What Happened???

Hello all my book friends. I have browsing back through all my blog post and sadly realized that I have not posted since July 2016.

Have I stopped reading? NO                                                                      

Did I stop enjoying blogging? NO

       

Then what happened you may wonder…

Back in July I got a what was supposed to be a part time job, which turned into a 7 day a week very physically demanding job. This job threw a wrench in my life and I found it very difficult trying to balance everything in my life. It ended in September…being a seasonal job, and I was looking forward to things going back to normal. Well, that didn’t happen.

Just as this job ended my step-daughter moved in with us and I ended up getting another job. Well that was a lot at once. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with my step-daughter and she ended up moving out in December. So, you would think that things would go back to normal. That doesn’t seem to be the case.

Now I find myself not being able to balance my life again. I feel overwhelmed all the time. I feel like there is not enough time in the day. I feel like everything falls to me because my teenage kids forgot how to help out. My husband does what he can, but he started a night job and now he is trying to figure out how to balance life.

Some days I just don’t know what to do…

I am trying to get back into reading because it was a part of my life that I really enjoyed. I want to start writing my blog post and filming for my booktube channel, but I am not sure how. On my days off I just don’t feel like I have the energy.

Any Suggestions??

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) – July 13, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

 

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2016

Why am I excited?

Something writing by Jay Kristoff and a school of assassins. The story sounds interesting and I can’t wait to dive into it.

Is this book on your TBR? What new release are you anticipating?

Weekly Recap – July 10, 2016

I hope everyone is having a wonder Sunday. Every Sunday I will be linking my weekly recap to The Sunday Post, Talk of the Town, Saturday Situation, and Stacking the Shelves! These are amazing blogs, so please skip over and show them some love.

 

The last month in blogging and booktubing has been very slow. I apologize for not being around much but life has managed to get in the way. All of my scheduled post have been posted and I haven’t found the time to write anything new. I have tons of reviews that are partly started, but never seem to get finished

With school out for the summer I have 4 teenagers at home that have difficulty finding something to occupy their time. Over the next couple of weeks they will be dwindling off to various camps for the summer, which should leave me with more free time.

I’ve also been spending a lot of time looking for employment. Now that the kids are older I figured it was time to get out and spread my wings in the real world…even if it is only part time. I love my children, but being stuck in the house with 4 teenagers that think they all know better is making me lose my sanity. My blog and booktube channel have been a great way to express myself and indulge in something I love, but now that I have less time to do it I need something that takes me out of the house.

Over the last couple of weeks…

• AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Crude by J.L. Davis
• Top 5 Best Book Covers – June 2016
• Waiting on Wednesday (#4) – June 15, 2016
• YOU CHOOSE (#4) – June 16, 2016
• Friday Finds – June 17, 2016
• Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson (BOOK REVIEW)
• BOOK REVIEW: These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
• Bullet Riddled: The First S.W.A.T. Officer Inside Columbine…and Beyond by Grant M. Whitus and Thom Vines (AUDIOBOOK REVIEW)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#5) – June 22, 2016
• Emma Brewster:Too Hot To Handle by Mary Moriarty (BOOK REVIEW)
• YOU CHOOSE (#5) – June 23, 2016
• Friday Finds – June 24, 2016
• Murder in “Utopia” by Bryan Perkins (Audiobook Review)
• Suicide Lake by Ashley Fontainne (AUDIOBOOK REVIEW)
• SURVIVE! Addison’s guide to the zombie apocalypse by Dana Burkey (AUDIOBOOK REVIEW)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#6) – June 29, 2016
• Wraith by Joe Hill (GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW)
• Friday Finds – July 7, 2016
• Addicted to Love by Kathleen Murray (BOOK REVIEW)

 

WHAT AM I READING?

     

I’m reading a lot at the same time right now. I like everything that I’m reading, but they are just not holding my attention. I am reading A Clash of Kings for #ReadASOIAF for the month of July. I have The Girls and The Assassin Game on my kindle…I read them at night depending on the mood I am in. I am also reading The Second Summer of the Sisterhood  for #Pantsalong.

What will I be reading next?

I’m not completely sure what I’ll be reading next. I will be reading the third book in the traveling pants series, but other then that I just might still be reading my current reads.

BOOK HAUL

           

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. If you have a weekly post, please leave it down below so I can check it out.

Addicted to Love by Kathleen Murray (BOOK REVIEW)

Title: Addicted to Love
Author: Kathleen Murray
Genre: Young Adult, Social/Family Issues
Publisher: BookBaby
Publication Date: January 2016
Pages: 290
How did I get this book: Net Galley eArc

DESCRIPTION (GOODREADS)

Debut author Kathleen Murray delivers a compelling, realistic portrait of the confusion and pain generated by an imbedded family system of dysfunction thriving during an American period of upheaval, the 1970s. Filled with rich characters and memorable references to a bygone era, the story is presented from the perspective of the central character Sally Smithfield, who lives in perceived safety of Chicago’s North Shore.
Fighting to survive the after-effects of childhood trauma, Sally Smithfield attempts to escape her closed-off world in the arms of her high school’s football star with disastrous results. The reader first meets the protagonist as a young child struggling to reconcile her Catholic grade school’s teachings of God’s love and forgiveness to the daily turbulence of her home. Sally’s unplanned pregnancy shatters her world even as it divides those she loves; eventually changing all their lives forever. The birth of the baby ignites a cascade of events which culminates in the violent death of her boyfriend. Following the conviction of her father for the murder, Sally and her mother flee across the county to build a new life. But their refuge is shattered by the mother’s collapse and the revelation of a final family secret. Sally realizes that she can never truly escape her past. This engaging story of courage and determination follows Sally’s travels from the familiar Chicago northern suburbs across the US to St. Louis, MO and later to Scottsdale, AZ. Thoughtfully written and emotionally complex, Addicted to Love is an intensely moving account concerning family secrets, love, and loss. It appeals to readers who seek a gripping story of forgiveness and redemption.

 

MY THOUGHTS

I was left with mixed emotions while I read about Sally’s life. This book hooked my attention from the beginning and kept me engaged until the end. I’m not saying that the writing was beautiful, but it was easy which gave it a fast flow. Kathleen Murray left me always wanting to read a little more to see where the story was going to go.

Sally had a difficult life growing up. She was never really excepted by her family and abused constantly by her mother. This was the most difficult part for me to get through. It was a steady stream of abuse – physical and emotion – throughout the entire story. There was very few times that anyone was nice to Sally. I understand that the timeline was the 1970s which made this kind of event natural, but it still wasn’t easy to read…I really wanted to punch her mother in the face.

Then Sally got pregnant and everything got worse…and weirder.

By the time I got to the end of the book I wasn’t really sure about what I was reading. We learn a lot of information fast – which I kind of already figured out. The end of the story went a little to fast for me and I feel that the pacing could have been reversed.

Overall, the story was okay. It was fast paced with an interesting story line, but I was always left wanting more. There were many important topics covered in this book…physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, homophobia, gender roles, etc…. It did have me thinking about all the tough issues during the 1970s and how they were dealt with. I would have rated it higher but it was an easily forgettable story. By the time I got to the end there were big chunks missing from the beginning.

RATING:

This ebook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Net Galley.

Friday Finds – July 7, 2016

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library. Hosted by Babs @Babs Book Bistro

All pictures are linked to goodreads

       

Have you found anything interesting this week? Let me know in the comments and please leave your Friday Finds if you have one.

Wraith by Joe Hill (GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW)

Title: Wraith
Author: Joe Hill, Charles Paul Wilson III (Illustrations)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: August 2014
Pages: 172 pages
How did I get this book: Library Loan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description (Goodreads)

Joe Hill’s New York Times Bestselling novel, NOS4A2, introduced readers to the terrifying funhouse world of Christmasland, and the mad man who rules there: Charlie Talent Manx III. Now, in an original new comic mini-series, Hill throws wide the candy cane gates to tell a standalone story that is at once both accessible to new readers, and sure to delight fans of the book.

 

My Thoughts

I have been slowly reading Joe Hill’s graphic novel series, Locke & Key. This series is dark, creepy, and weird so I was excited to fall over his standalone graphic novel at the library. Wraith is just as dark, creepy, and weird.

If you have ever read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill then you know about Christmasland. Unfortunately, I have not read any of Hill’s novels so I am not sure how Christmasland fits into the novel, but after reading the graphic novel I am definitely interested in reading the book.

Charlie Manx was tricked out of his money for a dream of Christmas all year long. Is Christmasland real?? Well, to Manx it is, but there is something about Chistmasland that changes everyone. In the beginning of the story, I had no clue what was going on.

At the end of the story…I still didn’t have any idea what was going on.

The graphics were beautiful and creepy

It has a lot of great references of what comes around goes around, but other then that I still closed the graphic novel feeling a sense of weirdness. I am hoping that once I read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, I will have a better understanding.

RATING: 

 

Waiting on Wednesday (#6) – June 29, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

 

 

 

 Paraffin, Vermont, is known the world over as home to the Grosholtz Candle Factory. But behind the sunny retail space bursting with overwhelming scents and homemade fudge, seventeen-year-old Poppy Palladino discovers something dark and unsettling: a back room filled with dozens of startlingly life-like wax sculptures, crafted by one very strange old lady. Poppy hightails it home, only to be shocked when one of the figures—a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to know what he is—jumps naked and screaming out of the trunk of her car. She tries to return him to the candle factory, but before she can, a fire destroys the mysterious workshop—and the old woman is nowhere to be seen.

With the help of the wax boy, who answers to the name Dud, Poppy resolves to find out who was behind the fire. But in the course of her investigation, she discovers that things in Paraffin aren’t always as they seem, that the Grosholtz Candle Factory isn’t as pure as its reputation—and that some of the townspeople she’s known her entire life may not be as human as they once were. In fact, they’re starting to look a little . . . waxy. Can Poppy and Dud extinguish the evil that’s taking hold of their town before it’s too late?

 

RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 2, 2016

 

Why am I excited?

A wax factory with wax people…sounds like an interesting mystery to me. What does Poppy find out? And what is this evil that is taking over the town? The premises of this story sounds like it is going to reach out and grab you and not let you go.

Is this book on your TBR? What new release are you anticipating?

SURVIVE! Addison’s guide to the zombie apocalypse by Dana Burkey (AUDIOBOOK REVIEW)

 Title: Survive!: Addison’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Author: Dana Burkey
Narrated: Brittany Morgan Williams
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian
Publisher: Dana Chauvin
Publication Date: May 2016
Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
How did I get this book: Audio ARC from Library Thing

 

 

Description (Goodreads)

Meet Addison! She is a lot like other girls her age. Her interests include celebrities, fashion, and blogging. She loves spending time with her friends at the mall. And her personality is both bubbly and infectious. Not as infectious, however, as Hepfolk. After the deadly Hepfolk virus turned over 80% of the world into zombies, Addison started learning quickly that life was nothing like it used to be. Wanting to help others with the lesson she’s leaned over her months surviving (and likely also missing her blog) Addison has compiled three guidebooks to help others like her trying to stay alive now that zombie roam the Earth. Kicking things off with her top survival ideas, Addison’s tips and hint are sure to get you smiling. Between her antidotes and unconventional advice, you’re sure to be ready to make it until the end of the world after reading Addison’s ideas for survival. Next enjoy Addison’s new post apocalyptic cookbook that is sure to give you new meals and treats to share with the people in your “survival family.” Finally, after realizing just how dangerous and heart breaking living in a world full of zombies can be, Addison writes a final guidebook filled with hard choices and impossible goodbyes. It is sure to be a roller-coaster of emotions as readers watch Addison come face to face what could be her last days on Earth.

 

My Thoughts

How to survive the zombie outbreak!! Sounds good, right?

This is a collection of Burkey’s 3 Novellas/Short Stories. The first one is I Will Survive: tips and hints to help you survive in this zombie infested world. Book 1 is difficult to explain without spoiling it for you. It is a list of tips if you find yourself out in the zombie world. Addison is writing these tips and leaving them in different safe houses so people can live a better life out in a world that is dangerous and scary. I found myself laughing out loud for many of these tips. Burkey did an amazing job in how she explained these tips and tricks. I also think that Williams got a lot of Addison’s personality when she narrated. Would it be as funny without Williams? I’m not sure, but I am glad I didn’t have to find out.

The second book was Cooking Will Survive: tips to keep your kitchen creations from tasting too “dead”. This was nothing special and found this part my least favorite. Addison just explained how she had to come up with different recipes because food was boring and when there was lack of it you had to be creative. This middle part was just a bunch of recipes and I was pretty happy when it was over.

The final book in this collection was Love Will Survive: proof there is still something to hope for during the zombie apocalypse. This part is neither funny or boring. Addison describes how life really is out there in a world of zombies. How there is still family, friends, and love. This book is filled with sadness. Addison knows that tough decisions have to be made and sad goodbyes have to be faced. She takes us through a variety of emotions.

Overall, I thought this audiobook was good. I would have felt better about it if the cooking part was left out or smaller. I think after listening to the cooking book, I lost the excitement that I started off with in the beginning.

RATING: 

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via librarything.com.

Suicide Lake by Ashley Fontainne (AUDIOBOOK REVIEW)

Title: Suicide Lake
Author: Ashley Fontainne
Narrated: Sara Morsey
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Publisher: RMSW Press
Publication Date: May 2016
Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
How did I get this book: Audio ARC from Audiobook Boom

*Picture linked to goodreads

 

SYNOPSIS (AUDIBLE)

Those who have secrets beneath the murky waters will stop at nothing to keep them hidden.

Renee Thornton is on the brink of despair, ready to take a final plunge and join the other tragic souls at the bottom of Bradford Lake – known to locals as Suicide Lake.

Her plans change when she’s startled back to reality after a body brushes up against her from the depths below. Terrified, Renee runs away and slams into her old flame Cliff Simpson, a deputy with Whitten County Sheriff’s Department.

Strange events unfurl after the discovery of the corpse. Renee and Cliff find themselves caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and mystery.

Now, instead of being able to slip away silently and become another anonymous statistic, Renee finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. Is Cliff her ally or enemy? Who can she trust? What other secrets will rise to the surface?

 

MY THOUGHTS

Underneath the dark water holds the secrets that will chance Renee’s life forever. When Renee can’t deal with her life and the haunting past, she decides it was time to end her life like so many others have. As she was ready to take her life, she discovers a dead body that changes her plans…and also runs into an old friend that just happened to be there.

For the first half of the story I was fully engaged as I was trying to figure out what was going on. The characters had their secrets – even the ones that just seemed like normal-nothing-important characters. There was so many secrets.

There was some instant love stuff…or was it old feelings brewing. Either way, I didn’t really care for it. I’m not sure it really added to the story for me. And then there was the surprise erotica.

It didn’t last long but did we really need it there? After that it went all down hill for me. We encounter an information dumb, big surprise that wasn’t much of a surprise, and then The End.

How was the Audio? Sara Morsey did an excellent job narrating. The audio was clear and the pacing didn’t make you feel like you wanted to sleep.

Overall, this story was just okay for me.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

RATING: 

Murder in “Utopia” by Bryan Perkins (Audiobook Review)

Title: Murder in “Utopia”
Author: Bryan Perkins
Narrated by: Julie Hoverson
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Onyxis Stone Press
Publication Date: April 2016
Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins (90 pages)
How did I get this book: I received an ARC from Audiobook Boom

 

 

 

Description (Goodreads)

Who am I today?
Who am I tomorrow, then?
How can I be both?

In this absurd novella, a priest and a psychiatrist who live in utopia sit down together to discuss their confessors/patients, a list of people which includes a surprising number of murderers.

 

My Thoughts

HOLY CRAP this was such a confusing, weird, and interesting short story. I’m not even sure how I can explain it without sounding like jsoiudriefjiweohfafjsdoifjsi. When I thought I knew what was going on that changed and I was left perplexed once again.

Bryan Perkins told a tale of a priest and psychiatrist telling each other about the stories that each of them heard from their clients. The first part of this story I was completely confusing and I really had no idea what was going on. By the last half I understood what was happening, but then the very end gave a twist and left me saying WTF.

Julie Hoverson was an excellent choice for this story. The pacing was fast and her voice was clear. She brought this story to life.

Everyone was living in Utopia and by the sounds of it they were not all that happy. People were committing murder all around. In the end this was an okay story. I think it might go on the list to reread…hoping that the second time around I might understand more.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

RATING: