Once Upon A Dream A Twisted Tale

 

I have been wanting to read the Disney Twisted Tales for awhile and when my husband got diagnosed with stage four cancer I decided to get a book to get lost in since I knew I would be waiting at a lot of doctor appointments. To my delight a three box set was almost the same price as a single book so I grabbed the set. Once Upon A Dream is the recommended to read after A Whole New World but that was not in the box set. I am a huge Disney fan so I expected to enjoy Aurora's tale even though Sleeping Beauty is not one of my favorite Disney movies. 

Aurora has only known being an inconvenience her whole life, ignored by her parents and then a burden to her adopted aunt who saved the kingdom. Determined to be useful to Maleficent Aurora decides to totally focus on her studies, learn more about the inhabitants of the castle, and stop dreaming of a safe world outside the thorns that protect the castle. All that changes one day though when the Bard shows up with a glorious blue feather ranting about how outside is not dangerous. Suddenly curious Aurora begins to question her whole existence. 

The story moved so slowly, I was bored throughout the majority of the book. Yet since I paid for a brand new book I was not about to not read it. It is an interesting idea that while Philip battled Maleficent in the real world Aurora battled her in the dream world but it was badly executed in a lot of ways. One good thing was each chapter had a title, I love it when stories have chapter titles and not just number. While the story was boring the writing was fine, it was smoothly done with a steady flow of slow moving story. If not for the fact I bought a box set with three books I would never try another of the twisted tales but I am too stubborn to not read a book I bought brand new.

This is an odd question when I unwrapped the plastic on the box set and took the book out the back cover was torn and the white pages on the edge were clearly dirty. I could not see this the way the box set was set up, has anyone else ever experienced this getting books at Barnes and Noble?

Hide in Plain Sight

 

Another book that I choose randomly from my Nook library. It could be an old Free Friday or a random free book, I just know I did not buy it. 

Andrea is a total workaholic and reluctantly to help her sister with anything. That all changes when her sister is hit by a hit and run driver while walking her grandmother's dog. Eager to check on her sister Andrea races to the country and right into the middle of a mystery.

Normally I adore Love Inspired Suspense books since they are a mystery with clean romance. Yet I was beyond bored with the slow moving story, Mary Jane characters, and hero in a cape that always rescues the girl. I will not be continuing the series. 

Next to Disappear

 

Next to Disappear is an old Free Friday read that I finally got to. 

Emily's life has fallen apart and she wants a fresh start. Moving into the city from a small country cabin will provide her with a change of scenery and a chance to escape her demons. All that goes wrong though when she learns that the woman who use to live in the apartment disappeared. Determined to find out the truth Emily follows a trail of crumbs left behind by Alina as she searches to prove Alina's husband is the one that is responsible for her disappearance. 

I did not figure out the mystery, not even close, it was refreshing to have a story that made sense but still kept the reader guessing at every turn of the page. Part of the writing was sort of boring and the slower parts of the story I did end up skimming at times. I did like Emily a lot she showed a lot of emotions and behaved like I would imagine someone with severe trauma would act. I already have Mind for Murder checked out from the library. 

Last One Home

 

I realized I should have read Last One Home before A Girl's Guide to Moving On when I was about half way through Last One Home.

Cassie has been running her whole life it seems like, running from home, running from an abusive husband, running from one problem to the next. Yet when a problem she cannot run from appears Cassie is determined to make it work. Excited to have a house through Habit for Humanity Cassie is at a lose when she runs amuck of the site manager Steve. Shocked at seeing someone so like his deceased wife Steve is not sure how to respond when the spunky woman shows up saying she will being helping build the house before hers. Soon the two find themselves drawn together as the pieces of their lives entangle causing more drama then either know what to do with. 

Mrs. Macomber is a consistent writer with strong story lines and a flair for the dramatics. A fast read for me and I did like the characters. Not as much humor as previous books but it did discuss difficult topics which I appreciated since it shows that women can overcome many different types of obstacles. 

The Perfect Christmas

 

The Perfect Christmas is a typical Debbie Macomber story.

Cassie dreams of getting married and having children more then anything else. Having tried everything from singles groups to letting friends set her up Cassie takes one last desperate step and goes to see a matchmaker. Not phased by his high fee or rules for what needs to be done to be paired with someone Cassie tackles each and every task with gumption. Soon she is being fed tidbits of information about her match making her all the more eager to complete the rest of the tasks or so she thinks.

This is a really easy read with a smooth story. I like the side characters and the overall feel of the book. Life is beyond hard for me right now so this cute light hearted story hit the spot.

A Girl's Guide to Moving On

 

A Girl's Guide to Moving On is told from duel points of view.

Nichole found out her husband was cheating on her and quickly filed for divorce. Inspired by her daughter in law Leanne quickly follow suits leaving her cheating husband of 35 years. Both women move into apartments in the same building and work on supporting each other emotionally.

Nichole is overwhelmed by life and taking care of her three year old son. Due to a freak accident a sexy tow truck driver is soon pulling her car out of a ditch. Unable to forget about Rocco Nichole is beyond shocked when he shows up at her door with her lost cell phone in hand. Soon the two are thrust together through various twists of fate.

Leanne is done with men, after having enough of her ex-husband's cheating Leanne just wants to enjoy her life. That changes though when she goes to her volunteer job teaching English as a second language. One of the students bakes her bread and soon an emotional tangle begins. 

Normally I do not like it when two stories are woven into one but this worked somehow. Not my favorite book by Debbie Macomber but it did not feel like a repeat of her other books at least. The writing is typical Debbie but did lack humor like most of her books. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts one and Two Playscript

 

I saw this in the free library while visiting my Grandparents so I figured I would give it a try. I have never read a playscript before so I was not really sure what to expect. It felt like an unfinished story to me more like an outline and I think I would have enjoyed seeing the theatrical production more however it was limited to the UK which is a shame.

Due to not having it as a story I had no real indication of what any of the new characters looked like which was odd since I had a clear picture of what familiar characters looked like. Unable to know the thoughts of characters I also did not get a good feel for the characters. 

With that said I do not think playscripts are my cup of tea. I like more fleshed out stories with complex characters. This felt more like a super complete outline then a story to me.

 

The Overnight Guest was randomly chosen from the local elibary. I am not sure what I expected really but everything about the story was surprising. 

I did not like how the first part had nothing really to do with the story it just seemed out of place and odd that the character appeared once then disappeared. It did not fit with the overall dynamitic of the story in my opinion. Also I was not a fan of the jumping around and then the font changing for certain characters point of view. It distracted me from reading. Despite that I did read the story quickly.

Josie is the only survivor of a horrible night, two dead parents, a missing brother, and her best friend all gone in an instant. Injured and deeply traumatized Josie just wants to forget but deep down she blames herself for what happened. If only she had held Becky's hand a bit tighter maybe they both would have escaped. 

Then you have Wiley who just wants to hide from her problems and not face the difficulties of raising a teenage boy. Running from her family Wiley is hiding out in an old farm house finishing her current book. Nothing really remarkable stands out about her.

The last character is a silent one a little girl who does not speak except to her mother and not her father who is horrible to her. Scared to death of her father she just obeys him and does her best to ignore his mean temperament. 

Everything jumps around a lot but the story does still flow fairly well. Some of the characters just seemed oddly out of place like the dogs. They never really seemed to serve a purpose or do anything except be in the way which was annoying. I did figure out parts of the mystery but other parts surprised me a little bit. Not a bad story just not my favorite type to read. 

Last Girl Ghosted

 

Last Girl Ghosted sounded interesting with a refreshing mystery storyline. Sadly it was far from that.

Wren leads a double life, the normal every day girl she presents herself as and the secret woman who answers people's pleas for help in well thought out letters. That is all well and fine for her until her best friend pushes her to do more and encourages her to join a dating app. Soon Wren is swept off her feet by a man and all is going well when out of no where he ghosts her. 

Everything with Last Girl Ghosted was a mess in my opinion. From the ever changing writing style to character development. Nothing really seemed to fit and it was not a smooth read. From third person past tense to first person present tense with no real warning almost had me give up. I wish I had since I wasted too much time on an unbelievable story with remarkable Mary Sue characters throughout. 

Elske

 

This book had a tag from a local bookstore that closed a few years ago but I don't recall buying it so I may have grabbed it from the free library and forgot. Elske is the fourth book in a series but I would never have known that it read like a stand alone.

Wolfer born all Elske knows is fear and staying in her place but all that changes when her grandmother gives her a chance at a normal life. Fleeing the brutal Wolfters Elske makes her way to a northern town where she is thrust into servitude to survive. For some unknown reason all the men in the town are smitten with her and wish to wed or at least bed her. Not desiring the company of any man Elske holds out and is thus thrust into servitude for a disgruntled princess who claims she is a queen. 

For a young adult book the story started out extremely violent and I almost did not keep reading past chapter one. Sadly after that the story calmed down and was rather boring. No real action, Elske had no personality at all. She was a Mary Jane and did not really seem to care what happened to her just the people around her. I kept waiting for her to have independent thoughts which never really happened. The princess she served had more personality but was also boring. While the story was boring it did flow smoothly and I never got characters confused. I will not be seeking more of The Kingdom series or more work by Cynthia Voigt. 

 

WARNING: Review will contain spoilers. 

The Battlemage is the third and final book in the Summoner trilogy. I really do not like writing negative reviews but since I put up reviews for the rest of the trilogy I will add in The Battlemage. 

Fletcher once again is in deep trouble and unsure how he will get himself out of this new mess. After escaping the orcs by entering the nether he now feels responsible for watching over the small party of survivors and finding a way to keep them alive while demons wish to consume them. Along with dealing with wounds both physical and emotional Fletcher knows their time is short since the nether air is toxic and they only have a small supply of the flowers that keep the poison from their body. 

My first major problem with the story was it felt like three stories crammed into one, none were fleshed out and felt rushed. The travel through the ether, the rebuilding of Fletcher's ancestral lands, and the final battle with the orcs. Since the overall theme of the story was the prophecy of a summoner with a dragon was a major theme of the story the resolution to that should not have been thrown into one small chapter. Also Fletcher went into the battle with no mana against a stronger demon and summoner yet it was an easy battle where his first and only maneuver worked. It was just highly unbelievable even for a young adult story. Really the first two parts should have been a book and the last part a book on it's own. I would like to say I will not read any more of Taran Matharu's work but my husband is eager for me to read a different series by the same author. 

The Surgeon's Daughter

 

The Surgeon's Daughter is the second book in the Nora Beady Duology. I was eagerly awaiting my turn to get the book after reading The Girl in his Shadow but since it was a big library read I had a long wait.

Nora is thrilled to have been accepted to the most prodigious medical school in Italy despite being a woman. Determined to prove her worth Nora works hard and does all she can to impress her all male classmates and professors. Feeling disheartened and like she will never be accepted as a surgeon Nora perks up with the only female doctor on staff returns from abroad. Venturing into the world of women's medicine, namely caesarean section, Nora works hard to prove herself to her peers. 

I really enjoyed how the story was also told from Daniel's point of view since I wanted to know what was going on in London while Nora studied in Italy. Most of Daniel's point of view was medical related and did not speak much for his feelings of Nora but I still understood he cared deeply for her.

The character development is fantastic, I actually had to take a break for a couple days due to the story being too intense. While this is not my usual type of novel I did enjoy the suspense of Nora trying to get a medical degree and being accepted by more then her adopted father Dr. Croft. Everything was tied up nicely and I did not finish the story with any questions or feeling like anything was lacking anywhere. 

Found

 

Found is the third and final book in the Mickey Bolitar trilogy. I had so many problems with the series overall but I will say I was extremely happy I had could check out the second and third book easily from the library. It is how I like to read series just start and finish it without having to wait weeks, months, or even years to get a book in a series.

Mickey is determined to find out the truth behind what happened to his mother, continue to help his friends, and find a way to be accepted onto the basketball team. Just like previous books I did not see much growth in Mickey nor did I really see anything go wrong for him. I get this is for young adults but people need to learn their are consequences to their actions. 

The writing was fine, the story moved at a nice pace, and I enjoyed not having much fluff in the story. What I did not enjoy is the way the story just stopped, nothing was resolved for anyone. All the kids were left emotionally traumatized, hanging in the air on what was going to happen to them, how the police and court system acted, and the biggest issue I have is the overall mystery of the series was left hanging. Sure you got a fast answer but no answer as to how things occurred. I did see that this was sort of a spin off of another book series Harlan Coben is writing but I will not be checking that series out. 

Seconds Away

 

Seconds Away is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series. 

Once again the story is fast paced with little room for moments of calm. Mickey is continuing to get into trouble with his expeditions and it is hard to believe that so much has happened in less then a month. I still have problems with the way Mickey is portrayed he is 15 and acts way too mature and way too immature at times. It really makes it hard to understand him as a character. 

Mickey's Uncle Myron drives me crazy he just goes along with what Mickey does. It conveniently always around to bail him out of trouble and does not seem to really question irrational decisions made by Mickey. 

Ema is alright as a character she can be a bit touchy which would make sense for her since she is considered an overweight emo girl in a cookie cutter school. 

Spoon is my favorite of the characters but sadly he did not have much book time. Coming across as the typical nerd he does not really have friends until he befriends the new kid Mickey. Wanting a cool friend Spoon will do anything to impress him.

Just like last time the story ends on a big cliffhanger making you want to read the next book. I will see if the library has it but it is not a book I would consider buying it is not strong enough on its own to warrant reading more then one time. 

Shelter

 

Shelter was in the local free library so I grabbed it to give it a try. 

Mickey's life is all wrong, his father is deceased and his mother in rehab. Unable to talk to his estranged uncle Mickey does his best to keep his life in check as he starts a new school. On his first day he spies a lovely girl and decides to introduce himself. Soon he is considering the girl more then a friend but after a week or so of school the girl vanishes. She just never comes back to school, teacher have no clue what happened to her and when he goes to her house the middle age woman declares she has no daughter. Determined to find Laura Mickey starts investigating with his two new friends Ema and Spoon. Soon they are in way over their head as they learn not is all it appears to be.

Despite liking the story so many things were unbelievable and that really bothered me. Like Mickey getting two black eyes then a page later he can see just fine. Makes no sense at all. The writing was fine and went smoothly. It is a fast read, only took me a bit over a day to read. I do plan on continuing with the series only because it ended on a big cliffhanger. 

Someday Soon

 

Someday Soon is the first book in the Deliverance Company trilogy and if I had know that I would have read it before Sooner or Later.

Cain loves his job of saving people and is good at it. When no one else can extract the person Cain and his group of men get the job done one way or another. Life is going well when Cain meets Linette at Christmas party and cannot get her out of his mind. Unsure how to handle his feelings Cain stumbles around learning life is about more then work.

Linette has known sadness, her husband died far too young and she has slowly been working on moving on. Everything goes wrong though when she meets Cain and instantly feels attracted to him. Unable to accept Cain is a mercenary Linette decides to shut herself off to him and his dangerous line of work.

I really feel that Mrs. Macomber's early works have more life and depth to them then her current works. Some parts were not totally smooth but I still enjoyed the story a good deal. I read most of the book on a flight. I will have to find Sooner or Later to read. 

Moon Over Water

 

It was not until I got to the end that I realized I had read Moon Over Water before but that is alright since I enjoyed it just as much the second time. Nor did I catch that Moon Over Water was the third book in a series but it read fine as a stand alone.

Lorraine has her life figured out until her mother passes away in a car accident. Suddenly she learns her father is not dead but living in South American and she determined to go see him. Not understanding how rural of an area he lives in she phones the school he works at and then gets on a plane to go see him. It is not the reunion Lorraine expected when she is suddenly caught up with a smuggler and has to flee back to America on the boat of an ex mercenary. 

Jack wants nothing to do with Lorraine but he admires her father and gave his word he would get her safe to America. However Lorraine brings him nothing but trouble as his boat navigates the waters heading towards the boarder.

While I do occasionally read Mrs. Macomber's newer work it is really her older work that shines. I see why she became a best selling author but I do feel like she has lost some of the charm that her older stories had. I was able to read a large chunk while waiting at an airport but even without the time I could easily see myself getting lost in the story. 

The Guilty

 

The Guilty was the only book in the local free library and I did not realize it was the fourth book in a series. Despite that I enjoyed the story I was not confused or lost in what was going on at any time in the story. That said I did figure out the mystery, use to be I could never figure them out so I am not sure if I have been reading mysteries easier to figure out or if I am getting better at it. 

Will Robie needs a break from his highly secretive job, after messing up a mission he decides to head home when he learns his father has been arrested for murder. Unable to get a straight answer out of his father on if he murdered the man Will starts investigating himself. However it seems many people want the truth buried and will do anything to keep Will from finding out what really happened.

The writing is fast paced yet smooth. I never once was confused as to what was going on with the characters and was eager for the next chapter. Most of the chapters were just a couple pages but a few were longer which did throw off the pace of my reading at times. While I did enjoy the story I am not sure it is a series I want to read just because I have so many series I am waiting on the library to get for me.

All This Time

 

The library had All This Time featured on the front page so I decided to give it a try. Sadly the end ruined the whole story for me.

Kyle is on top of the world he is graduation from high school, totally in love, and ready to secure his relationship with his long term girlfriend Kim. However everything goes wrong when Kim declares she wants to break up but before he can come to terms with those words a horrible car accident happens and Kim is killed. Seriously wounded Kyle works on recovering his body but his mind was take more time. Horrified and blaming himself for Kim's death he is a shell of himself until he meets Marley who knows the same pain Kyle does. Together the two of them focus on working through their many emotional issues. 

The writing was alright and the characters felt real. Kyle's problems seemed like problems young adults face when dealing with grief. I did not like the ending at all though and it ruined the whole book for me. Nothing about the ending felt believable at all and felt like a bail out. 

The Girl in His Shadow

 

Normally I do not read the Big Library monthly reads but I liked the cover of this one so I read the description and was intrigued. I did not realized The Girl in His Shadow was a series and of course the second book is checked out with a long wait list. 

Nora knows she is lucky, having survived the deadly pandemic that killed her family Nora is now the ward of renowned surgeon Dr. Croft. Unfortunately for Nora she is doomed to fail at what she loves helping people by practicing medicine. The law forbids women from being more then a nurse or a midwife. Nora dreams of doing surgery and will risk it all to make her dream a reality. 

The character building was nice, I really enjoyed how you go to know each character and the differences in them. Despite everything being told from Nora's point of view I never felt like I did not know the other characters. A few times what felt like old English slang was used and I had to look up the word which was fine. I am on the waiting list for the second book. 

Autumn Nights

 

Autumns Nights is two books in one, The Playboy and the Widow and Almost an Angel. I have previously read The Playboy and the Widow so I just read Almost an Angel. 

Bethany has been in love with her boss for ages and knows he is not aware of it. Unable to confess her feelings Bethany decides the best course of action is to quit and make a clean break from Joshua. That does not go according to plan though when Joshua askes Bethany to help him with his ten year old daughter Angela who is coming to live with him. Soon Bethany has found herself in over her head as she struggles with her emotions for Joshua not being replicated and caring deeply for the spunky Angela. 

Debbe Macomber is a master of writing typical feel good stories with happy endings. I like that on occasion and it is nice to have a light read at times. The writing is smooth and consistent, clearly Mrs. Macomber has an amazing editor.  

The Wife Upstairs

 

I have been wanting to read The Wife Upstairs for awhile and when I saw it was available through the e-library I quickly checked it out. At the time I did not catch on that it was a retelling of Jane Eyre. 

Jane is mysterious and keeps to herself. Despite walking dogs in a rich neighborhood for a living Jane does not want to be considered the help she wants a glamorous lifestyle. When the rich and widowed Eddie almost runs her down with his car that is the in she needs to become part of the upper class. Determined to make things work Jane is happy with her new life but little does she know it is built on a web of lies.

Fairly quickly I figured out the mystery which was disappointing. Even though I have not read or seen Jane Eyre I knew the basic plot and I was hoping for some great twists in the retelling. Everything was just too predictable for me sadly. 

Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic

 

Trinkets' Treasures, and other Bloody Magic is the second book in The Dowser series. 

Jade is a mess, her foster sister has betrayed her and her magic. Unable to really cope with Sienna having embraced blood magic Jade does her best to conform to her new life. Guarded by a werewolf and mentored by an ancient vampire always keeps Jade on her toes and leaves her little time to mourn the loss of Sienna. Things get even more complicated for Jade when the fledgling Mori shows up demanding Jade help her contact her deceased brother. 

While having some issues with the story I did overall like the storyline enough to continue with the series. This felt like two stories in one, the story lines did not transition smoothly and around the forty percent mark the first story ended and then wham another story started. Also I am not liking the somewhat love triangle feel going on. Despite that the story line is unique and I do enjoy the banter that some of the characters share at times. 

The Last Camellia

 

I always get so excited to find a book in the local free library that I did not put in that I do sort of a happy book dance. The Last Camellia has a lovely cover and since I needed something to read I grabbed it. 

Normally I avoid books that talk about two time periods at once since authors seem to be unable to distinguish between the two times clearly and the two characters often feel like the same person just in different clothes. Thankfully that was not the case with Mrs. Jio's work. 

Flora is taken advantage of by a con man who wants her to find a rare flower on a country estate. Knowing her family desperately needs the money Flora agrees and leaves her life in New York to go to England and be a nanny. There she falls in love with the four children and struggles to accept that she must betray the family she has grown to love.

Addison agrees to a vacation with her husband who wants to visit the historic manor his parents bought. Wanting to escape her past Addison quickly agrees and is enthralled by the mystery of the overgrown garden.

Both girls had enough distinction that they were easy to tell apart. I liked Addison better she seemed less Mary Sue then Flora. However I liked the mystery that Flora was solving more then the mysteries Addison was trying to figure out. The writing was smooth and totally PG which was highly appreciated. The ending felt rushed which was a shame since I wanted the overall mysteries fleshed out more. 

 

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and other Deadly Magic has been on my Nook for awhile, I think it was a Free Friday book. I really need to start reading books on my Nook instead of constantly choosing library books. 

Jade is happily running her bakery and not interested in any drama in her life. Unfortunately for her drama shows up at her doorstep when a vampire suddenly makes himself known by hanging outside of her bakery. Lucky for her the wards her Grandmother put up keep the creature at bay however Jade cannot live inside her whole life and thus has to exit at some point knowing the vampire will be waiting. 

A light read with some fun characters, I like how Jade developed into her own strength as the story progressed. She did seem a bit teenagerish when she was determined to handle all her problems on her own which was a bit annoying. The side characters were vibrant and full of life, I look forward to learning about more of them as the series progresses. 

Rock Paper Scissors

 

Rock Paper Scissors came up as a recommendation from the e-library. Not wanting to search too hard for a book I decided to give it a try. 

Amelia was an interesting character, she seemed sort of flat at the start but slowly grew into her own. Desperate to save her marriage she is willing to do anything including driving a crazy snowstorm for a weekend away at a converted chapel. 

Despite things being told from Adam's point of view for a good portion of the book the only thing I got from him was he is face blind. It seemed like he enjoyed making it his identity. I really wanted to know more about him and how he felt with first being a rejected screen writer to becoming a screen writer for a world famous author but that was never touched upon.

I find it hard to review mysteries without giving away any of the mystery. Rock Paper Scissors had me up reading way past my bedtime due to all the twists and turns. While it did not start off with a bang it did start out with enough plot to keep me reading. I would highly consider reading more of Mrs. Feeney's work. 

A Sky Beyond the Storm

 

A Sky Beyond the Storm is the final book in the An Ember in the Ashes series. It took me a long time to finish since I had to keep taking breaks to get my emotions in check. I should have known it would be a roller-coaster of emotion since the friend who gave it to me loves when characters die.

The world is breaking, everyone who dies feeds the maelstrom and it is only a matter of time until enough people die and the storm breaks free. Laia will do anything to keep that from happening even giving up her humanity if she must. 

Helen knows war and death yet people around her are determined to remind her she is more then The Blood Shrike. Wanting all her emotions to go away Helen is content to just fight on forgetting all those she has loved died. 

Elias is worried there are not nearly enough dead to pass to the other world and thus his job is not being done properly. Lost in an emotionless void Elias seeks answers as to where the dead are going. 

My biggest complaint with the series is no index with names of characters and a brief biography for each one of them. Along with no glossary of terms for words the author used that were either made up or in a different language. This use to be common practice and it needs to come back.

The story ended, I was left with no questions. The characters will stay with me for a long time though. The world was richly written with a well defined map which I highly appreciated. While I really loved the story I am not sure I will seek out more work by Sabaa Tahir since so many characters die throughout the span of the series. 

The Night She Disappeared

 

The Night she Disappeared was an impulse checkout from the digital library. Even though I have three library cards I still struggle to get books on my to read list due to a long waiting time for them.

I really loved the first chapter and how the writing drew me into learning the story. I started to loose interest after Lisa was introduced. Made no sense having her working on the mystery of a teens who disappeared when she did not know them, was not connected to the town, and only interested because she was a mystery writer. 

The plot got super confusing as it jumped around between people and time periods which made no sense. The only reason I really continued to read is because I had nothing else to read at the time. I did not care about any of the characters and the overall mystery seemed far fetched and highly unbelievable. I will not seek out more of Lisa Jewell's work.

Five Total Strangers

 

I have not been interested in reading before bed and I could not figure out why but apparently it was just the books I was trying. Five Total Strangers kept me up reading long past my bed time. Unfortunately the main reason I kept reading was never answered at the end. A huge plot hole which was a moving point of the plot not being answered is beyond frustrating. 

Mira is on her way to see her mom for Christmas when a storm grounds all planes. Determined to get home she agrees to ride with a girl who sat next to her on the plane. All is going well until she realizes the plane companion has invested three other people. Still determined to get home Mira ignores her instincts and gets into the car with four strangers. 

Of course nothing goes smoothly along the journey and soon Mira realizes she is in way deep. Still determined to get home Mira does her best to ignore her strange companions as mother nature fights to keep them from moving onward. 

The writing was okay, nothing stand out. Character development was not existent but since the story focused on five people you really do not learn much about any of them. One of the main mysteries is never solved. Other problems as well occur and when you get to the end it is so weakly held together I wonder why I spent so much time frantically reading to figure out who was lying. I will not be seeking out more of Mrs. Richard's work since I like mysteries to be solved not left to the imagination. 

Monster

 

I cannot recall if I got Monster from the local Free Library or the second hand store. No matter what it is a hard book to read and I totally see it being required reading for a high school class.

Honestly I have no clue how to even describe Monster, it was written from the point of view of Steve who is on trail for murder. However he wrote it like a movie scene except for his private journal entries which took place in jail. 

The only reason I kept reading was to see what the jury would decide for Steve. You never really get a run down of what happened at the crime scene just some speculation. It is super dry reading with no way to connect to the characters. All the characters were impossibly hard to keep straight since not one of them were described in any detail. Fast reading though since most pages only had a handful of sentences on them due to it being written in script format. 

13 Reasons Why

 

I am pretty sure I got Thirteen Reasons Why at the local second hand store. 

This is a hard book to review since one of the main characters is speaking in the past tense and the other main character just mainly has thoughts. I struggled to keep up with the flow of the writing at times and figuring out who was who. So many names randomly tossed out and little to no description to help paint a picture in my mind of what they look like to help keep the characters separate. I would imagine writing a story in this format would be hard and it was captivating enough I wanted to keep reading. 

False Witness

 

While browsing the e-library looking for a book I saw False Witness and the cover intrigued me. 

Harleigh and Callopie are both used to having a hard life. With a mother that care more about money and less about being a mother the two girls both get jobs at a young age. Unfortunately for both of them the father of the boy they babysit for is a child predator. These incidents clearly messed up both girls for life as they struggle with their own problems in adulthood. 

Harleigh has legally changed her name to Leigh to leave the horrors of her childhood behind, now a rising attorney she has a lot going for her until an old friend shows up. Horrified to see the young boy she use to babysit accused of a brutal rape Leigh wants to refuse the case but knows she cannot. Her horror continues as she slowly begins to think that Andrew knows what happened the night his father disappeared.

Callie never ever recovered from her time in high school, from being raped by her employer to a cheerleading accident her life has been one problem after another. Now a serious drug addict Callie just wants to wallow in the relief drugs provide to forget about the pain in her broken body. That dream is destroyed when her estranged sister shows up and says someone knows their secret.

I am honestly not sure why I kept reading since I did not like the writing style nor did I like the main characters. Both characters came off as brutally hard to like, they kept making the same mistakes and reverting to the same way of handling things. Eventually I did get to where I skimmed the story since it felt like every part about Callie was about her various methods of shooting up drugs which I had no interest in reading about. It was my fault for thinking this was more a mystery when it is really more of a thriller, no real mystery to any part of it.

A Good Yarn

 

I feel like I am turning into my grandmother reading so many books by Debbie Macomber but it is what is available in the local free library. 

Normally I find Debbie's books to be a light read that are fast and do not require much thought, this was not the case with A Good Yarn. I am not sure if it is because it was a sequel but I had to think a lot more while reading to keep all the characters straight. 

I really only liked Courtney the teenager who is trying to adjust to her life without her mom and a father working in another country. She was believable and I found that her attitude was realistic.

Maverick was my second favorite and he was not even one of the main characters. Despite having a gambling addiction Maverick felt like a caring and giving man. The rest of the characters bored me and I often got them mixed up.

At this point I do not plan on continuing the series unless it is the only thing available in the local free library. 

Coffin Road

 

Coffin Road was in the local free library, the only book I did not put in fact. 

A man wakes up on a rocky beach with no memory of who he is or where he is. I really liked Neal and I imagine if I woke up without memories or any sign of who I was in life I would be freaked out as well. His amnesia seemed believable and his reactions to it seemed believable as well. It is only because of Neal that I kept reading that story.

Karen is a typical teenager who is rebelling against her mother. Pissed her dad committed suicide and angry at the world she goes out of her way to upset her mother. I did not like Karen at all, she was boring and far too predictable. In fact I skimmed most of the parts about her. 

The detective did not have much time in the book so I do not really fee like he was part of the story.

This without a doubt is the most technical mystery I have ever read, it was too technical for me in a lot of ways. While not my cup of tea I do have the perfect friend to pass it on to. 

The Inquisition

 

The Inquisition is the second book in the Summoner series. 

Once again Fletcher is in trouble, thrown into prison for the attempted murder of Dedric, a bully from the town Fletcher grew up in. To Flecher's horror Dedric is now a lord and willing to use every single trick he knows to get Fletcher convicted so he can throw him back in his prison for life. The description gives it away that Fletcher is not throw back in prison but chosen to lead a dangerous mission behind enemy lines along with his friends. 

In some ways this felt like two stories thrown together. I read the part about the Inquisition then stopped. It felt like it was completed despite Taran Matharu's best attempt to tie the next three fourths of the story to the first. Maybe a novella on the trial would have been a better option. Since this is more of a book geared towards middle school students the action never stopped. It just kept going keeping the reader interested. I read the book in two sittings. 

Despite it feeling like two books mashed into one I enjoyed the story. Unlike more series I read The Inquisition did not suffer from the dreaded second book syndrome. Oddly enough I enjoyed The Inquisition more then The Novice. It is rare I like a second book more then a first. 

I am eager to see where else Fletcher's adventures take him and the new demons that Taran Matharu brings to life with his vivid story telling. 

Pretty Little Wife

 

Pretty Little Wife was a random choice from the books available on the e-library page. 

Lila has it all, a nice house, a husband with a steady job, and is the envy of coworkers who say her life is picture perfect. If only they knew, everything fell apart when Lila found the videos, those horrible videos of her disgusting husband preying on teenage girls. Unable to tolerate the monster Aaron is Lila decides to do something about it then everything goes wrong. 

The story kept me jumping, I was not sure what was going on or who to believe most of the time. I liked the writing and the way that Lila thought as she did her best to out think everyone else. Even better I did not figure out the killer, I had a guess but guessed wrong. Mysteries have to be fast paced for me to enjoy them and keep feeding enough information to make me want to turn the page. Pretty Little Wife did all that and more. Everything was wrapped up well in the ending leaving me with no questions. 

A Reaper at the Gates

 

A Reaper at the Gates is the third book in the Ember in the Ashes series. Once again the story is told from three different points of view along with a small part told from a fourth characters point of view. 

I am still struggling to feel connected to the characters. Laia is my favorite but I do not think I would have freaked out if she had been killed or even had something really horrible happen to her. She is just too focused on saying her people forgetting that her people are the reason another whole race was decimated. 

Helen has a one track mind, protect the people of the empire and keep her sister safe from the emperor. Neither one ever goes well for her, time and time again she falls into the commanders traps. They seem to obvious and even her higher ranking officers are unable to help her stay out of the traps. It is sort of sad to see her try to hard and fail over and over.

I really feel like Elias was given the short end of the deal, he barely had any page time, and the little he had involved little to no character development. 

Since a friend gave me the series I will finish it up with the fourth book but I do need a break from all the blood and gore that occurred. 

Among the Enemy

 

Among the Enemy is the sixth book in the Shadow Children series. I was hoping Luke/Lee would be lead once again but that was not the case.

Matthias knows what it means to survive, he has been doing that all his life. Forced to care for two younger illegal third children when their guardian is killed Matthias has a deep rooted fear of the population police. When a raid rounding up the children from the school occurs Matthias knows they have to escape no matter the cost. Due to bad planning and just plain bad luck both of the younger children are seriously injured thus leaving Matthias alone to deal with several problems at once. After some hastily made decisions Matthias is recruited by the population police. Terrified he will be found out Matthias does not wish to the play the dangerous game of rebel spy.

I understand this is a middle school book but things fall into place so easily at times. Also a lot less action then previous books, I had to force myself to keep reading since I was bored. One book in the series remains and I really hope Luke/Lee is the main character again. At this point it does not really feel like the population police are going to fall easily so I am eager to know how that will occur.

The Maid

 

I do not recall how I found out about The Maid however since I worked as a housekeeper in a hotel as my first job I was intrigued to see that job field represented in a novel. 

Molly is a maid in a fancy hotel and adores her job. I will admit it does take a special person to enjoy cleaning up after others. I have seen people who love to do it and people who just do it for the money however never once did I see someone who was enthralled to turn a room back into a state of perfection. That part of the story bothered me a bit, Molly never seemed to have issues with the messes people made unless she was thoroughly questioned about her feelings. Since the story deals with a lot of thoughts and flashbacks I did expect resent about messes to appear at some point which sadly never happened. 

Also it is unclear if Molly was autistic or not. One moment she is totally clueless about and the next she is digging deep into issues surprising the reader. Is Molly so smart that she fools everyone into thinking she is not by her proper speech, lack of knowing social norms, and clueless demeanor when it suits her or is it due to a first time writer learning their way around building a character? I am honestly not sure. 

Overall I did enjoy the story and was surprised several times by the turn of events. Some things were left a mystery that can clearly be interpreted differently by every reader. The writing flowed smoothly and the grammar was spot on which does not surprise me since Nita Prose use to be an editor. I would not say not no to trying a future book by Mrs. Prose. 

Among the Brave

 

Among the Brave is the fifth book in the Shadow Children series. Once again the series diverts away from Luke to focus on a side character this time Trey, another shadow child, who considers himself a coward. 

Trey worships Luke and considers him the bravest person he has ever met. Everything goes wrong though when Luke and the other members of the resistance are taken leaving Trey on his own. Unsure what to do and terrified Trey does the only thing he has been taught to do all his life, hide. Eventually Trey realizes he is on his own and will have to figure out a plan on how to save the taken shadow children. 

Up until now Trey has not really had a big part in the story. He felt like just a character that was around for Luke to talk to. I did not really care for Trey and prefer Luke a lot more. However for the way the story went it does seem necessary for Luke to be out of commission for awhile. I do plan on continuing with the series since I am almost done. 

Chakra Healing A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras

 

Before Covid caused a pay cut I use to go to acupuncture for stress and anxiety. It helped a lot and the acupuncturist spoke of charka and ways to align them. Well when the budget had to be redone I gave up weekly acupuncture. I have really missed it so I decided to try to read up on charka to see what I could do at home to maybe help a little bit. I found Charka Healing at the local bookstore. 

I really liked the first part of the book and the part where each ailment is broken down to show what problem goes with what chakra. The second half of the book was super cookie cutter, all the writing was the same except for one word switched out which made it beyond tedious to read. I really wish the author had tried different ways of writing out techniques in case someone did not understand the directions one way. I learn a little about meditation and have some yoga poses I can give a try. Just overall Chakra Healing felt underwhelming once I was beyond the ailment part. 

 

The title is what drew me to The Midnight Library in the local bookstore. I did ultimately choose another book but got on the extremely long wait list (I was number 1693) to borrow it. 

Honestly I am not sure what I expected from The Midnight Library but I did not get it. If I had not patiently waited so long I doubt I would have finished the story. It said fantasy as a genre but  I did not really see it as a fantasy more as a dream from someone who had overdosed on drugs. The concept was interesting but the writing just did not hold my attention. Maybe it was the main character, Nora, she bothered me a lot. Oddly enough I am not sure why since she had wonderful development and learned from all his regrets. 

The writing was smooth and everything flowed well. Just something about the story made it out of my usual style. I do not believe I will pursue more of Mr. Haig's work. 

The Novive

 

I was browsing my to read list on the library website and saw The Novice was available so I decided to give it a try.

Fletcher has always felt like he does not belong, left outside the gates as a tiny baby with no clothing for warmth he knows he is lucky to be alive. Taken in and raised by the local blacksmith Fletcher has a life of hard work but is happy to irk out a living with his father figure Brendon. Easily one of the most exciting times is when traders come to the town and one day a trader with rare items appears. Dazzling the crowd with treasures from the front lines of battle Fletcher ignores most of the items except for a book. A book that was written by a summoner who was battling on the front lines. Able to read and eager to always learn Fletcher is drawn to the book. Through no fault of his own Fletcher makes an enemy of the richest man in town when another boy is hurt, knowing he will be forced to take the blame Fletcher flees the town heading to the capitol. Once in the capitol Fletcher hopes to blend in and find a job that falls through when a summoner spots him and gives him the opportunity of a lifetime.

I did see Fletcher grow some, I like how he kept making mistakes but learned from them. It made him feel real and like he could actually be harmed from bad decisions. The demons are interesting they remind me of Pokemon in a way which is what the author has stated is his intention.

Despite enjoying the book I did not find myself going to bed early every night to read, I have just been a bit  burnt out on reading. The story flowed well and a vivid world with magic, demons, and unforgettable characters was built. I will read the second book but I have to work on some of the other library books I have first. 

A Flicker in the Dark

 

I saw A Flicker in the Dark listed as a new book on the elibrary so I figured I would give it a try. 

I understand this is Stacy Willingham's first book and it sort of shows in several areas.

Chole acts like she has it all together, a successful psychologist with her own private practice. Always eager to appear normal and fit it in it becomes painfully clear that Chole is hiding something. You quickly learn she is the daughter of a famous serial killer and doing all she can to keep that part of her life buried deep. In a short while you quickly learn Chole is incapable of dealing with life without a form of aid, in this case she chooses prescription drugs. This leads to the story being confusing since you are wondering if Chole is really experiencing things or just doped up on some narcotic. 

Mrs. Willingham has a good editor since I did not notice grammar mistakes or things like that. Despite the story line being all over the place I was never confused about what was going on. I saw no growth in Chole she kept making the same mistakes. Also I am HORRIBLE at solving mysteries I can count on one hand the number of mysteries in books I have solved (including this one) and I figured out everything. Nothing was a surprise to me at all which was highly disappointing. I do have some hope for Mrs. Willingham since she knows how to write a strong lead character, I would like a bit more given to the victims though they just felt a bit lifeless.

A Torch Against the Night

 

A friend gave me A Torch Against the Night along with the rest of the series. The friend was just lacking the first book which the library had thankfully.

Another hard review to write, I really want to like the story but I struggle with it. I do not care for some of the more violent scenes especially scenes of torture even if they are sort of skipped over. It does not sit well with me. Due to that I would not classify this as young adult at all.

Laia is determined to save her brother no matter what but she knows she will need help that is where Elias comes into play. A former mask who was one of the best she hopes his knowledge and skill will be the key to freeing her brother from the most secure prison in the empire. 

Elias knows his time is limited due to the commander's underhanded technique of poison. Unable to fight at full strength Elias pushes himself hard knowing every day matters when it comes to getting Darin out of the prison. Despite his best intentions he also knows he must keep his emotions for Laia at a distance. Unable to stop hurting everyone he cares about Elias tries to embrace the fact he will die soon.

I really like the side characters the most. Despite being in the story briefly all of them have a clear personality and mission. The added mystery aspect was nice as well, several turns and twists happened that I was not expecting. Despite wanting to continue the series I had a bunch of library books come in at once and need to focus on reading those. 

Still Life with Murder

 

Still Life with Murder continues the trend of me choosing to read the oldest book downloaded on my Nook. It was most likely a Free Friday book. I almost gave up on Still Life with Murder, I was pretty tired when I started it and the first chapter did not grab my attention. I am glad I restarted it though since I really enjoyed the story and mystery.

Nell is all around awesome, I love how she tries to do the right thing but also is torn between duty, her reputation, and her love for her charge. Having lucked into a job as a governess Nell knows she is lucky and has risen far above the station she was born into. Her position becomes less secure when her employers wife begs her to go visit her estranged son who is being charged with murder. Unable to deny the kind lady Nell visits the ex dr who demands she go away but determined to help out her friend Nell soon finds herself surrounded by lies, truth, and a murder. 

The writing was a bit different then I was expecting despite feeling modern most of the time random Old English was thrown into the mix which did sort of throw off my reading pace a bit. I like the character development and how all the characters made mistakes. Some of the characters felt so lifelike I could imagine having tea in a room with them and carrying on a conversation. I did check to see if the library had the second book, Murder in a Mill Town, and it does not. I will have to save up for a Nook Gift card so I can enjoy the second book. 

Among the Barons

 

Among the Barons is the fourth book in the Shadow Child series. 

I was happy to see Luke come back and take center stage. Enjoying his life at school Luke is suddenly terrified when he is told that his younger brother, Smits, will be coming to the school. Not sure what to think Luke is even more terrified when Smits shows up with a giant bodyguard in tow. Unsure who to believe, what to believe, and torn different ways once again Luke is forced to choose what he must do to continue to fight the horrible law of any child beyond two people put to death. 

I had really hoped to see more growth in Luke. It seems like Mrs. Peterson loves to make her characters indecisive. It just works out too conveniently for them in the end and I would love to see them make some mistakes. They are kids and kids learn from mistakes. I do plan on continuing on with the series, they are fast reads but tend to have a waiting list at the library. 

Christmas Wishes

 

Christmas Wishes was in the local free library so I figured I would give it a try. While it is two stories in one only the first story really feels like it had an Christmas aspect to it.

Christmas Letters

Kathrine otherwise known as KO to her friends loves Christmas, in fact she loves it so much she writes other people's Christmas letters as a side job. To KO's horror her sister announces she is following the works of a famous child phycologist who suggests Santa gets buried under a sleigh. Having no doubt that the phycologist is a monster who hates Christmas KO is horrified when her neighbor introduces her to Wynn and the two form a friendship where sparks fly but little does KO know that Wynn is the famous phycologist who wants to bury Santa.

Rainy Day Kisses

This felt like a major stretch to add in the Christmas aspect, despite the story being told on Christmas Eve nothing else relates to Christmas. Susannah is happy with her life of being single, not having kids, and climbing the corporate ladder at her job. All that changes when she agrees to babysit for her niece, knowing nothing about taking care of a child she is saved when her handsome neighbor Nate comes over to help quiet the crying baby. Soon Susannah is rethinking the no babies and no dating rules as her life is turned head over heels.

Both stories are cute with feel good moments. I did enjoy Christmas Letters more. Typical Debbie Macomber writing, light and easy to read. 

Among the Betrayed

 

Among the Betrayed is the third book in the Shadow Children series. It is not about Luke but about a girl who is arrested for betraying her country, Nina, and she has no clue what the Population Police are talking about when they interrogate her. 

Nina does not understand what is going on, one moment she is enjoying her oatmeal at the girl's school and the next she is being arrested. Terrified, in pain, hungry, and unsure who to trust Nina decides not to do anything and remain as a neutral as possible. That seems to work until the Population Police decide to use to her to try to get three children to confess to being illegal third children.

Since Among the Betrayed is a middle school book it is an easy read. The writing it not complex but it is well done. It was nice to see another point of view set in this world but I do enjoy things from Luke's point of view more. I do plan on reading Among the Barons. 

Finale

 

Finale is the third and final book in the Caraval trilogy. I have been eager to read Finale but also dreading the wonderful tale ending. 

The story is told from the two sisters points of view as they navigate the dangerous yet beautiful world of Caraval. Tella is heartbroken and unsure how to tread after the way Dante treated her but she does have her sleeping mother to dote upon. Determined she will wake up Tella wants to be the first face she sees and thus is reluctant to leave her side. 

Scar is torn with her feelings once again. Julian has disappeared without a peep for weeks and in a sour mood from it Scar agrees to meet with her former fiancé. All is going as Scar planned until Julian shows up at the last moment possible and insists on going with her. 

Like previous stories it does not take much for the colorful world of Caraval to start to fall apart. Soon the Fates are running amok as Scar and Tella attempt to keep fixing their mistakes. Determined to set things right the two sisters embark upon dangerous tasks as they learn the deadly cost of magic. 

I really like Stephanie Garber's writing style, it reminds me beautiful poetry excellently woven into a tale that has me whispering one more chapter late into the night. Every character no matter how minor is fleshed out with something that makes them unique and memorable. I loved how the ending came together and not once was I struggling to continue with the story. It is rare I find a trilogy where I feel all three books are strong in their own account. I look forward to reading more of Stephani Garber's work even if it is not set in the world of Caraval.