Review: The Opening Act

The Opening Act by Taryn Elliott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



First thing first. Jimi. Not Jimmy. Jimi. I'm chalking this up to one of those pesky autocorrect errors though because I've seen it other books and I refuse to believe that any author that writes a book about a band or music lover doesn't know the proper spelling of one of the greatest/influential guitarists in rock n roll.

That's done, now onward.

The Opening Act is a bundle of the first books in the Lost in Oblivion series. I've already read the later two, so I'm just going link those reviews in here and discuss the first novella in this series, Seduced.

Seduced takes us back to the very beginnings of the band Oblivion. For those who've read the latter two books prior to this one, it gives you some insight on that tension that is oft mentioned between Jazz, Nick and Gray. And boy was the reason for that tension interesting. Their story was probably the most interesting in the book and really makes me intrigued to see how everything is going to turn out between all of them. As for the rest of the book, it is lots 'o sex and teases the future love lives of a couple of the band members.

So. Overall, I'll give this bundle 3 stars. I think that Rocked was by far the strongest book with Seduced probably being the weakest. We could have gotten this backstory in the characters' books rather than a separate one and it would not have made the slightest difference. Still, it was a good read for what it was.


Here are the links for my reviews of parts 2 & 3 of this boxed set
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/929878359
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/930758297




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Review: Geek Love

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



ARTURISM: A quasi-religious cult making no representations of a god or gods, and having nothing to say about life after death. The cult represents itself as offering earthly sanctuary from the aggravations of life. Small chalked graffiti, said to be the work of the Admitted, are found in many locations after the Binewski carnival has passed through. The phrase "Peace, Isolation, Purity" (P.I.P) seems to be the slogan. Many commercial posters distributed in advance of the show read, "Arturo knows, All Pain, All Shame, and the Remedy!"

I went into this book without reading any major information, other than the back cover. I was expecting some craziness given the idea of a couple creating their own Freak Show for the carnival, but I never fully expected what I actually got.  It was amazing. Seriously, freaking amazing.


Geek Love follows the life of the Binewski family; Al, Lily, Arty the Aquaboy, Elly & Iphy the Siamese twins, Oly the albino hunchback, and Chick the supposed "norm", who blows everyone else out of the water, so to speak. The Binewski are originally a family built on love, but in a kind of a twisted way. Al and Lily create their family experimenting with mixes of amphetamines, arsenic and radioisotopes until they are able to create their dreamlets. As the family grows older, things begin to change within the family and the carnival.

I'm kind of at a loss with what to exactly say in the review, because I don't want to include anything that I marked in the book. Those things were so impactful and shocked me so much that I don't want to give any hints as to what happened to the family. You know from the beginning of the book that they had a tragic ending, but it was such a slow burn, with so many things that eventually led to their fall, how can I single out anything.

The aspect of this book that I find so fascinating is the way I questioned the motives behind the characters. Al and Lil created their own little "monsters", but exactly how far did they go in their creations. Would the kids have been the same mentally and emotionally had they not been created with their deformities? Did their tampering with nature create more than just physical monsters? If they wouldn't have done what they did, would the ensuing terror have actually happened? It opens up so much of a nature vs nurture debate, but in kind of an opposite direction. They were created as an abomination of nature, but they were loved and nurtured completely because of that supposed abomination...

I honestly cannot talk up this book enough. It isn't an easy read, as the subject matter can be tough to work through, but it is a fascinating and complex read that will keep you utterly hooked.



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Review: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a fascinating read. Surprisingly enough, it had little to do with H.H. Holme's aspect of the book.

I knew of the World's Fair prior to reading this, but it was just the basics of it. Delving further into the makings of it was beyond interesting, and seemed doomed from the start, really. The amount of work that went into it was amazing. As was the pride in it. It's sad that it was marred with such struggle and death. The sheer amount of genius that went into it and eventually came out of it though, awesome. I got to the point with the Fair's story, that Holme's part in it was kind of on the back burner for me. I think that was primarily because I had already read quite a bit on him, so it wasn't something new for me to focus on.

I was really impressed with Larson's ability to weave these two stories together so fluidly. One would never think that a book about a serial killer and an architect, two men had such huge impact on the country in such vastly different ways, work so well together, but it did. More so with the fact that I'm sure that many people, me included, were drawn to this book because of Holme's story in it only to get drawn into another aspect of history.

I highly recommend.




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Review: Deliver Us from Evil: A New York City Cop Investigates the Supernatural

Deliver Us from Evil: A New York City Cop Investigates the Supernatural by Ralph Sarchie

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



This book most definitely was not for me. At all. I'll preface by saying that I am Catholic and do believe in demon possessions. However, I still I found this entire book to be absolutely ridiculous. I did find myself frustrated with the constant religious diatribes after every story, though I understand Sarchie's reasoning behind adding it. Good for him for being strong in his faith, but I think the book would have been fine, if not better, without it. My biggest issue with this is that he seemed so flipping quick to jump to his determination that the person was possessed. One meeting and he just knows? And in some cases he knows the exact demon during that one meeting too. I found that baffling. I'm unsure if this was the actual case for his investigations or if everything was condensed so that he could fit in as many experiences as possible. If the latter was the case, it would have been much more impactful to cut that down and just discuss one or two in much, much more detail. In the case of this book, everything seemed too rushed and in the end just flat out unimpressive and questionable. Even as someone who DOES believe in the possibility of demonic possessions, I found myself to be incredibly skeptical of what I was reading.
 
I'll go ahead and add this into my the movie was better category, and the movie still wasn't anything to write home to mom about. It did have an entire soundtrack of music by the Doors so at least if you hate the movie, you have some amazing listening opportunities.



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Review: What's Left of Us

What's Left of Us by Amanda Maxlyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This has been one of my most anticipated reads this year. I loved What's Left of Me and was really excited to see the completion of their story. So excited that I pulled myself up from the brink of death (not really, just an ear/sinus infection but I turn into a man when I'm sick) to get this read as soon as I could. And Amanda did not disappoint at all.

The thing that makes both WLoM and WLoU is that they are both a realistically poignant look into the struggles that surround the cancer survivor and their families. In these books, it isn't the struggle to survive the cancer, but the struggle to be able to live despite the lingering fear of cancer. What's Left of Us continues the Aundrea and Parker's story as they settle down further into their life, taking place 3 years into their relationship as they run into new heartaches and joys. Their struggle in this book is the decision on whether or not to add to their family despite Aundrea's fear of her heart or cancer taking her away. Every part of these books feel real. So many books within this genre can seem a little ridiculous or overdramatic, but not these. You really feel like this could be your friends or family, so it is amazingly easy to form a connection and really feel every joy and pain right along with the characters. I don't want to give anything away, because it is just something that need to be experienced in your own way. For me though, these books are ones that will stay with me as something special. Even if they are rip your heart out and stomp on it, in a good way though.







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Review: Dom Wars: Round One

Dom Wars: Round One by Lucian Bane

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



So, I was one of the many who got the email from this author when he joined Booklikes. I happened to find the fact that he went out of his way to message people who followed him/he followed to be highly amusing (not to mention the apology message too) so I decided to read his book that I got as a freebie a while ago.

Too bad that my reading it didn't really work out for either of us.

I found Dom Wars to have a serious case of the Serials. It just progressed far, far too fast for me with not enough go on. Sometimes I can look past that with serials, sometimes I can't. This time, I couldn't. I found the whole Dom Wars storyline to be interesting, but I do not think that it is something that can be properly done in a serial format. It is something that needs to be properly fleshed (ha) out, along with the characters that are involved in it. Especially when there are declarations of love in Volume 1, with characters that were not previously involved prior to being it starting.

I have Volume 2 already, so I may eventually read that and decide if I want to continue on with the rest of the books. But given the current state of my TBR list, it's not high on the priority list. I will probably check out other books of his though. I have a soft spot for a (mild) lack of proper etiquette.



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Review: Tattoos and Tatas

Tattoos and Tatas by Tara Sivec

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Cried some, laughed some and 100% of the proceeds goes to breast cancer research. Win/win situation.




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Review: Innocents

Innocents by Mary Elizabeth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I reviewed this already, when it was originally the fanfic Dusty and I believe I gave it 4 stars. Those primarily because I found it to be absolutely horrible, but completely unputdownable. That opinion still stands now.

Dusty: Innocents is not a book that you can like. It actually pains me to read reviews talking about how much they love Dusty and Bliss. It worries me that anyone would find anything lovable about the relationship between those two. It also worries me when I read reviews talking about how unrealistic they seem. The lives that they lead may be hard to accept, but it's not unrealistic. And that scares the shit out of me. Innocents follow Dusty and Bliss from the early stages of their friendship at 11 & 13 through some semblance of a relationship, albeit hidden, at 15 & 17. It also follows the relationship Dusty has with his other bliss....drugs, alcohol, and sex. I know people don't want to think that young teens think and act like Dusty does, but they do. I've seen it firsthand. It's not pretty but The Elizabeths really nail the harsh realities of it. And somehow they do it with a lyrical style to the writing that makes you continue reading even though every bone in your body wishes you could stop. It's kind of fitting that way since you are reading a book about addiction in all forms. Addiction to the high, addiction to a person, addiction to appearances, all of which does harm to the person dealing with it and those around them.

Anyway.

Innocents sets the tone for the series as a whole. It gives you a peak into the monster that is Dusty & Bliss. It hints at things to come with their relationship and you know that it isn't going to be good. You can feel it throughout the entire book. It gives the perfect set up to leave you wanting to find out when all hell is going to break loose and wonder how it is going to happen. It's a massive mindfuck and I can't wait to see what is going to happen. And I'm probably going to hate every moment of it and that makes me love it. Dusty and Bliss are obviously not the only ones with problems.



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Review: The Science of Loving

The Science of Loving by Candace Vianna

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



2.75 to 3 Stars

This is one of those situations where an editor could work wonders. I really liked what this book could have been. It has quirky characters, humorous situations and a decent flow along the plot line. It's definitely what I would consider one of those beach reads. It kind of follows the fairly predictable pattern for that type of book, but when you are looking for that, this one definitely hits the mark. The downside of all of that was the editing though. It isn't really grammatical errors, though they are there, but more of the general feel of some sections of the book. I do feel that those sections are something that could be corrected and make this book truly enjoyable. On an even better note, the author did suggest contacting her with any typos or inconsistencies, so kudos for her being willing to take help when offered. I love that in a new author. =)

So, overall opinion is that I really liked potential of this book. It's there in spades, it just needs to be fully realized..



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Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



"Because I feel sorry for you.
'Why?'
Because every morning you have to wake up and be you."

Well doesn't that just sum up this book perfectly.

This was just a bunch of crazy. What is wasn't, though, was full of "twists and turns that you'll never see coming". Especially for someone who watches way too much Investigation Discovery, Criminal Minds and goes into those odd Wikipedia binges where you want to look up something innocent and then somehow spin into in-depth researches on every sociopath/serial killer from the last 500 years. This has been so hyped up to me by friends that I was so ridiculously excited that maybe, just maybe this would rock in a creepy I am going to never trust anyone again way. I didn't get that though.

That doesn't mean that it wasn't well-written, well-researched, and well-fucked up. It was, seriously. Even though nothing ever really gave me that holy-shit moment, it kept me fully intrigued in finding out just how crazy this people were. So, while it wasn't all that I was hoping, I am definitely not completely disappointed and definitely curious to see what else Gillian Flynn can throw at me.



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Review: Deacon

Deacon by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Honestly, I should just copy and paste my last several KA book reviews here. Change the names and it would apply. I'm obviously a little burnt out on the KA style.

On a plus side, KA definitely made an effort to push her limits a little further. I loved that, even if I didn't love the book. We need a little more limit pushing in the KA world.



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Review: Get in the Van: On the Road With Black Flag

Get in the Van: On the Road With Black Flag by Henry Rollins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I think this has been one of the hardest books that I have read in a long time. It isn't the writing that makes it hard, however, I will say that it is all taken from Henry's journal entries so the flow is rough. No, the reason why it is such a hard read is that Henry's depression, self loathing and general hatred to the world is SO palpable that you can feel it wafting off the pages. He literally gave everything he had to his music and performances that there was nothing left for himself or anything around him. You also have to keep in mind that this was the punk scene throughout the 80s. Black Flag is on the cover of magazines, Henry is considered a rockstar, and yet he lives in a shed when he is in LA. Their shows are a mass of hatred and abuse (literal, they are attacked, urine thrown at them, etc) hurtled at them, they go hungry, they sleep in their bus or squat with fans. It's insane and insanely hard to read how shitty the conditions were for a band that you absolutely love. It's even harder to read that even despite that, being in the van and on the road and miserable is the only time that Henry ever really feels whole.

Too add insult to injury, it's also hard to read the inner thoughts of a musician that you love who is so addled with loathing, depression, and violence. They aren't pretty thoughts..killing the pigs, killing the fans, killing the pigs' families, mutilation of himself and others. And as you go further in the years, it only gets worse. Henry could have made an outstanding horror novelist. Or serial killer. Whichever.

Overall, this is an incredibly painful and real portrait of Henry's life at the time. His thoughts are blunt and pretty flipping horrid at times. There is no sugar coating of anything. More like rusted barbwire coated. Don't read this expecting to see a feel good story of a man's rise to fame. It's not there. You are actually really grateful that he got out of that van by the end of it. It was an interesting ride while you were there though.



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Review: Scarlett

Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I finished this late last night and I'm still not 100% sure on my feelings about it. I guess the best that I can say was that it was okay. I wasn't overly wowed with anything, but I don't feel a complete resounding hatred toward the author for butchering two of my favorite literary characters. I definitely cannot say that I'm happy with Ms. Ripley's take on Scarlett or Rhett either. They both were just missing that spark that made Gone With the Wind the book that it was, but I don't think that ANYONE other than Margaret Mitchell is capable of writing those two properly.

If I try to look at Scarlett as a separate entity from Gone with the Wind it comes just comes across as middle of the road fan fiction. And let's face it, that is pretty much what it was. I was happy to see Scarlett finally grow into a woman and a mother, but it was also sad for me to see her lose that stubborn drive to always get what she wants. The only thing I ever really saw from her in Scarlett was her running. She runs from Atlanta, then Charleston, then Savannah, then Ireland. She sets goals , and when they didn't happen, she accepts defeat. Scarlett does not accept defeat, she may lick her wounds for a bit, but she always jumps back in. She fights and will do it dirty if necessary. I missed that in her. As for Rhett. Well, I won't even go into that one.

Anyway, back to the point. By the end of this, I definitely realized that I needed to forget that this is a sequel. It isn't a sequel, in my opinion. There really can't be a sequel that isn't written by Margaret Mitchell. However, it was interesting to read someone else's opinion to how their love story ends up. It was a little cheesy, and definitely not how I would have ever ended things for Rhett and Scarlett, but it was okay entertainment.



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Review: Sophie's Choice

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



Well, I finished it. And I despised every moment of it, from the writing to the characters. Maybe I just don't understand or appreciate a writing style such as Styron's, but I just found it incredibly tedious and tiresome to wade through all of Stingo's incessant (and lust-fueled) rambling. I hated him and in turn ended up absolutely hating Sophie and Nathan. When you reach the climatic point in the novel and you don't feel even the slightest twinge of anything other than, thank god this means it is almost over, then you know that you should just call it a day and admit failure.

So, yes. Sophie's Choice. Huge, gigantic and miserable no go for me.



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Review: Tatiana and Alexander

Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This one didn't hit me quite as hard at The Bronze Horseman did. There was just something missing with it. However, I do think it was a great ending to Tania and Shura's story. So much so that I'm unsure whether or not I want to read the third book in this series. The epic-ness of what these two have gone through for each other is amazing enough in itself. I don't know that I want a dose of the realities of marriage thrown in, lol.



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RIP Robin Williams

Review: Dust to Dust

Dust to Dust by Karina Halle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



One of the most bittersweet times in a book obsessed person's life is the ending of a series that you loved. You are excited to get that last book, but at the same time you don't know what to do with the fact that you are never going to see them in a new book again. And because I'm a huge and probably slightly crazy sap, I have been a mess while reading this book.

I probably love this series to a fault. Nothing that I've read by Karina Halle has ever really compared to what I feel for this series. So, obviously, I am far from biased in my feelings here. It's pretty much one of those situations where it could be absolutely terrible and I would still think that Karina, and her Dex and Perry, pretty much walk on water. The strength of my fangirl would probably be a little embarrassing if I had the capability to be embarrassed by my obsessions. Alas, I do not..so whatever. I loved this book. I loved this series. I loved Dex and Perry. I loved the resolutions. I loved the heartbreak. I loved to hate the fact that it's over.

Anyway. On to an actual review, rather than an ode to EIT.

Dust to Dust picks up directly after the end of Ashes to Ashes. Directly after, with Perry waking up after encountering Dex's "brother" for the first time. After waking up and rushing home, she finds out that Dex is no where to be seen. He's gone and Perry knows where he is going to be. Back to the beginning--New York City. Where it all started. Where Pippa first met Dex and where she first brought Perry into the Thin Veil, essentially forcing them to become who they are now.

This book isn't the most traditionally scary. I never really got creeped out, per se, but I definitely stayed on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. Would Perry be able to save Dex, as he has done for her so many times? Did she finally have the confidence in herself and her abilities when it mattered the most? You'll have to read to find out, but obviously I'm not penning this as hate mail to Karina Halle so I'm sure that gives you a clue about that.

It's kind of awesome as a reader to be able to watch people grow throughout a series and watching the growth of both Dex and Perry and their respective families and friends has been pretty amazing. It's also been a little crazy for me to see how much the author has changed over the course of the series too. Expanding from EIT to writing more series, becoming traditionally published..everything. It kind of blows to see the ending of this chapter, but I'm excited to see what else is to come.

So, yeah, 5 stars from me. The series isn't perfect and it's not for everyone.  However, it has been a perfect, wild ride for me and I loved every moment of it.



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Review: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow. I said earlier that I was unsure whether I wanted to scream or cry while reading this, and it still holds true now that I am finished. My general feeling after finishing this is shock over how horrifyingly relevant this book still is. In 2014. Still.


"Oiling themselves like roast meat on a spit, and bare backs and shoulder, on the street, in public, and legs, not even stockings on them, no wonder these things used to happen."

How many times have women heard this? What were you wearing when you were assaulted?

"But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says, holding up one plump finger. Her fault, her fault, her fault, we all chant in unison. Who lead them on? Aunt Helena beams, pleased with us. She did. She did. She did. Why did God allow such a terrible thing to to happen? Teacher her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson."

And so it begins. The covering of women, the outlawing of reading and gaining of knowledge of women, based on the views of the Old Testament. Control the women to control the men. Women are put in their rightful place, as procreators. Women are protected. Unless they can't procreate. Those take care of the home or are deemed Unwomen and sent to the colonies.

"You wanted a women's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn't what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for some mercies."


The one thing that sticks with me throughout this is Ofwarren's hope though. It may be minuscule, but there is always some in some way. She always feels something. Anger, love, horror, fear, fight. “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” Don't let the bastards grind you down. She reads this and it sticks with her. No matter what she is doing. She seems broken on the outside, but she finds little ways to fight back the entire time. It provides the book a desperately needed undercurrent of hope.

Overall, this was just an amazing book. It may not be the happiest book on the planet, in fact I'd consider it more horror than dystopian. That's just me though. But everything aspect of it made me think. And worry. And wonder about what I am teaching my kids now and what I can do differently in the future. That is what makes a book amazing for me.



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A Shade of Vampire Series Review.

I finished it.  The entire series.  There was a lot of skimming involved, but it happened.  And it was miserable.  Honestly, by book 4 I had absolutely no clue why I was continuing to do this to myself.  I mean, am I really that stubborn when I made a decision to do something?  I am, apparently.  

I will say that the books eventually get better.  Not better as in them being good or anything, rather better as in you no longer feel the need to toss your iPad in the middle of the road so it can be run over repeatedly because you've lost all hope in books.  Okay, so that's a little dramatic.  I'd never willingly let anything happen to my iPad.  It would have been considered it I had borrowed a copy of a paperback from a friend.  Friends don't let friends read questionable books and all.  Unless you are me and obviously lack common sense.  

Anyhoo.  

I never saw why this is so warrants so many 5 star reviews on Goodreads & Amazon.  The writing was disjointed, plot lines were tossed in with little understanding, characters were absolutely idiotic, eighteen year old girls were knocked up by their ex-vamp new husband (honeymoon baby, cue the awwwws) and said babies (twins!) are apparently going to be so amazingly awesome that the bad guys want to kidnap said children and we never find out why.  Please, authors, stop with the it is so amazing for teenagers to be pregnant, husband or not, story lines. It's not adorably sweet.  

I just need to stop now.  Bottom line is that I kept reading out of curiosity about the reviews and since the books were a part of Kindle Unlimited it didn't cost me anything this month.  But now I am going to get back to my HP reread and remind myself that there are books out there that do provide good literary influences for teenagers.  

1 Star out of 5.  Yeah. 

Review: Maybe Maby

Maybe Maby by Willow Aster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked this so much. It was a great mix of sweet, funny, heartbreaking and eye-opening.

Mabel (Maby) suffers from severe depression with OCD tendencies. It's always been difficult, but since the murder of her mother, it has spiraled out of control. To do some serious paraphrasing, this book is about her journey to being able to cope with her struggles and find out what..and who she wants in her life. And by who, I mean the three guys that are vying for her attention.

The love square(?) definitely gets old pretty quickly. Honestly, that was probably the most frustrating aspect of the book. It's a pretty obvious choice as a reader. However, it is the fact that even though it was clear to me, I could always understand why Maby was able to twist things up in her mind. It's easy to be on the outside looking in and say "why can't you decide", "why can't you stop", etc. I'll attribute a well written book to the fact that I was never frustrated, I just wanted Maby to be able to get herself there too.

I guess that was why I liked this book so much. It deals with some serious issues, but it was done in such a way to not make light of the issues but not make it completely dark the entire time either.



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Review: The Strain

The Strain by Guillermo del Toro

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book is one of those that I could never really decide if I liked it or not. It started out incredibly slow, but I appreciated the detail that was put into it by the end of it. It built the anticipation up just enough that I was pretty involved by the end of it. I was definitely able to very vividly see the vampires and how they functioned in my head, which definitely upped the creep factor in. So, I'm undecided on my opinion. It was slow, but still interesting by the end. I'll probably check out the next in the series if I stumble across the book, but I don't feel the need to rush out and buy it otherwise.



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Review: Say the Word

Say the Word by Julie Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Say the Word was super heavy on the dialogue, but still a fairly strong book with its focus on second chance love, awesome friends, with a dash of crime drama tossed in. It was kind of predictable and like I said before, really heavy on the inner dialogue, but it still flowed well and kept me engaged the entire time. That tends to be a hard task to accomplish as of late. It was still missing that "something" though. I can't quite nail what exactly that was though.

3.5 to 4 Stars..



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Review: Infinity + One

Infinity + One by Amy Harmon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Infinity + One, the story of the modern day Bonnie and Clyde. A suicidal country music princess and a ex-con math genius from Boston (cough Will Hunting cough) meet and proceed to fall in love during a cross country crime spree...no wait, that's not it. A cross county do-gooding spree. Yep, I said that. While on the run from the evil stage grandmother, they embark on a cross country spree of good deeds. Helping a stranded mother with her two children (one of whom has leukemia and a love of Miss Bonnie Rae), picking up a scraggly haired hitchhiker, helping ensure a granddad and his grandson safe passage home, and secretly slipping some monetary donations along the way. All of this while they are on the run from the law (evil stage-grandmother, yeah) for kidnapping, grand theft auto, attempted murder, etc etc etc. Sounds a little fantastical, yeah?

Well, it was. Maybe I'm too cynical to see the awesomeness in this, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. I went into this thinking, Amy Harmon (Making Faces & A Different Blue), this is bound to be good even if it doesn't sound like my cup of tea. And to a point, it was. The writing is what I would expect, it was good. It started out pretty slow, but I became slightly more invested by the half way point. I KNEW they weren't going to end up like their namesakes, I mean let's face it, this isn't a Tarryn Fisher novel. They are going to have a happy ending and it's going to be disgustingly happy in which everything works out peachy keen, jelly bean. If that is your cup o' tea, you are going to love this. It WAS well written. It was an interesting story despite the mushy-ness. You did care what happened to Bonnie and Finn (Clyde that is. Infinity Clyde, hence the title), even if you really didn't want too. I just wanted a wee bit more out of the book, because I expected more out of Amy Harmon.

So, if you are looking for a feel good book that is a little different at the same time, this is probably a good choice. If not, feel free to come back when you are.



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The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I wish that I could say that I loved this book.  Especially since the movie is nothing short of amazing.  I wish I did, but I just didn't.  

The heart of the book is awesome. Everything that made the movie so great was there.  The humor, the satire, the romance, and Inigo.

Anyway.  The issues I ran across were all centered around Goldman's "abridgment".  His commentary was amusing, until it wasn't.  In the end, it just started to eat away at the story itself.  It was genius in the way that it was written, really, especially for the time it was written in.  A story within a story within a story.  I can recognize all of that, I just can't bring myself to like it.   

Overall, I guess I'm a little..disenchanted?  The thing that made me love the movie so much was the wonderfully sarcastic take on the fairy tale.  The commentary made me lose sight on that at times.  Thankfully, it wasn't enough for me to be completely disappointed though.  I just know to what to skip over when I do a reread.  

3.5 out of 5 stars

Review: The Promise

The Promise by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I love Kristen Ashley books. I really do. Sometimes I just don't know why I love them anymore. There is such a stark difference in my opinions of her books from when I first started reading them to now that it is kind of depressing. Everything is just starting to bleed together, I guess. But at the same time, when she does attempt change things up I wax poetic about somebody I used to know and not knowing what I've got until it's gone. So, who knows.

I'm assuming based on the above rambling, you can kind of see where my brain is at with The Promise. It was typical KA. Excessive descriptions, man-whore turned one woman man when he finally finds "the one" that he was meant to have, and woman who fights that love tooth and nail before she finally realizes the error of her ways and 180's and since this is the 'burg series, a dash of crime drama tossed in. Does that meant that I didn't like it? No, because I'm a sucker for all of that crap. I love it, even if I have to skim good chunks of it. The formula she uses works. It especially works when you learn really early on to skip all of the outfit and room descriptions.

On the plus side of all of this (and it's a really big plus for me), we had all kinds of side story with Joe (and Vi), otherwise known as Erika's number one KA dude ever with no hopes of that title being given to someone else. I could have skipped the rest of the book in it's entirety and just read about Joe and Vi's wedding/children's birth and would have been content with life. And writing this review now, I honestly can't think of any thing in Frankie and Benny's book that I deem more important that Joe's bit parts other than the chapter that also included Luke Stark in it.

I think that has been the biggest issue with KA's books for me. There has only been one other book in all of her new to me releases that can compete with being as good as her earlier stuff. I keep reading and keep trying though.



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Scoring Wilder by RS Grey.

After reading this, I decided to find a gif of some sort to properly express my feelings.  I wanted to find some relatable soccer ones since, you know, this book was about soccer players.  I got sidetracked.  I'm kind of wishing I actually watched soccer now.  

I'm not sure who the top two guys are, wait I take that back.  The first one is Cristano Ronaldo, correct? Anyway.  Soccer dudes.  And David Beckham (who has aged really well, I must say).  And now to research more throughly.  

Oh, Scoring Wilder. 

Honestly, it is just one of many in the NA genre.  I've never read a book centered around soccer players, so I decided to give it a try.  It started off okay given that the MC is actually a driven and self-confident girl working her ass off to make the US Olympic soccer team.  Kudos to the author.  But then she falls in love with the reformed bad boy, star soccer player that everyone wants and then falls prey to the bullying of the girl whom he shunned years earlier.  Waa waa waa.  

I guess I'm going to have to add New Adult to my list of genres that I should back away from.  

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Henry Rollins on the Ramones

This is just an article I ran across written by Henry Rollins today discussing the death of Tommy Ramone.  As per the usual for Henry Rollins, it was worth the read for me.   It's kind of crazy to know that all of the original Ramones are dead now.  Their music has been such a huge part of my life for years and I definitely have to agree with Henry that their music rescued Rock and Roll. Hopefully it will continue to do so as parents pass it on to their kids for years to come.  

As a side note, if you have Sirius/XM and haven't caught Marky Ramone's punk rock blitzkrieg on Faction, you are missing out.  

Henry Rollins: The Ramones Rescued Rock and Roll

Review: The Seduction 4

The Seduction 4 by Roxy Sloane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Well that ending was kind of a letdown. And after all of that build up. Vaughn would not approve.


Okay, so it wasn't that bad. It was good, but in comparison to the rest of the books, I was left feeling a little...unsatisfied. Spoiler alert, yo. No real bad guy caves that easy. Dude was supposed to be some kind of mastermind and he blabs? Nope. Killed my buzz. I don't dig things wrapped up with a pretty bow. Maybe that's just me though. Anyhoo. Overall, this was a great serial, with the exception of this one. Three stars for the serial as a whole.


Side note. Am I the only one who really, really wanted to find out Vaughn's first name?



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Review: Just One Night, Part 6

Just One Night, Part 6 by Elle Casey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



*This 'tis be a review for the completed serial. I'm too lazy to review them all separately. 3.5 stars for it as a whole.


I don't know why, but I have been on a huge serial kick lately. Even though I hate them, as a general rule. They make me feel like I'm being productive in my whole reading obsession, I guess. I still kind of wish they would disappear though.

So. Just One Night Parts 1-6. Hilarious. Seriously, I was dying laughing. That could also be from the fact that I was delirious with exhaustion, but can't sleep though. I'm going with the being funny as hell though. It was chock full of quirky ridiculousness, which is my cup of tea.

On the downside of that, beyond said quirky ridiculousness, there wasn't much else. I skimmed over bits of pieces of it because outside of the humor, I wasn't impressed with chunks of the storyline. Which, again, seems to be my biggest issue with serials. They just never seem to be enough to fully connect me with the characters.

But for a serial, Just One Night is one of the better ones that I have read which really is a glowing compliment from me.



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Review: Rock, Rattle and Roll

Rock, Rattle and Roll by Taryn Elliott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



*Arc provided by Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

This novella from the Lost in Oblivion series was a quick and hot view into the life of Harper and Deacon, post-wedding. On their honeymoon, no less, so you know that it is at least going to be interesting on one area. As you can tell from the title, it does delve into more than just sex though. On that note...

I wish I could say more than this novella was more than just okay. That's all it was for me though, just okay. I am a little over the unplanned pregnancy trope rampant in this genre of books. It was handled slightly differently in this book, which was a good thing though. It added something that makes it stand out a little more. It's hard to write book that stands out despite following the same basic formula, but this author does manage to do that. Interesting characters and good writing make a huge difference.

Anyhoo. If you were already a fan of the great chemistry inspired by Harper and Deacon, you'll dig this novella. It's just enough to keep your appetite going for more of the series.



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Allure by Lacey Weatherford.

Tattoo artist by day, exotic dancer by night, 22 year old Six has been fighting his attraction for the girl of his dreams. Why? She's the high society daughter of the Mayor. Oh, and she's only 17. But what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...right?

Two out of Five stars.  I don't know what exactly possessed me to one-click, but yeah. Not my scene.

Review: The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This book is definitely one of those "did I read the same thing as everyone else?" books.

I'm just going to throw it out there that, according to a search, there are 272(!) exclamation points used. In a book primarily about demoniacal (I will never use demonic again) possession. Suffice it to say, I had some issues with the writing of the book.

But even as frustrating as the writing was, it had nothing Ed Warren. I guess I should have assumed that it was going to focus heavily on the Warrens themselves, rather than the cases they worked on. Some of their cases are discussed, but it is less on the people directly involved with the activity, but instead the repercussions that the Warrens faced. And the fact that they constantly put themselves in danger of being killed, but they help anyway--of course. Not to mention that, Ed particularly, is incredibly well known amongst demonic entities, almost every religious community in the US and the UK, and can pretty much blink and exorcise (albeit temporarily) an entity from someone. He is just that amazing!

So, I'm probably making the book seem worse than the it actually is. There are moments of it being genuinely interesting and creepy. There were a couple of cases that were new to me and gave me a starting point to actually look into them. But for the most part, it was all about how amazing Ed Warren was from the man himself(!), with a little touch of Lorraine (who in my opinion is far more interesting, but I digress) added in. When it was all said and done, it was a not so well written account of a man who probably did amazing things, but just read as being so annoyingly pompous that it was detrimental to the book as a whole.



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Review: Better Homes and Hauntings

Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Nina Linden is hired to landscape a private island off the New England coast, she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex. She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he’s hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate—he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in nineteenth-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say “Boo.”

But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.


Molly Harper is quickly becoming one of my go to authors for those times when I need one of those "palate cleansing" books. She really nails the perfect mix of quirk, snark and a touch of romance tossed in. This one added a little to the mix by tossing in some not quite creepy haunting moments, but oddly enough they worked in well with the story. And it's a standalone too. Be still my heart. There are not enough of those these days. Sometimes all a girl needs is a good one night stand.

Overall, this was just what I needed to get my mind off of everything else going on. It was just intriguing enough, just funny enough, and just creepy-ish enough to make it a good read. And make me want to read whatever else by the author that I can get my hands on.



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Yes.

Jane Jameson Series

I LOVED this series.  The author really found the perfect mix of snarky humor, ridiculous hijinks, and romance.  Then she topped it off with good writing and a satisfying ending.  And anyone who has read the Sookie Stackhouse series (which is a grossly inaccurate comparison to this series, not all vamp books are created equal people) knows how important a satisfying ending actually is.  

As with any series, there are books that are better than the others.  I think with this one, the first one, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, is the weakest.  It just drug on way too much.  However, if you continue on with the series, the latter books most definitely made up for it.  After getting a firm footing into the world, everything seemed to flow and you kept reading just to see what other insane crap can happen to one person.  Jane is a trouble magnet and has managed to surround herself with a group of people almost as crazy as she is.  It makes for ridiculous, yet amusing read with all of the books.  And I can't reiterate enough how happy I was to actually have a series that ended well.   

                                Overall, this is just what I needed in a series this weekend.  It doesn't take itself too seriously and is incredibly enjoyable to read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this author's books.  

                                 4 out of 5 Stars overall for the series. 

What's Left of Us Teaser

Review: First Ink

First Ink by Laura Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Umm, that was good?


If you are looking for a super quick and kind of sexy read, this is it for you. There is not a lot of backstory. Actually, there isn't a lot of story in general. For what it is though, it's good.



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What's Left of Us Cover

I am so stoked for this to come out.  I loved What's Left of Me.  It was definitely one of those books that ripped your heart out and then stomped on it, but in a good kind of way.  So, I am really looking forward to seeing more from Aundrea and Parker.

Link to Book 1 if you have read it yet.-->  http://amzn.com/B00H9VA030

Staying up late & de-stressing myself by watching Sid & Nancy.  Nothing says perspective like a bio on those two. 

I love this song though. (more than Frank's version too, sorry 'Ol Blue Eyes.) You definitely can't say that he didn't do things his way.

Review: Reasonable Doubt: Volume 2

Reasonable Doubt: Volume 2 by Whitney Gracia Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

She lied to me... 
She betrayed the one rule that I'm most adamant about: Honesty. Complete and utter fucking honesty. 
I really wish she was someone else—someone who didn't have the ability to make me feel, someone I could easily discard like the hundreds of women before her. 
She isn't. 
I'm drawn to her like I've never been drawn to a woman before—completely captivated by the very sight of her. But unfortunately, with my past slowly re-surfacing for all of the world to see, I'll have to find a way to let her go. 
She can never be mine. 

*************************

This is the second book in this serial, they must be read in order.  Obviously.  However, this review can  stand for both of them since I'm the queen of the vague non-review. 

Reasons why I hate Serials.

1. The inability to fully form a character/relationship in such a short time.
2. I am an instant gratification kind of girl.
3. They cost how much for like 70 pages?
4. Did I mention my lack of patience?


Reasons why I am actually reading this one and currently trying to use Jedi mind tricks to get the rest of these books out now.

1. Andrew Hamilton.



I'm honestly a little surprised how drawn in I have been by the 2 releases of this serial so far. Obviously my above complaints about serials still stand here, but there was just enough that, even though it pisses me off, I'm still being suckered in to impatiently waiting on the next one to come out. Please tell me that there aren't like 20 of these. I may end up stalking an author and we all know that probably should be avoided.


I still hate serials though. Down with them all.



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Take the title literally.

Life is full of uncertainty, so what happens when a what-if from your past collides with your present?

Kaitlyn Thomas, a weary wife and mother, is taking a much needed getaway with her friends. All she wants to do is relax and rejuvenate on her weekend escape to the beach. Having a drink at the bar with the girls sounds like the perfect way to unwind. That is, until Kaitlyn hears a familiar voice from the stage that shakes her to her core. She grapples with her memory until Chris King, the lead singer of the band, walks up to her and eliminates the questions in her mind.

Chris King…the misunderstood bad boy who once saved her in ways that no one else could. 

Kaitlyn’s friends beg to know the story behind this mystery man. Forced to revisit a painful past from which she has spent years trying to heal, Kaitlyn's recollection of Chris awakens intense feelings that she has kept buried deep inside her heart. Has time changed him, or is he still the same person Kaitlyn fell in love with so many years ago? 

Marriage vows are sacred, but temptation is a powerful thing.
Seeing Chris again has caused a war between her head and her heart. In the end, which one will win the battle? Facing a difficult decision, Kaitlyn just wants to be sure of one thing when she walks away from this weekend—no regrets.
********************************

You find out that the woman you have been in "love" with for over 10 years and had an one time hook up/affair with 5 years prior got knocked up and never told you about it, but you love her oh so much and she seems oh so happy that all you do is set up an education fund for said kid that is obviously yours and then walk away.  Fuck that shit.

Yeah, yeah.  He did it for the best because the kid seems happy and doesn't know any different, but hey guess what.  The kid deserves to know different. The dad deserves to know different. Especially if the only reason you didn't bother to let him know was because you and your husband decided to work things out.  No thank you.  At least give the dad, who you claimed to also love, have a fucking choice in the matter.  These story lines piss me off.  It pissed me off the first time I read a book with it, but at least the rest of that book was good enough to offset it even if I absolutely hated it and demanded a new ending (I didn't get it, but just throwing it out there that I still really want a different one) and she had the balls to tell both men, not just her husband.  Can't say that with this one.  I can't pinpoint any one thing that made me dislike this book, it was more of my overall feeling of it.  I never connected with the characters, and in turn just had to skim most of it to get to the end, which spawned above rant. It was just not my scene.

1.5 Stars.

I'm apparently still on a book reading/reviewing hiatus.  I'm currently using any spare time to mentally calculate exactly how much tequila I can get away with drinking while at Book Bash (which just so happens to be right after closing. Score) next month and still be able to function enough to avoid having to make the best friend carry me everywhere.  If I actually had the time, I'd start pre-staging now.  Alas, the Navy, home buying (I'm almost positive that they are going to ask me to provide my first born and a DNA sample next), moving and baseball season is taking away from pre-staging, much less book reading.  

Anyway, house buying is fun.  House buying while actively trying to deal with moving Navy style sans husband due to an insane boat schedule is super fun.  Woo.  Three more weeks plus Book Bash recovery time, and I'm going to read so much that I might as well glue my iPad directly to my hand to avoid any possible lapse in reading time.  

Meh

I was going to write a review, but then I saw that Pitch Perfect was on tv so I opted to watch that for the 2 millionth time instead.  3 out of 5 stars.