It's Monday, What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at the Book Date.  She describes it as a place to meet up and share what you have been reading, are currently reading, and are about to be reading over the week. She also mentions that this is a meme that often causes our already overflowing TBR lists to grow even longer.  So true...

Spring is crazy for us here in the Agnella household.  One child has soccer, karate, and track and the other has art, karate, and basketball.  I feel during this season, that I live in the car. However, one advantage to this is that I get some extra reading time in while I wait for them to finish their activities.  

I try to always have one book in print and one audiobook with me at all times.  This way, I am never without a way to enjoy reading while I am out and about. :)

Last week I read

    

This week I am reading

    

Next up, I plan to begin

     
What are you reading?

Review: The Dirt on Ninth Grave

This is my guilty pleasure series. Whenever a new book comes out in the Charley Davidson series, I have no doubt that I will love it. It's a given. I remember picking up the first book in the series, First Grave on the Right, and wondering if it would be something I would enjoy. I had been reading another series and finally got sick of the repetitiveness of the plot. It just wasn't fun anymore and I was looking for something new. I swear that I read the first chapter and knew that Charley was going to be my new favorite badass heroine. Nine books later, I'm not bored or frustrated and I'm really excited for the tenth story. If you haven't read the series, there might be a bit of spoilage ahead but I'll try not to give too much away.

The Dirt on Ninth Grave finds Charley in Sleepy Hollow, NY with no memory at all. She doesn't know who she is or how she got there. I was hesitant about this at first because there are so many amnesia stories out there but this one was done well. As Charley slowly navigates life in NY, we realize that all of her friends and family are there too, supporting her and waiting patiently for her to remember who, and what, she is. The small cafe where Charley works is a perfect setting for the story and we meet some new characters who may or may not show up again in future books.

Charley was still Charley even without her memory. She was still just a little bit trashy (in a good way), inappropriate, and sassy. She still managed to get herself into trouble on several occasions and frustrate the hell out of her friends with her impulsive nature. There were also still a plethora of departed souls seeking her out, each with their own story, which added to the charm of the book. Add in a slightly unstable police officer/stalker, a few demons from hell, an angel trying to kill her, and her husband, the son of satan himself, and you've got quite a ride from beginning to end. A lot of suspense and a lot of fun with a couple of emotional moments thrown in for good measure. And of course, every chapter begins with a quote from a meme or t-shirt. My favorite from this book is...

“A dyslexic man walks into a bra- T-shirt”

The Dirt on Ninth Grave is another winner by Darynda Jones in my opinion. I finished it this morning and I'm still smiling.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Review: The Madman's Daughter

I am a lover of horror and monsters and things that go bump in the night.  Not the slash em' up kind of horror, but the scary kind of horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat with ghosts and creatures of the night.  When I was young, I loved watching movies like Mysterious Island, 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and other adventures. One of these was The Island of Doctor Moreau, the original story by H.G. Wells.  I remember the story clearly and when I fell across The Madman's Daughter and realized it was the story of Doctor Moreau's child, I had to grab it to see what they came up with.

This book was so much fun and the pace didn't allow for much down time.  There were moments in the story where I was anxious, surprised, and even completely appalled at what was being described. Juliet was perfect as Dr. Moreau's daughter.  She was strong, yet also unsure of herself, constantly questioning whether she was stable or cut of the same cloth as her father.  She desperately wanted to believe that he had some good in him.  She was terrified and curious and then terrified and disgusted at her own curiosity.  The pure horror of what the island is could put anyone over the edge but Juliet somehow manages to keep herself together, even after she realized how dire the situation really is and that her life may end on the island if she doesn't find a way to escape.

Dr. Moreau himself is a genius of the mad scientist type.  He is portrayed as both brilliant and insane, and truly believes that his experiments are just and acceptable. The details of the experimentation and the creatures on the island are not always easy to read about but also give the story that dark edge which is both difficult to read but fascinating at the same time and really pays homage to the original story. The creatures/humans were both creative and disturbing but also instilled empathy and compassion from both myself as the reader and from some of the characters in the story.

There is a bit of a love triangle in the story and I'm usually not a fan of this, but it works in this book and it doesn't overpower the rest of the story. Both male leads were written very well and I actually loved the direction they both took in the story. The romantic plot line was a little bit tiring due to Juliet's constant back and forth and there were a few moments where I wanted to slap some sense into her but the way it ended (to be continued) was both unique and a bit surprising.  I had some theories but I didn't realize exactly what was going to do happen until just before the end. 

The Madman's Daughter gets a five star rating from me.  I have already bought the second book and can't wait to get started to see what happens next.  I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

                                                                                                                                       

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and is a great place to meet up and share what you have been reading, what you are currently reading and what you are about to read.  It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and add to that ever growing TBR pile! And mine is... ever growing. :)

Last week I read

This week I am reading

Next week I plan to begin

 

Review: Happily Ever Ninja

Penny Reid never disappoints. I reluctantly picked up her first book in the Knitting in the City series, Neanderthal Seeks Human, and found myself so engaged that I read it in one evening.  This was a big deal because I don't read chic lit... ever. I was thrilled to find out that it was a series and that I would be able to read about the lives of all of the characters from the first story.  I have loved every book, including this latest one, Happily Ever Ninja, the story of Greg and Fiona, continued from Ninja at First Site (A novella).  It was refreshing to read a "married" romance where many of the daily challenges of marriage and parenthood were completely relatable.  The addition of a subplot with a bit of action and suspense added to my enjoyment of the story.  What really keeps me reading Reid's books however, is the characters.  Each character in the story is so well written and likable that you can't help but invest yourself in their well-being. Plus, as always, the continuous sarcasm and conversational wit has me laughing all the time.  Penny Reid's books are great weekend reads and will instantly lift your spirits if you are feeling down or just looking for something light and fun. Happily Ever Ninja is another winner and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Click on the titles below to see each of the books in order:

Neanderthal Seeks Human

Friends Without Benefits

Love Hacked: A Reluctant Romance

Beauty and the Mustache

Neanderthal Marries Human

Ninja at First Site

Happily Ever Ninja

Click here to visit Penny Reid's website

#Sixtybooks: January Check-in

Hello #Sixtybooks readers!

We are almost at the end of our first month together and we are truly ecstatic about all of the people who have joined the #Sixtybooks in 2016 challenge. Over 270 people have already pledged to participate in this movement to make reading a regular part of our daily lives! Readers are posting on Twitter at #Sixtybooks, we are up to almost fifty members in our #Sixtybooks group on Goodreads, and thirty-six members in #Sixtybooks on Facebook. Thank you for spreading the word and please continue to share!

Melissa and I are hoping to post regularly to all sites about the books we are reading. Since it is still fairly early in the challenge, we thought a good starting place would be to share a couple of books from our TBR lists that we are really looking forward to reading this year. I know my TBR is entirely out of control but there are a few books that will move right to the top as soon as I get my hands on them. 

Here are our “can’t wait to read” titles:

Laura’s Books

Melissa’s Books



Leave a comment to let us know what books you are looking forward to this year.

Happy reading! 

Laura (@lagnella) and Melissa (@mmorriswrite)

Review: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave is yet another one of those books that I kept looking at over and over again but for some reason kept putting on the back burner. When I found out it was going to be released as a movie in January, I decided to buy it for both myself and my son so we could read it and then go see the movie.

I have to say that I was hooked right away but also a little bit confused during the first pages.  It took me a few minutes to figure out who was narrating and get used to the author's style.  Once I figured out who was talking and what was going on,  I picked up the pace and was completely engrossed in the story.  I liked that most of the chapters were fairly short, sections were separated by a black page with white title, and that every few chapters the point of view would change from Cassie to Ben, and once or twice to Sammy, Cassie's little brother.

Cassie is perfect as the heroine of the story.  She's a young girl who has survived the first few waves of the alien invasion and who is forced into situations that cause her to grow up fast.  She is strong, but at the same time fragile, on the verge of total breakdown.  It almost seems like she is in a state of permanent shock over what she has seen and that fear and her natural instinct to survive are what help her to stay alive. The only thing that keeps her going is the possibility that her brother Sammy is still alive and she can find him. Once Evan enters the picture and she is no longer alone, she lets go a little bit and we see her start to lean on someone for support.  This doesn't last long however, and she toughens up once again.  I knew something was suspicious but I kept going back and forth about whether my theories were correct or not.  I was able to predict a couple of things accurately but I was also surprised once or twice at a twist that I was not expecting.  I already have a few different theories going about what path the next book will take.

My only issue was with Cassie and Ben's meeting toward the end of the story.  I had been wondering how it would play out but it seemed a bit rushed and awkward and I found myself a bit disappointed. I would have liked the author to give this section a bit more meaning.  I guess though, that the awkwardness of the meeting could have been intentional...

Otherwise, the fast pace and engaging storyline kept me reading.  I finished it in just a few days and I will definitely be picking up the next one soon.

                                                                                                                                           

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Top Reads

This Week's Topic

Top Ten Best Books We Read In 2015 (you can do it by only 2015 releases,  overall , by genre (top ten fantasy books I read in 2015), etc. however you choose to make your BEST list)

I'm choosing to list my top 10 favorite books of 2015.  Although my goal was 60 books, I came up short by about 10.  That's ok.  I'm still proud of, not only how many books I read, but about the fact that I set aside specific time to read almost every day, even if it was only for a few moments.  Some of the books I read will be remembered forever and others forgotten and that's ok too.  Here are my most cherished books from this year:

Novella November Continues...

This week, I have added four more novella's to my Novella November challenge. Two in the cozy mystery genre and two more suspense stories a bit on the darker side.

I started my weekend with the cozy mysteries. First, The Mutt and the Matchmaker, which I think is my favorite of the four books read this week.  It's a sweet little mystery with a bit of humor and some furry friends to add to the appeal.  It was fun and ended on a happy note.  There are two more books in this series but they aren't novellas so I will add them to my TBR list for future reading. The second book, The Saint Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre was also fun and had some humor to it but for some reason, I just didn't connect to the characters or feel invested in the plot.  It was enjoyable, but just didn't quite keep my attention as the first book did.

The two darker books were quite engaging.  I began with The Man on the Bench, which I thought was going to be a straight forward murder mystery.  Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story was very much like one Stephen King or John Saul might write.  It had just a bit of fantasy to it but wasn't overdone. I really liked it and read it in one sitting.  I highly recommend it.  Finally, Blackwater Lake was a murder mystery where a man finds out that his parents had quite a sordid past and investigates a murder they might have been involved in.  I did figure out the ending before it happened but the author kept me guessing for a while. Also worth the read if you are looking for a quick murder mystery.

I have one week left and several novellas left on my list. Hopefully the holiday weekend will give me some added reading time so I can get to them all.  Click on any of the photos above to see the books on Amazon.

                                                                                                                                       

Review: Nightfall

So, I was browsing in the bookstore while waiting for my son and his friends to come out of the movie theater when Nightfall caught my eye.  I had never read anything by this author before but I loved the cover and the teaser sounded promising. Normally, I try not to buy hardcover books due to their cost, but I figured my son could read it too so it would be worth the money.

Synopsis from Amazon:
On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every fourteen years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long. Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night. Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way. Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.


What did I think? Well, I liked it.  It was different and the plot was fairly original although I did have some deja vu here and there of other popular stories/fairy tales. The characters were likable and as before they were even left behind, I began developing theories.  While my basic idea of what was going to happen when night fell was correct, the story ended up being a bit more fantastical than I originally thought.  There were some imaginative creatures and an added mystery/subplot involving one of the main characters in the story which was quite interesting.  All in all, the book was fun and unique with a decent amount of adventure and suspense.  My 12 year old son is now enjoying it as well, and while he usually has one book at home and one at school, he is enjoying this one enough to be traveling with it back and forth.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more of an ending but maybe there will be a sequel in the future that will answer my lingering questions and ideas about what happens to the characters next.
                                                                                          

Feature and Follow Friday (August 21st)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by two blogs, Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.  This week, I have the honor of being the featured blogger... yay!!

Part of my job as a feature is to answer a few questions about my blogging life so, here are my responses:

When did you start blogging?

I started blogging about three years ago and it was instantly addicting.  It was an entire new world of ways to share my book thoughts with others who share the same passion. Love it!

What is your favorite part of book blogging?

My favorite part of book blogging is the ability to share my thoughts.  When I read a good book and I come across something that strikes me, I want to share that moment with others. I don't come from a family of readers so I now feel like I have a community or readers who blog just for the purpose of sharing their books and thoughts with others.

What type of books do you blog about?

I review a lot of the books I read, some ARC but mostly my own purchases. I especially love anything with a paranormal element to it.  I also enjoy many other genre as well.  You can see from my blog archive that I have a mix of YA, Urban Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Historical fiction, etc... Right now, I'm reading The Girl on the Train and it is fabulous!  I often participate in other memes such as Teaser Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday.

What are your favorite books?

Favorite books, hmmm.... that's tough so I will just list a few that I love (well, maybe more than a few).  Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, and Miss Peregine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Oh! and all of the Percy Jackson books, Hunger Games, Mortal Instruments... too many to choose from!

What has been one of the best things that has happened to you because of book blogging?

One of the best things to happen in my blogging world aside from just joining this great community of readers is becoming part of the She Reads Blog Network at SheReads.org.  I love being part of this group and sharing the reviews for our club reads with other bloggers.

And now... this week's question

If you could have any animal in the world as a pet, what would you pick?

Well, I think I would choose a Savannah Cat.  

This is a mix between a wild Serval and a domestic cat.  It's big and acts more like a dog and has beautiful markings.  You can read about them here if you like. 

Feel free to add your link below and leave a comment. 

I always follow back! :)