Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Edge of End

I received an ebook copy of Edge of End by Suren Fant from the author after I entered the giveaway for a physical copy of the book and did not win.  At first I had received an unedited copy, but a few days later the author emailed me to provide the final edited copy of the novel, which is what I am reviewing here.

Edge of End is a story about a man named Jonarhan who wakes up in the desert with no memory.  He stumbles into a town that seems completely abandoned.  He has some weird visions which lead him to a certain house in the town where he finds a woman named Elizabeth.  They realize that they are trapped in the town surrounded by supernatural beings, and if they want to survive they must escape as soon as possible.  The town is crawling with demons who will do anything to stop them from leaving.  Jonathan and Elizabeth fall in love, and will not leave the town unless they go together.

The story here is interesting.  It isn't amazing, it is just interesting.  If I were to review the story itself and nothing else, I would give it a 3 star rating.  Good, not great, not bad.  Worth a read if this is your kind of thing.  The love aspect between Elizabeth and Jonathan was a bit ridiculous, they would have passionate kisses seconds after brutally maiming a disgusting demon.  Also I felt the character of Elizabeth could use some work, she seemed dull and stupid at times, running off to get killed and having Jonathan come and save her.  I prefer stronger female characters who have a brain and use it.

The reason I am giving this book 2 stars instead of 3 is because of the writing+grammar (yes, even the edited final copy had many mistakes).  If a really good editor were to get a hold of this book it would be much improved.  So many times when reading a sentence, I would think to myself 'no one actually uses that word!' or find the same adjective used to describe something 3 sentences in a row.  It is so distracting when you are trying to read something, I kept trying to correct what I saw to be mistakes, thinking 'it would work much better if the author had phrased it like this'.  I shouldn't have to do that when reading a book.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Medicine Walk


I was lucky enough to win a copy of Richard Wagamese' novel Medicine Walk from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. 

When Frank receives a letter of summons from his father, he expects only more disappointment.  He has learned not to expect much from his alcoholic father, but when he goes to visit Eldon this time, he learns that his father is dying.  After a lifetime of drinking, Eldon knows the end is near, and would like Frank to accompany him on a journey to his final resting place.

As they make their way through the rugged landscape of beautiful British Columbia, Eldon finally shares some of his long kept secrets with Frank.  He reveals what led him to start drinking, what became of Frank's mother, and finally how Frank came to live with the old man who has raised him as a son all these years.  

Medicine walk is a story about love, courage, pain, regret and forgiveness.  It made my heart ache.  At times I hated Frank's father, then at others I felt compassion for him.  It is a great story and very beautifully written.  


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Inquest (Destroyer #1)

Inquest by DelSheree Gladden is a story about a young girl named Libby who will destroy the world.  An inquest is a talent unlocking ceremony that each person must attend on their 16th birthday to reveal which of the 7 possible talents that person possesses.  Having more talents means that you have a more prestigious place in society.  At Libby's inquest, it is revealed that she has all 7 of the talents, naming her Cassia, the Destroyer, who it is fated will bring an end to the world.  Libby and her freind Milo must work together to improve her talents and stay safe from the Guardians, who are out to kill them. 

I picked up this book when it was on a free promo for Kindle.  I could not put it down!  I think I *may* have stayed up half  the night because I had to know what would happen next.  I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!  If you enjoy books like The Hunger Games or Divergent, definitely give this one a try.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Swimmy

It's bedtime!  Swimmy by Leo Lionni is a beautiful story about a little fish whose school gets eaten by a large tuna.  He is the only survivor, and strikes out to find a new group of fish to swim with.  When he finds them, they are afraid to swim out because they do not want to be eaten by larger fish.  Swimmy shows them how to work together so that if they stay as a group they will be safe from large predators.
This book has beautiful illustrations and gorgeous language.  Also, when reading stories to my children I love a book that leaves an opportunity for further discussion without being in your face or preachy with lessons.  This story was a great way to discuss using teamwork to overcome obstacles.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Tempting the Beast (Breeds #1)

It is so hot outside, so what better way to enjoy then relaxing with a steaming hot book?  Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh is the first novel of the Breeds series.  The idea is that a group of evil scientists and government officials worked on genetic experiments crossing animal and human DNA.  Their goal was to create ultimate soldiers, and they performed all kinds of ruthless tests on their subjects as part of their experiments.

In this first book of the series, we meet Merinus Tyler who is a reporter.  She wants to do a story on Callan Lyon, one of the survivors of the experiments whose DNA is crossed with that of a lion, in hopes of exposing the whole sordid affair.  Marinus ans Callan meet, and some sort of weird hormonal reaction occurs between them, throwing them both into a mating frenzy. 

Mating Frenzy:  uncontrollable need to have sex all day long, the urge is calmed somewhat when orgasm is achieved by both parties but returns again shortly after.

There is one part of this book that irritated me a bit.  Throughout the first half of the story, Marinus is pissed that she can't control what is happening in her own body and is required to have sex with Callan to stay sane.  She finds him attractive and certainly enjoys having sex with him, but there is no emotional spark between them.  Then out of the blue she is saying she loves him, and has loved him since the first time she saw his photo.  I don't buy it.  If she loved him so much right from the start, the author could have done a better job in that regard, as it was it seemed like an afterthought added in half way through the book.

The idea of this book series intrigues me, and the sex scenes were ok, but please remove all instances of the word uterus from the entire book.  It was a bit of a mood killer.  I will read more books of the series because I am anxious to see what happens with the Council and all of the other Breeds that are out there.

If you like naughty sexy books, a bit of action and government conspiracy, give this book a try!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Pride and Prejudice

Ahh the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Miss Bennet.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the most romantic stories I have ever read. 
Miss Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman, and forms an opinion of the proud Mr. Darcy based on bits of gossip ans his demeanor at various social gatherings they attend.  These opinions are quite prejudiced, and not at all based on facts.  When Miss Bennet gets to know the real Mr. Darcy she falls in love.  Sigh. 
I think one of the reasons I love this story is because it manages to be romantic and get your heart racing without overwhelming you with sex.  I was easily transported to the past where etiquette ruled, ladies celebrated their entrance into society, and people spent much time sitting around and talking. 

I adored this book and highly recommend everyone give it a chance.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Big Honey Hunt

Tonight's bedtime story was The Big Honey Hunt by Stan and Jan Berenstain.  It was a cute little story about a bear family that runs out of honey in their honey pot.  Instead of buying more at the store, Papa Bear takes his son on an adventure to find some wild honey.  The see a bee, and follow it from tree to tree looking for the honey tree.  Along the way they encounter many wild animals, and then finally they find the honey tree.  Unfortunately all is not well, and they get chased away by a swarm of angry bees.  In the end, they buy some honey from the store.
The story is cute, and the whole idea behind these early readers is to get kids reading, which I think this accomplishes.  There is a lot of repetition and rhyming.  The illustrations are nicely done.  My daughter enjoyed it, and I didn't mind it.  All in all a cute story, and one I'm sure we will read again.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Welcome

So I decided to start this blog to organize my thoughts and share my love of reading with the world.  I adore all genres of books from children's picture to literary classics to sleazy romance.  I hope you enjoy my musings!