Lifeblood by Gena Showalter

Lifeblood by Gena Showalter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(Book 2 in the Firstlife series)

I love creative worlds that explore the gray that exists between dark and light, but what is best about this series is the underlying themes and messages about the power of humanity to forgive, overcome, and/or evolve.

There are not just good characters and bad ones in this series. Instead, there are electric characters with depth who make a series of both good and bad choices for many different reasons. I can't help but like a book that presents its characters as more than just: the good guy, the bad guy, and their devoted side characters. This world of warfare should be dark, depressing, and brutal, but the story brings a feeling of hope and faith of overcoming past missteps to be a person who is no longer defined by them.

And on top of all that, there are some sentences and phrases in this novel that are so small but also so mighty. I believe they will cling to me for some time.

Pages; 443

After You by Jojo Moyes

After You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize there was another book after Me Before You. That story was emotionally brutal, so obviously I decided to further torture myself by reading the follow up.

It doesn't touch book one (Let's be realistic though--nothing was going to touch that. It's in a realm of its own), which has me wondering if maybe it would have been better not to continue this story.

However, that being said, I did "enjoy" this novel, as much as you can enjoy any novel that is about grief and moving on with life after hard times. I read it quickly, but I wasn't wowed by the last 1/4 of the book.

If there isn't going to be a 3rd book, I probably should have been stingier with my stars. Although, now that I reflect back on the impact the 1st book had on me, I'm questioning if it actually would have been better to leave this at 1 novel.

One thing to note if you listen to the audiobook is that it is cued to such a low volume for Overdrive that I struggled to hear even at the maximum volume for my headphones and my phone. Also, the narration is good but drags, which is typically not an issue. I listen to most audiobooks at double speed or faster anyway, but this is one that is very difficult to speed up due to the dips of volume in the speaker's voice, her accent, and a general lack of clarity in words and across sentences that becomes even more present at a higher speed. If you want to try the audio, maybe try Audible (instead of using Overdrive from your library), as they have more options and their files tend to play back at a level where you can at least differentiate all the words in a sentence without some falling away. I almost had to give up on the audio and switch to ebook, because it was so frustrating.

Pages: 353

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Summary: "Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She's made a mistake so huge, it'll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she's mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they've hired a lawyer--and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can't sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope--and finds love--is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake."

I've been on a Sophie Kinsella binge lately, but I think it's time to step away and take a break. I noticed some similar themes and plot points in this novel as the Shopaholic books, and it's just a little too stale for me. Overall, this is a good chick-lit novel, and had some laugh-out-loud moments. I enjoyed all the characters and it was a good reflection on life's priorities. 

374 pages

Saving Alex by Alex Cooper

Saving Alex: When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That's When My Nightmare Began by Alex Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The teacher that still lurks inside me fought a constant battle between rage and sorrow while reading this true story. I’m horrified that any adult would behave this way towards a child, despite the fact that I’ve seen and heard even worse.


POTENTIAL SPOILERS: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

I’m proud of Alex but ashamed of many of the adults in this novel, including her parents, whom I still find to be an epic disappointment. I don’t feel that sacrificing basic humanity and kindness is ever acceptable behavior, regardless of your religious beliefs.

I appreciate how facts and statistics about the LGBT community were included, so it becomes clear that this was not just a rare or random act of abuse, intolerance, and hatred.

From my perspective, the parents both belong in jail (as well as the Siales), and they should consider themselves lucky that Alex protected them, despite the fact that they never protected her. Their neglect and complete lack of support, even after finding out what she suffered, is appalling.

This book will make you angry, sad, and hopeful. If it doesn’t, then you might need to take a long look in the mirror and reevaluate your life and perspectives.

Pages: 256

Starfall by Melissa Landers

Starfall by Melissa Landers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It breaks my heart to rate this so low, as I typically love Landers. This is actually a 2.5 for me. I confess there were times when I just wanted it to end.

It’s a situation where there are caricatures, instead of characters. People who should be dynamic feel flat, including the much beloved couple from Starflight. They become side characters in this novel, and I barely recognized them. In fact, I only became sure it was actually them when I looked it up online to reconfirm it. They were so one-dimensional that nothing but their names seemed familiar.

I struggled to pay attention and push forward throughout this story. Something just went wrong here. I suspect this story did not go through as much rewriting and editing as it truly needed. There was some good stuff hidden between the mess and the blah, but it was not enough to hang a story on.

What sucks the most is that I adored this pair until they got their own story. Then they become boring, and their love story felt trite and full of clichés. I finished this book yesterday, and I can't even remember how it ended.

Pages: 368

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

YA Fantasy: Alice in Wonderland/Queen of Hearts Retelling



First, I said hello to this fascinating new story:



It was so delightful:




Until it wasn’t:




And then:



Followed by:



Pages: 453

The Siren by Kiera Cass

The Siren by Kiera Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book!

Sure, it’s a bit cheesy at times, but the world and characters are interesting, overall. And yes, there’s some insta-romance, but it mostly works. This book has plenty of drama, as you would expect from Cass, and it’s a fast, easy read.

It wants my love, but I think we’ll just be friends. . .

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Cut by Patricia McCormick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

McCormick is well-known in YA for writing issue novels that deal with hard topics, which is why I both love and hate her stories. I confess I have intentionally avoided this particular book for almost a decade, though I knew it would be a well-crafted novel.

McCormick talks about the things that adults often don’t want to talk about with teens, and she incorporates issues that affect teens into the heart of her stories in a way that is honest, raw, and relatable. Her stories tend to be emotionally painful, but she writes ugliness in such a beautiful way. That’s why I falter every time I approach one of her novels in my TBR. I can never decide if today is the day that I’m willing to become an emotional wreck over a book.

I guess today was finally the day, as I read it straight through (it’s super short), and this book wasn’t as painful as I anticipated. In fact, I found it to be quite hopeful in a dark, whispery sort of way.

Pages: 151

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This just wasn't for me, despite how promising it sounded. The telling in the beginning put me off. I felt detached from the characters and their issues, and the world building was far too weak for me. The story is frequently unclear and leaves a lot to be assumed, but I had trouble drawing assumptions that I had any faith in, which is rare for me while reading. Honestly, in the first half of the book, I had no idea what was going on about 30% of the time.

Everything is a mystery, but not in a fun, exciting, intentional sort of way... more in an author being so close to their work that they failed to thoroughly tell the story to those who don't live inside the author's head. I found it tiring and confusing, and I almost DNF'd a hundred times. But we have a work blog, and I wanted credit for finishing, thus I powered onward, paying less attention each chapter, which did not help with my perpetual confusion.

In addition, I don't like most of the characters, which is not a mark against the book. Some of my favorite characters in literature are the ones I hate the most. I'm more than happy to read about unlikeable characters, but the problem was that I couldn't find the energy to take a serious interest in anyone. I guess it wasn't that they were unlikeable, so much as that I was completely uninterested in them (okay, they were also unlikeable but not in a deliciously wicked sort of way, unfortunately).

Also, I confess I'm typically a fan of a love triangle, as a girl needs to have options, but this was one love triangle that made me roll my eyes. I couldn't care if she ended up with either, because none of them belong together. It was just drawn out and annoying, with none of that delicious will-they-or-won't-they tension.

Last, but not least, the story feels painfully long, though I've read much longer books much faster. My score is actually a 2.5 that I will round up, to be fair, as the concept had the potential to be good. Plus, the writing was occasionally good, just not consistent. Also, it's always possible when listening to an audiobook that my poor listening may have contributed to my dislike of a certain story. I hope that happened here, at least a little bit, because I really hate disliking a book that I wanted to enjoy.

Pages: 448

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was refreshing to read about maintaing love in a marriage rather than finding love as so many romances are about. The characters are likeable but not perfect, just as real people are. This book was entertaining but not memorable. Audiobook

385 pages.

View all my reviews

Aerie by Maria Dahvana Headley

Aerie by Maria Dahvana Headley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Book 2 in the Magonia series.

It has some moments that are good, but it just doesn't touch book one in story, style, character development, or world building. And I'm pretty sad about that, though I don't regret reading it.

Pages: 320

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was high on my list when I saw Laura posted a review. 

That prompted me to hurry up and pick up this story, and since she basically summed up the story and my feelings, I don't have much more to add. I definitely agree that I wish there had been more interaction between some of my favorite teenage characters, but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this story.

If Katie McGarry wrote legal briefs, I would read them. She has a magic touch when it comes to writing, much like Colleen Hoover and Sarah Fine. There's something about the way they all craft stories that is completely undeniable. They could partner to write a self-help book (a genre I typically hate), about slug farms (um...what?), with an emphasis on quantum mechanics (blech), and I WOULD READ THAT BOOK.

Pages: 408

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

Summary: "Forced to live according to her motorcycle club father's strict gender code, 17-year-old Violet takes matters into her own hands to protect her younger brother when their father is killed carrying out gang business, a situation that separates her from the boy she loves and causes her to be targeted by a rival club."

Long Way Home is the third and highly anticipated installment in the Thunder Road series by Katie McGarry. I could NOT wait to get my hands on this book! Violet and Chevy (characters we meet in the previous books) finally get their own beautiful story, and it was amazing! I never wanted it to end; it almost felt too short, even though it's 408 pages! Characters from Katie's Pushing the Limits series were also interwoven with Chevy's story, which was amazing! However, I wish all the characters had interacted much, much more.

I hope she continues this series!

408 pages

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Summary: "High school senior Cara Sweeney gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to participate in earth's first intergalactic high school exchange program."

Melissa Landers is such a fun and relatable author. Her characters are real, flawed and intriguing. Their personalities really jump off the page! I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.

344 pages

Tea with Jam and Dread (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #20) by Tamar Myers

  Tea with Jam and Dread (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery # 20) 

  by Tamar Myers

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Magdalena decides to expand advertising for her Bed and Breakfast, Penn-Dutch Inn, to Europe. Her best friend Agnes arranges for the Earl and Countess Grimsley-Snodgrass and their children to be guests. Agnes tries to prompt Magdalena in all things British and aristocratic and Magdalena learns that maybe her regular guests really aren't that annoying. Then tragedy strikes and one of the Earl's sons disappears over the edge of a cliff during a picnic. Did he fall or was he pushed and just where is the body?

Tamar Myers recovers here, from whatever happened to her storytelling in books 18 and 19 of the series. 

Pages: 217

Reliquary Trilogy by Sarah Fine (3 books)

Reliquary by Sarah Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a dark and twisty adult paranormal novel. The characters are salty, and the story is spicy.

It continues to prove that Sarah Fine is an excellent writer with a head full of strange ideas and stories that I always enjoy reading. She has a real knack for pacing and plot, which I don't typically recognize until after I have raced through another of her stories. They all read so easily that I rarely pick up something by her and don't finish it the same day.

Also, the audiobook reader (Carly Robins) is excellent, and she has to deal with a wide variety of personalities and even accents in this series.

Pages: 306


Splinter by Sarah Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 2 is also excellent, though I at times wanted to shake the MC for her thought, actions, and behaviors. She just handles things in a way that is quite different from me, though that should be expected, as she is not me.

This book suffers under the illusion of a love triangle, though it's clear one point of the triangle doesn't belong in the equation.

Pages: 306


 Mosaic by Sarah Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not the last book in the series. I don't accept that is the case, based on the ending. If it is, then my rating should lose a star.

However, despite Fine's penchant for trilogies, I don't think she's done with this series, which makes the end of book 3 completely logical and understandable. Fine has a way of ending series that is complete and satisfying, so I think perhaps this series needs 1 or 2 more books, as we don't seem to have come to the end of the Mattie's story.

I remain hopeful and will patiently wait for Fine to write book 4, even though that might not have been the publisher's original intention for this series.

Pages: 310

By Your Side by Kasie West

Summary: "When Autumn finds herself accidentally locked in the library all weekend with Dax, a loner with a bad reputaton, she is surprised at the connection that develops between them."

Trapped in a library! Everyone's daydream, no?! Well, this was almost a really cute story, but it didn't quite live up to my lofty expectations. I would have liked more interaction in the library itself! But overall, the story was just as cute and fun as Kasie West's other books; it just didn't quite make the leap from good to great.

342 pages

Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

  Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published in 2008 long before Eric Greitens became the Governor of Missouri, this title not only shows the reader some of his award winning photography, but also gives you a glimpse into how he views the world and all of its people and the experiences that led him to this viewpoint. As the title implies he believes that one needs both strength and compassion to not only be a good leader and person, but in some cases just to survive horrible events. The photos are from his research and documentary photography work with children and families in Rwanda, Albania, Mexico, India, Croatia, Bolivia, and Cambodia and even though some show the horrible side of humanity there is also hope. 

Awards:
New York Book Festival, Winner for Photography and Grand Prize Winner
Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, Gold Medal for Photography
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner for Photography
Silver Medalist for the Nautilus Book Awards for Art/Photography Book
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Photography Book

Pages: 172

The Glass is Always Greener (Den of Antiquity #16) by Tamar Myers

 The Glass is Always Greener (Den of Antiquity #16) by Tamar Myers

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Abigail Timberlake's current adventure occurs when she goes with her best friend, Rob, to one of his family gatherings as "moral support." Unfortunately, Rob's aunt who is hosting the party, treats everyone cruelly at the party and a short time later is found dead by Abby. Of course, since she is not a relative and she found the body she is the top suspect. Can Abby not only clear her name, but help Rob and his mother mend emotional fences?

Pages: 279

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I purchased this book 2 years ago, then almost immediately decide it was probably just another book with a gorgeous cover that wouldn't actually be that good. So I set it aside out of fear of disappointment. I then crossed paths with the book almost every month, and even downloaded the audio version from the library no less than 8 times, without ever once even starting to read a single sentence.

I am an idiot.

Typically, when I do this, I set myself up for failure, as the longer I worry about and delay reading a story (due to a sudden influx of low expectations), my expectations for it actually rise. I only forced myself to pick it up last night, as 3 other people recommended it to me this past week. I promised myself that if I just started it, I would allow myself to quit reading when it became awful.

Again, I am an idiot.

Here's the bottom line:
This YA fantasy novel is so unique and gorgeous that I still don't even understand 1/100th of the world in which it occurred, and yet I am head over heels in love with it. It's a refreshing read, that feels a bit like a bizarre dream, and I will be starting book 2 ASAP.

Pages: 309

The Death of Pie (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #19)

 The Death of Pie (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #19)

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The title is a play off the book and movie title, the Life of Pi, but has nothing to do with that story. This book follows Butter Off Dead in the Penn-Dutch series. The events and timeline of Butter off Dead were confusing to say the least. I thought I had missed some books in the series but other events seemed to happen right after the previous book and a few even prior to the previous title. Then along comes, Death of Pie, to explain that the last book was a tell-all about the townspeople from a mystery novelist who was a guest at the Penn-Dutch Inn. This book is supposed to be the mystery of who killed the author to get even. But it meanders badly, the limited clues are all there in the first few chapters. Had I known I would have skipped Butter Off Dead all together. It is not necessary to read it for this story at all. Really hope the next story is better or the author ties up this series and moves on. Pages: 200

Butter Safe Than Sorry (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #18)

 Butter Safe Than Sorry (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #18)

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars 

This book was quite confusing. Events happening in this book were years later than the previous title in this series and yet in this story somethings that happened earlier were happening again. Perhaps author was rushed to wrap up the series? Something went awry. 

Pages:  259