No Crones About It by Amanda M. Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you are looking for a fun distraction, nothing too heavy or crazy, this is it. This series is about fun. Of course, you have to be the kind of person who enjoys a bit of snark.
There is a bit of shapeshifter and witchy romance but it is far from angsty. It is just the right amount of tension and fun between two people.
I am grateful to Kindle Unlimited to get to read this little gem.
Round Loom Knitting in 10 Easy Lessons: 30 Stylish Projects by Nicole F Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a gift from my daughter. At first, I thought it was going to be too easy. I’ve been loom-knitting for a couple of years now. And though I didn’t read the book word for word I did enough examining the patterns and instructions to know that this would be a great book for beginners. But there are lots of more advanced patterns. Many I have bookmarked to try later.
I highly recommend this book for anyone into loom knitting or thinking about getting into it.
The Spellslinger by S.M. Reine
Sara Reine has done it again. I love that we get to visit our favorite characters over and over in an ever-renewing timeline. Once again we visit the Reno-Tahoe area which for me, makes for one more character to enjoy.
Through the characters, Ms. Reine asks questions that remind me of why I loved Sci-fi for all my life. With deities, angels, and demons, subjects like philosophy, religion, and why things happen the way they do, and how it applies to our norms, all this comes up in the course of the story and makes the reader think. That is my favorite kind of writing. It isn’t preachy, it doesn’t even set up any rule to follow. These are questions the characters present as they chase down the next plot twist.
Ms. Reine writes so well and keeps the reader involved. I almost always finish her books quickly as I don’t want to stop reading until the end.
As always, I suggest a person go back to the beginning, Six Moon Summer and read the gazillion other books, they are all terrific. I can’t wait to read the next book! What will she come up with next?
Come Witch or High Water by Constance Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon Kindle, PLEASE! Please back away from pretty book covers and at least put a book number on the front of a book! PLEASE!
I thought I had downloaded the first one first. In the end, at midnight when I usually read, as I open the book so I can listen to the text-to-speech. I can’t track well enough to read real books. But still, would a book number hurt you, especially for the TTS folks!
I have to admit, I often felt I missed something. Things were referred to. I felt in the dark as to what the author was talking about. But I thought maybe there was a series before this on that the characters were alluding to.
It still was a fun little book, in spite of getting it in the wrong order. I will now have to read it again after I read book 1 properly. At least I know it won’t be awful and I can read it on triple speed just to find the bits I didn’t get during this read. It is short and I think others will love this series. Oh, and I picked up books 1 &2 on Kindle Unlimited.
Holly and Ivy: A Lesbian Holiday Romance by T.B. Markinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, this was cute. I think it is a nod to Nottinghill. It is rom-com with an LGBT leaning. There is a fun holiday feeling to it like Nottinghill. I don’t want to give a lot away. But if you like this kind of story it is fun.
I do love how T.B. Markinson writes. Her characters feel real. I’m not so sure about the millionaire. I’ve not been one nor do I know any personally, but it was Ms. Markinson’s story so it was where her characters led her.
I just didn’t want to finish with her world when I finished her combination book. So this filled the bill.
I can’t wait to read more from her.
A Woman Lost Box Set: Books 3-5 by T.B. Markinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fun bunch of books. The characters, especially the main character, Lizzie, seemed realistic. I am grateful I didn’t have her family. Whew, what a mess! But, even so, it was fun to watch the development of each of the characters. And to watch the Twinkies go from zygotes to toddlers.
I like reading books in a combo like this but it makes me mad that I don’t get the credit for three books, even if I put a small review on each book. That messes with my reading goals. But that is a GoodReads problem.
I was lucky to find these on Kindle Unlimited so it was a ‘free’ read. I love this author and am glad she has a few listed on KU. I’m reading Holly and Ivy as I didn’t want to leave T.B. Markinson’s world. It too is a KU.
It is nice to see educated, strong women in books dealing with problems and not going crazy. Sure they have their own emotional issues but they grow and learn. And the romance isn’t so gushy and angsty as many other romance novels. I can’t wait to read more by Ms. Markinson.
A Clueless Woman by T.B. Markinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I finished this book. I’m involved in writing NaNoWriMo, so it’s taken me a while to get the review. In between, I went ahead and read book one and am now involved in book two. I had already read the first and second book, and I remember really liking them.
I don’t know if it’s because how long ago I read them, or if it’s the Star Wars phenomena. Let me explain. I remember watching the first three Star Wars movies back in the 80s. They were fantastic movies. They were full of philosophies you could live by. The characters were strong, people you care about. But the prequels. I can’t give you words for this. I can only shake my head. Was it time between watchings? Was it the addition of new irritating characters? Need I say Jar Jar Binks? I don’t know.
It had been a while since I read books one and two. But I thought I remembered them enough to try to read from the prequel on. What I remember as a character I truly loved in my first read was a troubled, abused, weak character in the prequel. Would I have felt this way had I not read the first two books before? Had I started with the prequel before reading the others, would I have cared what happened to the character next?
Wait! That is not to say the character wasn’t appealing. That is not to mention the writing was not good. That is not to say this kind of warning for others who might find themselves in similar situations shouldn’t find their way out. Strong characters, personalities, can find themselves in abusive relationships. And I care for many friends who have fallen into these situations. They were still exciting, loving, deserving of love people. So maybe it is the fact that I remember a strong character from future books and can’t handle seeing her go through such pain.
Would I have handled it better if I read the prequel as an insert into the series as a flash-back? I think I might have done better that way. I don’t want this review to go against the author and her fantastic writing. So instead of rating this as a three-star grade, I will pull it to a four-star. It probably deserves more, but I have to be honest with my feelings about it, too. I do love the characters in this series.
We Witches Three Books 7-10 Bundle by Starla Silver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m so sad about this series. The first no-no in my world is a cliff-hanger in the book before this one. Each of these books has about four novels. So they take forever to read. The other irritation for me is the angsty romance stuff. People can love many people. Look at families and friends and all. We love. Why set it up that a witch should be guilty for loving a Vampire and another witch? All the wasted romance is so boring to me. So I put my text-to-speech on speed two so as to get done faster.
The saving grace for this set of books is the gargoyle. Especially the pet who takes care of the female Howard. But that isn’t enough for me to find the next big book. It just is too much human angst for something that is a fantasy. Hopefully, others will like this and the books will do okay.
The 100 by Kass Morgan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
What a disappointment! I couldn’t afford to buy the Kindle and Audible versions of this book, so I looked it up in the e-library. I’m glad I didn’t spend money on this book.
What I wish is that those who took this book and made the fantastic series on Netflix would take a look at my on writing.
The thing I usually like about reading a book over watching a show is the depth of character you can enjoy. Instead, blathering emotional teen angst.
Oh, and I checked out the audio version thinking that real voices would help my reading experience. NOT! Justin Torres (Narrator), Phoebe Strole (Narrator). For some reason, the main character, Clarke, who is supposed to be the medical team leader of sorts, sounds like a five-year-old. Instead of having a space adventure or a new Earth adventure, we tripped about in romantic lunacy. Yes, the show did take more of a Lord of the Flies take on the loosed teens on Earth, but that was preferable. I wish more time would have been spent exploring and learning. I don’t think most teens are that immature as the book or the show portrays.
Anyway, after I gave up on the narrators and went with my text-to-speech. So much better. I can’t wait to see more of the 100 on Netflix, but I am not at all interested in reading more. That makes me sad!
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If my mind has not been very focused. This book may be the cause. Lack of sleep. Not because of worries. Nope, I just couldn’t stop reading/listening to the book.
I had the Audible Whispersynched with the Kindle version. Davina Porter did a marvelous job of narrating the story. Hers is not the sweet voice of the actress who played Claire Randall in the TV series. But Ms. Porter has the versatility to play all the characters perfectly.
The show did a good job following the books. The only thing I miss in the reading is the music.
That’s okay. I can Sing Me A Song of a Lass That Has Gone…
This story is captivating either way. I love getting involved in the history presented. I wish I were better versed in world history, especially France, and the British Isles. I know the next book will bring me into the founding of the United States of America. So that gives me a timeline I know, somewhat.
Since I read the book after watching the show, I wish I could have read it first. Not that the show is missing anything. I just like visualizing the story for myself. Now the people and places are fixed by the show.
At any rate, it is a good read, even if you’ve seen the show. It will keep you engaged in the story. I can’t wait until I can afford book three.
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 100 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge! 115 of 100 (115%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 225 books for the 2012 Reading Challenge! 225 of 225 (100%)
Congrats! You have completed your goal of reading 200 books for the 2011 Reading Challenge! 204 of 200 (102%)
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