It Is Time For 2017 To Make Way For 2018!

 

 

Goodreads

I know I probably say this every New Years Eve (along with a few billion other people) and will repeat it every year to come, but still. Guys, oh my God. This year went by so fast like it barely begun and now we are saying goodbye to it. And like every year, a lot has happened, things have changed and all that jazz.

This year, though, has been a real turning point for me. I learned something really important in the last few weeks: How to respect myself. I've hidden behind a facade of this girl who does things because she thinks they are expected of her. I've stood up for myself, just feel bad in the aftermath, even though there is no need for me to. I learnt to take a leap of fate and it worked out, but I was offered a risky possibility and I decided to leap the second time (this time over the Grand Canyon) and we'll see how it'll play out in the Spring.

Through this year, even if I haven't been as much present as I wanted to, you guys have been there for me. Yeah, I haven't had a flow of comments and likes and people sending me fanmail or anything, but just knowing that I could escape into the world of books and share the love for them with you all has been enough. I really do love each and every one of you! And if I could, I would hug and kiss each and every one of you! 😍

So my New Years resolutions for 2018 are these:

- I promise to read more books and share my love for the reading community

- I promise to do the things that make me really, truly happy. Not just things that make people around me happy.

- I promise to be present in the present, not just thinking 'What I'm going to do in five years, ten years time'.

I promise these things proudly since I know that living by these three things is what can and will make me a happier person.

And most importantly, I challenge you to write a post, film a video, Instagram it or shout out to the world your three resolutions. (And link it to the comment section below, so I can check out your site 😉)

Don't forget to share your Year In Books in Goodreads! Let's spread the love of the printed word in 2018 too!

Review: Achilles (The Deep Sky Saga #1)

★★☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

The year is 2221, and humans have colonized a planet called Thetis in the Silver Foot Galaxy. After a tragic accident kills dozens of teenage colonists, Thetis’s leaders are desperate to repopulate. So Earth sends the Mayflower 2—a state-of-the-art spaceship—across the universe to bring 177 new homesteaders to the colony.
For Jonah Lincoln, an orphaned teen who has bounced between foster homes and spent time on the streets of Cleveland, the move to Thetis is a chance to reinvent himself, to be strong and independent and brave, the way he could never be on Earth. But his dreams go up in smoke when their ship crash-lands, killing half the passengers and leaving the rest stranded—not on Thetis, but on its cruel and unpopulated moon, Achilles.
Between its bloodthirsty alien life forms and its distance from their intended location, Achilles is a harrowing landing place. When all of the adult survivors suddenly disappear, leaving the teenage passengers to fend for themselves, Jonah doubts they’ll survive at all, much less reach Thetis—especially when it appears Achilles isn’t as uninhabited as they were led to believe.

For the fans of The Hundred, an action-packed Young Adult book, where the story will take you to a hostile moon and back, and nothing goes like they were originally planned.

Review: Tattooed Love (Satan's Sons Monarchy #1)

'' '' I can't take this anymore.'' ''

★★★★☆

From Goodreads:
When your heart rules your mind, you don’t get to choose who you love. But what if that love could lead to your own destruction?
Amber is a rebellious high school senior and the only girl in a family of outlaw bikers. Her four brothers left when she was young to keep her away from their style of life, but despite their efforts, she’s wrapped up in criminal activities and her life is rapidly spiralling out of control.

With her life finally going up in flames, adding fuel to that fire is smouldering and infamous biker Jax. As she begins to fall for her dangerous love and throw caution to the wind, Amber might not be able to turn back from the risky path she’s chosen...

Being together might be dangerous, but, after all, outlaws are meant to break the rules.

Review: The Spirit Mage (The Blackwood Saga #2)

'' The youngest Blackwood wanted to be a hero, while the eldest was shooting for Emperor of the Universe. Caleb just wanted to enjoy the New Orleans nightlife, chow down on Cajun food, listen to tunes, travel when he could afford it, spend some quality times with friends. '' 

★★★★☆

From Goodreads:

Valjean thought about how impossible it seemed that there was another world out there from which he had narrowly escaped. A world of manticores and cave fiends, magic swords and potions, spirit mages and necromancers. Wizard-monks who could shatter walls with their fists, a city of coloured spires so beautiful it took his breath away . . . and a world in which Val's brothers were still trapped.

Desperate to help his brothers, high-powered attorney Val Blackwood manages to find a way to return to the world of Urfe. After landing in the dangerous underbelly of New Victoria, he concludes that the only way to find Will and Caleb is to enrol in the Abbey--the school for wizards--and somehow gain access to a portal called the Pool of Souls. Yet to succeed, he not only has to pass the entrance exam and survive the rigours of the school, considered the most demanding in all the Realm, but also avoid a lethal assassin targeting students.

As Val struggles to survive, his brothers undergo an even deadlier trial. Reeling from the loss of Mala, an adventuress lost in the mysterious Place Between Worlds, Will and Caleb and Yasmina are captured by slavers and taken to the mines beneath Fellengard Mountain. Even if they manage to escape, a feat no one has ever accomplished, they must still find their way out of the vast and untamed caverns of the Darklands. A place even the wizards fear.

Trapped in a land of dreams and nightmares, the brothers must somehow stay alive and learn to adapt to their new surroundings--or risk losing their homeworld forever.

Review: Black & White

★★☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

What is the price paid for the creation of a perfect society?
In Whitopolis, a gleamingly white city of the future where illness has been eradicated, shock waves run through the populace when a bedraggled, dirt-stricken boy materialises in the main street. Led by government propaganda, most citizens shun him as a demon, except for Wellesbury Noon – a high school student the same age as the boy.
Upon befriending the boy, Wellesbury feels a connection that he can’t explain – as well as discovering that his new friend comes from a land that is stricken by disease and only has two weeks to live. Why do he and a girl named Ezmerelda Dontible appear to be the only ones who want to help?
As they dig deeper, everything they know is turned on its head – and a race to save one boy becomes a struggle to redeem humanity. 

The perfect society's ugly secrets are about to be revealed.

Review: Dennis & Greer: A Love Story

★★★★☆

'' ''Please do not read this book unless you were young once. Some people never were, you know. Don't read it unless you recall your youth with fondness and nostalgia, because this is the story of youth, told by perhaps the least objective and least accurate of biographers - youth itself. In his own words, sometimes soaringly beautiful, often rash and unrealistic, but always with self-honesty, this youth gives his own pronouncement of the goodness of life, discovering first love and the horrors of war at one and the same time he deals with their confusing disparities as only optimism can. As described by a friend, 'He was a rough, tough Marine who dared to be gentle.' '' '' 

How can you rate anyone's lives with just five stars? For some, it can be a measly one, but to some, it could be more than the limited five. So, me giving Dennis & Greer four stars, doesn't actually mean anything. 

The First 100 Is Full!

I realised when adding the latest author tag to the gadget, that I am at exactly one hundred reviewed authors! Time has gone past so far. When I started, I couldn't have imagined that someday I'd be writing a post saying that I have read from so many different authors.

So, the real reason for writing this post is actually because I wanted to thank you. Thank you for each and every author out there for sharing their work with the world! I know I've only read a millionth of a fraction of the books ever published, and the same goes for authors who have published their work.

A. N. Senerella - A.J. Wilson - Aaron Galvin - Aimee Hyndman - Alessandra Harris - Ally Carter - Amanda Hocking - Anaëlle Gadeyne - Ann Brashares - Ashley Marie - Ava Dellaira - Becca Fitzpatrick - Beverly Ovalle - Brienne Dubh - Candace Knoebel - Cara Brookins - Carrie Jones - Cassandra Clare - Charles McCormack - Charlotte Roth - Chelsea Fine - Cheryl Koevoet - Christopher Hansen - Clay Johnson - Colleen Hoover - Colleen Oakes - Dallas Coryell - Danielle Hardgrave - Dave Johnston - David Levithan - Deborah Jackson - Diana Gabaldon - E. Lockhart - Ebony Olson - Elizabeth Dunlap - Emily Ruben - Gayle Forman - Heather Hill - Helen Keeling-Marston - J. Michael Neal - J.E. Plemons - J.F. Cain - J.J. Sherwood - J.R. Fehr - Jacen Aster - Jacqueline E. Garlick - Jay Asher - Jeff Faria - Jennifer E. Smith - Jennifer Niven - John Green - Jojo Moyes - Jus Accardo - Karen Lynch - Katherine McIntyre - Kathy Bryson - Kay Kenyon - Kenechi Udogu - Kiera Cass - Lan Chan - Lauren DeStefano - Lauren James - Lauren Kate - Layton Green - Leonardo Patrignani - Lily Black - Lily Burlington - Lonnie Ostrow - Maggie Stiefvater - Maria Luisa Lang - Maria V. Snyder - Mary E. Pearson - Melissa Walker - Michelle Areaux - Michelle Zink - Midika Crane - Pamela Daniell - Pat Patterson - Penelope Douglas - Peter Petrack - Rachel Caine - Rainbow Rowell - Richelle Mead - Rick Riordan - Sarah Andersen - Sarah Collingwood - Sarah J. Maas - Shaun Hume - Simone Elise - Stephan Morse - Steven Bentley MD - Tammy Blackwell - Tara R - Taylor Thomas - Thea Dawson - Tiffany McDaniel - Tony Moyle -  Vanya Ferreira - Victoria Aveyard - Whitney Barbetti

🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵🛪📚🍵

Most of the time, I have only read one  or two books from the author but here are the ones I have read the most from (at the time of writing this post) :

At three books are:

 Colleen Hoover , Ebony Olson , Rainbow Rowell , and Simone Elise

At four books, the most reviewed authors are:

  Midika Crane and Sarah J. Maas

Review: Revelations

★★☆☆☆

From the back cover:

Jenna Morgan is just like any normal teenager. That is until she turns seventeen. In a matter of a week, Jenna is kidnapped, meets a mysterious young man named, Alex and learns the shocking truth about her true heritage, which is the reason both demons and the angels are hunting her. Just when she comes to accept her new identity the unthinkable happens, leaving Jenna devastated. She soon meets Dylan, a small town homeboy who quickly heals her heart. But when his life is threatened by the same monsters who had already torn her world apart will Jenna be able to save him in time...or will she die trying?   

Female Nephilim children are rare, and whenever they are born, they are hunted by both the heaven and the hell. Or not exactly hunted, more like, head-hunted by the supernatural HR department. All Nephilim children possess powers from their angelic parent, but the females pack a bit more power than the entities would like them to have. And if they can't recruit them, they kill them, because nothing is worse than letting the talent to work with the opposing side.

Review: The Inherited (The Inherited Series #1)

''  This game was beginning to reflect badly on me. I mean, how can reading and writing compete with a multilingual horse whispering, blade-wielding, sword fighting, motorcycle riding and jet flying badass? I at least needed to take upon crocheting or something. '' 

★★★☆☆

From the back cover:

One second Catherine believes that she is a normal girl, the next she finds herself betrothed to a Prince. Together they are thrust into a world of political intrigue, ancient oaths, & deadly mystery.
All Cat wants is to make it through her final exams and to get into a good university but that is put on hold when two men show up on her doorstep and tell her she is the last descendant of an ancient and forgotten royal bloodline. Not only that, but they offer her the chance of a lifetime trip to spend the summer living it up in castles and yachts off the coast of France. The only hitch is that she has to be a brooding prince's arm candy.
A summer of parties and beaches changes faster than the tides when old secrets begin to be unearthed and blood binding decrees are called upon.
Can truth and love survive when the path to the throne and crown is riddled with deception and daggers? 

I waited so long to get to this book. It's been sitting on my reviewing list so long, and it felt it never got closer. But now that I'm done with (not really, it's a trilogy), I can honestly say it was worth the wait.

Review: Angels' Whispers

★☆☆☆☆

'' ''There's a fine line between genius and madness'' '' 

And not so fine line between fiction and textbooks. More of that later...

From the back cover:

Alex Meyers, a dynamic, global entrepreneur, has an advantage that no other human has ever had: he is protected by Aranes, the Superior of the Angels. While he is skiing, he dies in an avalanche, but his all-powerful protector breaks one of the ethereal world’s most important Rules and brings him back to life. Alex falls head over heels in love with the beautiful Angel, who appears to him in human form. But she disappears just as suddenly as she had appeared.
While he searches for Aranes, Alex discovers her true identity and that he actually might be the high-ranking Celestial Abaddon, who is mentioned in the Revelations prophecy as the one who will defeat Lucifer.
The man who fate has thrust among the world’s superpowers is now living a nightmare. He wants to evade Lucifer’s pursuit, find out who he truly is and once again see the only being he has ever loved. And the only way to do it is to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: Dead Kings: The Dawnmaiden

'' ''The dead will cower in my light!'' -- ''Every dark corner will be bathed in it, steeped in it... and it will burn!'' ''

★★☆☆☆

From the back cover:

Queen Evelina is the victorious hero of the war that freed her countrymen from tyrannical invaders and her own wicked father. She is revered by the people—mighty of arms, inspired with strategy and relentless in tenacity... thirsty of blood, towering with pride, and cemented in obstinance—she is feared by the people. Old enemies seek her ruin, the fall of her kingdom and a return to power. Known as the Dawnmaiden to those who love her, and as the Bloody Virgin to those that hate her; will Evelina overcome her own flaws and spite, or will she become indistinguishable from the villains she fights?

The description above is one of the most spot-on ones that I've ever read. But, unfortunately, it still didn't save it from one major down point. Imagine a TV-series, season one, you haven't seen episodes one to three and start watching from episode four until the season finale. You have missed the introduction of the main characters and the setting, and you are just thrust into the middle of things. Yes, you've got the glossary in the last pages of the book and it helps a lot because there are many things that you just can't puzzle out the meaning of yourself. But to be honest, the glossary doesn't save you from the confusion of starting from the middle

Character-wise the book is very diverse. There are dreamers, realistics, those driven forward by hate or love towards their homeland. Actually, all of the characters are very emotionally involved in their agenda. Although they all are aiming for the same outcome, they all do it very differently. Some run towards the danger and some shy away from it. The contrast between the characters' personalities really work and the chemistry sompliments the plot well.

Since there was no beginning one could  easily assume there would not be an ending. According to the author there will be at least a second installment to the series which will clear up a lot and fill the blanks from the first book.

Review: Acting On Impulse

★★☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

She's camera shy. He's a big star. Is love worth the limelight?
Thirteen years ago, Chris McPherson drunkenly declared his love for Joy Albright … right in front of her husband. Though her angry rejection still stings, Chris, now a successful Hollywood actor, has never forgotten his feelings for her. When he returns to Silverweed Falls to direct a summer Shakespeare play, he is thrilled—and a little apprehensive—to learn that Joy will be managing the play.
One year ago, Joy Albright’s marriage imploded in a public scandal when her husband was caught by the press with another woman. All she wants now is to avoid the limelight, but she can’t refuse the request of a dying friend to help save the local theatre group.
Reunited, sparks fly. Joy is desperate to avoid more gossip. Chris comes trailed by the tabloids. But neither of them can deny the temptation to act on their impulses. 

I don't know what to say, on one hand, it was an okay read, and on the other hand there was nothing to it. The story begins thirteen years prior, where the reader gets to know what happened between Chris and Joy. After that, the story continues forward focusing more on the upcoming play and less in the relationship between the two main characters. The reader gets a few glimpses of the relationship here and there but the main focus is totally elsewhere. To me, it felt like that the story couldn't focus on both the play and the relationship at the same time, it was an either-or-situation.

What comes to the characters, their stories add up and they are well written when thought as individuals. When placed in the same scene the interaction sometimes comes off a bit stiff. And some of the stiffness is probably intended but most of it just stood out too much to be there for reason. Putting the stiffness aside, the characters were funny and complimented the story to a great extent.

This was quite fast to read even though the book is almost three hundred pages long and the plot moves with an even pace. Unfortunately, to me, some chapters acted more as fillers to lengthen the book and not as ways to deliver more information about the situation or to give the plot a shove forward.

# The Secret Life Of A Book Blogger

I found this wonderful tag on ''Read Diverse Books'' where Naz had done it last year. The idea is to give the readers a glimpse of your thoughts about blogging and I hope this will be something that is fun for you to read!

How long have you been a blogger?

I've tried blogging on many occasions in the past but never made it past the first month. With Books Told Me So I've had the site up and running since July 2015 (has it really been that long?!). And before going live,

NaNoWriMo 2017 Is Here!

It's already the sixth of November and that means already six days of this year's National Novel Writing Month has gone by. Who is participating this year?

I know there are tons and tons of websites and groups to help aspiring new authors to get their first draft out before November ends, and having participated last year, I know these are life savers! I've done a lot of reviewing for Inkitt and they contacted me to spread the word: Inkit has their own Writers Write - program to support all of you new and seasoned writers out there! Oh, and it's absolutely free.
 

Have you ever thought about writing a novel? There are millions of people in the world who have ideas floating around in their heads that they want to write down but never find the time.

Inkitt, the world’s first reader-powered book publisher, will be launching their first ‘Writers Write Program’  on November 1st to help you turn your idea into an original novel. The 30-day program is completely free and filled with special benefits such as:
 

• Free, 30 min private sessions with professional writing coaches (including the editor of The Martian)

• Events and tips with bestselling authors like Andy Weir, Lauren Kate, and Gayle Forman
• A variety of community features such as the choice to get a writing buddy who you can exchange manuscript feedback with.
  
  “Our intention is to enlarge the writing community by encouraging more people to become writers,” said CEO of Inkitt, Ali Albazaz. “The program is completely free so for us, this isn’t about making money; it’s about encouraging talented and committed writers to keep going and finish what they started.”

What are you waiting for? If you have a dream of writing the next sensation or just write out the idea that has been mulling around in your head, go, take a pledge! And if it turns out great, in the end, be sure to send a review request my way. 😊

Review: The Fiasco In News

'' At this point, I'd carried around the persona of a defeated man for so long that women could smell it. '' 

★★★☆☆

Adam Millard, the walking disaster, isn't the one to run away from trouble. Actually, it wouldn't matter if he ran, the trouble would always run faster in order to catch him. 

There are heroes and villains. Both want something, more money and fame, to save or to destroy the world. And then there's Adam, whose goal is to get a good night's sleep before the next load of shit hits the fan. Up until now, Adam has just gone with the flow but when a part-time villain, part-time newscaster offers him a job, things start to look a bit brighter. But not for long. Adam is being whisked away on another wave of disasters leading him to alternate versions of Wonderland, and this time Alice isn't the nice little girl, but The Alice from your nightmares.

Review: Hunting for Spring

★★☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

Hunters are a lonely breed, and Conor’s no exception, until the day he meets Brenna. Even though she slinks in unannounced and kills the wight he was hunting down, the girl’s a mystery and he can’t get that blinding smile or those gorgeous curves off his mind. Since they’re both after the same caster who’s unleashing these monsters, he suggests teaming up, and despite her initial reluctance, the hungry way she scans him down promises something powerful.

I still can't wrap my mind around it. This definitely belongs to the paranormal genre, but then there's the romance. Most of the time, the romance felt like a separate story entirely, like it didn't fit at all into the book. And the romance wasn't there all the time, it was like the long-lost cousin who suddenly appears to your door and then you see them once in a while.

Review: Alpha Malik

'' ''Maybe Fate will be cruel enough to bring us back together sometime.'' ''

 ★★★☆☆

 He holds a competition to win his heart and the place of Luna beside him. And the last thing she wants, is to end up in it.

Aria wanted to find her mate, not enter a competition of her own pack's Alpha holds because he has given up finding his mate. After being harassed by rogues, Aria is forced into the competition where everyone is lying. Everyone has their secrets and they all start to reveal one by one. Aria is determined to complete the mission the rogues have given to her and leave the Alpha manor, but Alpha Malik pays special interest towards her, which doesn't make anything easier for her.

As the fifth book in the Alpha - series this one contained much fewer connections to the other books than the first, second, and third books. I haven't read the fourth yet. All the books in this series can be read as standalones, but I truly recommend reading them all.

Review: The Advice Bucket

'' How often did people encounter the most significant of humans without realising it? '' 

★★☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

Merrick's life is a wild goose chase. Literally.
Somewhere on the remote, Scottish Isle of Scarba, Gladys awaits answers. What is the centuries-old secret that rules her destiny?
A short distance away, Merrick is on his way to join 35,000 fellow barnacle geese at their annual gathering. Delayed by a sudden fall from the sky, he sustains his first wrist injury in three centuries and has to catch a boat.
Lucy Colwyn wants to go to Scarba to die; if she can only get there unscathed first.
Eminent neurologist, Dr. Harry Britten, receives miraculous news: a dying patient is cured. Now he has no choice but to abandon everything and track her down before she does the unthinkable. But the journey won’t be easy, as three familiar old ladies have other, rather unorthodox agendas.
The Queen of The Hebrides leaves for Islay loaded with strangers. By the time the ship's journey reaches its conclusion, some of the passengers are on their way to reaching another: that they’re more connected than they could ever have imagined. 

Review: Black Mark's Resistance (Black Mark Series #1)

'' ''Maybe, just maybe, you need to look at what you are resisting. It could be where you are meant to be.'' ''   

★★★★★

Take a deep breath before staring to read Black Mark's Resistance because it will be your last one until finishing this book. 

Mora Ellis wants to fly under the radar. Her childhood in Australia with her mother wasn't anything like a dance, and she had no clue who her father was until she met him at the airport in London after getting kicked out from her childhood home. Since then she unwinds in the only ways she knows: having lots of sex and playing her cello. Now, six years later she works as an executive assistant in an event management firm and she has no idea what is about hit her when Darius Rafal walks in as the next client. Darius is not there for a new contract, but to hire Mora to work for him.

Double Review: Runaway & Captured

'' The real question was: Could I trust him? ''

 ★★☆☆☆ 

They witness something they are not supposed to and end up running away from their seemingly perfect lives. Hallie Romano and Jackson Carmine live in the spotlight their fathers' company's money has created. Then one night, it all changes. They run away after witnessing a murder after a family dinner in a restaurant. With Jackson in the lead, they escape from New York City just to keep running. Neither of them wants to go back, especially Jackson since he knows that neither of their parents has entirely clean hands when it comes to business. What follows is a paranoid long vacation over two continents.

Review: Sleuthing with the Enemy

'' ''I want to know you, Annemette Helsen. All about you. Your likes, your dislikes, your hopes, your fears. I want to be there for you so the next time you go on some stupid insane vendetta, you're not alone.'' ''  

★★★★☆

The Gleipnir Cuff, the prized possession of the werewolves has been stolen from right under their noses. No one knows who did it, but they have their suspicions. Annemette Helsen doesn't want to wait for The Council to make their move to recover the Cuff, instead, she takes matters into her own hands and breaks into the suspects house in the middle of the night. Not the smartest choice since the suspect just happens to be the Prince of the Vampire court, Jonas Weiss. On top of it all, Jonas is insists that he has nothing to do with the theft, and now wants to help Anna to recover the Cuff. Anna doesn't want the help, not at all, but Jonas is not ready to give up so easily, being used to getting what he wants.

Review: Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith

'' So, his mother was a troublemaker and his father was one of the youngest Vilmhied of all time? ''

 ★★★★☆ 

Ewan Pendle was weird. Really weird. At least, that's what everyone told him. Then again, being able to see monsters that no one else could wasn't exactly normal ...

Loved the Harry Potter - series? You're going to love this one, too. And just to say it here, in the beginning, that even though there are many similarities between Potters and Ewan Pendle, they are not the same, nor does the latter copy the first.

The story begins with an eleven-year-old Ewan when his current foster parents send him out to the next family. What they don't know that there is no other family, but the Grand Master of Firedrake Lyceum waiting for him on the train. Ewan finds himself near London inside a school where everyone can see the monsters. He is weird, but everything around is. Thrust into the everyday life of a Firedrake cadet he struggles to keep up, and it the threat of a mysterious White Wraith looming outside the Lyceum's walls does not help him to concentrate.

Review: Winter Passion

''She was more than ready to leave the world behind her for a while. Whatever dream haunted her sleep this night could not compare to the waking nightmare that had occurred this first light.''  

★★☆☆☆

The story is mostly told from two points of view, Trina and Arek's. Except that they aren't told from their points of view but as a third-person narration, which at first was really hard to follow. Somewhere in the middle I just got used to it.

Arek is a Piacen, a shapeshifting predator, who was injured on the first page. Trina finds him in the woods and brings him back to her cabin - shifted as a mouse. From there the pair starts to get to know each other and truths begin to unfold. 

Review: Storm of Attraction

''If only all of life's problems could be solved by kicking butts or hiding in a book.''

 

★★★★☆

It's been a while since my last review, but that is definitely going to change. Without further ado, I present the review of Lily Black's Storm of Attraction!

Alexa and Drew had a short relationship five years ago. The weeks they spent together were the best and they seemed they were together forever. Then, they break up. In the present day, Drew is back in town, and neither of them can resist each other. The chemistry between those two is not the only thing pulling them together; someone is after Alexa, and that someone is not going to give before they have her.

The Past Two Weeks...

...Have been so hectic. Basically, I've been on the go or sleeping. I haven't been very active in any social media since there hasn't been time to read anything else than manuals. Those of you who follow me on Instagram might have seen a post or posts with hints concerning the nature of manuals I've been reading. I won't say it out loud before my first day of work, but I'll promise, I have so much more time then for reading. I'll give you a hint, though, so it doesn't get too confusing when I talk about my coursework and things relating to them. My manuals and the course has something to do with airports

For these past two weeks, I've been running on caffeine and sugar. Starbucks has been my best friend and my worst enemy. They have provided me with the energy but have drained my wallet.

I went for a quick three-day visit to Denmark this week. Departure was in the early hours in the morning on Monday and arrived back home late Wednesday. I must say, that those three days were, like Starbucks, the best and the worst. Long days with early wake-ups and late evenings. But with the most amazing people. If any of you happen to read this, I love each and every one of you! You are the best crew ever.

And let me just say, I now appreciate the pricing of Starbucks in Finland much more. Hurt my very soul to pick up coffee from a Danish one...


As I've mentioned many times earlier, I haven't had much time for reading. Yes, I've read five minutes here and another five there, but those five minutes don't make much progress when looking at the big picture. I really, truly, honestly want to read more, but I just don't have the time. Fortunately, like I said in the beginning, this is going to change soon. In two weeks I'll be starting my first shifts and then I have so much more time to read. I'm talking about hours upon hours a day. And I promise to be more active here and on Instagram when the time comes. Soon, very soon and I can't wait!

Currently reading Shaun Hume's Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith. I'm only a hundred pages in and I am loving it so far! I truly recommend to read it. It's aimed more towards younger readers, maybe around the ages thirteen towards fifteen, but it has so much to give for older readers too. And I am not saying it is the next Harry Potter - series, but like them, it has many layers in the story. Younger readers might see the story in one way and a bit older ones pick out so much more from it. The book just grips you and you want to read it, not to put it down.

Now, I'm going to read. I have a rare afternoon off since I'm going to go to the airport for the night. Already tired, but what can you do.

Oh, and go follow me on Instagram via that link or search @Bookstoldmeso! I'll be updating that probably more often for the remaining two weeks of my course.

Review: Succumb

★★★★☆

One word: Intense. Not one word can describe this book accurately even remotely, but intense comes close. 

The blurb from Goodreads:

For years Seraphina Gaelach has resisted being part of the Alvöru she was born into. After an abusive childhood, Phin thought she left the days of being a helpless victim behind and taken control of her life. All that changed the night Sebastian Maviper, High Lord of the Alvöru, decided to claim her.
Three years later, by reuniting with an old friend who is like a brother to her, Phin’s life is put in peril and she is dragged back into Sebastian's world. Can she forgive what he did to her?
Old enemies are stirring and uniting in an effort to control the Alvöru, and everyone in it. When they kidnap Granger and Phin as bait to lure Sebastian to their trap, Phin must make decisions and alliances that will potentially destroy all those she cares about.

Review: The Furies' Bog

★★☆☆☆

This was everything I expected and on the other hand nothing like I expected. The blurb promises a lot, it's maybe a bit too ambitious. 

The story is told in two different settings: The first one on Earth, where a group of scientists try to unearth bodies from a bog in the middle of nowhere, and the other on Mars, where three astronauts who just mostly hate each other decide to land unauthorized on Mars. And how do these two settings connect? The synopsis says the bog is the answer but in the end, it didn't really seem like it. The two settings felt too separate, and sometimes I couldn't help but wonder that why there were the two different groups? Why not just build the story around one of the groups?

Review: The Chronicles of Henry Harper

'' My name is Henry Harper and I am nobody important. ''

 ★★★★☆

We all know those main characters who state in the beginning of their story that they are not important. That no matter how many princes and princesses they have rescued and worlds saved, they still think so little of themselves. Henry Harper is exactly the epitome of those. Despite travelling through space to the unknown and achieving the impossible again and again.

The book contains exactly what it says on the cover, The Chronicles of Henry Harper. He accounts his own life story in a series of short stories told in third-person narrative. There is his own commentary before and after each story in first-person.

Review: Holding on to Hurt

'' But we cannot give up hope. We've got to hold on to even the tiniest sliver of hope. We have to. ''

★★★★★

To what you compare the grief and sorrow of losing someone close to you? Most people can't find any comparisons but would talk about the memories of the past and the missed opportunities of the future. There isn't a thing you can compare it to. And that is what Holding on to Hurt is all about. Experiencing grief, trying to cope with the reality of the situation, and fear of losing hope.

The story is told through Irene Hurt's eyes. She is the wife of Bruce Hurt and a loving mother to Scott. Then one day her worst fears come through: Scott is in the hospital because of a school shooting. And after his surgery, he is not waking up.

The book explores the question what if and why a lot. It won't give answers to any of them, but it really, really makes you think. I haven't experienced this kind of sorrow in my life yet, but all of us will face it sometime in our lives. This story really brings out the hard side of the situation. No making things pretty and that is one of the most beautiful aspects of this book. There is no holding back with the narration, every emotion is displayed in its rawness.

News and Currently Reading

Hi everyone,
Long time no see. Okay, not that long time. Anyway. It's been a while since I've written anything but reviews here, so I thought to pop in and say hi.

I'm living exciting times now with a huge change coming into my life in just a couple of weeks. I'll tell more about that later when I know more about my schedules and all. I give you a hint, my future includes many hours away from home and up in the air.

So, I have been busy because of the change and haven't had time to read so much so I have fallen way behind on my reading and reviewing schedule. This is not a good thing since I have so many books waiting in line for their turn and missing one review delays all those coming after. Now that I am whole three books behind, one could say I am treading on thin ice. Worry not. I will be doing all the reviews as fast as possible.

Review: Two Hundred Very Short Stories

★★★★☆

 This collection of short stories is very true to its name. All the stories, with the exception of a very few, can be read in a just couple of minutes or less. 

Though the book is a combination of different stories the subject tend all to lean towards the miracles of life: birth, love, tragedies, and death. How one person's decision to stop and help the one in need may be a life-changing turn for both of them. How a tragedy can lead to happiness and happiness plummet to tragedy. Life changes quickly without us noticing it immediately and that's what this collection made me very aware of.

Although many of the stories were not happy or ended well, reading wasn't too hard. Sometimes a very emotional book is hard and slow to read and thus can't be read at your normal speed. This wasn't the case. The things that will slow you down are the gaps. You don't get to know everything, so you have to make your own deductions, and sometimes, read the entire story again to realise the answers hidden between the lines.

This was a great read. Normally I am not a fan of short stories, never have been, but this did not disappoint me at all. And just look at the cover. Such a pretty thing. 😍

Review: A Strange Affair

★★★☆☆

This novella is around eighty pages so it's really, really quick to read. Those eighty pages just flew past.

Ellie is not the girl to pick up a guy from the bar and have a one night stand. She is the one to go to a bar, though. There she meets Aaron, the new guy from another company in the building she works. Neither of them can deny the attraction in the air. 

You follow the story from two different view points: Ellie's and Aaron's. Though the novella circles more around Ellie's thoughts. both the characters are rounded and thought out well. They are portrayed from the beginning till the end as the same. Not too big dramatic changes with either of them.

The thing that I needed more was details. I understand that this is a novella and not a full three-hundred-page novel, but still, there was something more I missed. Anyway, this was fun to read and I might pick up something else from this author in the future too!

Review: Hatching Charlie: A Psychotherapist's Tale

''Each of us lives a life of illusion as the protagonist in his or her own often too polished and too edited personal play. I have no qualms with this. We can each have our truth. The important thing is to leave room for the truths of others.''

 

★★☆☆☆

 Originally, picked this book up because of my interest in the human brain and psychology. When looking into that aspect of the 'why' I really liked what the book had to offer. Theories and deductions based on those. The author goes through his life systematically from his early years to the present date reflecting everything he has learned in school and during his career. He makes connections and between different phases of his life completing what to a armchair psychologist appears to be a full detailed analysis of his life.

The entire book is gripping and easy to read, so you don't have to have a masters degree in psychology to understand it.

Then to the reason why the book dropped from my original four-star rating to a two. Some books have a great narrating. The narrator takes the reader to a journey and let's the reader be a part of the book in some way. Hatching Charlie felt more like a 450-page-monologue. The style of narrating fits better to a bit shorter works because the author's own voice dominates the story too much. The reader, in most cases, just sits on the sidelines. And that is why in the end got only two stars.

I would recommend this to those who find psychology interesting and is not too much bothered by the style of it's written.

While writing the last sentence, a thought popped into my mind: Since the author's voice is so strong and recognisable throughout the book, this would make an amazing audio book. Just sayin'.

Review: Alpha Landon

★★★★☆

Procrastinating seems to be the one thing I'm best at. But with the not so gentle push from my friend, and here I am, writing the reviews that have piled up in the past few weeks.

Alpha Landon was the first book I read from Midika Crane (long ago on Wattpad). This wasn't her best book, but great nonetheless.

The story follows Althea and the Alpha of Power Pack, Landon. Landon hasn't morphed into an Alpha wolf yet in the beginning of the story. When he does, his outer appearance changes drastically. Gone is his geeky outlook and lanky frame instead pure muscle and power reveals itself. 

Althea has had a crush on Landon for years now. She hasn't told about her feelings to Landon and wasn't even planning to. After Landon's transformation, he starts to act differently towards Althea, implying that he might have some feelings towards her. At the same time, Althea is courted by other eligible wolves from her pack.