2014 Book Recap

These are all the books that I read in 2014:

1. Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

2. Eternity (Guardian Trilogy #2) by Laury Falter 

3. Close Liaisons (The Krinar Chronicles #1) by Anna Zaires 

4. Dollhouse (The Dark Carousel #1) by Anya Allyn

5. The Gatekeeper's Sons (Gatekeeper's Saga #1) by Eva Pohler 

6. Focus (The Crescent Chronicles #2) by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

7. Breathless (The Blue Fire Saga #1) by Scott Prussing 

8. Close Obsession (The Krinar Chronicles #2) by Anna Zaires 

9. Phantom Summer by Amy Sparling 

10. The Gatekeeper's Challenge (Gatekeeper's Saga #2) by Eva Pohler 

11. Close Remembrance (The Krinar Chronicles #3) by Anna Zaires 

12. Reckoning (Guardian Trilogy #3) by Laury Falter 

13. Deathless (The Blue Fire Saga #2) by Scott Prussing 

14. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

15. Ruining Me (Ruining #1) by Nicole Reed

16. Paper Dolls (The Dark Carousel #2) by Anya Allyn 

17. Born by Tara Brown 

18. The Gatekeeper's Daughter (Gatekeeper's Saga #3) by Eva Pohler 

19. Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver 

20. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner 

21. Found (The Crescent Chronicles #3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

22. Breakable (Contours of the heart #2) by Tammara Webber 

23. Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy *Crescent Chronicle spin off*

24. The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner 

25. Third Degree by Julie Cross 

26. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare 

27. The Elf Girl (Journey into the Realm #1) by Markelle Grabo 

28. White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

29. Carrie by Stephen King 

30. The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman 

31. Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate 

32. The Gatekeeper's House (Gatkeeper's Saga #4) by Eva Pohler

33. Into the Darkness (Darkness #1) by K.F Breene

34. If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman 

35. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

36. Halo (Halo #1) by Alexandra Adornetto 

37. The Whispers of the Fallen by J.D, Netto 

38. First and Forever (The Crescent Chronicles #4) by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

39. The Shadow Prince (Mortal Enchantment #1) by Stacey O'Neale 

40. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

41. Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

42. Sunshine by Robin McKinley 

43. The Secrets of Life and Death by Rebecca Alexander 

44. Helia's Shadow Part One (The Starlight Age #1) by K.C. Neal 

45. Backstage Pass (The Backstage Pass Rock Star Romance #1) by Elizabeth Nelson

46. Verboten (Verboten #1) by Amelia Louise Carter 

47. Branded (Sinners #1) by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki 

48. Organ Reapers by Shay West 

49. The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A Heldt
50. Girl in the Well (Psycho Thrill) by Vincent Voss 
51. The Beast Within (Psycho Thrill) by Christian Endres 
52. Riddle of Fate by Tania Johansson 
53. Since You've been gone by Mary Jennifer Payne 
54.  Spring Blessings by S.C. Houff
55. Assassin's Creed Unity (Assassin's Creed #7) by Oliver Bowden
56. The Blue Journal by L.T. Graham
57. The Unearthed (The Unearthed series #1) by Evan Ronan 
58. The Lost (The Unearthed series #2) by Evan Ronan
59. Unrelenting Nightmares by Stan Yocum 
60. Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Willow Files Volume 1

I greatly surpassed my reading goal this year! When this year started I wanted to read 20 books, in 2015 I want to read 70 books. Happy New years everyone!

*I'm posting this early because I will be away from my computer until after New Years.*

Unrelenting Nightmares by Stan Yocum

*I received this book for a honest review.*

This book wasn't what I expected it to be, I'm not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. When I heard assassin I immediately thought about Assassin's Creed, I'm sure that's because I'm so young and I have never read anything else about assassins. Cameron Clark was more of a war like assassin, at first and then he became a personal assassin. 

He started off being an assassin in the military, not a bad job, at least I would think so. Apparently he wasn't so keen on it because he wanted out. Then when he got out he killed people rich people wanted dead. I guess there's more money that way but less pride. 

He grew up in a dysfunctional family, he hated his dad and the feeling was mutual. That brought on his love to kill, he started by killing small animals, then went to killing wild game and now people. He finds enjoyment by killing- psycho.

There was a lot of violence in this book and violence doesn't bother me but there was just something about this book. I don't think I would have chosen this book for myself. It took a really long time for it to get my attention and it failed to hold it for very long. I'm not saying it's a bad book, in fact it was well written. I'm just saying this book wasn't for me. 

Synopsis:

Stuart Garrison, a brilliant virtual reality software developer, has his company poised on the threshold of industry dominance with the release of his newest virtual reality system—Next World. Among his competitors is Preston McBraid, the cutthroat CEO of a rival company. McBraid realizes that if he does not own Next World, his company is bound to lose its premier position atop the computer industry.
  

Driven by desperation and greed, McBraid hires the notorious Nomed, a highly sought-after assassin who commands millions to kill a target. The FBI learns of the assassination plot and intervenes to protect Stuart. He in turn quickly augments the FBI team, hiring two security specialists as additional defense: a monster of a man, nicknamed Superman—and Alex Nichols, an expert in the field of security. Stuart clings desperately to the hope that he can make it though the onslaught of Nomed’s assassination attempts. If he does, his next ingenious virtual reality product—Mind Games—will blow the world away with its originality and staggering mass appeal, and catapult Stuart to the top of the computer industry as its reigning czar, and make him a billionaire many times over.

In this gripping suspense thriller, the wannabe czar of the computer industry is unwittingly catapulted into a deadly cat-and-mouse game against the infamous Nomed, and only time will tell who is clever enough to survive.

The Lost by Evan Ronan

This is the second book in the Unearthed series by Evan Ronan. The first captured me so hard I had to immediately read the second one. Unlike The Unearthed which was a slow burn horror The Lost was a paranormal mystery. I never used to like mysteries but I'm quickly coming around to them, maybe I liked this one so much because it has that paranormal element.

This one took a little longer to grab me than The Unearthed but once it grabbed me I was just as invested. Even though this is the same series I'm not comparing them to each other because they are two completely different book in two completely different genres. 

I liked that The Unearthed was an actual book in The Lost. Stuff like that pulls the series together and it makes this paranormal book feel real, like I'm watching it on tv.

Again I loved Eddie in this, I'm glad he was brought to the second book. I wish it had more Moria and Stan because I thought they were so funny in the last one. But this one had Ana (Anastasia) and that was good enough because she was a tough girl- she was funny too. I loved Ana and Eddie together, their personalities complimented each other well. 

Marty Kindler and his goons were more than annoying. Whitmore was also very irritating but I understood he was the chief of police so it was his job to be hard on Eddie. In the end I liked him though, when he finally talked to Eddie like a person and not a criminal. Sean McKenna made an appearance in this book as well and he was more of an ass this round- if that's possible- he was on a mission of revenge. He blames Eddie for what happened to his son, which is stupid because it wasn't his fault. He got off easy in the end of this and I don't like it one bit. 

Fourteen years ago ... Tessa and her friends played a dangerous game on an icy lake. When the ice broke, no one could save Tessa from drowning. Her death cast a pall over the lives of everyone in town.
Five years ago ... Eddie McCloskey's brother was murdered on their last paranormal investigation. Now Eddie, who swore off ghost hunting, faces the biggest case of his life.
Now ... Marty Kindler, heir to the local gentry, claims the whole town is haunted. Either this is the find of the century, or it's all a hoax. Only Eddie can find the truth. But Eddie better hurry because someone is trying to kill the people that were on that ice with Tess all those years ago. 

This was another winner in my book and I can't wait to start the third in this series. 

Spring Blessings by S.C. Houff

Synopsis: 

Asher Stone didn't want to be a hero. After spending two years recovering from an isolating drug habit, his life was getting on track. He had a girlfriend who he loved very much. He was holding down a job and had a repaired relationship with his mother. One day, Asher was attacked by a manticore that escaped the clutches an order of magi and his world gets turned upside down. Now, Asher is dealing with old temptations and new problems and a destiny that he has to embrace or the fate of the world will crash down on him. The only thing Asher can hope is that Blessings and Hope do spring eternal in this first book in a series.

This is a very unique book. It has a lot of elements that I love in a fantasy genre; it has fairies, fae, vampires, lycans, witches, mages, manticores, nymps, satyrs a nexus, etc....there are A LOT of magical creatures in this book. 

I really liked the way the author narrated the book, it seriously felt like I was listening to S.C. Houff telling me this story. I've never read a book like that and I really enjoyed that about this book. I also really like how the first chapter is the history of the story. It made it less overwhelming, with all the characters and creatures. Like I said there were a lot of magical creatures.

I was a little confused at the beginning but I caught on to what was going on pretty quickly. I wasn't confused because of the story I think it was just all the characters and how they were introduced. Now that I'm finished I'm thankful the characters were introduced chapter by chapter, instead all of them being thrown at me at once.  

Asher was a recovering addict. I never read anything from the perspective of a recovering addict, so that was interesting. It made me think about all the recovering addicts in the world and wonder if they go through these things, minus the manticore and magic. It made me think about stuff I've never thought about before and I love books that make me question everything! 

There were so many characters that I really liked! Puck and Amaya, I mean they were too adorable not to like. And their upcoming Poptart is even cuter! (You have to read the book to find out about Poptart.) Tracy, she was a good Mom that had to do what needed to be done to protect her child. Carin, was weird but I liked her, even if it was sounding incest-y for a moment there. Natalie was sweet to Asher even though he probably didn't deserve it sometimes. Of course I liked Asher, he's the main character so it would be stupid not to like him. He was brave and handled a lot weird stuff better than anyone else can say they would.

There of course were characters that I didn't like, it wouldn't be a good book if it didn't make me hate someone that doesn't exist. Norvita really annoyed me, I think it was how flirtatious she was. She had a boyfriend- a vampire boyfriend- and she was flirting with pretty much anyone. Iago, but he was the villain so I was supposed to not like him. And I really did not like him, I wanted to punch him! 

Find Spring Blessings on:

Goodreads

Amazon

More about S.C. Houff:

S.C. Houff

Twitter

The Unearthed by Evan Ronan

Evan Ronan told me this was a slow-burn horror, at that worried me. I thought that meant it was going to be really slow and that it wouldn't catch my interest quick enough. That was not the case, at all. I was immediately interested to this book. It was so much like all those paranormal movies I love. All that was missing was a "Based on a true story" line at the beginning. 

Once I started it I really didn't want to stop reading it. That's is probably why it only took me a little over a day to read it. If I didn't have to sleep it wouldn't have taken that long. 

I thought it was comical that Evan Ronan wrote his character into the book. I laughed when I first read his name in it and then laughed harder when it said he was an author. I've never read anything like that before, very unique. 

It takes it's time in the beginning introducing everyone. First it introduced the members of the house that were living in the house they believed was haunted. Then it introduced the the members of the paranormal investigation team. Eddie was my favorite character, he was so likable. He was more the people person compared to his brother Tim. 

The Rosselli's moved into the massacre house. A house where three members of a family were brutally killed. They call upon Tim and Eddie's paranormal investigation team to help them figure out what they're dealing with. Billy Rosselli, has found an imaginary friend since moving into the house one that tells him to do very bad things. It's up to Eddie and Tim and the rest of their team to save this family from the same fate as the last.  

This is one series that I look forward to finishing. 

Assassin's Creed Unity by Oliver Bowden

*Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves -Confucius*

Assassin's Creed Unity is the seventh book in this amazing series. I'm sure most of you have at least heard of Assassin's Creed, the video games. That's how it all started through video games. The video games gave birth to the book series, so to speak. 

Unlike the other books this book focused more on the Templars than the Assassins. The difference between the templars and the assassins is their belief system. The assassins believe that people should be able to think for themselves. While the templars believe people shouldn't need to think for themselves, they should have leaders that do that for them. Hands down, I'd rather read about the assassins than the snooty templars. They seem to be more real, the templars are all snooty rich people, that want their beliefs shoved down everyones throats.

I'm glad I got the knowledge of the difference between the two and it was cool to see how the templars worked. That being said, I would have much rather read about Arno. There is nothing wrong with Élise -other than her being a templar- I actually thought she was a great female lead. She was tough and didn't always need to be saved, she did sometimes but who doesn't?  

The beginning focused way too much on her childhood! I know this book was about Élise but come on, I didn't need to know what she thought about when she was eight years old. It took over half the book before the big party scene that killed her father, the big party that was at the beginning of the video game. I think there was way more in the book than there needed to be, there was too much useless stuff. But I could think that because I'm biased, I'm a big fan of the video games.

Élise de la Serre is destined to take her father's place as Grand Master Templar. On the night of her induction ceremony François de la Serre was murdered and the rumors were by her assassin boyfriend, Arno. She knew it wasn't Arno that killed him but a part of her blamed him. When she embarks on her journey for revenge she has to rely on Arno for help. Her allies and friends are now her former allies and friends. Most either dead or too scared to support her. Élise and Arno have to go through a lot to uncover the murderer of her father. When they finally come face to face with the man behind his murder Élise will stop at nothing to see his death, even if it cost her life in the process. 

I like that the end went a little further than the video game did. It closed a door that was left ajar for me. I will always be a fan of The Assassin's Creed franchise and this did not disappoint me.

Riddle of Fate by Tania Johansson

*She wasn’t meant to survive. He wasn’t meant to save her. Now, they are determined to correct his mistake. *

There is a lot that can be said about Riddle of Fate. It had a lot of aspects I love in a good paranormal book. There was magic, angels of death (also known as collectors), and poltergeists; how could anyone turn down a book with those kinds of elements? 

I really enjoyed Khaya's character; she seemed a little naive at times and was way too trusting of people but I liked her. I think she redeemed herself by the end of the book. It's always good when a character that is viewed as weak turns around and kicks butt in the end. She was a force to be reckoned with. Of course, I loved Derrin, how could you not? He was willing to give everything up for the girl he loved. *Swoon* I did not like Brier, he was a jerk and also very naive. It was almost sad at the end for him...almost. 

Some parts I saw coming a mile away and some parts were a total shock. There were quite the plot twists in this lovely book. The ending left me with my mouth hanging open and wanting to read more. This was a truly delightful book and I hope there are more to come for Khaya and Derrin. 

Khaya works at your not so ordinary library. The company employs people with special abilities, Khaya has the ability to see future events. When she discovers she has a second ability everything changes. Having two abilities has one inevitable outcome: madness. Or, so they say. Khaya will have to fight to prove them wrong. Only trouble is, angels want her dead, too. Those she thought she could trust are now scheming against her. The mysterious stranger, Derrin is the only person she comes to trust. He saved her when she should have died. Living in oblivious bliss, she doesn’t even know he exists. Until she is fighting for her life and he is the only one who can help her. Now they are both on the run from angels that want them both dead. How far will they go to protect each other?  

More about the author.
Tania Johansson

Find Riddle of Fate on Goodreads and Amazon.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Goodreads

Enter to win an e-copy.
Giveaway

Synopsis:

Published May 28th 2014

Khaya’s life, a life the Order say was never meant to be, is thrown into turmoil when she discovers she has a second ability. The Company who employs people like her – with rare and special abilities – insists that having more than one inevitably leads down a dark spiral into madness. So they are watching and waiting, ready to terminate her at the first sign of trouble.

Now, on the run from the Company's agents while trying to prove her sanity, Khaya realises they are not the only ones she should fear. Angels are working towards her demise as well.

The question that haunts her is this: What did she do that was terrible enough to elicit the wrath of angels? And can she trust the mysterious Derrin, or is he the cause of all her tribulations?


Excerpt from the book:

1.

“Argh! Stupid typewriter,” Leena said from somewhere behind a bookcase. 

They only had two of these machines – and they were the only two in the province – but to Khaya it seemed they were more trouble than they were worth. Every day one of the two had some fault or another, which then took so long to repair that it was hardly worth the time you saved by using the blasted thing in the first place. 

Boredom drove Khaya to take a look. “Stopped working again?”

“Let’s see, it’s about midday, so yes it is exactly on time,” Leena said as she smacked it on the side. “One of the keys is stuck again, but this time I can’t get it to come up and now it’s not working at all.”

“Do you want me to take a look?” 

Leena swept her hand sideways as if to say, ‘Be my guest.’

Without much idea of what she was going to do, Khaya took Leena’s seat at the desk. After plucking in vain at the offending key, she turned the metal monstrosity over, but soon saw that the various parts were screwed together. “I’ll need a screwdriver,” Khaya said. 

Leena rolled her eyes and stomped away. Khaya righted the contraption. It was a strange looking thing. It reminded her of a pincushion with all the metal keys sticking up from a central ball. This sort of silly machine would never become popular. She was certain of that. 

A glint caught her eye. She had been staring at the machine without really looking. For a second, she thought she’d seen right inside it. A frown knitted her brows as she peered at it. Somehow, without physically seeing it, she saw what the problem was. The key that was stuck was blocking another mechanism. She had no idea what this mechanism did, but she knew with absolute certainty that it was the cause of the problem. If she could only twist it, just so. 

There was a click and the key sprung up. 

“What did you do?” Leena asked, screwdriver in hand and giving Khaya a dubious look. 

“I think I fixed it.”

2.

Khaya rushed down the stairs of the library. Suddenly, she wanted to be as far away from there as she could. She wasn’t fooling herself. They weren’t going to find a cure. They were keeping her in that basement under observation. At the first sign of madness, they would kill her. She was sure of it.

Welcome fresh air greeted her as she pulled the door open. A hand gripped her arm, making her shriek. Another hand slammed over her mouth. She began to struggle. “Shh! It’s me, Khaya. It’s Merrit. I’m going to let go of you, so please don’t scream.”

He released her and she swung around to face him. “What do you think you’re doing, scaring me like that?”

“Sorry. We can’t be seen speaking. Follow me.” He walked a few steps before turning to find she wasn’t following. “Come on! Please.”

He led her into a deserted alley, deep shadows making it hard to see. “What is this about, Merrit?”

“You know very well what this is about. They know you told me about your second ability and they are out to get me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They simply want to keep this matter quiet.”

“Yes, and do you know the best way to keep something quiet? By making sure as few people as possible know the secret.”

“You are being unreasonable.”

“They're  having me followed. My every move.”

She looked around with exaggerated motions. “Oh? So, where are these stalkers now?”

“I managed to give them the slip. I don’t think they realised that I knew I was being followed. This is beside the point, anyway.”

“What is the point?”

“I am going to get away from here. As far as I can get as quickly as I can.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve heard things. I’ve heard that it’s only a matter of time before they terminate you.”

She jolted to attention. “You heard that too?”

He nodded. “Can you believe that’s what they call it? Like you're some sort of animal.”

“I still don’t know why you are telling me all this.”

“Come with me?” he said, placing a hand on her arm.

“Run away?” she asked, incredulous.

“I haven’t been working at the Company for long,” he said, “but I think their main objective is to stay anonymous. At any cost. They like to give the impression that they take care of us, but it's all about control.

“If you stay here, they will kill you. Why do you think they want to keep all this so quiet? I’m planning to go at midnight. Think about it. I’ll be at the cobbler’s. I hope I’ll see you there.”

Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

I really wasn't sure how I was going to like this book. I normally don't read books like this, it's just not my style. That being said, I actually liked it! I've never read anything written by Mary Jennifer Payne before but I will now. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between Edie and her mom, it was really sweet. Even when she was mad at her mom it was very evident that she still cared. Edie's mom went through Hell to protect her daughter and that is the biggest form of love there is. 

Jermaine was too nice of a guy for all the stuff that he dealt with. I don't know anyone that would put up with half the things that he did without punching someone. I guess I'm just more violent than he was. Edie and Jermaine were adorable together and I'm glad it ended the way it did for them. 

Edie and her mom have been on the run from her abusive dad for five years. Every time they would get comfortable some where they would have to pick up and leave because he found them again. They run to London and then the unthinkable happens, her mom never came home from work. Edie is all alone in a place that she has never been before. She teams up with Jermaine, the local outcast, to find her.  

Carrie by Stephen King

This is the first Stephen King book that I ever picked up, the first one I was ever really interested in. It's the first Stephen King book that made me want to read more of his works. I had in my mind that all of his books are terrifying, though some might be this one isn't. It might be weird but it's not scary. Sometimes I need a book that leaves me with questions.

Carrie is the first book ever written by Stephen King. This is the book that started it all, the book that carved the way for one of the best known horror writers. I think everyone has either read this book, seen the movies, both or have at least heard of it. I say movies because this movie has been redone. I've seen the 1976 version and the 2013 version, I liked both, though I did like the modern aspect of the 2013 version. 

Carrie White is a painfully shy girl that has telekinetic powers. Her Mother is very religious and mentally abusive and that makes Carrie act weird around her classmates. She becomes ridiculed at school when she freaks out in the shower because she got her first period. Her classmates prank her resulting in their prom getting taken away from them. As revenge, Chris decides she is going to pull the prank of the century on Carrie. A prank that turns deadly for everyone.

I love the book and the movies. I do wish the ending of the movie was like the ending of the book. I guess this just proves that the book is always better than the movie. As if readers needed more proof. 

Finding little Elsa.

I love animals, the only kind I've met that I don't like are pet birds and spiders. The reason behind the pet birds is because they're really freaking mean. I'm not saying that all pet birds are but all of the ones I have met were evil little rats with wings. (Not to be confused with a bats) And spiders are just gross! I understand the reason for their existence but they still scare me. 

Anyone that knows me knows I have a long haired dachshund, her name is Keelie. I got her name because I was watching Phil of the Future. I also want another puppy but my husbands insists we should wait until we have a fenced in yard so we don't have to leash train another dog. I already have names picked out, I really want a puppy. 

Throughout my twenty-three years here on this earth I have found that there are dog people and then there are cat people. There are some in between people that are both, my best friend is one of those people. I have also met some people that absolutely hate cats or absolutely hate dogs, they don't want anything to do with them. I have always been more of a dog person myself but I still like cats too. 

My husband and I came across a small kitten while going through his grandmas things and we brought her home with us. It would have died if we left it there all alone. It would have either starved, been hit by a car, killed by a dog or frozen to death. The animal lover that I am, I couldn't leave the kitten knowing it would more than likely die. So we brought the cutie home with us. 

There was only one minor problem, we have a dachshund. Dogs and cats don't like each other, we learned the hard way. We both knew if we gave them time they would work out their differences and grow to tolerate each other. Well that was getting old quick! The constant hissing and spitting, growling from both species, whining and yelping was enough to make me want to pull my hair out. 

We didn't have a chance to name the cute little kitten, we mainly called her kitty. It broke my heart but I knew our house just wasn't right for her. So we found a really nice family that really wanted a kitten, they had two adorable little girls that were super excited. The oldest child immediately named her Elsa because she is a Frozen fan. 

I was so upset the whole car ride. As much as I knew we needed to give her to a loving home that didn't have a little yappy dog, it still hurt to part ways. But then when I saw how much the two little girls fell in love with her just from seeing her, I knew it was the right thing to do. The man that took little Elsa was head over heels happy to have a kitten, he wanted one for a while. 

It was fate for us to find Elsa in that house because even though she wasn't right for us, she was right for that family. We were a bridge to get her to them. 

The Beast Within by Christian Endres

The Beast Within is another Psycho Thrill horror novella. I read it in about a hour and a half, so it's perfect if you're looking for a quick read. 

It's obviously about werewolves, you can gather that from the cover and title. It's not like other werewolf books I've read though and I can't tell if that's disappointing or refreshing. Like most werewolf books, the 'were' is super strong even in their human form. Not this guy, he was just a regular weak human when he wasn't a wolf, which was kind of disappointing, to me. I guess I just expected him to be crazy strong and could get out of every situations but that wasn't the case. 

Jackson Ellis has been a werewolf since he was twelve years old. He's been alone since he was twelve years old also, there is a connection there. He talks a lot about his dead friend, Dead Crow (yes his friends name was Dead Crow). He even talks to his dead friend that he can apparently see and hear. He finally has a semi-normal life as a bouncer at a nightclub, with a girlfriend that he fights with a lot and a dog that is more loyal than he is. When a pretty girl in a bar catches his eye and invites him to her house he can't refuse. It's a decision that changes his life, now he has to fight to survive. With only one thing remaining on his mind, revenge.  

I've only read two of The Psycho Thrill books but I really enjoyed them. I look forward to reading some of the others. 

Girl in the Well by Vincent Voss

 Girl in the Well is a Psycho Thrill horror novella by Vincent Voss. I was told if I liked Stephen King then I would like this, that wasn't a lie. I did enjoy this book, so much that I finished it in a day. 

It reminded me a lot of the paranormal shows - like The Haunted, A Haunting, Paranormal Witnesses, etc - and those shows have creeped me out in the past. (I'm a wuss.) When I first started reading GITW I kept thinking it was like those scary movies that I loved to watch with one minor difference, I couldn't shut my eyes to the scary parts. 

 It follows Johanna Ebeling and Henning Lambertz, they both work at the Ethnological Institute in the witch archives. It starts with them getting a phone call from Mrs. Falkner stating "I am evil." When she shows up to give her interview to prove that something strange has been happening to her, strange things begin happening in their office. Intrigued Johanna and Henning go to Mrs. Falkners house to further their investigation. The deeper in the investigation they get the more dangerous it is for everyone. 

Like most paranormal movies and shows it leaves you with more questions that answers. The ending left me craving more.

The Mine by John A Heldt

The first thought that comes to my mind when it comes to this book is...amazing! This was easily one of the best books I've read in a really long time! At first I was worried that the historical part of the book would bore me because history and I do not mix, but that was not the case at all. I ended up almost craving for more history. I learned more from this book than I did in my high school history classes.

Heldt did an awesome job capturing my attention and holding it throughout the entire book. I didn't skim or skip any parts and I ended up reading over half the book in one day. It was truly amazing. 

This is the first book in a series which means there is more to come. I am looking forward to completing this series. I might be purchasing the second book soon because I don't think I can go without finishing the story of Joel and Grace.

Joel Smith is a history minor in his senior year of college. He is taking a break from studying for finals with his friend, Adam. When they come across an abandoned mine Joel can't help himself, he has to explore. When he goes into the mine it is 2000 but when he exits the mine it is 1941. When he finds himself stuck in 1941 he has to go through a couple tough days until he finds a family that takes him in. The family gives him a job and introduces him to the girl that will make him question everything. When the time comes to return to his time he has to decide if he can leave the love of his life, future grandma and new best friend. 

The ending of this book literally made me scream with joy. I don't think I've ever rooted for a couple to make it like I did for Joel and Grace. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it has time travel, a healthy does of history and a good love story. I give five stars! 

More about the author.
John A. Heldt

Organ Reapers by Shay West

 Organ Reapers is a very interesting urban fantasy book, it's like nothing I have ever read before. Shay West is a talented wordsmith. This is the first book I've ever read by her but I look forward to checking out her other works. 

I'm not going to lie I was a little worried that I wasn't going to like this book. I don't usually read books that follow detectives because it reminds me too much of Law and Order but Organ Reapers was actually refreshing. I ended up loving the detectives and enjoyed seeing the other side of the law. 

It followed two sets of people and even though sometimes that can be very confusing, it was very easy to follow. Eli usually works alone but just got assigned a new partner, Ava. He starts to fall for her but of course since they are both detectives he can't pursue her. I really liked their partnership, they complimented each other well. Tani and Keena are also work partners in a way but it's cute how much you can tell they like each other. In their world you can't show affection unless you are married (which they are not) so it's even cuter when they sneak a hand hold. 

Eli and Ava are detectives that are trying to solve a string of murders. Tani and Keena are organ harvesters, in their world that is a sacred job. (They use magic to travel to this world to kill and steal the organs of innocent people, to save the people in their world.) When Ava and Eli start working these organ harvesting murders, things get weird because how can you catch someone that can travel to another world? After Tani and Keena get a job that involves the murder of a child they decide they can't do it anymore and they run away. After having visions from their Gods they know what they have to do. They end up teaming up with Eli and Ava so they can forever close the gates connecting the two worlds.

I loved Tani and Keena, especially when they came to this world to help Eli and Ava because their world is in the olden days. They still lived in the renaissance times, so it was cute when they tried to figure things out. I loved the epilogue, it was the cutest thing! I think the two worlds were blended together nicely. I've read books that tried to do something like this but it didn't work as well for them. This was a very good book and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.  

More info about Shay West

Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

"You can overcome anything short of death."

Branded was a great first book for the sinners series. It was written by two amazingly talented ladies, Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki. They are exceedingly nice and truly care about their fans, enough to create an Anti-bullying account on instagram. I actually won a signed version of this book from a giveaway on instagram and I will treasure it forever. 

There are so many things about this book that I love, I don't know if I'll be able to write it all down but I'll try. First of all I love dystopian books because it makes me appreciate the reality I live in, sometimes. I love that it was based on the seven deadly sins because that's not something I've ever read in this way before. I really liked the sins concept; it made me extremely glad the world isn't really like that because I -like most everyone else- would have a rainbow on their necks.

Lexi Hamilton was falsely accused of being a sinner, so she was taken to live in the Hole with the rest of the sinners. She was branded with a blue brand, which means lust. In this world that means she is labeled a whore by anyone that sees her blue brand. Cole is assigned to be her guard and to protect her at all costs. After spending a lot of time together they start to get feelings for each other. Which is against the rules and punishable by torture and death. They have to fight for their lives to escape the Hole but that will not be easy.

I want to be Lexi Hamilton when I grow up, minus the whole being branded with lust thing. She was very strong willed and learned how to hold her own when her world was beating her down. Cole was another favorite because who doesn't love a hot guy forced to protect you? Of course, their contact was forced at first but naturally they fell for each other and it was the sweetest thing. I also liked Sutton, Alyssa, Bruno and Zeus. Hands down Zeus was my favorite being in this whole book, I want my own Zeus in my life! 

There were a few characters that I wouldn't mind punching in the throat, like Wilson, I really didn't like that guy. At first I didn't like Keegan because he got in the way of Cole and Lexi but I understand why, I guess. I know he was just trying to be a good big brother and protect his little sister. 

The next book in the amazing series is Hunted. I don't know when it comes out but I hope it's not too long because I'm hooked. 

Happy Veterans Day!

    

    I would like to say a big thank you to everyone that has served our country and for everyone that is currently fighting to keep us safe every day. Thank you for all the sacrifices that you made for our freedom. 

    I would like to say a big thank you to the most important veteran in my life, my dad. 

Thanks Daddy! 

Verboten by Amelia Louise Carter

 Verboten by Amelia Louise Carter is an excellent read! Amelia Carter is an amazing writer and such a sweet girl, I've had the privilege of talking with her a few times on social media sites. She's so young and so full of talent I can't wait to see what else she produces in the future. 

This book had a little bit of everything: angels, vampires, werewolves, fairies, faeries, dragons, mermaids, witches, warlocks...I know it had more but I would be here all day trying to name every paranormal being in here. Even though it had so much it wasn't too much, there was never a time that I was lost or confused. It had a great and interesting story line that made it a pleasant read. Amelia Carter was able to create a great fantasy world that a part of me wishes I lived in.

It follows, Katalina White, a young angel as she turns into a badass assassin and her journey along the way. She finds out a lot about herself that she didn't know, things that were quite dangerous. Her assassin training helped her make new friends and brought her closer to old ones, then took her down to earth to fight against her enemies. 

I must say that I was jealous of her ability using the crossbow, I would love to never miss my target! Something else that I was thoroughly jealous about, the amount of guys that kissed her. That is not a problem most girls have and she complained way too much about it...kidding of course. ;) 

After all that she went through with these guys I don't know which one I preferred her with. That's odd for me, I usually have someone I love and no other guy can compete in my eyes but not this time. I liked Darren and Christian but I understand why she chose who she chose and I like it.

All I have left to say is bring on book two!  

Backstage Pass by Elizabeth Nelson

     This is the first book in a six book series by Elizabeth Nelson. I've never read a book by Nelson before but I think I'll finish this series. I enjoy finding new authors and trying them out because everyone has to start out some where. Right? 

    I chose to read this because I needed something short to read while I'm in between books. I was in a love hate relationship with this book. Some aspects I enjoyed and others I did not. When I first started this I was glad it was short but once I started it I wanted it to be longer. I wish there was more detail, I think that's what it was lacking, for me. 

    So many things felt so rushed to me. It was like BAM she met the hottie then BAM she was kissing him. I don't know, I guess I'm just used to it taking longer before the guy shoves his tongue down the girls throat. At the same time I was rooting for them to get together from their first meeting. (I flip flop around.)
    
    Sasha annoyed me a lot. She would kiss the guy and then say the dreaded words "just friends." She did this to another poor guy at the beginning of the book. Kerri finally spoke up about that and made her come to her senses. 
    
    Sasha is anti-musician after dating a wanna be musician so she was not impressed by rocker, Jesse, at first. After she breaks her leg and is pretty helpless she relies on him a lot and he is always there to help. He is super nice to her and her best friend, Kerri, and bends over backwards to help them. In the end she breaks her number one rule and goes for the talented rockstar.

    All in all I enjoyed this book and will be finishing this series.

Helia's Shadow Part One by K.C. Neal

     Helia's Shadow part one is by an amazing author, K.C. Neal. She is seriously talented and very nice, I've had a few conversations with her on social media sites. 

     Let me start by saying how much I love this book! It captured my attention from the first chapter and within a few hours I was already halfway through it. It almost pained me to set the book down, that's how good it is. It is a young-adult, science fiction book. It's filled with advanced  technologies, aliens, rebels and alien/human hybrids. All that you need in a good science fiction read.

    Being a "part one" immediately told me there would be a cliff hanger ending, and man was there! I don't know how I'm supposed to just continue living while I wait for part two. 

    I like the strong, smart female lead. Helia isn't the "usual" female leads. She tinkered in technology, which isn't something I've read in a female lead before but I loved it. It proved she held a valuable role in the story. She wasn't just there to be a pretty face. There was a part when she refused to back down to a stern alien that just made me smile at her bravery.

     There was some romance to it but it wasn't overwhelming like it could have been. That was refreshing! So many books focus so much on the love interest almost losing everything else in the process. I was glad this book didn't do that.

    When Helia, along with her best friend and cousin, try to make the Talon leader of their city come clean about his lies it backfires, in a big way. Making Helia and Kalo run to survive. She joins Kalo and the other talon rebels in their plot to bring down the leader. As she fights to save the human race in the process. 

That test proved I'm human!

    You know that moment, where you're in between being super excited and absolutely terrified about something? That was me about twenty minutes ago. I had to take this english test and I was so nervous! 

    Why was I so nervous? 
1- I have not taken a test in almost five years.
2- If I passed then I would have to go through with the interviewing process. Which kicked up my anxiety. 
3- If I failed then it would be completely embarrassing for more than one reason.
                  1- I would fail a test that should be common sense to me.
                  2- I would fail a test that I want to make a living about one day.
                  3- The person that recommended this place to me would ask how the test went.
4- I would get a pretty decent job, if I passed. 

     Needless to say, this test meant a lot to me. In my mind my entire future was riding on the passing of this test. It was a timed test, which only worsened my nervousness. I don't do well with tests and especially not with timed tests. Even though it was something that should have come naturally to me. 

    The test started and I immediately recognized the question style, it was SAT style wording. You know, when a question is worded so confusingly that you reread it about fifty times. Until it doesn't even sound like words anymore, it just jumbles up together in a giant pile of word vomit. Yeah it was just like that. It may have only been a twenty minute test but when I finished it my brain felt heavy and like it was full of mud.

    I instantly felt ashamed! How can a writer not do well on a writing test? Then I realized -after a couple of hours of feeling stupid- this test did not define me as a writer. Yes, it was basic stuff that I should know but I'm not in high school anymore. I'm not constantly quizzed on this stuff anymore. So, of course, some of it slipped through the cracks of my mind throughout the years. The questions being worded that way doesn't help anyone!

    It doesn't gauge how much you know about the subject. It may see who can figure out word problems, which I wasn't good at in high school either, but it just makes you feel stupid. I felt like a failure.

    I'm not the best writer in the world (that's JK Rowling,) but I'm not the worst either. I make mistakes in my writings everyday and you know what? That doesn't mean I'm a bad writer, that means I'm human. 

The Secrets of Life and Death by Rebecca Alexander

    This is the first book by Rebecca Alexander I have ever read but it certainly won't be the last. I quickly fell in love with this fantasy tale. Like I said in a previous post, fantasy isn't my normal go-to genre but I'm really starting to get into it! Especially after reading this book. 

    As soon as I read this was about alchemy I jumped at the chance to read it. I love all things alchemy and magical. It's kind of broken up into two parts the first part: takes you to 1585, to follow Edward Kelley and his "master" Dr. John Dee while they scrounge to try to heal countess Elizabeth Báthory. The second part follows Jackdaw Hammond as she (yes, she) tries her best to save a young girl named Sadie. It also follows occult Professor Felix Guichard.

    One chapter would be in1585 and then the next would be in 2013. At first I liked the switch between past and present but after awhile I started to lose interest in Edwards story and was solely invested in Jack and Felix. Maybe I'll reread it sometime so I can try to be better invested in the whole book instead of just most of it. 

     Jack is a time borrow (or revenant) , it means she was destined to die but with a number of spells, potions and magic symbols (sigils) tattooed on her body, she is alive. It begins with Jack saving Sadie. Who, thanks to Jack, is now also a revenant. A revenant's blood can heal terminal illnesses, so they are very valuable. The only problem is if a new revenant leaves the safety of the magic circle (a circle filled with protective symbols) they will die in whatever way they were meant to die. (Jack would have died from a broken neck. Sadie would have died by drowning in her own vomit.)

    When Carla, a girl Jack tried to save before Sadie, leaves the house, that is filled with the safety sigils, she is found dead from an overdose by the police. Felix is brought in to help identify all the odd symbols drawn all over her body, the symbols that was keeping her alive. It brought him to question Jack. 

    He ends up helping Jack to keep Sadie and herself alive. Getting himself in a mess of dangerous trouble also. When Sadie gets captured by the four hundred year old Elizabeth Báthory, Jack and Felix both realize how far they have to go to rescue her. Jack finds out that the old countess is just like her, a revenant. Unlike a normal revenant that only lives about twenty years after "dying" she is still alive. The countess tries to trick Jack into going with her but fails. In the end Sadie comes too close to death for comfort and Jack drinks Felix's blood for strength. Opening her up to becoming just like the evil countess. 

    I hated the ending of this book! As invested as I got into Jack and Felix's budding relationship it pretty much just fizzles out. I hate that! In my mind (my alternate ending) they realize how much they love each other and live happily ever after.

More Info
Author Bio

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

    I have never read any books by Robin McKinley before, to be honest I have never heard of her before either. I've had Sunshine for about five years now and I've tried to read it three times before this time. I could never get into it enough to even get halfway through before. I was determined to finish it this time, and it was very difficult.

    For a book that is full of magic and vampires I really thought I would get into this, but I couldn't. The only reason I did finish is because I skim read, I never skim read but I had to or I would have stopped reading it again.

    I think what annoys me the most about this is how she keeps saying she is in a relationship with Mel. They never talk, ever, you can't have a relationship where you don't talk to each other. They hardly ever kissed, if they did at all. Sunshine talked more to, Con, than to anyone else in the book.

    Sunshine (her name is really Raven but everyone calls her Rae or Sunshine.) leads a very dull life, in my opinion, she works at a diner as a baker, she is famous for her cinnamon buns. Then for some reason she gets the urge to go to her parents old lake house. The lake is a dangerous area after the "Voodoo wars" because of all the bad spots there and all the "others" that lived there. (Others are any supernatural being. Vampires are considered the worst of all.) She gets abducted by a group of vampires and forced to stay in a mansion, chained to the wall beside a starving vampire, Constantine. (Con for short.) She is supposed to be a meal for him but he refuses to kill her.

    She conveniently remembers after being chained up for two days that she is a magic handler. She uses her magic to not only free herself but Con also. What she doesn't know is the magic in her blood is powerful, powerful enough to help a vampire walk in the sunlight without bursting into flames.

    She eventually goes back to her normal, boring life. Not for long though because, Con, shows back up. He heals her and tells her that the Vampire that chained him up, Bo, was looking for both of them, to kill them. After he heals her, they are bonded together and it makes it easy for both of them to "call on" the other. They both have to go on a small journey into "nowheresvile" (a realm that vampires live) to find and kill Bo and his little army.

    I like how well she adapted to fighting for her life. She killed vampire after vampire with her bare hands, by shoving her hands into their chest and ripping out their hearts. That was awesome but I hated how freaked out she got after it was all over. I guess a normal person would but in a book you don't really want the heroin to lose her mind after she kills a bunch of vampires. (Just look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer for that.) The ending kind of sucked, so they kill the baddie and now what? She is just going to return to "dating" Mel and baking cinnamon buns. BORING!