I’m back and ready for April

Hello all! Sorry I disappeared for a bit. As with so many, life got a bit hectic and stressful so I haven’t really been reading much. Things appear to be coming back to normal so I’m excited to start reading and blogging again.

I am hoping to make the blog a bit more fun and interactive so there will be new things coming very soon!!

I am working on my April TBR now and it is full of thrillers and fantasies. I know that I will be reading Shadow and Bones by Leigh Bardugo and The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon but those are my only solid picks. Anyone have plans for their April TBR? What new releases are you looking forward to?

Sponsored Post Sponsored Post Menu More Info Learn from the experts: Create a successful blog with our brand new courseThe WordPress.com Blog

WordPress.com is excited to announce our newest offering: a course just for beginning bloggers where you’ll learn everything you need to know about blogging from the most trusted experts in the industry. We have helped millions of blogs get up and running, we know what works, and we want you to to know everything we know. This course provides all the fundamental skills and inspiration you need to get your blog started, an interactive community forum, and content updated annually.

Register now

Review of The Dark Winter by Flint Maxwell

Book: The Dark Winter
Author: Flint Maxwell
Publisher: Dark Void Press
Publication Date: 4/4/2020
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

I am really digging this series and I am glad I kept reading after my issues with the first book.

Like the first book, the plot is very fast paced so it never takes long before I am hooked once again. I did another one sitting with this book. I am enjoying Flint’s take on the apocalypse and interested to see what the next book will bring. I also enjoy the supernatural element! It is an interesting concept.

I still love Stone but after reading this book, I am really loving Eleanor. She has bloomed already since the first book and I love her personality. She isn’t afraid to put someone in their place if it is needed. I also have a fondness for Grady now as I watch him continue to keep everything together. He is definitely the rock of the group.

I highly recommend this series for fans of apocalypses, Stephen King, and any horror or supernatural fans!

Review of The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Book: The Year of the Witching
Author: Alexis Henderson
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: 7/21/2020
Format: eBook
Pages: 363
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

The Year of the Witching is a truly wonderful piece of work! It is full of kick ass women and dark witches.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and I was not able to put it down. It was another up all night with this novel. The plot was nicely paced and the character development was fantastic.

I enjoyed all the characters especially the strong women. It is so hard to pick a favorite character but I really related to Immanuelle. Immanuelle is very devoted to her family and has a soft spot in her heart for her village. Growing up in small town, I am very devoted to my friends and neighbors who I have grown up with and I am always all about my family. I also felt for Leah. She was a very good friend to Immanuelle and I felt close to her myself. I am not a big fan of instalove but I am okay with it because Ezra is just so adorable.

I haven’t read The Handmaiden’s Tale yet but I will have to check it out since this book is compared to it. I got The Village vibes from the book which I enjoyed the movie so I was happy with that.

I will be keeping my eye on this author and look forward to her next novel!

Review of Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Book: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 10/6/2009
Format: eBook
Pages: 208
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan and Coraline is still my favorite novel of his so far.

Coraline is a wonderful fantasy that has a little bit of a creep factor. I will never look at buttons the same again.

Neil Gaiman has such a way with words. I was transported into Coraline’s world and I was with her every step of the way including going through the small door. The plot moves pretty quickly and by the time I was finished I wanted more.

I love the different characters that live in the various flats. They were all eccentric and a nice comic relief at times. Coraline is my favorite character because she is a very brave girl that likes to help others.

I can’t wait to read my next Neil Gaiman book!

Review of The Snow by Flint Maxwell

Book: The Snow
Author: Flint Maxwell
Publisher: Dark Void Press
Publication Date: 2/24/2020
Format: eBook
Pages: 214
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

The Snow is fast-paced and quick read horror novel.

I enjoyed the premise of the novel. It is an interesting apocalyptic take and I liked the horror element. The only issue I really have with the plot is that it is a little familiar. I can see that Flint Maxwell is a Stephen King fan and it definitely has influenced how the author writes.

The characters were very interesting and easily relatable. I liked all the characters and it is hard to pick a favorite but I will have to go with Stone. He is funny when he wants to be and he is disabled but doesn’t let it get in the way of his life.

Along with docking a star because the plot was familiar, I also had to take a star off for the writing style. The author likes to foreshadow when bad things are going to happen which isn’t so much a big deal to me except he does it in almost EVERY chapter. I will be continuing the series though because I am curious what will happen next.

I recommend The Snow if you like horror novels or if you are a Stephen King fan.

Review of Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Book: Death on the Nile
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: 7/5/2005 (originally published in 1937)
Format: eBook
Pages: 333
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

Agatha Christie really was well above her time. This woman was an amazing crime writer. This is only my third Agatha Christie novel but I can’t wait to go through the whole series.

I really enjoyed the detail in the novel. Agatha Christie mentioned that she wrote her novels after her past travels so it felt like she took us along to Egypt and on one of her own adventures.

I really loved the plot of this novel. It usually takes me a chapter or two to get into a novel but Agatha had me enthralled from the get go. I love all the twists here and there that are thrown in and though I did figure out who had committed the crime I was still surprised by the twist of how it was done.

The characters were very interesting and really well developed for such a short novel. My favorite character of the bunch had to be Cornelia. She is a bit shy like me but she also is a bit feisty which I didn’t expect. Cornelia also likes to learn and I relate to that because my mother always taught me to be a life long learner.

I had to knock off a star because I figured out who committed the crime but other than that the novel is fantastic! I highly recommend this novel for anyone who loves mysteries and of course any Agatha Christie fan!!

Review of The Perfect Son by Fredia McFadden

Book: The Perfect Son
Author: Fredia McFadden
Publisher: Hollywood Upstairs Press
Publication Date: 10/8/2019
Format: eBook
Pages: 237
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

The Perfect Son is a great thriller with a good plot that made it impossible to me to put down. I ended up staying up all night reading it. 😛

I really loved the premise of the novel. I thought I knew what direction it was going to take but I was happy to see that I was wrong. The author threw me a total curveball so I was very pleased. I found the book to be fast paced which is why I couldn’t put it down until the last page and that ending was just wow!

I liked the majority of the characters even with their flaws. I really felt for the mother as she had to deal with everything and her internal struggle of what to do and what to think. I really loved the sister Hannah. She is very devoted to her brother and I can relate to that. Family is everything to me. I found Liam to be interesting and wish that we could have seen more into his mind by having some chapters from his POV.

Overall, The Perfect Son is a good and quick read thriller. The only reason I docked a star was because I would have liked to see some further character development. I highly recommend this thriller!

Review of The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Book: The Hunting Party
Author: Lucy Foley
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 2/12/2019
Format: eBook
Pages: 349
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

The Hunting Party is a good thriller with undertones of Agatha Christie.

I enjoyed the plot of The Hunting Party. I have always been a fan of locked rooms situations so I may be a little bias lol. I did find the plot to be a little slow once or twice but overall is was hard to put down. I enjoyed the plot twist and I actually didn’t see some of it coming so that was refreshing.

I will say that the characters were not my favorite though I’m sure that was the the point. The only character I really liked was Heather. She is a strong female lead and she is dedicated to her job due to her strong work ethic which I relate too a lot. Doug was also an interesting and mysterious character though I would have liked to learn a little more about his background.

I am an Agatha Christie fan so I am a Lucy Foley fan! I enjoy the writing style and the plot. I had to rate it down a star because I didn’t like the majority of the characters and it was a little slow but I still highly recommend it to any thriller fans!

Review of The Last Flight by Julie Clark

Book: The Last Flight
Author: Julie Clark
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: 6/2/2020
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

So, when I read the synopsis of The Last Flight yesterday afternoon, I was like I am not sure how this will go but after hearing such good reviews I took a chance. I am SO GLAD that I did because this book is AMAZING! It was so much more than just a thriller.

The plot was just fantastic. I was so engrossed with this novel that I ended up falling asleep reading it and had to finish it first thing this morning. Each chapter had me having to know more that I just couldn’t stop and now I wish there were more lol. I REALLY love that while still being a thriller, there were some really heart-wrenching and tender moments between some of the female characters.

The characters are so well developed! I loved seeing Claire and Eva progress and grow throughout the novel. I love them both so much but I feel like Claire is the one I most relate to. I have always had a thing for fine arts so I enjoyed seeing art pop up a little. I also understand how Claire feels about having achieved obtaining a degree but then letting that fall to the wayside. By the end of the novel, I was so proud of Claire and her courage to go out there and do what she did. While Claire is my favorite character, Eva is the one I felt for the most. Eva didn’t grow up in the best environment but I applaud her for all she was able to do trying to get people to focus on HER and not just giving her pity. Eva is a very smart and resourceful girl and I had to root for her.

The Last Flight is a very special gem of a thriller and HIGHLY recommend it!

Review for Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo by Betty White

Book: Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo
Author: Betty White
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 11/21/2011
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
Dragons: 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

My Thoughts:

I am a huge Betty White fan and an animal lover so when I saw this book I HAD to have it.

Betty and Friends is a wonderful little book that gives us a bit of insight into Betty and her experiences with some of her Zoo animal friends.

The pictures are INCREDIBLE! You can see their personalities shining through whether they are being playful or thoughtful or just sleeping. When you see Betty White with the animals, you can just see how much love she has for them that it warms your heart.

The stories are so cute and I can just see the smile Betty must have had when she was writing about them. I can’t wait to go to the zoo again and experience it as Betty does.