Category: Kindle



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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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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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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Ruination (Worlds Apart, #1)Ruination by Amanda Thome

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Damn!” Is exactly what I said as I deleted this book from my Kindle Unlimited list. Not because I would miss it, but because of the cliffhanger. I HATE CLIFFHANGERS! Especially when the next book isn’t available yet. It is the only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five. Sure there were a few editing issues, but the story flowed around them quite nicely.

Yes, it does remind me of other dystopian books, Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. But it had its own story. I loved the characters and the nearly constant suspense toward the end. I refused to read the last 10% just before bed as I could tell I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I tried. But it left me hanging. GRRRRRRR!

As much as I want to say I won’t, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

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WINDOWS: A Broken Fairy TaleWINDOWS: A Broken Fairy Tale by Casey Bramble

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book took me forever to read. Though it had a lot of good things going for it, still, there were many times I wanted to put the book away and forget about it. Let’s start with the good: I loved the characters, at least the main ones… okay maybe I loved the blacksmith.

Second, I thought the story and plot were a very good idea. BUT… The plot got to certain places where it just bogged down. Not sure why. I think the sisters were too silly, and Raven needed therapy, badly. But I wanted to know what would happen with Sarah (blacksmith) so I stuck it out.

Oh, I love a book that includes romance and lesbians. That was a plus. But it took far too long to get there

I loved that there was a dragon!!!!! And I thought it clever to have the mixture of medieval and modern times, i.e. refrigerators and stoves; castles with dungeons; jeans and T-shirts and balls with long gowns. The worst for me was wishing the author had done more that a spell check. ‘To’ and ‘too’ were mixed up, ‘quite’ and ‘quiet’, ‘then’ and ‘than’. It got worse toward the end, whole sentences were messed up and hard to understand. Sadly, that was when I was most engaged with the story.

The worst is that it left me feeling the need to find out what happens next. A real cliffhanger. After so many days reading this, I don’t get to know what happens next? Boo! Not sure if I am engaged enough to read the next book.

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War ChildWar Child by Margaret McGaffey Fisk

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this a couple days ago. But I still remember the story with fondness. I was afraid to read it. The title, War Child, made me think this was going to be a book about war. Then I started reading and the first few pages showed that indeed there was to be war. Definitely not my type of story.

This was written by a member of our writing group that I think of as a friend. It was that friendship that caused me to continue reading past the part about war. Spoiler: This is a story about peace. A beautiful story about peace and how it could be attained.

Okay. There was one thing. Yeah, it was a short story. I always want more. No, it doesn’t leave you on a cliff. It’s just that I really liked the characters and wanted to hang with them longer. I’m sure another chapter or two could come out of this. Please, Margaret, please?

Meanwhile, pick it up on Amazon. It’s only $.99. Well worth the lessons that could be learned by all of us are within its pages. Try it! 🙂

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Forbidden Witches (The Tarot Witches, #2)Forbidden Witches by S.M. Reine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am loving this Tarot Witches series. Okay, it does get into more adult erotica but the stories are still quite interesting. The characters are full and flawed but lovable. This series takes you back to the beginnings as it were with werewolves and the worries those guys bring to the world. But now we have witches who are just learning that they even have that inner talent of magic.

This is the second book. The author sent me a free copy but then I bought the Amazon Kindle version so I could read it on any of my readers. But either way, I try to make my reviews as honest as possible. The most honest thing I can say here is that this series is not for children or young adults. New Adults and older is the audience the books are aimed for. If erotica or werewolves aren’t the tea you drink, stay clear of this particular series. I love Sara’s writing and her sense of adventure so I have been enjoying all her work.

I didn’t always enjoy the werebeings but I started with S.M. Reine’s Six Moon Summer of the Seasons of the Moon series and I couldn’t stop. Now after all her different series which often overlap, I think I am caught up. Dare I say it? Last time I said it another two books were ready for me. I hope other enjoy her worlds like I do.

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