You Should See Me in a Crown - Book Review

You Should See Me in a Crown
by Leah Johnson

What is it about:
Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

What did I think of it:
This book was even more fun than I had hoped.

I was a bit afraid that there would be an enemies to lovers romance in this book as Liz falls for the competition, but luckily this was not the case. There are some other serious issues being explored, like changing friendships, mean girls, and more, but even with those this book was a fun and fluffy read, that tackled the serious issues in a really good way.

I loved Liz and her family. They were there for each other and supportive. Something that seems to be rare in contemporary YA.

I very much enjoyed reading about the whole prom elections. It's not something that is done here (or at least not wen I was in school) so it always feels so foreign and glamorous. I was hooked from the start and was rooting for Liz to succeed and for her to get together with Mack.

Of course there are some moments I was thinking Liz is making things much too complicated for herself, but it never got to the point of it being annoying or unbelievable.

All in all a wonderful and sweet Contemporary YA read, that I'll definitely put on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:
It's super fun and sweet.


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Cover Reveal - The Wolf & The Water by Josie Jaffrey

 

 

Some secrets are worth killing for. 

 The ancient city of Kepos sits in an isolated valley, cut off from the outside world by a towering wall. Behind it, the souls of the dead clamour for release. Or so the priesthood says.

 Kala has never had any reason to doubt their word – until her father dies in suspicious circumstances that implicate the city's high priest. She's determined to investigate, but she has a more immediate problem: the laws of the city require her mother to remarry straight away. 

 Kala's new stepfather is a monster, but his son Leon is something altogether more dangerous: kind.

With her family fractured and the investigation putting her life in danger, the last thing Kala needs is romance. She would rather ignore Leon entirely, however difficult he makes it. But when she learns the truth of what really clamours behind the wall at the end of the valley, she faces a choice: share what she knows and jeopardise her escape, or abandon him to his fate along with the rest of the city. 

 If she doesn't move fast, then no one will make it out of the valley alive.

RELEASE DATE

8 October 2020

 

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher: Silver Sun Books
Author: Josie Jaffrey
Cover Art: Josie Jaffrey
Page Count: 282
Word Count: 82,000
ISBN (E-book): 978-1-913786-03-8
ISBN (Print): 9798670170987
Rating: 14+

 

LINKS

Website:

https://www.josiejaffrey.com/the-wolf-and-the-water

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54543884-the-wolf-and-the-water

Spells for the Dead by Faith Hunter - Excerpt and Giveaway

I'm honored to be part of the Blog tour for Faith Hunter's Spells for the Dead. I bring you an excerpt of the book, and you can enter the tour-wide giveaway.


About Spells for the Dead:
Nell Ingram faces a dark craft known as death magic in the newest pulse-pounding paranormal procedural in the New York Times bestselling Soulwood series.

Nell Ingram is a rookie PsyLed agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she's taken on the darkest magic and the direst foes. But she'll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case.

Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene—dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone's eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, knows this can only be one thing: death magic, a rare type of craft used to steal life forces. PsyLed needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, they find themselves under attack from all sides.

EXCERPT

We met in the grassy area and I said, “You are my hero.” It was something I’d heard people on TV say to anyone who stood up to unfairness.

T. Laine blew out her frustration. “I look like I’m wasting time, but I’m taking readings every five minutes. Which is what I should have told him instead of mouthing off.” She shook her head. “Men like that push my buttons. Anyway. It looks as if the unis and null pens, when used together, create a narrow circle of protection around the wearer/holder. But the pens drain fast and need a three-person coven to recharge them, which I don’t have, and I’m down to one box of unis. I haven’t yet determined how wide the protection is, if it totally encircles the wearer, how long the protection lasts, and how much gets through to responders the closer we get to the victims and the bodies. I’m thinking about limiting access to the patients and the basement to twenty minutes, with a sixty-minute break between stints, unis hanging in the sunlight, to reduce recontamination. Then, after sixty minutes total in the house or with victims, the wearer and his gear have to spend time in the null room. If it ever gets here.”

“The Nashville coven said yes to bringing a null room here?” I asked.

“Yes. But now I can’t raise them on their cells, so I don’t know what to do next or if help is really coming.”

I said, “Maybe pulling a null room messes with the signal?”

“A better answer than them not coming.” She took a deep breath, pulled a water bottle from a pocket of her uni, and drank it down. “And I have to keep everyone away from the basement until I know I have a way to treat their contamination. Stupid-ass sheriff.”

“Your plan sounds good,” Occam drawled. “Sounds like the appropriate thing to do, if not the politically correct way to do it.”

T. Laine made that breathy irritated sound again. “Politically correct? Are you saying I need to apologize?”

“Hell no. He was an ass.”

T. Laine grinned and looked at me. “You got a good one here.”

Occam propped his hands on his hips and agreed. “I am a right fine specimen of manhood.”

T. Laine gave a soft snort.

I fought a smile, looking down at my hands, clasped in front of me. Occam was . . . Occam was my cat-man. Accent on the word my.

About Faith Hunter:
Faith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats series. In addition, she has edited several anthologies and co-authored the Rogue Mage RPG. She is the coauthor and author of 16 thrillers under pen names Gary Hunter and Gwen Hunter. Altogether she has 40+ books and dozens of short stories in print and is juggling multiple projects.

She sold her first book in 1989 and hasn’t stopped writing since.

Faith collects orchids and animal skulls, loves thunderstorms, and writes. She likes to cook soup, bake bread, garden, and kayak Class II & III whitewater rivers. She edits the occasional anthology and drinks a lot of tea. Some days she’s a lady. Some days she ain't.

Find Faith online at -
Website: www.faithhunter.net
Facebook (official): https://www.facebook.com/official.faith.hunter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faith.hunter?fref=ts
Twitter: @hunterfaith
Yellowrock Securities website: http://www.yellowrocksecurities.com
Gwen Hunter website: www.gwenhunter.com




Tour-wide Giveaway!
Enter to win some fabulous prizes! Giveaway is open to US residents only.
- $25 Amazon or B&N e-giftcard
- 3” wide armband
- 1.5” narrow armband

Enter here




Check out all the tour stops at LTP

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory - Quick Book Review

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory (The Murderbot Diaries #4.5)
by Martha Wells

What is it about:
A short story set in the Murderbot Diaries series from the viewpoint of Dr. Mensah.

What did I think of it:
When I heard there was going to be a Q&A with Martha Wells at Short Story Club, and that people who signed up for the Q&A would get the short story Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory for free, you bet I immediately signed up.

And this is a great short story. It is from the viewpoint of Dr. Mensah and I loved seeing Murderbot through her eyes for once. As with all good short stories though, it was much too short in my opinion.

I greatly recommend fans of the Murderbot Diaries to try and get hold of this short story if at all possible.

Exit Strategy - Book Review

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4)
by Martha Wells

What is it about:
Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

What did I think of it:
Until I read this novella Artificial Condition was my favorite of these novellas (ART!), but now it will have to share first place with Exit Strategy.

Murderbot has answers to several of its questions and is on its way to Dr. Mensah, who bought Murderbot from its corporation and thereby giving Murderbot its freedom. But things have happened while Murderbot was gone, and soon it is in the middle of dangerous politics and games.

Once again there is lots of action while Murderbot tries to save the day. There are returning characters as well, and I loved catching up with them. I read this novella in one sitting, because it was just too suspenseful to put down. I needed to know if all my favorite characters would survive.

All in all another awesome read. I'm hooked on this series!

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool SF novella


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Rogue Protocol - Book Review

Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3)
by Martha Wells

What is it about:
SciFi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

What did I think of it:
I'm loving Murderbot more and more with each book. It is such a cool character.

As much as Murderbot would like to be left alone to watch its shows, there's always something intruding. Certainly it can't be that it is starting to care about people, can it? To help Dr. Mensah with the case against GrayCris Murderbot is on the hunt for information. It once again ends up with people who are in way over their heads and need a SecUnit to stay alive.

I love how Murderbot thinks about itself and humans. Its internal monologues are dry and at times sarcastic. I have never related with a construct more! If not for the fact Murderbot wants to be left alone, we'd be fast friends if we ever met for sure.

The story is once again suspenseful and full of action. I cheered Murderbot on and was on the edge of my seat to see if Murderbot would save the day and all involved.

All in all this is yet another great read, and I ordered Network Effect (book 5) even before starting on Exit Strategy (book 4).

Why should you read it:
Murderbot is totally awesome!


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On McPig's Wishlist - Agnes at the End of the World

Agnes at the End of the World
by Kelly McWilliams

The Handmaid's Tale meets Wilder Girls in this unique, voice-driven novel from Kelly McWilliams.

Agnes loves her home of Red Creek--its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town's strict laws. What she doesn't know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet.

Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn't a sin. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?

As the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. But it isn't safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate. As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But in a world where faith, miracles, and cruelty have long been indistinguishable, will Agnes be able to choose between saving her family and saving the world?


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Hold Back the Tide - Book Review

Hold Back the Tide
by Melinda Salisbury

What is it about:
Everyone knows what happened to Alva's mother, all those years ago. But when dark forces begin to stir in Ormscaula, Alva has to face a very different future - and question everything she thought she knew about her past...

What did I think of it:
Yes, I know. I still need to read book two in the Sorrow duology, but the kindle version of this book was on sale for less than a Euro so I was impulsive, bought it, and started on it. (Seems the US kindle version won't release for a while)

And once I started this book was hard to put down. It was twistier than I expected.

Alva lives with her father outside of town. She knows her father killed her mother, even though the body was never found. She's working on a way to escape and start a life of her own.

Sounds like it will be a suspenseful story with maybe a surprise reveal somewhere along the way, right? Think again! This story continued to throw new things at me, and I loved it. From a historical thriller it turned into something more sinister and paranormal, even skirting the edges of horror. I was totally engrossed and needed to find out what was going on.

And the ending! OMG! What the? What!? I tell you , you need to read this book! It left me reeling and wanting more. You bet I'll dig up my copy of Song of Sorrow soon!

Why should you read it:
It's a twisty and cool Paranormal YA read.


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Teaser Tuesdays - Free Station

Yank nodded and tapped the transmit button on his panel. "It's clear. Move in, and do it fast. We're on the clock."


(location 79 kindle version, Free Station by Rachel Aukes)


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---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Kill the Messenger - Quick Book Review

Kill the Messenger: A Dark Fantasy Short Story
by Jess Haines

What is it about:
Therrell is the sole survivor of a massacre. He’s also the only one who knows about the growing danger to his kingdom. He must bring word back to the city so they can drive back the threat before it’s too late.

Monsters. Beasts. Creatures too foul to be named. All hungry to carve their way inside, all clamoring for the flesh of the populace.

They know he’s on his way. They know what he saw. And they are hunting for him.

He must survive.

The messenger must deliver his report before it’s too late.

What did I think of it:
Jess Haines' stories always manage to get me invested and this short story is no different. It's creepy, intriguing, and makes me hungry for more. I'll be keeping an eye out for Haines' next release.

Why should you read it:
It's an atmospheric and creepy short story


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American Panda - Book Review (repost)

I was in the mood for this book, so reread it recently. Here's a repost of my original review.


American Panda
by Gloria Chao

What is it about:
At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

What did I think of it:
I was intrigued by the blurb of this book and even though it was only available as a hardcover I decided to give it a try.

And this is a wonderful read.

Mei wants to please her parents and stay on their good side, but their expectations are high and they want a future for her that she herself is not sure about. As she tries to settle in to college life she feels like an outsider, while at the same time she tries to shake herself lose from her traditional background and find her own place in the world.

I do not claim to understand how it must be to grow up as a child of immigrants, trapped between two cultures. I did however grow up in a small village where my parents moved to when I was a baby, and were still seen as 'the new ones' when I was seventeen. So on that front I could really relate with Mei: feeling like an outsider and feeling weird, although I'm pretty sure my experiences were a lot less intense as they can be for children of immigrants.

I could really understand why Mei has a hard time telling her parents how she feels. The lies she tells them, the omissions, might seem unwise, but it's hard to disappoint the people you want to love you and be proud of you. I rooted for Mei to find a way to be happy.

The romance in the book is cute and slow. It's more one of the catalysts for Mei's change and growth than that it is the focus of the book. I still very much enjoyed the scenes between Mei and Darren.

All in all this is a beautiful and touching story that is recognizable for everyone who's ever felt like an outsider, or has struggled with the expectations of their family. You bet I'll keep an eye out for the next book by Chao.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful story about finding your identity.


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On McPig's Radar - Rent a Boyfriend

Rent a Boyfriend
by Gloria Chao

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this incisive romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?


Expected publication: November 10th 2020
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Taken on Thanksgiving - Book...?? WTF...?? by Voodoo Bride

Taken on Thanksgiving
by Annabelle Winters

What is it about:
MORE INSTA-LOVE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN . . . FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

My mom just got a new boyfriend and cancelled Thanksgiving because "reasons."

So my sweet elderly neighbors invite me over.

So far so good, right?

Yeah, well, I'm not the only guest at their Thanksgiving table . . .

But from the way this mystery guest is staring, I might be the only thing on the menu . . .

His menu!

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I was looking for something else on amazon, and this book turned up as a sponsored result. An Instalove story set at Thanksgiving? I decided to give it a try...

I'll confess that I DNFed this book on my first try.

First there was a scene where a particular part of the hero's anatomy was dancing like a dervish while clothed! I had a hard time picturing that particular body part dancing like a dervish at all, let alone while covered.

Next the hero accidentally lifted a table because he was aroused...

I DNFed and ranted on Twitter after that! My rant did make someone else curious enough to give the book a try, and she told me about the other craziness she encountered. That in turn made me curious enough to continue reading to see if all that craziness was indeed happening in those 88 pages, because that seemed like a lot of WTF.

And it indeed was one long WTF ride of craziness. The things happening in this book are totally wacky and over the top of a WTF mountain.

After finishing this book I was left with a feeling of "WTF did I just read and why?". I certainly won't be reading more books by this author, because can't handle her levels of WTFery I'm afraid.

Why should you read it:
You might be able to handle all this craziness.


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Teaser Tuedays - Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

He heard it on the radio first. The headline, that the body of an astronaut had been recovered from the Thames in what appeared to be an accident.


(page 94, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh)


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---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Deathless Divide - Book Review

Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2)
by Justina Ireland

What is it about:
The sequel to Dread Nation is a journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you're a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodermus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880's America.

What's more, this safe haven is not what it appears - as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won't be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by - and that Jane needs her, too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane's back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it's up to Katherine to keep hope alive - even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

What did I think of it:
What an awesome read!

After the first book I thought I had a good idea where this story would lead.

Boy, was I wrong!

Ireland doesn't pull any punches in this book and shows the darkness that lurks in some people's souls. I can tell you that the zombies weren't the scariest things in this book!

I was on the edge of my seat and had to keep reading to see what would happen with Jane and Katherine. They encounter lots of setbacks and heartache, and they need to decide who they want to be, and how they will fight for their happiness.

The viewpoint switches between Jane and Katherine, and I seriously love both so much! They're very different, but I could understand both of them. I wanted the two of them to escape all the nastiness and to find a place where they could belong.

The ending is everything I could have hoped for, and you bet I'll reread this duology in the future.

Why should you read it:
It's a totally awesome zombie read.


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The Fisher of Bones - Book Review

The Fisher of Bones
by Sarah Gailey

What is it about:
The Prophet is dead.

The eyes of the Gods have turned to his daughter. But she isn't ready. Not for the whispers in her ear, for the divinations... for the blood. Her people's history and their future, carved by ancients into the bones of long dead behemoths, are now her burden. Only she can read them, interpret the instructions, and guide them to the Promised Land.

Their journey is almost at an end, but now, without the Prophet, she must find a way to guide them to the place they will call Home. Through blood and through sand, against the will of her own flock, against the horrors that haunt the darkness, only she can bring her people Home.

The Prophet is dead. Long live the Prophetess.

What did I think of it:
I think it's no secret by now that I'm a bit of a fanpiggy when it comes to Sarah Gailey ever since reading their American Hippo books. I've gotten hold of most of heir books by now, and The Fisher of Bones was the last I still needed to get my trotters on. (next: getting hold of all the short stories)

And this is such an achingly beautiful read.

The Fisher of Bones drew me in, made me fall in love, and then stomped on my heart and feasted on my tears!

The atmosphere and mood in this story are beautiful. I was totally rooting for Fisher (the Prophetess) to succeed in leading her people to the Promised Land foretold in the bones only she can read. She has to deal with the doubters, the fanatics, the greedy, and with her own doubts and insecurities. I read this story in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down (Ok, it's a short read, but I'd have done the same had it been longer).

All in all this is an amazing read, and I'll be rereading it for sure!

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful and emotional read.


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May Day - Release Day Book Review

May Day (Seekers #1)
by Josie Jaffrey

What is it about:
If the murderer you’re tracking is a vampire, then you want a vampire detective. Just maybe not this one.

It’s not that Jack Valentine is bad at her job. The youngest member of Oxford’s Seekers has an impressive track record, but she also has an impressive grudge against the local baron, Killian Drake.

When a human turns up dead on May Morning, she’s determined to pin the murder on Drake. The problem is that none of the evidence points to him. Instead, it leads Jack into a web of conspiracy involving the most powerful people in the country, people to whom Jack has no access. But she knows someone who does.

To get to the truth, Jack will have to partner up with her worst enemy. As long as she can keep her cool, Drake will point her to the ringleaders, she’ll find the murderer and no one else will have to die.

Body bags on standby.

May Day is the first book in Josie Jaffrey’s Seekers series, an urban fantasy series set in Oxford, England.

What did I think of it:
I received an ARC of this book for review, and I'm glad I did, because after reading Killian's Dead I wanted more!

This story starts twenty years after the events in Killian's Dead, but time has not mellowed Jack. She's still impulsive, reckless, and determined.

I loved Jack and the team she works with. They might not always agree with each other, but when push comes to shove they have each other's back... mostly. I very much enjoyed getting to know them and their work.

As Jack gets deeper into the investigation things get murky and dangerous. And then she has to deal with Killian as well. He makes things a whole lot more difficult than they need to be, I can tell you. And all Jack really wants is get a date with the cute female doctor who's helping with the case.

I was hooked from the start. I love the world building, the atmosphere, and most of all Jack, who just can't help getting herself into sticky situations. I was on the edge of my seat to see if Jack would manage to save the day and get that date!

All in all this is a really cool read with a satisfying ending, but enough still going on that I really am eager to get my trotters on the next book. Because I just know it will be awesome!

Why should you read it:
It's a cool and suspenseful Vampire Detective read.


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The A.I. Who Loved Me - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

The A.I. Who Loved Me
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
Trinity Jordan leads a quiet, normal life: working from home for the Hive, a multifunctional government research center, and recovering from the incident that sent her into a tailspin. But the life she’s trying to rebuild is plagued by mishaps when Li Wei, her neighbor’s super sexy and super strange nephew, moves in and turns things upside down.

Li Wei’s behavior is downright odd—and the attraction building between them is even more so. When an emergency pulls his aunt away from the apartment complex, Trinity decides to keep an eye on him...and slowly discovers that nothing is what it seems. For one thing, Li Wei isn’t just the hot guy next door—he’s the hot A.I. next door. In fact, he’s so advanced that he blurs the line between man and machine.

It’s up to Trinity to help him achieve his objective of learning to be human, but danger is mounting as they figure out whether he’s capable of the most illogical human behavior of all...

falling in love.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I love all the books I've read by Alyssa Cole so far, so when I saw this book mentioned online, I grabbed it immediately.

And this is such a fun read!

It starts out as what seems to be a simple and cute romance: girl meets cute neighbor, but there's something strange about him. The title pretty much gives way what might be strange about him, so I didn't expect any surprises. There were small mentions of things that made me wonder if something else was going on though...

Once these two get together, soon things escalate and I was surprised by a whole extra layer to this story I hadn't expected. I was totally hooked and had to keep reading if Trinity and Li Wei will get a Happily Ever After.

All in all a fun, sweet, and thrilling romance.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable and twisty Romance.


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Teaser Tuesdays - Tevinter Nights

He'd done everything he could to avoid being drafted into the funeral guard: swapping duties, extra shifts, tasteful bribes. Nothing had worked.


(page 51, Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Anthology, Down Among the Dead Man by Sylvia Feketekuty)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A Bollywood Affair - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

A Bollywood Affair (Bollywood #1)
by Sonali Dev

What is it about:
Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I've heard good things about the books by Sonali Dev, so I decided to give her first book a try.

And this is a sweet and fun romance.

I could easily understand why Mili believes in her marriage even when she's modern in other things. She grew up with people telling her about her duty, and with romanticizing her child marriage. It was easy to love Mili and cheer her on.

Samir is mostly relatable as well, but where Mili is without guile Samir is a bit of a sneak at times, using events and situations to his own advantage. I felt like kicking him at times. Still I couldn't help but hope the two of them would see sense and fall for each other.

There were some extra storylines that made the story more complicated than it could have been, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment. I was rooting for Mili to to find happiness and for Samir to come to his senses and be honest.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and I'll definitely will try more books by Dev in the future.

Why should you read it:
It's a sweet and very enjoyable Romance.


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Living Underground - Book Review

Living Underground
by Josie Jaffrey

What is it about:
A very short story set on the London Underground.

What did I think of it:
After reading Killian's Dead I decided to give this short story a try as well.

Living Underground is an atmospheric and bittersweet story about a strange encounter in the London Underground late at night. Even with it just being 13 pages, Jaffrey manages to put so much in this story.

What I really like about her books, is that they're all part of the same world, even if they're in different series and set in different times within that world. The more books I read, the more I learn about this intriguing world.

This short story made me even more eager to read May Day I can tell you.

Why should you read it:
It's a perfect quick read.


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Killian's Dead - Book Review

Killian's Dead (Seekers #0.5)
by Josie Jaffrey

What is it about:
Love is for losers.

Jack doesn't care about anything except music. All she wants to do is find a decent gig, stand by the speakers and let the bass roll through her. It's the only reason she gets out of bed.

Until she meets Winta. In the space of a second, everything is different. Winta knows what she wants and for one night, what she wants is Jack. It feels like the start of forever.

Then Winta disappears and Jack faces a choice: should she go back to her life, or track down the only girl who can change it beyond recognition?
One things' certain: Jack has no idea what she's getting herself into.

What did I think of it:
This 50 page long story is the introduction to Jack, the lead character in the upcoming Seekers series.

And what a perfect introduction!

I really liked Jaffrey's writing style, and I loved Jack! She's impulsive and determined, two traits that can lead to a lot of trouble. When she decides to try and find Winta after one special night she's unprepared for the kind of trouble she'll find, but she won't let that stop her.

I was hooked from the start and raced through this short story. The ending made me hungry for more in a good way! Luckily I received and ARC of May Day, book 1 in the Seekers series, not long after I read this book, so you bet I started on it the moment it was in my greedy trotters.

Why should you read it:
It's a great introduction to a series that promises to be awesome.


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Artificial Condition - Book Review (repost/reread)

After rereading All Systems Red I immediately reread Artificial Condition.
Here's my initial review and notes on rereading at the end.


Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2)
by Martha Wells

What is it about:
It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

What did I think of it:
This is another Hugo read. I wasn't sure if I should read it as it's book 2 in a series, but then Jeffe told me she started it and didn't feel lost even though she hadn't read book 1, so I decided to give it a try as well.

And this is a really fun read. I especially loved ART and the interaction between ART and Murderbot. The two of them really have a unique and cool way of looking at things. I thought Wells did a great job at making them sound and act other than human.

The story itself delves into the past of Murderbot and also is about Murderbot trying to find out where it/they belong and how they want to be.

All in all a very enjoyable novella. I think I'll go back and read the first one as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable SF novella.

Notes on rereading:
Although this book is also perfectly readable on its own, I must say it's a more solid read if you also know what happened in the first book. I got a better grip on what's going on in Murderbot's head and was more invested. I still totally love ART!


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