Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Red Rising

Title: Red Rising
Author: Pierce Brown
Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Even though almost every element seems to be borrowed from another book (or video game), this is still a fascinating novel with fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action.

Rating: 4 stars

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

In the Box: April 2016 Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss

April's Fresh Fiction box was another good one, even if once again there were more romances than mysteries.  Once again, it contained three prints: One More Night with You by Lisa Marie Perry, A Fool & His Monet by Sandra Orchardand Relativity by Antonia Hayes. This month, it had 4 ebooks: Motion for Murder by Kelly Rey, Dangerous Gentlemen by Beverley Oakley, Sugar Daddy by Sawyer Bennett, and Naked Choke by Vanessa Dare.  I am most excited about A Fool & His Monet, which is the first in a new series!

Swag, once again, was minimal this month with a first aid kit and pixie stix.  If you are interested in Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss, it is $25 a month (you can skip months) for at least one paperback and 2-6 ebooks, along with swag. 

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Stacking the Shelves: 3/20-3/26

For review (here and on Bookloons):
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
The Foundry's Edge by Cam Baity & Benny Zelkowicz
Waybound by Cam Baity & Benny Zelkowicz
Color of Danger by Ruth J. Hartman

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Remote Consequences

Title: Remote Consequences
Author: Kerri Nelson
Publisher: Gemma Halliday
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: This was missing some of the fun that cozies usually have.  There was a mystery, but the investigation was a little dry and uneventful.

Rating: 2 stars

Monday, March 21, 2016

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project Vol. 1

Title: Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project Vol. 1
Author: Osamu Takahashi & khara
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: I was expecting more mecha, this being a Neon Genesis Evangelion, but found something almost shojo (except for the fan service).

Rating: 4 stars

Saturday, March 19, 2016

The Accent

Title: The Accent: Exploring the Path to a Rejuvenating Life
Author: Binu Edathumparambil
Publisher: WestBow
ISBN: 978-1-4908-7921-5
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: A very in depth look at the reasons behind personal conflict, including biblical examples that stay away from being preachy.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/13-3/19

For possible review (on Bookloons):
Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling by Tony Cliff

First Reads from Goodreads
The Singing Bone by Beth Hahn
The Dark Forest by David A. Brogdon

Bought at Half-Price Books:
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Friday, March 18, 2016

In the Box: Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss Limited Edition Quarterly Box - Mystery

Fresh Fiction has released their next quarterly LE box, and it is awesome!  The announcement said it would contain five print books and an ebook of an exclusive mystery collection from Gemma Halliday Publishing.  Fresh Fiction has got me addicted to the cozies from GHP, so I had to have this! The Mystery eBook Bundle contains five full-length novels, all of which I am totally excited to read.  As far as the five print books go, I ended up getting six - two hardcovers, Robert B. Parker's The Devil Wins by Reed Farrel Coleman and No One Knows by J. T. Ellison, three paperbacks, Covert Cargo by Elisabeth Rees, Something Very Wicked by Mary Zelinsky, and Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan M. Boyer, and one advanced reading copy, Deception Island by Brynn Kelly.

The other item that made me want the box was the Fresh Fiction mug (it is backwards in the pic, so you can't see the logo).  Author swag was a button for Team Buccaneer.  The box also included a some Stash teas and a recipe.

This quarterly box from Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss ended up being a lot of fun.  It did cost $39.95 plus shipping, but the retail value of the released print books alone, most of which have just been released, comes to $83.69, so that is an amazing good deal!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Color of Deception

Color of Deception
by Ruth J. Hartman
published by esKape
2015
ISBN 9781940695882
Why read? Review

The start of Ruth J. Hartman's The Sullyard Sisters trilogy, Color of Deception, is full of romance with a touch of suspense.  It is also includes Hartman's trademark sweet characters with a soft spot for cats.

Kitty Sullyard is the oldest of three sisters, making a living by selling panoramas in the park.  The three sisters live with their cousin, Roger, a bitter man, who just wants to marry off his wards.  Both Kitty and Roger see a chance to something better when Stratford Bexley takes an interest in using Kitty's panoramas for his father's paper.  Suddenly, Kitty is being whisked around the sights of London by both Stratford and his cousin, Nathaniel.  Both appear rather rakish, but Kitty senses there is more to Nathaniel, and ends up needing to trust him with her life.

Color of Deception is a fun story with great characters, but I wish the suspense played a larger role.  The book started with Kitty's kidnapping before flashing back to the events leading up to it, but it was more than two-thirds through before any part of the story related to that incident came to light.  Other than that, though, this was a classic Ruth J. Hartman novel, quickly enfolding the reader in its cozy and sweet world.


Rating 3/5

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Baudolino

Title: Baudolino
Author: Umberto Eco
Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2344-1
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: There were parts of this that were really fun and fantastic (as in full of fantasy), but then there were other parts that were just way too slow and couldn't hold my attention.  The narrator, though, had a very smooth and pleasant voice, so that helped during those down moments.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/6-3/12

For review (on Bookloons):
Cousin Joseph by Jules Feiffer

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

Title: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
Author: Katarina Bivald
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmarks
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2344-1
Why Read?: Book Reporter

Thoughts: If you love books about books, this book is for you.  If you love books about small towns, this books is for you.  If you love books about unexpected love, this book is for you.  The world and characters that Bivald has created are so quaint, funny, and lovable, that the pages simply fly by.

Rating: 5 stars

Friday, March 11, 2016

Candidate

Title: Candidate
Author: Tracy Ewens
Publisher: author
ISBN: 978-0-9908571-2-9
Why Read?: Fresh Fiction

Thoughts: This may be called "a love story", but it is so much more than that.  Really a fun read about a strong woman and an insecure man and how the two complete each other.

Rating: 4 stars

From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant

Title: From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
Author: Alex Gilvarry
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 978-0-670-02319-6
Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Don't let the title fool you, this is indeed fiction, but it is written as a memoir, expertly blending the story of both Boy's rise to fame and his time as a prisoner.

Rating: 3 stars

Sunday, March 6, 2016

In the Box: February 2016 Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack

This month's Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack was about back to their normal shipping schedule (I think it just felt a little late due to February being a short month).  The subscription is $44.99 a month and you can choose the Big Kid option (for those without kids - like me), or the Family option.  Their site does not have referral links set up yet, nor can you log into your account yet, but they do have a referral program, so if you do decide after reading my review to try it, I would very much appreciate if you told them you heard about it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com.

For December, the main game was Codenames (a $19.99 value) from Czech Game Editions.  I have seen this at the store and thought like it looked like a fun party game.  Now I need to have a party so I can play it.

This month, I received a small game and a puzzle. The game was 5 Crowns Mini Round (a $5.00 value) from Set Games.  Mini Rounds are Set's portable versions of their classic games. The puzzle is Lighthouse(a $7.99 value) from Mega Puzzle's Vibrant series.  The artwork is gorgeous and the the box is incredibly well-made for a puzzle.

The collectible this month was a Drax Guardians of the Galaxy Dorbz (a $7.95 value) from Funko.  This is so aDORBZable (he he).  I also received these cool Dark Side of Oz Tin Man Standard Deck Protectors (a $3.99 value) from Ultra Pro.  This month's Awesome Pack swag was the poster again.

This month was a total hit for me with Awesome Pack, but the lowest value one ever.  It came in at an $44.92 value, and I paid $44.95, which included shipping. If you would like to subscribe, once again, I ask that you say you heard it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com.  (Please note: as games and collectibles can vary in price based on demand, I tried to take the price from the manufacturers site whenever possible.)

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Stacking the Shelves: 2/28-3/5

For review (on Bookloons):
The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson

First Reads from Goodreads
Any Resemblance to a Coincidence Is Accidental by Stephen C. Bird
Cemetery Girl by Joseph Cognard
Getting Away with Murder by George C. Mallinckrodt

LibraryThing Early Review:
V4 Vengeance by Nigel Seed
The Creepshow by Adria J. Cimino

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Murder.com

Title: Murder.com
Author: David Deutsch
Publisher: Gemma Halliday
ISBN: 9781943587032
Why Read?: Fresh Fiction

Thoughts: This was a fun thriller, but it did need a little more action.  It was nice to be dumped right into the start of the mystery with exposition added as needed, but a few parts still dragged some.

Rating: 3 stars

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Suee and the Shadow Part 2

Title: Suee and the Shadow Part 2
Author: Ginger Ly, Molly, and Kay Lee
Publisher: Bhive
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: Early Review

Thoughts: Another cliffhanger!  I thought this was only a two-parter, but now I must know how things end.  Some questions are answered and things get even creepier, but there is so much more to learn.

Rating: 4 stars

To Light the Dragon's Fire

Title: To Light the Dragon's Fire
Author: Margaret Taylor
Publisher: Amazon Digital Editions
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: Fresh Fiction

Thoughts: I was expecting a little more "romance", but instead, got a lot more fantasy, which was excellent.  The world-building was amazing, the plot was engaging, and the romance was not trashy.

Rating: 4 stars