashwords, the online book retailer has numerous formats available for customers who have everything from a Kindle to a Nook, and many others.
PROMO LINK: http://www.matthewgrantonline.com/comingoutdaypromo.html
Quickie Book Review – Maggie For Hire by Kate Danley
Maggie for Hire by Kate Danley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not only was this a witty, fun bit of chick-lit-meets-urban-fantasy, but I think I’ve developed a bit of a girl crush on the author. I’m seriously jealous over her way with words and the ease with which her narrative flows, even when she chose quirky phrases. Something about her writing style just shouts Fabulous! to me.
Beyond my latest author crush, the story in itself is inventive and just as creative as the language the author uses. I mean there’s brownies, and then there are Brownies. (Some of my favorite bit are related to that.) But I don’t want to spoil all the fun. Guess you’ll just have to read it!
Book Review – The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
First off, I have to say that whoever designs Susanna Kearsley’s book covers is a flipping genius. (Not the cover to the right– there’s another version for this same book.) I adore most of them… they’re so dreamy and visually stunning.
But enough about my book cover fetish.
This is the first book that I’ve read by Kearsley and it was extremely well written– at times almost poetic with the descriptions. The overall premise was very interesting. I can tell the author likes doing her research, and also has a knack for knowing just how much detail is enough without overburdening the story. And to make this historical bits all the more interesting, she tossed in a few shakes of supernatural spice. (Think ghosts or residual hauntings- nothing with fangs or fur )
As to the plot, I found it a little on the thin side and things felt a little too resolved at the end, while still leaving me with that old “unfinished” feeling. So I wasn’t totally wowed in that regard.
But the writing, the historical detail and the overall atmosphere of The Shadowy Horses was enough to more than make up for the flimsy plotting. So now that I know the author behind all these beautiful covers can actually craft a decent novel too, I’ll be sure to read more books by her in the near future!
(I received this book via Netgalley for review purposes. No monies were exchanged.)
*****The above is the cover I adore!!!
Book Review – Asleep Without Dreaming by Barbara Forte Abate (NEW RELEASE!)
Asleep Without Dreaming by Barbara Forte Abate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sometimes a book is so richly woven that it takes on a life of it’s own, projecting itself in vivid technicolor upon the inner walls of ones mind. Asleep Without Dreaming is one such novel.
Decidedly literary and with a healthy dose of suspense and a light sprinkling of young-love, I was pulled into the dysfunctional relationship that the main character Willa had with her mother, Stella.
And that Stella, let me tell you, is a piece of work.
The author gives us glimpses throughout the novel of Stella’s ways, slowly revealing her character or lack thereof. Meanwhile Willa, who has always had to rely on herself (even as a hungry child stealing vegetables from the neighboring gardens under the cover of night)is uprooted by her flighty mother in the middle of the night to head out for parts unknown. Unfortunately, car trouble takes the drifting mother and daughter of the road completely. Add and escaped convict on the loose, and arsonist, a nosy camp owner and a troubled young handyman, and the ingredients are all there for a life-changing time for Willa as she grows into adulthood.
The cast of characters were all very well developed, even the one that you never actually see. So much so, that I found myself getting mad once or twice like it was my own mother ticking me off and not poor Willa’s mother.
While reading this novel, I could smell the lake and ash drifting on the wind, I could feel the sticky summer heat, taste the sugary bottled pop. Barabara Forte Abate is clearly gifted with the ability to write more than just a good story, as she paints people and places to life with the sure, fine brush strokes of a Master.
Book Review – Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After I finished this book, I felt as if I’d spent an entire weekend watching several seasons worth of an addictive TV show. The passage of time and watching characters grow, react and morph tends to stick with me more so than reading a novel condensed down to a few days.
But that’s not the only reason I’ll remember this novel for a while. It’s that good too. Butterfly has heat (but not too much), a smattering of mystery, complex characters (some of which I hated and loved at the same time), compelling narrative and a patiently-waiting-to-dole-it-out dose of revenge. And how sweet that was!
Book Review- H2O by Austin Boyd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sometimes I find myself reading a book that, despite having a subject matter or theme that I usually go out of my way to avoid, I can’t stop myself from devouring in one sitting. The novel ‘H2O’ was one such read.
The writing was very evocative, which took the unusual premise to a whole new level. So much so that at times I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading. The writing was fluid (sorry, couldn’t help the pun!) and the plot inventive and one of the most unique ones I’ve read in a long time.
The only drawback for me (and apparently not a big enough one to detract from the rating for me) was the religious undertones that crept into the book about halfway through. I wasn’t expecting that and felt a little like the blurb should have mentioned that fact that the novel could be considered Inspirational. The subtext was of a spiritual nature, but obviously Christian based in a passive way. Again, it gave me pause but otherwise I still think this was a fresh, original book.
Kill Me’s Appearance on VampChix & Bite Club
Doh! I completely spaced on telling everyone that my book Kill Me made an appearance over on the wildly popular blog VampChix & Bite Club.
Honestly, this summer is kicking my tail.
Between my other job as a Photographer (wedding and Senior portrai season!), kids, baseball, helping my sis plan her wedding, writing, prepping for back to school… well, you get the picture. I’m uber-busy.
Which is why I’m so thankful for other blogs that read, review or even post about my books. Nothing like web copy that I don’t have to do a thing for!
Book Review- Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I simply adored this book, and managed to devour it about 3 hrs straight. Part romance (but not cliched) and part drama, I felt as though I became the book, experienced it, instead of just reading it. I laughed, I cried, I swooned when appropriate. But mainly I was sad to see it end. Since I can totally see this book being made into a movie (think Fight Club meets The Notebook) I’m hoping that some studio exec gets on it already!
The plot is interesting and the characters flawed enough to feel real. The writing style easy to read, and packed with emotional wallops every now and then. Totally absorbing, this book is.
Book review – The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline M. Battisti
The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline M. Battisti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was so much fun to read. I’m a paranormal fan, and I’ll admit that sometimes books tend to run together in my mind. But I don’t have to worry about that with this new series.
The main character Trinity is a below average shape-shifter. Her dad morphs into big cat, while she spends her monthly transformation chasing mice along side her house cat. Her aloof and somewhat cold mother comes from a long line of powerful witches, yet Trinity can cast a decent spell to save her life. All that changes when a demon starts killing off other supernatural beings in her community and Trinity is called to action.
I loved every bit of this novel. From the quirky, fallible characters to the “oops” date Trinity has with a strange man, it’s one compelling read. The Guardian of Bastet is chock-full of mythology, a decent dose of mystery and suspense and sets up future books very nicely. I keep thinking about this book, so I mean it when I say that I really hope the next one comes sooner rather than later!
