Hello! Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I am finding out that being a mother of two is twice as hard as being a mother of one. (And twice as time consuming).I have the baby sleeping and my toddler distracted, so now I can tell you about "The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis.
This is one of the most realistic post-apocalypse books that I have ever read. Civilization is nearly destroyed and the setting of this book is almost like an old western. The characters have to hunt and forage for their food, travel is done mostly on foot, and the cities that were salvaged consist of wood buildings and dirt roads. Elka, the heroine in this story, is an incredibly talented hunter. She learned all of her tricks and skills from her childhood caregiver, Trapper. Elka was content with the simple life that she and Trapper had carved out for themselves in the mountains. That is, until she learns what Trapper really does when he goes off on his own to hunt "wolves".
Her world is shredded apart as she learns that the man she secretly calls father is actually a monster of the worst kind. She flees into the mountains with nothing more than her knowledge and a knife. Elka's survival skills will be tested as she tries to outrun Trapper, the law, and the horrors of her past.
"The Wolf Road" is a thriller that will keep your heart pounding from the first page to the last. Elka is a heroine that you will love one moment and hate the next. You won't know whether to root for her or be afraid of her. The story itself is a bit dark and demented with a plot twist that might make you sick. If you like books that are about survival and have an every-man-for-himself mentality, then you might just love this one. However, I feel like this book needs to come with a disclaimer. The language is unsuitable for youth and if I had known the turn the storyline was going to take, then I never would have picked this one up. However, that is my personal opinion. The author is talented and the book is written very well.
I received a copy of "The Wolf Road" from Blogging for Books for this review.
Does anyone else out there love murder mysteries? I eat them up. Especially when they include a twist of romance. "Brooklyn on Fire", by Lawrence H. Levy, just happens to be one of those books. Mary Handley is a female detective working privately out of the back office of a book store. Set in 1890, where female worker's were generally limited to clerical occupations, Mary is determined to fully support herself through her detective work.
Mary's first task is to look into a 20-year old murder that involves some of Brooklyn's elite. This case leads to two more murders and becomes very personal for Mary. She becomes mixed up in a web involving some of the most powerful and dangerous people in New York. While she digs into the case, someone else is trying to dig his way into her heart.
"Brooklyn on Fire" mixes together mystery, romance, and historical fiction. Lawrence H. Levy takes the reader on an adventure with loads of unexpected twists and turns. The storyline is captivating and the characters really come to life. The only downfall is the language and some sexual scenes that are included. The pros of this book definitely do not outweigh the cons, so I would have to recommend that you do not read this book. 3 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from "Blogging for Books" for this review. You can get your hands on a copy by clicking here. Or learn more about the author by clicking here.
No, this book is not about a little green alien from Mars. I can't tell you how many times I got asked that when people asked what I was reading. "The Martian", by Andy Weir, is about an astronaut that gets stranded on Mars. Alone.
Mark Watney wakes up to his space suit beeping at him and realizes that he survived the sandstorm that swept through his camp and threatened to strand his whole team on Mars. Well, not his whole team apparently, just him. Despite the hole in his side, Watney unburies himself from the sand and makes it back to his shelter where he assesses the damage done by the storm. He has no way to communicate with anyone, and his shelter is only designed to last the 31 days required for the mission. This botanist/engineer is going to have to find a way to contact Earth as well as keep himself alive against all odds.
And it really is against all odds. Anything and everything that can go wrong, does. Towards the end of the book I kept thinking, "Give the guy a break! He has already gone through all this crap he doesn't need this to go wrong too!" Mark Watney, however, has the perfect personality type to be left all alone like this and his sense of humor turns out to be is greatest ally. This is one of the best books that I have read in a while. It is thrilling, witty, suspenseful, and unique. You will fall in love with Watney's character and will be rooting for him from start to finish. If you like a good book that will keep you on your toes, then "The Martian" is just for you. 5 star rating, hands down. The only disclaimer: there is quite a bit of swearing in this book. It is definitely written for adults, so be careful is buying it as a gift. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! Let me know what you think!
I received my copy of "The Martian", by Andy Weir, from Blogging For Books for this review. You can get your own copy here!
I cannot believe that it took me so long to read these books. It only took me a week and a half to read through the entire series because I could not put it down. I will put them on here one at a time starting with the first one: "The Maze Runner", by James Dashner.
"The Maze Runner" is about, well, a kid (Thomas) that runs through a maze. But first he wakes up in a box in the middle of the maze without any memory. There are a bunch of other kids in the maze, all boys, and none of them know why they are there or who put them there. Thomas, the last boy to arrive, is special because even though he doesn't remember anything he gets feelings about what seems right or familiar, and that helps guide him. The day after Thomas arrives the most unusual thing happens - a girl shows up in the maze. Her arrival changes everything and is the beginning of the end for the boys in the maze. The grievers (horrible man-made monsters that live in the maze) start acting differently, the sun disappears, and then the doors stop closing at night which gives the grievers full access to attack the kids. After two years of unsuccessfully trying to get out of the maze, the rules have changed and one boy will die every night until they find a way to escape.
This book got my heart racing and it didn't slow down until the last page. My heart didn't get much of a break though because I started the second book, "The Scorch Trials", right away. This is the type of series that will leave you feeling empty when your done. It took me a couple of days before I could start another book because I was still living in this story. This is a whole other level of "dystopian". The world has crumbled and the "good" guys are only making things worse. This book is definitely a 4 out of 5. It's an amazing book, but there are some pieces of the story that don't have enough detail for the reader to really visualize. Which leaves some holes in the story. I'd say age appropriate for high school and older. Let me know what you think!
One of my favorite things to do is to walk up and down the aisles at the library and randomly pull books off the shelves. I'll look at the title, read the back cover, and sometimes flip through the pages. If it feels right, then I'll take that book home with me. I've come to discover a lot of really good books this way, and "Hearth Fires" by Dorothy Keddington, is one of them.
The leading lady, Mackenzie Graham, gets the work assignment of her dreams. The opportunity to write an article on California's storybook homes. When she arrives at the first home her head spins with thoughts of princesses and Rumplestiltskin. Oddly, no one is home, so she decides to do a quick photo shoot of the exterior and the yard. While looking through her camera lens she doesn't notice the four men in the yard with her until after she has already captured a few photos of their clandestine meeting. She doesn't realize that the photos she has are incredibly dangerous until after her car and her hotel room are broken into, and an attempt is made on her life.
An attractive local detective and his handsome attorney brother come to Mackenzie's rescue. It is at their secluded ranch in southern Utah where Mackenzie realizes exactly how much danger she is in - danger of losing her life, as well as losing her heart.
This book is like a big pot of romance, suspense, danger, hope, and love all mixed together. I found myself squeezing in pages every chance that I got because I just had to know what happened next. I actually took this book with me to a girls night with my family because I knew that if I didn't at least finish that chapter then I would be thinking about it all night. My family just laughed because they totally understood. Some books just consume your life. I give this one a 4 out of 5 though. Even though I couldn't put it down, there were some parts of the story line that just didn't add up for me. Overall though, it was a very enjoyable book. Plus it's completely clean. So if your in to mood for a romance with a little danger mixed in, then go pick this book up right now and prepare yourself for some sleepless nights. Let me know what you think!
The last book in the 'Robert Langdon' series! Dan Brown uses his book, "Inferno", to perfectly bring Robert Langdon's story to a close. Langdon wakes up in a hospital room, having no memory of why or how he got there, and he is being told that he was shot. The doctors, in trying to figure out where he came from, let it slip that he is in a hospital in Italy. Italy! The last thing Langdon remembers is being on the Harvard campus. Not only can he not remember the last two days of his life, but someone is trying to kill him and he has no idea why. All of the clues he has tie into one of history's most mysterious pieces, Dante's "Inferno". In a race against time, Langdon feels the weight of the world as he tries to piece the clues together. The stakes are higher than ever before and he HAS to solve these riddles. The entire population of the earth is at risk if Langdon fails.
Oh my goodness, this book will get your heart pounding. It is probably Dan Brown's most thrilling book yet. If Langdon slows down too much, someone will catch him and he will die. If he moves too fast and makes a mistake, he will die. If he doesn't figure this out, everyone else will die. Who can he trust though? Waking up in a different country with absolutely no memories is confusing enough, but now he has this huge task to undertake and doesn't know who is friend and who is foe.
Pick up this book and read it. I would suggest reading "Angels and Demons", "The Davinci Code", and "The Lost Symbol" before reading this one. Simply because it gives you the background and history that you need to truly appreciate Robert Langdon's character. However, if you are just looking for a good book to read and don't want to start a series then I would still highly suggest reading this one. The stories don't actually tie together, so you can read them in any order. This book will make you question things that you have probably never even thought of before. It is entertaining and very thought-provoking and well worth your time. Check it out and let me know what you think!
So I go through these phases where I read a TON, and then I will stop reading and get into a TV series or something for a little while, and then I will pick up a book and start reading a TON again. Well, I just finished my non-reading phase, which is why it took me forever to get this book on here. My apologies for the delay.
I love these books, (Angels and Demons; The Davinci Code; The Lost Symbol; Inferno), because they have the same main character, Robert Langdon, but each story is different. You don't necessarily need to read them in order because the stories are all so different, but I would recommend reading them in order because of the background that they give for Langdon. The third book in the series by Dan Brown is "The Lost Symbol". This one is especially unique out of the four, because the story is set in our very own Washington D.C. The other books are in other countries that have histories that go way farther back than the U.S. I think that I learned more about the founding of our country from this book than from any of my history classes. More that I will remember at least.
Robert Langdon thinks that he is coming to Washington D.C. as a speaker for a conference, but when he arrives at the location of the conference he is met by an unexpected and terrifying surprise. This surprise is just the start to a night filled with many horrific and terrifying discoveries. With the help of Katherine, a brilliant scientist and old friend, Langdon has to go on a frantic search through Washington to find an ancient Masonic secret in order to save the life of one of his closest friends.
I love this book because all of the places and organizations are completely real. I've even been to a few of the places mentioned. Although not to the secret tunnels and conveyer belts that Langdon gets to travel. This book is deep and thought-provoking, while still being easy to read and attention grabbing. Your subconscious is being totally satisfied because it's getting the education that it wants while your conscious is getting a heart-pounding suspense story. You definitely will not come away from this book feeling like you wasted your time. Some of the rituals and events described in this book are kind of eerie, and there are swear words laced throughout the content. I would rate it PG-13. It is a gripping story though, so make sure that your 'chores' are done before picking this one up. ;) I hope that you get as much fun out of this book as I did! Let me know what you think!
The second book in the Robert Langdon series, "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown, is arguably better than the first. They are probably an exact tie in my book. This book takes you on another incredible adventure through Paris after the curator of the Louvre is murdered in his own museum. Although not before leaving a message for whoever found his body. Encoded in his message is a second message that only his granddaughter, Sophie, and Robert Langdon can decipher.
This particular curator just so happens to be the leader of a secret society that keeps the secret of the Holy Grail. He, along with three other men, are the only ones that know it's exact location. Right before he is shot, his killer reveals that the other three are already dead, which means that if he dies, the secret dies with him. So he leaves a code that leads to a trail of encrypted messages that take Langdon and Sophie across Paris and London.
This book is a very intelligent thriller, and the intensity goes from the very start and doesn't stop until the last page. Dan Brown adds so much detail to his books. It's obvious that he knows his stuff, which really makes you feel like you are living in the pages. While it's not exactly an 'easy read' because of the thickness of the book and the intelligence of the writing, I can think of no reason for you to not pick this book up right now. After you have read "Angels and Demons" of course. This is the type of book that you will want to pick up as soon as you get home from work, try to squeeze in a few pages before work, and maybe even pull it out at stop lights because you just have to find out what happens next. Let me know what you think!
I had this book sitting on my desk at work and one of my coworkers saw it and said, "Geeze, that's an old book". I laughed and said, "Yea, but it's SO good!" With all of the new books coming out all the time, sometimes we forget that there are already a lot of really good books out there. So, even though "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown, is 'old', I want to make sure you know about it because it's a good one.
This is actually the first book of a series that follows the character of Robert Langdon, who is a well known symbologist at Harvard. When it comes to symbolism, Langdon is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world. Which is why, when a man turns up dead with an ancient symbol branded into his chest, Langdon is the first person called to the scene. He gets whisked away on a private jet to a Swiss research facility where he discovers more than he could have ever dreamed of. Not only is the dead guy branded with an ancient symbol that is so secret that most people don't believe it exists, but he was also a scientist that had just made a discovery that would completely change the world.
This world-changing work was stolen from his lab however, so Langdon travels to Rome to track it down. He has the brilliant and beautiful Vittoria Vetra (the dead scientist's daughter) in tow. The two of them get thrown into a whirlwind of uncontrollable events as they try to locate the device while also catching the killer. To make matters worse, the killer has kidnapped 4 cardinals and has threatened to kill one of them every hour. Landon and Vittoria have to translate an old map written in code that will lead them to the next murder location. They break laws, visit forbidden libraries and crypts, and uncover one of the best kept secrets on earth: the Illuminati lair.
This book will keep you on your toes the entire time! Dan Brown has obviously done his research and the details he adds truly makes his books come to life. The coolest part is that while the story is fiction, all of the places and details are factual! This is a thriller at it's best, and you feel like you are right there running through the churches of Rome with the characters. It's a very educated book, so it might not hold the attention of young readers, plus the material is probably pg-13 so I would keep this one for older readers. It does describe some of the bodies, and there is a part where the killer visits a high-class whore house, but it doesn't give any details. Nothing that I would consider innappropriate, but you are the best judge of that. It is a thick one too, so don't plan on only giving this book a day or two. It will take a little longer than that to get through. It is time well spent in my opinion. Check it out! Oh, and I will have the next books in the series on here soon!
Wow, did it take me long enough to get this book on here or what? As soon as I finished reading "Switchback", by Clair M. Poulson, I started "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown. I got so swept up in that book that I didn't make time to write about "Switchback". My apologies because "Switchback" is a really good book, and I should have told you about it sooner.
An expensive roping horse goes missing and private investigator Rocky Revada is asked to take the case. Having a special love for horses himself, and a soft spot for Shanice Gridley (the beautiful daughter of the horse's owner) Rocky accepts. When he starts his investigation he realizes that not one but two horses have been stolen from the ranch and have been replaced with cheap look-alikes. Now he has two expensive horses to find. Shortly after this discovery the case gets even more complicated when a man is found dead on the Gridley ranch. What started out as a theft is now a murder, and the closer Rocky gets to the killer, the more his life is in danger. With every new lead Rocky gets, he realizes that he has to solve this case if he wants to save his life, as well as the life of the amazing woman that he is falling in love with.
This is another amazing book by Clair Poulson. He really knows how to whip up the perfect mixture of suspense, mystery, and romance. This book takes so many twists and turns, you will be on the edge of your seat until the very end. Just when you think you have everything figured out, something new pops up and your completely lost again. If you like books that are unpredictable, then you will love this one. It's about 275 pages, so it might take a few days to get through, but it's clean and very enjoyable. Time definitely well spent. Check it out!
So you already know that Clair M. Poulson is my favorite author, which means that I love to share his books. "Relentless" is one of his that I really relate to because my over active imagination loves to think about what I would do if I were kidnapped. I like to think that most people have thought about how they would act in that kind of situation, but maybe I am just weird.
"Relentless" is about Erika, a young girl that is on a camping trip in Colorado with her family and, after deciding that she is tired of campfire food, she goes into the small town near her campsite to pick up some groceries. The town is buzzing with the news of how local boy Butch Snyder escaped prison and is coming back to exact revenge. The townsfolk are a little on edge and a friendly police officer warns Erika to hurry back up to her family in case Butch were to decide to come back.
Erika stops by a little gas station to grab her groceries and then get out of there, but her quick stop turns into a living nightmare as a handsome young man pulls a gun on the old man behind the cash register and tells nobody to move. Butch isn't stupid, he knows that he has to have hostages for the cops to let him leave alive. For different reasons though it seems like his hostages are slipping through his fingers. All but one. He is not letting Erika go. He knows she is too frightened to try and run, plus she is very attractive so she wouldn't be too bad to have around through all of this. With a gun in her ribs and a knife to her throught he manages to escape the gas station where the cops had him cornered. Once they leave town though the cops are hot on their trail and Butch, with Erika in tow, flees to the mountains. This leads to an intense game of cat-and-mouse between the cops and Butch, all the while Erika is wondering if she will make it out of this alive.
This book is gripping right from the start and will keep you on the edge of your seat with it's fast-moving story line and plot twists. You won't be able to put it down because you are afraid of what will happen to Erika if you're not there to keep reading the story. Poulson sucks you in and makes you feel like you are right there in Butch's clutches. It also has a kind of coming-of-age story intertwined as young and immature Erika grows during her time with Butch and realizes that there are more important things than her own safety. If you are looking for a book that is not very long but will completely take over your life while you are reading it, then this is it. It's fun, it's clean, and it's thrilling. Go get your copy right now!
And then, of course, let me know what you think!
My husband bought me this book for Valentine's day. It was a big surprise, I think this is the first book he has ever bought me, so I wasn't expecting it. I don't know where he found "Big Little Lies", by Liane Moriarty, but he said it was supposed to be really good from what he could tell. I started the book with a lot of excitement, but could tell pretty quickly that my husband didn't do his homework when he chose this book. It's a complex story that jumps back and forth between characters and their personal lives. So it is almost like a bunch of little stories that all tie together. All of the main characters are mom's who have kids going into kindergarten together. I only made it through the first 250 pages, but up to that point the story was all about the drama going on in each of the different mom's lives.
One mom is single and has some crap in her past that traumatized her, another mom has a great relationship but her husband occasionally beats her, another mom is controlling and judgmental and makes the other moms feel bad about themselves....really, that's the book. At the end of each chapter it jumps to the future and has a couple of paragraphs about someone that was murdered at a parent meeting at the school. I didn't get far enough into the book to find out what that was all about. Plus there was a lot of content that I would deem as 'inappropriate', which is why I didn't finish the whole book.
I know that there are people out there that feed off of other people's drama, this book is made for them. I try to stay away from 'drama' in real life, there is no way I'm wasting my precious reading time on it. There was also a handful of swear words in every chapter and some sexuality. All in all I would say that this book is probably not worth your time. The only reason I stuck with it as long as I did was because the author does have a way of making her characters come to life. I felt attached to them, almost like I was personally invested in the crap going on in their lives. Even now I can picture the fun and spunky Madeline and what she would be like if she were real.
However, that's not enough to make up for how mind numbing this book is. When I read a book I want to feel like it's impacting me in some positive way. Whether it's a story that really hits home, or the character becomes a type of role model for me, I want to have a good feeling when I get done reading. Every time I put this book down I felt the same way I feel when I browse through a magazine while standing in line at the grocery store. It's just something to distract me while I wait, just a waste of time really. If you haven't read this book, good, don't. If you have read this book, however, great tell me what you thought and I would love to know how it ends without actually having to read it myself!
Do you ever find a book you love so much that you read it two or three times in the space of a few months? That's exactly what I did with the book "Blind Side", by Clair M. Poulson. I read it over and over and then I loaned it out to family members so they could read it too. I've already said that Poulson is my favorite author, and "Blind Side" is probably in my top favorite three of his books. It's about an incredible young woman, named Noletta, who takes her dog for a walk and becomes the only eye witness to a murder. She's not very much help identifying the murderer though because he shot her too and took away her sight, but her dog, Taffy, remembers. She goes back to college with her dog, now trained to be her eyes, and tries to live a normal life. Everything seems great until Taffy starts acting weird around one of Noletta's classmates, and then just a few days later he goes missing. Noletta goes on a hunt to find her missing dog and in a terrifying twist of events, finds out what Taffy was trying to warn her of.
This story is full of intrigue, suspense, and plot twists that will keep your head spinning and your eyes glued to the page. Be prepared to lose some sleep because you will not want to put this book down. Poulson is an LDS author so all of his books are clean, which makes this the perfect read for all ages. Whenever a friend asks if I have any good books to read, this is usually the one that I lend to them. Go out and get your own copy and then let me know what you think!
I almost didn't put this book on here because it is not a book that I would normally read. I had a friend recommend it to me, so I thought I'd check it out...and while I will probably never read more of Sandra Brown's work, I did enjoy "The Crush". Her writing honestly just sucked me in. I read this book in all my free time over a couple of days.
It's about a female doctor who serves jury duty and the criminal that ends up being acquitted becomes obsessed with her. Then the cop that is investigating a murder of one of her co-workers falls for her too, and the two battle for her affections - the criminal in a break-into-your-house creepy way, and the cop in a big-tough-cowboy I'm going to protect you way.
This book has just the right mixture of mystery, suspense, comedy, and romance. It also is full of swear words and some fairly detailed intimate scenes. That's the stuff I try to stay away from, so like I said, I won't be reading any more of her books. However, if that doesn't bother you and you are looking for a new author to check out, then definitely check out Sandra Brown. I just wanted to put this book on here to give you a heads up in case you pick up one of her books and don't know what to expect.
I had the privilege of being able to read this book before it was released to the public. The author, Robin King, asked me to read it and write about it on here. How cool is that? I'm glad that she did because "Remembrandt" is a book that I probably would not have picked up and read on my own, but it's one that I will definitely be reading again.
It's an incredible story about a girl name Alexandra who has an eidetic memory (you'll find out what that is when you read the book) and becomes an agent for a secret organization while attending her first year of college. This is a book that I didn't know I was looking for until I found it. It's the life I always secretly wished I had. I mean, who wouldn't want to be crazy smart, good looking, a secret agent, and have an exceptionally romantic love life on the side. Plus, the way the story is written just sucks you in and makes you feel like you are right there living it. I found myself smiling, frowning, holding my breath (and then letting it out in a big gush of air), and talking out loud to myself while reading this. That's when I know I have found a book worth reading. Like I said, I will definitely be reading this again. It will only take a few days to get through and it's clean. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to readers of all ages. Let me know what you think!
My Step-dad is a helicopter pilot, so naturally I think of him when I see anything related to helicopters. Which is half of what drew me to the book "Falling", by Clair M. Poulson. The other half is that Poulson is my FAVORITE author and I know that I will enjoy anything that he writes. "Falling" is a suspense novel that masterfully ties together a little bit of mystery, suspense, adventure and romance.
Major Corbin Daniels retires from the military after losing his fiancée and co-pilot on a mission in Afghanistan. He decides to slow life down by starting a duel business as a private investigator and transporting tourists and oil-rig workers in Moab, UT. On one of his flights carrying workers from the rig back into town a passenger sees what looks like a body on the desert floor beneath them. Deciding to land and check it out is what starts Major Daniels down a road of murder, kidnappings, bombs, break ins, and death threats. Drawing on his military experience, he helps the attractive and independent Sheriff Lisette Statton track down the killer and put all of the "bad guys" either in jail or in the ground.
This book starts with action on the very first page and doesn't slow down until the last. Poulson has a way of grabbing your attention and keeping it until long after you've finished the book. It is a quick and clean read and I would highly recommend it for readers of all ages.
Prepare yourself, for I am about to share with you another book secret of mine. I previously shared my favorite series, now I am about to unveil my favorite author... Pause for suspense... His name is Clair M. Poulson, and I have yet to encounter a book by him that I did not enjoy. He writes LDS suspense novels, and in my opinion, he is AMAZING. The first book of his that I want to introduce you to is "I'll Find You". This was the first book of Poulson's that I read, and it's what got me hooked.
The leading lady, Jeri, watched her best friend get kidnapped when they were kids. She shouted "I'll find you" to the back of the car that drove away with him. Years later she is prompted to take a job at a prison far away from friends and family. One particular inmate makes an unforgettable impression on Jeri. His resemblance to her childhood friend is uncanny, and she can tell he doesn't quite fit the typical inmate stereotype. It couldn't be him...could it?
This book is full of not only romance, but mystery and suspense as well. It's one of those books that will make you talk out loud to the characters, trying to help them see what is so obvious to you as the reader. I would suggest making sure you have your chores done before picking this book up, because once you start, nothing else is going to get done until you are finished reading. Luckily it's not very long, and should only take a couple of days to get through. Enjoy! There will be more from this author to come!
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