Category: Books


Review: Destiny Interrupted: Sweetly Romantic Time Travel Mini-Adventures by Lisa Shea

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July 11, 2015

Destiny Interrupted: Sweetly Romantic Time Travel Mini-Adventures (Eternal Time Shadows #1)Destiny Interrupted: Sweetly Romantic Time Travel Mini-Adventures by Lisa Shea

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given this book for an honest review.

And there lies the uncomfortable truth I must deal with. So let me kindly say, I saw no editing errors in the story. It was well written, according to my low standards.

BUT… I hate short stories. I wish I would have known. I wouldn’t have jumped for a chance to read this. In a day when binge watching of a series is the best way to watch something, I feel the same for my reading. I want to read everything in a series non-stop. Except romantic chic-lit. I can tolerate it in some stories, but for the full reason to read something I find it demeaning to womynkind.

The saving grace, and probably the reason I jumped at the chance to read this story: time travel. But this story didn’t include that until the end. Just when you get to know the characters (weak and swoony) we are left with a cliffhanger that includes waking in another time. Oh, yeah, what else do I hate? Let’s say it all together: Cliffhangers.

Look, there are a lot of high ratings for this book. If you see yourself as able to handle this kind of writing, you will probably love this one, too. It is free. The rest of the series seems to be $.99 an installment. Not bad for snippets of story. Enjoy!

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Review: Clone Three by Patti Larsen

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July 10, 2015

Clone Three (Clone Chronicles, #1)Clone Three by Patti Larsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have I read too many Young Adult/Dystopian books? I feel like at some point in my reading I would have loved, loved, loved this book. But instead I found myself wishing for another Maximum Ride book instead of this one. Sorry. I kept telling myself to let go of the similarities (and differences–no wings) and accept this on its own merits. And maybe this goes over very well with the targeted audience. And not so much with old ladies.

It may be that I wasn’t in love with the main character, Clone3. She wasn’t horrid, she just hasn’t developed her spunk enough. Maybe by book two she will. She is learning about her abilities and starting to be more of a leader instead of a loner. After all, she can’t remember anything from her past and has no clue who or what she is.

Another thing I had a hard time with is the constant tension. Maybe the YAs love this. But I find I like moments of self-revelation or learning of the place you are at, etc. rather than one crises after another.

Still I did like it and plan to read the rest of the series someday. Since I have a move in the works, I am trying not to add to my ‘need to read soon’ pile.

I’m sorry, Patti Larsen, for taking so long in reviewing this book. I hope your promotional goes well. I admire you and your talent. I hope YA/Dystopiats come out of the woodwork for this series!

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Review: The Witch and the Gentleman by J.R. Rain

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The Witch and the GentlemanThe Witch and the Gentleman by J.R. Rain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an unexpected surprise. First of all, it came to me as a Kindle freebie. I did pay $1.99 for the whispersynch audio which made the book even better. But my goal is that I read mostly books by lady authors with strong fem main characters. Occasionally, there will be a book with an author name that only has initials and a last name. Those can be tricky as the author is of undetermined gender. I picked this book up just hoping it was a fem. It is a guy.

So, there are things I look for if it is a male writer. How well does he portray his fem lead? How do the secondary characters react to the lead? And for either gender writer, I look at how realistic the fantasy person and world is.

In this case, I didn’t have a lot of problems with the fem lead, except…crying. Geez! Planning to go take a cry? Crying a lot! A real lady doesn’t respond to a person dying in front of her by planning to cry later. She might not cry at all. Shaking, maybe, but goodness gracious! For the rest of the book I think JB Rain got it right. Don’t be putting anything on a gentlelady that you wouldn’t put on a gentleman.

Apart from the gender issue is the realism of fantasy. Allison Lopez, the main character, is a psychic hotline operator. As one who already possesses some psychic talents, why have her so afraid when the ghost appears? Not just an initial reaction but over and over it is stated how scary this is. I think a true psychic wouldn’t have been afraid once the initial introduction happens.

BUT overall, this is a fun book with a main character I could relate to. (I have been a psychic hotline operator. I have encountered a ghost or two.) What I loved was the amount a truth in developing these talents and bits about Wicca and its practices. From what research I have done, most of these practices were well done.

Oh, a word about the narrator, Francesca Townes. I did enjoy the addition of her voice to the story. Her interpretation of the male voice wasn’t the greatest, but it worked once I got used to it.

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Review: Mini Farming: Mini Farming For Beginners: DIY Guide To Build A Self Sustainable Backyard by Anders Svensson

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July 6, 2015

Mini Farming: Mini Farming For Beginners: DIY Guide To Build A Self Sustainable Backyard (Backyard Farming - Homesteading - Backyard Chickens - Handbook - Backyard Gardening - Mini Farming)Mini Farming: Mini Farming For Beginners: DIY Guide To Build A Self Sustainable Backyard by Anders Svensson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been my recent mission to read as much about self-sustaining farming as possible so that I will know as much as I can I when move out to the country and start living in a more ecological and healthful way. So here is yet another sampling of what I’m reading.

Though this book has no clickable references, this is still full of a lot of interesting ideas as to run a small farm. I will come back to read it again once we are moved in. Remember, though, it is for beginners. For those who have been farming for a while this is not for you.

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Review: Three Sisters by Helen Smith

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Three Sisters (Emily Castles Mysteries)Three Sisters by Helen Smith

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given this book for an honest review.

I started reading this just before going to sleep. I finished at a decent bedtime. I had to read it with the text-to-speech turned on as I found it going rather slowly. I didn’t care for Emily, the main character. She seemed like a nosey neighbor more than anything.

Beware of the spoiler, the title of the book. That took all the mystery out of the story. Most of the time I found I was feeling left out. That the author just gave it all to me. And yet… Would you believe it? I still have no real idea whodunit. Since I don’t like short stories, and I don’t much like mysteries, this didn’t feed me anything. Even the chance that I could travel to England and learn something new about the country or her people, fell flat.

Okay, there seems to be a lot of higher star ratings, so it may just be me. I don’t feel at all compelled to see what happens to Emily next. But I wish the author well and that you all will find me wrong.

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Review: Homesteading for Beginners: 33 Awesome Tips That Will Show You How to Become a Perfect Homesteader Without Having to Count on Others by Jessica Flippobboo

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July 5, 2015

Homesteading for Beginners: 33 Awesome Tips That Will Show You How to Become a Perfect Homesteader Without Having to Count on Others (Homesteading for ... homesteading survival, urban homesteading)Homesteading for Beginners: 33 Awesome Tips That Will Show You How to Become a Perfect Homesteader Without Having to Count on Others by Jessica Flippo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For someone who is thinking, hoping and planning on having a self-sustaining life, like me, this is a great starter book. Not only does it remind you of what you want to try to do, it has many clickable references for deeper research.

Though it was quite readable, in others words, not full of dry verbiage, there still were a few places an editor would help. My favorite one was in the chapter about needed skills. Under knitting and crocheting, the author suggests making sweaters for the cold moths. I had to laugh out loud at the picture that created in my mind. Well, how cute if all butterflies and moths wore sweaters? They might live through the winter if they had warmer garments!

But the editing issues are small, at least to my eyes. Which is why I still have no books of my own published. I get too involved in the creative end.

By the way, I picked this one up for free. It still is for Kindle Unlimited. Still, it is only $2.99 for now and that isn’t bad for those who need a primer.

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Review: Unforgotten by E.M. Vail

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July 4, 2015

UnforgottenUnforgotten by E.M. Vail

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Another one that kept me up til the wee hours of the morning.

Before I begin, I need to disclose that I picked this up quite a while ago from BookRooster.com which doesn’t seem to exist anymore. I feel it is my fault, in a way, as I can only review so many books a month. But I download many, many per day and had at least 25 of the BookRoosters lined up. I am sorry to all authors who awaited my review. Even so, I will get to all of them, eventually. I only ordered the ones that sounded like my kind of books.

Look, I gave this five stars in spite of the bad editing. I am hoping that the new Kindle version (which, by the way, is free on Kindle Unlimited and only $2.99 for regular Kindle) is well edited. As I understand it, this is a first novel for the author, E.M. Vail. In that case, WOW!

Prologues are usually nonsense. I ordinarily don’t like them. They are a distraction that doesn’t pull the story along. In this case, I can say that when the story bogged down it was the curiosity about that prologue that kept me reading. I wondered all it would all come together.

The best thing about this book is how well developed all the characters are. Okay, I must admit that some of the dialogues felt stilted. And some of the actions or thoughts felt unfitting. But if one can keep moving regardless the story is fantastic. And as you fall in love with the characters and worry for their lives, keep a box of Kleenex handy. Around 90% in you will need them. And the pay-off of the prologue comes in the epilogue. Now you’ve come full circle and know why.

This is more than a coming of age book about three friends. This is a story of neighbors and the web of life for all. It is a full sized novel that I am happy I was given the chance to read. It could honestly be a good movie.

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Review: The Nature of Denial by Madelyn March

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June 30, 2015

The Nature of DenialThe Nature of Denial by Madelyn March

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given this ebook for an honest review.

Oh. My. Goodness! For me, this was an amazing book! To some, those who have never experienced mental illness in their birth families or within themselves, it might seem extreme. But if you have been blessed not to have depression or bipolar issues in your personal life if you were lucky enough to never have had post-partum depression, please read this book. Madelyn March, the author, climbs in deep and dirty to let the reader experience the confusion of being a child in an unhealthy family, and dives deeper as that grown child now has a child of her own. If Ms. March hasn’t experienced all this herself, she has done an enormous amount of research, speaking with those who have been through it.

This was a longer than the usual ebook, 250 pages. I loved the length as it gave me a chance to get to know all the characters. They were all well developed. The main character, Anna, brings you through her life to the moment of her breakdown and her struggles to come back to life. Other characters get their chance to show their own points of view which helps the reads see how these things happen in real life.

But this book doesn’t get bogged down in peoples’ heads. Life continues happening. Beauty still exists. Nature refuses to be upstaged by the minds of humans. I loved that aspect of this book. I got to travel to Michigan, hike in the woods, see the great lake, Superior. Never been there. Not sure I could handle the cold. But traveling by book never makes my fibromyalgia flare up. 🙂

Now that I know all these characters so deeply, I hate to let this group go. Though it was a nice ending with all threads tied up and hope for the future established, I want more. I want to see what happens next. I think that is a sign of a great book. And for those who might want to try it, it is free on Kindle Unlimited, only $2.99 for Kindle (I think it is well worth that) and there is a giveaway going right now on GoodReads. Oh, and the title is perfect! Try it!

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Review: Alpha: An Urban Fantasy Novel by S.M. Reine

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June 26, 2015

Alpha: An Urban Fantasy Novel (War of the Alphas Book 3)Alpha: An Urban Fantasy Novel by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was gifted this book for an honest review.

Maybe it was because my life has been so busy with fun road trips and not so fun hospital time for my husband, but, I had a hard time getting through this story. Usually, I can’t stop reading a Sara Reine book. There were just so many places where my mind wandered away from the story.

I think it is hard to make the main character a favorite for me. Deidre has no respect for Rylie our favorite Alpha werewolf. She doesn’t even have respect for her own alpha. But then he isn’t worth the respect. Meanwhile, Deidre Tombs goes all gooey about a dragon shifter and/or her alpha. It’s hard to know where she stands. She hasn’t much to stand on as she searches for her own animal to shift to. Once she finds it, she has a hard time making it happen.

Okay, all that aside, I am still looking forward to the next book to see what happens next. No, we weren’t left on a cliffhanger. We were left with many threads left undone, possibly fraying at the ends. How can our prolific author tie this all up? Wow!

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Review: Homesteading: How to Live a Self-Sustained Lifestyle: Homesteading, Homesteading Book, Homesteading Guide, Homesteading Tips, Homesteading Techniques by Lori Shawn

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June 16, 2015

Homesteading: How to Live a Self-Sustained Lifestyle: Homesteading, Homesteading Book, Homesteading Guide, Homesteading Tips, Homesteading TechniquesHomesteading: How to Live a Self-Sustained Lifestyle: Homesteading, Homesteading Book, Homesteading Guide, Homesteading Tips, Homesteading Techniques by Lori Shawn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In my last review, I mentioned reading a lot of books lately about gardening and farming. I also mentioned how there seem to be a lot of books (let’s call them booklets or brochures, okay?) that can be read in a short time, like a hour or so, that have very little information, and minimal editing. If I see a problem, it is a big one. I am a horrid editor for that reason. But this is an example of those kinds of booklets.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you have never thought about the word ‘homesteading’ this may be the book for you. If you have read many, many issues of Mother Earth News and the like, this is pre-school. For those who may be more newbie than I, this is a great book (if you can overlook the editing issues aforementioned). This may be a good booklet to start to learn how a person might be able to live in a self-sufficient way. Before you run out and try homesteading, do your homework. There is this cautionary tale: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homest…

This booklet was and is still free. A great primer should be. Enjoy!

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