Review: Blood Countess by Lana Popović

Title: Blood Countess
Author: Lana Popović
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 28th 2020
Source: Netgalley/Amulet Books


Book Description:

A historical YA horror novel based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula


In 17th century Hungary, Anna Darvulia has just begun working as a scullery maid for the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Bathory. When Elizabeth takes a liking to Anna, she’s vaulted to the dream role of chambermaid, a far cry from the filthy servants’ quarters below. She receives wages generous enough to provide for her family, and the Countess begins to groom Anna as her friend and confidante. It’s not long before Anna falls completely under the Countess’s spell—and the Countess takes full advantage. Isolated from her former friends, family, and fiancé, Anna realizes she’s not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel Elizabeth. Then come the murders, and Anna knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too.

Review:

★★★★★

I absolutely adored this book. I am 100% the target audience that this book was aiming for. I don't know what exactly that says about me, but, here we are. I went through a phase in junior high and high school where I was consumed by the history of Elizabeth Bathory. I did a big end of year paper on her, read countless books (both fiction and non-fiction), and soaked it all up.

The fact that this historical legend has been turned into not only a young adult book, but one that has a romance (sort of) and an LGBT one on top of that, makes my heart happy.

But, don't get me wrong. This isn't a happy story. Bathory is believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in history. And it shows in this book too. There are scenes of punishment and torture in this book that are pretty brutal. If you're sensitive to that sort of thing, this is NOT going to be a fun time for you.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Elizabeth and Anna, and watching it shift and evolve from something flirty, to something passionate, to something twisted and poisoned and toxic. I was as captivated by Elizabeth as Anna was. She is elegant and regal and has such a seemingly lovely life, filled with feasting and beautiful dresses and music and parties. It's a life Anna- nor myself, obviously- has never known before and I too found myself wrapped up in the luxury, despite the red flags and ominous clues to suggest that Elizabeth is not the good person that she may seem, no matter how beautiful she is.

The actual writing of the book is well done. The settings were vivid, the characters were well developed and different in tone and voice. The dialogue was well paced and flowed well.

I can't quite put my finger on why I enjoyed this book so much. It held my attention, and I think I read it in two sittings total. It was captivating, albeit in a terrible, monstrous way.

The only reason this is at a 4.5 stars instead of a five is the ending. It felt rushed and a little too perfect. It didn't match the flow of the rest of the book, in my opinion. It was a bit disappointing that it wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be. It felt very neatly tied up like there was a page limit, and I wish it would have went on a little longer.

I don't know who to recommend it for. There's violence, there's lesbianism, there's murder, there's alchemy. If that sound like your idea of a good read, than you might be in luck with this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my 100% honest review. Thanks, Amulet Books!

Review: It by Stephen King

Title: It
Author: Stephen King
Format: Hardcover, 1156 pages
Pub. Date: September 15th 1986
Source: Lisa


Book Description:

To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry Maine was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part. A good place to live. It was the children who saw – and felt – what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one’s deepest dread. Sometimes IT reached up, seizing, tearing, killing . . .

The adults, knowing better, knew nothing. Time passed and the children grew up, moved away. The horror of IT was deep-buried, wrapped in forgetfulness. Until they were called back, once more to confront IT as IT stirred and coiled in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.

Frightening, epic, and brilliant, Stephen King's IT is one of the greatest works of a true storytelling master.

Review:

★★★

This is without a doubt the longest reading experience that I have ever had. I'm a quick reader, and this took me months. Overall, I didn't hate this book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

Stephen King is a complicated writer. And by that, I don't mean his plots. His resume speaks for itself- the dude can sell a story. I found that this book was in parts, very well written. He is a master at metaphor and description. His language is so detailed that it's often poetic, and it's almost impossible not to be sucked into the storyscapes that he creates. I could picture Derry. I felt like I was in the Barrens, in the house on Neibolt street, and even in Bev's apartment. The language is vivid, and the both the settings and the characters are well thought out and well examined.

This book should be overly complicated, but it isn't. Not only does it follow seven different characters, with chapters that change focus between the seven, but it follows them in two different time periods- when they are children and then when they are adults. He did a wonderful job of making each person distinct enough that it's easy to tell who each chapter is following.

My problem with the writing is that there was too much of it. It often got stale and long, and a bit repetitive. If this had been edited down a bit more, I would have enjoyed it more.

The actual plot of it was fine. I didn't find it scary, though I'll give you that it's disturbing. Most of the scare factors were just ick for me as opposed to fears- blood, guts, bugs, corpses. It's certainly unpleasant, but I didn't quite get the "I need to sleep with the lights on" type of feeling that I was hoping for in this book. Pennywise, beyond his glamour of a clown, is a very odd monster with very odd origins. The book takes a lot of really weird turns that left me a bit confused, although with some closure.

And then there's the whole pre-teen love fest bit. Which.... While nowhere near as graphic as the internet and other reviews had led me to believe... It was a very odd choice to put in the book.

I won't be reading this book again. It was perfectly fine, but because it was so rambling and not really scary, it wasn't my cup of tea. Stephen King doesn't need my validation though, and I already know there are thousands who disagree. More power to them and to him, because he keeps his audience coming back for more.

HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN! Review: The Cellar by Natasha Preston

Title: The Cellar
Series: The Cellar #1
Author: Natasha Preston
Format: Paperback, 347 pages
Pub. Date: March 1st 2014
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

Nothing ever happens in the town of Long Thorpe – that is, until sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson disappears without a trace. No family or police investigation can track her down. Spending months inside the cellar of her kidnapper with several other girls, Summer learns of Colin’s abusive past, and his thoughts of his victims being his family…his perfect, pure flowers. But flowers can’t survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out….

Review:

★★★★

Note: I didn't read it while it was on wattpad, so I will have no comparisons.

I'm really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was sucked into the story from the beginning, and it held my interest until the end. I did have some issues with it, but overall I'm glad that I read it.

I'll start with the positives. It was creepy. It wasn't very realistic feeling, but it was still a creepy story. The life described in the cellar was unsettling to say the least, and the fact that Clover (the captor) was so non-chalant and kind of white bread was what made him creepier to me. He could just be some guy. Anyone on the street. And that's worse.

I'm not generally a fan of when books split into alternate POVs, but it served its purpose well in this book. It rotates between three characters. The first is Summer/Lily, who is the main character and the girl who is kidnapped. The second is Lewis, her boyfriend. And the third is Clover/Collin, the captor. It's interesting to see how each person is reacting to this event, and I think the voices were distinguished well from one another.

The story telling was pretty good. Preston kept me interested in the story with some mild twists and turns along the way, and the cellar and the other girls who are in there just get more disturbing the longer she's in there. The book feels haunting and hollow.

But there's some negatives. My biggest issue was the main character, Summer. She has what I call "Piper Syndrome"- that is, she's the least interesting character in the cast, despite the fact that she's the main character. I wanted so much more about Clover. I wanted more about the cellar and the other girls and the hows and the whys. She's just kind of blah in comparison to all the other things going on in the story.

I didn't care for her personality much either. She's kinda dumb. She does things even though she knows she shouldn't, and then is surprised that there's consequences. You walk alone at night even though people told you not you and bad things happened. The girls in the cellar said "he'll be pissed if you do that", she does the thing, and then is surprised when he is in fact pissed. There's also a lot of crying. A lot of it. I was sympathetic for a while (I mean hello, I'd cry if I were locked in a weird murder chamber too), but it was mentioned tooooo much and it grated on my nerves.

Her boyfriend really annoyed me at times too. Keep in mind that these characters are all teenagers. He gets angry at her parents and her brother and the police for not doing enough, that he can do it himself, he can find her. I understand feeling angry and out of control, but if some teenage dude hinted that he cared more about my daughter/sister missing than I did, I'd be furious and he'd no longer be in my house.

The ending was also a bit of a let down. It all kind of fell flat *insert sad trombone music*. I just learned from reading book info on here that apparently there's a part two to the story, maybe it gets cleared up there.

The Cellar isn't my favorite story about locking girls in a room. (Is that a weird sentence? I feel like that's a weird sentence.) But, it was an entertaining enough read that kept me wondering what was going on until the end.

HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN! Review: Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman

Title: Be Careful What You Witch For
Series: A Family Fortune Mystery #2
Author: Dawn Eastman
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
Pub. Date: July 1st 2014
Source: Won on a blog


Book Description:

Leaving a traumatic police career behind, Clyde Fortune has returned to her seemingly quiet hometown of Crystal Haven, Michigan. In spite of the psychic powers of its residents, there’s no telling what trouble is brewing in this burg…

The highlight of this year's fall festival in Crystal Haven is a bonfire with a witch’s cauldron resting over it. Clyde’s best friend, Diana, leads a ritual to divine the future, but it seems no one foresees that one of their own will drop dead—or that Diana will be a prime suspect.

Clyde already has her hands full with her eccentric family, runaway nephew, and burgeoning secret romance with a hunky homicide detective. But after another coven member is attacked, Clyde suspects there’s a witch hunt afoot and focuses her psychic and sleuthing skills to clear her friend’s name and catch a killer.

Review:

★★★

Well, I'll start this by saying that I did not read Pall in the Family, the first book in the series.

I didn't think that this would be an issue, but it was. There were a lot of callbacks to things and references and scenes and personality traits that I was expected to know, and I did not. The first part of the book was messy to get through as I sorted through this.

I didn't care much for the characters. I understand that they're supposed to be eccentric/quirky, but it got into annoyingly campy territory. To the point that I didn't have much investment in the characters and the tribulations that they were going through. I was just sort of over it.

I also expected it to be more "Halloween-y" based on the title and the cover, which was a bit of a let down.

But there were some good things about this book. I really liked the setting, for example. Crystal Haven seems like a charming little weird place that I would love to visit.

It was a pretty standard cozy mystery. Some twists, some turns. Some were more predictable than others. It's a quick read.

I think if you read the first one, you'll enjoy this one more. But, I did not. Based off of my lukewarm experience with this one, I won't be reading the first one, or the subsequent ones. If you've read book one, or if you're a big cozy mystery fan, I hope you enjoy it.

Review:The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Denise Mina

Title: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Author: Denise Mina, Andrea Mutti, Leonardo Manco

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: July 28 2015

Source: Vertigo



Book Description via Goodreads:

In this final graphic novel adaptation of Stieg Larsson's international bestseller, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: If and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that nearly destroyed her life.

Written by novelist Denise Mina (The Field of Blood) and illustrated by Andrea Mutti and Antonio Fusso, this epic graphic novel concludes Vertigo's critically acclaimed adaptation of The Millenium Trilogy.

Review:

★★★★

Before I even talk about the actual book, let's take a moment to look at that cover. I know that's not how I'm supposed to judge a book but I mean look at it! It's gorgeous. I want a print of it for my wall. It's so eye-catching and is a good representative of the story.

I'm a big fan of The Millennium Trilogy. Lisbeth Salander is one of my absolute favorite book characters. So, when I saw the graphic novel versions of this hit series, I knew I had to have them. I've reviewed a few in the past and really enjoyed them, and I'm happy to say that The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is a great addition to the rest of the series.

The illustrations are gorgeous. There's a really nice variety of bright colors and dark dreary panels, dependent on what the text is saying alongside it. They're gritty and super detailed. It honestly took me a while to get through this one. It wasn't complex or confusing to read, but I took forever to look at all the effort put into each drawing. I loved them.

As I've mentioned in previous discussions about this book, I recommend this as a supplement to the novels, and not a replacement. If you've read the novels, you know the full story, so the comic text is easier to follow because you can fill in the blanks. If you haven't read the books, you can definitely still understand this book, but you're getting an (understandably) more watered down version of a great story. The text does a pretty good job of giving you the novel in a nutshell. It's well paced and easily understood.

This particular book is an adaptation of the third and final book in this trilogy, so I'd recommend reading its predecessors, whether it is the full novels or the graphic novels. I think fans of the series will eat it up, and fans of good artwork will too.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: April 14th 2015
Source: St. Martin's Griffin


Book Description via Goodreads:

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

Review:

★★★

I waited a long while to write this review. All the Rage is a very intense book to read, and I needed some time (a few weeks, actually) to decompress everything long enough to write a coherent opinion on it.

First, I'd like to say that this book's message is so damn important. I think it's crazy that every day when I get on Facebook, there's a new trending story of some teen rape/bullying/sexting case. It's horrifying. Books with themes as deep as the ones found in this book are often close to my heart, because I have experienced them first hand. These are books that need writing, because it is still happening across the country and the world. It's worth reading. End of.

The writing itself is beautiful. Though I can name other books Summers has written, and I've come across her name often on the internet, this is the first time I've ever read anything written by her. She has a great ability to describe human emotion in ways that I'm not sure that I could give a voice. It's beautiful and haunting at the same, almost hollow. It was an almost soothing sense of dread and darkness, which was an odd sensation but a lovely one as a reader (that might make no sense to some of you- sorry about that).

That said, the timing in this book left me puzzled. I wasn't always entirely sure where in the timeline I was, and that made it a bit hard to focus on what was happening. I had all of the puzzle pieces, but struggled at times to put them together into a bigger picture.

The characters left me divided. I felt for Romy, truly, and I wanted her to get all the things that she needed and wanted to calm her mind and restore her life. Because she was so turbulent of a character, my own feelings for her matched. Sometimes she left me confused, and sometimes I really couldn't connect to her. Other times I felt like she was sharing thoughts I've had personally, verbatim. The adults, don't get me started. They're accurate enough- the not listening, the lying, the small town politics. That is where I felt all the rage. I wanted to punch some of them (not unlike the adults in other books on similar topics I've read lately). The romance aspect didn't really add anything to me, but I'm sure there are others who will disagree with me.

In short, this book left me torn. And honestly, I think it was meant to. It's a book that's hard to swallow and slow to read, because some pretty bad themes and actions are within its pages. It is a book that demands more thought and reflection after it's been read. As I mentioned before, I think it's definitely a book that is worth reading, even though I didn't always follow or connect to it in the best way. Be warned, rape and bullying are main themes in this book, so tread with caution if you are sensitive to them. If you benefited from reading books such as Some Boys or The S-Word, you might want to give this one a go.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review- The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook edited by Kate White!

Title: The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
Editor: Kate White
Format: Hardcover, 176 pages
Pub. Date: March 24th 2015
Source: Quirk Books


Book Description via Goodreads:

The Mystery Writers of America have joined forces to deliver this superb collection of more than 100 wickedly good recipes. From Mary Higgins Clark’s Game Night Chili and Harlan Coben’s Crab Meat Dip to Scott Turow’s Innocent Frittata and Kathy Reich’s Shrimp Scampi, this cookbook offers one tasty treat after another. Complete with a glamorous art-deco design and intriguing sidebars on the surprising—and sometimes deadly—links between food and foul play, this is the ultimate cookbook for crime aficionados.

Review:

★★★★★

Before I can even start my review of the actual book itself, I'd like to mention how beautiful this hardcover is. It's a textured cover with a cute pattern of skulls, knives, and forks on the side and a golden ribbon placeholder. It looks very old school murder mystery novel, which is a perfect homage considering what book this is!

The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook is a collection of recipes from dozens of just that- mystery authors. I'm familiar with more than a few of these authors (Charlaine Harris, Joelle Charbonneau, and Gillian Flynn to name a sample), and the ones I haven't heard of have still made an impact on the mystery genre. There's even a special bonus recipe from the one and only Richard Castle of the show "Castle" which I thought was a great touch.

The recipes are divided by course for easy navigation, and each course chapter has its own index so it's easy to find your favorite author or your favorite recipe, whichever it may be that you're looking for. There's also really cool facts and tips sprinkled throughout the book. But what's really awesome about these recipes is that they each have a back story. So many of them are pulled from the author's book- a character who made this dinner for another character or a character who owned a bakery, things like that. I love seeing fiction brought to real life like this, especially since more than once I have looked up recipes after reading a book (like The Hunger Games and Beautiful Disaster for example). If the recipe isn't from a book, there's still a nice personal story about why the author included it. It feels like I'm in a book club or something, like I'm really casually friends with these amazing writers who are giving me new dishes to try. It's a cool, cozy vibe to the whole book.

I also really like that at the end of the book, there's charts for weight/measurement conversions. That's a really overlooked thing in cookbooks, in my opinion. I wish there had been more pictures, but that being said there's a fair amount of photographs in here to help you along the way. Some of the dishes that I'm most looking forward to making are Male Chauvinist Pigs in the Blanket (Nelson DeMille), Grandma Maria's Pasta Puttanesca (Lorenzo Carcaterra), and Latvian Solstice Squares (William Burton McCormick). There's also a cocktails section, for the perfect night in.

Plus, proceeds go to the MWA, which is pretty cool too.

I think this book is fantastic, and any book lover (especially a mystery book lover) would love to have this recipe collection. I also think it'd make a perfect gift, due to both the delicious content and the gorgeous presentation.

Thanks so much to Quirk Books who provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson

Title: Cut Me Free
Author: J.R. Johansson
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 27th 2015
Source: Netgalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group


Book Description via Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Her little brother, Sam, wasn't as lucky. Now she's trying to begin the new life she always dreamed of for them, but never thought she'd have to experience alone. She's hired a techie-genius with a knack for forgery to remove the last ties to her old life. But while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees one day in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.

That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.

Related Music:

While reading Cut Me Free, I kept thinking of and playing this song: Fight Like a Girl by Emilie Autumn

Review:

★★★★★

This book, y'all. It gave me so many feelings that I don't know where to start. I was really annoyed that real life things like "school" and "sleeping" had to get in my way of reading this book. I was hooked early on and remained fascinated until I was out of pages and unsure of what to do with my life from that point onward.

This book is written in such a manor that there is this really creepy undertone the entire time. Think of old horror movies where there's that weird blue lighting effect and randomly dripping water and that unsettling quiet music before the storm. Got it in mind? That's kind of how I felt while reading this book. There were so many ups and downs and my emotions were not ready for such twists. Most of them I saw coming, but one however I did not. This prompted me to shout profanely on Twitter, and thankfully the author sees it as a compliment (which is exactly how I meant it).

I grew surprisingly attached to these characters. I wasn't really all that "into" the relationship that forms between Charlotte and Cam, but at some point my dislike of the pair disappeared and I was hoping that they got the chance to try to make it work. Charlotte, quite understandably, is sometimes hard to read, harsh, blunt, and emotionally distant. Maybe it's because I'm not a stranger to abuse (though nowhere on this scale, thank you any god that will listen), but I found that really relatable. And then there's the children, Sam and Sanda, who add a whole different level of heartbreak and hope to the book. I wasn't sure what directions it was going to take in the beginning, but it was one helluva ride for everyone involved.

I feel weird saying I loved this book, because it very, very heavily focuses on extreme cases of abuse, murder, and child trafficking. So in lieu of that, I will say that Johansson successfully wrote about topics that are hard to address, hard to choke down, and hard to focus on (when there's so much good you can use to ignore the bad things) in a way that feels gritty, realistic, and honest. It feels educated, from the sociopathic behaviors from various characters to the defenses taken against them, it just felt so real. It was almost scary.

This book will appeal to those who enjoy dark young adult fiction, books dealing with abuse, murder, thrillers, mysteries and I'll throw in contemporaries for good measures. This isn't a book that I'm likely to forget in the near future, and served as a reminder that this shit doesn't just happen in books but every day here in the US and elsewhere. Be warned, as I mentioned before, that this book has a lot of gory physical and mental abuse and death, so do not go into this for a light fluffy read or if these are triggers for you Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

True Stories Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway of Alice + Freda Forever by Alexis Coe!

Welcome! I'm happy to be today's stop on the True Stories Blog Tour from Zest Books! Today I have an interview with the author of Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis Alexis Coe. In addition, you can check out my review and enter to win a copy of your very own!

Title: Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis
Author: Alexis Coe
Format: 208 pages, Hardcover
Release date: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Pulp/Zest Books

Book Description:

In 1892, America was obsessed with a teenage murderess, but it wasn’t her crime that shocked the nation – it was her motivation. Nineteen-year-old Alice Mitchell planned to pass as a man and marry seventeen-year-old Freda Ward, but when their love letters were discovered, they were forbidden to ever speak again. Desperate and isolated, Alice pilfered her father’s razor, and on a cold winter’s day, she slashed her ex-fiancée’s throat. Now more than 120 years later, their tragic but true story is being told. Alice + Freda Forever, by historian Alexis Coe and with illustrations by Sally Klann, is embellished with letters, maps, historical documents, and more.



Advanced Praise:

“This is a captivating account, and readers will quickly become absorbed in the suspense surrounding Freda’s murder. Additionally, the book provides a foundation for discussion of sociocultural themes, such as how LGBT relationships have historically been viewed by society, gender and femininity, and even journalism.” –★ School Library Journal [Starred Review]

"The murder was a national sensation at the time, but is little known today. Alexis Coe....retells it here with the color and liveliness of a novel." - The New Yorker

Buy it here:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | TBD | Zest Books

About the Author:
Alexis Coe is a columnist at The Awl and The Toast. She has contributed to The Atlantic, Slate, The Millions, The Hairpin, LA Weekly, The Bay Citizen, Mission at Tenth, The Paris Review Daily, Los Angeles Review of Books and other publications. Before moving to San Francisco, she was a research curator at the New York Public Library, where she co-curated the most popular exhibition in the library's 101 years, and a project-based oral historian at the Brooklyn Historical Society.

Check out the rest of the tour here!

Review:

★★★★ ★

Four and a half stars.

---

I was really intrigued when Zest Books invited me to read this title. Alice + Freda Forever promised to hit all of the buttons of my literary interests: young love, LGBT themes, history, and murder. This book definitely delivered, and made for a book that I couldn't put down.

The great thing about this book is that it seems to be really, really well researched. I'll be the first one to admit to you that I had never even heard of this murder until I came across this book. Coe includes historical settings, background information, family information, and even hand-written letters in this book, making it feel authentic and accurate. It's clear that history and representation was the forefront of this book, and I think that's great. I learned a lot, without it being so preachy that it seems like a text book. Coe managed to make fact read like gripping fiction, and it really worked for me.

I also really liked that this book was full of illustrations. It was a nice touch and helped me more easily visualize what was going on. Plus, if you take off the sleeve on the hardcover edition, there's an illustration embossed on the book itself. I think that was a really pretty, nice detail that I wouldn't have thought about.

And then of course, there's the story itself. It's fascinating. It's disturbing and creepy and morbid but you can't help but to keep reading, and even sympathizing with the characters in this book. I started out thinking "who could possibly commit such a crime against the one they love?" but the more I kept reading into their personal stories, the more I started to get it. That's another part of what makes this tale so disturbing, it seems so... Normal. Relatable almost, as strange as that is to say about a murder. I was sucked in from the first page, and thanks to the great writing and good pacing, I devoured this book.

I'd recommend Alice + Freda Forever to anyone looking for a teenage history story, a murder case, or LGBT history. Thank you so much to Zest Books who provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

-This giveaway will run from October 13th to October 20th, 2014
-This giveaway is open to US/CAN
-This giveaway is open to those 13 and older (with parental permission of course)
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Party Games by RL Stine

Title: Party Games
Series: Fear Street
Author: RL Stine
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 30th 2014
Source: Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin


Summary from Goodreads:
Her friends warn her not to go to Brendan Fear's birthday party at his family's estate on mysterious Fear Island. But Rachel Martin has a crush on Brendan and is excited to be invited. Brendan has a lot of party games planned. But one game no one planned intrudes on his party—the game of murder. As the guests start dying one by one, Rachel realizes to her horror that she and the other teenagers are trapped on the tiny island with someone who may want to kill them all. How to escape this deadly game? Rachel doesn't know whom she can trust. She should have realized that nothing is as it seems… on Fear Island.

R.L. Stine makes his triumphant return to Shadyside, a town of nightmares, shadows, and genuine terror, and to the bestselling series that began his career writing horror for the juvenile market, in the new Fear Street book Party Games.

★★★★ ★

Four and a half stars.

---

Oh, RL Stine, how I missed you. Stine is one of the writers that turned me into the avid reader that I am today. I started reading the Fear Street series while my friends were reading Goosebumps, and I couldn't get enough of them. I had (and still have) full shelves dedicated to this series, and the author too. It turns out that I am just as in love with the Fear family legends as I was back then. This book was a great burst of nostalgia, but also a gripping story that let me read it in one go.

Party Games is exactly the kind of work I've come to expect from RL Stine. The descriptions are vivid and haunting from cover to cover, and he does a great job as always of building the world that is Fear Street and in this book, Fear Island as well. It's vivid enough where I was able to watch it mentally play out like a horror movie, and that makes me both happy and more creeped out at the same time. There's also plenty of creepy crawly gore. From dead, flattened squirrels nestled into the blankets of an unsuspecting bed, to a dead body twisted in an unnatural tornado where limbs should not be bending, this book is bound to make you shudder at least once.

Honestly, I was expecting to know what was going on from early on in the book. Silly Stine, over a decade later and you still had me fooled. I definitely didn't see the plot unfolding exactly as it did. I correctly guessed it partially, and then all hell broke loose and I was turned completely around, trying to figure out what was happening and who was murdering and kidnapping the guests on the island.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, and it made the foggy, dreary weather outside my train window seem all the more unsettling. This book is a must-have for any fan of RL Stine, the Fear Street series, or young adult horror in general. This is an amazing return to the horrific curse that is Shadyside, and it feels like RL Stine and I never left the neighborhood at all.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway for The Girl and the Clockwork Cat

Title: The Girl & the Clockwork Cat
Author: Nikki McCormack
Release date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: YA Bound Book Tours


Summary from Goodreads:
Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him find the real killer.

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.

But it now on Amazon | BN | Kobo

About the Author:
Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12, which she still has tucked in a briefcase in her home office, waiting for the right moment. Despite a successful short story publication with Cricket Magazine in 2007, she continued to treat her writing addiction as a hobby until a drop in the economy presented her with an abundance of free time that she used to focus on making it her career.

Nikki lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her husband and three cats suffering varying stages of neurosis. She feeds her imagination by sitting on the ocean in her kayak gazing out across the never-ending water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She finds peace through practicing iaido or shooting her longbow.
Website |Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Review:

★★★★★

Five stars.

----

I went into this novel not really sure of what to expect. While I love the fashions and stylings of steampunk, I admittedly haven't read many books in that genre. When I read the blurb and saw the cute cover for this one, I figured I would give it a shot. I enjoyed this far more than I anticipated, and I was hooked from the get-go.

First, I have to say that McCormack's world building and settings are incredible. The senses were blasted in a detailed way without seeming (dare I say) too descriptive. I was able to play out what the characters were doing, where they were doing it, what they wore, what scents were in the air. It was gorgeous. I also loved the way she described all the technology/steampunk elements. Even the way they spoke was riddled with English (and Japanese) slang that just gave the whole story that "authentic" vibe to it.

Then of course, there's the characters themselves. I adore Maeko, the lead heroine. She is strong and so damn fierce. I'd like to add that she's part Japanese, and I thought this was a nice touch, it's something unique that made her stand out.She can steal and lie with the best of the street rats, but she isn't overly angst-y. She has her own battles to fight and morals to stick to, and she knows what prices she's willing to pay to get justice for what's right, and to help who she deems to need it. She is helped by boys but doesn't necessarily depend on them, and that makes me happy. That being said, there are two boys involved, Ash and Chaff. It doesn't get super love-triangular (is that a phrase? It is now) but there is a dash of romance. Chaff is her mentor, a kid off the street who helped to show her the ropes. He never cares about his mates, it's his rule. And then there's Ash, who confuses her and knows little about her struggles on the street. Both are likable in their own way, and honestly I don't even know which one I prefer at this point. And then of course, there's the little fluffy hero Macak, the cat who has a clockwork prosthetic leg. He's like a cool steampunk familiar. I kind of want one for my own.

As for the story, I was left on my toes in a good way trying to sort out all the whodunnit. Who can you trust? Who is lying? What is happening!? I loved watching the mystery come together. It was well paced and filled with action. From fist fights to jail escapes, gun shot wounds and jealous boy sneers, there was never a dull moment. I was frustrated when the book ended, but only because it meant I couldn't stay lost in the world any longer.

In short, I would describe this as if the gang from Scooby Doo met up with the cast of Oliver Twist, but then added a kick ass Asian lead and a questionable law enforcement agency to make some awesome steampunk/fantasy love child of a book. Fans of steampunk, action, female leads, and light romance should be sure to check this one out. I know I'll want a physical copy for my shelf. I mean, it's British-Japanese steampunk cats solving crime. How can you not?

Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours who provided me with my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Follow the rest of the blog tour by clicking here.

Giveaway:

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Blog Tour Organized by:
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Happy Book Birthday Review & Interview: Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Hello, my lovely readers. Today I'm posting to wish a very happy book birthday to Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan, which releases today from Disney-Hyperion! Hillary was awesome enough to stop by and answer some of my questions. So, without further ado, let's get bookish!

Interview:

Thanks so much for taking time to answer some questions! Mary: The Summoning is a book that weaves together history and the present to make a ghost story come to life. Did a lot of research go into the writing of this book?


To a point, especially since the first iteration of MARY was historical. The original story had five chapters of present time and then Mary dragged Shauna through the mirror into Mary's time and world. The letters are essentially the cliff notes version of that draft.

One thing I remember from writing the original story was learning how to defeather a chicken. You boil the chicken corpse to loosen the feathers so you can shuck it. It's apparently the worst smell in the world. Who knew?

You see? Who says you don't learn things on Bitches n Prose. Now, Mary thrives on the fears of her victims. What is your biggest fear?

I am terrified of snakes and heights, but mostly snakes. Whenever I'm anxious, I have nightmares of enormous snakes that are fifty trillion feet long and bitey. It's unpleasant!

I'm with you on heights- in airplanes especially. If I'm reading correctly, Mary: The Summoning is your debut YA novel. What other genres do you write? Was it hard to transition to writing for a younger audience?

I started with a younger audience and have lingered there. I was a voracious reader as a kid so I write what I would have loved. My next book, THE AWESOME, is another YA that's paranormal comedy (under the name Eva Darrows and out 5/26.) I find my bread and butter are two extremes—scares or laughs. I like those reactions that come from our reptilian brains.

Shauna and her friends don't really believe in the Bloody Mary story at first. Do you believe in ghosts?


I think so? I really want to but I have a skeptic's brain that tells me it's silly. I did live in a house that was built in the 1700s so if anything makes me slant toward yes, it'd be that house. We had to clean out the urns in the attic the first week we moved in.

Mary approaches her hauntings by making herself known in mirrors and reflections. Is there a specific item that you would want to haunt?

Well, if we go with the trope of haunting our best-loved stuff, I'd probably inhabit a basset hound or a computer. That makes me a fairly ineffectual ghost.

Ineffectual, maybe, but that at least you would be adorable. The four girls that make up the main characters in this book are each unique, but still remain friends. Are any of these characters based on people in your life?

Anna's the most like me, and the character of Kitty was loosely based on someone who'd annoyed me when I'd written the first iteration of the book. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to admit that part or not.

It's okay. I won't tell them. One of the adventures these girls face is visiting an old church. Have you ever visited somewhere that was thought to be haunted? What did you experience?

My old house had some very odd things happen. Weird noises, the dogs used to sit at the foot of the stairs and growl up at nothing on the second story. It didn't help that the woman who inhabited the house before my family left an audio recording telling us that if we heard footsteps or children laughing in the night, not to worry—it was just Mrs. Keeler coming back to the home she always loved.

It scared the hell out of me as a kid.

Funny aside with that? She's buried in the same cemetery as my grandparents. When we went up to attend to my grandfather's headstone, we stopped by Mrs. Keeler's plot and her epitaph is "Goodbye, For Now." She was pretty much the creepiest!

My inner-East Coast is going to come out for a second. That is wicked creepy. And speaking of things that go bump in the night, it's a dark and dreary October night, one that is perfect for staying in with some popcorn and a movie. What's playing on your TV?

Behind the Mask, The Rise of Leslie Vernon if I want some spooks and laughs. If I just want to climb the walls and be terrified? The Exorcist, The Ring, or the Japanese version of The Grudge.

*shudder* the Japanese one is so much creepier. Were you always interested in horror stories? Is there a favorite ghost story you used to share, or a favorite spooky read that you remember?

I read a whole lot of Christopher Pike when I was a wee Hillary. A well-loved copy of SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK occupied my shelf. Then I made a massive leap over to Stephen King with THE SHINING and it was all downhill from there. I've had a love of the genre since I can remember.

Excellent authors. I loved Christopher Pike when I was younger too, the one I remember most being Chain Letter. The Summoning is only the beginning. Can you tell me a little about the next book? Do you have any other projects in the works?

The next book takes the characters back to Solomon's Folly to uncover the last of Mary's origin and to "handle" Mary permanently, for better or worse.

Ahhhh I'm so excited. Thanks again for taking the time to talk with me and I cannot WAIT to read the next book!

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them--Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna--must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go.

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror.

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?

You can buy a copy for yourself by clicking here.

Review:

Title: MARY: The Summoning (Bloody Mary #1)
Author: Hillary Monahan
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 2, 2014
Source: Netgalley & Disney-Hyperion


★★★★★

Five stars.

---

I have to say, I positively adored this book. I am a lover of all things creepy and crawly, especially when it comes to young adult books. I am happy to say that Mary: The Summoning offered everything I look for in a ghost story, wrapped up in one little book.

Before I even get to the meat of the text, I have to mention how much I love this cover. It's what initially drew my attention in, and I have to say it really captures what the book is about. I would hang that poster up on my wall (and then forget it was there, and promptly give myself a heart attack).

This book follows closely a group of four friends who accidentally summon Bloody Mary. What really made me enjoy this book was in fact the character. Each of the four friends has a distinct personality. They all had strengths and weaknesses and their own agendas, but they all gelled when they needed to. I thought that the friendships seemed genuine and true-to-life. And then there's Mary. Holy hell, Mary. I'm trying not to swear *too* much as it is a kids' book. but Oh. My. God. She is creepy. She's also got her own history to her that we learn based off of letters she wrote to her sister. Being a history nerd, I loved this aspect, and I really liked learning how Mary got shaped into what she is.

Now let's talk about the creepy factor. It wasn't the kind of scary that made me stay up for days. However, it was the kind of gory, squeamish kind of scary that throws me back to the good ole days of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series. There's a lot of blood, oozing sores, crawling black beetles, and murky dark water with lord knows what living inside of it. As I mentioned earlier, Mary only manifests in reflections. THIS IS A LOT OF THINGS YOU GUYS. You think, oh, okay, so no windows or mirrors. But there is so much more than that. When I was reading this, I had to walk down the dorm hall to the community bathroom my floor shares. There are shiny things everywhere. From shower heads to the handle that flushes toilets and the key panels on my door and the super waxed floors. Wow guys, Mary could haunt us something fierce. I admit, I may have tried to get a glimpse more than once.

The pacing was good and the descriptions were remarkably vivid to all of the senses. You could see, taste, and smell what Shauna was going through, and believe you me it is not always pleasant.

I mentioned that I liked the realism of the four friends. I also liked the relatable premise of the plot. And no, I don't mean that we all have almost died at the hands of the ghost. But I do know that in at least my childhood, playing Bloody Mary was super common at sleepovers. It's right up there with Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board and Ouija boards. It's just a game that makes no sense and that no one really wants to play except for the cool girl (Jess in the book, Brittany in my own life) and so you play it because you want her to think you're way cooler than you are and even though NOTHING HAPPENS AT ALL you are still afraid of your shadow for a month.

....Or is that just me?

I loved this book. I think it's a great book for the young adult age group, provided the reader can handle the blood and ghosts. Fans of the Goosebumps series I feel would really enjoy this one. This is book one, so there's a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Be prepared for that. Thanks so much to Netgalley & Disney-Hyperion for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row by Damien Echols & Lorri Davis

Title: Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row
Author: Damien Echols, Lorri Davis
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: June 17th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Blue Rider Press

★★★

Three and a Half Stars.

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Yours for Eternity is a book written primarily through letters between Lorri Davis and Damien Echols. Echols is one of the men charged as the West Memphis Three, accused of killing three eight year old boys in the early nineties, even though there was no DNA evidence that linked him to the crime. He was on death row until as recently as 2011.

Now, this review might seem like it goes outside of the ordinary, in regards to what I usually review. However, you'd probably be surprised to learn that I have an extreme interest in things that are crime and prison related. Add in a romance component and make it nonfiction? Perfect.

I had heard of the West Memphis Three when I requested this book, but my background knowledge didn't really go far beyond "these three guys killed some kids." It was a crime that had enough attention to be topical, but it happened "before my time" so to speak, so I didn't really know details. I'm disappointed that this book didn't really help me gain any information about it. I feel like this book was expecting me to have been researched on the subject, when I am not. A background preface or a synopsis, nutshell version of the crime would have been nice, at the least. There's also a lot of reference to the documentary made about this case, Paradise Lost. While it did spark an interest in me (I will definitely watch this film), I hadn't seen that either.

With that little rant out of the way, I will say that this was an extremely interesting perspective and story that not many people can tell and still have it be based on real life. Lorri wrote letters to Echols for years, and was with him through it all. It's both beautiful and insane to me that one can maintain feelings and a relationship, whether it be friendly or more, with someone on death row, especially in such a talked about case. It was cool, for lack of a better word, to watch it all play out.

I hate to say this about real letters, but at times I felt it dragged on a bit too long. I really did enjoy reading these letters, but sometimes I felt myself just wishing for more. This book held my attention enough for me to finish the book and take away some things, and learn some things slowly but surely, but it's not a fast paced book.

Overall, this was a solid read that takes a fascinating real life circumstance and gives the reader a rare insight into life behind bars and those in their lives who continually correspond with them. If you are interested in things like crime and jails, or are familiar with the West Memphis Three case. It's worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blue Rider Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Stubborn

Title: Stubborn
Author: Jeanne Arnold
Release Date: January 6th 2014
Purchase: Amazon

Blurb:
With a train ticket, a bad attitude, and an unfortunate scribbling of obscenities across her forehead, seventeen-year-old Avery Ross is tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire when she’s sent from New York to the vast oil field region of North Dakota. When a green-eyed boy with a sultry Texan accent comes to her defense, Avery has no clue that his actions will lead her into a passion-charged summer, full of temptation and loss.

Defiant and relegated to work at her aunt’s boarding house, Avery discovers a connection between her aunt and the striking boy. He and his brothers are seeking revenge for the wrongful death of their sibling, and Avery becomes entangled in their battle over oil rights, loyalty, and love. Avery falls for the brooding, younger brother, Gabriel Halden, against her aunt’s forewarnings and creates more tribulations than any of them could anticipate.

*Click here to go to the Goodreads page!*

My review:

★★★★

Three and a half stars, rounded up.

This book has a lot going for it. My personal favorite aspect was the setting. It's set in the oil fields of North Dakota. Now, I'm from the Midwest, but I'm from theurban Midwest. Things like oil, mining, and farming communities are fascinating to me because I've never been around it. My own neck of the woods is home to steel mills and railways. I really like the depth with which Jeanne Arnold wrote about the oiling lifestyle. I've got no idea how accurate it is but it makes for a really unique setting that I've never read about before, in fiction or otherwise.

I also really liked the set of three Halden brothers that Avery meets, namely the youngest romantic interest Gabe. He's dark and broody and a cowboyish Texan complete with a twang in his accent. Where may I sign up to receive one, please? He was not overtly moody without reason, and I liked the way Avery got to know him over the course of the novel. That being said, I didn't really care too much for Avery herself. I often questioned her decisions and I didn't really "click" with her so to speak. I just kind of felt like she wasn't as well written as some of the other characters.

While there is a lot of action in this book that keeps it moving along at a fast pace, things like murder and revenge and romance, I felt some things were too glossed over, namely abuse. I felt that it didn't necessary get the respect and delicacy it deserves in this book.

All in all this is a solid book with swoon worthy southern, hard-working male characters, and I would definitely consider reading the next book in this series. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Jeanne Arnold is the author of STUBBORN and other young adult romances. At a young age she found her creative outlet in art, and for years her fictional characters came to life in drawings and paintings, until they demanded a voice. Now they grace the pages of her stories. Jeanne shares her time with her fictional teenage counterparts and her human family in Central New York.
Website | Twitter

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Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Title: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)
Author: Aimee Carter
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: November 26th 2013
Source: Netgalley & Harlequin TEEN

★★★★

Four stars.

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I picked up this book because it was one that blew up the blogosphere. I hadn't read any books by Aimee Carter before, so I was excited to get started on this dystopian novel. I'm glad I gave into peer pressure; this is a great start to a series that I cannot wait to finish.

First of all, I love the world that Carter created. US citizens are categorized and sorted by number, depending on the results of their test. The higher the number, the better off in society you'll be. The lower... Well, let's just say it's not good. The scenery is well written and the characters well described so that I could easily fall into the story. I read it in one go. I was particularly intrigued by the concept of Elsewhere- where you go when you need to be out of sight for good. I had to read the reveal of that a good three times before I accepted it!

I also loved the amount of action in this book. The plot is one big strategy game, where everyone is trying to out-lie everyone else. When you think someone's lying, they're telling the truth. You think you can trust them? Think again. I was perpetually asking myself "Wait, WHAT?" but in a really good way. I like when I don't have a book entirely figured out. The only problem with having such dense layers of treachery and deceit is that sometimes the timing seemed a bit rushed or choppy. I found myself questioning where I was in the novel one or two times, but not enough to really hinder my reading experience.

If you're a fan of YA dystopian books such as Stung, The Hunger Games and Divergent, then I'd definitely give Pawn a try. I eagerly await the next book in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin TEEN for my chance to read this.

Mini Review: Vampsov 1938

Title: Vampsov 1938
Author: Daniel Ribot
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: June 7th 2013
Source: Author

★★★★

Four stars.

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Vampsov 1938 is a book that I think I was overdue for. It's a historically set vampire book that features murder, spies, and action in the Stalin-era Soviet Union. These vampires aren't like the ones that have been trending lately- no over-romanticizing or brooding here. The vampires in Ribot's novel are heartless, coldblooded killers out for blood. This book is rather gory, but all of the killings and action sequences are well written. It was a nice change to read about vampires kicking ass in a World War Two setting. I openly admit that I am not a typical fan of spy/historical books with a few exceptions, but I found it well paced and intriguing.

I would suggest having a basic ground knowledge of this era before you give this a read: If you're unfamiliar with WW2, it won't be the easiest of reads. I also had trouble once in a while keeping all the names straight, but to be fair that's something that I have with other books too.

I also have to comment on the title art. I love it, and I would totally hang a poster of this up on my wall.

Fans of war, vampire, spy, and crime novels would benefit from picking up a copy of Vampsov 1939. Thanks so much for the author for my chance to read it.

Review: The Geneva Decision

Title: The Geneva Decision (Pia Sabel #1)
Author: Seeley James
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: December 1st 2012
Source: Author

★★★★

Four Stars

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The Geneva Decision follows protagonist Pia Sabel and her transition from professional soccer player to a key player in her father's private security company. When she witnesses a murder, she's on the prowl. Mistaken for a spoiled rich girl, her opponents have another thing coming: her sharp wit, killer instincts, and athletic prowess make her one hell of a threat.

I have to say, I really liked the character Pia Sabel. She was headstrong, sometimes to the point of frustration. She holds her own and proves that girls can play just as hard as the boys. I like that she was given a bit of unique insight as a professional athlete- it added a nice component as to why she's quite the bad ass.

This book had scarcely a dull moment. There's a lot of nonstop action that make the reader follow the story from exotic locales like Cameroon and European places like Switzerland. The twists and turns and sequences of suspense engross the reader for sure, and the settings only add to the charm. Seeley James does a great job of describing the surroundings, making it easy to become involved with the chases.

The prose was a bit choppy in places, but it wasn't enough to hinder my reading too much. The plot and dialogue made up for it, in my humble opinion.

I also really like the cover. I know that's not how you should judge a book, but it would look snazzy on a display or a shelf. Don't you think?

I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy strong female lead characters, mystery, thrillers, or crime novels. Thank you so much to the author who gave me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Psycho Inside Me

Title: Psycho Inside Me
Author: Bonnie R. Paulson
Release Date: November 30 2013
Publisher: Captiva Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

Blurb:

I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again.
At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime.
Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.
But the worst part of it all? I love him.

*Click here to go to the Goodreads page!*

My review:

★★★

Three stars.

Being a fan of the show Dexter, when I saw that Psycho Inside me was about a teenage girl who killed those who "deserve" it, I couldn't resist taking the chance to read it for myself.

First of all, the cover is gorgeous. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its artwork but... Look at it. I'd definitely pick this up off a shelf if I saw it. Wouldn't you?

And then of course there's the story itself, which held my attention from the beginning. There's a creepy feel to this book, in the best way possible, that lets the reader wonder what lurch forward the book is going to take next. It's also a pretty quick, short read that spans through a large chunk of time (ages 13-17). I also related to the main character, despite the fact that she's a killer. I was hooked onto her story, and kept wanting to know what happened next.

This book contains adult themes like murder and rape, and young readers should be aware of that. Despite the book having such serious themes take place, I found that the speech and writing at times felt a bit juvenile. I'm not really sure who the best age group for this book is.

That being said, I enjoyed this read, and I'd definitely check it out if you're a fan of thriller and murder with a sprinkling of teen angst and romance.

About the Author:

There are people who know a lot about a little, we’ll call them experts. Then there are people, like Bonnie, who don’t specialize, but rather gather information like pebbles in their pockets and drop them like Hansel & Gretel in the stories they write.
The question is, do you want to follow them back?
Certified as a Radiologic Technologist, Bonnie prefers a touch of medical in her storylines. Don’t be surprised if romance somehow runs through a hospital or comes in contact with a paramedic. It’s just how she rolls. And you know there's nothing more romantic than an 18 gauge needle poking your vein!
She and her Hubs delight in dirt biking, snowboarding, fishing, cooking, eating, spending time together and more with their adorable children.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Review: Joyland by Stephen King

Title: Joyland
Author: Stephen King
Format: Paperback, 283 pages
Pub. Date: June 4th 2013
Source: Gift

★★★★

Four stars.

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Devin Jones needed to get away from it all for a little while. The girl he loved more than anything broke his heart, and he needed to take some time to himself to remember what life without her is like. When he gets a summer job at a small town amusement park, he starts to feel at home... At first. When he started to uncover the oddities surrounding the park: a ghost story, tales of murder, and even a hokey psychic who may not be lying after all, he discovered that this summer would change his life completely.... That is, if he survives it.


I was really excited when my girlfriend's mother surprised me with a copy of this book. I'm a big fan of King's, and had fallen in love with the cover. I'm a sucker for stories set in a carnival/circus setting, and I knew I needed to read this one. It definitely didn't disappoint.

The thing that I loved most about this book was, you guessed it, the setting. This crime tale takes place in a Coney Island-like amusement park on the east coast. I loved all of the "Talk" that the carnies used, that is, the slang among them. Whether it's accurate or not, it was really cool to see life at one of these attractions after hours, and from the employee's point of view. The way King writes made it sound like a place I'd want to visit, and a place of sleepy summer life. I felt like I was at the park, from start to finish.

I also really liked the combination of genres in this book. It has supernatural elements, crime, murder, and a good old fashioned whodunnit. I didn't see the puzzle being pieced together until the very end, and then I got irrationally angry at the results. That's a good sign, because it means that King wrote characters that I cared about and really connected to.

The book jumps around a bit in time, but they're easy transitions, and I was at no point in the novel confused by the changes.

This book put me in mind of R.L. Stine's Fear Park series, but for the older crowd. This book contains profanity and sex, but it's a Stephen King book, so you probably guessed as much. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good murder case with a bit of a haunted twist.

Thanks again for the book, Lisa.

Review: Made of Stars

Title: Made of Stars
Author: Kelley York
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: October 1st 2013
Source: Netgalley and Entangled Teen

★★★★★

Five shining stars.

Chance is a constant in the lives of half-siblings Ashlin and Hunter. For as long as they can remember, their quirky friend has been by their sides. They're a perfect group of three. The siblings are ecstatic when they come to their Dad's house for the first time in years, knowing that things will pick up where they left off. But they're older now, and Chance's lies don't quite add up. Hunter and Ash start to question why Chance hides so much from them when they're so close..... And then his mother is found dead. Can Ashlin and Hunter protect the boy they love forever, can they make his life okay for the first time?

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Wow. I just finished this, and I'm speechless. I need to finish this review while everything is still fresh in my mind and while I'm still emotionally traumatized. This book is incredible, from cover to cover.

Actually, I'd like to mention that first. Look at how beautiful the cover of this book is. It lures you in, effectively, but inside it is a barrage of heartbreak and feelings. So many feelings. You betray me, peaceful cover.

I had never read a book of Kelley York's before, but I know I will be reading them again in the future. Her writing is beautiful. Throughout this story, there's this underlying tone of sadness and false tranquility, of impending mental and emotional shattering. I knew from only a few pages in that this book would leave a scar on me, and I was correct. Yet, despite all this sadness, this book illustrates such beautiful love. Between friends, between siblings, between lovers. Part of what makes the love of these characters so real is the alternating perspectives of both Ash and Hunter. It was executed perfectly in this novel, and gave a better insight into the siblings' feelings towards Chance.

Oh god, Chance. The characters in this book were all likable in their own way, but Chance is by far my favorite. Possibly ever. He's so odd and quirky and broken and lovable and UGH I just want to give him a hug and feed him sandwiches. (Yes, I know he's fictional. Shut up.) His flaws added to his charm, and when he's together with Hunter? They're perfect. In a messed up, imperfect way. I know that doesn't make sense, but that's the great thing about love, isn't it? It doesn't have to make sense. It just IS.

I honestly thought my review copy was missing pages off the end. I wasn't expecting so abrupt of an ending, and that made my pain so much worse. I have not been so emotionally damaged by the end of a book since Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma.

A large part of why I liked this book is that love seems to have no boundaries. True, this book features a romance between two male characters. But that isn't the point of the book. There's no coming out scene, no hate. Ashlin loves Chance. Hunter loves Chance. Chance loves Hunter. It's just pure and simple love between humans.

I recommend this book to everyone, unless male/male romance is something that you're completely against. If not, this book is stunning. I really have no other words, and I hope that this review ends up being coherent. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go eat some chocolate and process and maybe watch something to brighten my mood.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for the chance to read this.