Quotes

How many times have you stayed up late to finish a book?

Me? Too many times to count, but still not enough. :)

Nic of Time (Phoenix Cycle Series Book #3)

Nic of Time

(Phoenix Cycle Series Book #3)

by

Mark Minson

Blurb (from amazon.com):

"After leaving Will to pursue the removal of Paul from The Council of Magic, Nicole finds the tables have turned. When she finally returns to Will's house, he has disappeared leaving her a mystery to unravel. 

Meanwhile, Kyle, Will and Leroy find themselves neck-deep in the ongoing war with MAIM. 

Can any of them survive long enough to prevail?

The thrilling conclusion of the Phoenix Cycle Series!"

My Review:

First a little disclosure: for those of you who may not remember my reviews of book #1 and book #2, Mark and I are friends. We've been friends since high school, and in fact, had creative writing together. If you want dirt on Mark, I'm sure I can think of something (On the flip side, I guess that means he could probably find some on me :). Anyway, he knows I'll be just as honest with his book as I always am, so no worries there. I have enjoyed this series from the start. The magic is fun and entertaining, the characters are interesting and well developed, and the story is full of action, adventure, and magic! The concept of the magic in this series is different from other fantasy books, and I've enjoyed Mark's take on it. I especially liked learning how Will came up with and made the spells in the last book. There's not as much of that in this book, unfortunately. Other things do make up for it though. I loved how this book combined the two story lines and brought it all together. I read the first book quite awhile ago, so it did take me a minute to remember who those characters were and how they fit in, but it wasn't a big deal. The characters get better with every book, and it's fun to see how they grow and evolve as the story continues. Mark's writing has also gotten better; however, I have to say that his grammar has not. There are a lot of grammatical errors. That particular problem is easily fixed though. I think I need to learn a few of the spells for myself (The travel spell in particular, would be awesome.) The characters worked well together, the ending was great, and I thought it all came together well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the series. I definitely recommend it. This series would be perfect for summer!

Rating: PG+ (There isn't any profanity or "intimacy" in this book, but there might be a kiss or two. There is quite a bit of violence, and several people die. It's a magic war, so there are casualties. It's not overly graphic in describing those scenes though.)

Recommendation: 5th grade (10-11 years old) and up. I kept it at this level because even though it is somewhat violent, it isn't any worse than Harry Potter, and most kids have read that by 5th grade.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Bridge Across the Ocean

A Bridge Across the Ocean

by

Susan Meissner

Blurb:

"February 1946. World War II is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors has only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Devereux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy. Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark...

Present Day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides--and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings."

My Review:

I have heard about the Queen Mary, but I did not know that it transported troops during WWII and their war brides after the war. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for those brides to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline come into view. Some of them hadn't seen their husbands in a very long time; it must have been quite the reunion! I enjoy historical fiction books that have a connection to present day (Blackberry Winter and The Firebird), and  so I was excited to read this one. Let me say, I had a few hesitations, especially with Brette's character, but I did not need to worry. Even though I didn't fully believe Brette's ability (nope, not really a believer), it didn't matter. I completely got caught up in the story, the characters, and the events that led them together. Each of the women in the story had a completely different story; they came from different places, they were different nationalities, they experienced the war in different ways, they had different family structures, and they had different likes and dislikes. And yet their lives intertwined at this particular moment and place. It was fun to watch their friendships grow, and to get to know each of them better. I felt as if I were on that ship with them. The characters were well developed, realistic, and compelling. Ms. Meissner's writing style is easy to read and understand, although it does take a minute to figure out who is who and where each of them is at that point. There's mystery, friendship, love, war, secrets, tragedy, sacrifice, and hope. I thought it all came together well, and once I started I couldn't stop! The title is well written, and I love the cover picture! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Rating: R (This book is not appropriate for younger readers. There is a graphic rape scene, a murder, and an abusive relationship. It's war, so there are also war atrocities. There's not any profanity.

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Almost Missed You

Almost Missed You

by

Jessica Strawser

Blurb:

"Violet and Finn were 'meant to be,' said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can't help thinking that she can't believe her luck. Life is good. So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach--just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare and faced with the knowledge that the man she's shared her life with, she never really knew at all. Caitlin and Finn are best friends going way back, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin's doorstep with the son whom he's wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn't, Caitlin faces an impossible choice. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn, and Caitlin, Jessica Strawser's Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother's love, a husband's betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn't have been kept, and spaces between what's meant to be and what might have been."

My Review:

Wow! What a ride! This book caught my attention from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. The writing is well done, the characters come to life on the page, and the story has so many twists and turns that whiplash is real possibility. I liked all of the characters for most of the story; each of them had a moment where past choices and secrets came to the forefront, and in those moments the characters were not all that appealing. However, no one in real life is perfect all the time, so this did allow the characters to be more realistic and easier to relate to. I just had to keep reading to figure out why....Why?? When you get to the why it's hard to believe that someone would choose to go that route rather than the more sane and less criminal one, but I guess desperation will make people act ways that they normally wouldn't. The writing is captivating and engaging. It was a bit difficult at first to figure out who everyone was and the time period they were in, but it got easier as I kept reading. The title of this book is well chosen. As you read the book, the title changes meaning a little bit. It means something different at the end than it did half-way through. I liked that. I ended up really liking this book, but I didn't love, love the ending. It was realistic, but not what I had hoped. 

Rating: R (This book is not appropriate for younger readers. There are several "f" words and adult themes. Intimacy is discussed. There isn't any violence except for a car accident.)  

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Dark Talent (Book #5 in Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians)

The Dark Talent

(Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians: Book #5 )

by

Brandon Sanderson

Blurb:

"For years, the Evil Librarians have managed to keep this book under wraps--but Alcatraz is back at last with an all-new adventure! Alcatraz Smedry has successfully defeated the army of Evil Librarians and saved the kingdom of Mokia. Too bad he managed to break the Smedry Talents in the process. Even worse, his father is trying to enact a scheme that could ruin the world, and his friend Bastille is in a coma. To revive her, Alcatraz must infiltrate the Highbrary--known as the Library of Congress to Hushlanders--the seat of Evil Librarian power. Without his Talent to draw upon, can Alcatraz figure out a way to save Bastille and defeat the Evil Librarians once and for all?"

My Review:

So here it is-the last book! Sad! I always get mixed emotions when I read the last book in a series; I'm excited to see how it ends, but I don't want it to end. This has been such a fun series, and I enjoyed every book. So what did I think about this book? You need to read it! Someone please read it and then email me so we can talk! Did this book answer all my questions? Sadly, no!! What?? I know. Seriously. I'm left hanging. Did Alcatraz end up like he said he would? Sadly, yes. :( Mr. Sanderson (aka Alcatraz) did discover footnotes though, that was awesome. The cover art is great, the story is action-packed and full of surprises, and even though I still had questions, it was a great final book. If you have read the first four, go get on amazon (my affiliate link is at the bottom of the review so it's very convenient to click right now...) and order it right now!! If it's daytime when you read this then the library is also a good option. Just please someone read it and let me know so we can discuss!

Rating: PG+ (This one is rated a little bit higher because a few prominent characters die. It's not overly graphic, but it is a bit more graphic than the other books. There is fighting. There isn't any profanity or "intimacy.")

Recommendation: 3rd grade and up