Thinly Sliced Trees

Closing this blog, reopening with a dot com

2013-01-25T12:11:00.001+07:00

So, this was a first for me, trying to blog about books like this and it was way too much work. Sorry guys. These last few months I didn't update anything, because I had so much stuff going on in real life and I decided to reevaluate if I can really do this. I believe this first failure showed me that I simply cannot write as much as I wished , but I really want to blog about books - my biggest passion. Therefor I decided to start again! I am not doing it half-assed like I did in the past, but I decided to tone it down a bit, but write regularly. Please look out for my announcement of the new blog link (I decided to get myself a dot com :) ) and I am looking forward to tackling this once more :D

Love,
Deborah

August Releases

2012-08-06T10:53:00.001+07:00

It's beginning of august and there are a few releases you and I might look forward to coming out now.
I know I am always excited to hold a new book in my hands - or on my ebook reader.
So here we go! (BTW That's a shitload of books!)

7th August

14th August

21st August

28th August

Review: Inhale

2012-08-01T16:34:00.002+07:00

Inhale by Kendall Grey (Just Breath #1)

GOODREADS

Quote

Content
Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

Thoughts

I am impressed. I found this little gem for under an Euro at amazon and I can definitely recommend it. Oh and all the earning go towards a good cause, so: save the whales! :P First of all full disclosure: I read book 1 and 2 already so my review might be colored by my feelings of book two. But that shouldn't be a problem, because both were equally good. (What a surprise, many sequels suck.) But the first one was a bit more impressing.

Inhale is build around the four elements, which look like humans but , well, aren't. Humans have all four elements inside them and the Sentinels, who are responsible for keeping the balance and keeping elementals out of humanities dreams, are capable of using these elements. The reason elements are not allowed into our dreams are, that they (even if they have only good intentions) are dangerous and can influence humans through their dreams so much we could go crazy or even die.

I was a bit frustrated with Zoe not realising her dreams are real-ish and not just her unconscious trying to tell her things - but how many of us would think our dreams are real and not feel like we go cray-zay? Also, I loved the dynamic between her real self and her dream self. She let's herself go in her own mind, but her career-oriented mind and social conventions make her act differently in real life. This was good, it made me believe in her and the story. Perfect was simply perfect. I'm in love. I got a thing for tattoos and tats that move and glow and whirl would be a-w-e-s-o-m-e!

Whats-her-face, the fire elemental who is stalking our Mr.Perfect is a maniac, but a believable one. As believable as Manson or a suicide bomber. You know they exist, you just never meet one before. (Hopefully) Gosh I can't wait for her to get dipped into the river styx and see her sizzle out of existence. (Wow, I like that sentence.)

So, what are you waiting for? Buy that book!

Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

2012-07-26T03:35:00.001+07:00

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (Necromancer #1)

Henry Holt and Company, 343 pages
GOODREADS

Quote
" “Sam, honey, you look filthier than a hot tub in a brothel.”
“That’s kind of gross, Mrs. W,” I said.
She eyed Ramon and Frank behind me, her finger waggingbetween them.

Your little boyfriends didn’t beat you up, did they?” she said. “Sam’s a nice boy, and if he won’t call the cops on you two, I will.”
“I’m grateful,” I said. “I really am, but I’m neither gay nor a victim of domestic violence.”
Mrs. Winalski dug around in her purse for her keys and made a harrumphing noise. “You worry me, Sam. I’m seventy, and I get a hell of a lot more action than you, boy. You’re young—take advantage.” "

Content

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

Thoughts

Oh, what a joy ride. The snappish comments, the sarcasm, the hysteria!

No teenage angst and whining and no weird love triangle where what made this different for me. The humor was what made this so perfect for me.

This was so much fun, I'm looking forward to book 2 already.

I read this as part of the Zombie Challenge and I'm grateful I picked this one up.

It seemed to be a good first book to get into the whole zombie thing. Borderline Zombie, so to say.

The main character Sam was refreshingly normal, even for a necromancer with unspeakable powers. After all, nobody ever told him. His friends where awesome! How many of your friends would try to run over somebody with a car to save you? Not many, I'd gather. I really liked Frank, he seemed so cute you just want to cuddle him all the time.

The changing of POV was a surprise but it worked. It changed between Douglas (our villain) , Brid and Sam and once went into Tia's POV (Sam's mom). I think that was it, I'm not sure, but it definitely was cool to see how everybody ticked.

The zombies weren't that dominant in the story line. Not like a zombie apocalypse book or anything, they where one of many different paranormal beings in this book, so it felt more like an urban fantasy than a zombie book. Borderline Zombie, as I mentioned. We had witches and necromancers and harbingers (of death, duh) and werewolves.

We also had a mysterious council (oooooh) and a pack leader (aaaah) and a talking sever head (eeeeh?). Well it IS a zombie book , people.

Sadly it was a short ride and over way too soon, so I'm pining for book two to be released soon.

(Hah, and I just did my waiting on wednesday with other books. *rolls-eyes* Typical.)

Waiting on Wednesday #1

2012-07-25T14:14:00.000+07:00

I hate this time of the year. For some reason all the good books come out in autumn and all the chick-lit literature is promoted during summer. (I'm not big on chick-lit. Mostly.) How come? It's not like my taste in books change with the seasons. Maybe the size of the books depending on the weather, but not the genre. Whatever.

I'm currently so high strung, with all the anticipation going on, I thought I might release some tension by joining this weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. So here we go.

The Lost Girl by Sandu Mandanna

Release date

28th August 2012

Content

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready. But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

GOODREADS

Biting Cold by Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires #6)

Release date
7th August 2012

Content
Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye—and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined. And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing—among humans or inhumans.

Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed. No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

GOODREADS

So, what books are you eagerly awaiting?

Review: Wages of Sin

2012-07-22T19:21:00.000+07:00

Wages of Sin by Jenna Maclaine (Cin Craven #1)

St. Martins Press, 352 pages
GOODREADS

Quote

" 'I can't see anything but shadow and torchlight,' I said, not bothering to add that I couldn’t hear anything either over the pounding of my own heart. She chuckled against the side of my neck. 'I have always wondered how you humans survived as a species. Your senses are almost nonexistent.' 'Dumb luck?' I said in a small, choked voice. "

Content
Dulcinea Craven descends from a long line of witches, and she has just inherited wild, untrained magical powers that she has no idea how to control. Now a ruthless vampire and an age-old demon are determined to enslave Cin and steal her power for their own. Her only hope is The Righteous, a band of warrior vampires who slay the rogue undead. Among them is Michael, a fierce swordsman who inflames Cin’s most primal hungers. Showing her a sensual pleasure beyond anything in the mortal realm, she must choose between the human existence she has always known, and immortality as a vampire—a new life filled with forbidden urges, dark yearning, and unearthly passions…

Thoughts

A vampire witch as a main character just sounds soooo cool, so I decided to give this one a try.

For some reason I thought the whole 18th century thing that was going on would only be a prelude. I really thought it would change to the present. I guess because there wasn't really a mention of the time it was set in, so I presumed ... wrongly. Bugger.

I would put this between books the likes of How To Charm a Rake and My Gentleman Thief or what not (I made these up), because this was really all out love-at-first-sight-oh-my-i-am-soo-powerful-and-gosh-look-at-my-beauty stupid. *Sigh* It wasn't bad, but I was disappointed, especially considering it's good overall ratings at Goodreads...

Cin at times seemed so mature and knowing, like a good 22 year old young lady even, but sometimes she behaved more like a 14 year old girl with a crush. Which she had, alright, but come oooooon ... falling in love after meeting each other once is a bit fast, isn't it? And , gaaah, that scene where they stood together going all Power Rangers "We are The Protectors" one after another standing next to Cin made me just plain laugh. *sigh* ... and sigh ...

I think if you know what awaits you, you might like it, but I found it to be lacking and I'm not interested in following this Series anymore.

Book Blogger Hop July 20-27

2012-07-20T19:39:00.002+07:00

This weeks question:

What’s the ONE super-hyped book you’ll NEVER read?

My Answer:
Fifty Shades of Grey, which I saw is really popular at being unpopular - I wonder why? For me it's just glorified FanFiction. I do like to read FanFiction from time to time, and some appear to be good enough to be published, but a soft porn FanFic of Twilight? Puh-leaaase! That just sounds like the beginning of a bad joke ...

Review: Sweet Dreams

2012-07-18T18:24:00.000+07:00

Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley
(Colorado Mountain #2)

Amazon Digital Services, 562 pages

GOODREADS

Quote
"His forehead dropped to touch mine. “I’m gonna piss you off ‘cause I can be a dick. That’s who I am. And you’re gonna piss me off ‘cause, babe, you got attitude. That’s who you are. And that’s who we’re comin’ out to be together. And I’m all right with that because, with what I had before, even when you’re a bitch, I like it. But when you’re not, it’s a sweetness the like I’ve never tasted."

Content
Lauren Grahame has spent her whole life thinking something special was going to happen. She didn’t know what it was, she just knew it would one day be hers. But she learned the hard way that special wasn’t on offer.

So, after divorcing her cheating husband, Lauren searched for nothing special and she thought she found it when she landed a job as a waitress in a biker bar in Carnal. It was perfect: a nothing job in a nowhere bar in Nowheresville.

Then Tatum Jackson walked in. Part-owner of the bar, he took one look at high-class Lauren and wanted nothing to do with her. And he made this known, loudly.

Tate’s angry insults seared in her brain, Lauren decides the feeling is mutual and she doesn’t want anything to do with the gloriously handsome Tate Jackson. The clash of the bartender and barmaid begins but, even though Tate makes his change of mind clear (in biker-speak, a language Lauren is not fluent in), Lauren is intent on going her own way.

Until a serial killer hits Carnal and Lauren finds out Tate isn’t a bartender, he’s a bounty hunter. He stakes his claim for Lauren before he goes on the hunt for a killer but Laurie doesn’t speak biker nor does she understand bounty hunters and Tate comes back from the hunt to find his old lady has moved on.

Life throws curveball after curveball at Laurie and Tate. As secrets are revealed, women are brutally murdered, and Lauren tries to find her inner biker babe

Thoughts
Sweet Dream felt like it was full of so many things, it was going to burst on the seams!
It certainly was a thriller, but also a romantic chick-lit contemporary.
Which was fine, it just seemed a bit too much for me.

The characters are wonderfully fleshed out, with their own quirks and where what made the writing bearable. I LOVED the hippies! And I loved the way Lauren was presented at the beginning. She seemed, you know, normal. And you can certainly see the way she changes, kinda blooms into being herself again instead of just being her ex-husbands wife (who's an ass).

For some reason the author thought 3 page long monologues where the way to go. Nope, total disaster that! She explained things like wardrobes in it's tiniest detail and some sentences filled half a page, which threw me out of the story instead of sucking me in more.
And this didn't just happen once or twice, but it's her actual style.

Way too much information and dialogue! I never thought I'd cry over too much information or dialogue because most of the time either one seems lacking. On the other hand it WAS a gripping read, certainly steamy and with a lot of interesting side-stories. Which was especially nice, because most books focus on one couple, but this one went in depth with about every character!

Rating ★★★☆☆

Book Chick City's Zombie Challenge 2012

2012-07-17T22:16:00.002+07:00

I'm joining Book Chick City's Zombie Challenge 2012 mainly because I haven't really read any zombie books in the past and I hope to enjoy this, for me undiscovered, genre.
If you have any recommendations feel free to leave a comment! I could use the help. :)

My Goal
1 Chomp (6 Books) because I want to take it slow with something I have no clue about.

Book Blogger Hop July 13-19

2012-07-15T05:24:00.001+07:00

I'm so excited I found this! Hopping around blogs, meeting new people and getting to know others opinions, that's why I started this blog in the first place. :)

This weeks question:

How long does it take you to read a book?

My Answer:

That really depends on the book. At times I read a book in a day, other times it might take me up to a week. But that happens seldom. If it is really well written i actually take longer than with a mediocre book, because I savor the experience. I might go over a sentence or scene a few times, just to feel the butterflies in my belly once more or to make sure I really just read this one revealing fact and didn't have a hallucination, and I might even stretch it out on purpose, because I do not wish for it to end.

Review: Dark Descendant

2012-07-13T07:57:00.000+07:00

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

(Nikki Glass #1)

Pocket Books, 355 Pages
GOODREADS

Quote
“There is no lock strong enough nor wall thick enough to keep Death out," he murmured, his lips close to my ear so that I could feel the puff of his breath against my skin. The ends of a couple of his braids had found their way under the collar of my flannel night-shirt and tickled the base of my neck. "Are you speaking literally or metaphorically?”

Content
Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy

Thoughts
Our main character Nikki, a descendant of Artemis, becomes an immortal by accident, literally. The writing style was very easy to follow, the characters a bit shallow, but as this is a series I hope they will get better developed over the next installments. The idea was really promising and actually well executed, but I felt that people where just a tad bit annoying at times. Nikki is always very compassionate and even emphasizes this herself, telling us about being a 'bleeding heart' over and over again. I get it, no need to repeat yourself. Jamaal was beginning to get on my nerves when he cornered Nikki all the time, because he thought she is playing them, but getting killed a few times as punishment made me re-asses my feelings for him. As an immortal they apparently can die - they just come back every time. And getting beheaded cannot be a nice feeling, either way. There wasn't much romance going on in this book, which was a surprise. We do have something that seems like the beginning of a romance between Blake and Nikki's sister, whose name i forgot, which has it's own big obstacles.
(Sorry I do not want to spoil anything, so I leave it at that.)
All in all a nice book to kill some time.

Rating ★★★☆☆

Recently Published x 4

2012-07-10T19:16:00.000+07:00

I am especially looking forward to the last two, for reasons unknown; I do no longer remember why I put them on my TBR (To Be Read) pile. :S Aaah I'm getting old or maybe my brain is just overloading from all the books I've read over the years. I haven't had a chance to read the prequel to Just For Fins , so this will need to wait for a while and, to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with Blood Before Sunrise's prequel, so it is quite low on my TBR pile.

On July 3rd:

On July 10th:

Review: Easy

2012-07-08T05:44:00.000+07:00

Easy By Tammara Webber

CreateSpace, 316 Pages
GOODREADS

Quote
Unfortunately, the coughing drew her attention. "Are you dying or something?" she asked, affecting a perfect sneer as I shook my head. "Well, hacking up a lung out in public isn't all that attractive - just sayin'." My face flamed, but then Benji leaned up and spoke around me. "Um, giving half the class an exhaustive summary every Monday morning--in lurid detail--of how much of an alcoholic skank you are? Isn't all that attractive either. Just sayin'.”

Content
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life. Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Thoughts
Jacqueline, our main character, is being cornered by Buck, her ex-boyfriends friend, and nearly gets raped. Wow. You really didn't expect that after reading the blurb! It is an important part of the story, though. This book is about romance, but also sexual assault and how to overcome the fear after an attack. It was very sensitive with the topic, not too detailed, but still showing the fears and thoughts of the victims. What I didn't like was that suddenly everywhere rape victims seemed to sprout out of nowhere. But maybe that's exactly what the book wanted to show - you think you are alone, but if you fight you will see there are others.

I was frustrated by the little regard other women showed the rape victims in this book, it was just really one scene but I hope to god women wouldn't really act like this when confronted with an obvious rape in their midst. "Maybe you want to frame him" my ass. Women who say that are no better than women who actually do shit like that.

Anyway, the romance between Lucas and Jacqueline is very first-crush like. They are both jittery it seems and unsure about themselves, but very passionate, ha. The big mystery about Landon isn't really a big mystery and if anybody feels that was a spoiler i say "Bitch, please." Some things are just way to obvious. However, the mystery around Lucas' tattoos and background was a bit more startling and, I felt, a bit over the top, too.

Rating ★★★☆☆

Review: Blood Rights

2012-07-07T12:02:00.000+07:00

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
(House of Comarre #1)

Orbit, 392 pages
GOODREADS

Quote
Something glistened on her cheek. He leaned in and brushed her hair out of the way, the strands like cool water. The makeup covering her marks had worn off. The moonlight caught her signum and brought them to life in a subtle dance of gold across her cheekbone that turned into vines and flowers scrolling up her temple and arching over her brow. Beautiful. Wrenching. Like he’d been privileged to see something both intimate and sacred. He should go. He couldn’t.

Content
Chrysabelle is a special kind of human, bred to feed the vampire nobility. The golden tattoos on her pale skin mark her just as such – a comarre. When her master is murdered she becomes the prime suspect, sending her running and searching for help to prove her innocence. She might have found an (unwilling) ally in Mal – a cursed vampire that kills everyone he drinks from and hears the voices of his past victims.

Thoughts
I think about vampires, blood servants and a quest to save the world and I kinda know the way a book will go. Blood Rights is no exception, but the execution was good enough. You root for the characters, you understand why they sometimes act silly when they just acted as kick-ass as the terminator a moment earlier, because who wouldn’t feel thrown off balance when faced with a world they know but not know. Romance is definitely a big factor in this book. Between Mel and Chrystabelle, Doc and Fi, Maris and Dominic. One however I didn’t see coming, right near the end. A welcoming surprise that explained A LOT about why many things happened. Without that last puzzle piece, the whole book would be a bit more random, but now it feels like fate decided. I’ll likely read book 2, but it’s not a priority.

Rating ★★★☆☆

Review: Fire Baptized

2012-07-06T11:14:00.000+07:00

Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright
(Habitat #1)

Dragonfair Press, 276 pages
GOODREADS

Quotes
Dante and this Palero were definitely playing some sort of game, and I didn’t know the rules, which was fine with me. Whenever a game became too complicated, I just set the board on fire.

Content
Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans. Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

Thoughts
This book was simply a-l-r-i-g-h-t. The writing is clear and enjoyable, no rambling and not too much theatrics going on. A love triangle that didn’t made me wanna scratch my eyes out (what a surprise!) and a strong and likable heroine. She seemed like the kinda person that would rather throw herself into insanity then depression – in a good way. Don’t give up until it’s too late and than try to kick ass anyway. The story was dark and at times gruesome, but never without reason. The mystery of the murderers identity had me stumped. There was nothing really given away at any time! Which was good, sure, but I like when I feel like the name of the culprit is just at the tip of my tongue. As a first book in a series it’s interesting enough and I hope the second book will be a bit better, with more details.

Rating ★★★☆☆

Review: Everneath

2012-07-05T10:58:00.000+07:00

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
(Everneath #1)

Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray, 370 pages
GOODREADS

Quote
In the dark, dank world of the Tunnels, I would call upon this memory. And there would be a flicker of candlelight. If only for a moment. I closed my eyes, as if my eyelids were the levers of a printing press, etching the fibers into my mind. Memories were outside Cole’s reach. As long as I held them, memories were mine and mine alone.

Content
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

Thoughts
First of all, Everneath was a fantastic read. The pace was just right and the going back and forth between the two timelines (before the Everneath, after the Everneath) build up enough tension to make me wanna scream and skip ahead. But I paced myself. Deeeeep breaths, deeeep breaths. Slow and steady wins the race. The world was build upon our own and all the details needed where given. Slowly we learned more about the Everneath and Everliving, but also about the Mark Nikki recieved when she left the Everneath. But the world wasn’t what made this book good (though that’s of course important!) – the characters were. Even though Nikki didn’t feel anything at the beginning, she slowly gained her feelings back and the angst that manifestet in myself reading about her apathy became less and less. It was like some kind of scale that was tipped between me and her. The balance never tipped towards her being overly emotional in situations that didn’t call for it. Though overally I felt a bit angsty. There where some moments between Cole and Nikki I felt where too much. I get he’s either totally in love with her or holds another kind of emotion that he can feel as strongly. Maybe it’s ambition? But I’d say it’s the bad kind of love. He wasn’t even the real bad guy in this story! He was the knife wielded by the bad guy – Nikki. Because, face it girl, you reap what you sow. Her boyfriend Jack was (luckily) no jock stereotype, phew, but he felt more like a silent poet/prince charming mix to me (not that he ever recited any poems). The one who knows thy heart. Or something. He was all nice and a little brawl didn’t make him feel less kngiht-in-shining-armor. I’d loved to see his side of the story, from when she was away. Not just a few sentenced talked about, but a real view into his mind. I’m looking forward to Book 2!

Rating ★★★★☆

Review: The Restorer

2012-07-04T11:10:00.000+07:00

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
(Graveyard Queen #1)

Mira, 376 pages
GOODREADS

Quote
Through her wispy aura, her skin looked translucent, her hair a tangle of raven curls. She wore a sweet blue dress with a sprig of jasmine tucked into the waist, and I saw the sparkle of some tiny ring on her finger as she lifted her hand and pointed toward the window where I stood trembling. There was no mistaking her intent.
She knew I was there.
She knew I could see her.
And she was letting me know that she knew.

Content
My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

Thoughts
The first thing that came to my mind seeing the cover was: Weeping Angles.

But the book had nothing to do with very scary angel statures that would kill you in a blink. (HA!) Being about ghosts i wasn’t sure what to expect – I normally read about angels and demons and vampires and witches – seldom about ghosts.

The overall atmosphere was a bit quiet and eerie. It wasn’t scary per se, but hauntingly, beautifully written. The romance was not as in-your-face as i would have thought (I’m too used to trashy novels) and I liked that we merely scratched the surface, took our time and focused on the solving the murder and getting to the bottom of Amelia’s growing knowledge and awareness of the otherworldly beings and what happens to and around her. (What a sentence …)

Sure, there was constant evaluation of her own feelings, but she never shows anything outwardly and i felt that made her so much more interesting than other kickass-damaged-angsty heroines I’ve read about before. She seems more grown up. Devlin is a lot like her, trying not to show his emotions. As he’s haunted (literally) by his dead wife and child, the relationship between them two just seems very doomed. He’s taboo, at least if she doesn’t want every ghost latching onto her because they realize she can see them … insanity here i come!

For me something new and fresh – if you read ghost stories often it might be different.

Rating ★★★★☆

Review: Suicide Notes

2012-07-03T09:32:00.000+07:00

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

HarperTeen, 295 pages
GOODREADS

Quote
“How come someone always saves the people who try to kill themselves and then makes them tell everyone how sorry they are for ruining their evening? I keep feeling like everyone wants me to apologize for something. but I'm not going to. I don't have anything to apologize for. They're the ones who screwed everything up. Not me. I didn't ask to be saved.”

Content
Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Clearly, this is all a huge mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about his problems with his best friend, Allie, and her boyfriend, Burke. Jeff's perfectly fine, perfectly normal, not like the other kids in the hospital with him. Now they've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags onthe crazies start to seem less crazy.

Thoughts
This book was a bit intense. I sometimes felt my own wrists ache in response to whats going on. I have never tried to commit suicide but I know someone who has, so this book cut deep for me emotionally. But it was funny as hell too – Jeff is just so damn sarcastic! I loved that I somehow went to all the stations of the healing process with Jeff. In the beginning I thought “Yeah, he is not as crazy as the rest of them!” and then it felt more like the line between who was actually crazy and who wasn’t blurred. You get to know a little more about everyone, some people leave , some stay on after Jeff leaves. It felt a bit like a machinery that spit out healthy people. His psychiatrist grew on me a little. I loved how Jeff turned the game around, it made the doctor seem more human, more three dimensional. I had the feeling he learned from the patients as much as the patients learned from him. Also, Jeff didn’t realize it, but the doc definitly did his job, slowly and steadily with the help of the other patients in the group and his family. This is a very quick, fun and enlightened read. Totally recommended.

Rating ★★★★☆

Review: The Battle Sylph

2012-07-02T12:11:00.000+07:00

The Battle Sylph by L. J. McDonald
(Sylph #1)

Leisure Books, 323 pages

GOODREADS

Quote
“Hey, you,” she managed, barely able to speak at all, she was so frightened. She swallowed, trying to get her tongue untied enough to ask its name, and it breathed warm air on her. Heyou,it repeated softly, the sound echoing in her mind. Had she just named it? she wondered, and suddenly became aware that there was shouting. Startled, she looked away from the beast to see that the priests were backing away in terror, the soldiers moving in with real fright in their eyes, but still determined.

Content
He is one of many: a creature of magic, unrelentingly male. He is lured through the portal by pure female beauty, a virgin sacrifice. She is killed, and he is silenced and enslaved. Such a dark ritual is necessary. Unlike their elemental cousins—those gentler sylphs of wind and fire—battlers find no joy in everyday labor. Their magic can destroy an army or demolish a castle, and each has but one goal: find his queen, then protect and pleasure her at any cost. What would a maiden do if she were given such a servant? What would befall that kingdom foolish enough to allow a battler to escape? Young Solie and the people of Eferem are about to find out.

Thoughts
Oooooh Ooooooooooh what utter rubbish! I know, I know, what did I expect, right?
Reading the description on Goodreads and seeing all these good reviews, I thought it would be more epic … There where just too many thinks I didn’t like and couldn’t tolerate! Heyou and Solie – the MAIN CHARACTERS , didn’t have enough face time. It WAS their story right Miss McDonald??

I found Ral to be quite more fascinating, there is a big story there , real feelings! But H. and S. where just two stupid love-struck BRAINLESS children with no concept of reality. I can get behind Solie becoming queen by banging the otherworldy man-child (it IS a romance-fantasy novel after all ), but GAWD she was just … just so… so … GAAAAWD.
*Throws eBook across imaginary library*

“Oopsie – me queen? Nooo I dont wanna have power and tell u what to doooo, don’t kill anyone pleasey-pooo?” Because it is a romance novel, I kinda expected a love-at-first sight thing, just maybe a bit more substance?

Also, Solie making him look like her dream man the moment they met is just kinda wrong. I get it , it was to show us they can change form however they want, but it made me feel a bit awkward. How would you like if your lover remakes you however s/he pleases?

But he’s a stupid drone anyway… sorry I’m rambling it was just so frustrating. I think the world created here has great potential, it’s a more unique idea than most authors have in the fantasy genre, but I just expected so much more and something a bit different.

Rating ★★☆☆☆

A Game of Thrones - reading before watching it

2012-07-01T23:51:00.000+07:00

I have owned the first book of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series for a while now, but I never came around to actually reading it.

Sadly, this means I cannot watch the Game of Thrones TV series.
"Why?" , you might ask.

Well, firstly because I wish to know if I like the story itself first before plunging into the Games of Thrones hype that's been going around lately.

Secondly, I really liked the trailer and the bits and pieces I hear from all around about the TV series and I believe that if I do not read the book series first I will never start them, so that my perception of the TV series will not change ... makes sense?

Therefor I decided to give A Game of Thrones (Title of the first book, who would've guessed, eh?) a chance by cutting it into small pieces which i will read every week until I am FINALLY finished. Who knows, I might enjoy it so much I just read it in one go.

Anybody interested in reading along?