Review: All of Us and Everything

All of Us and Everything was kindly given to me in exchange for an honest review.  It was part of our SheReads.org spring book selection.  While I had never heard of this author before, the book synopsis was intriguing.

What did I think of the story?  I actually really loved the plot idea.  A mom who made a decision to be with someone and have children with him when he couldn't truly be part of their lives.  The children, growing up without a dad, were told that he couldn't be with them because he was a spy and it would put them all in danger; an outlandish story thought to be a substitution for the truth.  The children, all girls, all adults with their lives falling apart in one way or another.  After a hurricane in their old hometown, they all return to their mother and finally learn the truth about their father and begin to put themselves right.

I did enjoy the book.  I thought that the idea of the father really being a spy was creative and the girl's issues in adulthood were realistic for the most part, if a bit on the depressing side.  I loved how the girls came back home as three separate people who wanted nothing to do with one another and ended up on the path to being a true family again, understanding what sisterhood should really be.  The addition of Atty, Esme's daughter, showed us how easily our own messed up lives can affect our children.  The epilogue gave a glimpse into how each character in the story ended up, even the minor ones, and I felt satisfied knowing they were all looking upward and onward.  On the downside, I must admit that I felt the story was missing something.  I'm not sure if it flip flopped too much from one character to the next or if everything just fell together too easily.  Maybe I thought the father's story should have been more exciting. Something was amiss for me and it took away from my complete investment in the story.

I'd give this one about 3.5 out of 5 stars if I were rating it.  As a book about families who have fallen apart and go on a journey to put themselves back together, it was good.  I just think it had the potential to have been even better.  However, don't knock it until you try it.  If you like family drama, you may enjoy this one.

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.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Feature and Follow: April 29th

The Feature and Follow is the premium BLOG HOP of Book Bloggers. hosted by AlisonCanRead and Parajunkee.  Running for over five years, the Feature and Follow’s goal is to promote the book blogging and author community to join together and support each other – even if it is just through a simple follow.

This week's blog prompt is:

3 FAVORITE HEROINES, BOOKS THEY’RE IN, AND WHY YOU LOVE THEM.

The only hard piece to this prompt is that I have so many favorites that it is difficult to choose only three.  Here goes:

Charley Davidson:  I've loved all nine books in the Charley Davidson series so far, mostly due to the fact that the main character, the grim reaper herself, is sassy, snarky, a little bit trashy, and one badass heroine.  She is a character who I can always count on to make me laugh out loud no matter how lousy I am feeling.  I also love her wide array of inappropriate t-shirts.

Sephronia Temminnick:  From the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. Sephronia is supposed to be a proper young lady and concerned with manners and etiquette but her natural personality is just the opposite.  Her adventures and daring as she trains to be a spy/assassin in this steampunk Victorian setting are so much fun to read.

Mary Russell:  The main character in the Mary Russell Mysteries by Laurie R. King. Mary is the new apprentice of Sherlock Holmes and eventually becomes his much younger wife and partner in crime solving. She is strong and resilient and a perfect match for Holmes.  She is the main crime solver in these stories and is completely deserving of the spotlight.

                                                                                                                                     

Review: A Cold Legacy

The series is over.  I've finished all three books and loved each of them.  If you haven't heard of these or read my previous reviews on the first two books, you should definitely go back to check them out from the beginning.  You can see all three books on Amazon by clicking here.

A Cold Legacy continues the story of Juliet Moreau and her quest to find her true self amidst the chaos that seems to follow her wherever she goes.  In this installment, which has a strong tie-in to the story of Frankenstein, Juliet and her friends escape London and hide from the law in the north with Elizabeth, at her estate.  What Juliet finds however, is that even here, things are not normal. Elizabeth, it turns out, is related to the original Frankenstein family and holds the only written evidence of re-animation, bringing the dead back to life.   This of course, just feeds into Juliet's obsession that she is fated to be just like her father, and her curiosity leads her to places she shouldn't go, even though her friends warn to to stay away.  I found myself getting angry at Juliet at times because her inner thinking and decision making was just so frustrating.  This happened in the other books too, but it doesn't take away from the quality of the story.

Hemsley is the re-animated child in the story, brought back to life by Elizabeth years ago.  He is fascinating to read about and really brings the Frankenstein feel of the story home.  His one white eye, inhuman strength, lack of pain, and temper all worked together perfectly to create his persona.  I felt both empathy and horror when reading about him.

All of our beloved characters are still with us for this story. Balthasar, Montgomery, Lucy, and Sparky the dog; but I warn you, this is the last book and there is quite a bit of violence and some heartache to be had throughout.  That being said, I was satisfied at the end and wouldn't have minded another book to continue the story to see if everyone ended up happy with the choices they made.  

Highly recommended if you love horror/romance that brings back pieces of an old classic monster tale.  A great series by an author whom I will definitely read again. If you want to know more about the author, Megan Shepherd, click here to visit her website.

Enjoy your reading!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

WWW (April 13th)

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam at samannelizabeth.wordpress.com.  The goal is to share your books with others who may also like what you are reading.  This past week was actually a good reading week for me.  While I usually only read one or two books a week since I also work full time, this week I was able to grab some extra time to enjoy my books.  I also made time to write a couple of blog posts, and participate in a Twitter chat!

What I recently finished (All NetGalley Books):

Audible Books

What I am currently reading (one Audible/one NetGalley):

What I plan to read next (All Kindle):

Have a wonderful week. I'm looking forward to seeing what others are reading!

                                                                                                                                                                                              

Review: Her Dark Curiosity

I cannot express how much I am enjoying The Madman's Daughter series.  I've chosen to listen to the books on Audible since I drive forty minutes to and from work each day and each book is about 10-12 hours of listening.  However, with both of the first two books, I found myself listening at every chance I got, including walking on the treadmill, on my Amazon Echo while cooking, and while waiting to pick up my children from their various activities.  

I think what I love about these books the most is that they each connect to a classic that is reminiscent of my childhood, whether I read the original or saw a film based upon it.  The first book, The Madman's Daughter, was loosely based on the story of The Island of Dr. Moreau.  The second installment, Her Dark Curiosity, brings what can compare to Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Finally, the conclusion of the series, A Cold Legacy, will connect to the story of Frankenstein.  I'm so looking forward to starting it this afternoon. If you haven't read the first book, you may not want to read ahead, although I have done my best not to spoil.

Her Dark Curiosity continues to focus on the life of Juliet Moreau, daughter of the infamous mad scientist Dr. Moreau.  She has returned from the island and discovered that she has been followed by Edward, a man she cared very much but who also has a much darker and more dangerous side.  The story revolves around Juliet trying to cure him and keep him from the chaos that ensues when he loses control.  As the story progresses, a conspiracy is uncovered, other island members return, and Juliet continues to be torn about her own inner self and between the two men in her life.  We are introduced to a few new and very well written characters, including Elizabeth, who seems will have a larger roll in the third book, and we also see a just end to a few characters who are quite deserving of their finale (in my opinion anyway).  Murder and mayhem are in no short supply and a few disturbingly gory sections had me both amazed and horrified at the same time.  I was enthralled each time I listened to the story and I can honestly say that there wasn't one moment where I was bored or distracted. I was so excited as the end approached and I started to figure out which classic story the next book would originate from.  Don't read the synopsis on Amazon if you want to figure it out for yourself.  It's much more fun that way.

I highly recommend this entire trilogy.  Rarely do I come across a series where I can truly say that the second book was as good as the first, if not better.  I have high hopes for the third and I am sure I won't be disappointed.