Hey friends, 

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on Scarlet, the second book in the Lunar Chronicle Series.  Read on to find out why I recommend this title! Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends | Macmillan Audio
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 452 pages/ Audio Length: Approx 11 hours
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Fairy Tale Retelling
Review Date: February 25, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

If you recall, my biggest issue with Cinder was that she was so young. Scarlet helped reduce my apprehension about that because she's older than Cinder, by two years I believe.  While Cinder is still obviously in the series, the focus was split so I was able to get a little bit of an older feeling story at times. Not by much, but I'll take it.

So far I find these stories somewhat predictable, but there's a pretty decent twist at around 51% where we find out something interesting about Scarlet. Predictability would be my second issue with the series. I say that, but it's minor issue because this is a young adult series after all.  Not to downplay YA writing, but especially when it feels like it's geared toward a younger audience, there seems to be a more simplistic story overall.

Rebecca Solar was on point with her narration of all the characters.  I was able to listen to Scarlet while doing other things and not need to rewind.  Solar reading Meyer's work is a great combo.

Up next is Cress, the retelling of Rapunzel.  I've already started it and I'm enjoying it as well.  We've already met Cress, and if you're reading along, you probably can spot her.  I'll give you a clue, she first appears in Cinder.

Are you reading or listening to the Lunar Chronicles? If so, what book are you on? I'd love to hear what you thought of both Cinder and Scarlet.  

Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey friends,

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen.  Read on to find out if I recommend this title. Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!

Publisher: St. Martin's Press  
Release Date: January 20, 2015 
Format: Uncorrected Bound Manuscript
Pages: 291(Hardcover)
Source: Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
Genre: Magical Realism, General Fiction
Review Date: Recorded February 2015
Rating: 3 bookmarks

Synopsis: It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.

Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke?

When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

On the plus side, I liked that magic played a role in the story. At times I wish it were a larger role, as that would have made the book more interesting, but the idea of a magical family was fun. The pacing was good and overall I liked it. I enjoyed the main characters, Sydney, Claire, and Bay. They were all unique as far as their magical gifts and personalities. I enjoyed what the husbands, friends and extended family added to the story.  

Based on the types of books that I'm into right now, I can't see myself reading more from Sarah Addison Allen.  It's not bad, it's just not my cup of tea.  What about you? Have you read First Frost? If so, please tell me what you thought of it.

Happy Reading, 
~Tamara

On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey friends,

I completed this book just under a month ago. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to actually write the review. It's almost like it was so much I actually had to let it sit for a while before I made any final decisions on it. It's funny because as the time goes by it's been since I initially listened to it I feel that I like Burned even more. On a side note, if you look at the reviews on Goodreads, it almost like people either loved it or hated it.  Team Mac loved it and Team Dani hated it.

Publisher: Delacorte Press / Brilliance Audio
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: 512 pages (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 13 hours
Narrator: Natalie Ross, Phil Gigante
Source: Audible
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: February 18, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.

MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed. 

Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.


It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth. 

Burned was so much more and better than I ever expected, but not perfection. Burned picks up the same night that Iced ended.  I was thinking that the book would go one way, but after a few chapters, I quickly saw that this was going to be a different ball game.  This book was an combination of everything that I enjoyed about this series plus a pretty awesome plot twist midway through that I didn't see coming.  

There are so many characters and POVs going on in this installment that each chapter starts off with a sentence followed by the characters name.  Mac, Barrons, Dani (and her journal), Joe, Cat, The Unseely King, Christian, Ryodan, and a few others, all get chapters.  On top of all of the POVs going on, the story is told both in the past and the present.  We experience past events with Barrons and Mac, with Christian, with Dani, and so much more.  Many of the minor characters like Cat and Joe get much more face time. This book packs in a lot of information regarding many of the plots. On one hand, it's almost like a filler book, it really connects the story lines and provides clarity to many situations. Not that it feels like the end, but instead it feels more like one story arc is officially closing and another is starting. Just like it felt at the end of Shadowfever, book 5.  I feel that this installment was all about relationships. The relationship between friends, lovers, etc.

When first I listened to Iced, I was nervous to get a whole book about Dani, as I didn't think her character could swing it. But now.....Hmm, let's just say that I'm more confident that I'll be interested to see what happens with her. There was a huge revelation with her and it's spectacular. In all honesty, if I knew Moning was going to go in this direction with Dani, I think I would have preferred if she stayed on track with the Dani O'Malley series.  It makes me wonder why she did an about face and went back to her bread and butter of Barrons and Mac. Was is pressure from the fans? The publisher? Regardless, I would liked to follow Dani through more of her story in this book.

Hey friends,

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on You by Caroline Kepnes.  This title was also the Shelf Addiction January book club read.  My real world group also read this title last month as well.  Read on to find out why I recommend this title! Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books 
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 432 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: Thriller
Review Date: Recorded February 2015
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

The book was a fast paced read and I enjoyed it immensely.  The entire story was told from Joe's point of view, which is necessary to really understand the level of crazy this guy is.  I've already added book two, Loved, which continues to follow Joe on his reign of terror. It should be interesting. 

You is a perfect choice for anyone that likes a book with a little darkness and also it's fab for a book club. My book club had tons of fun discussion about this title.  We talked about everything from Joe's motivations and his past to debating on Beck and what type of person she is to one of her very creepy friends.  In the end, this is an excellent book to discuss.

Have you read You? If so, please share your thoughts!

Happy Reading, 
~Tamara

On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey friends,

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on Cinder, the first book in the Lunar Chronicle Series.  Read on to find out why I recommend this title! Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends | Macmillan Audio
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 390 pages/ Audio Length: Approx 10 hours
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Fairy Tale Retelling
Review Date: February 11, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

Prince Kai was indeed a prince charming type, but he basically acted like a young teenager instead of an Emperor in training. I don't recall hearing his age, but I thought that he and Cinder were either the same or about the same age.  I do have to give it to Kai, in the end, he pulled it together and seemed more like a leader instead of a love struck teenager.

Essentially this is a coming of age story. As the plot moves forward we start to learn more about Cinder and what she is and who she is. It's ultra light on the romance, so this is more of a traditional YA story. As a side note, I just loved the Iko android character.  If there is ever a time when we will be able to own an android and give it a personality, I'd love an Iko. She's so cute. 

I enjoyed the audiobook narrator, Rebecca Soler.  She did a good job of sounding young, but not baby-like.  I always worry about a really childish sounding voice when it comes to YA audiobooks, but Soler was able to pull it off.

Cinder is a easy and fast paced read.  I recommend it for anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings.  Whether you're reading or listening, it's good option for something light and fun.

Have you read Cinder? If so, please share with me what you thought of the book.


Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

Hey friends,

Today I have a combo for you, a book and movie adaptation review rolled into one! I listened to If I Stay on audio in December and I had a chance to check out the movie as well! Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 
Release Date: April 9, 2009
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 201 pages/ Audio Length: Approx 5 hours
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: YA Contemporary
Review Date: February 4, 2015
Rating: 3 bookmarks


Synopsis: Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is the first of a book duology by Gayle Foreman.  Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked that the main character Mia was so smart and talented, I liked how she was able to pull strength from memories of her family and friends and move past the horrific accident that changed her life.  The story was complete with its mere 201 pages, and that’s always good.  When the book is so short sometimes I wonder if the story is fully fleshed out, but it is in this case Foreman did a good job telling a story without dragging it out. Not many authors can do that successfully.  While there were aspects that I enjoyed in the story, I did find it a little slow at times.  

I listened to this on audio, and again, I overall liked it. The narrator did a good job, unfortunately the narrator didn't help the pacing of the story.  At this point, I’m unsure if I will continue on with Where She Went, which is the second book in the duology. If I do, I'll probably read it instead of listening on audio.  Maybe that will make a difference.
  
While this book wasn't my favorite, it was okay and I liked it enough. If you enjoy young adult contemporary novels, this may be a good option for you to check out. 

Hey friends,

Today marks my 3rd Blogoversary! It's hard to believe that I've been blogging about books for three years! Where has the time gone? This month I celebrate my 2nd Book Tube anniversary as well! Two years of recording and editing videos about books, and it's been a fun and educational experience! I'm having so much fun creating bookish content that I hope I never want to stop.

To celebrate my years book blogging and book-tubing I'm holding a international giveaway for everyone who has been so supportive by reading my blog and watching my videos.  I'm giving away a $30 USD Amazon eGift Card! Can you imagine all the ebooks and/or books you could buy!?  I know that all of us bookaholics have a wish list ready to go! 

I have only two simple rules for this giveaway. 

1. You MUST  be at least 18 years old or have parental permission.
2. You MUST be able to receive and claim an electronic Amazon eGift Card via email. No substitutions.

 
Enter below. There is ONE free entry for everyone! You can do as many or as few tasks as you prefer to earn extra entries. You can also enter daily by sharing this giveaway via Twitter.  The giveaway ends on Saturday January 31, 2015 at midnight EST.  I winner will be chosen on Sunday, February 1, 2015 and contacted via the email address used on the Rafflecopter widget.

 Enter often and good luck!  Thanks again for all of your support. You make book blogging and book-tubing even more enjoyable!

 Happy Reading,
~Tamara

Hey friends,

The Collector was the December book club selection.  Read on and find out what I thought of this title.

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 483 (Hardcover)
Source: Library Borrow
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Review Date: January 19, 2015
Rating: 2 bookmarks

Synopsis: When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . . 

Hey friends,

I completed this book well over a month ago. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to actually write the review. Not only did the holidays keep me preoccupied, it could possibly be that I was waiting to get closer to the release date of book 7, Burned, which comes out in a few short weeks.

Publisher: Delacorte Press / Brilliance Audio
Release Date: October 30, 2012 | First published January 1, 2012
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Mass Market Paperback: 495 pages/ Audio Length: Approx 15 hours
Narrator: Natalie Ross, Phil Gigante
Source: Audible
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: January 7, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be. 

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux. 

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced. 

I've got to be very honest about something. I expected not to like Iced.  I wasn't a big fan of Dani's character in the previous books, so I had to put my game face on and try to be unbiased when I started the book.  I'm so glad that I did. I like Dani a lot more now.  I still don't like her incessant use of the word "Dude", but I like her character now, regardless. There was so much going on in this book that I found it extremely hard to write this review without talking about specific situations. I know that many readers are adverse to spoilers, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

Iced picks up one year after the wall between the worlds crashed on all Hallow's Eve.  A third of the human race was wiped out that night. There's no official human government, the whole world it's a war zone between Seely and Unseely Fae, humans, and tons of things that do more than go bump in the night. In addition to all of that, various locations all across Dublin are getting iced over then blown to bits without any clear cause.

Fourteen year old Dani is out on her own.  The Sidhre Seers leader, Rowena, is dead. She and Mac are on the outs. Cruce, a War Prince is frozen below the abbey.... and part of the Sihre SeDubh book inside Vlane's body along with the War Prince.  Yes, all hell has officially broken loose and it's only getting worse. How does Dani fit into all of the drama? Simply put, she's got a new job. 

Hey friends, 

Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on The Good Girl by Mary Kubica.

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon Kindle
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller 
Review Date: Recorded January 2015
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. 


Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter. 

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a compulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems…. 

for around $8 total!  With such a great price of course I had to try the feature out and see if it really syncs accurately between audio and reading on two different devices. I tried this using the Kindle app on my tablet and the Audible app on my smart phone. In short, it works! Near seamlessly.  If this is something you'd like to know more about or see a video demonstrating how it works, let me know!

Have you read The Good Girl? If so, please share your thoughts. I'd love to know if you enjoyed it as much as I did. If not, I recommend this to all that enjoy adult suspense/mysteries. I hope you'll add this to your TBR list!

Happy Reading,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!