Under Rose-Tainted Skies - Louise Gornall

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I asked my sister Lindee to pick out a book that she would be interested in reading and I would do a little R&R. I wanted to shake things up a bit, for I tend to pick the same kind of books to read. Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a self-contained novel dealing with one aspect of anxiety. 

Norah, the protagonist, is an agoraphobic teenage girl trying to live her life despite her fears. Although her struggles are abnormal, her feelings resemble those of normal girls her age. We, as the readers, are given intimate insight to mental illness and we watch as Norah shows courage and faces her challenges. The book is enlightening and inspirational and its special insight should be experienced.

Once Upon a Lie-Michael French

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As the title suggests, it is a book about different people who have lives surrounded by lies deceit.
The theme of lies is noticeable. The story gives definition to how lies and deceit can play different roles and have different effects.
French does touch on some different social issues which is a good addition. Also, he makes you think about what is moral and why. Some things to think about. 
The storylines were intriguing. The switching of the protagonists was irritating at first, for you get so involved with one just to have it change. Although, it was fun to later have both protagonists' lives intertwine. And there is a shocking end!
The plot was good overall. Unfortunately, toward the end, the plot was a bit anticlimactic.

Amber Alert -Dan Lawton

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Great story! 
It is a realistic fiction, and even though I tend to like more make believe in what I read, I still enjoyed it immensely. It caught my attention from the beginning and I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation to see how the story would unfold. The characters were genuine and endearing. I want all things to end well and I was disappointed when the characters made bad decisions. I kept putting myself in their shoes, questioning myself how I would react I similar circumstances. A great read!

Cobra Z - Sean Deville

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It is a good rendition of the classic zombie apocalypse story. Overall, the events and the reactions by the people were realistic and forthright. It was a little vulgar for my taste but considering the circumstance, it is somewhat reasonable. The character development was lacking, in fact, because so many characters are introduced just to be killed pages later, it is hard connecting with any one character. The ending was more succinct and gives hope for book 2.

Cobalt by C.G. Blade

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Robotic superhero saving people from corruption while looking stylish! Petra Kayden Dace fights for freedom in a dystopian world that has a touch of George Orwell combined with Issac Asimov. C.G. Blade paints one future of America that is in need of people to fight for each other and to fight for their country that was once great. It is a fun read that explores where technology can take us and it is not necessary all good!

America's First Daughter

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Hello Everyone!!! 

As you probably guessed, I have been reading a lot of historical novels recently. And to continue the theme, I present AMERICA"S FIRST DAUGHTER!!!

This one is set during the American Revolution. It is all about Thomas Jefferson's daughter. 

It beautifully depicts the  relationship between the two, their love and the devotion both to each other and to their newly found country,

It spans Patsy's(Thomas Jefferson's daughter and the protagonist) whole life, giving her definition and character. We experience her life experiences and reasons behind all her choices.

Thomas Jefferson is one of our revered founding Fathers and when you look into some of his history there is some scandal attached to his name. This story does a fantastic revealing of the scandal without diminishing his character while also enlightening us to his sacrifice to fight for and create the country we have today.

 In fact, you develop an deeper admiration and respect for both that man himself and the family he left behind.

Be prepared to have your emotions pulled onto a roller-coaster of a ride as you travel through time and culture to be present during this time period,

I love it and do indeed recommend it to all, especially if history is your thing.

P.S. I now have a VLOG on YouTube. Check it out on BookZZZAlert

11/22/63

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So I am back! I have taken a little hiatus from reading these last few months. It was not on purpose, it was just that I have started so many different books without the motivation to finish them. But that is over and I am back stronger than ever!!! So the next book I will review is Stephen King! I mean you cannot go wrong with him!

Time Travel! Yes, that's right time travel! Very intriguing fiction revolving around the time period of the assassination of JFK. The protagonist is a high school history teacher who gets the chance to experience a bit of history himself and the decision placed before him on whether or not he should or even could change this catastrophic event in America's history!
I have never actually studied this part in history, so the only things that I knew where the things of common knowledge. I enjoyed experiencing this roller coaster of a ride and couldn't stop until the plot had played out. There is a little bit of everything jammed into this book, romance, history, magic, heroism, morals, villains, you name it. Also, the end seems a little obvious, but NO! It will surprise you! I DID NOT see that one coming!!
Plus, now there is a Hulu Original Series about this book starring James Franco! So, if your into TV adaptations you have got to give this one a try!

The Rebel Queen - Michelle Moran

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I have always been interested in the country of India: the culture, the religions, and the history. Thus, to me, this historical fiction was highly satisfying.
Moran's writing is so personal which brings the history alive.
This novel is told from the perspective of one of the guards of the rebel queen named Sita. It follows her since she was little into her adulthood. This addition lets the readers experience the culture as a girl growing up in India from the county, but also lets us discover life in the palace. We also are given a glimpse of the trials and difficulties during the conquest of India by the British.
Sita narrates the story as a history to someone who knows little to nothing about India, giving brief explanations about their religion and also aspects of the religion that have transferred into their culture.
Moran describes the different practices in India as if it were common sense, but also openly expresses the flaws that exists with hope that they can change for the better in the future.
There is a fun section in the book when some of the Indians experience some of the British culture, which exploits some flaws in our culture in a comical way.
This novel is filled with patriotism, loyalty to friends and family, honor, the strength of the individual, and the gravity of the consequences. It is intriguing and inspiring!

Gemina: The Illuminae Files_02

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Awww! The sequel. I highly recommend it. Once again, I was impressed and the twists and turns the plot takes. The style of the book still amazes me. There are even more fun pictures in this book than that first one because the protagonist is an artist. Sometimes she draws a diagram or sketches her emotions in her journal which adds texture to the rest of the story line. 
It has everything we sci-fi geeks love: impossible circumstances, theoretical ideas, corrupt authorities, secrets, lies and betrayals plus an adoring love triangle. Beware though, there are some heart-wrenchers.
It does have a different perspective than the first book but it will all come together in the end which adds a different angle to view this story. The overarching story is enlarged but we will have to wait to find out what will happen... *sighes* I wish we didn't have to wait for the next one to come out.

P.S. I still think that y'all should listen to the audio while reading...

The Chemist -Stephanie Meyer

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The Chemist.
It was not what I was expecting, for there was nothing supernatural about this book unless you count a genius doctor and a corrupt government.  
I, personally, have not read a book like this one before. needless to say, this book is unlike what Meyer has previously written. The characters are few but potent. The plot is slow activating but then hits you all at once getting more intense with each passing page. There is an powerful antagonist causing disasters at every turn. The imagery was fantastic and engraved in my mind. It is also kind of gruesome if I might say so, but all for the purpose to make the danger feel ominous.
The chemist herself is a portent in her own right leaving a trail of havoc in her wake but she has difficulty trusting people. But when forced to rely and works with others she realizes the following reaction is more effective. 
There were times that I was brought to laughter with the quip remarks of the characters and other times I was on the edge of my seat.
There is a lot of intense action and some romance to fill the cracks. It felt like a spy movie just in book form. Worth the read.




*Thus far when I has written review, I have stayed away from any sort of summaries and I have tried to focus on the strengths and weakness that I found in the work of art. Should I put more summary?

The Graveyard Book -Neil Gaiman

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Great book for all ages especially kids!
We picked this book for our book club for October based on the theme of Halloween. 
Reading this book was like reading a long children's book. There are pictures, the protagonist is a child and you grow up with him as he experiences the world around him. You get lost in the world that Gaiman has created and he leaves you wanting more. 
The color that best describes this book is gray. I imagined everything in different shades of gray because of its unusual setting. The grayness adds to the spooky Halloween feelings but in no way do you feel scared or haunted. Another Halloween aspect is all of the different mythical creatures that show up. You either discover their friendliness or come to understand them based on their character therefore dissolving their mystery.
The ending is peculiar because from one stand point it is the ending is everything you wanted while also leaving you feeling as if someone has died. 
It is a great book for the whole family. Just because it is no longer Halloween doesn't mean you can experience it for yourself. 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children -Ransom Riggs

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During this Halloween season, I thought this book would be a good addition especially since there is a movie to compare and critique as well.

The Book:

 The most unique aspect to the book are the photos. Riggs explains "All the pictures in this book are authentic, vintage found photographs, and with the exception of a few that have undergone minimal post-processing, they are unaltered."( p. 354)
They are scattered throughout the book giving life to the characters and giving your imagination a direction to how your mind will unfold the story in the mind's eye.

Emma Bloom

Riggs continues "They were lent from... people who have spent years and countless hours hunting through giant bins of unsorted snapshots at flea markets and antique malls and yard sales to find a transcendent few, rescuing images of historical significance and arresting beauty from obscurity..."(p. 354)
The pictures have an aspect of mystery to them which at least to me adds to the spookiness to each one and thus reminding me of Halloween.
I love the idea of telling a story from a few photos and creating a mystical world in which we are would like to take part. It is about a boy trying to solve a mystery in his family and finding the answers in the most unlikely way imaginable and discovering it is his inheritance. 

I enjoyed the concept of the time loops and can imagine the many ways they are be explored and all the adventures that can be had.
I love how the pictures are black and white, the story unfolded in my head black and white as well as. It feels ironic in a way because the characters and the story-line is as vibrant and outstanding as can be yet it exists without the associated colors that are usually accompanied. It is proof that you do not need color for a story to be amazing.


The Movie: Spoiler Alert!

First of all, the whole cast is phenomenal! 
Next, for the average movie watcher, the movie was enjoyable, frightening and thrilling all at the same time. But for those of us who read the book first there are several things that are disconcerting. The biggest one was that they switched the peculiarities of Emma and Olive. Why??!!? There is no obvious reason, and the only reason that I could envision was maybe they wanted to shoot a scene or two to appear exciting. (e.g. the scene with Emma blowing the water out of the sunken ship in order to impress Jake that made it to the trailer). It is a blow in the face to the creative rights of the author to say change something so integral to the story. I am very disappointed with this change of no significant purpose. It is distracting to the whole movie.
The beginning is done very well and stays true but the ending does stray away from the book. (I am stilling asking myself why!)
I did appreciated how the beginning had a dull color scheme and then everything brightens up drastically with the knowledge of the loop and the lives the peculiars they lead, it has a nice imagery.
It is spooky in all the right parts and there are some fun battles scenes that are fun and unique.
They also was a struggle to explain the way the time loops worked and is a bit confusing to those who have not yet read the books. Because this is a new concept unique to the book, they should have made sure to clarify, I mean seriously, how hard could it have been???
So there are my pros and cons, what did you think?

A Proper Romance

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Edenbrooke - Julianne Donaldson

Beautiful! 
I couldn't put this book down. I had a friend recommend it to me and I read it in one day. I had friends of mine want to hang out the night I was reading it and so I brought the book with me and read whenever I could. It is short, sweet, light and fluffy.
It is a favorite that I go back and reread every so often that I practically have it memorized. It is a good choice if you are looking for something to give you the butterflies when looking for a innocent romance. 

Throne Of Glass Series - Sarah J Maas

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I am totally in love with this series. It has quickly become a new all time favorite! Sometimes when I read different books, I think to myself the story was good, could've been amazing but the author didn't write it well or sometimes I read books that the author was good but the story wasn't there. To put simply, add a unique fantasy world, classy characters, a thriving plot with an amazing author who knows exactly how to mix them all together to give you a trill of a ride.It feels like having the best of both worlds. 

The first book, Throne of Glass, was a great novel both by itself and also as start of the whole series. It introduces the world with magic and the characters are given life beautifully. The characters are portrayed with both history and potential giving you an excitement for the story to unravel.  I couldn't put it down and that was before the plot thickened! The main protagonist, Celaena Sardothien, is both the villain and hero to her own story making it possible for us the readers to relate to her and idealize her equally. 

worldofsarahjmass.com

The Assassin's blade is a compilation of short stories of Celaena's past,which can be read at any time during the series. Sometimes i struggle with reading short story books that don't relate to the overarching plot but this one is a jewel. It is a great book that allows you to see into the character of Celaena and it solidifies her characters throughout the other books. I suggest that it should be read before reading Empire of Storms because there are a lot of references that would otherwise be missed. 
Empire of Storms is the last one to have come out but it is not the conclusion. I was trying to predict the ending to no avail.  Let me just tell you, I was blow away at the ending, it left me heartbroken and awed at the same time. I don't think there has been any other series that has left me with so many mixed emotions.
A little warning, in the last book there is a scene of sexual intimacy that leaves me unconformable to recommend this book to youngsters or pure of heart. If needed, it can be skipped, I find it easier to skip over these kind of scenes in book than in movies. I do it often. The event itself does play an important part in the telling of the rest of the story so keep that in mind.
I hope all can come to love these characters and this world as I do!
Leave a comment below if you love this series as much as I do.

TRUTHWITCH - Susan Dennard

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This is our book-club book for the month of October.We try to switch up the genres to give us a better variety. We went with fantasy, which is the genre I prefer and always seem to fall back on. In fantasy, there are so many fun ways to explore the imagination giving us new scenarios that have never before been discovered.
Truthwitch is the first book in the Witchlands Series.

When starting this book, it is a little confusing because there is no introduction or explanation about this new world of fantasy world. The reader is forced to put the picture together from the clues given, making you confused for the first couple chapters before the pieces start to fall into place, after that the story starts to flow and the world solidifies. The characters are strong and robust with strengths and weaknesses open to development.
The story is fun and unpredictable. Dennard does a great job at surprising you with the little happenings between the characters thereby distracting you to the shifts in plot leaving you pleasantly satisfied. 
There is a lively romance that doesn't overpower the plot which gives us a refreshing insight to the characters as well. 
After completing the book, we are left with unanswered questions about the details of the world which ruffles the feathers a bit. Knowing this is the first book of many more to come, I am filled with anticipation knowing that Dennard will reveal mysteries later weaving the books together beautifully. All good series must have a strong anchor as the first book in order for the sequels to add depth and complexity to the series as a whole. I have a feeling that the sequels will surpass this debut and as the readers we will want to reread Truthwitch again to see where it all started.
Next month's Book for the book-club is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Feel free to read as with us and give your own comments! 

Genius: The Game

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So, I love when other readers recommend me a book, I absolutely think it is the best way to find the best treasures. That is the main reason I started this blog. I want others to benefit from all the reading that I do. 

Also, when I go browsing at a book store, I love to read the reviews written on the covers. Yes, it is an advertising ploy but I choose to believe in the integrity of the authors. Authors tend to read( and thereby review) books that are similar to what they write because that is what interests them. They are a pretty good judge of whether a book is unique, innovative, commonplace or downright junk. So, when they recommend a book, I believe them. It works best when I have read something previously by that author, but sometimes recognition of the name is enough. 

The reason I bring this up is because I picked this book up solely based on the review written by James Patterson. I have yet to read anything by him but the review was outstanding and I thought I would give this book a try.  

 My expectations were, as you might guess, fairly high and I feel like I was let down a little. I guess I was expecting more coming from a such a extraordinary review. I did enjoy myself however. Genius: The Game actually reminded me of Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu( which I will post about later on) which I loved and will likely reread one day. I was reading two books at the same time and Genius grabbed my attention enough to pull me away from the other. As I was reading, I found myself wanting to learn how to code, because when you follow a group of young geniuses, you get to explore what life is like for them living in our world knowing what they know. And then you understand why they feel as if they can change the world. I wanted to join them in their adventure and change things in my own life so it could resembles theirs. A high compliment when it comes to realistic fiction. 

It gives great insight of how the whole world is connected through technology and how with technology we can do great things. 

I have no doubt that the sequel will be even better based on the cliff hanger it leaves you with. Many more adventures to come I suppose. 

A Daring Sacrifice - Jody Hedlund

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If you need something short to read but is also satisfying try out this short sweet book of 200 pages. I read it in 2 hours. It is no same feat to tell a story from start to finish enveloping the reader into its world, dazzling them with tales of heroism and bravery and then spits them out again filling them with satisfaction. It was bittersweet to have ended so soon for I wanted more. It is a happily ever after romance and as a girl I can never get too many of those when told well. There is a inherent beauty to fairy tales which is one reason why they timeless and this book seems to fit right there along with them.

Illuminae -Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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A Sci-Fi!

Wow!

Just wow!

I finished this book today and my mind is still reeling.
I have never read anything like this book before. 

Its unique,
one-of-a-kind,
beautiful
&
a piece of art.

The whole book is written is a data files, yet there is a perfect blend of action, suspense, romance and thrill. 
It builds upon itself page after page where you do not want to put it down and the finish still blows you away. 
There were times when I marveled the different themes that intertwined. 
A few years ago, Kaelene (another sister) introduced to me the convenience of listening to audio-books. I was going to college back then, with no car, so I walked everywhere. Frankly listening to music can get a little boring sometimes and thus the audio book became a good friend. I always have a audio book or two I am listening to via Audible (which makes it way cheaper) and by random I picked out this book. I started to listen to it and I knew right away that I had to have the hard copy in my hands. 
I recommend that everyone read and listen to the audio version AT THE SAME TIME! Why? because the audio adds to your experience tenfold. It is recorded by 4 different people along with computerized sound effects to give you the illusion of a movie while you are reading. But you shouldn't just listen either. There are things that you miss from the book itself and it may seem difficult to catch on to the story. For example, here is just one of the pages of the book that cannot be expressed through listening...  
 It truly felt like a movie was being played in my head in a way unlike I had ever experienced before. I am totally on the edge of my seat just to get someone else to experience this book like I did. Yes, not just to read it, to experience it!
The next book comes out in October! Less then 30 days away. I am super excited for its release!

Devil In The White City -Erik Larson

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Some friends and I go together and started a book club. I have the habit of reading the same genre of books and not branching out like I should and so I thought a book club would give me ample motivation plus it it a marvelous excuse to talk about books. 

The book for September was Devil In The White City, a historical non-fiction, took place during 1890's in Chicago.

I have to admit, I have never read a book like this before and I have no regrets. Not only was I captured by the story but I was learning so many things about the history of my country. 

It is written like a novel, and there are quotes throughout the book signifying all the references to his sources. 

It follows two story lines: a prominent architect building the city up to glory, and a serial killer ruining the its prestige through manipulation and murder.

The architect had to deal with the government and different workers union on a time crunch for his project that had an effect on history. It is interesting to note that Chicago is not know today as the white city, and I will allow you to make your own conclusions for yourself. 

This serial killer occurs slightly after the debacle of Jack the Ripper in London who was never caught and everyone thought there was no way it could happen to them. It was also very enlightening as a women to see the tactics used by the serial  killer to seduce unsuspecting women to their demise. It was fascinating to observe his character and compare it with what we know today about psychopaths. But I will let you come to your own conclusions.  

Rebel Of The Sands- Alwyn Hamilton

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A short adventure of exotic lands!
My sister, Karlee, and I went to the book store randomly to browse and she is the one who looked at this book and saw its potential enough to purchase it. On the drive home, in order to entertain Karlee as she was behind the wheel, I picked this book up and started to read it aloud to her, thinking to myself "This is her book, so I will give her a head start on reading it".
As I was reading, I became engrossed in the new world that was introduced and its accompanying story, that I didn't realize us pulling up to the house at the close of the first chapter. I couldn't get the story out of my head that instead of reading the book I was in the middle of reading, I continued to read it all throughout the next 24 hours until it was completed (a perfect example on how distracted I can get).
I loved the variety of characters and the fast-paced action and an unpredictable plot that leaves your imagination riveted.
With a hooker as the first chapter and a cliff hanger at the end I know that I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.