Tag Archives: 4-stars

Review: Jean Haus – In the Band

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In the Band

Jean Haus
Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘In the Band’.
Riley was supposed to go interstate for a drumming scholarship, but has instead stayed home with her increasingly dysfunctional family. When she tries out for a band, she’s a shoo in, but will the sparks that fly between her and Romeo destroy the chemistry of the band?

The official blurb:

When family problems push Riley Middleton into giving up a percussion scholarship in another state and attending college from home, her friends push her to try out for a local rock band. Of course, Riley makes the band. She rules at the drums.

Riley soon finds out rock bands have a different dynamic than marching bands, especially when each of her male band mates has a major ego and is a major player. Two of them relentlessly flirt with her. The other—a dark, sexy rock god she can’t help being attracted to— is a total jerk and pushes her to quit. She becomes determined to ignore his rudeness and his hotness. Even if she was interested in jerks, a hook up would probably get her booted out of the ego-ridden band, and playing keeps her sane. Behind the drums, the world and her family’s troubles evaporate.

If she wants to stay in the band, Riley just has to ignore the growing sparks between her and her band enemy. But as she gets to know the man behind the stage persona, ignoring him proves to be more difficult than flowing through a time sig shift.

My review:

This novel was great. There was a main storyline which was really powerful without being cloying – the chemistry between Romeo and Riley. At the same time there are plenty of other romance storylines happening at once – so much drama!
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Sex scenes in this one, and plenty of groping, but it’s not too bad. Really this one is in the category of young adult for a good reason. There’s plenty of swearing as well, which I learnt to ignore eventually.
I felt Riley as a person. I wanted to cry with her when some things happened, and other times I just wanted her to beat the crap out of other people. Romeo was understandable too, and frustrating.
Band dynamics are always interesting to see and interpret. It’s strange to me for over 18 shows (which are I suppose opposed to over 21 shows in the US), and the bribing the bouncer to get in. But I guess I never did that, so it didn’t make sense to me.
I hope to see more from this author in the same genre, with the same mix of heavy teenage issues. I really enjoyed this one, and was gripped right to the end.

I didn’t approve of the ending, but then I guess this is a romance, so love is supposed to trump all. And they were pretty miserable before that. But the band! Music! Music should be the priority! I can understand about family though. Sigh.

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About the Author

Jean Haus lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband and son who, other than cooking, have taken over homemaking duties since she started writing more. When Jean isn’t writing, she’s usually reading. Anything from young adult to historical fiction as long as there is a bit of romance, she’ll load it on her Kindle. She loves to cook, and someday she will create the world’s best potsticker.

You can find her at:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other things at:
January 14 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
January 15 – Coffee Books and Lipgloss – Review
January 16 – YA Reviews and News – Review
January 17 – Up All Night Reviews – Review
January 18 – My Devotional Thoughts – PROMO
January 19 – The College Crawl – Review
January 20 – TE Garden of Books – Review
January 21 – Mom With a Kindle – PROMO
January 22 – Diane Mulligan – PROMO
January 23 – For the Love of Film and Novels – Review
January 24 – Delirious About Books – PROMO
January 25 – Oh The Books That You’ll Read – Review
January 26 – Tana Rae Reads – Review
January 27 – Reader Girls -Review
January 29 – Lauries Thoughts and Reviews – PROMO
January 30 – My Reading Addiction – PROMO
January 31 – Just A Booklover – Review
February 1 – A Date With a Book – Review
February 2 – Andi’s YA Books – Review
February 3 – Rampant Readers – Review
February 4 – Book Lovin Mama’s – PROMO
February 5 – My Bookmark Blog – Review pan>
February 6 – Doodle’s Book Blog – PROMO
February 7 – Bibliophile’s Thoughts -PROMO
February 8 – The Cosy Dragon – Review

Review: Barbara Kingsolver – Animal Dreams

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Animal Dreams
Barbara Kingsolver
Codi is from Grace, but has spent years running from her past. With the departure of her sister for war-torn lands, Codi can return to Grace and make a new life for herself – but only after she has salvaged her childhood.
77262This is another American Literature book I read, and the essay question with it was with Ceremony. I can understand why these two books were paired together – they are both filled with symbolism and strange narrative forms. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this novel.
Although some of this novel is memories, particularly the sections by Homero, the rest shows a drive towards Codi reclaiming her memories in the present. This process takes place over two years, between three All Souls’ Days. For me, this process was fascinating, and I really didn’t know what I expected Codi to do until near the end of the novel – making it a strangely compelling page-turner.
I think if I go on to do further studies in literature of some kind, I would choose American Literature to work on. My only regret of this degree is that English literature (as in, Britain) is not represented in the major. I also really enjoyed Irish literature. Give me something with a decent history and anything but Australian literature.
Although I couldn’t recommend this for fantasy readers, if you naturally enjoy general fiction I would definitely recommend it. I’m not even sure precisely why I would, but I just would! I enjoyed it. The neuroses of Codi, her memories, and the unforgettable Loyd – it’s just so powerful, losing a mother, a daughter and a sister.
I would even venture to say that if I was required to read some more general fiction for some reason, I’d choose a Kingsolver novel to do it. Yay, Kingsolver! Seriously, go ad borrow it from your local library – you’ll find yourself enjoying it despite any preconceived notions you might have.

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Review: Rod Englert – Blood Secrets: Chronicles of a Crime Scene Reconstrutionist

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Blood Secrets: Chronicles of a Crime Scene Reconstrutionis
Rod Englert
This novel attempts to explain some background for blood splatter interpretations and the majority of the text is made up by anecdotes. There is also some very interesting background information about the author’s youth, and his career progression.
This book is not in my usual genre, my partner recieved it as a Christmas gift at a family Boxing Day party, and I snaffled it ot read so I wouldn’t have to do any awkward conversation. I was pleasantly surprised and found myself not wanting to put it down – I finished it in a day.
For me, each of the human interest stories which were logically set out were great. It’s like crime short stories for me – yay, no waiting to find out who did it! I’m not patient enough to read a real ‘crime’ novel.
I didn’t really appreciate the images of blood splatter that my partner will probably find the most interesting pages out of the whole book. The case studies were way more interesting – I guess it just reflects that I’m more of a fiction reader than a non-fiction one.
I did have one squeamish moment, but funnily enough it wasn’t about the blood, it was a mention of someone’s toenails being ripped off. Ouch! I feel kinda squeamish right now just thinking about it.
The author of this memoir is passionate about his topic and it shows throughout the text. His cowriter/editor combination pulls things into fascinating detail, and makes the whole lot work. I only wish that I can find something that I am so passionate about when it’s time for me to enter the workforce proper.
I’m totally going to give this book 4 stars. I probably won’t reread it, but I did find myself enjoying a genre that I don’t usually read, and that makes a huge difference. Maybe there is hope for crime after all!

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Review: Kira Harp – The Benefit of Ductwork

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The Benefit of Ductwork
Kira Harp
17 year old Andy lives with his two dads, is an average student, and has an average life. When Kyle comes onto the scene, Andy feels upset and abandoned – don’t his parents love him enough to not replace him until he has moved out for college?
What I liked about this short story was that I caught the character dynamics really quickly, and was able to individualise each person in my mind really clearly. The characters were consistant, and the action was engaging enough that I didn’t feel the pages passing by.
My complaint would be that it was too short! As a short story, it was great, but I felt that there could have been more! I wanted to know more about Andy’s childhood (although what was mentioned of it was smoothly integrated), and more about how the family dynamics would change in the future.
This short story is a great one for also illuminating the plight of queer people in trying to adopt or foster children in need. Same sex parental units are no worse at parenting than ‘traditional’ couples, yet often they are ostracised and their children treated differently. I can imagine Andy’s response and Kyle’s bullying as being quite typical of what these people would experience.
I’m going to look out for other novels by this author in this genre, and perhaps branch out a bit too. I’d give it four stars, simply because although I loved it, I wanted more, more, more!
I received this novel from the author as part of a new Goodreads initiative by the group YA LGBT Books called ‘Read-to-Review’. The requirement of this program is that you only ask for one novel at a time, and that reviews are posted within one month of receiving the copy. I was so excited to have something short and queer to read, I had to read it the same day!

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Review: Ginger Voight – Love Plus One

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Love Plus One
Ginger Voight
Shannon needs a bit of a push in the right direction to get her life moving onwards from the comfortable rut she has found herself in since she found her job working as a production assistant. She’s full of good ideas for shows, but she’s too shy to put herself out there. This time she will though, and she might find love where she didn’t expect it.
So you like sitcoms, romances and reality TV shows, but can’t find the time to watch them on TV? You could read this novel instead! Personally, I’d prefer this novel to any of the other dating shows out there.
This reminded me a bit of ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’, and the whole mole thing that Shan came up with for her idea isn’t really that big a deal. The exposure of the nasty girls, but the realisation that most of them can be nice, is a good one. However, I felt the final three came from behind, and the third girl probably never had a chance.
This novel did a great job of non-erotic romance. A real refresher after what else I have been reading lately. Nothing more than a few darkened bedroom scenes and a purple boa!
A reminder to the ‘real women’ reading this novel. This is a US novel, so when they say size 12, that’s a fair bit bigger than the Australian size 12. So that’s to say, I’m pretty sure that that might be in the obese category, which I simply can’t condone (particularly if it’s a cookie fed weight, not a medication or health induced one). I didn’t like Shan any less for this, and I though the fact that she started making herself fitter during the course of the show was great.
My complaint about this novel would be that the secondary characters are not fleshed out enough for my liking, which I suppose makes it a typical romance. I would have loved to hear more from Dixie, a bit more from Jorge and of course, a bit more from Shan’s sister.
I wouldn’t have said it was gripping, but in places it had me almost crying, and that’s a mark of another good novel for me. I’m not sure I’d read it again now that I know how it ends, but if you’re going to sit down and read this one (as I recommend you do), you’ll want a nice glass of wine and 2-4 free hours as you travel with Shan.
I received this novel as part of the Goodreads: First Reads program, but this did not influence my honest review in any way.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Magic

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Elemental Magic: All New Tales of the Elemental Masters
Mercedes Lackey
This is an anthology that fits into Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series. There are 17 short stories, and I have given a quick review of each one.
A Song of the Sea – It fitted in well with the continuity of Lackey’s novels and it was good because of the historical references scattered throughout it (that I could actually recognise).
The Fire Within Him – This one was well written, but the concept was a little strange and I think it took the bounds of things outside Lackey’s range. I don’t think it belonged here.
Makana – I found the names in this one super strange, and it was a bit witch-doctor-y in nature. But it was good all the same.
War to the Knife – Really enjoyable, which is what I would expect from Rosemary Edghill. I did get a bit confused by the beginning because I’m not at all familiar with history, but the tale spinning itself was great.
Stones and Feathers – Oh this one was good! Very good! And it had so much more potential, and I would have loved to see it as a full length novel.
Fire’s Children – Also very enjoyable, and fitted in well with Lackey’s legacy. I think I’ll look out for more novels by Elizabeth Waters.
For the Sake of Clarity – I’m not entirely sure this was kosher with the other stories, but it was enjoyable all the same. It didn’t feel like it was too short either – it was set up, then continued very nicely. The language was a little iffy in parts, but I was able to gloss over it. This was more like the fairytales that one would expect.
To Ride the River Horse – This one went with the fairytale idea, and it was very good. I would have liked the ending to be a little clearer on what happened to the baddie though.
The Phoenix of Mulberry Street – This one I thought would be based on the fairytale of The Matchstick Girl, but wasn’t. It was really good anyway 🙂

Air of Mystery – This short story could have been made into a much longer novel, I would have loved even more from this. It had all the right notes for a short story, and a bit of research as well – brilliant.

A Flower Grows in Whitechapel – This one was obviously written by someone familiar with the series, but branched out from what we already knew of Sarah and Nan.

Tha Thu Ann – The name of this one was a bit strange, but the theme fitted in well with the short story that came right before. I really felt the characters for this one too.

The Collector – I don’t know enough about American history for this one. I’m guessing it’s accurate though, and I found that the intermingling of elemental magic was very neat.

Queen of the Mountain – Another good one, although I felt it could have been longer. A good use of irony for the reader here.

I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing – Although this one was by Lackey, it lacked some of the pizzaz I expect of her. It wasn’t any better than some of the authors in this anthology, and I’m going to branch out for sure in future.

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Review: Julianne Lee – Interloper at Glencoe

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Interloper at Glencoe
Julianne Lee
Where to start with reviewing this book… I picked it up (and requested it in part) because it looked a bit like Eirelan, which I enjoyed so much earlier in the year. I wasn’t feeling all too excited about my other reading options, so this was it.
The beginning is a little slow, but once things get started there’s lots of action. The characters are endearing, and I could really feel where things were going with Beth and feel Nick’s frustration and worry.
The ending was brilliant. Loved it. The only thing I would have liked to see more of would have been if I could see the life as an epilogue.
The Gaelic and lack of translations (which would have been nice at the end of the book) would have been good to have. I don’t know enough about it to comment on the accuracy.
Romance, fantasy, a bit of history – things I’m really enjoying at the moment and want more of and they’re all here in this nice book. Tick from me.
I’d say it was suitable for adults and teens alike. There are some references to sex, and some other adult themes (such as the deaths of the clan members), but I feel that those are quite minor points that don’t detract from the readability of the novel.
I’ve given this novel 4 stars, simply because despite being interested in the story, I did pick it up to read, and then put it back down again due to the slow beginning. Other than that, it’s really good and warms up to the task of entertaining. I would even consider purchasing a hard copy of it.
I received this free from Librarything in return for an honest review, but this has in no way influenced my review.

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Review: Terri Morgan – Playing the Genetic Lottery

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Playing the Genetic Lottery

Terri Morgan
Welcome to Incandescent Enchantment’s stop for ‘Playing the Genetic Lottery’.
Mental illness runs in Caitlin’s family. She’s paranoid she’s going to get it, and within this novel she talks about her earlier life that makes her think this way.

 

The official blurb:

Lots of kids think their parents are crazy at one point or another. Caitlin’s really are. Both her mother and father have schizophrenia, and Caitlin and her older brother grow up trying to navigate the chaos of living with two mentally ill parents. Now a young mother herself, Caitlin reflects back on her childhood, her efforts to create a peaceful and serene life for herself, her family, and the emotional scars and fears she still can’t shake.

My review:

I almost want to call this book a memoir, but it isn’t – this is fiction and comes with an appropriate selection of questions for if this novel was read by a book club. It’s in the genre I’ve been reading lately, and it was super enjoyable, if somewhat thought provoking and painful at times.
I read this novel in one sitting, and although I couldn’t say it was gripping in the same way as an action packed fantasy novel, I could really feel the characters and their interactions and kept reading for that reason.
This is another handy novel in the mental health interest group. This one covers schizophrenia, depression and post-natal depression. Of those, the schizophrenia is the worst, and Caitlin and Jon spend all their time in fear that they might get that horrific disorder next.

Something I found super interesting was the research that the author has done (or perhaps has personal experience with) into the way schizophrenia treatment has changed over the years. The concept of half-way houses is also an interesting one. The point that could have made it even more relevant for me would have been if it was set in Australia, but that’s a far hope.

Four stars from me. Sorry for my horrifically short review – I will try update it when I actually have some energy within the next couple of days, but no promises.

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About the Author

Terri Morgan is an avid reader, dog lover and ocean fanatic from California’s Central Coast. She started writing to support her surfing habit, and is the author of numerous sports biographies for young adults. She has also co-authored two books about photography, including one for young readers. Playing the Genetic Lottery is her first novel.

You can find her at:

Not sure if you like my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other things at:
December 3
 
December 4
 
December 5
 
December 6
 
December 7
 
December 8

Review: Lilliana Anderson – Confidante: The Brothel

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Confidante: The Brothel
Lilliana Anderson

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Confidante: The Brothel‘.

This is a sex novel styled memoir, so if you’re under the age of consent in your State, please don’t read any further.

The official blurb:

Ok, I’ll admit it – My mother in law used to be a sex worker. It’s something that she has confided in few people outside her immediate family until me. We are polar opposites in many ways but we get each other – as a result I have become the confidante in her life which is how this series has been born.
In 1989, Angelien was 32 when she made the decision to enter a brothel to help support herself and her two sons. She quickly became the most popular girl there with her Kathleen Turner looks and her excellent ‘acting’ skills.
Confidante: The Brothel is a collection of Angelien’s most memorable stories of her month working in the brothel.
This is a biography about friendship, discovery and of course sex.


My review:

I thought this book would be interesting and present a good view of things differently to the novel I reviewed yesterday. Indeed it did! Instead of being a classy escort, Angelien

I particularly liked the short bursts of information and various annecdotes. It makes it a novel you could pick up, read for a bit, and then put down without feeling frustrated. I don’t think it’s an edge-of-seat book, but it has a certain allure.

It’s interesting the way perceptions have and haven’t changed over the times about prostitution. Everything in this novel is about sex, even her early jobs, so I imagine that she was a very attractive woman, and couldn’t really help what she turned out doing. She’s als very practical, which I appreciated.

There are some tense changes and a couple of dialogue things that bugged me as I read, but it was quite well written. I was happy that it was a memoir type thing, and that made it easier for me to accept the different people as people (instead of characters that hadn’t been fleshed out). If they’re real people, it’s impossible to predict what their reactions on the personal side should be.

I’d actually be interested to read the other books in this trilogy. I’d probably give this one 4 stars for its genre, and not trying to be too high flaunting about it. If you’re looking for a romance, you won’t find it here, instead you’ll get a quite candid look at the life of a hooker.

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About the Author

Australian author of Confidante: The Brothel – Lilliana is a wife, mother of 4 and friend to many.

She lives a relatively quiet life in suburban Melbourne and spends most of her spare time writing the Confidante series as well as a racey drama of love and loss with the working title ‘What Might Have Been’.

 

 

You can find her at:

Not sure if you lik
e my opinion? Good thing this is a tour! You can look at some other reviews, guest posts and promos at each of these tour stops:

December 2 – Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
December 2 – Logikal Blog – Guest Post/PROMO
December 3 – Wonderland Reviews – Review/Interview Lilliana
December 4 – The Cozy Dragon – Review
December 5 – TE Garden of Books – Review/guest Post
December 6 – Books, Books, the Magical Fruit – Guest Post/PROMO
December 9 – The Steamy Side – Review
December 11 – Snifferwalker – Review/Interview Lilliana
December 12 – Chronicles of a Book Addict – Review/Guest Post
December 14 – Between the Bind – Guest Post/PROMO
December 15 – Sweet n Sassi – Review
December 17 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – PROMO
December 19 – Crazy For Books – Review
December 21 – Book Reviews and More – Guest Post/PROMO
December 22 – Up All Night Reviews – Guest Post/PROMO
December 24 – The eBook Reviewers – PROMO
December 26 – Bunny’s Reviews – Interview Angelien/PROMO
December 27 – Stressed Rach – Review
December 29 – Reading a Little Bit of Everything – Review/Interview Angelien
December 30 – Pink Fluffy Hearts – Review/Guest Post
December 31 – Intriguing Reads – Guest Post/PROMO

Review: Julie Anne Peters – It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It)

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It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It)
Julie Anne Peters
I was so excited about this book coming out that I bought a hard copy. And then I got a hand signed book plate by Julie Anne Peters! Squee! There are few things I would get even vaguely fan-girl-y about, but this is one of them for sure.
Sadly, the book was a bit different to the others Peters has written, and I wasn’t as convinced by the characters as I usually am. This novel used the technique of splitting between Azure (a lesbian) and Luke (a bisexual) for perspective.
I liked Azure, and felt more in common with her. However, I didn’t get the same sense of her being super chatty from within her perspective as I did from Luke. Sometimes it seemed like she was a totally different person. Her relationship with her dad though was a very positive one, as was her pespective on not judging others (most of the time).
Luke was a character of contradictions for me. He seemed like he was very flamboyant, and that was why his brother hated him so much, but then it wasn’t all that clear because his brother did care in a strange way. And then there was his crush on Radhika, but then his play and everything at the same time. Not to mention it seemed like he never did homework!
Now to the storyline (a bit back to front I know). One word and one person: Prom, Radhika. Both Azure and Luke want to go to the prom with Radhika, but she doesn’t like either of them in that way (or does she), given that they have been friends for forever! I think I read somewhere that originally Radhika had a perspective as well, but that this was then removed from the book. A pity, I would have liked to hear a bit more from her.
The end of the novel was altogether too happy for my liking. Others who love that kind of ending will probably be satisfied though. The same goes for the school settings they find themselves in – it is amazing that everyone is so diverse and accepting. It’s not something that has happened in Australia yet as far as I can tell, but I’d love to see a real high school in the US that has it.
I could have given this book three stars, but then reconsidered up to four. I didn’t hate it, and it’s probably not a desperate reread for me in the same way that Keeping You a Secret is, but it was reassuring to read it.

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