Tez Miller

Cheryl reviewed a book.

“Peter Byerly has just lost his wife, Amanda. Still grieving over her death, Peter stops in at Hay-on-Wye bookstore. Peter picks up An Inquiry into the Authenticity of Certain Miscellaneous Papers, As Peter is flipping through the book he finds a picture tucked between some pages. He flips it over...”

“Peter Byerly has just lost his wife, Amanda. Still grieving over her death, Peter stops in at Hay-on-Wye bookstore. Peter picks up An Inquiry into the Authenticity of Certain Miscellaneous Papers, As Peter is flipping through the book he finds a picture tucked between some pages. He flips it over only to drop the picture. It is a picture of his wife. Only this picture is about a hundred years old. What is Amanda’s connection to this picture?

I did find this book to be a good one. Nonetheless it was a little hard to navigate with all the jumping around from the different time spans. There was like three time periods. The one where Peter met Amanda, the present, and the past. It was not so hard to get it all straight when the beginning of each chapter told you what time period. It was during the middle of the chapter for example when it would start with Peter and Amanda and then stop and go to the present for about another page or page and a half and then jump back to the past. After a while I found my grove and the jumping around did not distract as much from the story.

I like the mystery surround Shakespeare in this book. It made this book more intriguing and not turn out to be dull and boring. Peter is a likable guy. The way this story all came together was like watching one of Shakespeare’s plays. The Bookman’s Tale is a book that you will want to check out again and again!
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mel a finished reading a book. (see 3 more books added to shelf)

Cheryl plans to read a book. (see 10 more books added to shelf)

Cheryl reviewed a book.

“I had just recently finished watching Spartacus on Starz when I picked up a copy of Spartacus: Rebellion to read. I have not read the first book but you don’t have to have read the first one to thoroughly enjoy this one.

I really was pleased to read this book because of having just...”

“I had just recently finished watching Spartacus on Starz when I picked up a copy of Spartacus: Rebellion to read. I have not read the first book but you don’t have to have read the first one to thoroughly enjoy this one.

I really was pleased to read this book because of having just finishing watching Spartacus. I was still craving my Spartacus fix. Mr. Kane satisfied it for me with this book. It is easy to see and experience Mr. Kane’s love for military history. He writes with such passion. I thought that he did a good job of portraying Spartacus’s last part of his life as he and his rebels fought against Marcus Crassus and Caesar.

If you are familiar with Spartacus then you are aware that there is blood and guts and foul language. This is just the way that things happened…war is ugly. This is what I liked about this book. Mr. Kane does not stray away from any of this which really makes this book feel realistic like I was there fighting along side Spartacus and his men.
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Cheryl reviewed a book.

“Philip Kennford is an attorney so you can imagine that he has made some enemies over the years. Nonetheless when his wife and one daughter is found murdered in the home is it one of Philip’s enemies or does he have a motive for getting his wife out of the way. Or is his other daughter have a...”

“Philip Kennford is an attorney so you can imagine that he has made some enemies over the years. Nonetheless when his wife and one daughter is found murdered in the home is it one of Philip’s enemies or does he have a motive for getting his wife out of the way. Or is his other daughter have a jealous streak? All the clues point to an inside job…no forced entry and both Philip and his other daughter home but no one hears anything.

The Lost Girl is my first time reading what author, Jane Casey has to offer. I have to say that she does offer some good things. While I was not over the moon with this book, I still found it an enjoyable read.

It is because I was not that excited about the characters. So I did not really care who the murder was and what their motive was for committing the crimes. Also, the pace of the story was steady which did translate to a little slow at times. I like Maeve. She can hold her own with the guys and she is smart. The way she investigates a case is good. I feel that she can get the job done and do a good through job of solving it. I will go back and check out this author’s other prior novels.
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Cheryl reviewed a book.

“Yael Azoulay works for the United Nations. Her job involves negotiating with the bad guys. Her current mission is with Jean-Pierre Hakizimani. Yael is making a deal with the devil. After her mission, Yael returns to visit a friend only to learn that she is dead. Yael learns that Jean-Pierre is...”

“Yael Azoulay works for the United Nations. Her job involves negotiating with the bad guys. Her current mission is with Jean-Pierre Hakizimani. Yael is making a deal with the devil. After her mission, Yael returns to visit a friend only to learn that she is dead. Yael learns that Jean-Pierre is involved. Yael decides to take matters into her own hands.

I like these types of books of espionage/international thriller. However I have strayed away from these books for a while. Only because the last few I read were just ok. Mr. Lebor has renewed my faith in this genre.

Yael is one of the coolest people that I have met. She really can kick butt. I like her take charge attitude. While I did like the other storyline involving the news reporter that was tying into the whole overall story, I did not connect with the other characters as much. None the less, I still enjoyed reading this book. There was lots of fast moving action to keep me interested until the end. This book is a fast read.
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Christina F is now reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

Christina F reviewed a book.

“Though marketed as a middle grade novel, do not let the age of the protagonists scare you away if you're an older reader. Krokos' sophomore novel is well-written and does not speak down to the audience. I loved Krokos' debut, False Memory, and he's hit it out of the park once again. The Planet...”

“Though marketed as a middle grade novel, do not let the age of the protagonists scare you away if you're an older reader. Krokos' sophomore novel is well-written and does not speak down to the audience. I loved Krokos' debut, False Memory, and he's hit it out of the park once again. The Planet Thieves is funny, full of adventure, and packed with delightful characters.

Novels for children and teens are full of absent parents and authority figures. This construct allows for young people to feel empowered, the weight of the world on their shoulders. Only these kids can save the day and all that. Well, Krokos does use this basic plot structure. At the beginning of The Planet Thieves, the SS Egypt is attacked by humanity's enemy, the Tremist. All of the adults on the ship but one are captured or killed, leaving the cadets, thirteen and under to save the day.

Krokos does a great job making this believable. Though the cadets are young, they are by no means out of their element entirely. They've already been in training for years, and have the skill sets they need to perform the tasks they need to, though they may not be as good as the adults yet. Also, they don't come by anything too easily. They suffer injuries, frequently consider giving up and waiting for adults to handle everything, and are stressed rather than excited by the roles they find themselves in.

That said, the cadets really rise to the occasion. The one remaining adult on the Egypt is injured, so he names Mason captain, which ends up being a great choice. Mason isn't the most talented or brilliant of the trainees, but he's creative, something he'd ill-advisedly shown in his pranks. Rather than ever giving up, his mind is always churning for solutions, and most of his ideas turn out to be good ones, though some do go awry.

The characters are likable and exhibit complexities. For example, the friendships between these cadets are tentative, so they also have to work to trust one another implicitly while facing odds they never should have been left alone to face. The villains too are much more complex than in most books for younger readers. They're not left as monsters out to destroy for the fun of it, and I love when authors take the time to establish motivations and shades of grey in the actions of the antagonists.

Another aspect that makes this book a delight are all of the references. Science fiction nerds will likely pick out even more than I did, as I'm not nearly as well read as I would like to be. Most overt perhaps are references to Star Wars and Star Trek. However, though there are cute allusions, the overall story was fresh and original.

The ending leaves space open for more books in this world, and I, for one, would be excited to read more. I'd love to find out more about Mason and Merrin, especially. Dan Krokos' The Planet Thieves is a novel that lovers of science fiction will not want to miss, whatever their age!”

Cheryl reviewed a book.

“In the first book Maria’s boyfriend, Joe was killed and their son, Christopher taken. Christopher was taken so that he could fight for the other side. Maria will do everything in her powers to get Christopher back.

First she will need some help. She tracks down Michael, a friend of...”

“In the first book Maria’s boyfriend, Joe was killed and their son, Christopher taken. Christopher was taken so that he could fight for the other side. Maria will do everything in her powers to get Christopher back.

First she will need some help. She tracks down Michael, a friend of Joe’s that is fighting in the war.

Children of the Underground is the second book in the Children of Paranoia series. I absolutely loved the first book, Children of Paranoia. So I was really amped to read the second book. While I was not in love with this book I still enjoyed reading this book. The way this series is developing as the war rages on is really exciting.

I got to know more about the each side and why and what they were fighting for. Maria became a front runner in this book. She was strong and became a fighter. I have a warning “ Don’t mess with a mother and her child.” The excitement level was high however it did start out a little slow for me. Some of this might have had to do with I had to re-familiarize myself with this series. I read the short sneak peek to the third book, Children of the Uprising and I have to say I can not wait to read about Christopher.
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BeckyL is now reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

BeckyL reviewed a book.

“When livestock in the UK starts to literally bite back, everyone is screwed!

Terry thought his biggest problem was the constant smell of meat that lingered on him thanks to his job at McTavish & Sons, a slaughterhouse located just outside of Glasgow. But when the cows fight back one...”

“When livestock in the UK starts to literally bite back, everyone is screwed!

Terry thought his biggest problem was the constant smell of meat that lingered on him thanks to his job at McTavish & Sons, a slaughterhouse located just outside of Glasgow. But when the cows fight back one afternoon, Terry finds himself at the center of a massive conspiracy. He wakes after the event to find that he's survived but is now being held prisoner by one of the men behind the virus that's infected the beasts.

Geldof is one of those teens who can't seem to catch a break. On top of all the usual teen problems, his parents are weird - mom's a militant vegan and dad's a huge pot head who's rarely sober enough to know what's going on. Then Geldof narrowly escapes his own cow attack. Now the neighbors are holed up in his house with his own family trying to survive the cowpocalypse - awkward considering he's had a crush on his math teacher and neighbor for ages!

Lesley is a reporter who's just been sacked. Just before she goes, she lands a big scoop but before she can act, she too is taken prisoner by the same folks who've captured Terry. Together they manage to escape and also make their way to Geldof's family home, but they'll all have to survive long enough to break the story.

So it turns out it's not just the cows that these characters have to worry about. It's all the animals! There are dog attacks, swine attacks, even crazy squirrel attacks across the continent. And they aren't just super violent out to eat you attacks, turns out the virus kind of makes the animals horny. Yeah. This is another wildly inappropriately hilarious read.

If you're not a fan of gore, sick and twisted content, and jokes at the expense of just about everyone, then this is definitely not the book for you. If you do like those things, Apocalypse Cow should pretty much top your must read list! And given this is Logan's debut, I really can't wait to see what he does next.
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Cheryl rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Cheryl rated a book.

• Rated 3 stars

Cheryl rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Cheryl reviewed a book.

“Dikeledi’s sister Lesego has not come home from school. It has been hours. Dikeledi fears something has happened to her sister. She tries to get the police to search for her but they think that Lesego is a runaway. No one takes an interest until another girl goes missing and her father gets...”

“Dikeledi’s sister Lesego has not come home from school. It has been hours. Dikeledi fears something has happened to her sister. She tries to get the police to search for her but they think that Lesego is a runaway. No one takes an interest until another girl goes missing and her father gets involved.

Detective Kudu and his new partner, Samantha Khama investigate the disappearances of the two girls. What they find is a witch doctor that is making muti out of human remains.

Deadly Harvest is my first introduction to a detective Kubu mystery and the writing duo of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip as Michael Stanley. I have to say that after reading this book I am very impressed by this duo. This book was way better then I thought it would be. Mr. Sears and Mr. Trollip have developed a good formula for their writing. I could not tell where one left off and the other one began.

I like detective Kubu. However another person I was drawn to was his new partner, Samantha. Samantha helped to bring the human aspect to this story. Whereas Kubu was the more level headed one and could bring good insight with his experience as well.

The storyline featured in this book was scary. I can picture this exact situation still happening in some parts of the world. Thus this is another reason why I was so intrigued in reading this book. Don’t let your chance slip away without reading Deadly Harvest!
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Christina F is now reading a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

BeckyL rated a book.

• Rated 4 stars

Christina F reviewed a book.

“Reviews for Reboot have been all over the place, which basically meant I had to try it and see for myself. Ultimately, I'm sort of in the middle. Reboot's a lot of fun, especially in the first half, but also still fairly old hat for dystopian scenarios. I'm definitely glad to have read it, but I...”

“Reviews for Reboot have been all over the place, which basically meant I had to try it and see for myself. Ultimately, I'm sort of in the middle. Reboot's a lot of fun, especially in the first half, but also still fairly old hat for dystopian scenarios. I'm definitely glad to have read it, but I didn't love it either.

Why Did I Read This Book?
As I mentioned, curiosity. Sometimes, I'm more tempted to read books that get 1 star ratings from some and 4 from others than those that get a consistent 3 stars. I just have to know for myself what book has generated such disparate responses. Seriously, I was reading reviews and adding, removing, adding, removing, adding this book on Goodreads. It was ridiculous. The audio seemed like a good choice, because action books from first perspective often translate pretty well.

What's the Story Here?
In a post-apocalyptic world where all that remains of the US is Texas, a dystopian government has arisen in the form of HARC, a corporation that controls all of the things. Freaking corporations. Currently, if I had to guess a company that would become the dystopian overlord of us all, I would say Amazon, but maybe that's just because they keep buying up the book world. *side-eyes* As with so many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels, there's a disease, which causes people to reboot. Basically, they're zombies, only they're hot (like vampires, they're themselves but with perfect skin and hair and bright eyes) and super strong and don't eat people. The reboots are known by their numbers, which are how long they were dead before they rose, with the larger numbers being the strongest and least human. Wren is 178, and she does everything by the book until a 22 disrupts her regimented life.

How are the Characters?
Okay, so I really liked the first part where Wren was all queen of the reboots and stuff. Unlike some ya assassins, Wren really does kill people and she even does so in front of the reader. On top of that, she likes killing, and doesn't even feel guilty about it. People are worthless to her, and she'd rather kill a human than look at it. Callum, the 22, is the only other well-developed character, and he's basically the opposite of Wren. Where she's the perfect soldier and very serious, he's happy and doesn't want to hurt a fly. In fact, even eating meat makes him sort of uncomfortable. I liked Callum consistently, but I loved Wren the bitchy reboot from the beginning of the book most of all.

And the Romance?
Here's the caveat. I just was not really feeling their romance. For me, it would have been more compelling if she hadn't been so interested in him right out of the gate. She's all like "omg, he's not afraid of me," and gets interested in him so quickly, which was necessary for the plot, but didn't really seem like Wren as established. Also, she goes from no emotions to ALL OF THE EMOTIONS. It just felt really sudden. She's this hardcore badass until she gets to know Callum and then she's blushing, gasping, and jumping at people's touches. Yes, she does have feelings, and I totally get that, but, from the glimpses showed of her past, I really doubt she's that demonstrative of a person at the best of times. I just never felt like Wren would be so lovey-dovey, even when she's in love. Basically, all of the things that happened with the romance made me roll my eyes. However, I do love the dynamics of the relationship, and how she is the strong one and he's the one who has to be saved. Then again, that would have been more powerful if the role reversal had been continued; she can love him and still be a cool, stern badass most of the time. When it came to the gushy stuff, she was all melty and blushing, and he was cocky and in control. I would have liked to see her more dominant and consistently-characterized all around. Oh, I will say, though, that Wren does continue to want to kill the humans, so that was good at least.

Am I Going to Continue with the Series?
Though the plot sort of let me unenthused, I do plan to continue. It's not that I thought the plot of trying to get away from the evil corporation was bad, but it's been done a lot, and it's not my preferred story arc for something like this. Still, I'm engaged enough with the characters and story to want to know what happens next.

How was the Narration?
For the most part, Hvam does an awesome job with Reboot. She keeps her voice pretty measured and it really fits with Wren. Hvam's voice is girlish enough to fit with Wren's sort of outward appearance of sweetness but full of mettle too. She does a nice job differentiating the characters, even though she does not go all out with the voices. The one thing I did not like is that, with audio, dialog tags really stand out. This book has "I said" and "he said" all over the place, and Hvam really emphasized them, and I groaned every time it happened again.”

Jax -})i({- rated a book.

• Rated 3 stars

Jax -})i({- would like to own a book. (see 3 more books added to shelf)