Book Review: Red Harvest

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not as good as Maltese (or at least, I didn't think so), but as always I am blown away by Dashiell Hammet's talent in writing a novel.  He's just.... amazing.  Truly.  His descriptions create a vivid picture and never, ever feel cliche.  His dialogue and use of slang fitting the setting (time period and crime etc.) is believable and authentic.  The story is always intricate and gripping.

If you like crime novels, or just really, really amazingly well-written books then pick up something by Dashiell Hammet.


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Book Review: "Promised" by Caragh O'Brien

Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien
My rating: 4 and a half of 5 stars

Great ending to this series!!! This book was wonderful. The pacing was great... I mean, once I picked the book back up I had a really hard time setting it back down. LOVED this series. Glad I own all of the books as I will be reading them again. They were all quite clean, too. I don't remember any language (there may have been, but I don't remember it) and there was only one brief innuendo that made me blush a little in the second book.

This book picks up with all the people of Sylum that chose to head for the Enclave packing to get ready to leave and try to set up New Sylum. Leon, Peter, Will, and Gaia along with quite a few others are making the journey. There was just enough time spent on the journey without wasting a huge portion of the book on their trek. Of course, once they get to the Enclave they find things are worse than ever and that their prediction of how the Protectorat would treat them was accurate.

There were some sweet moments between Gaia and Leon and not very much time spent (wasted) on the love square with Will and Peter. This is one love story that was done well: not cheesy, not domineering, but just lovely.

A bittersweet ending... a lot of sadness at the end, but it was mixed with some really good things. There was a minute there when I thought things might end even sadder than they did and I almost teared up until I saw things were going to work out. I always appreciate a book that is written well enough to make you laugh out loud, smile like a goof to oneself, or cry.

What I didn't like: You didn't see much of Maya. The whole second book is centered around getting her back and then you only see her briefly throughout until the end. Her part in the ending is sweet, though.
Always sad to see likable characters die.

Definitely worth a read!! This series is great for boys and girls. It's tough, and real, and full of people fighting for what they believe is right. NOT a waste of time.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to follow me ;).

-B

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Book Review: Masquerade by Janette Rallison

Masquerade by Janette Rallison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So fun. A nice, light read that could be categorized as clean... no swear words or sex scenes, though there was some... innuendo, I guess you could say. Not really, but a little hint here or there. It's a book about actors and Hollywood and those types of situations/people/values so it's to be expected, I suppose.
I prefer books where if people were married once are now divorced instead of widowed... that way I never feel like they are being either a. unfaithful to their dead spouse or b. never fully able to love their new boyfriend/girlfriend. If they are divorced they feel... free to love again. Maybe that's weird.
p.s. I bought this as an e-book (Kindle for PC) for... $2.99... so, good deal, as well.

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Book Review: The Forgotten Locket

The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Got this early release and met Lisa Mangum today. It was really neat.

As for the book. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. good, clean, ending. Not toooooo convenient, but perfectly wrapped up and a scene earlier in the book made it clear what was to come a ways in the future so when it ended you knew everything was as it should have been.

Dante. Great male lead character... Not creepy or possessive, but still as 'into' her as we girls like to believe is possible from men...

Lots of lovey dovey whatnots, but definitely not gag-worthy. The kinda stuff that makes you smile and makes you wanna give your man a kiss for good measure.

The series is vair, vair good (Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging has changed my vocabulary forever) and worth the time it takes to read. All three of my books are now signed by the author and I plan to hold onto them forever and reread them frequently.

Better written, cleaner, and more satisfying to read (no crazy convenient endings that wrap everything up but leave a sour taste of disappointment in your mouth) like Twilight... And Dante is NOT a stalker.

Tch. This was just such a good series. A good mix of romance and intrigue, conflict and resolution... things (like I said) were wrapped up nicely, but believably.



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Book Review: Impossible

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fairly quick read, though I read fairly quickly.

For those interested: AH! One of the first YA fiction fantasy books I have read that doesn't make teen sex expected. Main male interest - virgin. and he's 20. I love it! I think that yes, there's the reality, but it's also important to let kids know that there are people out there who wait. It isn't a HAVE to. Didn't notice any language either, which is cool. I appreciate those types of things, so there it is.



As for the writing and the characters and plot development.... this was a neat book. It was an interesting concept (going off the idea that the song 'Scarborough Fair' is actually a legend) that took fantasy in a new way and brought it into the 21st century. I enjoyed the book the whole way through and there were several times where the author did just a terriffic job of really making you feel what the characters would feel -- really, really.



I kind of came away... hm... not in LOVE with the book and not really thrilled and yet, at the same time I was. Really divided on that.



Good characters that you can like (or hate depending on their role) and it dealt with some heavy issues, though not as much as I think might have been realistic (rape, teen pregnancy, abortion, mental illness, etc.). I just think there sn't enough time devoted to them, but if there had been it might have been too much... like the book would have become more than a fun fantasy... I don't know.



Let me know what you think.





Anyway. Not a waste of time. Fun, quick read.



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Book Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For those who care: A few 'F' words (3 or 4 times, maybe), not much other swearing. Some eluding to naughtiness. Other than that I would say it's clean.


As far as story, characters, etc. This book seemed very well researched. Like, she probably took this road trip to write the book. It made me want to hop in the car and drive across country, which is, you know, good that she wrote well enough to do that. The characters are likeable -- flawed just enough to be 'real'. You identify with them, you feel for them... good characterization, I think. The story was nice. Not much actually happening except emotionally and in the relationship department. So if you're expecting a gripping plot, this book probably isn't for you.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, a good love story, dealt with some deep emotional thingsz (death, drug addiction in the family, and a break up or two).




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Book Review: The Brooklyn Nine

The Brooklyn Nine by Alan M. Gratz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A story in nine innings that shows brief snap shots of baseball's history through the eyes of different generations of a family -- spanning the years 1845 - 2002.



This book was well written, though the stories were cut off far too early in a lot of th innings and entered into far too late in others. I was left wondering a lot and I don't really care for that. I also didn't like how at the end things could have comefull circle -- and they did in a way -- but the characters didn't know about it.



All in all and entertaining and well written book that focuses on baseball throughout America's history and the impact it might have had on individuals. I love baseball, I love the idea of baseball, I love the history and nostalgia of baseball... I really did enjoy this book. If you are at all interested in the history of baseball, but told in a fun fictional rt of way, I think you will like this book.



Not a waste of time!



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Book Review: The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A story about a girl trying to find her place in a family full of stand-outs. A girl trying so hard to fit in at school that she can't be happy and learning that just being who you are -- and owning it makes life so much better and easier.


It's so cute. I had fun reading this book and think you might to. It's about an eighth grader. Usually I think books are written for a younger age group than the characters are (ie junior high characters are interesting to elem. kids and high school characters are interesting to middle schoolers) but I actually think this book would suit middle schoolers well.


NOT a waste of time.




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Book Review: The Last Waltz

The Last Waltz by G.G. Vandagriff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was impressed. This is a long book, and there's a lot of back and forth between the characters but it is interesting and enthralling. I couldn't put it down.


The Last Waltz follows a young girl of 19 from pre-ww1 Vienna, Austria to when she becomes a 40-something woman at the start of ww11 in Austria. She falls in love, but also learns about fidelity and the deeper love that can grow in a marriage. She is sometimes foolish and selfish and plays (unwittingly in some ways) with the hearts of the men who love her -- which makes her character real and flawed (which as you know, I find almost necessary). She becomes an outspoken political activist as much as a woman could be in those days.


The book was well-researched and well-written and terribly interesting.


Though it was long I felt it was not a waste of time at all.


I didn't like the ending, but it didn't ruin the whole book for me.




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Book Review: The Candy Shop War

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was impressed with this book. I wasn't sure what to expect or whether I'd really like it.

This book was not as quick a read as I thought, but it was entertaining and exciting the whole way through. I can't even recall any parts that seemed to drag -- which is a good thing!

As far as it goes... I'm not sure I'd really consider this a children's book. It's not as dark as Harry Potter 5 and 6 but it is darker than I thought it would be.

The whole premise of the book is that wizards can't use magic because it works best on children so they exploit children to further their cause. Which means they are okay with asking kids to do some really dangerous or bad things.

I don't know that this would be a book I'd let me little ones read -- but maybe preteens.

It's clean as far as language and what-not goes and it is entertaining but thematically I think it should be read by an older children's audience.

If you are looking to read it for yourself I think you'll enjoy it. It isn't a quick read, like I said, it is fast paced and fun. The characters are fun, though there's not as much characterization as I might like. You don't really feel at the end of the book like you know all the main characters well. And sometimes I got them mixed up with each other because they didn't stand out individually.

Not a waste of time!



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Book Review: Incarceron #1

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I had heard mixed things. Honestly, though, I was impressed. It was pretty well-written (no over-used adjectives and cheesy, lame bits the pop up out of nowhere and completely drop you out of the story they're so awful) and had a fast-paced story line that kept you reading. Interesting enough characters that make you feel for them or hate them.
I didn't like how the book started off. It took me a few pages to figure out what was happening because it was so confusing.
Overall this is an interesting book. A pretty quick read. And! I didn't feel like I wasted my time reading it, so... bonus.
Similar to Maze Runner and Hunger Games (Dystopian society ruled by the corrupt forcing the poor to stay that way and keeping the wealthy very wealthy. Murders and corruption abound. The corrupt who rule also keep the people naive and don't let them have new technology.)



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Book Review: Santa Maybe

Santa Maybe by Aubrey Mace

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a cute book. I have read a lot of LDS fiction lately and this was one of the better ones. It was a quick read, short book, good plot, fun characters, interesting twist at the end. Worth he time it took to read. Seagull Book has it on sale for like $1.99 so it's a kinda fun Christmas (or pre-Christmas) gift to yourself.

The main guy is cute, but I was a little bugged that he was so mad at the girl when she seemed to me totally justified in her disbelief. A little mercy and understanding would be called for, methinks.

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Book Review: My Fair Godmother

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a very fun read. It's the story of a gilr who seems like a princess at first glance, but the shallowness of her popularity becomes glaringly obvious when her boyfriend dumps her for her smart sister. Her 'fair' godmother (fair not fairy because she is really not very good)comes to grant her wishes and make everything better. But of course nothing gets better and the ordeals Savannah goes through because of her Godmother teach her some valuable lessons and make her want to be known for somehting other than her looks.

Like I said, this is a fun read. You won't be wasting your time to read it.



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