My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Another short story. Too much romance not enough action. Didn’t care for the main character. So, um, meh. But don’t take it from me. Many reviewers have given it high praise.
Tag Archive: Reading
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another short story. I love M. Pax’s writing. I even like her story lines. This one had me involved until the end.
And that’s just the problem. It ends far too soon. I can’t wait to read some of her longer works.
The nicest part of these short stories is they allow that ‘treading water’ time between books I need to review. There was a need to cleanse the reading palate.
I have been reading Ms. Pax’s stories from Smashwords (mostly for free or $.99) which means I read them on my Moon Reader Pro app. I love this app because I can use the text-to-speech feature that keeps me focused and I can vary the speed and pitch to push my reading speed while staying engaged.
Check out M. Pax when you get the chance.
Coming to Rosemont by Barbara Hinske
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, this was a quick read. And entertaining. Perfect for reading after a darker read, that left me nightmare prone. It is light and inspiring. My faith in ‘humane’ beings is restored.
I loved the main character and her passion for life and doing what is right. I loved that she was a senior citizen who has a great relationship with her grown children. I love that she was able to move out on her own and follow her path.It sure is a relief to read this after so many Young Adult books which can give the impression that only the young deserve a story. And though this book is about an older person, I think YA’s would like it as well.
So why, then, am I giving it only three stars? It was well written. It kept me engaged until the end. All I can come up with is that it left me feeling like I just watched a Lifetime movie. Not enough depth, too predictable, and far more fiction than my favorite sci-fi’s and fantasies. Or have I become far too cynical that I thought I was? Okay, I have just talked my way to a four stars. After all, a B- is still a B. And the thing is… I think I am curious enough to want to see what happens in book 2.
By the way, this was a free-from author read for a buddy read. Thank you for the opportunity.
Divine Intervention by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is going to be one of my shorter reviews. I think.
Though I love Cheryl Kaye Tartif’s writing style and enjoyed her other books thoroughly, I don’t like murder mysteries. The saving grace was I liked the main characters.
There is an added feature of parapsychological talents involved in solving the crimes. But mostly is was a murder mystery.
Still, I will read the rest of the series, Gotta know what happens next, ya know?
Prodigal Angel by N.R. Champagne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Disclosure: I was gifted this Kindle version of the book for an honest review.
As for star rating I would have given the story 3 1/2 stars. Not that the story was bad. It could just be me. I am a little over angel and or demon books. That isn’t the author’s fault. It is just what I have spent a lot of time reading for other authors. Luckily, the book doesn’t label the people as angels and demons per se. They are just other beings.
There is a lot of death and destruction that would have had me leaving the book behind, but the main character, Miranda, had won me over. I thought she was well developed. She felt real to me. And I liked her.
Many times the story gets a bit preachy on ecology and global warming. But since I believe we need to wake up and start being stewards of this planet, I didn’t mind. Others might find that off putting.
One of the fun parts of the book is getting to go along for the ride, be it bicycle or trailer truck. Miranda has quite the adventure while staying healthy.
There is a bit of romance, not too much. There are a few triggers for some people. But the bad people get their due.
Give it a try. You may like it. I might like it better if I read it again later.
13 Little Blue Envelopes with Bonus Material by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sorry I didn’t send you all postcards. I didn’t have time to stop for souvenirs. Ah, but aren’t road trips the best? That’s how I felt as I was reading this charming book. Like I have been from New York to visit a lot of Europe. I met so many people and saw so many sights. I might have learned a thing or two along the way.
Every moment of this book was fun, even the angsty ones. These weren’t the usual teen/romance angsts but rather of getting lost or being shy or missing a loved one. Anyone can relate to those feelings, no matter what their age or gender. I loved the characters and their growth throughout the book. I so wanted to give Gin, the MC a hug on a few occasions. That’s how real she felt to me.
You know, I only have one bad thing to say about the book. That is about the bonus part. That is the first bit of the next book. You see, this book was free, way back in–was it 2011 or 2012? In fact, I couldn’t find the B004T5V4L6 edition on Amazon. At any rate, it was the lead up to book two that was the bonus. Picture me with a fish-hook through my mouth. So I went to look for the next one and found it to be way to expensive for my meager book allowance. AND neither this book or the next are lending-enabled. BOO! So I am on a waiting list for the library version. Hope the font is large enough for me.
Anyway, want to travel? Pick up this book. $1.99, I think. Compared to the cost of the flight alone, that is a bargain! Enjoy!
Of the Lilin by Paulette Hampton My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was my bedtime book for a while. It was rather boring. But during that boring time it was educational and relatable for me. Having been diagnosed with clinical depression in 2002, I could relate to Sage, the main character’s, problems. I learned of other ways to look at things I went through. I learned questions I hadn’t thought to ask my doctors. All through Sage’s experiences. Meanwhile, during the day I was reading scarier books that I knew I didn’t dare read at bedtime. This arrangement worked out nicely. Until at about 20% into Of the Lilian, that is. Without giving a spoiler, I found that this book had to replace the daytime read, which fortunately I had finished by this point. From that 20% mark the book became quite exciting. It became the thriller/mystery it was promoted as. It kept me quite anxious, worried for Sage and her family. I couldn’t decide which I liked better the slower beginning or the angsty rest. Though I don’t mind the writer’s style, and love her ideas in this book, I found the jerking between viewpoints confusing and annoying. I had to go back and reread things to know whose eyes I was looking through. This made it a very tough read. Even still, don’t let my opinion stop you from trying the book out. You might find some gems just for you in the story. By the way, this book was a read/review freebie. Thank you! View all my reviews
Torn by Fury by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Before I get into the actual review, I must thank S.M. Reine for allowing me to read/review her book for free.
As usual, Ms. Reine’s book grabbed me in the beginning and wouldn’t let me go until the end. It is so full of action that I actually groaned at the beginning as I wasn’t ready to get up and fight, again. I felt tired of the fights fought in the previous books of the series. I wasn’t ready for the blood, guts and gore, again.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the characters, demons, witches, and werewolves, a lot. I care about them and want for their best lives. So of course, when they decide to gang up together to fight the bad guys (um, angels, yeah) I am on their side. Yay, let’s go get’em! So I ignore my weak stomach and gird my loins for another war. Once I understand that that is what we have to do, I fight and cheer for them.
The gore doesn’t go away and I must admit to wishing I could hide from some scenes. But then I might miss something important.
Weary. That’s what I felt most for the characters. They have been through so much already, why prolong this?
Going into this book I thought it was near the end of the series. After all, Sarah has written the beginnings of another series. But I found at the end of the book that it wasn’t the wrapped up end. Sure some things get solved but other problems are calling for help. I felt so tired at the end of this book and it wasn’t because it was nearly 4 o’clock in the morning. And I had to pull out my latest ‘boring’ read to calm myself down to sleep. (Unfortunately, that book decided to get rousing, suddenly. Why can we rely on books to suit our needs?)
So, in the end, I find myself longing for the next book in the Ascension series. Meanwhile, while waiting for Sarah to finish it, I’ll read her new series, Preternatural Affairs. Even though many of her books contain blood and gore and fighting, I think a lot of people would like to read S. M. Reine’s books. I find it best to start out with the werewolf books, Six Moon Summers, etc. Rylie’s stories, then proceed to the Cain Chronicles. Then there is Descent and Ascension series with Elise and James. Sarah drags all the characters you know and love through all the books. I love that as you get to know everyone so intimately. Charater depth at is best! Enjoy!
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If only I could stay awake after finishing reading a book so as to write the review right then. Now I almost gave the book four stars because the excitement had abated. But I asked myself how was the writing? It was very well done. Such a blessing against all the newer authors’ works. Then I asked, How was the plot, did it hold together, make me want more? As if in answer I remembered not being able to stop reading. I thought it about it during my non-reading times. And how about the characters? Did I care about them? You bet! I even cared about the support teams at home and elsewhere. All were well-developed and fleshed out. And the question I ask that would make a difference in whether a book gets four or five stars: Will I remember it fondly much later. I could answer that with a resounding, YES!
So there you have it a five star book! And that rating works for the hardback that I had to reference to on ocassions and the Kindle version I used the most. I even rate the narrator, Juanita McMahon, as she was able to add to the stories depth and enjoyment, for me. She acted out the characters with such strength that I missed her voice when I read without the Audible version. In fact, because there is something glitchy with the Audible/Kindle sych, where it didn’t quite meet up and so I couldn’t read in the same place as the narrator, I ended up listening more and crocheted on my WIP only glancing at the hardback from time to time.
For those afraid to read something labeled lesbian or LGBT, this book is mild and the erotic scene plays into the full story. The story is what pulls you, what is going to happen, keeps you reading. It is not erotica for erotica’s sake. Not that that is a bad thing in my book. However, when teachers are assigning classics to their classes, Fingersmith should be there right alongside of A Tale of Two Cities or Oliver.
By the way, another thing that brings this book up to its five-star rating is the satisfying ending. And the feeling that I would love to read this again someday, and other works by Sarah Waters. I do have the Fingersmith DVD and can hardly wait to watch it!
20130623
I am reading Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I am on the penultimate chapter in which he says (as he does throughout the entire book) to write. His four words to remember are ‘Work, Relax, Don’t Think.’ Anyway, the idea is that if you don’t write everyday and write a lot you are not doing it right.
Meanwhile, in real life, I spent my morning reading email and worrying that I don’t have my laptop working any more. But next to me, in his new recliner is hubby working on his novel. I’m sitting in my new bed with my tablet open, with plenty of programs to work with… Why am I not writing like I am being told by life in the moment? No excuses. So. since I have no goal for the day I will journal until an idea strikes.
I mentioned that my laptop isn’t working. It started out that the recharging cord seemed to be blinking out. Maybe it was the connection within the laptop itself. Who knows? Then the internet went out. No web could be found. DH and I went to WalMart to get an ethernet cord. Got it home and found it too short to reach the box. DB had to make a hole in my closet wall so that it would work. Well, all that work and expense (we had to take a taxi as we have no car) gained me a day of work on my computer. When the battery ran down, I couldn’t recharge it any more. Now I am SO missing all my programs like yWriter, Office, RoughDraft, WriteItNow, etc. Is this the universe saying use it or lose it?
We haven’t the money to fix my laptop or get another. We can’t even go to Rent-a-Center to get a new one as we just bought this bed and chair. I will have to wait until something is paid off before I can do anything. Boo! Another program I miss is the spell check/grammar check that my laptop has working continually. This program has something like it but it seems to think that contracted words are misspelled. AND I just realized that if a word is misspelled it doesn’t offer a way to correct it. I had mispelled <– but had to figure out for myself that I am a dork and needed to add an ‘s’.
What else am I reading? Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. I picked up the hardback, the Audible, the Kindle versions. Kindle now has a way to link with the Audible. It is a really cool feature. I love being able to read along silently during the day and then add the narrator’s voice in my bedtime read and Amazon syncs them both to where I am in either.
Speaking of Fingersmith, I am loving the book but found the change of perspective a little jarring. It starts out from Sue’s point of view. After reaching the conclusion of their mission, the author takes us back to relive the same events but from Maud’s viewpoint. I now understand the need to do that but I went through a couple pages thinking I was still in Sue’s head. I need to make sure I don’t do that. By the way, the hardback made that transition obvious. Kindle didn’t have any chapter or asterisks to separate Sue from Maud.
I have been hurting a lot lately. I had hoped by summer to feel better but I find I can’t handle the constant weather changes that we have here in Reno no better now than mid winter. I’m so tired of feeling left out of everything!
This is a poor time of life for me. I make about $600 a month after medicare is taken out of my pay. If my husband didn’t make a little more than me, we would probably be out on the streets. Even still, we seem to manage. We got rid of our car due to our eyes not being up to driving anymore. My fibro is so painful that I can’t take the bus. It isn’t the riding, it is the standing and waiting for the bus that makes me hurt worse. Instead, if it isn’t within easy walking distance, we take taxis everywhere.
I hope I can get healthy enough to live this way. I miss having my own car. And now, I miss having my own REAL computer. I love my Toshiba Thrive Tablet but as I mentioned above, I am missing a lot of programs here.
Well, how about that? I just wrote 777 words. Not bad for just blathering. I think I’ll post this on my blog. Now 786. That’s a healthy start towards a good habit, huh? 796 Oh, heck let’s move the word count to over 800, okay?
Darswords 
You must be logged in to post a comment.