Amelia Curzon

Joelle R rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Joelle R rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Joelle R rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Julie Witt plans to read a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

Julie Witt reviewed a book.

“My Opinion: Wow!! What an amazing debut from Katie McGarry! I had heard so many good things about this book and was really looking forward to reading it, and I have to say, the things I heard didn't do this story justice! I was drawn first to the mystery of how Echo got the "freaky" scars on her...”

“My Opinion: Wow!! What an amazing debut from Katie McGarry! I had heard so many good things about this book and was really looking forward to reading it, and I have to say, the things I heard didn't do this story justice! I was drawn first to the mystery of how Echo got the "freaky" scars on her arms, since she had blocked it out I figured it must be something pretty bad, and it was, but what had me reading obsessively and flipping pages as fast as I could was the love story between Echo and Noah! These were two extremely emotionally damaged teens who you would never think would be able to begin to heal each other, but they end up working so well together that by the end of the book you can't imagine them NOT being there for each other.

The story is told from two POVs: Echo's and Noah's. I love it when alternating POVs work this well because you really get to know the characters on an intimate basis since you are in essence in their minds and thinking their thoughts along with them (I don't know if this makes much sense, but if you've read a book where it works, then you'll know exactly what I mean!). Both Noah and Echo come from dysfunctional families and at the beginning of the book they are both distrustful and almost selfish in their desire to keep their problems to themselves, but as the story unfolds, they both grow and change so much, and it was such a joy to watch!

Katie McGarry is exceptional at keeping the big reveal a secret until she hits you with it at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pushing the Limits and really look forward to reading Beth's story in Pushing the Limits #2, Dare You To. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, emotional contemporary YA romance :D

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.”

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Kim Tomsett reviewed a book.

“This is a children's story - aimed at 3-7 year olds. It tells of a magical bunny that appears to children to give them ideas and help their imaginations flow in their storytelling.

This is quite simply a gorgeous book. With a lovely storyline and beautiful illustrations, no child could...”

“This is a children's story - aimed at 3-7 year olds. It tells of a magical bunny that appears to children to give them ideas and help their imaginations flow in their storytelling.

This is quite simply a gorgeous book. With a lovely storyline and beautiful illustrations, no child could fail to enjoy reading this story. For reading on the Kindle I recommend this be read on the Fire to make the most of the glorious illustrations. Buy this for your child today, they will love you for it and you won't regret it.”

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Jean and Louis Rigod reviewed a book.

“This novel is the debut in the 'Cherry Tucker Mystery' series. It takes place in Halo, Georgia. A small town with the kindness and cruelness found in a small town that has non-forgettable memories. Cherry left town and attended Savannah' College of Arts and Design. She majored in Portrait...”

“This novel is the debut in the 'Cherry Tucker Mystery' series. It takes place in Halo, Georgia. A small town with the kindness and cruelness found in a small town that has non-forgettable memories. Cherry left town and attended Savannah' College of Arts and Design. She majored in Portrait painting. Now that leaves a very small niche in Halo to utilize her talents.

So, when a chance to do a death portrait of poor, unfortunate, Dustin Bransom, found murdered but well off, Cherry jumps to get the commission. Unfortunately, Cherry isn't the only one. Not only is there competition for the painting...someone is breaking in the competitor's homes and even poor Dustin's.

Rumors abound about the murdered man. Gambling, stolen coins, jewelry, mob connections, and more. When Cherry finds herself attacked...she decides that it is in her family's honor to ferret out the culprit and bring him/her to justice!

This book has a sense of humor running through it. There is a lot of comparison of the classes and lifestyles. Sometimes I wearied of the red-neck jokes, but this was a first novel and it was worthy of being a finalist in the 2012 Daphne Du Maurier Award. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series.”

Jean and Louis Rigod now owns a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

Jean and Louis Rigod reviewed a book.

“This novella was a quick reading overview of popular 'ghost' haunts in Richmond, Virginia. The chapter headings give you a quick reference of locations and various famous, or not so famous, sites and personages that Richmond is known for.

There are the usual Civil War haunts, but, to me,...”

“This novella was a quick reading overview of popular 'ghost' haunts in Richmond, Virginia. The chapter headings give you a quick reference of locations and various famous, or not so famous, sites and personages that Richmond is known for.

There are the usual Civil War haunts, but, to me, I enjoyed the tales of restaurants, trains, parkways, and other locations.

The author tried to give web sites and locations/phone numbers in case you have a chance to 'ghost hunt' for yourself.

”

Julie Witt reviewed a book.

“My Opinion: When I requested this book from NetGalley, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in a series, but lucky for me, it was quite easy to follow and worked well as a standalone. What I read definitely intrigued me enough to want to read the first two books, though, since they deal with...”

“My Opinion: When I requested this book from NetGalley, I wasn't aware that it was the third book in a series, but lucky for me, it was quite easy to follow and worked well as a standalone. What I read definitely intrigued me enough to want to read the first two books, though, since they deal with how two of the couples in Enchanted got together. I'm also interested in finding out more about the back story of the Mystic Circle and all of the magic that it contains.

Enchanted Ever After starts with Kiri Palger, who has just bought a house on Mystic Circle and is hoping to get her dream job in the online gaming industry. Little does she know that the line between the real world and the world in the game are about to become very blurred ... The phrase "be careful what you wish for" comes to mind!

I loved the characters in this book because they had very separate but distinct personalities that all meshed well together. The balance between romance, magic and intrigue worked well also, with one flowing effortlessly into the other. This book was an easy read, and I enjoyed watching Kiri grow and blossom as she came into her own and discovered who she really was and what she could accomplish if she had the courage to just go for it. I liked the Lathyr/Kiri romance since they both came from a place of not belonging and not being appreciated. I enjoyed watching them help each other overcome the feelings of inadequacy they both carried around with them.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading the first two books in the series. I would give this book 4 stars :D”

Julie Witt reviewed a book.

“My Opinion: Dearly, Departed was one of my favorite books from last year so I was really psyched to get approved by NetGalley for Dearly, Beloved, and I wasn't disappointed. D,B picks up a few months after where we left off at the end of D,D, with the zombies now out in the open and everyone...”

“My Opinion: Dearly, Departed was one of my favorite books from last year so I was really psyched to get approved by NetGalley for Dearly, Beloved, and I wasn't disappointed. D,B picks up a few months after where we left off at the end of D,D, with the zombies now out in the open and everyone trying to find a way to live together. Well, not quite everyone - there's still a lot of anti-zombie prejudice going on, even though the zombies who are trying to find a way to live in the real world are for the most part high functioning and have retained most of their intelligence from before they were turned. In other words, they're not the ones who will chase you down and eat your brains for fun! Unfortunately, these same high functioning zombies are being kidnapped off the streets by a mysterious group of bird mask wearing humans for God only knows what reason. There is also a new strain of the Laz that the vaccine doesn't protect against, so all told, there's a lot going on in New Victoria!

This book, like the last, is told through multiple POVs, with some new ones mixed in with the old. There are six POVs altogether, belonging to Nora, Bram, Pamela, Michael, Vespertine, and Laura - perhaps my favorite new character! Laura is a zombie who tries to deal with the fact that her body is dead and decaying by planting flowers directly into her skin, so that they grow and blossom all over her body! The way that she manages to find something beautiful in the midst of all of the violence and death that surrounds her is very endearing.

Although I enjoyed this installment in the Gone with the Respiration series, I didn't feel that it was as good as Dearly, Departed was, and I think that's because there was just too much going on, which is strange because I also felt that the book started off rather slow and took a while to gain momentum. That being said, I thought the story flowed rather well once it took off. I really enjoyed the continuation of the love story between Nora and Bram, and I thought having Pam deal with PTSD following everything that happened to her in the first book was a great addition to the story. It showed a strength in her that I hope will continue to grow in the next book.

All told, I'm giving Dearly, Beloved 4 stars and I'm really looking forward to reading book 3 when it comes out to see what fresh hell the amazing Ms. Habel has in store for one of my favorite couples :D”

Julie Witt reviewed a book.

“My Opinion: This book has reinforced what I thought after reading The Immortal Rules, and that is that Julie Kagawa is a Goddess!! I didn't think she could impress me any more than she already has, but she did! In The Eternity Cure we get to know Allie a lot better than we did before, especially...”

“My Opinion: This book has reinforced what I thought after reading The Immortal Rules, and that is that Julie Kagawa is a Goddess!! I didn't think she could impress me any more than she already has, but she did! In The Eternity Cure we get to know Allie a lot better than we did before, especially since she's traveling by herself at the start of it, trying to find and rescue her maker, Kanin. We get to delve into her psyche, which is such an interesting place to go! Allie is not a black and white character but that's what makes reading about her so awesome. And speaking of awesome - Eternity has something no other book has, and that's Allie's blood brother, Jackal! I swear, I could read about Jackal from now til the end of time and never get bored with him! Yes, he's evil and selfish and just plain incorrigible, but in The Eternity Cure, we get to see a side to him that we haven't before - his loyalty to the maker that he hates with a passion, and his sister, Allie. I think Allie is the only one who could bring this out in him. They have such a complicated and emotional relationship, and it's a joy to read. Besides that, Jackal is just plain hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud at some of his comments and antics, which was a nice break from the desolation and violence of the world in which the Blood of Eden series is set. This second book is even more bleak with the introduction of the new strain of the Red Lung virus which is killing off humans and vampires alike. The personal relationships and the search for the cause of this new strain and a possible cure are woven together flawlessly so you don't feel like one aspect supersedes the other in importance.

Speaking of personal relationships, I enjoyed Zeke so much more in this book because he has really grown up and come into his own since his father's death. He has had to toughen up and become harder to protect the people he loves, and this makes it much easier to relate to him. He is still fighting his attraction to Allie but the magnetic draw between the two of them is hard for him to ignore.

I felt like we got to know all of the major players so much better in this installment of the series, and that's what makes Julie Kagawa's books so great to read - you find yourself drawn into this absolutely foreign world and you don't want to leave when you've finished the book! Because the books are so well written, you fly through them, and The Eternity Cure is no exception.

I'm giving this book a very enthusiastic 5 stars and recommend it to all lovers of young adult post-apoc/dystopian stories, vampire tales, and Julie Kagawa!! I can't wait to read the next book and will be first in line when it comes out :D”

Julie Witt reviewed a book.

“My Opinion: Emma Gentry is living in a hazy world of pain since losing her boyfriend Daniel in an accidental fall when she meets the new boy at school, Alex Franks, and feels an undeniable pull and connection that she can't fight, and doesn't understand. Unfortunately, since we already know this...”

“My Opinion: Emma Gentry is living in a hazy world of pain since losing her boyfriend Daniel in an accidental fall when she meets the new boy at school, Alex Franks, and feels an undeniable pull and connection that she can't fight, and doesn't understand. Unfortunately, since we already know this is a very loosely based retelling of Frankenstein, it's way too easy to figure out why Alex and Emma are drawn to each other. Let me preface this by saying that I love retellings, which is why I was looking forward to reading Broken, but I wish there had been more surprises and twists than there were.

I also had a problem with the length of the book, since it seems like it could have been pared down by at least half without losing any of the important parts. The writing was very descriptive, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but when it seems like the same descriptions are used over and over and over, it becomes very monotonous and I, for one, found myself skimming the paragraphs while reading because I was losing patience, which rarely happens to me. I didn't want to give up on the book, but I felt like if I had to read one more time about Emma standing in line for coffee, or arguing with her mother, I was going to scream! Descriptive writing isn't a bad thing, but only when the descriptions vary throughout the course of the book. In this case it seemed like the same phrases were used repeatedly and that got tiring very fast.

I don't want to sound like I didn't like the writing because I did - at first - I just think a lot of it could have been cut out without affecting the story, and maybe even improving the story by making it easier to read.

The ending didn't come as a surprise (again, this is a retelling so we kind of know where it's heading from the get go) but my problem is that this was basically the only action packed part of the story since the first 85% of the book was about the romance developing between Emma and Alex and Emma's confusion regarding this.

I have to give this book 3 stars because I think it could have done with major editing and slashing of repetitive descriptions, but the basic story was good and I think if it had been shorter I would have flown through it and really enjoyed it. ”

Kim Tomsett rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

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Joelle R rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Jean and Louis Rigod reviewed a book.

“Food Critic, Hayley Snow has her plate full these days. Hayley is Maid of Honor for her best friend, Connie's wedding, takes care of her house-mate, Gloria, and busy learning the art of writing food reviews of local Key West, Florida restaurants. Added to her plate to make it overflow, Wally, her...”

“Food Critic, Hayley Snow has her plate full these days. Hayley is Maid of Honor for her best friend, Connie's wedding, takes care of her house-mate, Gloria, and busy learning the art of writing food reviews of local Key West, Florida restaurants. Added to her plate to make it overflow, Wally, her boss gives her the honor (in his mind,) of being a Judge of the annual Key West Topped Chef reality contest to discover the new Chef of his own television series. Finally, Hayley also has her own love life which appears to be on life-support as well.

When Hayley gets stood-up, for the fourth time, she bikes to the Harbor to give her 'date' his meal, and well, see what is up. The body is Sam Rizzoli, another show judge, and worse yet...Hayley had just panned his restaurant in her latest review! Was he murdered because of his shady business dealings, or his personal life, or because of the Chef-contest? Hayley is thrown into the crime and finds herself embroiled in theories, mysteries, and more food than I could also stand to hear of.

This was an action packed novel. Third in the series. Well written and interesting characters. A find summer reading.”