We Have Alway Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson - 4 stars

I received this book from a very dear friend here on Good Reads after we had discussed wanting to read it and how awesome the cover was. Shortly after receiving the book I decided it was time to read it and finish up the month. I have to say I was expecting a disturbing tale with this one and it really wasn't like that at all, but overall still enjoyable.

In this book we have Constance, Mary Katherine, Uncle Julian, and their cat named Jonas all lived together in the family home, the Blackwood House. Having lost the rest of the family due to a supposed murder by poison, Mary and Constance no longer had their parents. They were treated poorly by the townspeople on many occasions. Their Uncle Charlie suddenly shows up swearing he is there to help them. Things start falling apart for the girls and Uncle Julian. Mary Katherine wishes Uncle never showed up and would go away. Disaster strikes and the Girls try to continue with their daily routines through life.

I did not find a real plot to the story at all, but the story was still very enjoyable. It was also not what I expected either. I also expected something that would be a somewhat disturbing, but that is not what you get at all with this one. It was more like a book suggesting what happens to someone when something bad happens. Even though I did not think the book was very plot driven, it was still a very fun book and it was fun to read. I would like to see this story before the murders of the family happened and maybe get a better look into things then. There were parts of the story that were annoying and also made me kind of angry. I could not believe how these townspeople treated the girls, it was really appalling most times.

I found that I really liked Mary Katherine and Constance both. I think they were very charming in their own right and even quite delightful at times. They just thought that what they were doing was the right way of doing things. I can also understand why they were the way they were too. If I had been treated as they had been treated multiple times, I would have behaved the same way, if not worse than they were behaving. Uncle Charles I just wanted to shoot and be done with him. He was a horrible person inside and out.

I recommend this book to just about anyone since it is really just a fun quick read. I think it is suitable for most audiences. I would love to read more by this author as I think her writing style is quite unique.

Wildflower - Janine Carbone - 3.5 stars

I was approached by the author with this book and I decided to read it in exchange for an honest review. I wanted a break from all the YA I had read this month and this seemed like the right book to choose. I found this to be a simple book, easy to follow and understand and engaging all at the same time. I was hoping for it to be a little more complex than it was, but it was still wrote pretty well. It is said to be a psychological thriller, but I felt it was too simple for that genre. It felt to me to be more of a story about mental health and even though I found it to be simple it still told a pretty profound story. So with that aspect of things it was good.

In this book we have Faith who suffers from several mental health issues, with flashbacks of her life with a mother who was not much of a mother at all and has now passed away. Faith seals her memories and emotions off to most people, she would rather live a life of solitude. She does meet some people she cares a lot about, her best friend Casey and her boyfriend Jason. Through their strength and strength of her own she begins to be able to overcome some of her issues, but when she comes face to face with evil she feels herself plunging back into the spiral of terror, depression and anxiety.

I found that the plot line of this book held several triggers, especially through the flashbacks she was suffering in lieu of her childhood. There is some mystery and some thriller, but I found it mostly focused on mental health. As I said this story is not all that complex but still tells a pretty profound story. I found the plot relatable to my own life and some parts were difficult to read for me. But these types of stories are important so people can see that metal health issues are very real and a prominent part of our society today.

I liked Faith's character, I found her real and very believable. Again I found that I could related to Faith and what she was going through. I feel that the Author wrote her character well and she touched on those very important issues of what it is like to suffer from anxiety and other issues that go with that. I feel like Faith started to grow well by the end of the story and she showed those strengths that are important and needed to allow her to heal from her past.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested a books/stories that touch on real life issues in our society today, such as mental health issues. I am giving this book a 3.5 star rating, and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Opposition - Jennifer L. Armentrout - 4 stars

Being the final installment in a series I Hate to have to say good bye to so may wonderful characters. I do have to say that this has not been my favorite of the series though, that goes to Origin. This one takes up exactly where the last one left off.

The fight continues and Katy begins to feel a little more desperate because of how everything appears to be. She tries to understand choices that both Daemon and Dee have made and it leaves her confused. Things have become very different and Katy fights to try and make sense of things as they have turned out. Along the way she discovers that Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means he must betray others.

The beginning of this book had me both confused and aggravated at the same time. I could not figure out where the Author was going to take things. The story did begin to smooth out as the story went and I was glad that everything became clear. I felt that some parts of this were a little draggy this time around, but not to the point of not liking the book. It was still, for the most part, a very fluid and engaging read. I did really enjoy the wrap up of the story I think the Author did well on that.

The characters as usual were my favorite part of the story. I liked how some of the new characters were introduced to the story. They were not just tossed in, the events that led up to these introductions were both inconceivable and intense. I loved that because it fit into the story so well. I feel like we got to see more of Katy's strengths in this book and the devotion she and daemon have for one another is much stronger.

This was a nice wrap up to an incredible series and I recommend this to anyone who like YA really. It is so worth the read, very engaging and easy to read.

The 9th Girl - Tami Hoag - 5 stars

I am not sure if this is the final book to the Kovak and Liska series or not. It ended on a note that could be taken as a last installment. I was quite satisfied with this last book and I was kind of sad to be leaving the Kovak and Liska world. This was probably my favorite of the four.

In this book Doc Holiday once again rears his ugly head when a teenage girl falls from a trunk of a dark sedan on the highway. Once they identify the girl they must figure out if Doc Holiday is back to his old gruesome habits or could there be some other perp on his playing field?

Tami Hoag always has great plot lines to her stories. They are always engaging, realistic, and easy to follow. This one is no different. Already you have a sense of impending doom set in the cold sub zero temps in Minnesota in the middle of a dreary winter, while a madman runs loose killing innocent women. And then you have that extra air of mystery when something doesn't quite feel right, doesn't quite click like you would expect. I loved that, I love books that have a lot of mystery to it. I like how Hoag leads you down one path only to find out it was not the right one.

The characters, what can I say about them. I love Kovak and Liska simply because they are real. They are developed so well, with so much depth. They are realistic, believable, flawed, they have their own issues, but they get the job done. I love how they stand up to witnesses and suspects and they let them know what they think about them or the circumstances. I love how they can relate to the victims and feel something and be emotional over it. They are truly among the best characters I have read in Mystery.

I recommend this series to any mystery lovers out there, but I tell you to please start with book 1, Ashes to Ashes, and read them in order so you get the full feel of the detectives, of the whole team. Tami Hoag is always a pleasure to read.

Prodigy - Marie Lu - 4.5 stars

This is the 2nd installment to the Legend series. I was not sure what I was gonna think of this one with, since even though Legend was good it still started out slow. I was hoping it would be bit faster paced. And I was happy to see that it did start much better than the first one. I do feel it is more political than I like stories to be. Even so, I find Marie Lu a very talented writer with very good plot lines and well developed characters.

In this installment we start out after Day and June had escaped Los Angeles and the Republic. June has become a republic traitor and Day is thought to be dead. They have no choice but to go to the patriots for help. The only thing is the Patriots are obsessed with taking down the Republic. Will June and Day join their mission?

I really enjoyed the plot line much more in this book. It was much faster paced and seemed to have a bit more excitement and adventure in it than the first one. This one also has some awesome imagery and some great plot twists as well. I found the plot to have much more depth as the author takes readers down into the nitty gritty of the republic.

The characters are developed pretty well, but I still have some issues with them. They are not very believable as far as their ages go. What I mean is we have 13-18 here and they act 25-30 really. I think that the Author should have made them a bit older than she did, so that they could have been more relatable. Also the relationship between Day and June was really very annoying to me. It seemed like Day was the important one and June was constantly groveling at his feet. I would have liked June to be a bit stronger willed than she is and there can be more of a balance between them. I also found Tess to be annoying as well. I guess maybe that shows her age more so it could be a good thing. Why does the author have this 13 year old swooning over Day? The ending of this book ripped my heart out and at the same time, more frustration seeped in.

Because I really enjoyed the plotline in this book as much as I did I am rating this a 4.5. I do look forward to the next book in the series, Champion. I recommend this book to anyone who likes political Dystopian, YA.

Bone Splintered Asphalt - John A. Burks Jr. - 4 star

I read Flesh Worn Stone by Burks last year and remember feeling a little disgusted by the book and yet I felt the need to go on to see what would happen next and how things would turn out. It was one of those stories that are very graphic and disturbing but it has an interesting plotline. So I decided to continue with this installment and I am actually really glad that I did.

In this installment we have Stephen who lost everything he ever held dear to the Game and the Court. Now he is continuing the game but in a different way than I first expected it would be. It did not continue on the same note that the first one ended with. With Mia in tow Stephens life gets no better in a grueling fight to end the Game.

I was not sure what I expected from this installment when I started to read it, but I gotta say that I really liked this one. The story persists in being engaging and you can't help but read on. The Author did very well with that. Although there were not as many graphic and disturbing scenes in this one, there were plenty. Something else that this story had was even more action than the first one if that was possible. Of course again the imagery was great and the plotline was also very good. I do have to say there were some unrealistic parts but thy are easily overlooked. And one question will come to mind while reading this book. How do you fight a battle that you can never win?

I really ended up liking Stephen. You see anther side of him in this story that I would not have thought I would see. I have loved seeing him evolve through these 2 installments. We meet some new characters along the way and also see some of the original characters as well. All of them are well developed and some are very likable. The antagonists in this story are ruthless, conniving, and very callous. The makings for some really great villains.

I had to rate this one higher than the first simply because I think it had better action and excitement and it focused more on a cause than on the grotesque twists and turns that the first story had. Again I can't really recommend this book to anyone but those who like the dark and disturbing. This is not for the faint of heart.

The Maze Runner - James Dashner - 4.5 stars

I did cheat and watch the movie before I read this book. I was impatient to get to it before I was able to get the book. There were many differences in the book than what was portrayed in the movie. Some parts I liked better in the movie but most of it I enjoyed the book more.

Thomas wakes on the floor of a lift he finds himself surrounded by many boys. The boys are trapped in what they call the glades with no memory of who they really are or how they even got there. Each person has their own jobs to do in order to survive. They are surround by stone walls that assumes the form of a maze. Thomas is sure that this maze is the way out but many obstacles are in the way of finding that escape.

I really enjoyed the plot to this story I found it to be very engaging and there was so much more to the book that really made the Glades and everything in it come to life. It has an awesome post apocalyptic feeling, with great imagery that makes you feel a part of the story, especially with the Maze itself and what Thomas and Minho had to go through while they were there. A lot of edge of your seat moments. There were some decisions that were being made that I could not understand or even agree with, so that was a little annoying to me.

I thought that the characters were really well developed. I liked all of them and how they worked together for the good of the glades. It did frustrate myself with picking out the differences in the characters from movie to book. I already had their images in my head and some of those in the book did not match the images I already had in my head from the movie. (Note to self: Always read book first). I really liked Thomas, Minho, Newt and Chuck the most, they fit really well into the story. I also liked Gally's character much better in the book, he was more like the villain the author was trying to portray I think. Overall the characters were well written.

I look forward to the rest of this series and where the author takes our characters next. I recommend this book to anyone who likes YA post apocalyptic stories. It is a great read. Giving this one 4.5 stars.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer - 5 stars

A friend of mine had picked this book for me for the Pick 5 challenge that we decided to embark on this year. Had she not picked it for me I am not sure when I would have gotten around to reading it. I have already owned the book for over a year, however I am really glad that she did pick this book for me because I loved the story.

This book is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella, one of my all time favorite fairy tales. In this future we have cyborgs and androids living among the humans. There is currently a plague that is sweeping through the earth and killing much of the population. Cinder, who is cyborg, lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. She seems to have a very mysterious past that is slowly revealed to her. When she finds herself mixed up with the Prince things begin to go a little haywire.

I really loved the plot of this story with the twist of a futuristic tale. The story is really well told and I fond that it was very engaging. I found myself not wanting to put it down. I also love the imagery that is used. It really made me feel as though I was experiencing everything Cinder was. There were some really great twists in the story, and the ending makes me crave more of this story. I also love that the story was not focused solely on the love interest, Prince Kai. There was so much more to the story than the romance.

I absolutely loved the characters in this story. Both protagonists and antagonists alike. I found them so well developed and I really connected to Cinder easily. She was so believable even though she was a cyborg. I felt like I could friend her easily. I also really liked the android, Iko. I thought she was a nice addition to the story. Another of my favorite characters was of course the Prince and I liked how the author depicted him in some of those stickier situations throughout the story. The author did well in making us love those lovable characters as well as making us hate those who were of the devious nature. So much so that I wanted to throw the book at times.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves futuristic fairy tales or those who just love retellings as a whole. Don't put it off because the book is amazing. I look forward to the rest of this series and hope to get to them soon.

The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan - 5 stars

When I first started this series I thought maybe it would be too middle grade for me, but I decided to go ahead and get started. After I read the first book I was surprised at how it captured my attention. So I decided to get started on the next book and can I just say Wow this installment of Percy Jackson was even better than the first one, The Lightning Thief. So glad I decided to get started and hopefully finish this year.

In this installment Percy is in his seventh year when he receives bad news from Annabeth that the borders of Camp half Blood have been poisoned by some mysterious enemy. They then must journey into the sea of monsters to save the camp. Before that happens Percy discovers yet another secret about his family that could change everything.

I just love Riordan's writing style. He always keeps it fluid and easy to follow allowing reader's to become completely engaged. I liked this one so much more because it seems like there was so much more adventure involved. More places to go and see. I really like the air of mystery in this book and Percy tries to figure out where he belongs in this crazy story. There is great imagery and depth to the plot that allows readers to be completely immersed in the story. There were times that I felt like I was really there among Percy and his friends. I also think the build up in the books are awesome and really gives the readers something to look forward to with each book. I loved the great cliffhanger at the end of this one that I never saw coming.

We get to meet with some new characters that we can fall in love with and root for. And along the way readers also meet up with some old enemies as well. I think these characters are so well developed as they evolve throughout the story from one book to the next. I look forward to meeting more characters along way as I continue my journey with Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

I recommend this series to anyone who loves a little magic and adventure in their life, because there is plenty of that in this series so far. Anyone can enjoy it!

Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award.

I was just recently nominated for this award by Lydia over at SomethingLikeLydia on Booktube. There are some rules that go along with this award.

The Sister of the World Bloggers Award.

There are 5 Rules to the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award:
1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their site.
2. Post the award’s logo on your blog. Nominees can pick up that logo HERE.
3. Answer the ten questions you’ve been asked.
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers.
5. Set 10 new questions for your nominees.

Here are my nominees also for both bloggers and Booktube:

1. Shannon+leaninglights
2. Jen+TodayinJensLibrary
3. Ashley  @Ashleyreads
4. Danne @insatiablebookie
5. Sylvia @ WishFulfillment
6. Amanda @AmandainPA
7. Heather @ChannelHMC
8. Mel @TheBookMoo
9.Brittni +Brittni's Book Find
10. Akoss @Akossiwa K

And Now for the Questions:

1. What is your favorite genre of books?
2. How much of your day is dedicated to reading?
3. Who is your favorite Author?
4. What is your favorite book?
5. What is your favorite source of reading, physical, e-books or audio?
6. How often do you visit the book store?
7. How often do you use your library?
8. When did you discover BookTube?
9. How often do you record your videos?
10. Approximately how many books do you own?

Both of Me - Jonathan Friesen - 2.5 stars

I received this book through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. I really did not know what to expect with this book, but the synopsis of the story pretty much sold me so I went ahead and requested it for review. I have to say that is was just ok for me.

Clara finds herself running away from her problems, heartaches and responsibilities. She finds herself on an airplane seated next to Elias Phinn and he somehow knows a few of her secrets. After they land Elias departs with her bag. So she is on a quest to track him down and get back her belongings but what she finds is nothing of what she expects. Elias has 2 personalities the odd one she met while on the plane who lives the an imaginary world of Salem, and then the kind sweet Elias who meets her at the door of his house. Clara learns that Elias suffers from dissociative identity disorder and she gets ensnared into both the lives of Elias and they embark on a journey to find the lightkeeper.

I found this story very odd, but also very different from anything I have ever read. The beginning of this book is a bit confusing until you get used to Elias and also the authors writing style. Once you do the story becomes a little more enjoyable. I found that while reading the book it started making reality a little more obscure as Elias would switch back to his imaginary side, which I am sure is what the author intended. I expected much more from this read though, I expected a whole new world to be introduced to the readers but that did not happen. I think there could have been so much more to the story. I did find that there was a good message to the story though.

The characters were ok, although I don't expect them to be all that memorable. I think they could have had a bit more backstory to them. I think their lives, especially Clara's was a bit vague and I did feel like I knew them, so I found that I did not connect to them all that well. Clara, to me, lacked strength. She allowed herself to be pushed around most of the time in the story. I think the story would have been better had Clara found a little more self worth.

Overall the story was ok, but I just expected more. Rating this one 2.5 stars. I have no idea who to recommend this story too. I guess anyone can give it try and form their own opinions.

Revival - Stephen King - 4 stars

When I read a King book I don't have any expectations on what it will be, whether it be horror, thriller or otherwise, because I know that he is the most diverse writer I have ever read. I only expect his books to be written brilliantly in true King style, and that is what we get with this book. Stephen King will always be my favorite author and reading books like this is the reason why.

In this book we have Jamie who is 6 years old and lives in a small New England town. He meets Reverend Charlie Jacobs who then becomes the reverend of the town's church. The reverend and his family seem to fit in perfectly. Everyone loves them until tragedy strikes. This book is an account of Jamie's life, what he goes through, what he is witness to and what he ends up believing in.

I loved the plotline of this story and how King gives nothing away in the synopsis of the story. I did not at first expect where this story was going to go. I expected the Reverend to be angry at God for this tragedy that strikes his family and friends, but I did not expect his mode of dealing with it. I also loved some of the nostalgia I felt when I first started the book being set back in the 1960's and could associate with the town descriptions and the lives of these residents. I thought it was fantastic and brilliantly written. It was very engaging and really hard to put down.

The characters were once again developed beautifully. I loved the fact that readers grow with them and learn about them as the story progresses. There is a wide array of characters to love in this story, and again they are quite unforgettable. I have to say I loved Jamie the most, I loved watching him grow and evolve throughout the story. I loved his flaws and his strengths. He was very easy to connect to and was a very believable character. Reverend Jacobs I was on the fence about for quite awhile until I reached a little over half way through the book. I know a lot of people will have a lot of different ideas about him and what he believes in and what he stands for.

I recommend this book to ALL King fans because this is a book that should be read. Don't go into this story expecting what genre of book it will be, just go into and enjoy every word, and every page because it is totally worth it.

...something....something happened...something happened...

Tuesday Talks - Overhyped Books?

For this weeks Tuesday Talks we discussed Over Hyped books and what we think of it all. I find that if I fall into the trap of 'overhyped books' I am disappointed if I did not like the book I bought. I try to stay away from it and let the hype die down a bit before plunging in. I don't like it to determine what books I will read for a month. However it is a good way to discover new genres and Authors, just be aware that we don't all like the same books and may end up disappointed in a book that everyone else loved,

I myself have over hyped books plenty of time imploring that my viewers, family and friends read these books that I have specified. I try to only over hype books that have not already been hyped to the max. I feel that if I can get a good book or series out their for others to be aware of and try, then it is a positive thing.

I guess the point I am trying to get across here is to just always be sure to make yourself aware of what the book is about before you jump into them. This way you will be disappointed less often with a book that was over hyped.

If you would like to watch my vlog on this topic then please go here. If you would like to join us at Tuesday Talks then you can find the group here. We are a very laid back group and anyone with interest or ideas are free to join us.

Soul Crossed - Lisa Gail Green - 4 stars

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one in the Of Demons and Angels series. I thought that is looked like a book that I might enjoy since it was about angels and demons. So I am glad that I got this one for review.I found this story to be very engaging and easy to read.
In this book we have Josh who is a Demon and Gracelyn who is an Angel. They both end up fighting for the same soul, named Camden. Josh is there to corrupt him and Grace is there to save him. Time goes on and Josh and Grace find themselves falling in love, and they are about to discover what the consequences are of that.

I really enjoy the plot of this story a lot. I am a sucker for angel stories even though this is a little cliché, but I still really enjoyed this one. It was pretty exciting because for most of the story it was Demon against Angel and your classic good vs. evil. I did find that I could not really vote against Josh even though he was the demon, because I felt he still had some good intentions. There were also some pretty good plot twists in the story that I found enjoyable.

I really liked the characters. I think they were all pretty exciting even though I did not really relate to them all that much. I really liked Josh and Grace when they were together because things just fit right together. Cam seemed to be the biggest deviant of all and he was pretty warped and disturbing and I liked how is personality escalated even more towards evil as you progress through the story. I think he was wrote really well. I would have liked to see more back story on the main characters than what we got, so maybe in a future installment.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a classic good vs. evil story and also those who like angel or demon stories as well. I know I look forward to the next book in the series, "Soul Obsessed", coming in May.