In Pursuit of My Own Library

So, where have I been? Why have a fallen off the radar (yet again)? I have been reading, landscaping, and recovering from landscaping by reading. Two of the books I am still writing up reviews for now, and I should have them posted later this week after my contest winner reveal. The Guild of Assassins by Anna Kashina Now we will be taking a look at part two in "The Majat Code." This next leg in the journey against the Kaddim brothers was not as impactful to me as the first. I was immensely impressed with the action and adventure of Blades. It could have possibly been a case where my excitement for the sequel was just so great that it was bound to fall a little flat. However, I really think (if I will admit my own honesty to myself) it was the addition of a love story that threw me off a bit.  These are bad, ---kicking ninja warriors here. Trained from incredibly young ages to be stoic and death dealing weapons of mass destruction. They sleep on dirt for comfort. We

And what better start than a review for a book all about summer.  I have planted some more hedges for privacy along my border, and it seems like I am never finished landscaping. I enjoyed taking some breaks for reading in there though that probably made the job last longer. (What is a bookworm to do?) The Last Kings of Sark kicked off my summer reading list quite nicely. The Last Kings of Sark by Rosa Rankin-Gee Four very solid stars. I have to take away one star for the format of the book. I'm kind of an old-fashioned reader who likes my story sequential with obvious transitions. This novel is divided with a feel of short story chapters that combine to make up a whole book. We start with Jude on the first day of her summer tutoring job, and then more or less follow a timeline that spans 10 or so years. Unfortunately, I did feel a little lost sometimes. So, four stars it is. The first chapter focuses on the longest stretch of time and has no particular order other than Summ

What a week. Phew. Something about Friday the 13th landing on the night of the full moon. Superstitions will abound. What better to go along with the crazy then Beyond the Western Sun  chock full of native superstition and the amazing gift of storytelling. Beyond the Western Sun by Kristina Circelli I know an author going to IndieFest in FL. As I was perusing their website for other authors attending, Kristina's author bio stuck out with her Native American theme. She is spreading some of her heritage with a mix of the fantasy fiction. Native American's are natural born storytellers, as most of their history is passed through oral tradition. I have always been fascinated with their origin stories and folk legends explaining why we exist in this world and the part humanity plays in nature. This was an author I had to check out. I looked her works up on Amazon, and the first of the Whisper series was free, so of course I had to download it. This book will not leave you wit

That is correct, you have indeed read properly. I have made 100 entries on this website. Not all of them have been reviews as I had initially pictured, but have been so much more as they have transformed and grown with my reviewer process. I have made it through a goal to read 75 books in one year. I have made connections with multiple authors and gotten the opportunity to expand my blog into interviews. I have become what I hope is a useful reviewer to the amazing Netgalley system. Now, I want to get anyone who missed out on this amazing series a chance to indulge in the steampunk goodness of Holmes revitalization. Up for grabs is the first book in the Baskerville Series, A Study in Silks . You can catch my review over here  for more inspiration on this fabulous series starter. It starts at Midnight and continues through the rest of the month, so get tallying some points for your free copy! The winner will be announced on July 1st. UPDATE: The winner has been chosen

This post has been like 3 weeks coming. Eek. The whole review is a little different style since the book runs different to my standard fare. It is not a book many will find enjoyable, but to those that would prefer a mind-stretching exercise machine, this will be a profitable review. The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon I write this review with very mixed feelings and can't decide where to place the star rating, so I don't think I will because I want to be fair. There is going to be a very specific audience for this novel. I chose it from the description tugging my heartstrings for the fate of the printed word. It proclaimed a lexicography thriller for the digital age. Let me begin with--I found this a painful read. In terms of general fiction with a smattering of futuristic thriller and dash of romance in the background, the book really could not grab my attention (if I read it too late at night, I instantly fell asleep). I needed all brain cells firing to keep pace wi

Wizards of the Coast are unleashing their last Sundering novel into the wild today. The six-novel series has concluded after an (amazingly) brief 10 months. We are now all geared up for the new world of D&D. I had never really known, played, or even researched anything D&D related until my Christmas present of Time of the Twins  from the Legend series, which prompted me to buy the boxed set of the Dragonlance Chronicles. Even then, I still really had no clue about D&D and the Forbidden Realms. Then,  Wizards of the Coast  granted me access to their new series, and I now find myself really immersed and considering getting more involved. The Herald by Ed Greenwood We conclude The Sundering series with veteran D&D writer Ed Greenwood. He continues to develop his iconic character Elminster with a few new characters in the mix (which totally fits the D&D for a new generation theme). One of the huge pros for this novel was the sense of not being lost. There was a ne