Duty: a novel of Rhynan by Rachel Rossano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Which did you find more appealing, the introduction or the conclusion? The introduction. I loved historical fiction books for the way they pave the way to the juicy bits of the story and Rachel did a fantastic job at this.
Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? I recommend this book and am really excited to read other books by Rachel. This is an author who pays attention to telling her story in the most interesting way possible.
Did the book description relate to the story? It did. The description was straightforward and I liked it even more because Rachel found a way of connecting the cover, title and description to the story.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: Duty: a novel of Rhynan by Rachel Rossano
Review: The Little Boy Who Was Precious by Reagan Chesnut
The Little Boy, Who Was Precious by Reagan Chesnut
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What was the conflict in the story? The little boy’s parents had to go away and he was to stay with his Grandma & Grandpa. The initial excitement soon gives away to sadness as he misses his parent but not before he embarks on a series of adventures that is worthy of Johnny Depp. In some ways, the little boy’s story was like Enchanted the movie by Disney.
Favorite scene …. When the Grandma tries to make the boy happy and “all the while, the little boy looked down at his feet” and he ran for the door crying for his mother. I really felt for him and could only imagine how his little heart was hurting. The author did a fantastic job at evoking emotions from readers.
Favorite quote … Made my heart melt - "there was a Grandma and a Grandpa, and they were precious from the first. They were precious to their daughter, who they loved and nurtured into a successful, loving young woman. They were precious to her husband, who they welcomed into their family as their own son. They were the help and the haven that allowed their daughter and her husband to set their lives to greater things than they could ever have dreamed. And perhaps most of all, in a special and altogether different sort of way, they were precious to a certain little boy…"
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Neverlove (Shadow Jumpers) by Angela Brown
Abigail
Providence, Rhode Island
Six. Whole. Months.
The longest time her mother stayed home in the last few years.
Enough time that a sense of security snuck into Abigail’s heart, lulled her mind into forgetfulness.
But the monster hadn’t forgotten.
Abigail bolted awake at the squeaky turn of her bedroom door knob. The scent of lavender flooded the room. It tickled her nose and she sneezed, refocusing her gaze on the open doorway. Her father stood there, the shadowed hall an ominous backdrop.
She replayed her nightly routine in her mind, cringing at the part where she was supposed to lock the door. I didn’t have to. Mom’s home. Or so Abby thought. No need to ask him why he was there. Her belly twisted in knots. Please, God. Not again.
Instead, she asked, “Where’s mom?”
Her hand crept to the bedside table, nervous fingers taking twice as long to click on the lamp. More shadows crowded around her father.
“End of the month crisis. Something only she could handle. It’s just me and you.”
Abigail sucked a breath through her teeth. Her. Him. Alone.
Not good. She pulled her blankets closer, tighter to her body. Fear shoved her heart into overdrive, a thrumming beat in her ears. She couldn’t keep up the charade any more. It had to stop.
“Don’t come any closer.” After years of blind obedience, she’d grown too aware of how wrong her father was to do the things he did – to her – his only child.
His wild eyes radiated a sickening yellow glow, teeth bared and bright white. “Have you lost your mind, Abigail? Don’t you know I love you?” His words slipped through clenched teeth, voice graveled by anger, disbelief.
“No,” she answered. “This was never love. From the first time you…ugh! This is sick, Walter.” Nauseous turmoil twisted deep within. “Please, leave me alone.”
She’d never said no. The extra bolt on her door usually did the trick. But she’d forgotten. It didn’t help that her father was the pillar of the community, accustomed to getting what he wanted. People who didn’t want to be him wanted to be with him, something Walter always tossed in her face. Like that made everything all right.
Telling someone about the real Walter – the monster? Not an option.
One teacher suspected something, quietly approached Abigail about her Goth girl look, then mysteriously resigned within a day of their conversation.
She tried telling her mother. A lot of good that did. Her father’s denials, his handsome face and his “I’m shocked our daughter would say such a thing” act, earned Abigail a slap across the face.
There was no one.
Abigail reached up and wrapped her fingers around the small, crystal, soccer ball dangling from her necklace. It used to belong to her older brother. He died when she was twelve years old, a car accident that should have taken both father and son. Somehow, Walter escaped without so much as a scratch. Abigail lost her closest, and only, friend. That’s when her father’s visits began.
“Your mother won’t be back for a couple of days.” He stepped closer. Abigail backed further on her bed. Each step he took out of the shadows brought him into the tiny light of her bedside lamp. Gone were the hazel eyes with flecks of green they shared. Matching skin a sandy tone, flawless. The same cheekbones set high within heart shaped faces. She even inherited his deep set dimples and full lips. Nothing left but the monster she dreaded.
Abigail tightened her grip on the charm, calling on all her strength. Five years of it was long enough. Too long. This was her moment to put her foot down. “I’m serious, Walter! Go away!”
“So I’m Walter to you, now. Huh? It’s like that?” His voice rose in pitch, the tension like a weighted mass bearing down on her.
Abigail held her head high, face tilted upward, defiant…silence her answer.
He rushed to the bed in a rustle of tailored Italian garb, backhanding Abigail. Her heart leapt in her chest. Shock cut her breath to the quick. Her head whipped to the side, cheek stinging. But what followed burned into her mind.
Up until then, he’d taken her innocence one bit at a time, touches and kisses that confused her, affections that would have been okay – if they came from a high school crush. Not her father. He’d allowed her to keep her virginity…the last pure thing she had.
No more.
He stole it from her, taking a sick joy in her pleas for help going unanswered by the silent night.
A raspy voice crept along the fringes of her thoughts after her father left her alone to deal with the damage he dealt.
End the pain. End the fear.
End it all.
There’s no one to save you.
In death, your father can no longer hurt you. And he will come for you again.
You’re lonely and deserve to be. No one wants to understand you or care that your Goth look blends the black and blue into something trendy.
End it. Be at peace. Now.
The words settled in Abigail’s mind clear and true, as if Death itself knelt by her side whispering in her ear. Taking her own life was a terrible option that would damn her soul to hell. But it also promised peace. After what her father did, fire and brimstone at the hands of the devil appealed so much more than hell on earth at the hands of one meant to love her.
The following morning, sunshine filtered through her blinds and mottled her bedroom floor. The beautiful day beyond her window could not break the perfect storm that consumed Abigail. She struggled, pained in all the wrong places, and got out of bed. Glancing at her clock, she knew she had the house all to herself. She pressed a finger to her cheek and moaned at the soreness. Abigail trained all her thoughts on putting one foot in front of the other, leaning on the wall for support. She was determined to make it to her parents’ bathroom if it killed her.
Ironic, since that was her intent anyway.
Minutes passed to an hour when Abigail finally sank into her parents’ claw foot tub. Steam rose in white, smoky wisps from the water’s surface. Stinging warmth seeped into her skin, her pores taunted open by the heat. Just the thing to cleanse her father from her system. Release the filth of his still-lingering touch. Not that it would matter soon. After last night, she’d made up her mind. Seventeen wasn’t such a bad age to die.
Abigail cast a glance toward the bathroom floor. Ripped pieces of her mother’s stationary littered every inch, her failed attempts to come up with a poetic message, something meaningful to leave behind. The lace edging of each pink scrap curled from the steam, pitiful imitations of rose petals. Her tired gaze slid up to the mirror where her final words stood out bold in her favorite shade of dark red:
Deciding to die should have been the hard part. Not the stupid note!
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Genre – YA Paranormal Romance
Rating – PG13
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Review: muted: a short story in verse by Jessica Bell @MsBessieBell
muted: a short story in verse by Jessica Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Is the premise original and does it draw interest? The author has used a very simple tool to pull the reader into the story. Emotion. If you had something you loved with all your heart and this was snatched from you, how would you feel?
Would you recommend it? Recommend it? I'll shout about it from the hill tops. Jessica Bell is a talented author whose work will outlive her and most of her readers. Just as our grandchildren are discovering and appreciating Dickens, this is a writer whose eclectic prose will touch many generations to come.
What did you like about it? Where do I start? The writing. The way the author has combined simple words to bring about an intense appreciation for Concetta. You can read this book more than once and every time something else will capture your attention and make you think.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: Inceptio by Alison Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What alternative title would you choose for this book? This title was perfect and I wouldn't change anything about this book. The author took history and brought it to life in ways you will never imagine.
Share a quote or two from the book. My two favourite quotes were - "
I didn’t know whether to laugh or be furious with Apollodorus. I soon learned he spoke in this ironic way all the time. You had to be most careful when his tone softened to a whisper." and "
I limped to the bathroom. No way was I going through the humiliation of a bedpan." It's the smallest of actions and responses but throughout the book, it becames easy to connect with Karen Brown.
Share a favorite scene from the book. When Karen tries to learn Latin. It felt so much like the scenes in "My Fair Lady". I liked that Karen wanted to adjust and fit in with Nova Romans (I think got that right, or could it be Roma Novans?) She absorbs the lessons the new location teaches her and never gives up about finding the truth which by the way is an absolutely stunning twist to the story.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: Not a Whisper by Donna B McNicol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What I liked? The writing style. Each page has you guessing and you suspect everyone. For a minute, some of us felt that Cherie had some underlying issue which was directly related to the body count as well. Or even Jazz. You don't know anything for sure until you get to the ending.
Is the title a good one or a poor one and why? It fits the book perfectly. In a town where someone is always talking about someone else, "not a whisper" symbolizes what is happening behind the scenes without the knowledge of anyone in the town.
Did you like the way the story ended? Absolutely. It was twisted, surprising and it wasn't hanging as so many authors who do serials nowadays are prone to do. I also liked that each character received resolution and all questions throughout the book were answered so the reader doesn't go away with what ifs and maybes.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: Time and Space by Shireen Jeejeebhoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What were the main relationships explored in this book? Time & Space; Wealth & Hope. In my opinion, none of these things ever go together. If you take too much space away from someone, you lose time with that person. You can hope for wealth but time and space have a lot to do with how much wealth you end up with in the end.
3 things I liked about the book … All my book club members and I agree that this book was unique. There are some bits that have this Stan Lee feel to it, and there's the lighter sides that feel like Cat in the Hat. The second thing I liked was the writing and lastly, the way the author tied in all the elements.
Favourite character(s) … I would like to say Time but I'm going to go with the three boys who kidnapped her. If they hadn't kidnapped her, and she hadn't discovered the future, the story would have been significantly different.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Deleting God by Nicholas Maze
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What are some of the book's themes? Religion and spirituality in modern times. I loved the way the author provided examples on how many of us are longer Christians because we want to but because we have to.
Did the book end the way you expected? In some ways, yes. It offered a clearer insight about how people interpret Christianity and use "God" to their own benefit. However, I also felt that the book ended a little too abruptly for my liking.
Top 3 things I liked about the whole book. It was the truth. It was to the point and simple. The author supported his arguments very well by providing examples and sharing his own experiences.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior by Christina Esdon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Which did you find more appealing, the introduction or the conclusion? This is a book that raised so many unexpected discussions and was a pleasure to read. I loved the introduction of the book because it shares the reason why they got together for this book.
Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? There's no reason for you not to like the book. Multiple genres, multiple writing styles and talent that seems to bubble over.
Did the book description relate to the story? Yes, it did and all of us at the book club fell in love with the reason of why these authors were working on such a project.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Evergreen (A Serial Killer Thriller) by David Jester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good serial killer mystery.
Plot well developed, believable? It was very well developed and realistic.
Characters realistic, actions plausible? The characters were all realistic. What they did was wrong, and they acted as a mob.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: The Druid legacy by Mark Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tell us what is happening in the first part of the book. Wess is hunting and feels a little smug that at his age, he is good at it. He then describes the cabin he lives and talks a about his friend Myka. For this reader, the first chapter was a good introduction to the main character. It also offered a slow build-up to the action that would come later on in the book. Overall, the pacing of this book remains constant and it flowed well.
Who was your favourite character? Wess was great but I was somehow drawn to Myka. Be it her vulnerabilities or how she was described, I felt that she was a good secondary character who motivated Wess in the story. I didn't like that Leo went out of his way to abuse her.
What was your favourite scene? The bear fight scene when Wess is forced to make a split second decision about using his powers. Once they escape, Wess continues to stay with the bear and this scene was right out of a Disney movie. It was touching to see both characters communicate despite being so different.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: y1 by Sherrie Cronin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Is the story plot or character driven? For me it was character driven. The plot was focused on Zane's life and it starts with him being 7 in 1993 and then progresses to 2064.
Is the plot well-developed? Although, it's science fiction this is an emotive read which makes the plot believable. The plot is also well-developed which I think comes from the author's work background as a scientist.
Who in this book would you most like to meet? Joy. She does her best to escape her domineering father and in the end the way her emotions were captured, the stage of her life where she wants to be her own person is something all of us can relate to.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Mars Rising by Mark David Major
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cover. It made sense and fit both the title and description of the book.
Formatting / Appearance. I am assuming a lot of time and effort has been spent on this. With the images, the quotes on the upper right hand corner and the page numbers, this was really a pleasant reading experience.
Content (overall theme, idea and setting). This was a unique story which I think the author has spent years building.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Tainted Waters by Maggie Thom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Where did the story take place? Bentley which was the backdrop for what would literally be known as "tainted" waters later on in the book.
List the places mentioned in the book. May Belle's, Tennison Post Newspaper, Albertson, New York, Bentley, Tri - Globe Realtors, Goom Lake, Europe, LeChance, Mexico, Peace Funeral Home.
What is the time period in which the book happens? Organ harvesting has recently been in the news quite a bit so it was interesting that the author chose 2012 as the timeline for the book.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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Review: Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Did you find that the cover and title represented what the story was really about? Yes, the cover helped represent the story between to a point. But a cover can only tell readers so much. As for the title, I am still trying to come up with how it relates to the story.
Did this book give you any new ideas about yourself? Just to appreciate children more in my life.
How did you feel about the main character? I loved Olivia’s character. I can picture this book as a movie withMichelle Dockery from Downtown Abbey playing Olivia.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Sex and Death in the American Novel by Sarah Martinez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What do you think was the climax of the book and why. When Vivianna is at the cabin. She finally comes to terms with the relationship she had with her father. She finally learns that her father loved her and was proud of her accomplishments.
What lesson did you learn from the story? Always tell my children that I am proud of them no matter what.
Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? I expected the ending but was not disappointed.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Time Killer by Todd M. Thiede
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? Where he got the idea for this book. Everything seemed so real.
Where did the story take place? Several different cities in the Illinois area. Rockton, Illinois; Clinton, Wisconsin; and Merrillville, Indiana
Who in this book would you most like to meet? Amanda, would really like to know why she decided to stop seeing her father when a child.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Gabriela and The Widow by Jack Remick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Top 3 things I liked about the main character. She kept her head up, never let anything defeat her. She had such a kind sweet heart and she got everything she deserved in the end.
Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? I would most certainly recommend this book. It was a fast intriguing read, with characters that came to life.
What did you think of the ending? I really liked the ending and it was a surprise. Really thought the book was going to end any other way but the way it did.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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Review: Pain & Gain: The Untold True Story by Marc Schiller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What kind of book is this? List three evidences of this. The book was nonfiction and sometimes read like a long police report or a crime documentary. This book was written by Marc and took many years to finish. A movie was made about it although many facts of the story have been changed.
What was the author's purpose in writing this book? He wants to radiate hope for every situation. He wants people to know, they can get through anything. They must never lose faith.
If you could continue the story, what events would you include? I feel it ended in exactly the right place although I would have liked to know more about Marc in present days.
Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book which did not affect my honest opinion.
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Review: Some Are Sicker Than Others by Andrew Seaward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Favourite quote …
"No you're to proud, to damn conceited, to damn worried about what people will think."
Did you find that the cover and title represented what the story was really about? How so or how not?
The title fit the situation. Some addicts can be helped, others are a lost cause.
How would the book have been different if it had taken place in a different time or place?
Would have been the same.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
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