Finder by Pepper Thorn

Author: Pepper Thorn

Title: Finder

Publication: March 24, 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Genre: Fairy Tale, Young Adult

Pages: 200

Audience: 13 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): All Sara wanted was her family, back again,but Faery bargains always come with a price,
and what you look for is not always what you seek.

Ever since she can remember, Sara McAlister has had a knack for finding things. What she has not had for the last year is a family.

Since the accident that stole her dad and little sister, Sara has been living a lie, pretending that everything was fine, and that she and her mom were moving on. But when Queen Titania summons her into the beautiful and treacherous Faery, Sara gets a chance to make her lies reality.

The Holy Grail has disappeared, and King Oberon with it. Sara's knack may be the key to saving them … and getting her life back. But there are more powers at play than even Queen Titania is aware of.

Can Sara use her increasingly unreliable gift to complete a quest that has claimed the lives and sanity of Faery’s finest knights

My thoughts:
I found out about this indie author and book from a small convention I went to called the Alabama Phoenix Festival. Pepper Thorn was a panelist in a panel I attended. She of course promoted her book. I had mentioned wanting it after spotting it in the Dealer's Room and reading the synopsis. My husband had bought it for me while I was at the panel. I went back to get it signed. 
This is a fairy tale...you have the Fairy Queen, Titania, and the King, Oberon. For me personally, it took a little while to get into. I think it really hit its stride around page 100. However, I was reading it each day for about 30 minutes at work, and I had just changed from night shift to day shift...so I was dealing with lack of sleep and other kinds of issues. It could have been me, not the book. I did have a problem with Sara just jumping into the fairy realm without thinking. I felt there were some things left untethered. Like how did Sara learn about her gift? How did the fairies know about Sara and her gift? Why did Nuthelm follow Sara through out her life? At the end Sara is given another gift in the fairy realm, but when she comes back to the human realm, there is no trace of it, so what happened to her gift? Why happened to the twin guards?
Also, this is the second novel that I have read that uses Rock City as a meeting ground. This first was American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I thought it was kind of neat especially since that is where I went for my honeymoon, and I know the landscape a bit. Sara goes into the fairy realm on Monte Sano Mountain, which is really close to my home town. To me, that was really cool.
I thought the book was great. It follows Sara who is on an fairy quest and pretty much learns how to deal with her grief and guilt along the way. There are many creatures from unicorns to tiny tree people. It stays pretty action packed, except for the walking/vision scenes. I found those a little slow, but I think they are imperative to the story. I put young adult for the suggested reading age, but I would suggest 13 and up for this story. It is a fantastic novel filled with all sorts of fairy creatures, villains, and heroes. 

 

Review: Beautiful & Broken by Sara Hubbard

Title: Beautiful & Broken
Author: Sara Hubbard

Publication: February 10, 2014

Publisher: Sara Hubbard
Source: Author

Genre: New Adult Romance

Audience: 18 and up
Rating: 4.5 of 5

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Synopsis: 
Molly's a hot mess and her life is falling apart.

Just when she thinks she's about to get her happily ever after, her sister steps in to have an affair with her fiancé on her wedding day. Determined to bring Molly out of her funk, her friends take her out for a night on the town, only for her to go home with a professional boxer who pops in and out of her life when she least expects it. Her mother tries to push her back into the arms of her cheating ex, but forgiving Jason is the hardest thing Molly will ever have to do. And even if she can forgive him, does her happily ever after include her ex-fiance, or the charming boxer with a shady past?

My Thoughts: I was hooked from the first sentence. Molly is just trying to survive the betrayal of both her fiancé and her sister when a night out changes everything for her. On top of her relationship difficulties Molly is struggling to find where she fits into the world. She wants to make her own way but she is so easily swayed by those around her. 

I was quite surprised that I love Molly's character. I typically like strong, kick-butt, female characters. I found Molly's subtle strength refreshing. Molly comes across as a people pleaser. This is one of the reasons she finds her self heartbroken on her wedding day. 

Sara Hubbard did an excellent job writing this. The characters were well written and easy to imagine and relate to. The romance was right on target and left me giggly, blushing, and waning more. I was satisfied by how everything end but I wanted more. 

Author Bio:

Sara Hubbard is the author of romantic fiction novels. Her debut novel BLOOD, SHE READ released fall 2012 and was a NEORWA Cleveland Rocks winner and a RCRW Duel on the Delta finalist.

Sara was born in Australia to British parents, but has lived in Nova Scotia, Canada for the majority of her life. She began writing when she was ten years old; and her poetry earned her a spot as a young author in a local competition. After that, she moved on to writing short stories about a group of crime-fighting preteens called the Super Sleuths. She loved the time she spent writing, but took a detour from it while in junior high and high school.

After high school she completed a degree in business, a graduate diploma in human resources and recently completed her degree in nursing. She didn't return to writing until about five years ago, soon after the birth of her two children.

​When she's not procrastinating, she spends her time mothering her two children, writing, and working as an RN in the military.

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Birds of Prey Volume 2: Old Friends, New Enemies

Authors: Chuck Dixon, Greg Land, and Drew Geraci
Illustrators: Greg Land and Drew Geraci

Title:Birds of Prey Volume 2: Old Friends, New Enemies

Publication: February 22, 2011

Publisher: Vertical

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 224

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): 
Recruited by the mysterious Oracle to act as her agent, former justice leaguer Black Canary now travels the globe fighting injustice and forcing the guilty to pay for their crimes. Through their adventures an odd friendship has developed, even though Black Canary has never even seen Oracle face to face.

But their friendship and their lives could be cut sort when Black Canary finds herself. in the middle of a deadly hunt being led by the ruthless cult leader Kobra for a long forgotten piece of Russian technology, and as Black Canary fights for her life, Oracle has her own troubles when the U.S. Army begins tracking down the person hacking into their systems, There's no rest for anybody here, wicked or otherwise.

My thoughts:
This comic was action packed. My husband loves Chuck Dixon and I can see why! He is a great writer and I just love him for spawning The Birds of Prey storyline. Black Canary is still doing what she does best- kicking bad dude's butts. Oracle is still utilizing her librarian skills and finding the bad guy's hideouts. They make a great team, which in turn is a great read. I found the individual stories intertwined, but not as closely as volume 1. The last story in the book was kind of crazy and involved time travel and a lake in Minnesota. It was just really odd. Even though, the last story kind of threw me for a loop, the entire book is worth reading!

 

Avatar the Last Air Bender:The Lost Adventures

Author: Aaron Ehasz, Josh Hamilton, Dave Roman, J. Torres

Illustrator: Joaquim Dos Santos

Title: Avatar the Last Air Bender:The Lost Adventures

Publication: July 5, 2011

Publisher: Dark Horse

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 240

Audience: 10 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from Goodreads): One of America's hottest shows returns For three years, millions of eager fans tuned in each week to watch Nickelodeon's hit animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Ever since, fans have been hungry for more - and now their wait is finally over This volume collects the long-out-of-print, fan-favorite comics previously published in Nickelodeon Magazine and with the Airbender DVDs, plus over 70 brand-new comics pages. That's over 26 stories set in Airbender continuity, by a host of top-notch talent, many of whom worked on the original animated series itself

My thoughts:

Have you ever watched Avatar: The Last Airbender? If not, stop reading and go watch an episode. I'm twenty something years old and I am a fan of this show. I even watch the spin off, Legend of Korra, which is a great show too. If you have watched the show, this book is a compliment to the episodes. It goes into some detail, but not a lot. It is mainly funny little "mini-sodes" that the creators did not add for some reason. I chuckled the entire time I read the book. If you have seen the show all the characters are back- Oppa, Katara, Anng, Sokka, Toph, Momo, Zuko (they make up the main group). If you have not seen the Last Airbender, then I do not suggest reading this. I mean, you can, but you may be lost. It is more for fans of the show. Also, I enjoy attending conventions were people cosplay (dress as favorite characters from shows, books, etc). Some of the best cosplay I have ever seen has come from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. The characters show the importance of patience, love, friendship, and especially teamwork. It is really not a bad show and who knows, if you try it- you just might like it.

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Author: Suzanne Johnson
Title:Royal Street Sentinels of New Orleans #1

Publication: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Tor Books

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Pages: 336

Audience: 18 and up

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.

My thoughts:

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book . I had a tough time starting the novel, but once I got into it, I really had fun reading it. The characters were perfect southerners. I could replace the characters with people I know, except for the paranormal/fantasy part. I really liked DJ. She is a skilled wizard who loves New Orleans and Cheetos. I could relate to her- on the Cheetos part. Haha! Anyway, her relationship with her partner, Alex is hilarious and frustrating. At one point I was laughing so hard I snorted, fell over in the bed and died laughing. It took me a full two to three minutes to regain my composure to continue the story. There is enough spooky elements, hilarious moments, and realistic, and sad moments to keep the book entertaining and easy to relate to. The book really painted an image of New Orleans and made me want to visit NOLA more than ever. So if you're into the fantasy/paranormal genre or not- give it a try! There are two more books that are out in the series. The library I use does not have them, but I hope to get my hands them on it soon!

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title:Beautiful Darkness, Caster Chronicles #2

Publication: September 19, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Pages: 528

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from Amazon.com): Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

My thoughts:
At first I did not like this book. I actually got bored and frustrated reading it. I really loved the first one and held high hopes for this book as well. I think it was mainly because Lena acted like such a brat through out the novel. I understand that some major events happened that caused a lot of hurt, but I felt she was wrong to push Ethan so far when he was hurt too. Anyway, there are a few new characters involved and some surprising news deposited through the story that I was totally not expecting. The story was a lot weirder and a bit darker than the first novel. I enjoyed it once Lena was kind of out of the picture. She really grated on my nerves during this novel. I felt really bad for Ethan, but he managed to keep his emotions in check and not go crazy in this novel. He learned a lot of information about him and his family that he could have let overwhelm him but he kept it together very well. Link is always a hoot and provided a good laugh when necessary. Ridley is back! I love that bad girl, but I feel she is actually good inside, but only time will tell. Of course the three crazy sisters are in this novel and Lucille the cat plays a vital role as well. I deducted a half star due to Lena being so annoying, but the story got better after a few chapters. Well worth reading to keep up with the series.

 

Echo (The Soul Seekers): Audiobook

Author: Alyson Noel

Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Title:Echo (The Soul Seekers)

Publication: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Pages: 352
Length: 9 hours 34 minutes

Audience: 17 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): There's still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker...and about herself. As her magical training become more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined., she begins to question if love really can conquer all. Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the Richters' dark magic- and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life but his soul too?

My thoughts:

 I thought Fated moved a little slow and made me a little unsure if I wanted to continue the story, but I really wanted to read Echo so I went for it. This book picks up the pace and throws in new people and new drama. I really liked this one. Daire's relationship and training even pick up pace and seem to rush a little bit, but time is of the essence! Even though the pace picks up, plenty of drama and new people are thrown in to slow things down. To make you wonder why people are disappearing, appearing, and/or reappearing. Also, Auden, Xotichl's (So-chee) boyfriend is making bets against her. She believes it will snow by Christmas and he believes it won't. He seems to be the only one betting against her. By the way, Xotichl is still my favorite character.
As I have said the book throws a lot more into the storyline and I feel like it really developed in this book. The ending of this book totally blew my mind. I would think, "Oh my goodness! This is going to happen!" only to have something completely different happen. The ending is a complete and utter cliff hanger. I've really enjoyed listening to the audio version of the book, but since it usually takes a while for the audiobook to come out, I am going to my public library on May 8, 2013 and hoping to goodness they will have this book on their shelves. I NEED to know what happens!
The audio is done once again by Brittany Pressley. In Echo, the perspective changes from Daire and Dace. Her voice is a little deeper and more relaxed for Dace and I really enjoyed listening to her narrate for him. I also enjoy the way she narrates for Paloma as well. In the epilogue of the book, the reader gets to hear from about 7-8 different character perspectives and their voices! It really brought the characters to life. It was a pretty cool ending to hear each individual character's thoughts and the insane cliff hanger.

At Home with My Daddy's Stories

Narrator:  Kathryn Tucker Windham

Title: At Home with My Daddy's Stories

Publication: January 2002

Publisher: August House Audio

Genre: Storytelling, Memoir

Length: 63:39

Audience: 7 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

 Synopsis (from the cover):She is a living icon of the family storytelling renaissance in America. And to her tell it, Kathryn Tucker Windham owes it all to her father, the small town banker, school board chairman, and Sunday school superintendent who always came home with a story. These stories celebrate the father he was and the stories that are his legacy.

My thoughts:
Growing up in the south, I believe Kathryn Tucker Windham's stories are a staple. I remember watching videos of her telling stories in elementary school. I remember my elementary school librarian reading to us parts of 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffery. I also remember going to my public library and renting the VHS of Mrs. Windham telling her stories along with the book. If you have never heard Mrs. Windham talk you are in for a treat! (Seriously, youtube her!) She is a sweet, little old, southern woman. I love her accent and the way she tells stories.  She recently died in 2011 at the age of 93.  She was on up in years when she recorded this CD. I was expecting stories that her father told her. I did not know they were going to be stories about her father. I guess I should have read the back cover, but I just adore her and her stories that I bought it without hesitation. Her stories tell of a different and long forgotten era. An era of a self-made man (without an education, which is very hard these days), an era without television, and an era of simpler times. Some of the stories sound a little bit like rambling and I tuned in and out at times. I felt a bit bad, but I'm giving an honest review. The parts that did keep me interested where good and funny and told a lot of history especially about Alabama. I guess you could describe her storytelling style that of a grandmother who is filling you in on things that happened  "back in the day", but she does it in a way that doesn't bore you to death. If you would like to try this audiobook, it is available through Audible.

Grave Mercy

Author:  Robin LaFevers

Title:Gravy Mercy

Publication: April 3, 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Romance 

Pages: 560

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

 Goodreads Synopsis:Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart

My thoughts:
I'm not really into  historical romance novels, but this young adult novel takes it up a notch. There is death, poison, lies, and betrayal behind every page.
 Ismae is a really strong willed character and I loved her for it because historically, women we to be looked at- not heard. Even though she is strong willed and intelligent, she was a bit too full of herself on occasion and there were times I wished that she would just get over herself. Having said that, I understand she was a guarding herself, being an assassin and all.
 Duval is another character I loved. He pushed all of Ismae's buttons. When she would push him, he would push her back (not literally). He was also intelligent and very observant, not to mention- sexy!

I wish there had been more about the covenant and I wish it had more darkness too it. I feel like it rushed the beginning, the middle lagged a bit, and the last 200 pages had me  on edge to find out who did it.

I've been talking with Cricket and the next book is due out this spring. We think the next book may be darker as it is to follow Sybella's story, which I am dying to know more about! She was a mysterious character who was not fully explained in the first book.  I enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series!

Review: One Moment by Kristina McBride

Title: One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride

Publication: June 26, 2012

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Source: Publisher via netgalley

Genre: Young Adult

Audience: 14 and up
Rating: 4.5 of 5

Website|Amazon |Goodreads

Summary
This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie's life. Now it's the one she'd do anything to forget.

Maggie remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party. She remembers climbing the trail with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can't she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below-dead? 

As Maggie's memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding? 

The latest novel from the author of "The Tension of Opposites," "One Moment" is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I spent many moments either sad or angry as i rode the roller coaster of emotions with Maggie. This story is told from Maggie's point of view. It is heartbreaking on so many levels. Loss is a big theme in this story. The reader experiences the past and present with Maggie as she tries to remember what happened at the top of that cliff. I was on the edge of my set waiting to find out what happened at the top of the cliff and why Maggie has repressed the memories. There is a good deal of time spent with Maggie reliving various moments with/about Joey. I enjoyed these and they gave great incite into their relationship. 

There is some discussion about sex and alcohol.  Although, I would love to think that these are adult themes, they are common place among teens today (I'm making myself feel old) and are appropriate. Maggie's friendships are strained as a result of the accident and her memory loss. I was quickly able to tell that her friends were hiding something. The what and why were an intriguing mystery. 

"nothing stays the same in life."-Maggie 

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian
Publication: May 8th, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4.5 out 5

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Synopsis: Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.

Thoughts:  The main character – Katy – is written beautifully. She’s strong willed, fun, doesn’t take crap, loyal friend, and intelligent. Her love interest – Daemon – is the complete opposite. He’s arrogant, rude, bossy, and argumentative. You would think these aspects in a guy are awful (which they are) but it actually makes the story interesting. He will do anything for his family, which is an “awww” moment. Daemon is also extremely hot (so many muscles it will make any girl swoon) and can be charming, which means you can almost forget how bad his attitude is. During the book he warms up to Katy, and you end up loving him.

The plot is semi-slow. You read the same thing over again, such as “He’s so rude and bossy but he’s so hot!” which gets old when it’s written in every chapter. When it comes to the storyline, it rocks. Cute bad-boy alien with charming qualities? Sign me up! I’m personally into the whole “I’m a bad boy but actually good and charming when you get to know me” or “I drive everyone away but not you because you’re different”. Those two statements are in the book, but it’s not the main character development.

You can see both Katy and Daemon grow, which is an aspect that I admire. Again, my personal taste is character development in a book instead of someone doing the same thing without learning consequences or thinking the same thing through out the whole storyline. I don’t want to read the same character traits chapter after chapter! Katy learns from her mistakes and is a better person because of them. She's very relatable and you're definitely going to be team Katy all the way! This book is an entertaining read. I recommend it if you’re into hot and steamy romance. It loses 1/2 point for the repetitive paragraphs.