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.