tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26429186329857588632024-02-19T10:50:27.051-05:00Surrounded By Books ReviewsCherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-2040995750448326662013-12-18T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-18T07:00:13.984-05:00Surrounded by Books Reviews Closing Its DoorsIt is with a great deal of sadness for me to announce that this will be the last blog post on Surrounded by Books Reviews.<br />
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I started this blog back in August 2010. Since then I have reviewed almost 200 books. I have participated in memes such as Teaser Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday. We have almost 200 blog followers and over 30,000 page views. It's been a great time, and I don't regret for a second for creating this blog.<br />
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However, creating material for two blogs has gotten to be too much over the years. At one point I was posting eight times a week between the two blogs. Lately, I had been posting four times a week on two blogs, and it still didn't give me as much time as I'd like to do everything. I had to make a choice, so unfortunately Surrounded by Books Reviews has to close.<br />
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But I do hope you'll follow me over at my other blog, <a href="http://cheriereich.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cherie Reich - Author</a>. I will mainly be posting on Wednesdays there. On the fourth Wednesday of the month, I will be posting book reviews (along with my bookworm ratings) on my other blog in my segment Bookworm News, so I will still be reading and reviewing, just not here. You can also follow my reviews on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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Thank you for reading this blog, and I hope you've found a new book or two to read during these years.Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-67948221467135561492013-12-16T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-16T07:30:03.744-05:00Book Review: Dangerous Depths by Karen Amanda Hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Dangerous Depths</i><br />
Series: The Sea Monster Memoirs #2<br />
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper<br />
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing (November 20, 2013)<br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
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Format Read: Ebook ARC<br />
Length: Novel<br />
Source: Author<br />
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Hell hath no fury like a selkie separated from his true love.<br />
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The gate to the sea creature realm is finally open. Yara wants to bask in the glow of her budding relationship with Treygan and explore Medusa’s world, but as the new leader of Rathe her powers are needed to save a sea creature she’s never met. <br />
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Rownan assumes the worst is behind him when he returns home to be reunited with his wife, Vienna, only to discover she’s gone. She traveled to the evil realm of Harte to find another gateway to Earth and was never heard from again. Rownan claimed he would go through hell to be with her, and now he must prove it. <br />
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Rownan, Yara, and Treygan will put their lives and souls at risk by traveling to the most dangerous realm of all. Love is supposed to conquer all, but no one has ever conquered Harte.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13412960-dangerous-depths" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13412960-dangerous-depths" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> Rowan ran his hand over his goatee. “We’re going to burn to death, aren’t we? Who would have though hell would be so predictable?” [44% Ebook ARC. I have to admit I loved the hell puns and jokes while they are in Harte (i.e. hell).]<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> Yara thought her Triple Eighteen was hell, but she’s seen nothing yet in Karen Amanda Hooper’s <i>Dangerous Depths</i>.<br />
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This novel is told through three points of view: Yara (mermaid/selkie/siren/gorgon/human), Rownan (selkie/human), and Nixie (siren). Yara struggles with her new powers while exploring her love for Treygan and her new home of Rathe. In <i>Tangled Tides</i>, I didn’t care much for Rownan, but his motivations become so clear and his love for Vienna is so pure and powerful. He would literally go through hell for her. The character who grew the most for me was Nixie. I loved her chapters and seeing her moments with the sprites.<br />
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Hooper’s world building is amazing. I loved seeing the beauty of Rathe, cringed at the horrors of Harte, and enjoyed the additions to her sea monsters’ worlds. The fast-paced plot increased the tension, which was punctuated by moments of humor and love. The end made me cry with its heart-breaking beauty.<br />
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<i>Dangerous Depths</i> by Karen Amanda Hooper makes me wish I could live in Rathe too or at least have the ability to draw the exquisite world. I highly recommend this novel and the Sea Monster Memoirs series.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The Other Book in this Series:</b></u></span></div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBr1P9Vc3L1okHW3PMGILAQlgNqdVfTMukHIiOkIQ8VY14dXJ95mFRkl29cmuDEKkfw52x8TQVDShY89r0KGZ1mEALP0RS9R_080qH5lq7sS1e7JhF95oNpJ06BbHxIYt74pL2UPwyx4/s200/tangledtides.jpg" width="126" /> </div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/tangled-tides-by-karen-amanda-hooper.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review. </div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-32711589581700515012013-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-16T07:00:06.821-05:00Book Review: White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>White Fire</i><br />Series: Pendergast #13<br />Authors: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child<br />Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 12, 2013)<br />Genre: Thriller<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook ARC<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: NetGalley<br /><br />Past and present collide in Preston and Child's most thrilling novel ever . . .<br /><br />WHITE FIRE<br /><br />Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who—with brutal precision--begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear. Her finding is so astonishing that it, even more than the arsonist, threatens the resort's very existence.<br /><br />Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story—one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.<br /><br />Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack—and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger—Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159011-white-fire" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159011-white-fire" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> “That’s a really good question. But it’s one o’clock, and I don’t know about you, but I’m so hungry I could eat a couple of miners myself.” [43% Ebook ARC. Although it’s terrible, I had to laugh.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Bones hold the answers to 150-year old murders of miners and the arsonist currently razing the homes in a Colorado ski resort town in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s <i>White Fire</i>.<br /><br />Although I own several Pendergast novels, this one is the first I’ve had the chance to read and works well as a standalone novel. I love Corrie Swanson’s spunkiness and her stubbornness which has a tendency to get her into a lot of trouble. Pendergast comes across as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes with his cold and calculating detective skills with a tiny dash of <i>The Mentalist’s</i> Patrick Jane’s flare. I enjoyed seeing Pendergast’s softer side come out.<br /><br />As a Sherlock Holmes’ fan, I adored the connection to the case with Oscar Wilde’s retelling the miner’s story to Conan Dolye, who used the premise within his own work. The plot glides easily through the past and present, and I loved the addition of a Sherlock Holmes’ tale within the novel. Although I found who the arsonist was predictable, I did enjoy reading the story to see how everything would play out. The dense writing sometimes slowed the pace down, but I didn’t lose interest in the story or characters.<br /><br />I would recommend Preston and Child’s <i>White Fire</i> and look forward to reading previous and future Pendergast novels.<br />
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Four Bookworms = I really liked it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-290439562061082772013-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-11T07:00:04.037-05:00Hook Me: Witch Way to Turn by Karen Y. Bynum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcPehSo25my2_z5GwmWm21Wz3tgcpppGATJ9asn-EjwEuHbckjnpFABGvEhX7xTqarDN5UFR37lDEZh6X56UesVU8NFJSMvvrYIVZWLDelCCqY6CtKULwXSUFsJZXv1lOfuVdm41GW8A/s1600/witchwaytoturn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcPehSo25my2_z5GwmWm21Wz3tgcpppGATJ9asn-EjwEuHbckjnpFABGvEhX7xTqarDN5UFR37lDEZh6X56UesVU8NFJSMvvrYIVZWLDelCCqY6CtKULwXSUFsJZXv1lOfuVdm41GW8A/s320/witchwaytoturn.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b><i>Witch Way to Turn</i><br />
<b>Author:</b> Karen Y. Bynum<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Lyrical Press (August 6, 2012)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Fantasy Romance<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText8362876115018130379">Can you give one guy your heart and another your soul? <br /><br />The
last thing eighteen-year-old Breena Cross needs in her life is more
complications. It’s all she can do to balance studying, working, trying
to keep her foster-sister safe and drooling over the new guy at work.
But things go from complicated to crazy when a fit of rage ignites the
dark magic inside her and she finds herself fending off the supernatural
underworld.<br /><br />Myles, Breena’s drool-worthy coworker and vampire
convict, is carrying a load of secrets--one of which is that he’s
fang-over-lip in love with Breena and in danger of violating the terms
of his sentence. <br /><br />Orin is a soul-hungry assassin sent to kill
Breena. However, he takes one look into her eyes and sees his own lost
humanity. For once thinking of someone other than himself, he chooses
not to end her life, even though it means risking his own. <br /><br />Despite
a convict and an assassin fighting over her, all Breena wants is
custody of her sister. But to do this, she will need help from both
Myles and Orin. And if Breena doesn’t learn to control the darkness
within, she could lose her sister…forever. <br /><br />WARNING: Contains strong language and some graphic content.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8362876115018130379"><b>First line:</b> Breena Cross glanced at her watch.</span><br />
<span id="freeText8362876115018130379"><b>Last line read:</b> She'd taken to Myles fast, following him around like a little lost pup, hanging on his every word.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8362876115018130379"><b>Overall Impressions: </b>Wow! Breena and Jenny's lives are hard to read about. The girls are foster sisters, and my heart ached for them. Breena does everything she can to keep Jenny safe and hopes one day to get her out of the horrible foster home she lives in. The dash of paranormal and fantasy from vampires to witches adds to this very realistic and gritty sample.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8362876115018130379"><b>Would I keep reading?: </b>Yes!</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8362876115018130379"><b>***There will be no Hook Me next Wednesday as I have a special announcement for December 18th.***</b></span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-21406558753086852032013-12-09T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-09T07:30:01.041-05:00Book Review: Darkest Day by Emi Gayle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4LBT10idNNUp-6iV7GYEnAaFGFiug-XkP8i0AfSC38KpmACCRfKokYoifivlPM3uoJ8bvp1dMCbYgHSZE7sgCRXBP-p1ycLzAf-LcWdUbK8lY7FGDepPcbPEArQHyV49PI_CZW3FZog/s1600/darkestday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4LBT10idNNUp-6iV7GYEnAaFGFiug-XkP8i0AfSC38KpmACCRfKokYoifivlPM3uoJ8bvp1dMCbYgHSZE7sgCRXBP-p1ycLzAf-LcWdUbK8lY7FGDepPcbPEArQHyV49PI_CZW3FZog/s320/darkestday.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Title: <i>Darkest Day</i><br />Series: The 19th Year #3<br />Author: Emi Gayle<br />Publisher: J. Taylor Publishing (January 6, 2014)<br />Genre: YA Paranormal<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook ARC<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Publisher<br /><br />Mac Thorne’s time as a Changeling is coming to an end. <br /><br />It may have taken eighteen years, but Mac did finally manage to do what the Council wanted: she chose a teacher and renounced the in-between. <br /><br />There’s just one last step. She must say goodbye to her human. Forever. <br /><br />After being challenged in every way possible, Mac leaves what she thought would be the easiest task for the last possible moment. As midnight on July fourth draws near, though, she hasn’t found a way to give up Winn Thomas. <br /><br />Nor does she want to. <br /><br />With time running out, Mac stands at a literal crossroads. Choose Winn, and she’ll be stripped of the only family she’s ever known — vampires, dragons, and her favorite demon. Even her own mother. Accept her position on the Council and rule as an equal to her twelve peers, and she’ll forget Winn ever existed. <br /><br />Independence and freedom have never before been so limiting. <br /><br />In this final chapter of the 19th Year Trilogy, it’s time for Mac to decide. <br /><br />Responsibility? Or Love?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13348349-darkest-day" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13348349-darkest-day" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teasers:</b></u></span> “So what are you going to do?”<br /><br />The question hung like leaden feathers, ready to drop on top of my head and crush my soul. [11% Ebook ARC. Love this description!]<br /><br />“No. You can’t fall in love for real before you’re like thirty, or something.” [17% Ebook ARC. I’d say that’s about right. LOL!]<br /><br />“Midnight, Cinderella, and no later,” Dad called from behind me. [78% Ebook ARC. This made me laugh.]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review</b></u></span>: Mac must choose between the human boy she loves and her place on a supernatural Council in <i>Darkest Day</i> by Emi Gayle.<br /><br />The third and last installment of the 19th Year Trilogy put this reader through the emotional wringer. I didn’t know what Mac would choose to do until about 89% of the book when it dawned on me how this might work out. To keep out spoilers, certain events broke my heart. I love how strong and honest Mac is, even when people might not want to hear her honesty. Winn is smart and keeps Mac in line, which is quite the challenge. They make a perfect couple. Suze is still my favorite demon ever, and I just love him to pieces.<br /><br />Gayle does an exceptional job at tying up loose ends and bringing a satisfying yet emotional end to her trilogy. The world-building keeps up pace with the previous books and brings about new twists. I love Gayle’s fast-paced writing style. I wanted to sit and read this in one sitting.<br /><br />A fantastic end to a fantastic series, Emi Gayle’s <i>Darkest Day</i> will leave the reader satisfied and yet missing the characters because they’re awesome like that.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Other Books in the Series:</u></b></span></div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKZMS4KeC-RHy4t8Ucc885ftelHvMJkMUs5i6qMQzPycHq1CwyMqsaa9wrFULSq80t7ipABngAf3Wnv4lmHPThfq8-DTuX_t7-_-eMIbxvm9wIsUyyb3drHa7AoQyCuG8y7NY4NuJDcQ/s200/afterdark.jpg" width="130" /> </div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-review-after-dark-by-emi-gayle.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review.</div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oS8RfQx0U7nRdpEqkQKT9LUxAugOuRs4vZMzVSqdUibBeBMPlcb5vauU8iNaryfXrE0cysLSH1TplDiRjeMNWmXt_4nu478iyoCG6bA_J4eJv5ViPm3BRfKGbrGFCaJKBqXLyE9Lw3M/s200/dayafter.jpg" width="130" /> </div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-day-after-by-emi-gayle.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review.</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-10758772273981676492013-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-09T07:00:07.721-05:00Book Review: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Doctor Sleep</i><br />Series: The Shining #2<br />Author: Stephen King<br />Publisher: Scribner (September 24, 2013)<br />Genre: Horror<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased<br /><br /><b>Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, <i>The Shining</i>, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of <i>The Shining</i>) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.</b><br /><br />On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.<br /><br />Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”<br /><br />Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of <i>The Shining</i> and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130549-doctor-sleep" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130549-doctor-sleep" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teasers:</b></u></span> There came a time when you realized that moving on was pointless. That you took yourself with you wherever you went. [10% Ebook. A bit depressing, but very true.]<br /><br />Then, with no reason why, he added: “We’re all dying. The world’s just a hospice with fresh air.” [12% Ebook. As the teaser above, depressing, but a bit true.]<br /><br /><i>All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.</i> [15% Ebook. Love this point originally from Poe.]<br /><br />We thought we had an intruder in the house, only what kind of burglar stops to play a little Beatles before grabbing the silverware? [20% Ebook. This made me laugh.]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> The demons from the old Overlook Hotel are child’s play compared to the ones coming in Stephen King’s <i>Doctor Sleep</i>.<br /><br />The characters shine in this novel. Danny Torrance has grown up, but his troubled past shoves him toward rock bottom. Whether it is luck, coincidence, or a higher power, he makes his way north and toward his salvation in the form of a little girl name Abra Stone. Abra is an intelligent, hard-headed, and loveable girl. I loved how we watched her grow into her shining abilities. Dan’s friends Billy and Doctor John give him the support he needs to do what he needs to do.<br /><br />Although I typically like to keep the monsters of horror novels more in the dark until it’s time to shine the light on them, King wrote the villains perfectly. The True Knot has their areas of gray. They live. They love. They torture. They murder. They are the villains we know well without really knowing them at all.<br /><br />Some of the beginning seemed a bit slow and unrelated to the ongoing plot, but like a turn of a wheel, the novel had a delightful circularity to it and by a third into the book, I found there was no turning back. King creates an amazingly complex plot to go along with the complex characters. And there are revelations that made me gasp and produced goose bumps along my arms. The ending brought tears to my eyes and was just perfect.<br /><br />Whether you’ve read <i>The Shining</i> or not, I highly recommend <i>Doctor Sleep</i> by Stephen King.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-71765768812143674542013-12-04T07:00:00.001-05:002013-12-04T07:00:01.474-05:00Book Review: The Ghosts of Aquinnah by Julie Flanders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>The Ghost of Aquinnah</i><br />Author: Julie Flanders<br />Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing (December 5, 2013)<br />Genre: Paranormal<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook ARC<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Author<br /><br />A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.<br /><br />Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.<br /><br />By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.<br /><br />Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.<br /><br />She shakes her head.<br /><br />For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.<br /><br />Why? ...<br /><br />Who is she? ...<br /><br />Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.<br /><br />What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?<br /><br />Hannah finds out.<br /><br />But, it’s not at all what she expects ...<br /><br />Hannah unravels a century old murder.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18619685-the-ghosts-of-aquinnah" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18619685-the-ghosts-of-aquinnah" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Teaser:</span></b></u> It was almost as if he could see her spirit dripping out from her body and collecting in a puddle at her feet. [27% Ebook ARC. Loved this imagery.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> A woman on a mission, Hannah seeks the mysterious woman who haunts a lighthouse in Aquinnah in Julie Flanders’ <i>The Ghosts of Aquinnah</i>.<br /><br />This novel jumps between current time (2013) and historical Martha’s Vineyard (1884). The mysterious woman Hannah sees upon a webcam one night pulls the reader into the tale of Christopher, a shipwrecked young Irishman, and Stella, a young woman married to a man she doesn’t love. My heart ached for Christopher and Stella and the conflict of their budding feelings of love. At times the parts with Stella reminded me of Kate Chopin’s <i>The Awakening</i>. Josiah, Stella’s husband and the town doctor, played the perfect villain, although one a reader could sympathize with as well.<br /><br />I wish we saw more of Hannah in 2013 Martha’s Vineyard and New England. The novel veered more on Christopher and Stella’s side, but I felt a connection with Hannah and had hoped to delve deeper into her life and conflicts. Her part of the story almost felt a touch anti-climactic compared to Christopher and Stella’s.<br /><br />I loved the settings within this novel and how they can be beautiful with the lighthouses, greenery, and ocean waves as well as mysterious and downright creepy with the thick fog and chilly atmosphere. Flanders’ writing captured the world and the timelines of the story.<br /><br />Touching and tragic, <i>The Ghosts of Aquinnah</i> by Julie Flanders will stick with you.<br />
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Four Bookworms = I really liked it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-26892365639762775012013-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-04T07:00:02.688-05:00Hook Me: In the After by Demitria Lunetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i>In the After</i><br />
<b>Series:</b> In the After #1<br />
<b>Author:</b> Demitria Lunetta<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Harper Teen (June 25, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> YA Dystopian<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText15848028697256398753">They hear the most silent of footsteps.<br />They are faster than anything you've ever seen.<br />And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.<br /><br />Amy
is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them.
These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the
population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue
“Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the
girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.<br /><br />After
years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a
colony of survivors living in a former government research compound.
While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food,
safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal.
And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and
much more.<br /><br />Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable
duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the
pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this
thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15848028697256398753"><b>First line:</b> I only go out at night.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15848028697256398753"><b>Last line read: </b>Whether it was Monday or Wednesday seemed meaningless in the After.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15848028697256398753"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> I love the idea of dystopian with aliens. Too much lately involves some disaster (natural or manmade). The aliens, although they look different, remind me of the ones from the movie <i>Signs</i>. Amy is a strong heroine who will do anything to survive. Sometimes the story reminded me a lot of Julie Kagawa's <i>The Immortal Rules</i>, except Lunetta has aliens instead of vampires. The writing style is fast-paced and a bit jarring at times and the sample had a bit too much backstory for my taste. I would have preferred learning about the world as the story progressed.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15848028697256398753"><b>Would I keep reading?: </b>Maybe. </span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-7982091606026803452013-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:002013-12-02T07:00:07.437-05:00Book Review: Mind Over Magic by William Rabkin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62RBYMft9R2-tp1ZhLOlrywKYzvPsCzBhmj39f7kGAk0vgdsY2aUdR7ey2kO8hm_UyoRuM6c6LCcMJlcTNy787_v4z9ds2nBi7w9W-U9cVZTUeBImqJJkDEc7UTsTRlqempS6krmmZRo/s1600/psychmindovermagic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62RBYMft9R2-tp1ZhLOlrywKYzvPsCzBhmj39f7kGAk0vgdsY2aUdR7ey2kO8hm_UyoRuM6c6LCcMJlcTNy787_v4z9ds2nBi7w9W-U9cVZTUeBImqJJkDEc7UTsTRlqempS6krmmZRo/s320/psychmindovermagic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Title: <i>Mind Over Magic</i><br />Series: Psych #2<br />Author: William Rabkin<br />Publisher: Signet (July 1, 2009)<br />Genre: Mystery, TV tie-in<br /><br />Format: Ebook<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased<br /><br />Based on the hit USA network series. Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic. Now, he's either going to clean up- or be found out.<br /><br />Murder and Magic are all in the mind...<br /><br />When a case takes Shawn and Gus into an exclusive club for professional magicians, they're treated to a private show by the hottest act on the Vegas Strip, "Martian Magician" P'tol P'kah. But when the wizard seemingly dissolves in a tank of water, he never rematerializes. And in his place there's a corpse in a three piece suit and a bowler hat.<br /><br />Eager to keep his golden boy untarnished, the magician's manager hires Shawn and Gus to uncover the identity of the dead man and find out what happened to P'tol P'kah. But to do so, the pair will have to pose as a new mentalist act, and go undercover in a world populated by magicians, mystics, Martians-and one murderer...<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6090439-mind-over-magic" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Teaser:</span></b></u> “Keep up, O’Hara. We’ve got to pull a drunken magician out of a whiskey bottle,” Lassiter snapped, not pausing on his way to the top. [25% Kindle Edition. I had to laugh. That’s so Lassiter!]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> Fans of <i>Psych</i> will enjoy the magic <i>Mind Over Magic</i> by William Rabkin creates between the characters.<br /><br />Shawn and Gus are on another case involving a supposed Martian magician P’tol P’kah and murder. Told mainly from Gus’s point of view, the novel keeps the laughs coming. Like the TV show <i>Psych</i>, there are so many witty and funny lines. Rabkin has a spot-on grasp of these characters.<br /><br />The novel is fast-paced, funny, and at times a tad absurd. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end.<br /><br />If you can’t wait for the next season of <i>Psych</i>, then you might want to give William Rabkin’s <i>Mind Over Magic</i> a try.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Other Books in the Series:</b></u></span></div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/book-review-psych-mind-is-terrible.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review.</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-64673478084398492772013-11-20T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-20T07:00:08.879-05:00Hook Me: The Secret History by Stephanie Thornton and a Blogging Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYA5n6RjB_6PW_DvWF8Q2mvb3xsUiiq-pJRSOvSHREmIE-rpdudCo4bRrvlXtwfRFV-k1E981ouwgfEGZpO8FRo_8usrb0ZosYfrHxRVwyLNn3H3QSxUBkbxiHQU7zGKWu4cZfiWwuIFM/s1600/thesecrethistory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYA5n6RjB_6PW_DvWF8Q2mvb3xsUiiq-pJRSOvSHREmIE-rpdudCo4bRrvlXtwfRFV-k1E981ouwgfEGZpO8FRo_8usrb0ZosYfrHxRVwyLNn3H3QSxUBkbxiHQU7zGKWu4cZfiWwuIFM/s320/thesecrethistory.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <i>The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora</i><br />
<b>Author:</b> Stephanie Thornton<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> NAL Trade (July 2, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Historical Fiction<br />
<br />
<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText10831498383051533213">Where Theodora went, trouble followed…<br /><br />In
sixth century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every
convention and all the odds, and rose from being a common theater tart
to become empress of a great kingdom, the most powerful woman the Roman
Empire would ever know. But the woman whose image was later
immortalized in glittering mosaic was, in fact, a scrappy, clever,
conniving, flesh-and-blood woman full of sensuality and spirit whose
real story is as surprising as any ever told…<br /><br />When her father
dies suddenly, Theodora and her sisters face starvation on the streets.
Determined to survive, Theodora makes a living any way she can—first on
her back with every man who will have her, then on the stage of the
city’s infamous amphitheater in a scandalous dramatization of her own
invention. When her daring performance grants her a back-door entry into
the halls of power, she seizes the chance to win a wealthy
protector—only to face heartbreak and betrayal. <br /><br />Ever resilient,
Theodora rises above such trials and by a twist of fate, meets her most
passionate admirer yet: the Emperor’s nephew. She will thrive as his
confidant and courtesan, but many challenges lie ahead. For one day,
this man will hand her a crown. And all the empire will wonder—is she
bold enough, shrewd enough, and strong enough to keep it?</span><br />
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<span id="freeText10831498383051533213"><b>First line:</b> <i>I am She whom one honors and disdains.</i></span><br />
<span id="freeText10831498383051533213"><b>Last line read: </b>We quickly drained the cup of wine she'd left behind, both making sure to avoid the thick smear of henna on the rim.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText10831498383051533213"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> I must admit I have a soft spot for historicals, especially those around the Roman Empire. This one is a bit beyond my expertise about Rome (I know more about pre-Christian Rome), but I enjoyed it. Theodora is a character anyone could cheer for. She's smart and savvy. Her situation is heart-breaking too. Thornton's writing is exquisite and real. I felt dropped into the time period without it being overwhelming.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText10831498383051533213"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes!</span><br />
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<span id="freeText10831498383051533213"><b>***By the way, since next week is Thanksgiving in the States, I'm taking a blogging week off. I'll be back December 2 with a new book review.***</b></span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-34717720880706002492013-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T07:00:01.990-05:00Book Review: Memento Nora series by Angie Smibert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Memento Nora</i><br />
Series: Memento Nora #1<br />
Author: Angie Smibert<br />
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books (April 1, 2011)<br />
Genre: YA Dystopian<br />
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Format Read: Ebook<br />
Length: Short Novel<br />
Source: Purchased from Amazon<br />
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On an otherwise glossy day, a blast goes off and a body thuds to the ground at Nora's feet. There are terrorist attacks in the city all the time, but Nora can't forget.<br />
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In Nora's world you don't have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC--a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take a pill to erase it so she can go on like nothing ever happened. But at TFC a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember.<br />
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With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9370766-memento-nora" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> I watched him leave. He wasn’t glossy. He wasn’t dreary, either. He was something else.<br />
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He was all there. [5% Ebook. Loved these lines and the impact they have on Nora.]<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Memories are worth saving in Angie Smibert’s <i>Memento Nora</i>.<br />
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Nora is your typical glossy popular girl until she witnesses several events that turn her world upside down. I love how Nora changes throughout the book from popular to almost outcast, and yet it’s for the best. Micah is a great match for Nora as they work together to create their comic book <i>Memento</i>. Winter is unusual, unique, and quite the genius. Although some characters are more forgettable than others, Nora and her friends are all very glossy.<br />
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I loved the dystopian worldbuilding within this novel. The quest for shopping is taken to a whole other level. The idea you can go to a clinic and forget your worries and bad memories is both interesting and terrifying. Although this world is dark, it’s not without hope.<br />
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I enjoyed <i>Memento Nora</i> by Angie Smibert. It’s definitely a glossy novel.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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Title: <i>The Forgetting Curve</i><br />
Series: Momento Nora #2<br />
Author: Angie Smibert<br />
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish (April 1, 2012)<br />
Genre YA Dystopian<br />
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Format Read: Ebook<br />
Length: Short Novel<br />
Source: Purchased from Amazon<br />
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Aiden Nomura likes to open doors especially using his skills as a hacker to see what's hidden inside. He just keeps pulling until one cracks open, exposing the flaws. It's like a game until it isn't. When a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic opens in Bern, Switzerland, near Aiden's boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately. But back home in Hamilton, Winter's mental state isn't the only thing that's different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing. Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn't want to see, things about his society, his city, even his own family. Aiden may be the only one who can fix things before someone else gets hurt.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12597209-the-forgetting-curve" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Teaser:</span></b></u> Do not volunteer for something until you’re sure it doesn’t include manual labor. <i>Book of Velvet</i>. [84% Ebook. So, so true!]<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Forgetting isn’t an option in Angie Smibert’s <i>The Forgetting Curve</i>.<br />
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I loved the introduction of new characters, such as Aiden Nomura. Velvet’s <i>Book of Velvet</i> sayings were very glossy and had a way of breaking up the tension in this fast-paced novel. Winter, Nora, and Micah are back, although they’re not quite the same after <i>Memento Nora</i>.<br />
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The stakes keep getting higher in this novel. Their world is changing, but is it for the better—or worse? As the government tries to keep everyone in their place, a movement is rising to take back their memories—and their lives.<br />
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<i>The Forgetting Curve </i>by Angie Smibert won’t let this reader forget how it’s a fantastic book two in the <i>Memento Nora</i> series.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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Title: <i>The Meme Plague</i><br />
Series: Memento Nora #3<br />
Author: Angie Smibert<br />
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing (August 13, 2013)<br />
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Format Read: Ebook<br />
Length: Short Novel<br />
Source: Purchased from Amazon<br />
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In this third and final installment in the <i>Memento Nora</i> series, Micah and Nora piece their memories together as Aiden, Velvet, and Winter continue the work of the MemeCast. The teens all band together to get the word out about the new ID chips - and how the government and TFC are using the chips to manipulate the public remotely.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17870099-the-meme-plague" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> A real piece of the past, she’d called it. I’d always thought the past should stay dead and buried. Or, at a bare minimum, have bigger closets and a pool. [19% Ebook. Bigger closets and a pool is definitely called for.]<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> TFC can take your cares away, but you’ll find it difficult to come back to who you are in Angie Smibert’s <i>The Meme Plague</i>.<br />
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Nora and Micah have a bigger role in this novel than book two. The characters face very difficult decisions as they go against TFC and the government. The upcoming elections don’t ease their problems either. As the group struggles to hold onto who they are, they are facing a world that they might not be able to change.<br />
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Although I enjoyed <i>Memento Nora</i> and <i>The Forgetting Curve</i>, I felt this novel had something missing. There was a lack of urgency and underlying pace. Yet the ending was perfect for the series.<br />
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Though not my favorite of the series, I recommend <i>The Meme Plague</i> by Angie Smibert as well as the entire <i>Memento Nora</i> series.<br />
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Four Bookworms = I really liked it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-34031845336253224502013-11-13T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-13T07:00:00.663-05:00Hook Me: Mind: The Beginning by Jenn Nixon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mrPAjTHoGWDp9XXeyPXJI-U1qov4BCBHL4rHi0GEAeYYmKxnRmBTXdyHMrp6Usca8u0ItD08JQgy5ke-kZMEnbjUme_b3PENjax6T0A_E77T1l_KyHc7jFLS7fXuELsGRKIPPYfbliE/s1600/mindthebeginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mrPAjTHoGWDp9XXeyPXJI-U1qov4BCBHL4rHi0GEAeYYmKxnRmBTXdyHMrp6Usca8u0ItD08JQgy5ke-kZMEnbjUme_b3PENjax6T0A_E77T1l_KyHc7jFLS7fXuELsGRKIPPYfbliE/s320/mindthebeginning.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <i>Mind: The Beginning</i><br />
<b>Author:</b> Jenn Nixon<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Crescent Moon Press (September 1, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Science Fiction<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText15590548567830801852">After Dina Ranger loses
telepathic contact with her brother, she breaks into his apartment and
stumbles onto a special government unit responsible for monitoring the
psychic population. She's offered a job where she can use her psionic
gifts to help people. Stranded on earth over a hundred years ago, <br /><br />Liam
of Shria is searching for a metal needed to repair his ship when he
finds Dina, a telepathic investigator, and narrowly saves her from an
exploding alien pod. Together, they uncover a plot to rebuild an ancient
weapon and discover the truth behind Dina's abilities while unlocking
dangerous secrets about the alien presence on earth. <br /><br />Can they
stop a powerful weapon meant to enslave the human race? Can their
relationship survive the secrets of the past or will it tear them apart?</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15590548567830801852"><b>First line:</b> The taxicab pulled up to the curb, squeaky breaks announcing its presence.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15590548567830801852"><b>Last line read:</b> He had to get out.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15590548567830801852"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> I love stories about psionics, so Nixon's novel grabbed my attention. Dina is a kick-butt heroine, and Liam is very mysterious. The abilities they have such as telepathy and the like are fascinating. The sample was well-paced and left me wanting more.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15590548567830801852"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes! </span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-55419462351361606562013-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-11T07:00:13.858-05:00Book Review: Debt Collector Season One by Susan Kaye Quinn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_pQKy3IomCFVFcAtGe4sC83fuuUZw_vUSrjP2-T1iysIPHXwfYNz1K981lhSkjeo5bCtCgGTnGU-bjj5nvOem1Au3JE7IVSRrvN1Ex3logFRfxz91wQQZ32RlfdzuviHNyEmjYOH03s/s1600/thedebtcollectorseason1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_pQKy3IomCFVFcAtGe4sC83fuuUZw_vUSrjP2-T1iysIPHXwfYNz1K981lhSkjeo5bCtCgGTnGU-bjj5nvOem1Au3JE7IVSRrvN1Ex3logFRfxz91wQQZ32RlfdzuviHNyEmjYOH03s/s320/thedebtcollectorseason1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Title: <i>Debt Collector Season One</i><br />Series: Debt Collector #1-9<br />Author: Susan Kaye Quinn<br />Published: June 26, 2013<br /><br />Format Read: Individual Ebooks<br />Length: 9 short novellas<br />Source: Purchased from Amazon<br /><br />All NINE Episodes of Season One of Debt Collector in EBOOK and PRINT.<br /><br />What’s your life worth on the open market?<br />A debt collector can tell you precisely.<br /><br />EPISODE LIST - add them to your TBR!<br />Delirium - Debt Collector 1<br />Agony - Debt Collector 2<br />Ecstasy - Debt Collector 3 <br />Broken - Debt Collector 4 <br />Driven - Debt Collector 5 <br />Fallen - Debt Collector 6 <br />Promise - Debt Collector 7 <br />Ruthless - Debt Collector 8 <br />Passion - Debt Collector 9 <br /><br />or add the collections<br /><br />Debt Collector (Vol 1-3) - Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy<br />Debt Collector (Vol 4-6) - Broken, Driven, Fallen<br />Debt Collector (Vol 7-9) - Promise, Ruthless, Passion<br />Debt Collector Season One - in EBOOK and Print<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18130881-debt-collector-season-one" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Teasers:</u></b></span> I don’t pay attention to the payoffs—they’re all brilliant or famous or something. Making the world a better place with their brains and their lives. [21% from Delirium]<br /><br />“You are adorable, just like Candy promised.” [49% from Agony]<br /><br />Only ten percent of the population carries the genetic marker for collecting, and even with the marker, odds are still good you won’t express. [15% from Ecstasy]<br /><br />Hit men. Of course, that’s what all debt collectors are. [34% from Broken]<br /><br />Her hands are spread wide. They’re asking forgiveness. [12% from Driven]<br /><br />His skin is unnaturally smooth, and he reminds me of the high potentials at the LifeLong medical complex: CEO-type, used to being in control, getting his life hits between high-powered meetings. [65% from Fallen]<br /><br />She looks at me with a kind of disbelief, like she’s not sure if I’m lying or crazy or maybe have a concussion after all. [44% from Promise]<br /><br />I give her a nod and hurry out of the room, scraping my dignity off the floor as I go. [44% from Ruthless]<br /><br />The mercy hit burns brightest right before the darkness closes in. [65% from Passion]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Lyrium is a debt collector a reader can root for in Susan Kaye Quinn’s <i>Debt Collector Season One</i>.<br /><br />Quinn creates a gritty futuristic world where mobs terrorize people and debt collectors will take your life energies to pay off your monetary debt. The technological advances are spectacular and felt so realistic. I could believe we could have things like that in the future.<br /><br />Although I read this as a nine-part serial, season one is complete. The use of present tense throws the reader into the urgency of the situation, and Quinn has a fantastic sense of pace. I enjoyed reading each story as a serial because it reminded me a lot of a TV drama.<br /><br />Lyrium’s growth is so satisfying to read. He’s not had an easy life, but he rediscovers his soul throughout season one. Each character adds to Lyrium’s growth and the overall story. Quinn has a way of writing heart-breaking characters. You just wanted to find a way to protect so many of them against the evils in their world.<br /><br />I absolutely loved <i>Debt Collector Season One</i> by Susan Kaye Quinn and look forward to Season Two.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-62994013120521859202013-11-06T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-06T07:00:11.365-05:00Hook Me: The Last Hunter: Pursuit by Jeremy Robinson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lT6fMJ1wvqsP4sjgJSaeKGPH-0T6F_qbEuD_drCfSYcscVD7OS5rQUPhavTYKB7hze6JXgkHL4ieWPKQ7RZNxqLkb2MuEkppKb0ZKBNNmHf1_kZcr3Omw-9O6B8QBKvNo-J9I-xAyrs/s1600/thelasthunterpursuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lT6fMJ1wvqsP4sjgJSaeKGPH-0T6F_qbEuD_drCfSYcscVD7OS5rQUPhavTYKB7hze6JXgkHL4ieWPKQ7RZNxqLkb2MuEkppKb0ZKBNNmHf1_kZcr3Omw-9O6B8QBKvNo-J9I-xAyrs/s320/thelasthunterpursuit.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>Title:</b> <i>The Last Hunter: Pursuit</i><br />
<b>Series:</b> Antarktos Saga #2<br />
<b>Author:</b> Jeremy Robinson<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Breakneck Media (May 19, 2011)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> YA Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText15289190118334581023">I was thirteen years
old when I was kidnapped. They took me from my family, from my
friends-from everything I knew, and stole my innocence. They brought me
to a world beneath the surface of Antarctica, where I was broken and
trained by a hunter named Ninnis. He served the ancient Nephilim:
half-human, half-demon monsters. My personality was buried in my
subconscious and replaced by that of Ull, a hunter and killer. For a
time, I too served the Nephilim. As the first and only human born on
Antarctica, they believed that I could contain the spirit of their
fallen king, Nephil, and lead them to conquer humanity. But I was
stronger than they knew and escaped deep into the underworld, where I
have been hiding for the past two years. I live in a cavern, which is
somehow lush with green vegetation, eking out a living and cowering from
the confrontation that I know awaits me. But the nightmare has found
me. I can smell them. The hunters. They have discovered my hideout. The
pursuit of Solomon Ull Vincent-the last hunter-has begun. And if they
catch me, this is where my story will end.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15289190118334581023"><b>First line:</b> Lieutenant Ninnis was once a proud man.</span><br />
<span id="freeText15289190118334581023"><b>Last line read:</b> None of that is on display here.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15289190118334581023"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> I had read <i>The Last Hunter: Descent</i> a long time ago. I didn't even know more books had been written until recently. Robinson gives some brief background on who people are and the like, which I found to be very helpful. The pacing and tension is great, and I was able to pick up on what was going on in this second book in the saga. Solomon is such a strong character, and the sample is adventurous and thrilling.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText15289190118334581023"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes!</span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-32543185408474414592013-11-04T07:00:00.003-05:002013-11-04T07:00:13.431-05:00Book Review: Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Open Minds</i><br />Series: Mindjack Trilogy, #1<br />Author: Susan Kaye Quinn<br />Genre: YA Science Fiction<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased from Amazon<br /><br />When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.<br /><br />Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12727768-open-minds" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> “I said I’d keep the Clan’s secret,” I said. [39% Ebook. Ooo, what is the secret? You’ll have to read to find out.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> So what if you can read thoughts. It’s better to be a mindjacker in Susan Kaye Quinn’s <i>Open Minds</i>.<br /><br />Kira Moore has a problem, since she can’t read minds like everyone else. She’s such a likeable character, and I enjoyed her growth from zero to hero. Raf is the smart and adorable boy-next-door type. It’s no wonder Kira has a crush on him. Each character has a place in this novel, but Kira and Raf are my favorite.<br /><br />The dangers of Kira’s newfound abilities to mindjack people amp up the tension and increase the pace. I didn’t want to put this book down and purchased books two and three as well as the collection of novelettes as soon as I finished <i>Open Minds</i>. Quinn’s style is easy to fall into and be transported to a world of mindreaders, mindjackers, and zeros.<br /><br />If you’re looking for fast-paced and edgy YA, you can’t go wrong with <i>Open Minds</i> by Susan Kaye Quinn. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-41058011897027507552013-10-30T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-30T07:00:13.583-04:00Hook Me: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Doctor Sleep</i><br />
<b>Series:</b> The Shining #2<br />
<b>Author:</b> Stephen King<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Scribner (September 24, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Horror<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText17155592029157796302"><strong>Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, <em>The Shining</em>, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of <em>The Shining</em>) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.</strong><br /><br />On
highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel
in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of
polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and
spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are
quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining”
produce when they are slowly tortured to death.<br /><br />Haunted by the
inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood
year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s
legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a
New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a
nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial
final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor
Sleep.”<br /><br />Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her
spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s
own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival.
This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that
will thrill the millions of devoted readers of <em>The Shining</em> and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText17155592029157796302"><b>First line: </b>On the second day of December in a year when a Georgia peanut farmer was doing business in the White House, one of Colorado's great resort hotels burned to the ground.</span><br />
<span id="freeText17155592029157796302"><b>Last line read:</b> The scuffed tophat cocked on her head was jarring, but otherwise she was the most beautiful woman Andi Steiner had ever seen.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText17155592029157796302"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> As a fan of <i>The Shining</i> and Stephen King, I knew I would eventually want to read <i>Doctor Sleep</i>. The sample did not disappoint. First King lets us know what happened to Dan Torrance a few years after the incident at the Overlook Hotel. Then, we're dropped into the story. The characters are weird, unique, and purely Stephen King. The writing is intense and gripping, and I want to know what happens next.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText17155592029157796302"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes! </span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-64639744832633308672013-10-28T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-28T07:30:03.289-04:00Book Review: The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>The Faerie War</i><br />Series: Creepy Hollow #3<br />Author: Rachel Morgan<br />Published: October 21, 2013<br />Genre: YA Fantasy<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook ARC<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Author<br /><br /><i>The fate of the fae world is in her hands ...</i><br /><br />Violet Fairdale is in big trouble. Her home is gone, her beloved forest lies in ruins, the guy she gave her heart to has deserted her—and she doesn’t remember any of it. The powerful Lord Draven is taking over, brainwashing guardians into fighting for him. No one is safe from the evil spreading throughout the fae world.<br /><br />As alliances are forged between the remaining free fae, Vi struggles to reclaim her identity and figure out where she belongs in this new world. When someone from her past shows up, life gets even more complicated. He brings with him a long-forgotten weapon and an ancient prophecy that places Vi at the center of the fight against Draven. With the future of the fae world at stake, can Vi carry out the prophecy’s instructions before it’s too late?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18129599-the-faerie-war" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Teasers:</span></b></u> “Welcome to the reign of Lord Draven, supreme commander of uncomfortable weather conditions.” [15% Ebook ARC. I had to laugh at this.]<br /><br />I burst out laughing when I see the small, purple-stitched words: <i>Property of Violet Fairdale, Most Kick-Butt Guardian of All Time</i>. [32% Ebook ARC. Definitely true.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Violet Fairdale must relearn what made her forget all she loves in Rachel Morgan’s <i>The Faerie War</i>.<br /><br />As the third novel in the Creepy Hollow series, this review may have some spoilers, if you haven’t read <i>The Faerie Guardian</i> or <i>The Faerie Prince</i> yet. And if you haven’t read them yet, then why haven’t you?<br /><br />Morgan’s Creepy Hollow series is one of my all-time favorites. Vi is definitely a kick-butt guardian. She’s strong—sometimes tries to be too strong—but she’s such a real heroine. Her growth through the series is fantastic and natural feeling. Ryn is another kick-butt guardian who grows from jerk to hero throughout the series. Each character is three-dimensional with their own personality and hopes, dreams, and fears. I loved learning more about some of the Underworld fae in this novel, and Morgan peels back the world she’s created throughout the series.<br /><br />I read <i>The Faerie War</i> in one day. I didn’t want to put it down and had to find out what would happen next. The horror of what is happening with the fae realm is punctuated with great comedic timing to relieve some of the tension before ramping it back up again. Morgan has created a satisfying ending not only for this book but also the series as well that touches the reader’s heart.<br /><br />I recommend not only <i>The Faerie War</i> but the entire Creepy Hollow series by Rachel Morgan.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Other Books in the Series</b></u></span></div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-masquerade-by-rachel-morgan.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my reviews of <i>The Faerie Guardian</i>.</div>
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Click <a href="http://surroundedbybooksreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-faerie-prince-by-rachel.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review of <i>The Faerie Prince</i>.</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-20698087935856552172013-10-28T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-28T07:00:07.551-04:00Book Review: Ripper by Stefan Petrucha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Ripper</i><br />Author: Stefan Petrucha<br />Publisher: Philomel (March 1, 2012)<br />Genre: YA Historical Thriller<br /><br />Format: Hardcover<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased<br /><br />You thought you knew him. You were dead wrong.<br /><br />Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it’s worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies.<br /><br />Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commisioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world’s most famous serial killer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12139991-ripper" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Teasers:</b></span></u> “Honestly, how can you be angry with a man who leans out the window and shouts, ‘Yi-yi-yi’? Go talk to him.” [Pg. 24. So very true!]<br /><br />Body wobbling slightly in the wind, Hawking stabbed his cane in the direction of the Tombs. “And the killer was kind enough to leave the body there.” [Pg. 141. Kind? Suspicious to me.]<br /><br />“And my father said to me, don’t dwell on the darkness within, reach out and act. That’s how I’ve tried to lead my life ever since.” [Pg. 362. Words to live by.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> Jack the Ripper heads to New York City in Stefan Petrucha’s <i>Ripper</i>.<br /><br />Petrucha drops the reader in late 1800s New York City. A new commissioner—the one and only Teddy Roosevelt—tries to clean up corruption. The New Pinkerton Agency is starting up, and teenager Carver Young desires to become a detective. Finding a new family for the orphan wouldn’t be a bad second choice. Carver is smart, impulsive, and head-strong. He’s a likeable character, and I hoped he would discover the truth about the case and his father. Every character comes to life with Petrucha’s strong writing.<br /><br />The action is fast-paced. I loved the introduction of steampunk-like gadgets. Although the plot is at times too well-foreshadowed, the ending took me by surprise. The world, action, and characters would appeal to anyone who likes young adult and is interested in Jack the Ripper.<br /><br /><i>Ripper</i> by Stefan Petrucha creates a new twist on the legend of Jack the Ripper. I highly recommend it!<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-53705445228801502482013-10-23T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-23T07:00:12.258-04:00Hook Me: Let Me Go by Chelsea Cain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Let Me Go</i><br />
<b>Series: </b>Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell #6 <br />
<b>Author: </b>Chelsea Cain<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Minotaur Books (July 1, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Mystery/Thriller<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText8907707390675668567"><strong>Beautiful killer Gretchen Lowell tightens her grip on Detective Archie Sheridan in <em>Let Me Go</em>, <em>New York Times</em> bestseller Chelsea Cain’s newest nail-biter.</strong><br /><br />Detective Archie
Sheridan is about to receive a birthday present from the last person he
ever wants to see again: Gretchen Lowell.<br /><br />The investigation into
Jack Reynolds's drug enterprise is heating up and has Archie heading
off to attend a masked Halloween party on Jack Reynolds's island, where
Susan is a reluctant guest. But the next morning one of the guests is
found murdered, and Archie quickly realizes that nothing is what it
seems. Only one thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and she's been closer
than anyone thinks. On Halloween Eve, with time running out, Archie will
have to risk everything, and choose wisely whom to trust, if he and his
loved ones are going to live through the night.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8907707390675668567"><b>First line: </b>Archie Sheridan had a paper birthday hat on his head and six bullets in his front pocket.</span><br />
<span id="freeText8907707390675668567"><b>Last line read: </b>She smiled at what she found.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8907707390675668567"><b>Overall Impressions:</b> I've been a fan of Cain's Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series since book one. Cain has this delightfully gritty style that had touches of wry humor that I just love. The opening is paradoxical at its juxtaposition of a birthday party and death. The sample just skimmed the surface of what the story is about.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8907707390675668567"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes!</span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-86743974848302603762013-10-21T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-21T07:30:02.401-04:00Book Review: Black Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Title: <i>Black Hellebore</i><br />Series: Heroes of Falledge #1<br />Author: Nicole Zoltack<br />Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing (October 21, 2013)<br />Genre: Superhero Romance<br /><br />Format Read: PDF ARC<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Author<br /><br />Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While departing Falledge, he chases after a man sneaking into the laboratory and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, but Nicholas soon realizes he's not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed him into a kind of a super man.<br /><br />His girlfriend's twin, Julianna Paige, is Falledge's deputy, struggling to solve several murders. Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and even start to love again.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now there's a supervillain bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love might prove more dangerous than any supervillain.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588657-black-hellebore" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teasers:</b></u></span> The woman was batty. Julianna smirked. A batty witch. [pg. 111 of 231 of PDF ARC. This made me smirk too.]<br /><br />“Why do I have a feeling that deals made with witches are no better than deals made with the devil?” [pg. 156 of 231 of PDF ARC. Love this line!]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> Nicholas Adams must face his demons as he returns to Falledge in Nicole Zoltack’s <i>Black Hellebore</i>.<br /><br />Zoltack has created a classic superhero and villain for her novel. Nicholas Adams has the typical tragic and troubled past and a strong moral code as he morphs from man to super-man. The villain also transforms from a disgruntled employee to a creepy and vicious villain who has his eyes set on good ol’ revenge.<br /><br />Although the basis of the superhero/villain story is familiar, Zoltack has introduced wonderful paranormal and romantic twists to the storyline. My favorite character is Gavina, the witch. She’s a touch batty, but she adds a delightful sense of comedic relief. Julianna Paige is a strong heroine, although her wishy-washy attitude toward Nicholas got a little old toward the end. I would’ve liked to have seen a little more development in Julianna and Nicholas’s relationship and how it grew through the course of the novel.<br /><br />The novel started out fast-pace and ended the same with a slight slowdown in the middle. Zoltack kept me guessing on how the Black Hellebore would ever defeat the villain, and I thought how he did was ingenious. And that ending gave a hint of what more is to come for the Black Hellebore and Falledge.<br /><br /><i>Black Hellebore</i> by Nicole Zoltack spins a refreshing superhero tale with its fantastic paranormal elements! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.</span></span><br />
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Four Bookworms = I really liked it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-7221371012090967742013-10-21T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-21T07:00:10.625-04:00Book Review: Kill You Twice by Chelsea Cain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>Kill You Twice</i><br />Series: Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell #5<br />Author: Chelsea Cain<br />Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />Genre: Thriller, Mystery<br /><br />Format Read: Kindle <br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased<br /><br />Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Gretchen Lowell—the serial killer whose stunning beauty is belied by the gruesome murders she’s committed—is locked away in a psych ward. Archie can finally heal from the near-fatal physical and emotional wounds she’s inflicted on him and start moving on with his life.<br /><br />To this end, Archie throws himself into the latest case to come across his desk: A cyclist has discovered a corpse in Mount Tabor Park on the eastern side of Portland. The man was gagged, skinned, and found hanging by his wrists from a tree. It’s the work of a killer bold and clever enough to torture his victim for hours on a sunny summer morning in a big public park and yet leave no trace.<br /><br />And then Archie gets a message he can’t ignore—Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about this grisly murder. Archie finally agrees to visit Gretchen, because he can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. At least, that’s what he tells himself . . . but the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper, and more complex than he’s willing to admit, even to himself. What game is she playing this time? And even more frightening, what long-hidden secrets from Gretchen’s past have been dredged up that someone would kill to protect?<br /><br />At once terrifying and magnetic, “Beauty Killer” Gretchen Lowell returns with a vengeance in Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain’s latest razor-sharp psychological thriller.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12996425-kill-you-twice" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidLvK4Mo1S8IYKNm4xFbHET9dvPAlOG_RV2Ahou0pUvIFhzWfVpKgRi0w-JL4u9cWz9L7d4j19px9w8u0-E7uyWPVFwg03IqcqDBJcm-R55H-vEy4qvGtOiWgmHVmSenQZC93KEH3Jc/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-8aed1006260a5092a7ebb2a64fe3968c.png" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser:</b></u></span> “You’ve digitized your files,” he said. “I’m impressed.”<br /><br />“We have guns, too.” [40% Kindle version. I had to laugh at this.]<br /><br /><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></u> A bold killer strikes Portland once again in <i>Kill You Twice</i> by Chelsea Cain.<br /><br />Gretchen Lowell won’t keep her claws out of Detective Archie Sheridan’s skin. Then again, he might not mind it too much. Cain’s brilliant characters are back. It’s always fun to see what new hair color Susan, a reporter, has as well as what evils Gretchen Lowell can think up. We see a new side to Gretchen in this novel. There is a sense of vulnerability to the infamous serial killer. Archie is still damaged, but he’s trying to move on—perhaps even with the hot blonde living in his apartment building.<br /><br />The writing is fast-paced and intense. Cain has a gritty yet witty edge to her writing. It’s always a joy to read her work. I enjoyed delving into the history of Gretchen Lowell as well.<br /><br /><i>Kill You Twice</i> by Chelsea Cain kept me on the edge of my seat! I love Cain’s Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-7756623481942269592013-10-16T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-16T07:00:13.524-04:00Hook Me: Torrent by Lindsay Buroker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Torrent</i><br />
<b>Series:</b> Rust and Relics #1<br />
<b>Author:</b> Lindsay Buroker<br />
<b>Published:</b> September 21, 2013<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Urban Fantasy<br />
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<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText12073049468045291968">From the bestselling author of the Emperor's Edge series...<br /><br />When
Delia chose to major in archaeology, she imagined herself as the female
Indiana Jones of the Southwest. She didn't imagine herself crawling
through abandoned mine shafts, scrounging for rusty pickaxes and gold
pans to sell on auction sites, but Indiana Jones didn't have to make
student loan payments.<br /><br />Scouring the mountains of Arizona with
Simon, her best friend and computer geek extraordinaire, Delia dreams of
turning their scavenging enterprise into a legitimate business. More,
she longs to earn the respect of peers who shun her for turning into a
treasure hunter. What she doesn't dream of is stumbling across a
decapitated body in an old mine near Prescott.<br /><br />Something
dangerous has come to the mountains, and a pair of Harley-riding
strangers are the only ones who seem to have a clue. They speak a
language Delia has never heard and carry mysterious artifacts she's
never seen. Investigating these strangers might lead her to discoveries
that change the face of archaeology forever... or it might lead her and
her best friend into a deadly monster's lair.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText12073049468045291968"><b>First line:</b> You get yourself into strange places when you're broke, jobless, and trying to figure out how to pay back sixty thousand dollars in college loans.</span><br />
<span id="freeText12073049468045291968"><b>Last line read: </b>"Black wool caps?" Simon crinkled his nose.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText12073049468045291968"><b>Overall Impressions: </b> I have to admit the book description hooked me quite a bit. I studied archaeology some in college and had visions of grandeur at being the female Indiana Jones. Sadly, archaeology isn't quite like that. The sample had great humor with a dash of horror to keep the tension up. I love Buroker's voice. It's an easy story to get into.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText12073049468045291968"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes!</span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-45240314023874998022013-10-14T07:30:00.000-04:002013-10-14T07:30:01.479-04:00Book Review: Muted by Jessica Bell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1kOPubjNUbq47RbX_pXrGxpXyOq2TtyKMtKsJb6g8XlzxkINofngvUS3a-1hrnvuRvEEK8Mxy8m90lo6TZhXWsrkjUd1LVmQg19YPCoxSdEHa2ryeEXyJ94qbWuFyT6fuTDrtiHZP4Y/s1600/muted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1kOPubjNUbq47RbX_pXrGxpXyOq2TtyKMtKsJb6g8XlzxkINofngvUS3a-1hrnvuRvEEK8Mxy8m90lo6TZhXWsrkjUd1LVmQg19YPCoxSdEHa2ryeEXyJ94qbWuFyT6fuTDrtiHZP4Y/s320/muted.jpg" width="200" /></a>Title: <i>Muted: a short story in verse</i><br />Author: Jessica Bell<br />Publisher: Vine Leaves Press (May 25, 2013)<br />Genre: Dystopian/Poetry<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook<br />Length: Short Story<br />Source: Purchased<br /><br />Note: This cyberpunk/dystopian short story is an experimental work of fiction written in verse. Page count: 30. Word count: 2000.<br /><br />It's illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing. Concetta, a famous Italian a capella singer from before "the change," breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed, and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories. But Concetta's suicide attempt is deterred, when she is distracted by a busking harpist with gold eyes and teeth. Will he show her how to sing again, or will the LEO on the prowl for another offender to detain, arrest her before she has the chance?<br />
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Teaser: </b></u></span><br />A tender piccolo<br />trilled<br />before strings built<br />into a<br />Big<br />Brass<br />Boom. [33% Ebook. Just a tease of the brilliant imagery in this story.]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> Jessica Bell’s <i>Muted</i> knocks the air out of the reader’s lungs and leaves her drowning in Concetta’s dystopian world.<br /><br />I don’t read much poetry or stories in verse, but I may have to start. Bell holds back no punches in this dystopian world she’s created. Singing and wearing clothes is illegal. A queen—a man by the way—reigns while people suffer against the government’s laws. Concetta’s punishment is so cruel. My heart broke for her as she has become deaf and mute for the mere act of singing. Her interaction with the harpist is sensual and hopeful in a world gone mad.<br /><br />The poetic verses increase the tension and often read like a story. I loved the alliterative phrases as well as the pacing—sometimes melodic, sometimes harsh and with a drumming rhythm forever marching onward.<br /><br />A brilliant and unique dystopian story, <i>Muted</i> by Jessica Bell’s Muted left me in awe.<br />
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Five Bookworms = I loved it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-15051105446740753752013-10-14T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-14T07:00:12.479-04:00Book Review: The Dark Knight Rises by Greg Cox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i><br />Series: The Dark Knight Trilogy<br />Author: Greg Cox<br />Publisher: Titan Books (July 24, 2012)<br />Genre: Superheroes, Fantasy<br /><br />Format Read: Ebook Novelization of the movie The Dark Knight Rises<br />Length: Novel<br />Source: Purchased on Amazon<br /><br />Every hero has a journey...<br />Every journey has an end...<br /><br />Eight years have passed since Batman was last seen in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne's alter ego is hunted by the law, and nothing--it seems--can bring him back. Not even a brazen theft committed by the enigmatic and seductive cat burglar Selina Kyle--inside the walls of Wayne Manor itself.<br /><br />But then a deadly new threat appears, as if out of nowhere. Bane. Huge, powerful, and terrifyingly methodical, Bane is bent on spreading chaos and death. Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD are unable to stop him and have nowhere to turn. But after so many years, can the Dark Knight once again save Gotham from its gravest threat yet?<br /><br />The official novelization of the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's epic, The Dark Knight Trilogy.<br />
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><span id="goog_1296896750"></span><span id="goog_1296896751"></span>Teaser:</b></u></span> “Place is a little dead,” Jen said as Selina took the envelope.<br /><br />“It will liven up in a minute, trust me.” [16% Ebook. So, so true!]<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Review:</b></u></span> Bruce Wayne will don Batman’s cowl one last time in Greg Cox’s <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>.<br /><br />This novelization of the movie on the same name completes Christopher Nolen’s Dark Knight trilogy. I read the other two novelizations of <i>Batman Begins</i> and <i>The Dark Knight</i>. I must admit I enjoyed them a bit more than this one because they delved deeper than the movies. The Dark Knight Rises went by the movie with very little extra.<br /><br />The writing was fast-paced yet felt a bit simplistic at times. I loved the introduction of Catwoman—Selina Kyle—to the story as she’s always been a favorite of the Batman universe. Bane is an excellent threat, and I loved how the power of Ra’s al Ghul continues in the storyline from the first movie/book to the last. However, for once, I think I enjoyed the movie a tad more than the book.<br /><br />If you’re a fan of the trilogy and the movie, then you’ll enjoy <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> by Greg Cox.<br />
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Four Bookworms = I really liked it!</div>
Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642918632985758863.post-72974746763094997562013-10-09T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-09T07:00:04.633-04:00Hook Me: The Vanished Knight by M. Gerrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i>The Vanished Knight</i><br />
<b>Series:</b> The War of Six Crowns #1<br />
<b>Author:</b> M. Gerrick<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Etopia Press (October 4, 2013)<br />
<b>Genre: </b>YA Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b>Book Description:</b> <span id="freeText12073198246623404405">Since the death of her
parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to
another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest
foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in
the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his
mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret
doorway to another land...</span><br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><br />When Callan is forced through the
doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where
she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected
soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms.
More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black
Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.</span><br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><br />But when the Black Knight fails to
return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war.
Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is
more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she
is their princess.</span><br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><br />Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic
and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to
stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to
the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the
realms afire.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><b>First line:</b> <i>The wet air smelled like blood.</i></span><span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><i> </i></span><br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><b>Last line read: </b>"I do. Don't worry. He knows it's from me."</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><b>Overall Impressions: </b>A very well-written start to this novel! I want to learn more about Callan's entity as well as the land and people of Tardith. The characters are well-drawn and feel very realistic. I really feel for Callan's plight in particular.</span><br />
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText12073198246623404405"><b>Would I keep reading?:</b> Yes!</span>Cherie Reichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.com