Stacking the Shelves: 4/17-4/30

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Mary Astor's Purple Diary by Edward Sorel

First Reads from Goodreads:

400 Calories or Less with Our Best Bites by Sara Wells & Kate Jones

Marked for Life by Emelie Schepp

Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen by Alison Weir

Bought on Humble Bundle:

The Demon Awakens by R. A. Salvatore

The Demon Spirit by R. A. Salvatore

The Demon Apostle by R. A. Salvatore

Mortalis by R. A. Salvatore

Ascendance by R. A. Salvatore

Transcendence by R. A. Salvatore

Immortalis by R. A. Salvatore

The Highwayman by R. A. Salvatore

Aoleyn by R. A. Salvatore

Beside the Music

Title: Beside the Music
Author: BJ Knapp
Publisher: Booktrope

ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Early Review

Thoughts: I had a very hard time getting into this, and I think most of it had to do with the present tense, especially considering the amount of recounting in past tense.  Also, I just could not connect with the characters and it was a very character-driven novel.

Rating: 2 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 4/10-4/16

For possible review (on Bookloons):

The Safest Lies by Megan Miranda

Never Missing Never Found by Amanda Panitch

Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten

First Reads from Goodreads:

Men by Xondra Day

Hollow World

Title: Hollow World
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher: Recorded Books

ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: This is the best futuristic time travel novel I have ever read.  The world Sullivan imagines is completely believable yet fantastic at the same time.  I really appreciate how he incorporates so many weighty themes while keeping the story entertaining and fast-paced.  I cannot recommend this book enough.

Rating: 5 stars

In the Box: March 2016 Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack

This month's Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack was delayed, but they are always good about letting subscribers know.  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 Hostage Negotiation (a $25.00 value) from Van Ryder Games.  What is super cool about this it is solely a single-player game!

This month, I received two additional games, but one could also be considered a collectible. First we have David L. Hoyt's Word Winder (a $12.99 value) from HL Games Unlimited.  This is the signature edition and can also be used to play RaceWinder. The game/collectible is My Little Pony Collectible Card Game Premiere Pack (a $5.00 value) from Enterplay.  I used to love CCGs, so I am kinda excited about this, even if I am not a fan of the current Ponies.

The collectible this month was a Harley Quinn Pop! Pin (a $5.50 value) from Funko.  Love this!  This month's Awesome Pack swag was the postcard again.

This month was another great one for me with Awesome Pack.  It came in at an $48.49 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.)

Stacking the Shelves: 4/3-4/9

For review (on Bookloons):

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

First Reads from Goodreads:

The Mermaid's Secret by Katie Schickel

Must Remember by Colleen S. Myers

Divah by Susannah Appelbaum

The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian

LibraryThing Early Review:

The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow

Bought on Humble Bundle:

City of the Saints by D. J. Butler

Echoes of a Shattered Age by Ramon Terrell

Virtual Destruction by Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason

The Feather and the Moon Well by Shean Pao, David Farland, & Discovery

The Chronological Man by Andrew Mayne

A Tale of Red Riding: Rise of the Alpha Huntress by Neo Edmund

Resurrection, Inc by Kevin J. Anderson

Oshenerth by Alan Dean Foster

The Iron Thane by Jason Henderson

Chemical Burn by Quincy J. Allen

The Dandy Boys Mysteries by Peter J. Wacks & J. R. Boyett

Artifact by Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berliner, Matthew E. Costello, & F. Paul Wilson

Four Unpublished Novels by Frank Herbert

The Maids of Wrath by Josh Vogt

Rescue from Planet Pleasure by Mario Acevedo

Dandelion Iron by Aaron Michael Ritchey
Night Terrors by John A. Pitts

Cypher

Title: Cypher
Author: Cathy Perkins
Publisher: Red Mountain

ISBN: 978-1-942003-00-7

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Sort of a police procedural with some romance, this story went in some directions that did not seem the most intuitive.  The mystery and the suspense needed to be tighter, and might have been if the characters were more endearing.

Rating: 2 stars

Daemon

Title: Daemon
Author: Daniel Suarez
Publisher: Signet

ISBN: 978-0-451-22873-4

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: An interesting high-tech thriller with just enough plausibility to make it scary.  However, a little too long with too many characters

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/27-4/2

First Reads from Goodreads: 

Provenance of Bondage by Kyrian Lyndon

LibraryThing Early Review:

Empress by Alma Alexander