Category: Books



TracksTracks by Robyn Davidson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, how I hated to see the end of this story. I absolutely loved it! I was lucky enough to pick it up on Kindle Unlimited. Then I saw that there was an Audible version. I bought that. I’m glad I did. I loved listening to Angie Milliken tell me the story. Even though the KU went back to Amazon, I still have the story to listen to again, later.

When I was a girl, at the zoo, I was talking to a camel and he spit at me. Yuck! I hated camels ever since. But between Robyn Davidson’s story and Angie Milliken’s voice I wish I could be around camels, make friends with them.

This is the first book in a long time that I didn’t try to fast forward. There’s no speed reading about a trek across Australia. It was a long hike. I wanted to relish every word of it. If I can’t do the trek myself I will absorb the experience vicariously.

Being alone, Robyn shared her inner conflicts along the track. These were worries about the world in general or psychological problems. Both were discussed with frankness. She alternately shared wonders of Australia’s splendor or the barren rottenness, left overs of the non-ecologically sound non-natives. All the while keeping up with her four camels and her dog.

Shoot! This review doesn’t go near the wonder I felt as I read and listened to it. If you get the chance, please pick of a copy for yourself. I look forward to seeing the movie!

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The Exemeus (The Exemeus, #1)The Exemeus by Folami Morris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this e-book about two years ago from BookRooster.com I’m glad I finally gave it a shot. This was a fun ride.

It starts in a dystopian future when a nerd, forever the recipient of the wedgies and other tricks of the bullies. It doesn’t take long to like this kid. In spite of himself, he is a smart yet patient young man.

Without going into spoilers… hmmm…how to do this? Well, he ends up with a journal that his mother kept back in our days. Through this and a few other happenings, we see how much he is like his mother and we watched his magic bloom.

Well, that didn’t give anything away, but it doesn’t seem all that exciting. But it was! I really loved the characters, even the bad guys. They were all well fleshed out. The plot was an interesting take on the dried up meme of dystopia.

When I get new books that aren’t from Amazon I usually download them to my Moon Reader Pro where I can read along with text-to-speech. That way I don’t need a light like I do for my older generation Kindles. MRP is backlit like the Kindle app on my Tablet or on the Fire. It was a very fast read. I was sucked in right from the beginning and didn’t want to let it go until the end. Sleep and other needs got in the way of the read.

There is to be a book two. I can’t wait to read it. I didn’t feel this book left me with a cliffhanger. We know how THOSE bug me! I guess the only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because there were places that I felt there were holes in the story, that things had been left out with little segue between parts. I managed to pick up the threads but felt unnerved by how it was done.

By the way, It is now $.99 on Amazon for the Kindle version. Not bad for a great bit of entertainment!

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Time and Time AgainTime and Time Again by Dennis Danvers

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This read took me a long, long time! The font was so small and the lines too close, so I had to take it a couple pages at a time.

Maybe it was the length of time it took me to read it that played into my occasional confusion as to whose head I was supposed to be in. I’ll accept that reason but still, there were other places that I knew I wasn’t confused. For a book that contains news of today, news of a century ago, a journal by Susanna, and a book being written by another woman, main character, Marion Mead… were all written by male author, Dennis Danvers.

Sorry, most of the time I didn’t buy it. I believe Dennis Danvers tried. The writing was good and for the most part I loved the main character. But what was irritating for me were male traits imposed onto the Susanna and Marion.

For the last couple years, I have made it a habit to read books that could fall into the Bechdel test. My own addition, in the case of writing, is that the book be written and star a strong fem. The only reason for this read was this is a BookCrossing hardback that has been in my TBR pile for a too long.

Okay for the nitty-gritty. Susanna’s journal was about the men in her life and how they interact with each other. It even went inside the males heads: this one likes to be plowed hard and fast–or something along those lines. Yeah. Most of the time, we prefer foreplay–please?

I know, this did include the mores of the past where women had no minds of their own as they belong to their fathers or husbands and other than that were old maids or whores. That probably made it easier to write from a woman’s point of view. But even when we were in Marion’s POV there was nothing but male-centric. Sure she had her daughters, and of course she looked like Mary Magdalene. Then finally we had a conversation between Marion and her co-worker, and even that was a conversation about sex with the male.

Oh, off the track a little, one of the reasons I wanted to read this from the beginning was I thought it was about time travel. Nope. Instead, it was more reincarnation. Hope that isn’t a spoiler. But that was part of the well done parts.

Most people wouldn’t notice the picky stuff I I saw. And so I think others will like it better than I did. It certainly was different.

By the way, this is BookCrossing BCID: 046-5591579. I will send it to other people of my group before setting it free.

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Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To my English teachers and friends who have raved that I should read this. Check. Done! My grade for this book is a C- and that was with the help of Carolyn Seymour, the narrator. Glad I read it so I could say I did, but I was not wowed like others.

I couldn’t have gotten into it as a tree book, even on Kindle with text-to-speech I couldn’t get there. Though the reader did add a lot to the experience, in the beginning, I’m afraid there was no help.

The first half of the book seemed centered around bickering, gossip, and how women of the time could climb the status ladder. Ms. Seymour’s varied voices just made that part even more irritating. I felt sorry for the reader as there was no way to vary the voices enough within that family of females. Lizzy and Jane’s father was probably easy to do. And the voice of Darcy felt unique. But other than those voices, I couldn’t tell whose voice belonged to whom.

As for the book itself, I felt that the real book started about 3/4 in. That’s where it all started to get exciting. I suddenly cared for a few people. It may be that the passive voice that seems to live in most so-called classics that made this less than wonderful. I plan to watch a couple versions of the movie next. Then there are possible book two by more recent authors. And… I’m not done with Jane Austen. I do plan to read them all, somehow. After all, these follow my main goal of reading books by females with strong female leads.

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Amazon Discusses Kindle Unlimited & Kindle Select Stats.


Off the Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs, and Girls on GetawaysOff the Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs, and Girls on Getaways by Terri Peterson Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Truth? I didn’t finish reading this book. Not because it is horrid. Mostly because this would make a great research book to have around. It is mostly for book clubs or groups that like to relate their travel to their reading. There are many pages of books dedicated to certain states or cities. There are pages of itineraries to follow. And there are pages dedicated to setting up groups that travel ‘by the book’.

I highly recommend it to those who can travel and would like to set up a group just for that way of seeing the world. I will try to put it on my wishlists for the hardback version so that I can make notes and research the books for the local areas. And who knows? I may be able someday to do some traveling beyond my own neighborhood. 🙂

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Not the EndNot the End by Kate Vane

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh. I am so sorry. I tried. I really did. I read every little bit of this book. And I was given this book by the author for an honest review. But, all I could come up with, is 2 stars, which on GoodReads means ‘it’s okay’. I’ll adjust accordingly on Amazon’s star rating to the ‘okay’ standing.

The writing was not as bad as many I have seen lately, but it left a lot to be desired. I never got to the point that I liked any of the characters enough to feel engaged. Sometimes by turning on the text-to-speech feature (in this case in Moon Reader Pro) and placing it on a high enough speed to still be best understood without sounding like a chipmunk, I can get past boring or confusing parts. Well, not so much this time.

Oh, and speaking of characters… Wow! this had a country full of populous. So many points of view that I couldn’t keep track. Often the fast reading speed gets me to the part of a book where I know who is who. Nope. At the end, I still was confused as to who was in lust with Elizabeth. Who was the twin to Roisin. And the lesser characters were even more confusing.

Maybe it is just me. Probably. But I just didn’t feel anything about the story or people. Look, if it’s any consolation, it took me forever to tell the difference between Rob and Jon in the TV series, Game of Thrones. Now having watched it a million times I have them separated. But, show either of those actors in another context and I get them confused again. AND what makes me frustrated was wondering, if this was my story how would I change it? I couldn’t figure it out. A picture book with names and personal histories on the side?

Oh, and how did the death of the woman at the beach change anyone? They all seemed pretty messed up even in the end. I’m so, so sorry I couldn’t offer more. But thank you for letting me read your book, Kate Vane. I’m sure others out there will love it. Good luck in your future writing. I do think you have the chops.

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Denali SkiesDenali Skies by Danielle Rohr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little over a decade ago, I was lucky enough to take a cruise through the inland waterway of Alaska. If truth be known, I didn’t want to go to that cold place, even in the summer. But I was so glad I did! I found out there are things that you dream of or wish for but have no idea what exciting wonders will be granted to you. Ever since this cruise I have been obsessed with all things Alaska. Anything written, or on TV, or movies, about Alaska, I have to meld myself into it. Especially now that the fibromyalgia prevents me from even leaving the house. So when I saw this book, on the Kindle freebie list I knew I had to get it.

For the most part, I am glad I did. Though I never got as far as Homer or Denali, it was fun to experience that great frontier through Danielle Rohr’s eyes. Okay, this is fiction, but I think one would have to experience it to write so eloquently about it. I loved the parts of the book that she becomes one with the mountain and the whole park.

I loved the characters created in the book. Regardless of how, as a parent, I nearly screamed at this New Adult about being more cautious, I think the book and the characters hold more wisdom than negative life experiences. Yet, it was those repeated mistakes the main character makes that started ruining it for me. I understood that this was a growing experience for the main character. She had to go through what she went through to find her own path.

Though there weren’t as many editing errors as some books I’ve read, I did find there was a need for another set of eyes in some places. It didn’t distract from the story, but it might for others.

My wish as I neared the end was that the MC would find a way to stay. Had I discovered all that she did at her age, I think I would have tried to find a way to stay. Maybe not as a waitress but there must have been other job opportunities to make staying possible. But that’s just me.

Good read!

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The Ugly DaughterThe Ugly Daughter by Julia Legian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why do I read? I read to travel to other places. I read to get inside other people’s lives and or minds. This book certainly satisfied all of that.

Reading about Julia Legian’s life made me grateful I didn’t have to live her life. Reading about her part of Vietnam made me grateful to be raised in Southern California and in the USA. Yet, I did feel enriched by reading about her young life.

Though it was a quick read, after all the author is still alive, the writing was done well. I was sorry to see the book end, but I think there may be more to come. No cliffhanger. Just as the family seems to be in a safe place, the book ended. I do look forward to reading more about the rest of Julia’s life.

Oh, I guess I should tell you that Ms. Julia wrote to me to inform me that she was giving a Christmas gift of the book. Thank you. By presenting it as such, I felt no pressure to read it right away. Nor did I feel there was an expectation of a great review. I try to be honest even when that happens. By the way, it is only $2.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited.

Oh, maybe I should warn you of the abuse that could have triggers for those who have been through similar things. And this is post-war Vietnam so life is far from safe even in the best of circumstances. Still, it was nice to get to know her through her story.

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Paradox LoveParadox Love by Dorothy Gravelle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so sorry to report I have finished reading “Paradox Love” by Dorothy Gravelle. What an amazing story! It is filled with twists and turns so very unexpected. The characters are believable and lovable. Just as fun as Where the Deer Dwell but totally different. As well written as her first, just the lack of “Clan of the Cave Bear” or the time travel sci-fi genres.

Instead, I found myself saying, Ms. Gravelle, you’ve given Richard Bach a run for his money! Think “One” or “Bridge Across Forever”. Add into this soul-mate mix “Lassie Come Home” and a box of Kleenex and you get a bit of the idea. Rather than the angsty YA romance typical these days, there was a strong couple who lived their own truths.

Now, I need to tell you that this is a first book in a series. But notice the star rating I gave. No cliffhanger! Yay! You can tell there is more to the story but you aren’t left worrying about the people. You just know there is more you want to know. I can’t wait to read the next book!

By the way, this Kindle ebook is free with Kindle Unlimited. There is also a Giveaway on GoodReads FirstReads. If you want to read the tree copy.

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