2 Book Lovers Reviews
Week of Sept. 23/2019
Twice in a Blue Moon
By Christina Lauren
The Institute
By Stephen King
September - 2019
Book Review:
Swan Song
By Robert R. McCammon
There are many authors who can tell a good story, who are creative and can capture my attention. But then there are those who create worlds that I can disappear into, and for a brief time, I can make this world a part of my life. This is what Robert McCammon did for me with Swan Song.
*Read my review...
Summer - 2019
Book Review:
Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space!
By Duncan P. Bradshaw
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.
*Read my review...
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
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...
New Release & Review:
The Grey Sisters captured
my interest the moment that
I read the synopsis. In an
attempt to find some closure,
D, Spider, and Min take a
road trip to a secluded,
treacherous mountainous
area to the site of the plane
crash which claimed the
lives of two of their siblings.
They quickly discovered
that facing their grief was
the least of their problems
in this dangerous, unfor-
giving territory.
New Releases!
- Park Avenue Player – By Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
It started out like any normal day.
Then the fender bender happened.
The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous.
Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.
Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.
Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident.
Whoops!
Yeah, so I didn’t get the position...
- Collateral (Collateral Damage Duet #1) – By Natasha Knight - Mafia romance!
- The Grey Sisters – By Jo Treggiari - Read my review!
D and Spider have always been close friends, and they are further united in their shared heartbreak: they both lost siblings in a horrific plane crash two years earlier. A chance sighting of a beloved cuddly toy in a photograph of the only survivor spurs D to finally seek closure. She and Spider and their friend, Min, set off on a road trip to the mountainside site of that terrible crash.
Ariel has lived on the mountain all her life. She and her extended family are looked down upon by neighboring townsfolk and she has learned to live by her wits, trusting few people outside of her isolated, survivalist community. A terrifying attack sends her down the mountain for help; on her way, she comes upon the three girls -- a chance encounter that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.
- Breaking the Faith (Breaking Trilogy #3) – By M. Mabie
- No Judgements – By Meg Cabot
- Six Goodbyes We Never Said – By Candace Granger
Naima Rodriguez doesn’t want your patronizing sympathy as she grieves her father, her hero—a fallen Marine. She’ll hate you forever if you ask her to open up and remember him “as he was,” though that’s all her loving family wants her to do in order to manage her complex OCD and GAD. She’d rather everyone back the-eff off while she separates her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six, always six, Ziploc bags, while she avoids friends and people and living the life her father so desperately wanted for her.
Dew respectfully requests a little more time to process the sudden loss of his parents. It's causing an avalanche of secret anxieties, so he counts on his trusty voice recorder to convey the things he can’t otherwise say aloud. He could really use a friend to navigate a life swimming with pain and loss and all the lovely moments in between. And then he meets Naima and everything’s changed—just not in the way he, or she, expects.
- Enchanting Sebastian (Big Sky Royal #1) – By Kristen Proby
- Wayward Son – By Rainbow Rowell – Follow-up to Carry On!
- All the Way – By Kendall Ryan
I know it’s time to move on from my rocky past and get back out there and start dating again.
It’s just that every time I think about it, I get all nervous and sweaty.
Good thing I have a secret weapon to help me—my best friend, professional hockey stud Owen Parrish.
He’s the king of hookups, and promises he’ll be my guide through the world of online dating. With his help, I know this won’t be as hard.
• • •
I’ve never been this hard in my entire life.
My friend Becca wants my help hooking her up with some douchey guy from a dating app.
I said I’d help her—but now I’m noticing all kinds of things I can’t ignore, like how pretty she is behind those baggy clothes and messy buns.
I want to be the one to help her, to show her the ropes in the bedroom, and it turns out, Becca’s game to let me take a more hands-on approach.
But what happens when she’s ready to take her newfound confidence and move on? I’ve never been boyfriend material, but for her, I want to try.
- Misadventures in Blue – By Sierra Simone
- Closer: A Stage Dive Novella (1001 Dark Nights) – By Kylie Scott
- Kiss Me Tonight – By Emma Hart - Romantic comedy!
- The Other Side – By Trice Hickman
- Wrapped Up in You: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel – By Jill Shalvis
- Cocky Player – By Stacey Lynn
- Reveal (Wicked Ways #2) – By K. Bromberg
- A Dash of Christmas – By Samantha Chase
- September 25 – Forget Me Not – By Q.B. Tyler
What do you do when the love of your life forgets?
Not the good times.
Not the love.
Not the passion.
But the pain and heartbreak and betrayal.
He doesn’t remember that he broke my heart.
But I do.
He doesn’t remember the darkest parts of our marriage.
He doesn’t remember that six months ago, I said goodbye.
What do you do when the love of your life remembers your marriage but not your divorce?
- September 26 – The Stopover – By TL Swan - Forbidden romance!
I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York.
The food, champagne, and service were impeccable.
The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better.
He was suave and intelligent.
We talked and laughed, and something clicked.
Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night.
With no plans, we made our own.
We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget.
That was twelve months ago, and I haven’t heard from him—until today.
I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk.
But I’m not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities.
I just got an email.
He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m.
Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace.
What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?
- September 26 - The Scene Stealer: A Hollywood Romance – By Renee Harless
- September 26 – Wilder Love – By Emery Rose
Happy Reading!
Week of Sept. 23/2019
I had a love/hate relationship with Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers.
I was first drawn into Wanderers by the fabulous synopsis. There is nothing I love more than a new unique twist on any type of apocalypse, and it looked like Chuck Wendig had just the thing for me.
I loved Wanderers. It is a fantastic story, filled with incredible characters.
What he's reading!
What she's reading!