Category Archives: Books

Audio Book Review: The Corpse Reader

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The Corpse ReaderBook: The Corpse Reader by Antonio Garrido, translated by Thomas Burnstead, narrated by Todd Haberkorn

Published May 2013 by Brilliance Audio|Run Time: 12 hours, 14 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: None

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

You can find The Corpse Reader on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: After his grandfather dies, avid scholar and budding forensic investigator Cí Song begrudgingly gives up his studies to help his family. But when another tragedy strikes, he’s forced to run and also deemed a fugitive. Dishonored, he has no choice but to accept work as a lowly gravedigger, a position that allows him to sharpen his corpse-reading skills. Soon, he can deduce whether a person killed himself—or was murdered.

His prowess earns him notoriety, and Cí receives orders to unearth the perpetrator of a horrific series of mutilations and deaths at the Imperial Court. Cí’s gruesome investigation quickly grows complicated thanks to old loyalties and the presence of an alluring, enigmatic woman. But he remains driven by his passion for truth—especially once the killings threaten to take down the Emperor himself.

Inspired by Song Cí, considered to be the founding father of CSI-style forensic science, this harrowing novel set during the thirteenth-century Tsong Dynasty draws readers into a multilayered, ingenious plot as disturbing as it is fascinating.

My Review:

The Corpse Reader isn’t a book I’d normally seek out on my own, but when I heard it mentioned on the Book Riot podcast, I was intrigued enough to read it.

What’s most interesting is that the book is inspired by a real person.  I can’t speak to the historical accuracy of the book, but it did the feel of 12th century China.  I’m definitely curious about Ci, and the sources Garrido used, because I’d really like to learn more about Song Ci.  It, unfortunately, wasn’t included in the audio book, so I may have to check out a print or digital version of the book to see if anything’s included at the end of the book.  It does seem pretty well-researched, and it’s pretty detailed while not being boring.  You get the right amount of information at the right time, and it was easy to stay interested throughout the book, since I didn’t find myself bored at any particular point.

I did notice that when we got closer to the ending, it kind of reminded me of an episode of CSI or Law & Order.  It’s definitely dramatic, but given that Ci seems to be considered the father of forensics, it also seems appropriate.  I like that it’s a murder mystery set in medieval China, because it’s not something I normally read about.

Garrido really does seem to be a great story-teller, but at the same time, there was something about this book I couldn’t quite connect with.  I’m not sure if something was lost in translation, but…there is something about The Corpse Reader that I can’t put my finger on.  Still, it did seem like it was pretty well translated.

As for the narration, I felt like Todd Haberkorn did a pretty good job.  I wasn’t blown away, but he wasn’t horrendous either.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked The Corpse Reader, and it’s definitely a book I wouldn’t have picked out on my own.  It’s different in a good way, and I liked the time and setting because it’s not what I’d usually go for in historical fiction.  The Corpse Reader gets 3 stars.

ARC Book Review: The Forgotten Ones

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The Forgotten Ones CoverBook: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

Published August 2013 by Indie Inked|Pages: 132

Where I Got It: I got an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my review.  Promise!

Series: The Danaan Trilogy #1

Genre: New Adult Paranormal

You can find The Forgotten Ones on goodreads & Laura Howard on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

If there’s something I love, it’s a story that centers on fairies.  And I was pleasantly surprised that The Forgotten Ones is not your typical fairy story.

I really liked how Allison’s dad became immortal because he spent too much time in fairie.  As far as I can tell, Allison is not a fairie, which is definitely different, but a different that I’m intrigued by.  And Allison’s mom?  I totally didn’t see a certain plot point coming.  At all.  Actually, I have random thought about her mom: for some reason, the portrayal of Allison’s mother as a schizophrenic who’s heavily sedated and can’t go anywhere without being sedated bothered me, and I have no idea why.

The Forgotten Ones is pretty short, but it moved at a pretty good pace, and I felt like things were wrapped up really well, while also leaving things open for the next book.  It’s because things get fairly resolved that I wasn’t annoyed by the length of the book.  It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, which is also nice, but given that last line, and everything that happened in The Forgotten Ones…let’s just say that I really want to know what that means for the characters after finishing the book!

I’m feeling pretty neutral about the characters.  The fairies seem pretty interesting, and I wanted to know more about them!  At the same time, I liked what we did learn about them, and I’m sure there’s more to learn!  Other than that…no one really has made a lasting impression.  I will say that I think the length played a part in this, because I felt like I didn’t really get to know the characters, and maybe a book that was slightly longer would have helped in their development.  Hopefully, we’ll learn more of them in the next book.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked The Forgotten Ones, and how it’s a different take on fairies.  It’s pretty rooted in Celtic mythology, which seems pretty rare in fairie novels.  Still, I wish I knew the characters a little bit better, but I really am hoping to learn more about them.  The Forgotten Ones gets 3 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own Top Ten List based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Tuesday Header

Top Nine Things On My Reading Wishlist

Here’s what I like about this topic: there are SO MANY THINGS I’d love to see in books, and it was a lot of fun thinking about what I want to see more of in books!

  1. Labelling series!  It’s just annoying when I’m actually looking in Barnes & Noble and I have no clue if it’s part of a series and what number it is.  The downside to not having a smart phone means I have to remember the titles that sound interesting and check when I get home.
  2. More variety in mythology re-tellings.  I can count on one hand the number of re-tellings that are aren’t based in Greek mythology that I’m aware of.  As interesting as it is, authors really could go with any mythology…and yet most re-tellings are Greek mythology.
  3. Both parents in the picture and happily married.  Because I’m started to get tired of the single parent/divorced parents thing in YA.  Some teens do have happily married parents and I have no idea why it’s not more of a thing.  Also, parents who are involved but not too involved.  I don’t know if it’s just the books I’m reading or if it’s considered boring or what, but I’d really like to this one every once in a while.
  4. Speaking of family, can we have more of family actually getting along?  Because I’m pretty sure that there are people out there who actually got along with their siblings and parents, and I feel like that’s not highlighted enough.  A totally perfect relationship isn’t necessary, but getting along is good.
  5. Historical fiction that’s not set in Victorian-era England, the 1920’s or during World War II.  There’s so much to pick from in terms of historical fiction, but I feel like Victorian England, the 2o’s and WWII are really popular.  And there’s nothing wrong with those time periods, but with so much to history to pick from, I’d like to see more variety, instead of the same time periods over and over.
  6. So, those stories where someone dies- usually suicide, but sometimes not- and their former best friend tries to figure out why?  I’d really LOVE for the mystery part to be dropped, because it feels so fake that the former BFF cares now that their former friend is dead.  I feel like there are better ways to show someone coping with the death of a childhood friend.
  7. Less New Adult romance.  There’s nothing wrong with it and I don’t mind reading it once in a blue moon, but I feel like New Adult is so much more than YA with sex.
  8. More self-doubt.  One of the things that really stood out when I was listening to Spell Bound was how Sophie had a moment where she thought she couldn’t save the world because she was just an ordinary teenage girl.  I found that super-interesting and refreshing, and I’d love to see more of it!
  9. More interesting love triangles.  I’m finding that a lot of them are just boring because it’s obvious who the girl is going to pick.  I don’t care if it’s less obvious, or a different shape altogether or even if it’s a guy who’s trying to decide between 2 girls- I just want to see a different variation on the love triangle.

ARC Book Review: Manor Of Secrets

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Manor Of Secrets CoverBook: Manor Of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Expected Publication is January 28, 2o13 by Scholastic|Expected Number Of Pages: 339

Where I Got It: from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my opinion.  Promise!

Series: None

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

You can find Manor Of Secrets on goodreads and Katherine Longshore on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure—and most of all, romance.

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn’t sure she possesses the courage—or the means—to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives…forever.

In a lot of ways, Manor Of Secrets is a pretty typical story of a well-to-do girl who no longer wants to live the life that she’s accustomed to.  But it also surprised me, in a TOTALLY good way!

I really liked how Charlotte and Janie became friends and how they both managed to find some adventure and romance.  They definitely wanted to change their lives (especially Charlotte), and I liked seeing how they both had a better understanding of the world around them by the end of the book. They really came into their own by the end of the book, and I liked seeing that against the backdrop of a world that is changing while living in the bubble of a world that is resistant to change.

There’s definitely a Downtown Abbey feel to the book, so I would definitely recommend it to any Downtown Abbey fan.  There’s quite the cast of characters, and there is very much a divide between the staff and the family.  Everyone has their place, and those roles are challenged a little bit throughout the book.

It’s definitely a fun, quick read, and I’m kind of interested in the difference between upstairs servants and downstairs servants. That was definitely one of the more interesting parts of the book, because I don’t normally think about the hierarchy of servants.

I felt like Manor Of Secrets was predictable at times, especially with a big revelation coming towards the end of the book, but I found I didn’t mind, because Manor Of Secrets was so enjoyable.

Let’s Rate It:

Manor Of Secrets was a fun read.  I didn’t mind that it was predictable, and while I didn’t love it, it was still interesting and kept me entertained throughout the book.  It’s a must-read for Downtown Abbey fans!  Manor Of Secrets gets 3 stars.

Book Review: City Of Ashes

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City Of Ashes CoverBook: City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Published March 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books|496 pages

Where I Got It: Nook Store

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Genre: YA Paranormal

You can find City Of Ashes on goodreads & Cassandra Clare on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City’s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

So.  City Of Ashes!  After seeing the movie last year, I knew I had to continue The Mortal Instruments with book #2!

We meet quite a few people, including Jace’s adopted parents and the High Inquisitor.  And of course, we see quite a bit of the characters from City Of Bones.

I think I liked this one a little bit better than City Of Bones, because we were able to jump right into this world.  There’s a lot going on, including Jace and Clary dealing with the knowledge that they are brother and sister.  It’s definitely hard for both of them, and there were times when it was harder for one of them.  Although, something seems off about it.  Mostly because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of proof, other than Valentine’s word, so it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if they weren’t related after all.

I have to say, I just love Magnus!  There’s something very awesome about him, and he’s definitely one of my favorite characters. And I kind of like him and Alec together.

The Silent City is definitely creepy, especially given some of the events that take place there.  It’s such an interesting place, but at the same time, it’s super creepy.  I’m kind of creeped out just thinking about the Silent City, actually.  And the Institute seems so different, but that could be because we didn’t spend a lot of time there, like we did in City Of Bones.

We also learn more about Valentine, who is one not-very-cool guy.  But I also feel like I understand him a bit better after reading City Of Ashes.  Still, you’d think no one would just take his word for it.  There are certainly ways to truly know if Jace and Clary are siblings, and it’s odd that no one would bother to use them to make sure that what Valentine’s saying is actually true.

And how the Shadowhunters (well, some of them) view Mundanes and Downworlders!  I think that’s going to come back to haunt them later on.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked City Of Ashes, and I’m really curious as to where things are going.  I liked it slightly better than City Of Bones, and it’s definitely a fun, quick read.  City Of Ashes gets 3 stars.  

Audio Book Review: Spell Bound

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Spell Bound CoverBook: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins, narrated by Cris Dukehart

Published July 2012 by Tantor Media|Run Time: 7 hours, 30 minutes

Where I Got It: audible.com

Series: Hex Hall #1

Genre: YA Paranormal

You can find Spell Bound on goodreads & Rachel Hawkins on Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

I’ve really enjoyed this series, and Spell Bound is a pretty good series ender.  I feel like I say this a lot, but it’s totally true.  There’s a lot going on, and we learn more about the Brannicks, and that things really aren’t what they seem.  I mean, things we thought we knew…really weren’t the case at all.

It’s definitely one of those things I don’t want to spoil, because I feel like it’s a big part of what’s going on.  At the same time, it was kind of predictable, and I’m kind of kicking myself for not realizing that earlier.

It should be no surprise that Sophie gets her powers back and manages to stop Lara Casnoff.  It was quite predictable, but even a few things along the way managed to surprise me…including how Sophie gets to Hex Hall and how she manages to stop Lara from her evil plans.  One part that especially stood out was when she was thinking about how she was just a teenage girl and not a bad-ass heroine.  I really liked that moment because I feel like it’s not something something that comes up for a lot of YA heroines.  That moment of doubt because of how she’s just a normal girl was really refreshing.

As much as I enjoyed this series, I think Spell Bound is my least favorite.  There’s a lot of action, so there’s a lot going on, but it just didn’t have the same appeal as the other two books.  I think it’s because of certain things that I should have figured out in Demonglass, and because of things that seemed slightly out of place, while also not seeming out of place at the same time.  Some things also seemed like they were glossed over.

Let’s Rate It:

I’m not sure what else to say about Spell Bound.  There were quite a few funny moments, and I’m glad Sophie got her powers back in time to stop Lara’s evil plans, but something about it seemed less magical than the other two.  It was still an entertaining listen, and Cris Dukehart really brought Sophie to life.  Spell Bound gets 4 stars.

ARC Book Review: Forever

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Forever CoverBook: Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins

Expected Publication is January 28, 2013 by Harlequin Teen|Expected Number Of Pages: 328

Where I Got It: from netgalley.com

Series: Temptation #3

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

You can find Forever on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: All I want is my happily-ever-after.

That’s all I’ve wanted since meeting Noah Miller.

From the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being together, but now that I’m carrying his child, no one will be able to tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love. Worse, there’s a storm on the horizon, and it’s sure to cause serious devastation.

If we can get through this, we’ll finally be Rose and Noah; a family, forever.

But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily-ever-after is a long way off.

Forever wasn’t what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with how the series ended!  There were definitely moments where I was irritated with quite a few characters, and there were also times when I thought everyone acted monumentally stupid, but given the choices everyone made, I suppose it’s to be expected.

So, Rose’s pregnancy.  We see Noah hoping Rose is pregnant at the end of the 2nd book, and at the beginning of this one, he’s hoping she isn’t, because of how difficult it will be for them if she is.  So there’s quite the change in attitude from Noah.  And not just in regards to Rose’s pregnancy!  Her dad doesn’t take it well, of course, and Rose puts off that particular conversation.  However, she does seem relieved that her older brother is the one who told their dad.

Rose’s dad is the character who frustrated me the most in this series.  I get his resistance to Rose becoming Amish, but he also didn’t seem to care about what Rose wanted.  For most of the series, he’s been so dead-set against Rose becoming Amish…I felt like his resistance may have made being with Noah even more appealing.  At the same time, Rose also didn’t seem to want to take her dad’s opinion into consideration.

Until Noah does something that I didn’t see coming…he actually decides to leave the Amish country behind.  Part of it is things that happened after he broke off his engagement to Constance, and part of it is him actually coming to the realization that it wasn’t fair for Rose to sacrifice so much and for him to not sacrifice anything.  I have two very different thoughts on this.  The first one being it’s about time, and the other one being that it still seems weird that he would finally change his mind.  I so very much wanted Rose to become Amish, and I’m finding that I’m slightly disappointed that it didn’t happen.  Noah leaving the Amish community, but still living nearby…it does seem to work for them, but…it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Another slightly frustrating thing was how Rose’s dad became a bit more accepting of her pregnancy once Noah said he was leaving the Amish community behind.  I doubt her dad was completely okay with it, but it was irksome that it was more okay once it meant that Rose wasn’t going to be Amish. It’s one of those times when I wish we had a chapter or two narrated by her dad, because as frustrating as he was throughout the entire series, I still would have liked to see what he was really thinking.

Speaking of narration…we have Noah, Rose and Sam narrating, with the addition of Sarah as a narrator.  I’m not sure how I feel about Sarah as a narrator, but it was nice to see how Noah and Rose’s actions were affecting her, just as it affected Sam.  Because there are definitely consequences, and it’s not just Noah and Rose who have to deal with them…it’s also affecting those close to them.

Let’s Rate It:

Even though Forever is my least favorite in the series, I still really liked it!  There’s a lot of drama, and there is a lot going on, but I liked that Rose and Noah finally got their happily-ever-after.  Forever gets 4 stars.  

ARC Book Review: Heartbeat

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Heartbeat CoverBook: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Expected publication is January 28, 2013 by Harlequin Teen|Expected Number Of Pages: 240

*I did receive Heartbeat from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my review in any way. Promise!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find Heartbeat on goodreads & Elizabeth Scott on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and her website

Goodreads Summary: Life. Death. And…Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can’t tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn’t have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

My Review:

When I saw what Hearbeat was about, I knew it was something I had to read, because it’s not a topic covered in fiction.  Well, it’s not something that I’ve seen.  Still, I liked that it’s so different than a lot of other books I’ve read in terms of plot.  You have Emma, who believes her mom wouldn’t want to stay alive just because of her younger brother, and that her step-dad Dan is a total monster for putting her brother before her mom.  And Dan is on the complete opposite side, believing it is what Emma’s mom would want.

I can’t even BEGIN to imagine what it would be like for both Emma and Dan to deal with what they’re dealing with.  I get why Emma blamed Dan (and her brother, to a certain extent), and I might have done the same thing if I were in her situation.  Still, I found it to be irritating by the end of the book, and while I wanted to feel sympathy for her, I really couldn’t.  I get her grief and that Dan maybe forgot about her and didn’t ask her about what she thought about her mom being on life support, but…actually, I’m finding that I’m more sympathetic towards Dan, for having to make that decision.  It was just really hard for me to like her, as weird as it may seem.  Her thought process (and Dan’s too, come to think of it) do make a little more sense towards the end of the novel, when they actually talk to each other.

I did like that Emma gave Caleb a chance, and that there’s a reason for why he acts the way he does. And of all of the characters in the book, he’s also the one that understands what Emma is going through the most.  So it’s good that they have each other to work through everything that’s happened in their lives, you know?

Back to Dan wanting to keep Emma’s mom on life support in order to give his unborn son a chance at survival.  You can’t help but wonder what you’d do in that situation, and there’s definitely the ethics of it to think about.  It really does give you a lot to think about.  The difference in opinion Dan and Emma have does make for an interesting conflict, because you get both sides of the issue.  And even when they’re both being a little unfair to the other…they also make sense at the same time.  There are no easy answers for Dan and Emma.

Let’s Rate It:

I know it would seem like I didn’t like Heartbeat, but I actually did like it.  It’s definitely because of the decisions that Dan had to make, and it’s definitely something to think about, whether or not you agree with what he decided.  It was hard for me to care about Emma,  but I also understand why she acted the way she did.  Heartbeat gets 3 stars.

Book Review: It’s Not Summer Without You

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It's Not Summer Without You CoverBook: It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Published April 2010 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers|288 Pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Summer #2

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find It’s Not Summer Without You on goodreads & Jenny Han on Twitter, Facebook, tumblr and her website

Goodreads Summary: Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started–at Cousins Beach.

I just LOVED It’s Not Summer Without You!  I knew it would be completely amazing when I started crying by, like, 10 pages in. Belly’s story continues a year after The Summer I Turned Pretty (henceforth known as TSITP), with another summer that is happening at home, and not at Cousins Beach.

I loved It’s Not Summer Without You (AKA INSWY) so much more than TSITP.  Belly has changed quite a bit since last summer, and with Susannah being sick and everything that happened with Conrad…you see everything that’s happened since the end of TSITP in flashbacks, and how it led to the events of INSWY, and I liked that we got those flashbacks of what happened.

What makes INSWY so different from TSITP is that we get a glimpse of what Belly’s life is like when she’s not at Cousins Beach, and especially what her summers could have been like if she didn’t spend her summers at Cousins Beach.  I have to admit that I’m not sure how I feel about Belly when she isn’t at the beach house, because it’s where she belongs.  Summer really isn’t the same when it’s not at Cousins Beach, but thankfully, things get straightened out, and she spends some time with Conrad and Jeremiah at Cousins Beach after all.

A big part of the book is the death of Susannah, and you REALLY feel it in INSWY.  You really do, and you see how all of the characters are dealing with it…and it’s why summer just feels so different.

Another reason why this book is different than the first is that part of the book is narrated by Jeremiah. I actually really liked it, and I liked having a different perspective on things and how/when he started to fall for Belly.  It’s so weird, though, because the first book, I wanted him and Belly to end up together but in this book, I wanted her to be with Conrad, so it’s quite the conundrum for Belly in terms of romance.  Jeremiah really is the better guy, but I also like the the glimpses of who Conrad really is.  You know, behind all the angst and stuff.  I have no clue who I want Belly to be with.  Jeremiah’s great, but I think she’ll always love Conrad, and I have the feeling she may end up with him.  But…it really could go either way, so we’ll have to wait and see in the next one for that.

I felt so nostalgic while reading It’s Not Summer Without You, which is another reason why I loved it so much.  I just kept thinking of my summer vacations, and for whatever reason, I feel like I read it at the right time.  Like, when I read it, I needed to read something like it, even though I didn’t know it was what I needed at the time.  Does that make sense?  Because I’m feeling like that doesn’t make a lot of sense.  Still, I love the nostalgia I felt when I read it.

Let’s Rate It:

It feels weird to start the year off with such a special book, but that’s exactly what It’s Not Summer Without You is!  I loved it even more than The Summer I Turned Pretty, and while I was so sad for a lot of the characters, I also loved seeing one last summer at Cousins Beach…even though I have the feeling we’ll be going there again in the next book.  It’s Not Summer Without You gets 5+ stars.  

Audio Book Review: Demonglass

Posted in Audiobooks, Books by

Demon Glass CoverBook: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins, Narrated by Cris Dukeheart

Published July 2012 by Tantor Media|Length: 8 hours, 23 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: Hex Hall #2

Genre: YA Paranormal

You can find Demonglass on goodreads & Rachel Hawkins on Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shape-shifters, and faeries).  But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world-the other being her father.  What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves.  Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good-or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates?  They’re demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good.  Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore.  Does she?

Demonglass!  I really liked it, and this series is super-interesting!  Things got REALLY interesting in this book, and it’ll be interesting to see how they play out in the last book.

Sophie certainly has an adventure in London with her friends, and she definitely LEARNS THINGS about her family and the council. The ending of Demonglass?  Not what I was expecting!  Which is why I really want to read the next (and last) book in the series, because Sophie has to go to a very unexpected place to get her mother.  And because of certain things that happened.

So…Archer.  I found that I didn’t really care about Archer, who seems all over the place.  I just really want him to go away, but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen.  I did, however, find that I have a soft spot for Cal, who surprised me at the end of the book. Although…I’m actually fine with no romance in this one, because I really don’t like Sophie and Archer together.  But I also don’t like her with Cal, even though I really like him as a character.  Sophie does have a lot on her mind in Demonglass, so romance wasn’t a big thing in this one.

And what about Sophie?  I liked that she made progress with her powers, and we learn why hers so strong.  (hint: it’s because she’s a demon).  I love how snarky Sophie is, but other than that, I don’t have any other thoughts on her as a character.  Which is weird, because I should have more thoughts about her, but at the moment I don’t, so there you go.

Oh, the two demons that Sophie meets!  Nick is certainly interesting, but the other one (you know, whatshername) isn’t coming to mind at all.

Overall, Demonglass had quite a few humorous moments, but it did get a bit more serious towards the end of the book.  It would seem that things are going to go down in the next one, and I was really was surprised by certain things that happened.  I know I’ve been really vague, but it’s certainly plot-twisty enough for me to not want to spoil it.

Rating Time!

I really liked Demonglass (which didn’t make too much of an appearance in the book) but I don’t think I liked it nearly as much as Hex Hall.  Demonglass gets 4 stars.