Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Rating: BRAG!


Die for Me
(Revenants Series #1)
by Amy Plum
Publication Date: May 2011
Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal Romance
Print: 352 pages



Verdict
Mesmerizing, romantic story set in Paris. Good use of vocabulary for the intended age group.  I was a bit disappointed in the ending; I know it is a series, but the ending was sort of blunt. Overall, a terrific read! Amy Plum is a wonderful storyteller and I can't wait for Until I Die (Revenants #2). Keep up the good work, Amy!

Good Reading!
Sarah

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Now Reading... The Scottish Rose


The Scottish Rose
by Jill Jones

Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: February 1997
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages





Cover Summary
It began with a letter...that leads to a passion and adventure beyond her dreams...

"I have taken measures to hide Mary's rose chalice...I fear that all in the castle may die for hiding it, but it is our duty to protect this sacred emblem of Scotland."
--Letter written in 1651

Taylor Kincaid hosts a top-rated television series that debunks everything supernatural. So when she finds herself on the Scottish coast-- to claim an out-of-the-blue inheritance and ancient letters telling of royal gold-- she's prepared to explode the local legend: an archway made of stone through which young women disappear. Until a stormy sea sweeps her through the Ladysgate-- and with her, handsome, rugged sea captain Duncan Fraser.

Beyond it lies the Scotland of 1651. It is the land of Taylor's heirloom letters and Mary Queen of Scots' fabled jeweled chalice, The Scottish Rose, emblem of peace. Together Taylor and Duncan must search for it amid the passions and perils of history...or, in a desperate bid to recross the centuries, risk losing each other and the love they've found beyond the gates of time.

Author
Jill Jones lives in western North Carolina with her husband, Jerry, who is a watercolor artist.

Reading Soon...
Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips
The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwich
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addision Allen

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Rating: BRAG!

Meridian (Fenestra Series #1)
by Amber Kizer
Young Adult Fiction
Pages in Print: 320
NOOK Book pages: 216
Copyright: 2009

It was a little dark for my taste in the beginning, but soon becomes a story of good vs evil with the main characters on the side of good, of course. Ms. Kizer is a wonderful storyteller and it comes through beautifully in this book. The storyline was unpredictable and kept me guessing what would happen - which I loved. Another point to make is that while there is a love interest, book 1, at least, does not develop an overly romantic theme. The only advice I would have for Ms. Kizer, is to get a better editor, because the writing seems choppy at times due to poor sentence structure and the vocabulary should be at a higher level for the age group it is targeting. Overall, however, Meridian is a fantastic read for fans of the Young Adult genre.

Good Reading!

The Fenestra Series:
Book 1: Meridian
Book 2: Wildcat Fireflies
Book 3: Speed of Light
Book 4: Counting Tens

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander series #2) by Diana Gabaldon

Rating: BRAG!
NOOK Book: 866 pages
Historical Fiction
Warning: Language, Sexual Content

Excellent writing! It was a long read but certainly time well spent. Diana Gabaldon mesmerizes her readers with tantalizing detail throughout and sensational character development! While it was my second time reading it, I found it extremely difficult to put down. You will cry, cringe, crack up, and be contented while reading Dragonfly in Amber.
I can't wait to move on to Voyager (Outlander series #3)! But I will read a few other novels before beginning this long read.

Good Reading!!
Sarah

Friday, July 22, 2011

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Rating: BRAG

The Winter Sea is a must read!! It is a spellbinding novel and you will not want to leave it's pages. One of the best books I have ever read. If you like historical or romantic fiction, you will find yourself enthralled from the very beginning. It will leave you breathless, it will make you cry in at least one chapter, and it will make you wish it were a series because you will not want it to end.

Susanna Kearsley has written this book with such creativity and detail. She approaches this book with an interesting way of reaching back and forth across time. And as amazing as it is, I am so relieved to say that it is a clean read!! There is no bad language and there are no sexual scenes; there are definitely romantic scenes, but they stay at that endearing level and do not reach an uncomfortable amount of graphic detail. This goes to prove that it can be done - we can find heartstopping reads that are clean too!! Maybe it just takes an exceptional writer to do it.

Bloody Valentine (Blue Blood Series) by Melissa De La Cruz

RATING: SNAG

First, forgive any grammatical errors, please, as I am using a virtual keypad on my phone.
According to Barnes & Noble, Bloody Valentine is #6 in the Blue Blood series. However, I found out it is not. Lost in Time is #6 and will be released in October 2011.
So what is Bloody Valentine? Bloody Valentine is a collection of 3 short stories and is only 98 pages as a Nook book. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series, you need to begin with #1 in order to follow along with this short story collection.
The first short story is about Oliver. He is in physical and emotional pain away from Schuyler. But he finds the help of a witch who helps him get over the pain without resorting to forbidden desperate measures.
In the second story we are given a glimpse of what Allegra’s life was like when she was a teenager and had a vision about Schuyler. This story seams a waste of words to me. It doesn’t tie into the other two like they do with each other.
The third and final short story reminds me almost of a Disney princess fairy tale complete with some black and white graphics. – were they practicing for a graphic novel version? Schuyler and Jack finally have their bonding ceremony with a twist thrown in before hand.
And so we will have to wait for Lost in Time to see if they live happily ever after! Hopefully, these somewhat disconnected stories will tie into the next book and bring some understanding to Bloody Valentine’s purpose.
Good Night and Good Reading!