Summer - 2019
Book Review:
Hideaway
By Nicole Lundrigan
This is my second go-around with Nicole Lundrigan and I continue to be impressed. She has a unique approach to her subject matter. Hideaway kicks off with a “you can’t do that,” but quickly escalates to a “what the *@#* do you think you’re doing?!”
Hideaway is told from two points of view: Rowan and his little sister, Maisy; the two unfortunate children of Gloria and Telly Janes.
*Read my review...
Book Review:
The Girl Without Skin
By Mads Peder Nordbo
I’m always looking for new-to-me Nordic Noir. Greenland, hmm…now that’s different, a little bit New World, yet still under the dominion of Denmark. This could be something with a new twist. Toss in a mummified Viking corpse – sign me up!
The Girl Without Skin was not what I expected or hoped for.
*Read my review...
June 21st, 2019
Summer Reading
Now that summer is officially here, it seems like a perfect time to plan out some of my summer reading. There are some light and heavy topics, but I hope that all of them hit the spot!
1- Into the Water - By Paula Hawkins
2- Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space - By Duncan Bradshaw
3- Hideaway - By Nicole Lundrigan
4- 'Salem's Lot - By Stephen King
5 - Fool - By Christopher Moore
June 11th, 2019
Book Review:
Hope for the Wicked
By Edward Lorn
I’ve been reading a lot of traditionally published books lately, you know the ones, with a team of editors, proofreaders, and marketing experts behind them. More often than not they’re good books, while at the same time, they can be a little vanilla. One of the so-called experts decides you can’t do this or that, someone might get offended, or worse yet, triggered.
*Read my review...
June 4th, 2019
New Release & Review:
Another Life
By Robert Haller
The famous “coming of age” story; you could say that it’s been done to death, but with each generation of authors there is always something fresh and new to the genre: the era, the locale, the gender of the protagonist or protagonists, as the case may be.
*Read my review...
May 31st, 2019
Weekend Audiobook Recommendations!
- Sci-Fi - Hyperion - By Dan Simmons - This book was excellent! I'm already looking forward to the next one in this series. Read my review.
- Thriller - Cemetery Road - By Greg Iles- Read my review.
- Horror/Dystopian - All Roads End Here - By David Moody - If you like dark stories that take you where you might not want/expect to go, read /listen to this author's books! - Read my review.
May 24th, 2019
Long Weekend Reading!
If you're looking for a book to read over the weekend, I have a few recommendations for you.
-Horror - N0S4A2 - By Joe Hill - This book is going to be on the small screen (AMC) in June, but we all know that the book is always better! Read my review.
- Thriller - The Homecoming - By Andrew Pyper - Read my review.
- Mythology/Historical - Circe - By Madeline Miller - Read my review.
- A good laugh - Lamb - By Christopher Moore - Read my review.
May 14th, 2019
Book Review:
Hyperion
By Dan Simmons
I’ve always loved Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the concept of a group of travelers telling each other stories to make their trip more interesting. This idea could easily be applied to a more modern voyage. Little did I know that Simmons had been there and done that with Hyperion. When I realized that was what was going on, I had one of my “Oh, Hell yeah!” moments and Simmons had me hooked.
*Read my review...
May 10th, 2019
Book Review:
Little Darlings
By Melanie Golding
The best horror plays off of real-life fears. For any parent the biggest fear has to be something happening to your children. Melanie Golding assaulted this fear. Playing with nursery rhymes and traditional children’s stories, Golding has created a new parent’s nightmare.
*Read my review...
*Read Shelley's review...
May 7th, 2019
Book Review:
Cemetery Road
By Greg Iles
I love committing myself to big books. I crave spending hours with interesting, well-developed characters. I appreciate an author like Greg Iles, who has the patience and makes the time to create the stories that will occupy a portion of my life.
I’ve heard it said many times that an author should write what they know; Greg Iles is a southern boy, and he sets his stories, like Cemetery Road, in small-town Mississippi.
*Read my review...
April 29th, 2019
Book Review:
The Pandora Room
By Christopher Golden
Ben Walker is living my childhood dream, well, he isn’t exactly living it because he is a fictional character, but you know what I mean. I grew up on a healthy dose of Indiana Jones and Allan Quatermain; Harrison Ford and Richard Chamberlain stoked my love of the adventure of uncovering a lost mythical treasure in an exotic location. Ben Walker is a modern version of my childhood heroes.
*Read my review...
April 19th, 2019
Book Review:
The Last Big Thing
By David Moody
David Moody is one of my favorite authors. I’ve been captivated by his writing since I first opened Hater many years ago. I’ve been nursing The Last Big Thing since its release in January. I just can’t sit and read straight through an anthology; I like to place the stories in between other full-length books that I’m reading. I find that this helps with my overall appreciation for the anthology as a whole.
*Read my review...
Summer - 2019
Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space!
When it comes to creativity, corny one-liners and base humor, Duncan P. Bradshaw has it in spades.
I loved the concept of Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space! It’s a whole lot of fun to read Bradshaw’s synopses, they are always a bit tongue-in-cheek and this one goes above and beyond.
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
'Salem's Lot
By Stephen King
Summer - 2019
New Release & Review:
It has taken me a few days
to try and compile my
thoughts into a review
that will express exactly
how I feel about this book.
To be honest, I’m still not
sure that I will be able to
do it justice. The Last Post
was on my must-read list
the minute that it was
announced. There are
certain authors that just
seem to have the knack of
striking the perfect chord
with me, and this author is
definitely one of them.
Summer Reading
There’s nothing like sitting outside with a good book, a chilled beverage, and just losing yourself in the pages of a story. My reading lists are always growing, often changing
(depending on my mood), and I have concluded that I will probably never have the time to read ALL the books that my heart desires.
Here are just a few that are topping my summer reading list:
1- Say You Still Love Me – By K.A. Tucker
2- The Last Post – By Renée Carlino
3 - The Suicide King – By Vanessa Marie
4 - Jersey Six – By Jewel E. Ann
5 - Parallel – By Elizabeth O’Roark
If you're looking for your next read, be sure to check out this summer's upcoming releases!
Summer Releases!
- August 20 – The Last Post – By Renée Carlino
Laya Marston’s husband, Cameron, a daredevil enthusiast, always said this before heading off on his next adventure. He was the complete opposite of her, ready and willing to dive off a cliff-face, or parachute across a canyon—and Laya loved him for it. But she was different: pragmatic, regimented, devoted to her career and to supporting Cameron from the sidelines of his death-defying feats.
Opposites attract, right?
But when Cameron dies suddenly and tragically, all the stages of grief go out the window. Laya becomes lost in denial, living in the delusion that Cameron will come back to her. She begins posting on his Facebook page, reminiscing about their life together, and imagining new adventures for the two of them.
Micah Evans, a young and handsome architect at Laya’s father’s firm, is also stuck––paralyzed by the banal details of his career, his friendships, and his love life. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, only that there is someone out there who can bring energy and spirit to the humdrum of his life.
When Micah discovers Laya’s tragic and bizarre Facebook posts, he’s determined to show Laya her life is still worth living. Leaving her anonymous gifts and notes, trying to recreate the sense of adventure she once shared with her late husband, Micah finds a new passion watching Laya come out of the darkness. And Laya finds a new joy in the experiences Micah has created for her.
But for Laya, letting another man in still feels like a betrayal to her late husband. Even though Micah may be everything she could wish for, she wonders if she deserves to find happiness again.
- August 20 – The Reckless Oath We Made – By Bryn Greenwood
Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss.
Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. He's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid.
When an abduction tears Zee's family apart, she turns to the last person she ever imagined--Gentry--and sets in motion a chain of events that will not only change both of their lives, but bind them to one another forever.
- August 20 – On the Corner of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics #1) – By Nina Bocci
When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father—and current mayor of Hope Lake, Pennsylvania—suggests she help with Cooper Endicott’s campaign, she’s horrified. Cooper, one of her (former) oldest friends, drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, so Emma reluctantly launches her plan to help him win the local election.
It’s not as easy as it looks. Cooper’s colorful love life is the sticking point for many voters, and his opponent is digging up everything he can from his past. It seems that every time Emma puts out the flames from one scandal, another one flares up. Emma knows that if Cooper wants to win, he needs to keep his nose clean. The only problem? She might just be falling in love with the one person she promised never to pursue: the mayoral candidate himself.
- August 20 – The First Girl Child – By Amy Harmon
- August 27 – Butterfly in Frost – By Sylvia Day – Novella with new characters!
- August 27 – Handle with Care – By Helena Hunting – Romantic comedy!
HE WANTS TO LOSE CONTROL.
Between his parents’ messed up marriage and his narcissistic younger brother, Lincoln Moorehead has spent the majority of his life avoiding his family. After the death of his father, Lincoln finds himself in the middle of the drama. To top it all off, he’s been named CEO of Moorehead Media, much to his brother’s chagrin. But Lincoln’s bad attitude softens when he meets the no-nonsense, gorgeous woman who has been given the task of transforming him from the gruff, wilderness guy to a suave businessman.
SHE’S TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER.
Wren Sterling has been working double time to keep the indiscretions at Moorehead Media at bay, so when she’s presented with a new contract, with new responsibilities and additional incentives, she agrees. Working with the reclusive oldest son of a ridiculously entitled family is worth the hassle if it means she’s that much closer to pursuing her own dreams. What Wren doesn’t expect is to find herself attracted to him, or for it to be mutual. And she certainly doesn’t expect to fall for Lincoln. But when a shocking new Moorehead scandal comes to light, she’s forced to choose between her own family and the broody, cynical CEO.
- August 27 – The Passengers – By John Marrs – Thriller – Looks exciting!
You’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die.”
Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.
From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, "Which of these people should we save?...And who should we kill first?"
- September 3 – Permanent Record – By Mary H.K. Choi
- September 3 – Well Met – By Jen DeLuca – Enemies-to-lovers!
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
- September 3 – Rewind – By Catherine Ryan Howard – Psycho meets Fatal Attraction!
Happy Reading!
Can You Keep a Secret?
By Sophie Kinsella
2 Book Lovers Reviews