The Red Cobra - Rob Sinclair - 4 stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is not the first time I have read a book by this author which is the main reason why I chose to review this one for him. However this is not really the type of book I would normally read because it involves, the mafia, the mob, and assassins and I am just not into that type of thing.

This is however a thriller which helps the story along a lot. I find them quite exciting and adventurous, and I have to say that the pacing of the book is very fast so the book moves along pretty quickly, and I enjoy that very much. I found the plot to be very engaging despite the Mafia/mob elements in the story. I do have to warn though, that this is a pretty graphic story, no holds barred for sure and I am a bit squeamish with that sort of thing. There are a lot of twists and surprises in this book and one HUGE cliffhanger at the end.

The characters in this book, I found to be very well developed. I had a hard time disliking the main 'bad guy', in this case, a girl, The Red Cobra. I feel like she got handed the wrong end of the deal, kind of a child of circumstance if you will. I have to say that she really grew on me hard core. There are other characters in here who are more vile than Satan himself and you will love to hate them.

If you don't mind graphic situations, blood and gore, but you love Thrillers or even Mafia based novels than you will for sure enjoy this one. Even for those of us who don't necessarily enjoy Mobbish based books or the blood and gore part of things, can enjoy the fast paced, adrenalin pumping action in this one.

The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snickett - 4 stars

This is book 6 to The Series of Unfortunate Events. One of things I like best about these books is the pacing. They are so fluid and there is also never a dull moment with these orphans. Readers get whisked away on some pretty unfortunate adventures. I do still get somewhat annoyed at the amount of misfortune that these kiddos endure, but I am getting used to the fact that is what is going to happen, and there is no changing it. I was told by my niece that her teacher told them, when she was in the 4th grade, that they should not read this series because it caused her own daughter to become depressed. I know the series is pretty dark, but I never thought it was so dark as to cause depression in someone. Then again people handle things differently so I guess it is a possibility.

I fell in love with these characters (the orphans), pretty much right from the start of the first book. It is as though they are my own kids even though they have some pretty unrealistic talents. They are still very fun characters. Count Olaf is a great example of those characters we all love to hate. He is evil, underhanded, and pretty callous. I still hand onto the possibility of him reaching his demise in this series and I am hopeful that the author will not let me down on that. Our caregivers to the orphans this time were a bit suspicious. I did not like Mrs. Squallor at all. She was quite eccentric as well, and not at all equipped to be a guardian.

I recommend this to anyone, but if you have young children, then maybe hold off for a few years before allowing them to read this, it is closer to YA than it is middle grade. Like I said it is a pretty dark series and younger readers may not understand some parts to these books. If you are an adult, however, read read read. I think you may enjoy it. Really looking forward to continuing with this series and finishing up this year.

Prototype - M.D. Waters - 4 stars

This is book 2 to the Archetype duology. I was not going to read the 2nd right after the first but I could not help myself. I must say though that I am kinda glad that she stopped with just 2 books. I think this could be a story that would get mundane or tiresome if it were to continue past this point. I really enjoyed the plot of this story. I found it quite intriguing and very original. I really like the authors writing style, it has a great pacing which keeps the book very fluid and interesting. The author also uses great twists to keep reader's on their toes.

I really like the characters in this story. I find them to be pretty well developed even with just the 2 books. I find them to be quite compelling, especially Emma. I also find that the antagonists are also quite interesting. They are wrote pretty well, although one of them I expected to be a bit more villainous than he was. So that was a little disappointing for me. He had all the qualifications to be an evil, sadistic monster and he only grazed just the outer layer of that.

I recommend this duology to anyone who likes Sci-fi, fantasy, thriller and the like. It will keep these readers entertained for sure.

Archetpye - M.D. Waters - 5 stars

Wow is really all I can say about this book. At first I found it a bit confusing but quickly it settled down and I understood hat was going on. I do have to say it sucked me in right away. I really like the Author's writing style, it was pretty fast paced and that made it very enjoyable. There is also a lot of awesome twists as well. That epilogue was something else, and not what I expected at all which made me decide to stop my TBR and pick up the sequel to read now rather than later.

There is a nice mix of characters in the book which I am sure I will see more of in the sequel and I really look forward to seeing how Emma evolves in this next book. There are a lot of characters to hate in the story as well and I am excited to see how they develop in this next book. Who stays and who goes and by that epilogue I know one of my favorites to hate will be greeting us again.

I have to recommend this book to everyone. There is something for everyone with this one, got some sci fi, fantasy, mystery, thriller, romance, what more could readers ask for. It has a great storyline sure to pull y'all in on. So give it a shot and I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Go Ask Alice - Beatrice Sparks - 3 stars

This book has been around for a very long time and I am just now reading it. WHAT?! This book has also been censored/banned do the explicit nature of sex and drug addiction.

I found this book on the sales rack and decided that now would be the time. This is set back in the 70's when drug were predominant in society. Despite what has been said about this book, it is however, not a true story. It was not based on the diary of a 15 year old girl. So reading it as a fiction book, it is entertaining. I enjoyed reading it because it was pretty fast paced which really kept the pages turning for me. If you read this as a 'true account' of a young teenage girl then that changes things dramatically, because the story itself is not very realistic.

Our main character in this story, who is never named, is also not a very realistic character, however I did find her likable. She did not annoy me or irritate me, but her outlook on life was a little on the nonrealistic side. She goes through a lot in the story, and seems to learn a little from it at one point and then on the other side she doesn't learn from it. So it is like she does actually learn things from the mistakes, but has the attitude of 'oh well we will still make these mistakes anyway because it is more fun while I am doing it' therefore disregarding the consequences of the actions.

So don't pick this book up and read it with the idea that this a true story because I don't feel like you will really enjoy it that way. Look at it as a piece of fiction and read away. It can be better appreciated that way.

The Bargaining - Carly Anne West - 4 stars

I picked this one up on a whim because I was mostly drawn to the cover and then of course the synopsis. I liked the pacing of the book which kept it moving and I loved the creepiness of the story which kept me engaged. I found that there seemed to be a lot more to the story than the synopsis tells us and I was pleased by that. The ending of the book was not what I expected, but on the other hand it would be expected to happen the way it did, if that makes sense.

In this story we have Penny who has many issues that she needs to deal with. When she finds out that she is going on a realty adventure with her stepmom, she was less than thrilled. Unexplained creepy things begin happening once they arrive at their destination. April her stepmom is drawn to the beauty of the Carver house in which she will be renovating, while Penny feels quite differently about the house and the woods that surround them.

I really enjoyed Penny, I found her to be quite smart and also very headstrong. Even though she is flawed, which I love, she is also very strong, but the one thing that I found to be a little annoying was the fact that she would really trust no one. I do find that she was well developed though, and I am sure the trust issues stem from the flawed life the author created her from. There are several other characters to like and many other to hate and some that I was even on the fence about. I did love how some of them were secretive and had a somewhat dark aura about them. I thought brought a lot to the story.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good, creepy story. Also those who enjoy paranormal horror will like this one as well.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling - 4 stars

Read this for our HP read along this year in my group. I am enjoying these earlier books much more this time around since I have read a lot more middle grade books, Doing that gives me a much better understanding of middle grade and allows me to enjoy them more. I feel like I enjoyed this one more than the first one, and I know they will get better for me with each book.

I love to see these characters grow and develop through the season. J.K. Rowling has a very good pacing to her writing which keeps the story moving with excitement. I think this is why so many adults can enjoy the series. New characters to enjoy in this book that will leave a lasting impression on readers.

I recommend this series to everyone even to those who do not read middle grade. I think there is a little something for everyone to enjoy in this magical, fun and exciting world. Just give it a shot and check it out.