Publisher: Ballantine Books 
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 331
Source: Publisher
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review Date: Recorded July, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese-American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother’s listless body was carried away from their small apartment five years ago. On his birthday—or rather, the day the nuns designate as his birthday—William and the other orphans are taken to the historical Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song.

Determined to find Willow, and prove his mother is still alive, William escapes from Sacred Heart with his friend Charlotte. The pair navigates the streets of Seattle, where they must not only survive, but confront the mysteries of William’s past and his connection to the exotic film star. The story of Willow Frost, however, is far more complicated than the Hollywood fantasy William sees onscreen.

Shifting between the Great Depression and the 1920s, Songs of Willow Frost takes readers on an emotional journey of discovery. Jamie Ford’s sweeping book will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for the comforts of family and a place to call home.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Publisher:  Disney Hyperion 
Release Date: First published December 10, 2013 / Audio unabridged edition released by Listening Library on December 10, 2013
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 374 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 11 hours
Narrators: Cynthia Holloway, Johnathan McClain, Sarge Anton
Source: Library Borrow via Overdrive
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Review Date: July 16, 2014
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

This review may seem like I have a lot of issues with this book, but when it was all said and done, over all I liked it.  So I'll start with the positives.  The story has a  Star Trek feel at first, which is pretty cool. A huge brand new ship goes down in deep space. It goes down Titanic style, panic, crowds of people, lots of death, few survivors - two to be exact. That was pretty interesting and the crash was a great jumping off point.

While I thought the book would keep up the pace after the crash, it didn't. Most of it was pretty humdrum after that.  Luckily the last 30% or so really kicked things up to the next level.  I also liked that this story unfolds in a series of flashbacks via an interrogation. The story alternates with the present day interrogation of Tarver of the events starting of the ship evacuation a ending with what lead up to Tarver and Lilac's rescue. Finally, the book ends present day after Tarver leaves that interview.  I liked that the POV of Tarver and Lilac were so different. A lot of authors have a hard time with multiple POVs. Most times the characters voices aren't unique enough and end up sounding alike. That was overcome most likely because there were two authors.

I listened to this on audio and I enjoyed the narrators, while nothing particular stood out about them, I liked them fine enough. However, hearing both a male and female voice was a welcome change from the norm.

Publisher:  ACE
Release Date: First published March 5, 2013 / Audio unabridged edition released by Penguin Audio on March 5, 2013
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 340 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 10 hours
Narrator: Lorelei King
Source: Library Borrow via Overdrive
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: July 9, 2014
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson's life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman - the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack - has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy's life. But on the edges of humanity, a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more. After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can't reach Adam - or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They've all been abducted. Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from the most unlikely of allies: the vampire seethe.

Frost Burned picks up 3 to 4 months after River Marked, mostly skipping over the remainder of Mercy's recovery from the injuries she obtained from her fight with the river fae. I was hoping that we'd get a little bit more of her time in a wheelchair because at the end of River Marked, it was interesting to see Mercy out of her element and acting out towards everyone trying to help her. Putting that aside. Frost Burned has so many layers and action that it's impossible to talk about all the things going on. The villan isn't revealed until the last 20% or so. The plot can be summed up as cat and mouse game consisting of trying to figure out who took the pack, who's pulling the strings and why. Within every installment of this series the different paranormal communities seem to take turns being the bad guy. So it's no surprise that 's time for the vampires to start causing more problems again. A huge problem starting with the kidnapping of an entire pack of wolves.

How does a pack of werewolves get kidnapped? Let's just say a case of identity confusion and drugs. One would assume that you'd need to drug a werewolf to catch it without being killed in the process. How in the would someone drug a wolf? You've got to read the book to find that out!  There's also a new wolf sent in by Bram to help with the disaster at hand. The wolf is actually very old and powerful, be he's new the the series.  I'd like to see more of him in future books.  There was a clearly less of Samuel, he was virtually nonexistent in this installment. Many of the other wolves and fae that are around were less visible in Frost Burned.  

As I expected, there is an appearance or two from the elusive Coyote!  New abilities unfold for Mercy, she's able to do amazing and unbelievable things through she and Adam's mate bond. Only she, a coyote, could pull off the unheard of things that she does at the whisper of a suggestion from the Coyote.  Of course beyond her own ability she has some fae help.  No walking stick this time, as she previously gave it to Coyote, but she does have another fae weapon. A sword that's called Hunger. Hunger eats magic among other things.  Like all fae weapons, Hunger works under it's own rules. Fight to the death anyone? Of course Mercy jumps right in. Per usual, she'll do anything to save her friends, family, and even the world.  If that involves participating in a vampire fight to the death, then she'll do it. Never mind she's weak compared to them and could totally end up back in a wheel chair.  That's just how she rolls.

Even though Adam and Mercy are adorably sweet, there isn't a lot of sex or heat in these more recent installments. I do miss that electricity between them. While it's clear their relationship is strong and there is a strong attraction as mates and as husband and wife, I just wish the heat level was a little higher.  On the flip side, I understand it's hard to be all over each other when an all out war is on the verge of breaking out. Not to compare, but somehow J.R. Ward manages to squeeze in a few serious rolls in the hay while saving the world and fighting the bad guys. I'm just saying.

In true fashion, Briggs brings us an action packed story without a lot of extra nonsense. We get right into the meat of the story without tons of preamble and plot refreshers.  I love that about her style because I don't feel like I'm rereading a huge chuck from the previous book(s). Out of the norm for these books, I enjoyed seeing some chapters narrated by Adam. I hope for more of that in future installments.  That really shook things up, and I liked it. It really allowed the reader/listener to understand that Adam really does respect Mercy, and he truly does see her as his equal.

As always Lorelei King is amazing. I really love how she's able to play these characters and make it sound so natural.  Some narrators should like they are trying too hard or just can't stretch their voice.  Not Lorelei King, she alters her voice and tone for both the different POVs and characters, and she does it well.

Next up is the most recent release, Night Broken, which came out earlier this year. I'm both excited and sad to get started on it because after that I'll need to wait until 2015 for the next installment. So sad, but I'll get over it, there are tons of books to keep me occupied until then.

Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara

Hey friends!

I have a mini review for you today!  A mini review is my short and sweet analysis of a book.  You'll know in 350 words or less if this is a book I recommend.  It's actually perfect for this book, a short review for a short book.

Publisher: William Morrow Books
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 181
Source: Costco
Genre: Fantasy
Review Date: July 7, 2014
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

This was a book club read, and it lead to some lively conversation. Almost everyone thought that the book was just "okay". Personally I liked it, but that's it.  With all the accolades all over the internet and printed on 4 pages between the back cover and inside, I was expecting a masterpiece. That just didn't ring true for me. I believe that I can safely say that this book was mostly hype. Now don't misunderstand, I didn't hate it, I liked it overall.

I loved the that it was a fantasy told by way of a childhood memory. Gaiman's writing was fluid and was easy to read.   The book got bonus points for the writing style. I enjoyed reading a book from male POV, which I personally don't come across too often. It was a very fast read and kept my attention, I was just looking for answers and details that we never got. 

The story had so much potential, it just didn't give me enough. When started the book, I read about 40 pages and really wondered what was really going on. Being that the book was so short, I wanted to know more about certain things early on.  I wanted more of the story behind Lettie, her mother and grandmother. Where they came from. Why she thought it would be a good idea to pull a child into a situation dealing with a demon of sorts. Heck, I wanted to know how the demon took on a human form. I wanted to know how the thing was controlling the father and sister, or was she at all?  Just so much unanswered.  I guess I should have expect only so much detail with 181 pages.

Would I recommend this to others? Probably not.  On second thought, I would to those who've read Neil Gaiman before and enjoyed his stories.  Did you read The Ocean at the End of the Lane? If so, tell me what you thought!

Happy Reading,
~Tamara

Hey friends,

Thanks to Penguin Random House, I'm able to share an awesome giveaway with you today!  I'll be reading The City this month, and now you can too, you're whole book club can! Enter to win up to 20 signed copies for you and your book club!  If your group decides to read The City, check out the book club guide!

Synopsis: The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.

Hey friends,

Summer is here and many of us will be spending lots of time in a car and/or airport over the next few months visiting family or a fun favorite vacation destination.  I have some recommendations to make your travel days more fun. You'll be enjoying these books so much, that you'll probably end up listening by the pool as well.




Adult Fiction:

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy - If you enjoy paranormal stories, I recommend both the Night Huntress series, by Jeanine Frost and the Mercy Thompson series, by Patricia Briggs on audio. They are both amazing. Strong heroines, hot men, dynamic characters and the narrators are spot on.  If you go this route, use a pair of earphones if you don’t want the kiddos to hear certain adult themes.

Horror/Post Apocalyptic - The Passage trilogy, by Justin Cronin.  Two books are published so far and they will keep you listening. There’ a lot of things going on and I found that I enjoyed this immensely on audio.  Mix together government experiments gone wrong with the end of the world. Fun stuff.

Young Adult Fiction: I know many of you are looking for a YA recommendation, but in all honesty, I don’t have any audio recommendations for YA. The ones that I've read are all “okay”, but nothing spectacular. Maybe it’s the genre? I don’t know. What I do know is that YA is fun to read, but not to listen to. Just look through my audiobook reviews; you won’t see any YA audiobooks with a rating over 3 bookmarks. It is what it is.

Nonfiction/Memoir:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - Just an amazing story. I learned so much that I never knew about DNA and the history behind the HeLa cells and who Henrietta Lacks is and what she contributed to the world. I know the topic appears dry, but trust me, this is a very intriguing story. Listening on audio made for easy disgusting.

Bossypants, by Tina Fey - Want a memoir served with a side of sarcasm and comedy? Tina Fey delivers.  I also liked this because Tina narrates her own book, which that made it even more enjoyable.

I hope you have a chance to download at least one of my recommendations for a summer trip! If you do, come back and let me know how you liked it.  If you also enjoy audiobooks, leave me a recommendation below.

Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara

Hey Friends,

I watched "Delirium" pilot on Hulu Plus yesterday and I was so utterly disappointed, that I had to let you all know about it.  When I first decided to check out Delirium by Lauren Oliver earlier this year, I was unaware that there was a TV show that was already created, picked up and cancelled.  Sadly, I understand why FOX dropped this show. WIGS picked it up, but the shows future is unknown.

The adaptation features tarring Emma Roberts, Billy Campbell, and several other recognizable actors and actresses. There are some popular names in the cast, but that wasn't enough for me to like it. I've never seen a TV show rush through one book in one episode, very strange. The show loosely followed the book, but there were so many changes, it might as well have been a different story all together.  Even when disregarding the book, the story didn't pull me in, the characters didn't pull me. 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date:January 28, 2014/Audio unabridged edition released by Harper Audio 
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 342 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 10 hours
Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden
Source: Audiobook SYNC
Genre: YA Fantasy
Review Date: June 18, 2014
Rating: 2 bookmarks

Synopsis: Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

I don’t read many retellings so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was intrigued by the idea of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so I was excited and tried to keep an open mind.  I picked this up for free during week two of Audiobook SYNC’s summer promotion.

There were hints of the original Beauty and the Beast story here and there, but there was also one main part pulled from the Rumpelstiltskin tale.  Remember the queen had to guess his name within 3 days? Well, the essence of that is in reflected in this book, not in the same way, but it was clear that's where that came from.  Cruel Beauty is a fairy tale retelling with a mix of Hermetics (which is basically religious and occult teachings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus), Greek mythology, magical transforming houses and for extra measure - mixed  up with a steam punk-ish vibe, magic and time travel, make for a somewhat over complicated story.

Getting back to the Beauty and the Beast tale, instead of the beast turning to a prince, we have a demon (a very good looking demon) that holds a prince prisoner. Is it that simple? Nope, it never is.  Nyx was sent to the Gentle Lord as his wife as part of a bargain her father made. Her mission is to kill said demon with her Hermetics training while she'd distracting him with her wifely duties, if you know what I mean.  While that plan seems simple enough and a bit crazy, I don't know how I feel about Nyx. This girl is a walking contradiction. She can't figure out what she wants to do. She starts out with a clear goal and it transforms into something else.  Her constant feelings of inferiority and jealousy toward her sister are a constant downer.  One moment she feels empowered to save the town from Ignifex, in the next moment she isn't worthy and she's a wicked sister.

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Source: Amazon
Genre: YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal
Review Date: June 16, 2014
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: Vengeance will be hers.  

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. Monster.

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions - her creator Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost - the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. 

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, her triumph will be short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

I'm sad to say that I'm a tad disappointed with this installment. I acknowledged that it's completely possible that I set the bar really high being that I loved the first two books so much. This in turn probably caused my disappointed when it didn't meet that expectation.  

This book had a slow start for me.  It took me much longer than I anticipated getting through the book. It wasn't boring by any means, but it wasn't a page turner like the first two in the trilogy either.  

There were two major plot twists that were the peaks of the story that caused moments of surprise, sadness and hope.  Beyond that, there were valleys where the moaning and groaning of several characters was a bit much for my taste.

Kane proved to be the glue that holds his offspring together, not only does he have to hold everything together while they are in pursuit of Sarren, but he then makes the ultimate sacrifice in stopping him. Jackal isn't as bad as he seems, apparently under that cold exterior he has a heart after all. Allie has clearly grown up even more, and has finally accepted herself as she is.  Good, bad or indifferent she's got bigger worries than to cry over than being a monster.  As one would think, trying to save the world, vampires and humans alike, from a deadly virus will put things in different perspective.