Today I will be writing two short reviews for two of my most recent reads!
The long anticipated The Midnight Library and the fantasy, vampire book Owl and the Electric Samurai (The Adventures of Owl #3).
Let's dive right in.
Showing posts with label audiobook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audiobook. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Friday, November 25, 2022
Two Recent Reads #2: Amalina and the Secrets of the Wailing Castle & The Circle
Today I will be writing two short reviews for two of my most recent reads!
The audiobook copy of fantasy book Amalina and the Secrets of the Wailing Castle, and dystopian book-to-movie The Circle.
Let's dive right in.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Two Recent Reads #1: Wild Swans & Owl and the City of Angels
Today I will be writing two short reviews for two of my most recent reads!
The nonfiction, autobiography book Wild Swans and the fantasy, vampire book Owl and the City of Angels (The Adventures of Owl #2).
Let's dive right in.
Friday, October 7, 2022
Review: The Secrets We Share
Author: Edwin Hill
Started reading: September 22nd 2022
Finished the book: September 30th 2022
Pages: 296 / 8h 54m
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Published: March 29th 2022
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 3.98
My score:
Synopsis
At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.
Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .
Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Review: Savage Row
Author: Britney King
Started reading: September 18th 2022
Finished the book: September 20th 2022
Pages: 258 / 5h 13m
Genres: Thriller
Published: November 19th 2020
Source: Netgalley / Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.65
My score:
Synopsis
Jack Mooney, a career criminal, has been in prison for nearly a decade, quietly nursing his hatred for the jurors who put him there. One in particular gets him through the endless days—the alluring Amy Stone.
When Mooney is granted early release, he makes Amy his first priority. To his delight, she’s even more enticing than before, and better still, she has a lot more to lose than he’d imagined.
As Mooney’s campaign of terror mounts, the police seem powerless to protect the Stone family, who must rely on their wits to survive a psychopath hell-bent on revenge.
When Mooney is granted early release, he makes Amy his first priority. To his delight, she’s even more enticing than before, and better still, she has a lot more to lose than he’d imagined.
As Mooney’s campaign of terror mounts, the police seem powerless to protect the Stone family, who must rely on their wits to survive a psychopath hell-bent on revenge.
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Review: Owl and the Japanese Circus (The Adventures of Owl #1)
Author: Kristi Charish
Started reading: August 16th 2022
Finished the book: September 17th 2022
Pages: 416 / 14h 55m
Genres: Fantasy, Vampires
Published: January 13th 2015
Source: Audible
Goodreads score: 3.63
My score:
Synopsis
Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.
Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.
Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.
Friday, July 22, 2022
Review: Welcome to Ferry Lane Market (Ferry Lane Market #1)
Author: Nicola May
Started reading: June 9th 2022
Finished the book: July 8th 2022
Pages: 384 / 8:53:00
Genres: Romance, Fiction
Published: July 22nd 2021
Source: Storytel Audiobook
Goodreads score: 4.11
My score:
Synopsis
Although thirty-three year old Kara Moon loves her hometown of Hartmouth in Cornwall, she has always wondered if she should have followed her dream of leaving to study floristry. But she couldn't bring herself to leave her emotionally delicate single father, and has worked on Ferry Lane Market's flower stall ever since leaving school.
When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb. Gossip flies around the town as Kara welcomes a series of foreign guests to her flat overlooking the estuary.
Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime, during which she will learn important lessons about herself, her life and what she wants from it - and perhaps find love along the way.
When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb. Gossip flies around the town as Kara welcomes a series of foreign guests to her flat overlooking the estuary.
Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime, during which she will learn important lessons about herself, her life and what she wants from it - and perhaps find love along the way.
Monday, June 20, 2022
Review: Rose Petal Graves (The Lost Clan #1)
Author: Olivia Wildenstein
Started reading: May 23rd 2022
Finished the book: June 8th 2022
Pages: 368
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Published: March 29th 2017
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 3.75
My score:
I wasn't the type of girl who believed in fairytales, much less tales about faeries, but that changed the day the fae walked into my life.
Staying away from my lakeside hometown was the plan, but Mom died suddenly. Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient Native American graves in our backyard. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals. As we made preparations for her burial, unnervingly odd and beautiful newcomers poured into my small town. A coroner with emerald eyes and black hair, much too young for the job. An arrogant blond socialite, who lived to get under my skin. And a tattooed Native man, who wasn’t supposed to be alive. By dying, my mother had inadvertently revived an age-old feud between the fae and the tribe that hunted them. A feud that was about to tear my world apart.
Staying away from my lakeside hometown was the plan, but Mom died suddenly. Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient Native American graves in our backyard. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals. As we made preparations for her burial, unnervingly odd and beautiful newcomers poured into my small town. A coroner with emerald eyes and black hair, much too young for the job. An arrogant blond socialite, who lived to get under my skin. And a tattooed Native man, who wasn’t supposed to be alive. By dying, my mother had inadvertently revived an age-old feud between the fae and the tribe that hunted them. A feud that was about to tear my world apart.
Monday, May 2, 2022
Review: Of Tainted Heart (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #2)
Started reading: March 27th 2022
Finished the book: April 26th 2022
Pages: 430 / 13:24:00
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Published: July 29th 2021
Source: Audible
Goodreads score: 4.48
My score:
Synopsis
SLATE
Somehow, we survived. It was supposed to be over. No more curses. No more magic. Just a calm, little life in Brume. For the first time ever, I’m ready for calm. So. Damn. Ready. Just so happens that the girl I love doesn’t like to leave things unfinished. Fine. So our little crew will assemble the Quatrefoil and bring magic back to the world. We’ve already faced death. This can’t be worse.
Or can it?
CADENCE I could have let things be. Maybe I should have let things be. My crew is alive. Slate is by my side. And life is returning to normal. Except the university is a giant pile of rubble. Papa is still stuck in a wheelchair. And a girl is dead. If magic can change all that, I want to try one last time to bring it back.
Hopefully, I won’t regret it.
Somehow, we survived. It was supposed to be over. No more curses. No more magic. Just a calm, little life in Brume. For the first time ever, I’m ready for calm. So. Damn. Ready. Just so happens that the girl I love doesn’t like to leave things unfinished. Fine. So our little crew will assemble the Quatrefoil and bring magic back to the world. We’ve already faced death. This can’t be worse.
Or can it?
CADENCE I could have let things be. Maybe I should have let things be. My crew is alive. Slate is by my side. And life is returning to normal. Except the university is a giant pile of rubble. Papa is still stuck in a wheelchair. And a girl is dead. If magic can change all that, I want to try one last time to bring it back.
Hopefully, I won’t regret it.
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Review: Soulwinder
Author: Travis Daniel Bow
Started reading: February 4th 2022
Finished the book: March 17th 2022
Pages: 424 / 14:27:00
Genres: Fantasy
Published: November 15th 2021
Source: Audible
Goodreads score: Not enough ratings
My score:
Three strangers.
Two plots.
One champion.
In the crater of a volcanic island, musical magic and enchanted swordplay rule society. Every seven years a champion from each caste climbs the tournament ladder for a chance at a new life. This year three apparent strangers—a sabotaged craftsman trying to save his mentally disabled father, a legendary duelist resisting the machinations of her master, and a Magistry janitor fighting an empathy-sapping talent—are desperate to reach the final battle. But a web of strange coincidence connects them, the city is on the brink of collapse, and nothing is as it seems. Everyone's a puppet… but who holds the strings?
In the crater of a volcanic island, musical magic and enchanted swordplay rule society. Every seven years a champion from each caste climbs the tournament ladder for a chance at a new life. This year three apparent strangers—a sabotaged craftsman trying to save his mentally disabled father, a legendary duelist resisting the machinations of her master, and a Magistry janitor fighting an empathy-sapping talent—are desperate to reach the final battle. But a web of strange coincidence connects them, the city is on the brink of collapse, and nothing is as it seems. Everyone's a puppet… but who holds the strings?
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Review: Wolf Hollow
Started reading: December 11th 2021
Finished the book: January 12th 2022
Pages: 304
Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Published: May 3rd 2016
Source: Audible
Goodreads score: 4.17
My score:
Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Review: A Good Marriage
Started reading: November 10th 2021
Finished the book: November 17th 2021
Pages: 253
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Published: September 30th 2014
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.83
My score:
What happens when, on a perfectly ordinary evening, all the things you believed in and took for granted are turned upside down?
When her husband of more than 20 years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson looks for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a box under a worktable and she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It's a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitively ends a good marriage.
When her husband of more than 20 years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson looks for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a box under a worktable and she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It's a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitively ends a good marriage.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Review: Billy Summers
Started reading: September 29th 2021
Finished the book: November 10th 2021
Pages: 515
Genres: Thriller, Crime
Published: August 3rd 2021
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:
Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong?
How about everything.
How about everything.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Review: The Anatomy of Desire
Started reading: August 27th 2021
Finished the book: September 16th 2021
Pages: 320 / 08:14:14
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
Published: May 11th 2021
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.63
My score:
Claire Griffith seems to have it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous, successful boyfriend, a glamorous circle of friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her deeply conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles as a flat broke teenager, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands on the threshold of achieving her most cherished dreams.
One summer day, Cleo and a young woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a quiet, picture-perfect mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, her face cut and bruised, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news about Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck and what was the nature of her and Cleo’s relationship? Was Beck an infatuated follower who took things too far? If Cleo is innocent, why did she run? Was it an accident? Or was it murder?
As evidence of Cleo’s secret life surfaces, the world begins to see just how hard she strived to get to the top— and how fast and far the fall is from celebrity to infamy.
One summer day, Cleo and a young woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a quiet, picture-perfect mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, her face cut and bruised, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news about Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck and what was the nature of her and Cleo’s relationship? Was Beck an infatuated follower who took things too far? If Cleo is innocent, why did she run? Was it an accident? Or was it murder?
As evidence of Cleo’s secret life surfaces, the world begins to see just how hard she strived to get to the top— and how fast and far the fall is from celebrity to infamy.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Review: 1984
Started reading: June 16h 2021
Finished the book: July 9th 2021
Pages: 298 / 12:17:45
Genres: Classics, Science Fiction, Literature
Published: June 8th 1949
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 4.19
My score:
The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "negative utopia"—a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Review: Mother May I
Started reading: May 12th 2021
Finished the book: June 9th 2021
Pages: 324 / 12:51:47
Genres: Thriller, Mystery
Published: April 6th 2021
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.90
My score:
Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned by her single mother that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected her mother’s fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of: a loving lawyer husband, two talented teenage daughters, a new baby boy, a gorgeous home, and every opportunity in the world.
Until the day she awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window—an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.
Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters’ private school . . . just minutes before Bree’s infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly—Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.
Until the day she awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window—an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.
Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters’ private school . . . just minutes before Bree’s infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly—Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
Started reading: April 18th 2021
Finished the book: May 9th 2021
Pages: 193 / 06:12:09
Genres: Science Fiction, Humor, Classics
Published: October 12th, 1979
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 4.22
My score:
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of «The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy» who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from «The Hitchhiker's Guide» ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from «The Hitchhiker's Guide» ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Review: Of Wicked Blood (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1)
Started reading: March 15th 2021
Finished the book: April 15th 2021
Pages: 434 / 14:41:00
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Published: February 2nd 2021
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 4.18
My score:
No rest for the wicked... or the cursed.
SLATE
I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt. Scratch that, I did mean to steal it. Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses. If any of us fail, I’m dead. I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill right about now. The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel.
CADENCE
I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right? Wrong. The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster. But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well . . . he becomes something else to me. Something frustrating to live with but impossible to live without. Something I will fight for, no matter the cost. *Warning: profuse cursing (and not just the magical kind).
SLATE
I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt. Scratch that, I did mean to steal it. Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses. If any of us fail, I’m dead. I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill right about now. The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel.
CADENCE
I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right? Wrong. The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster. But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well . . . he becomes something else to me. Something frustrating to live with but impossible to live without. Something I will fight for, no matter the cost. *Warning: profuse cursing (and not just the magical kind).
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Review: Cracked Kingdom (The Royals #5)
Started reading: December 11th 2020
Finished the book: March 2nd 2021
Pages: 305 / 09:04:57
Genres: Romance, New Adult
Published: March 1st 2018
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.90
My score:
Ever since Hartley Wright met Easton Royal, her life hasn’t been the same. There are enemies behind every corner and dangers beyond each door. When tragedy strikes and steals her memories, she can’t trust anyone, not even the blue-eyed boy who promises her that everything will be all right.Because while Hartley’s memory is full of gaps, her instincts tell her Easton is dangerous. She doesn’t know if he’s the snake in the garden or her chance at salvation. The chaos he brings wherever he goes is too much to handle, the intense feelings he evokes are too confusing to unravel.
Easton wants her to remember. Hartley thinks it’s better to forget. She might be right.
Easton wants her to remember. Hartley thinks it’s better to forget. She might be right.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Review: Fallen Heir (The Royals #4)
Started reading: October 6th 2020
Finished the book: November 13th 2020
Pages: 300 / 07:50:13
Genres: Romance, New Adult
Published: August 28th 2017
Source: Storytel
Goodreads score: 3.88
My score:
These Royals will ruin you.
Easton Royal has it all: looks, money, intelligence. His goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. He never thinks about the consequences because he doesn’t have to. Until Hartley Wright appears, shaking up his easy life. She’s the one girl who’s said no, despite being attracted to him. Easton can’t figure her out and that makes her all the more irresistible.
Hartley doesn’t want him. She says he needs to grow up. She might be right.
Rivals. Rules. Regrets. For the first time in Easton’s life, wearing a Royal crown isn’t enough. He’s about to learn that the higher you start, the harder you fall.
Easton Royal has it all: looks, money, intelligence. His goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. He never thinks about the consequences because he doesn’t have to. Until Hartley Wright appears, shaking up his easy life. She’s the one girl who’s said no, despite being attracted to him. Easton can’t figure her out and that makes her all the more irresistible.
Hartley doesn’t want him. She says he needs to grow up. She might be right.
Rivals. Rules. Regrets. For the first time in Easton’s life, wearing a Royal crown isn’t enough. He’s about to learn that the higher you start, the harder you fall.
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