Review: Black Ice

I loved Becca Fitzpatrick's "Hush Hush" series so when I saw Black Ice, I immediately added it to my TBR list.  The teaser was interesting and I was looking for a fun, fast-paced story to change things up a bit.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there…and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

My Review:
The drama started almost at the very beginning and the story moved fast and furious until its final moments.  I took it to the gym with me and stayed on the treadmill for over an hour because I didn't want to stop reading.  Britt is a typical young girl who still pined over her ex-boyfriend and didn't always make the best decisions. She was also however, smart and savvy and didn't give herself enough of a chance to prove this to herself.  On the mountain, when she and Korbie are kidnapped during a blizzard, she has to rise to the occasion to stay alive and she does this admirably.  She ended up being a strong character and learning a lot about herself as an individual.

Was this book incredibly deep and emotional? Not really, but that didn't in any way take away from the fun of reading it.  It was written as a fast-paced thriller with a little bit of romance and that is exactly what I was looking for.  I had my theories early on about how the story was going to turn out and I was pretty close with my predictions on who the real killer was.  I really liked how the author ended the book and then included an epilogue that took place a year later to finish out the story.  This was a bit more realistic than many stories where, after all the drama, everything wraps up perfectly with a bow on top.  

This would make a great beach read as it isn't too thick and doesn't require a huge amount of concentration. Thoroughly enjoyable.  I will definitely continue to pick up any new books by this author.

                                                                                                                                        

Review: Four Rubbings

$

Four Rubbings is volume 1 in the Stone Witch Series, written by Jennifer Hotes. It was graciously given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Halloween. The night the barrier between the dead and the living is as thin as muslin. Fourteen-year old Josie, haunted by the death of her mother, leads her best friends to an ancient cemetery to rub graves. Convinced she will come away with proof of her mother’s spirit at last, the evening takes an unexpected turn as the teens gravitate four ways into the haunted grounds. Set against the backdrop of the rainy Pacific Northwest, four graves will be rubbed, touching off a series of events that will rattle their once mundane lives. From the lonely World War II hero to an accused witch, the people buried beneath the stones have stories that need an ending. The journey to unravel the mysteries leaves the friends wondering if the graves would’ve been better off left alone.

My Review:
With so many YA books out there with a focus on the paranormal, it seems to be getting harder and harder to find a story that is original and engaging, but this book is both.  When I first began reading, I thought the characters were a bit young for the roles they were given, but as I continued reading and learned more about their history together and the family issues they each had to cope with, I found myself fully engrossed in their lives and in the mysteries they were pursuing. 

I really liked the premise of rubbing graves and actually went out of my way to learn more about this interesting activity that really does exist.  The grave rubbings begin as an innocent activity on Halloween and a way for Josie, one of the main characters, to find a new bond with her deceased mother.  What it ends up to be is quite different.  Each of the kids, Josie, Blaze, Seth, and Casey look further into the stories of the graves they chose and the chapters change point of view according to which story is the current focus. Normally, I would find this constant change of perspective annoying but in this case, I was so interested in all of their discoveries that I didn't mind it at all.  

The bond of the four main characters was admirable.  Being friends from birth and now 14, the story was as much about the characters coming of age as it was a paranormal mystery.  I think this added to the engagement level of the book as they supported each other through their troubles but also begin to see each other in a different light as the story developed.

My favorite aspect of the story however, was the story of the accused witch's grave and the connection between her story and the story of Josie's mother.  I've always enjoy witch stories and the history of witches and witchcraft in the world so this story was the most interesting and fun for me.  

This book is great for middle school readers and really for anyone over the age of 12.  I thought it was unique and fun to read and I liked how I didn't really know how it would end. I'm really looking forward to the second book to see where the author takes these characters on their next adventure.

                                                                                                                                       

Review: The Magician's Lie

The Magician's Lie is one of the chosen books of winter at Shereads.org.  Early reviewers compared it to The Night Circus, which is one of my all time favorite stories so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review this book.

Synopsis from Amazon:
The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden's husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless-and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free... and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

My Review:
The turn of the century setting in this story is what captured my attention first.  I love books with a historical aspect to them and the traveling shows on the railway, New York, and Biltmore all lent themselves to the time period and were beautifully described.  You can tell the author did her research when you, as the reader, feel like you are there inside the story. The Amazing Arden, our main character, is truly "amazing."  She is a strong woman born in a man's time who dared to take risks in order to make it on her own and escape her past. She never gave up even when pushed to the breaking point and I like to see that in a female character.  

The story is told in one night, in a police station, while Arden is handcuffed to a chair as a suspected murderer.  She tells her story from this chair, going back to her childhood and ending with a return to the present. Her story is intriguing and I found myself constantly making mental notes when I thought I found a clue in the past that might lead to what really happened.  I went back and forth several times on the issue of Arden's guilt. When the truth was close to being revealed and I realized what truly happened, I was both surprised and also impressed that the author was able to hold onto the mystery for so long. The paranormal element of the story is minor but just enough to make it all the more engaging. The love story between Arden and Clyde is beautifully written and reminds us of the sacrifices people make for one another so they can protect and be with the ones that mean the most to them.  As a villain, Ray was the perfect example of evil.  He was truly disturbed and made me cringe on more than one occasion as I read.  I had no compassion for him whatsoever.

One thing I would have loved to have in the story was a more prominent role for Officer Holt. We get a glimpse of his life and the hardship he is dealing with but I felt that he was a good guy who was temporarily lost in life and I would have liked to see a more solid ending to his story.

There are a few disturbing scenes but these just made the book even harder to put down because I knew in my heart that Arden would prevail.  

                                                                                                                             

Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer

This is the third and final installment in the Mara Dyer trilogy and I am happy to say that I loved the way it ended.  Recently, so many book series have left me feeling like I want to throw the book across the room at the end (and I'm really not a violent person!).  Mockingjay and Allegiant were both endings to fabulous series but left me feeling angry.  I'm so glad I finished this trilogy feeling satisfied.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.  There is.
She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.  She should.
She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.  She will now.
Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.
Retribution has arrived.

My Review:
This series is considered YA but it isn't in any way for the faint of heart.  It is dark, often depressing, and quite violent but it is also almost impossible to put down.  It has an element of fantasy to it in that the characters discover that they have "powers" but instead of glamorizing those powers, the author moves in a different direction.  Mara, the main character, can hurt or kill people just by thinking about their death. Noah, her boyfriend, can heal.  They are light and shadow.  All of the main characters in the book have mental issues and much of the story once they realize their abilities, consists of them trying to survive being victims of experimentation and figure out how they became what they are.

Mara's character was unforgettable.  She showed determination when most would have given up or given in.  Is her story a happy one?  Not really, but there was always that small sliver of hope that she would find what she was looking for and have her chance at a semi-normal future. The book is beautifully written and most of my questions from the second story were answered. There is quite a bit of blood and violence in this book as compared to the others and there were some parts that were downright depressing when you put yourself in the character's shoes.  I sometimes wondered how a few of the characters would be able to live with themselves after some of the horrible things that took place. My only complaint was that Noah wasn't present until about the last third of the book and then it seemed a bit rushed.  The quick, back and forth point of view once Mara and Noah were finally together wasn't a good choice in my opinion but it was a small detail as compared to the rest of the story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

If you are looking for a light paranormal romance, this is not the book for you. However, if you don't mind a more complex but intriguing story line that has a dark edge to it, this is a great trilogy with a decent wrap up that won't leave you disappointed.

Review: Prince Lestat

I had waited years for a worthy follow up to the Vampire Chronicles.  I devoured Interview with a Vampire and The Vampire Lestat years ago and they are still to this day two of my all time favorite books.  I enjoyed Queen of the Damned and The Vampire Armand and even give kudos to The Tale of the Body Thief.  Most of the others, however, just fell flat for me so when I heard there was a new Anne Rice book continuing the Vampire Chronicles saga, I was both excited and wary.  

Synopsis from Amazon:
The novel opens with the vampire world in crisis…vampires have been proliferating out of control; burnings have commenced all over the world, huge massacres similar to those carried out by Akasha in The Queen of the Damned…Old vampires, roused from slumber in the earth are doing the bidding of a Voice commanding that they indiscriminately burn vampire-mavericks in cities from Paris and Mumbai to Hong Kong, Kyoto, and San Francisco. As the novel moves from present-day New York and the West Coast to ancient Egypt, fourth century Carthage, 14th-century Rome, the Venice of the Renaissance, the worlds and beings of all the Vampire Chronicles-Louis de Pointe du Lac; the eternally young Armand, whose face is that of a Boticelli angel; Mekare and Maharet, Pandora and Flavius; David Talbot, vampire and ultimate fixer from the secret Talamasca; and Marius, the true Child of the Millennia; along with all the other new seductive, supernatural creatures-come together in this large, luxuriant, fiercely ambitious novel to ultimately rise up and seek out who-or what-the Voice is, and to discover the secret of what it desires and why…
And, at the book's center, the seemingly absent, curiously missing hero-wanderer, the dazzling, dangerous rebel-outlaw--the great hope of the Undead, the dazzling Prince Lestat…

My Review:
Well, I was right to be wary.  I think I knew in my heart that this book wouldn't hold a candle to the original.  Don't get me wrong, Lestat is still the Brat Prince of the Vampires and does not let the reader down, and it was wonderful to see Louis and Armand and other favorites.  The parts of the book that focused on Lestat and the other well known and well loved characters were engaging and at those moments, I was able to catch a glimpse of the old stories that I loved so much.  However, so much of this book focused on other, lesser known vampires that I wasn't as invested in.  Their stories were mildly interesting and they had purpose to the story but I felt like it was false advertising to call the book, "Prince Lestat" when Lestat was probably present in only about half of the book and he certainly wasn't causing the often jaw-dropping or laugh out loud trouble we are used to reading.  Louis, my favorite character, only barely made an appearance and then suddenly had the lead role in the last chapter, which I'm still not sure I understand.

I think the problem was that I was expecting something I didn't get.  My expectations were too high.  The book was well-written and the last quarter of the book was quite exciting once all of the different chapters/stories began to merge.  I still believe Anne Rice to be a stellar author but I am going back.  I'm going back to reread those first two books that kept me up until wee hours of the morning on the edge of my seat, reveling in the Vampire world and its colorful and unforgettable characters.  These are the stories I want to hold onto and remember forever.

                                                                                                                                        

2014 end of year survey

This is the 5th annual End of Year Book Survey, hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner.  The survey is a great way to reflect on your own reading throughout the past year, and can also provide you with some great new book titles to add to your TBR list for 2015!

I shortened the survey a bit because of time constraints but I really wanted to participate. After reading my list, click here to go to the main post and join up with everyone else.  All of the questions are here for you.  I know I'll be adding a ton of new books to my 2015 reading list.  

Note: The survey is for books you read throughout the year, no matter when they were published, and is not limited to just books that came out in 2014!!

Number of books I read: 69... pretty darn good for someone who works full time and has two kids! lol.
Number of re-reads: 2
Genre I read the most from: Probably YA paranormal with historical fiction coming in 2nd

Best book I read in 2014:
I have to do a four way tie... sorry.

 Book I was excited about and thought I was going to love more but didn't:
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I was very disappointed in the ending of this series.

Most surprising book I read in 2014:
Get Lost by Xavier Neal.  I really enjoyed this Peter Pan inspired story and I wasn't sure I would.

Books I pushed the most people to read in 2014:
I don't really push books but I did recommend Neanderthal Seeks Human and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown to a few people.

Best series I started in 2014, best sequel, and best ender:
Started: The Wishcraft Mystery series by Heather Blake
Sequel: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
Ender: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Favorite new author (for me anyway):
Amalie Howard (author of Bloodspell)

Best book in a genre I don't typically read:
The Chase by Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book(s):
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
The Outside by Laura Bickle

Book I will most likely re-read in 2015:
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Favorite cover of a book I read in 2014:

Most memorable character of 2014:
Matthew Claremont from The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Most beautifully written book:
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Most thought-provoking/life changing book:
I don't really have one but if I had to choose, it would be That Night by Chevy Stevens

Book I can't believe I waited until 2014 to read:
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Favorite passage/quote from a book in 2014:
I have way too many favorites.  I can't choose one.

Shortest book/longest book:
Shortest: Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid
Longest:  City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Book that shocked me the most:
Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  I did NOT like the ending

OTP of the year:
Charley Davidson and Reyes Farrow from the Charley Davidson series

Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Harry and Hermoine from my re-read of Harry Potter

Book that put a smile on my face:
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Book that made me cry:
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Hidden Gem of the Year:
Still going with The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Book that crushed my soul:
Still going with Allegiant

Most unique book(s) of 2014:
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown or The Outside

My Blogging Life:

New favorite blog:
I have tons... there is no way for me to choose.  I visit new ones all the time.

Favorite review I wrote this year:
Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Best event I participated in:
Bout of Books (spring session)
Goodreads Book Challenge

This is my second full year with my blog.  I wasn't sure it would last this long but I am still loving it.  I am finding new blogs all the time and I love taking time out to browse through them and see all of the great bookish posts each week.  I participated in several book challenges including the Goodreads challenge and went beyond my 52 book goal.  I made an additional goal last year to try to comment more on other people's blogs and have noticed an upswing in the comments I am receiving as well. This year I would like to branch out and take a chance at writing some posts that aren't focused on reviewing books or participating in weekly memes.  We will see how that goes. ;)

                                                                                                                                    

Stacking the Shelves (December 21, 2014)

This will most likely be my last Stacking the Shelves post for 2014.  I can't believe the year is coming to a close so quickly.  I'm thrilled that I reached my reading goals and I am already collecting some titles to start off 2015.  Thank you to Tynga's Reviews for this weekly post.  Here are my first few picks for the new year.  Click on any of them to see more information:

What did you stack your shelves with this week?