Spotlight Review: Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler (thoughts)

Spotlight Reviews are my way of playing catch up. I read and didn't review a ton of of books from last year that I always wanted to share my thoughts on. These reviews will be short and sweet with just my basic thoughts and are my way of "catching up".

From Goodreads:

"Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever rub the genie's lamp."

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this beginning to a new urban fantasy series. Jane is such a great main character and she really made this book that much better in my opinion. She is a little unsure of herself and inexperienced but always up for a challenge. And what a challenge it is as she is drawn into the middle of a deadly mystery where her heritage (she is considered to be a halfing meaning half human and half supernatural) plays a huge role in those that are dying. This book was a fun read filled with humerous moments. My only problem with the book was the instant dislike to Jane's new boyfriend Ryu that I developed. I just don't care for him and had problems figuring out why Jane is so enamored with him. The mystery aspect of the story was really good and I was constantly turning the pages to see what would happen next. Overall, I thought that this book was a wonderful beginning to a new series and I was instantly ready to rejoin Jane's world in the next book. Recommended!

Disclosure: I read this book last year but I'm 98% positive that I checked that out from the library. It was a good choice!

Spotlight Review: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (thoughts)

Spotlight Reviews are my way of playing catch up. I read and didn't review a ton of of books from last year that I always wanted to share my thoughts on. These reviews will be short and sweet with just my basic thoughts and are my way of "catching up".

From Goodreads:

"Part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller, Shades of Grey tells of a battle against overwhelming odds. In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the low-level house of Red and can see his own color-but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means."

My Thoughts:

This book was one of my top ten reads last year which should tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I kept the synopsis short and sweet because I think that you should go into this book knowing as little as possible. Because it made the reading experience that much more enjoyable for me. Fforde is a talented author that has created such an intricate world...I was caught up within the pages of this book instantly. I loved the important role that colors played in this book and the way that the author incorporated colors throughout the story. The ending left me feeling very surprised and wanting more. I'm not sure when the second book comes out but I will be picking it up as soon as it does. Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I checked this book out from the library last year at some point.

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Blindsighted begins with the grisly death of a blind college professor named Sibyl Adams who was brutalized before her death. The chief of police, Jeffrey Tolliver, begins to investigate the murder with little evidence to go on. His ex-wife, Sara Linton, is the small town's coroner and it is up to her to provide any clues that she can find from the victim's body. But soon after a new victim is found and both Jeffrey and Sara realize that they may have a serial killer on their hands.

I ended up with mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, I was easily caught within the story from the very beginning. I had a hard time putting the book down. But...and this is a big but for me....the book was too graphic for me at times. I usually don't mind details and all but the murders and what was done to the bodies was a bit much even for me. And it caused me to step back from the book a couple of times. The characters were good and I liked that they weren't perfect nor were their relationships with each other perfect. I especially liked the interaction between Sara and Jeffrey which was interesting to read about. It made me want to see what is going to happen in future books as this is the beginning of a series. I did kind of have an idea as to who the killer was but there were questions left open at the end of the book that showed me I didn't guess everything. And I'm hoping that as I read the next book that maybe I'll get some more answers.

Bottom Line: A good/okay read but one I would recommend with hesitation or at least a warning and I will be continuing with the 2nd book at some point :)

Disclosure: I got this book from the library based on a recommendation from Staci at Life in the Thumb.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

So let's start this review off with the fact that I don't care for zombies all that much. Or maybe at all. So I can't say that I was expecting to like this book all that much. I cannot even begin to tell you how pleasantly surprised I was to find that Married With Zombies was a fast, fun read!

It all begins when Sarah and David head to couple's counseling. Sarah and David are having major relationship issues when the book begins but their entire life changes when they walk in on their counselor attempting to eat one of her clients. Now they are not only working on their relationship problems but also fighting zombies and attempting to stay alive and away from the undead.

I was instantly drawn into this book from the very beginning. Sarah and David's relationship isn't perfect and comes across as very real. I loved how we got to see from the very beginning how their lives changed from the outbreak of zombies, as well as how they learned to cope with all of the changes. It made me wonder at times what I would do and how I would react if placed in similar circumstances. The book itself was very fast-paced and I found myself turning the pages with ease. One of my favorite parts of the book was the zombie/relationship advice found at the beginning of each chapter. These were both quirky and clever and definitely fun to read. The book doesn't take itself too seriously which made for a few laughs at times. But there were also some more somber moments which realistically would be the case all things considered. And of course there has to be the warning fact that parts of the book are slightly gory (if I can handle it though, I'm sure anyone could). But all in all a fun, easy read and I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 2 in this series!

Bottom Line: A fun, fast read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to zombie lovers!

Disclosure: I received this book from the lovely people at Orbit Books. Thanks for helping to me to stretch my reading comfort zone and fine a new author!!
*I read this book for the following challenge:
New Author Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge
100+ Book Challenge
RIP V Challenge

P.S.- And if I didn't convince you to read this based on my review, I handed this one off to my sister when I finished and she enjoyed it as much as I did ;)

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

Arcadia Falls is one of those books that I instantly found myself immersed in. The story begins with Meg and her daughter moving to a small cottage as she begins a new teaching job in Arcadia Falls. Her relationship with her daughter is strained and Meg is working hard to deal with all of the things that come with being a single mother. But soon after they arrive, Meg begins to see a darker undertone to both the school and its' history. It is almost as if the fairy tales written by one of the founders of the school have a semblance of truth to them.

This book isn't just Meg's story, but it is also the story of the two women who started the school years ago. I loved that it was a book within a book and felt that both stories were intriguing and wrapped up together in a way that worked perfectly for this book. The history of the school was interesting and I thought that the way the author set it up helped to add to the story. I loved the fairy tale aspects of this novel and felt that it gave an extra layer of atmosphere to this book. And this book had atmosphere in abundance. I mean there was the private school, the creepy fairy tales, a mysterious death...I was instantly pulled within this book's pages. I also felt that this was a book that I didn't want to put down. The mysterious aspects to the story had me hooked and I was invested in the characters. I thought the characters were written realistically especially the relationship between Meg and her daughter. This was just a good read for me. Plain and simple. This is definitely an author that I wouldn't hesitate to read more of!

Bottom Line: A must read for those who enjoy slightly creepy, atmospheric books!

Disclosure: I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers program for an honest review of course :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Book Challenge

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Let me count the ways that I loved this book and this series! Changeless picks up right where Soulless left off so if you haven't read the first book yet be warned of spoilers. And I'll put my bottom line right at the beginning of the review and say that this book is even better than the first. I loved it!

Alexia Tarabotti is back and better than ever in this sequel to Soulless. In this installment Alexia is investigating the mysterious phenemonen that is affecting parts of the supernatural sect in the city and causing them to apparently turn "human" for unknown reasons. Of course Alexia is caught up in the midst of everything and her investigation leads her to follow her husband to Scotland and the werewolf pack he left behind. But as always trouble follows her and Alexia is in more danger than she knows.

I found this book to be even better than the first which is really saying something as I thought Soulless was very good. This book provided the reader with a different side to Alexia as her marriage to Lord Maccon shows a slightly softer but just as stubborn Alexia. I loved the banter between these two and love how their relationship has evolved. There is just a chemistry between these characters that really works for me and helps to make the books even better in my opinion. I was also glad to see that this book included more of Ivy Hisselpenny as well as some new characters that we were introduced to. The humor in this book was more apparent to me this time and I caught myself laughing aloud on a couple of occasions. This was a fast paced read that kept me enthralled until the very end. And the end. Well, don't get me started other than to say that I was left wanting more. Right now. If I were you I would have a copy of Blameless nearby to open up as soon as you finish this book. All in all, a great addition to this series and I can't wait to see what kind of adventures/trouble Alexia gets herself into next!

Bottom line: Must read in my opinion! Great series!

Disclosure- I was sent this book to review and share my honest opinion by the publisher. It's not my fault I absolutely love these books and think you should too :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge

2nds Reading Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

"C" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

Books like this make me wonder why I don't read mystery series more often. A is for Alibi begins with the reader meeting Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator who is asked to reinvestigate a murder that happened over seven years ago. She is hired by Nikki Fife, the wife of the murdered man, and the person that has been accused, convicted, and recently released from prison. Kinsey goes back to the beginning of the original investigation to see if she can dig up some new evidence and new answers. What she finds brings her more danger than she ever expected.

Kinsey may be one of the most likeable sleuths that I've ever read. I instantly related to her character and her personality. Grafton was able to make her come across as realistic, tough, slightly vunerable, and just a fun character to read about. Kinsey's character made this book for me and was one of the reasons that I liked it so much. I enjoyed following along with the investigation throughout the book and trying to solve it myself along the way. Let's just say that I was majorly off and hadn't a clue who the bad guy was :) But it made the ending all the more suspenseful and I flew through it. All in all, a great beginning to this series and I can't wait to read more about Kinsey's investigations and adventures.

Final Thoughts: Highly recommended to any mystery lovers out there!

Disclosure: Checked out from the library...

*I read this book for the following challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

1st in a Series Challenge

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

"A" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

The Keep by Jennifer Egan

Even though I read this book earlier this year (and just never reviewed it), I'm thinking that this is the perfect time to review it as fall begins to change the colors of the leaves and the nights get cooler. I picked up The Keep when I saw it was longlisted for the Orange Prize Project in 2008 and I'm glad that I did. The Keep was a slightly eerie read with lots of atmosphere and weird happenings going on.

The book begins with the main character Danny going to Germany to help his cousin Howie renovate an old castle into a hotel. Except that Danny and Howie haven't seen each other since they were teenagers and had a mysterious "prank" go awry on them. The tension between the two characters is there from the start even if the reader is only getting Danny's viewpoints and has to guess on Howie's actions and motivations. Before long Danny is caught up in the midst of eerie happenings that are more strange then anything and the question remains, "Why did Howie ask him here?"

Okay, I'm not even sure if that synopsis/brief summary of mine makes sense because this book is SO strange and there is so much more going on. I alluded to the fact that the reader knows how Danny feels and what he is thinking but it isn't Danny that is telling the story. In fact, it is an unknown narrator who is in prison for reasons unknown. Like I said, strange. The multiple stories and viewpoints that are all really the narrator's story make up for an interesting combination. And the author does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere filled with tension from the start. While for the first half of the book I didn't quite know what was going on, I didn't really care and was more than happy to see where the book was going to go next. Howie and Danny's friendship was different and Howie was a mysterious character that I could never quite figure out. Danny was also a character with lots of different questions surrounding his background and the life that he had been previously living. I liked it though that I was constantly questioning everything and getting pulled into the story. This book was filled with mystery, suspense, and a little bit of gothic thrown all together to create a weird but good read.

Final Thoughts: Interesting. I'm not sure what to say other than that. Just an interesting but strange read (and it WAS a bit strange).

Disclosure- Library book.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Orange Prize Project (longlist in 2008)

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

"K" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Summary from Goodreads:

"Choose....A quick death....Or slow poison....

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust-and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison."

My Thoughts:

Loved it! This is one of those books that instantly pulls you in and I was caught up in Yelena's world and the difficulties she faced from the very beginning. Yelena was a very interesting character to read about. She is facing death every single day and she doesn't crumble. Instead she tries to figure out ways in which to escape and make a better life for herself. The reader is only given pieces at a time of Yelena's life prior to being jailed which kept my curiousity throughout the book. I wanted to know what had happened and how it related to everything that Yelena was now experiencing. The book itself was easy to read, captivating, and when I finished I instantly wanted more. By far my favorite parts of this book were the characters and the world building. I was transported while reading this book into Yelena's world and the life that she was living which made it a great read for me! I can't seem to say enough good things about this book so I'll end it with this being one of those books that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Final Thoughts: Maria V. Snyder has created a world that I couldn't get enough of- I'm super excited to continue on with this trilogy and see how Yelena continues to face the difficulties that lay before her.

Disclosure: Another book from my local library.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Once Upon a Time Challenge III (how am I still reviewing books for this?)

Fantasy Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

"P" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah

This book is a thriller all about the choices that we make and the consequences of those decisions. Sally Thorning is a working wife and mother of two children who made a decision a year ago that is now coming back to haunt her. Because Sally lied to her husband and went on what was supposed to be a "business trip", but was in fact a vacation away from her everyday life. On her weekend away Sally met a man named Mark Bretherick...the name of a man who is now on television because his wife and daughter have been murdered. But the Mark Bretherick on television isn't the Mark that Sally met and spent time with while she was away.

How seriously creepy is that?? Sally goes on a trip alone, meets and has an affair with a man, and then goes back to her every day life. Except that the man she an affair with isn't the man he claimed to be and now Sally doesn't know who she spent the weekend with. Plus, there are creepy things happening to her and Sally is starting to realize that someone is out to get her. This book was a definite page turner for me. On one hand, I had a bit of a hard time relating to Sally. Not that I don't understand the need for alone time but the decisions she made on her weekend away weren't the smartest ones. But the dislike for her affair was immediately set aside as different things began happening to her that showed Sally to be in danger. The mystery aspect of the book was very compelling and I didn't figure out who the "bad" guy was until the end. And trust me, I was turning pages and reading as fast as possible trying to see what was going to happen next. My only complaint was the ending was a bit bleh and by that I mean that I wasn't very impressed with it. It was an okay ending but nothing amazing. It was still a really good, suspenseful read though. This book definitely made me think about the every day decisions that we make and how it can affect our lives.

Bottom Line: A good thriller and an author that I plan to read more of!

Disclosure- I got this book from the library :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

Suspense/Thriller Reading Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Blue Diablo begins with Corine's ex-boyfriend Chance showing up at her store and home in Mexico looking for help. Corine is a handler, which in a nutshell means that she is able to touch different objects and tell the object's history as well as sometimes more from touching it. Chance's mother has disappeared and his only lead is an object that he believes she left behind as a clue to where she has gone. Now it is up to Corine and Chance to track his mother down to bring her to safety and while they do that they may just get a little more than they bargained for.

For me a good book needs to have strong, interesting characters that make me want to read their story. Luckily enough, Corine and Chance were great main characters to read about. The history between them is present throughout the story and is always something that is between them. I liked that the author didn't make it easy for them: they still hurt from the past and each other but at the same time the feelings that they had for each other were still there. I was just waiting to see if they would be able to work everything out. The storyline itself was fast paced and interesting. I liked the idea that Corine was able to get the history of something just from touching different objects. And I thought it was interesting that the handling of these objects caused Corine different levels of pain depending on what she touched. It made this book different from a lot of books that are out there in this genre. The entire read was very satisfying and this is an author that I want to read more of and soon. I can't wait to see what will happen between Corine and Chance in future books! All in all, a great read.

Bottom line: This is a definite book and beginning of a series to check out if you enjoy urban fantasy! Recommended!

Disclosure- Library book :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge

1st in a Series Reading Challenge

"A" Author in A-Z Challenge (personal)

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Books in series are SO hard to review sometimes. How about I start off with the warning that it is VERY likely that there will be spoilers for previous books within this review...I'll try not to let anything slip but no guarantees. Now that I got that off of my chest, let's begin!

Harper and Tolliver are back in the latest and final (I believe) book of this series doing what they always do...finding the dead. Harper gets asked to read the grave of a dead Texas rancher and once again gets caught up in the mystery surrounding the death of the deceased. Except this time family secrets are starting to swirl around for Harper and Tolliver especially since Tolliver's father is out of jail and trying to make contact with him. With Harper being back in Texas, her sister's mysterious disapprearance from years back begins to raise more questions and it looks like Harper is in over her head this time with bodies starting to pile up.

What can I say about these books besides that they are addicting? I've always loved the premise that Harper can find dead bodies and tell their cause of death due to being struck by lightning when she was a teenager. The mystery in this book tied up all of the loose threads from the previous three books which was satisfying for me. I flew through this one as I really wanted to see what had happened to Cameron from so long ago. And parts of it I had guessed but other parts I didn't see coming at all. So it was a good ending for me and a quick read. Still a bit of an ick factor with Harper and Tolliver's relationship but other than that I really liked this book. In fact, I'm wishing that this wasn't the end and that Charlaine Harris was planning on writing more of these books. Which means that it looks like I'll be checking out some of her other series sometime soon!

Bottom line: A great ending to an interesting series....but I would start from the beginning of this series if I were you :)

Disclosure: Another book from my local library...I'm boring like that.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Suspense/Thriller Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

"H" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Hunted By The Others by Jess Haines

Summary from back cover:

"Shiarra Waynest's detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm-if it doesn't kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York's most powerful vampires."

My Thoughts:

What a great start to a new series! I was hooked with this book from the beginning. Shiarra is a private investigator that is in a bit over her head. She is a human dealing with vampires, mages, and werewolfs...all considered to be Others with supernatural talents and abilities. And they all seem to want something from her except that she is unsure as to what, and all she knows for sure is that it can't be good. Shiarra is a great main character and her adventures were fun to read about. She comes across realistically, a bit unsure of herself but willing to put herself out there for those that she cares about. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well which I thought really helped to make the story even better. Her ex-boyfriend is a werewolf, she gets help from a mage, and her partner is a normal human. It made for an interesting cast of characters in my opinion. The plot itself was fast paced and I was instantly caught within the story. I literally flew through this book and couldn't read it fast enough which meant staying up extra late to read it. I'm excited to read more of Shiarra's adventures and am looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

Bottom Line: For me this would be a must read for any urban fantasy fan!

Disclosure: Another book from my local library...

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Speculative Fiction Challenge

New Author Reading Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

1st in a Series Reading Challenge

Debut Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge

Picnic At Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

As soon as I read Lesley's (A Life In Books) review of this book, I knew that I had to pick it up. It just sounded like a book that I had to read and right away. And when I opened up the book and read this I knew that I had made the right choice.

"Whether Picnic at Hanging Rock is Fact or Fiction, my readers must decide for themselves. As the fateful picnic took place in the year nineteen hundred, and all the characters who appear in this book are long since dead, it hardly seems important."

Don't you just love that? I mean I was intrigued from the start after reading that and am happy to report that this book didn't disappoint. First though I should give you a brief (and I mean VERY brief) summary of what the book is about. Picnic at Hanging Rock begins with a group of young girls that are away at a boarding school going away for the day with two of their teachers to Hanging Rock. The story is about the events that happen while the girls are at Hanging Rock and everything that happens afterwards. And that is all that I can tell you since I think that you should go into this like I did not knowing very much.

Let me tell you that I was engrossed within this novel. The atmosphere that this author creates is creepy and tense. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on, what had happened, etc. I flew through this book which suprised me as this is an older novel which usually takes me a bit longer to read. But the pages just kept turning because I wanted..no I needed to see what had happened. My only quibble is very minor and that was the ending. It just wasn't what I expected so at first I'll admit to being a tiny bit disappointed. When I thought about it though I decided I liked it more than I thought and on the whole really enjoyed this book.

Bottom Line: Read this book if your in the mood for a book filled with atmosphere that is slightly creepy!

Disclosure: Checked this one out from the library through inter-library loan :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

I'll admit that I was super excited to read this book just because of all of the hype that has been surrounding this author lately. This fit in perfectly with the Once Upon A Time IV Challenge so I picked it up at the library. I'm really glad I did since this was a good read and an author that I'll certainly read more of.

Deirdre is a talented musician who meets a mysterious boy named Luke at a music recital. From the beginning, Luke is very elusive and seems to know things about Deirdre that she really doesn't know about herself. Because Deirdre is starting to see things that only she can see and all of these new unknowns in her life seem to point to Luke. I really liked the premise of the novel as Deirdre is a Cloverhand which basically means that she can see faeries. Except that she never knew before now that she has this talent and it also means that she is in danger because not all faeries are good or want to be seen. I'm probably one of the few that hasn't read a lot of books about faeries (in fact, the only one that I can think of that I've read was Wicked Lovely) so this was a refreshing read for me. Luke and Deirdre are interested in each other although many of Luke's motives and thoughts aren't shared as to keep the reader in the dark about him. This made me a bit leery of their growing relationship..in fact, I was much more a fan of Deirdre's best friend James. James was a great secondary character in my opinion whom I wanted to play a more important role than he did. He just clicked for me where Luke didn't. The conflict between Deirdre and the faerie Queen was interesting although it took me awhile to understand the relationship between the Queen and Luke. And the ending was good for me but not what I was expecting. It left things open a bit for another book which I *believe* there already is. All in all, I ended up liking this book and the characters in it. And while I had a few problems with it (mainly not being drawn into it right away) I'm planning on picking up the sequel to this one as soon as possible. I'm interested to see where Stiefvater goes with this story and the characters within.

Final Thoughts: An author that I want to read more of and a refreshing read!

Disclosure: I got this one from the library as usual :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

YA Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

Fantasy Reading Challenge

Embers by Laura Bickle (thoughts)

Uggh! Why do I wait so long to review books sometimes?? Here is a book that I should have reviewed a month ago and one that I enjoyed so hopefully I can still do it a bit of justice.

Anya is an arson investigator/paranormal investigator that is caught up in the middle of an investigation into a series of fires that aren't normal in the least. Because the fires seemed to have started by themselves with no apparent reasons as to why they have begun or who started them. Anya also works with a team of investigators that deal with the paranormal going-ons in the Detroit area and it is to them that she turns when she realized that her investigation isn't a typical case.

What I liked about this book is that it is such a fresh idea for an urban fantasy. Anya is a "lantern" which basically means that she is able to kinda suck spirits into her and they are gone forever. It is almost like she eats them but not really (does that even make sense??). She works with a mixed group of supernatural investigators who all have their own talents. They work together to get rid of nasty spirits that are causing trouble. Anya also investigates fires as her main job in the real world and her most current job is combining everything she does for a living. She is a great main character because she is so down to earth and relatable. And by relatable I mean that she isn't perfect, doesn't always make the right choices, but is always trying to do her best and to get things right. In my opinion she makes a great main character for this new series. The storyline was interesting and kept my interest throughout the novel. I was left wanting more from the other characters though and felt that they could have been fleshed out a bit more which was my only real complaint with this book. But all in all, I really liked this book and am excited to read more from this author. I want to read more about how being a lantern affects Anya and I want to read more about the other investigators that Anya works with...her "Scooby Doo" team that another reviewer dubbed it :) And I want more of Sparky (Anya's familiar). All in all, I just want more which is always a good thing!

Disclosure- I was lucky enough to be sent this book for review by the publisher...still means that I gave my honest opinion.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

Debut Urban Fantasy Challenge

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Speculative Fiction Challenge

"B" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

What to say about this book other than scary???? Seriously, this is one of those books that makes me thank my lucky stars for everything that I have including my parents, family, and the life that I was born into. Sometimes it is as simple as that. And books like this make me remember to appreciate what I have.

This is Carolyn Jessop's memoir of growing up and living in the FLDS (otherwise known as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The FLDS is a closed off religious group that keep to themselves and their community and are an offshoot of the Morman church. At 18, Carolyn was told that she was meant to marry Merril Jessop and become his third wife. He was thirty-two years older than she was. Carolyn's marriage was an unhappy one that was basically a power struggle between all of Merril's wives with Carolyn caught up in the mix even when she didn't want to be. It would take years before Carolyn would begin to realize that the religion and life that she grew up with might not be the life that she truly wanted. And it would take everything Carolyn had to escape.

Wow! That is all I had to say after reading this one. I can't even begin to imagine all of the things that this woman has had to endure...it is just too much. First of all, being told who you are going to marry, having no choice or say in the matter, it is almost too difficult to fathom. And how sad to go into a marriage and know that you may never love the person you are married to. Carolyn's marriage was a constant struggle from the beginning. All of Merril's wives were constantly competing for his attention which just made me a bit sick. Sex and the number of children that a woman had gave them status within their marriage. In other words, the more kids you had in comparison to the other wives gave a woman a better standing in this society and within her "family". Pretty scary in my opinion. Carolyn had no say in the life that she led and was constantly told what she could or couldn't do. And when Warren Jeffs came to power, things in the FLDS got even worse. Carolyn is very frank in the book and shares the reasons why she was content with living there for so long. I mean she grew up thinking that all of this was normal, was taught that the "outside world" was evil and meant for an apocalypse, and that she was one of the "chosen ones" by God. It took her a really long time before she began to think differently and realize that she wanted something else for her and her children. I must say that I think that Carolyn Jessop is an amazing woman!

All in all, one of those books that really makes you think. About the life you live and the freedoms that we have. Because not everyone has these freedoms so for me this kind of book makes me appreciate my everyday life just a little bit more.

Disclosure- Checked out from my local library.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

Women Unbound Challenge

Social Justice Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

"E" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

What an unusual reading experience for me! I adored the first half of the book, was "meh" about the second half, and ended up liking the book altogether. Interesting, huh? Let me share my thoughts but first a little bit about the book.

What Was Lost is the story of a young girl named Kate who goes missing (and no that isn't a spoiler, it is on the back of the book). Anyways, Kate is a different child and wants to grow up to be a detective. She practices every day by going to the mall and observing the people there looking for criminals. And then one day she disappears to never be heard or seen from again. Fast forward to 30 years later, and we are introduced to a security guard named Kurt that works at the mall where Kate used to spend much of her time at. Kurt is unhappy with where his life is at but doesn't seem to have the motivation to change anything. And then he sees a little girl on camera and his life begins to change in ways that he couldn't have forseen.

The first half of this book is Kate's story and I just loved it. Kate is such a sad little girl but she doesn't see it that way. Her dad has died and she uses her crime detection to avoid thinking about her loss and the feelings that she is repressing. She's a quirky character that the author paints in such a realistic light...I just loved her! I loved reading about her adventures and even though I knew what was going to happen to her (kinda, sorta, the disappearing part), I couldn't help but hope for a different outcome. The second half of the book was more of Kurt's story along with Lisa. Lisa is the sister of the man who was accused of kidnapping Kate. Lisa works at the mall also and along with Kurt seems to be more passive in life than anything. Neither character was very relatable to me which was part of the reason why that I didn't care so much for the later half of the book. I just wanted to shake them at times and say "If you are so unhappy, make a change!!!!" or something to that extent. The ending was different and not quite what I expected but all in all, I ended up realizing that I liked this book. It is an unusual read but a good story nonetheless. Recommended to those who enjoy general fiction.

Disclosure- From the library :)

*I read this for the following challenges:

Orange Prize Reading Project (longlisted in 2007)

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Book Awards IV Challenge

"O" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti isn't your typical high society matron and in fact, she is almost the complete opposite. Alexia has no soul and that is just one of the things that is different about her. Without meaning to Alexia accidentally kills a vampire and stumbles upon more trouble than she could have ever counted on. Alexia meets her match though when Lord Maccon, the werewolf, begins to investigate. The two of them are going to get more than they bargained for while the tension between them mounts.

How to classify this book?? It is a little bit of everything which makes this book such a good read. There is paranormal (a favorite of mine), steampunk, mystery, romance, and historical aspects to name a few. The dialogue between the characters, especially Lord Maccon and Alexia, is witty and made me chuckle a few times. The storyline itself was interesting and kept me entralled within the pages. What I liked most about this book is that it is so original. The details and the storyline are just a bit different than anything that I've read. I think that the multiple genres really adds to the book. And the book is fun! I would definitely recommend this one especially if you are looking for something that is just a bit different than what you would usually read. I can't wait to read more by this author and see what kind of trouble Alexia gets herself into next.

Disclosure: I picked this one up from the library.

*I read this for the following challenges:

1st in a Series Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

"C" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)

All The Pretty Girls by J.T. Elllison

From Goodreads:

"When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene-the prior victim's severed hand."

My Thoughts:

I was in the mood for a good thriller and had heard good things about this author which is why I gave this book a try. It is the first in a series and it was a good start in my opinion. The mystery surrounding the killer was fast-paced and bodies were turning up left and right as soon as the book started. But what made this book unique is that there were other ongoing investigations that Taylor (the main character) was dealing with that I found myself interested in as well. Taylor was a strong main character and I liked how the book switched viewpoints from her to her lover John Baldwin who was mainly investigating the serial killer. The book itself was good although I didn't find myself instantly pulled into it as I had hoped. The ending was strong and I didn't figure out who the serial killer was until close to the end which is always a good thing. All in all, a good read if you enjoy thrillers. I know that I'll be reading more of this author at some point.

Disclosure- Requested this one from the library!

*I read this for the following challenges:

Suspense/Thriller Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

1st in a Series Challenge

"E" Author for A-Z Challenge (personal)