The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

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I am late to read this book. I really wanted to wait until I had all 3 books in my hands to start reading and in hindsight I am glad that I waited. I would have been very upset if I had to wait to read #2. That being said there is not a lot for me to add to what others have already said. The book grabs you right from the start. I was moved to tears from the beginning when Prim's name is chosen in the drawing. The characters are developed brilliantly and the pace of the book is perfect. I did not want to put it down until I finished it, but at the same time, I did not want to finish it because I did not want it to end. Most of the story was believable even though it would be a horrific reality. I did have a little trouble with the reincarnated/genetically engineered(?) wolf creatures. I saw no purpose for them unless the author plans to follow up in a latter book. I am not sure how the author is going to be able to follow up in the next 2 books now that the Hunger Games have ended, but I am looking forward to finding out.



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The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy #3) by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It’s been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation. There has been a mass extermination of humans orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers. The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, Dr. Nora Martinez, Vasiliy Fet, and Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master who is bent on revenge. It’s their job to overturn this devastating new world order. But good and evil are malleable terms now, and the Master is most skilled at preying on the weaknesses of humans.

Now, at this critical hour, there is evidence of a traitor in their midst. . . And only one man holds the answer to the Master’s demise, but is he one who can be trusted with the fate of the world? And who among them will pay the ultimate sacrifice—so that others may be saved?

~~~


A good ending to a great trilogy. I found it an interesting take on the origin of vampires and the struggle of the 'resistance' was a good story line. Probably would have been good to read the 3 books back to back but not absolutely necessary.







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Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Aza's Singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can "throw" her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

This was a cute retelling of Snow White. I enjoyed it although I have to say that the signing portion (which is the basis of the story in a way) was annoying to me. I did not like how they spoke in song and composed songs that to me seemed nonsense. But overall the story line was good and a great lesson was taught.



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Total Eclipse (Weather Warden #9) by Rachel Caine

Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it from those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.



Wow! What an ending to a great series. I totally enjoyed it. Lots of action and of course world-saving going on. Enjoyed meeting Luis and Cassiel and really want to start in on the 'Outcast' books now. The end was sad, and sweet, and just about what I would have expected with this series. Gonna miss reading about Joanne and David, but very happy that I rode along on their journey!



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Cape Storm (Weather Warden, #8) by Rachel Caine

Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Check the forecast for the series that's "an addictive force of nature that will suck you in ." (News and Sentinel)

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin and her new husband, the Djinn David, are running from a malevolent hurricane bent on destroying her. Joined by an army of fellow Wardens and Djinn onboard a hijacked luxury liner, Joanne has lured the storm into furious pursuit. But even their combined magic may not be enough to stop it-nor the power-mad ex-Weather Warden controlling it..

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I have to admit, I love this series! Yes some of this stuff is repetitive and I really do not like Evil Jo, but overall I love this series. Non stop action, combined with some great friendships and interesting story line makes for a great read. Looking forward to see what they are going to do next. Gonna kind of miss everyone when the series ends.



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Gale Force (Weather Warden #7) by Rachel Caine

Gale Force by Rachel Caine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is on vacation when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him. She's thrilled to say yes, even if some others may be less than happy about it.

Unfortunately, Joanne's pre-marital bliss is ended by a devastating earthquake in Florida. And she can't ask David and his kind for assistance. Because the cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered, and a power even the Djinn cannot perceive.
~~~



This book in the Weather Warden series is a non-stop action ride. Just when you think you can catch your breath something else happens and you take off again.



Seems that Joanne and David can not catch a break. Glad that their relationship is moving forward. Gonna be interesting to see how they get out of this fix in the next book.



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The Undead: Zombie Anthology by D.L. Snell, Elijah Hall

The Undead: Zombie Anthology by D.L. Snell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"The Undead" is a stunning collection of 23 tales of the living dead by zombie fan favorites and up-and-coming authors. "The Undead" includes classic tales of survival in a world populated by the living dead as well as an array of unique takes on the zombie genre: zombies as reality entertainment, glimpses from inside the "life" of the undead, intergalactic war with
humanity's own dead turned against us, and everything in between. "The Undead" will leave zombie fans hungry for more!

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A very wide selection of Zombie stories. As with all anthologies some stories are more memorable than others. There were some good stories in here, but nothing absolutely fantastic. I did however enjoy Brian Keene's afteword.



A couple of the more interesting stories for me



Undead Prometheus by Rob Morganbesser

Chuy and the Fish by David Wellington





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Corpse Pose (Mantra for Murder Mystery #1) by Diana Killian

Corpse Pose by Diana Killian

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Readers will bend over backward for the debut of the first yoga mystery series.

Ever since her husband ditched her-for another man-A.J. hasn't exactly been on the road to inner peace. Then her yoga-guru aunt is found dead, and A.J.'s named the sole heir to her lucrative yoga studio-making her a multimillionaire, a prime suspect, and the killer's next target.

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At the beginning of this book I did not like the main character. She came off as a whiny adolescent and I was mildly shocked when I read that she was supposed to be 35. That aside, she grew on me and I actually ended up enjoying the book quite a bit. The mystery remained a mystery until the end and the characters were interesting enough to make me want to read more. I will definitely be looking for more books in this series.



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Hauntings And Heists (Mysterious Four #1) by Dan Poblocki

Hauntings And Heists by Dan Poblocki

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Can you crack the case with six clues or less? Welcome to Moon Hollow, where mystery lurks around every corner--and four kids have come together to solve crimes and puzzles big and small.



Read this with my 12 year old so that she could take an AR test on it at school. It was a cute little book. A group of four new friends solve various mysteries around the neighborhood. It was fun trying to figure out the clues. I would probably recommend this for ages 9 or 10.



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Kissing Corpses by Amy Leigh Strickland

Kissing Corpses by Amy Leigh Strickland

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A novella.

"Miss Kendall Harker,

From the night we first met, I knew that you belonged at my side. There was something extraordinary about you, even in your most fragile moment.

In all of my time on this earth I have never met a woman as beautiful as you who has the wit and the strength of will to match it. Feeling the pounding of your heart through your breasts, warm against my chest, as we lay together, reminds me of what it feels like to be alive. Not since my death have I felt such excitement and hope for my future. Our future.

All of my roaming through time has been for the sole purpose of finding you. I never wish to be separated from you. Never again will I have to go to my grave alone. My daily death will be a sweet respite with your body next to mine. You are mine, and either you or I or both shall perish before I ever let you go.

Forever Yours,
Rawdon Hale"

~~~



I have to say that I almost did not finish this book. The first 40% of the book was full of unimportant details and descriptions that really took away from the story. The flow was very jerky and there are several grammatical/typographical errors throughout the book that are minor, but still annoying. It read like a cheesy vampire romance that I was not really interested in reading. The only reason that I kept reading, quite honestly, was because of the 2 reviews on Goodreads that claim the story falls somewhere between a vampire romance novel and a horror novel. So I kept telling myself that something more has to happen. The story does take a turn about half way through that makes it more readable. The flow smooths out a bit and we no longer have to endure those boring details that ran rampant throughout the beginning of the story.



The author's note at the end of the book helps to explain what she was trying to do but it just did not work well for me. The twist at the end was unexpected and it managed to switch the entire story to a new plot and set of main characters and I am not sure that went over very smoothly. I know that this is a new author and I am hoping that with some honest reviews that she can polish her writing. She has some good ideas here, she just needs to work on getting them across on paper to the reader.



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***Kindle Edition

Wool 5: The Stranded (Wool #5) by Hugh Howey

Wool 5: The Stranded by Hugh Howey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In July of 2011, a short story named WOOL was quietly released into the vast wilds of the Kindle Store. I never marketed this novelette; I failed to mention it on my website. What happened next was remarkable: People started reading it, and reviewing it, and talking about it.

There was never any intention to create a series. It wasn't until the demand for "more" became so great that I launched into the next four books, each one growing longer and longer, until I was wrapping up the story line with this novel, a full 60,000 word WOOL 5.

I would like to humbly thank everyone who has come along on this journey with me; it has been the most rewarding experience of my young writing career. Your emails, your reviews, your comments on my website, every ounce of your enthusiasm . . . it has combined to grant me enough satisfaction and confidence to last the rest of my writing days.

For those of you who suffered the wait, I hope you'll find it was worth it. This is WOOL 5. Brace yourselves. And enjoy.
~~~


I ran across this series of stories/books when I picked up the first one for free on my Kindle. Sounded like something I would enjoy so I read it and immediately became hooked. I proceeded to purchase the next one as soon as I finished the current one, right up until Wool 5. I waited a couple days before buying it....... simply because I did not want it to end. I knew that when I finished reading it that there would be no more stories about Silo 18 and I did NOT want it to end. I have to say that I was not disappointed. Wool 5 was probably the best so far and I am thrilled to hear that Mr. Howey has plans for more.



He has created a scary, yet intriguing world and I want to immerse myself in it. I can not wait to read about what becomes of Juliette and all of the other inhabitants of Silo 18. I want to know how Solo is managing over in Silo 17 and I really want to find out about life in some of the other Silos.



I know that I will have to wait a while but in the meantime I fully intend to go check out the author's other books. If he managed to create this wonderful world I can only imagine what other fabulous stories he has waiting for me to discover.



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***Kindle Edition

Flipped Out (A Do-It-Yourself Mystery #5) by Jennie Bentley

Flipped Out by Jennie Bentley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Avery and her hunky handyman boyfriend are renovating a house belonging to a local news anchor who's thrilled to be filmed as part of a home renovation show. But cable television fame proves fleeting when the man is murdered and Avery faces the task of nailing the killer.



This was okay............ I like this series, but I did not like this book nearly as much as the previous ones. I knew who done it, and I did not like the way that either Avery or Derek acted in this book. Will probably keep reading this series, but won't anticipate the next book as much after this one.



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