Desolate (Immortal Rose Trilogy, #1) by Amy Miles

Desolate by Amy Miles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This story was, and is, extremely dark, brutal and, just as the title says, desolate. Unfortunately, I could not finish it. It was too much for me and I must warn future and potential readers that this is not a light or quick or happy read. If you have had any sort of traumatic experience, abuse or, to put it in a classic way, “have a delicate disposition” this story will not be for you.
Having said that, I must give the author a tremendous amount of credit for creating such a dark story that made my skin crawl and haunted me in my dreams.
I would recommend this story to anyone, who is looking for a very engaging and dark read.

View all my reviews

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Like a well-crafted chocolate truffle, melting in one’s mouth, some stories are just as beautifully created. The Bone Witch is a wonderful story about magic, betrayal, love and fate. I have to warn any reader, though, this book starts out very slow, which can be a bit of a turn off for most since it takes about 20% for the story to fully begin and capture the reader.
The plot is intriguing. As slow as it begins, the plot is mysterious enough to keep me motivated to continue, mostly because of the prologues that accompany each chapter. The slow narration of the protagonist’s life and her metamorphosis from a simple village girl into the bone witch, and the political and social implications as well as the burdens that come with becoming what she was meant to be are a great foundation for beautiful storytelling.
The narration was well chosen for this type of story. Written in the first person point of view, it provides the reader with a level of insight and knowledge into the protagonist’s life that was extremely beneficial to the overall beauty of the story.
The characters were created very well, with great depths and multidimensional personalities that enriched the story tremendously. I enjoyed both the main and secondary characters equally. The dry humour and wit shown by all and the mysterious male interest make for a great mix.
The writing was captivating. Before I knew it, I was flying through half the book without knowing it. It flowed effortlessly.
Overall, I read a few reviews that voiced their displeasure about this story, which I could not really see while reading it myself. It was a great story, great world building and a perfect set up for the second installment, which cannot come soon enough. I would recommend it to anyone, who enjoys mystery, magic, fantasy and a strong female lead.

View all my reviews

Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Freeks by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This was one of those books that I enjoyed reading even though I did not like any of the characters. A true and good example of a story driven by the plot, at least for me.
The plot. Who doesn’t enjoy a good and slightly creepy story about an eerie entity wreaking havoc, set in a sideshow carnival? I certainly do. And it was the only thing that kept me reading. It was a good idea and started to unfold nicely, but sadly got a bit sidetracked by a main character, who was just flat. Also, things started to become too convenient in order to wrap up everything nicely into an ending.
The characters in general felt one dimensional. There was “the mom”, “the boyfriend” (in this case the mom’s boyfriend), the mysterious, extremely handsome, slightly brooding, totally ripped love interest and of course “the loyal friend”. They never ventured outside of their pre-determined roles and that made for a very anti-climactic story. The protagonist felt much younger than she was supposed to be, which kept confusing me throughout the story. She couldn’t keep my interest.
The writing started to become repetitive about halfway through the story. After about the fifth time I think every reader gets it that the handsome guy has a glint in his eye and a slight smirk on his lips. It is tiring for a reader to read the same description repeatedly.
Overall, the premise was good and the plot was interesting enough for me to finish the book, but I felt a bit let down. It is a quick read and entertaining, I was just hoping for more, based on the description. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in a story set in the 1980’s, characters with supernatural abilities and a quick read.

View all my reviews

One Wish Away (Djinn Empire, #1) by Ingrid Seymour

One Wish Away by Ingrid Seymour
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I was excited to start this story. The plot sounded great and I love stories of djinns and the supernatural. I had to take a few days after finishing this story to write this review to stop myself from going into a full rant. So many things I want to point out and vent about, but I will try to keep this short and spoiler free.
The plot was not original, but obviously had me request this book, I mean based on the description. What I found was a story that was so predictable, with so many little nuances of social commentaries that are never fully fleshed out or developed. Then the plot conveniences began and all I could think about when I was reading it was “oh goodie, that worked out well”.
The main character was supposed to come across as heart broken, but she was an angry, ill-tempered, rude, selfish and boring naïve girl. She doesn’t learn one thing. There was no character development and the love interest was nothing more than a typical cardboard cut out of a perfect guy.
The writing was at times too detailed. There were also a lot of spelling mistakes in my version of the book and the repetition of descriptions and even entire scenes started to grate on my nerves.
Overall, I felt like this story was supposed to bring out some clean, but steamy scenes with almost kissing and good morals. I really wasn’t sure what the author was trying to achieve and it all fell flat at the end with an overly drawn out conclusion that really wasn’t a conclusion and predictable outcomes. This wasn’t my cup of tea and I wouldn’t recommend it.

View all my reviews

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I came across a list of Carrie Fisher’s publications and was able to find a copy of the audiobook of Wishful Drinking, narrated by Carrie Fisher. Usually, I’m not a fan of audiobooks, but I am very glad that I had the chance to listen to Carrie Fisher talk about her life, her struggles and make some pretty hilarious jokes.
I’m tempted to share some of her jokes, but I highly recommend you give her a listen. The heavy subjects she addresses are always spiced with sarcasm and, of course, her wit and her candidness about mental health and her own condition of being bipolar gives this short autobiography a degree of realism that speaks so closely to every listener and reader.
Overall, as I just mentioned above, it’s a wonderful piece of candid stories, wit and remarkable strength to go against the stigma of dealing with a mental illness and I highly recommend it to anyone.

View all my reviews

Abenteuer aus Onkel Dagoberts Schatztruhe 01: Lustiges Taschenbuch präsentiert by Francesc Bargadà Studio, Walt Disney Company

Abenteuer aus Onkel Dagoberts Schatztruhe 01: Lustiges Taschenbuch präsentiert by Francesc Bargadà Studio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every comic book has a table of contents page at the beginning, which lists if the stories in this comic have been previously published or if they are actually German first publications. Sadly, if they have been previously published, only the publication number is listed and not the actual year, which gives me much to ponder, since this book contained all stories that looked, based on the art and design, like they belong from the 1980’s special publications that were printed in larger books. My own curiosity cannot be satisfied in that aspect, but it doesn’t take away from the fun I have reading them.
This particular book only contains comics that feature Uncle Scrooge (obviously), Donald Duck and their three nephews. The entire book has the feeling of the DuckTales series that came out back in the 80’s. I was surprised, though, how much of a cry baby Uncle Scrooge is. In every story, he would cry at least once and then go back to being a little miser he always is.
Needless to say, I very much enjoy these comics. With their cozy feeling, they are the perfect thing to read on a cold winter’s day, wrapped up in a blanket, sipping a tea.

View all my reviews

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes, #1) by Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Snow Like Ashes has been on my Kindle for at least a year and every time I wasn’t sure what to read I came back to this title, only to put it back on its digital shelf. With the new year freshly started and having been in a reading slump most of last year, I thought “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?” Well, I sure am glad I finally gave this story a try. It was engaging, adventurous and a quick read that has me excited for the next installment.
The plot was easy to follow. I always have difficulty keeping up with plots that try to cram in too much of everything; too much political intrigue, too much romance, too much magic etc.; I was pleasantly surprised and very happy that it focused mainly on the protagonist’s conflict with respect to the surrounding circumstances of her fate.
The characters were very nicely fleshed out. The protagonist is an interesting character with faults and weaknesses that make her relatable and real. She is honest and her relationships with the various secondary characters show great potential for the subsequent installments of this series.
The writing has a great flow without sounding too simplistic or boring. The writing draws the reader in and won’t let go. I’m looking forward to reading the second part, although the wait for my library to have the book ready for me is a bit agonizing.
Overall, this book was a great choice to start the new year and I’m glad I finally started reading this series. I would recommend it to those, who enjoy magic, strong female protagonists, a good helping of political intrigue and adventure.

View all my reviews

Horror! (Lustiges Taschenbuch Spezial Band 42) by Walt Disney Company

Horror! by Walt Disney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lovers and enthusiasts of the Disney comics are in for a big treat with this collection of Donald, Uncle Scrooge and Mickey comics. The editors decided to include an old comic staring Donald, Mickey and Goofy. By old I mean when Donald’s beak and neck were long enough to take up most of his body. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The entire collection was fun-filled and spooky.

View all my reviews

A Spy in the House (The Agency, #1) by Y.S. Lee

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great premise this book had; female spies in Victorian England. It was fast-paced, entertaining, contained humour as well as the real struggles women had to face during a time period that is mostly represented as romantic.
The plot was just that, a spy on a mission to uncover secrets, intrigues, shifty intentions and so much more.
The characters, both main and secondary, were very well created and are capable of bringing about a range of emotions from the reader. The protagonist, a multidimensional character, is a great foundation to base a mystery series on.
The writing was good and easy to follow; however, once in a while there would be a sentence that did not make any sense at all, would feel chopped up and half finished and there are some spelling mistakes in the book as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story of a female spy in Victorian London and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend it to anyone, who enjoys mystery, Victorian England and females that defy the odds.

View all my reviews

Adel verpflichtet (Lustiges Taschenbuch Spezial, #54) by Walt Disney Company

Adel verpflichtet by Walt Disney Company
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I first flipped through this comic I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the stories. I was on the fence and left it on my shelf for a month until this weekend. And boy, was I wrong!
This collection starts out with an outrageously hilarious story including Uncle Scrooge, Donald and the three nephews, and sets the stage for a fun-filled read until the last page. Hint: it includes aliens and an epic duel in space.
I even found an old story I used to love, but had lost. It was great reading that one again. I can’t say enough good things about it and it will definitely be added to my permanent bookshelf.

View all my reviews