Book Reviews

Posted in Book Reviews

My first take on a photography book review!

Posted on by Little Bee

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My Rating: 4 stars

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

Lately, I have been stepping outside of my comfort zone regarding books. I have never reviewed a book of photography before and it has been about 10 years since my last photography course in which we also learned how to critique photos. Therefore, in this review, I will not be reviewing the aesthetics, since that is a little outside of my zone and knowledge base.

One thing that I do like about this book is that it’s not all photography. I do love photography, however, it is nice to read descriptions as well. Since I have never been to Norway, the “Impressions” sections were nice. I was seeing through the eyes of the authors and photographers. So it is up to them to get me to feel like I am there. Having that said, I did come across a couple of errors/typos. On page 16, “and” should be “an” in the first sentence. On page 24, first paragraph, last sentence, I believe there is a word missing? “But thanks TO nature…”? I re-read that sentence a couple times, something just seems missing.

I wish the the photos had titles so I could refer directly to them. But my favorite photos can be found on pages 30, 32, 43, 57, 67 and 77. As an avid hiker, these made me miss the hiking season and put Norway on my list of hikes I wish to go on in the future. I also want to point out, how close the ecosystem is to that of the Guadalupe Mountains (Texas) and Mt. Wheeler (New Mexico). I presume these were taken somewhere in fall/winter, but it looks a lot like the summer time in West Texas’ Guadalupe Mountains! Nothing wrong with that. Would love to see some vibrant photos when Mother Nature is at her most luscious self!

Posted in Spicy Romance

My favorite sexy werewolf got his own book

Posted on by Little Bee

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My rating: 4 stars

This book is a very quick read. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Let me point out, there are a TON of reviews on Goodreads that this book is all sex and no monsters…well…that is the damn point! This book was a lovely, sexy, break from all the boogeymen. If you don’t want to read it, then don’t. I can’t see how any of what happened will really be pertinent in later books (except if she actually cuts Jade loose).

If you are a prude, or can’t admit you like sexy stuff…then pass this book by because you will be disappointed. If you can’t handle a little “fudge ripple” and only want straight vanilla…move on a long then. This book isn’t for you. If you don’t mind reading about taboos, are comfortable with your own sexy preferences and do enjoy the sexier side of Anita Blake, then you will not be disappointed.

If any of you follow Hamilton’s twitter, you will see how close Anita’s life is to her own. Their little happy poly family, is similar. If those are things you can’t get your head around, why are you still reading this series? This series is so much more than vampire hunting. Anita has to face some really serious stigmas that a lot of women face on a daily basis! Our sex lives are always scrutinized (if we admit we like sex, we are considered whores), if we are hard workers then we had to have sexed up someone to get our position…seriously. SO yes, I enjoy reading about the new challenges Anita faces and how she handles them. How she dissects them. This book is no different. People just need to quit their bitching. You can clearly see from the description of this book that it is going to be sex filled shenanigans. If you don’t want to read it, then don’t.

I also don’t understand how people rate this book without even reading it…based solely on it’s description and their disappointment! Really? What is the purpose of that?

This book makes Anita realize that she is not uncomfortable with having women in her life, but that she needs strong women like the strong men. I keep forgetting who Jade is and trying to remember when she came about in the series. To my knowledge, she is not prevalent that much since her acquisition from her abusive master. I thought the sex scenes were well written, as usual. Of course I will read any scene with Jason, Domino and Nathaniel in them. Not really sure how much more to write for this review, ha. It was all sex and dealing with Anita’s Jade problem, which she did. It was short, sweet and to the point. I do wish it had a bit more of Jason in the story line.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Posted on by Little Bee

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Overall rating: 4 stars

I am on a mission to read all the books that are banned or challenged in the US. I want to point out that upon some investigating of these banned/challenged books, most of them have a subject matter that happened in the US or is currently happening in the US. For example, To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned or challenged in many states because of its strong story line regarding racism in the south. I want to point out, that many of the states banning or challenging this book are SOUTHERN. Now, I am from the south. I was born in Mississippi. I don’t think you can get more southern than that. I think books like To Kill a Mockingbird are important. I don’t agree that it puts the south in a bad light. Racism, slavery…these are a part of the United State’s history and it is important to teach our children and future generations to PREVENT such hatred from continuing. You can’t ban historical events. You just cant. It is like all those people who swear up and down that the Holocaust never happened. It just doesn’t work that way.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is another one of these books. I am pretty sure the reason for banning or challenging is “Let’s not allow children to read this because it shows how horrible “white” citizens were to Native Americans.” I want to point out that my grandfather was not allowed to go to school with “whites.” He also left his education early and eventually went on to work into the Nuclear industry. My family never lived on a reservation, but they experienced poverty and bigotry regardless. This story broke my heart. Some of the events are from memories of Sherman Alexie’s life. How atrocious of a society are we?

Books like these are important because someone needs to teach future generations that there is no superior race and every other lesson that can be found in these stories. In fact, there are studies that indicate within in the next 50-100 years there won’t even be a pure “white” person. Color of your skin does not create a person. It does not indicate that you are better than someone else.

So now that some of my feelings and viewpoints are out of the way, let’s talk about the book eh? I think this book was well written. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry, it basically made me FEEL. That is why we read, right? To feel something after the book is over? The truth is, these are very real situations that happen. Maybe a lot of us put it out of our minds because we do not have direct experience with it. Sherman Alexie makes you feel from start to finish. For his first YA, this is a definite hit. I felt for Junior in this story. He was caught between two worlds. He was successful in the white world, but was failing in his own Native American world. He was a stranger in both. It took him deciding to go to a different school where he was the only Native American for him to discover the possibilities. To know he was strong and that he could do anything he put his mind to. That he could give his life purpose beyond alcohol and poverty and death and loss. Alcoholism is prevalent in this society.  I, myself, have to be careful because many of my family have a problem and have struggled.  I think Junior was successful in how he handled everything he went through. Every emotion. He had no one to really talk to, because he was always the outcast. Junior was the caged bird that broke free. He felt guilty, but he soared higher and higher.

If you haven’t read this story, I do suggest it. It is very moving. I only gave it 4 stars because I felt like it could have used a bit more. Junior went through a lot during that school year, but I wanted something significant to really happen. So that is just my opinion. If you read it, be sure to read between the lines for the full message of this story 🙂

Posted in YA Book Reviews

Santa Claus vs. The Aliens…a Real Disappointment!

Posted on by Little Bee

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Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book so bad you just didn’t know how to put your feelings to words? How do you go about writing a review for a book that took you almost 3 months to get through 120 pages?  So why did I give it 3 stars on Goodreads to keep it’s rating high? I guess that extra half was a pity star.

First, it is important to note that this book is geared towards middle grade readers. I want to point out that I am completely capable of reading middle grade aged books. Some of my favorites are:

  1. Fablehaven (Brandon Mull)
  2. Vampirates (Jason Somper)
  3. Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus (Rick Riordan)

I want it known now, at the beginning of this review, that the low rating was not because I couldn’t review this book for the age group it is geared towards. I can, as I have done reviews for this age group in the past. So where did this story go horribly wrong? At it’s execution.

I think this story line held a lot of promise and could have been something fantastic. I get that it is more for male readers, but that is not the issue. Reading this book almost felt like I was reading something translated directly into English. It felt broken, incorrect word usage and incorrect use of commas. For example, the first paragraph in Chapter 9 was one sentence. It contained almost 100 words (I counted) and 7 commas. I can’t even begin to explain how irked that made me. There were times I had to re-read sections multiple times just to make sure I understood what was happening. Sometimes you couldn’t tell who was talking because what was said didn’t fit the situation or the person who was supposedly saying it. Another major issue I had was the atrocious way Edwin talked! Look, I get that it is based in New York City and I can see why you want to get the “accent” across, but really? Here is an example:

 

Yeah, that’s it. I got some kinda cold or flu or summin’ and I’m de-loosional. None of that stuff happened today. No, can’t be. That’s crazy tawk. To think I actually thought that that all really happened! Ha! Whatta dope I am!

There is so much more grammatically wrong with this whole story, but I think I will talk about some positives. I like the reference to Krampus that Sister Clara referenced in the book. If I didn’t know the story behind Krampus in the Alpine culture, I would have completely missed this during Edwin’s flashback to the Boogen and ‘Sami Claus.’ I am curious as to why StreetSmart is trademarked in the story…? I will point out at the end there is a “Christian message.” The author mentions it as an “underlying” message, but it is blatant and in your face. I don’t have issues with this, but I felt like it was beaten to death. In fact, in some situations there were so many descriptions I would skip the rest of the paragraph. Some extremely long run on sentences actually repeated the same words, becoming completely redundant and having zero purpose in the story at all.

Goodreads reviews says this book has 4 stars. I read some of the reviews, majority of the readers gave it 4 and 5 stars. Which makes me ask myself two questions: 1) did I get a rough draft copy while others got the corrected version? or 2) am I the only reviewer who couldn’t get past the horrible grammatical structure of the ENTIRE story? I feel like maybe the second question is more applicable. Maybe everyone else overlooked the execution and stuck with the story line?  Am I the only one on this planet that cannot enjoy a story that has horrible grammar?  I think this story line held so much promise and I bet if some major edits were made, it would be more enjoyable. Making edits will not distort the idea of the story, but enhance it and make it more enjoyable and easier to get lost into this Christmas Eve adventure with Edwin.

Actually, after making it through this review, I am probably going to take away my pity star…Oh the conflict!

Posted in Romance

Phenomenal X (mmmm…)

Posted on by Little Bee

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Overall rating: 3.5-4 Stars

Narrator rating: Alexandria Wilde 4.5 Stars

                                 Sean Crisden 2 stars

I gave this book 4 stars. I am somewhere between 3.5 and 4. I think the story held a lot of promise, but maybe for me, it fell a bit short because I just didn’t connect fully. Let me explain:

There seem to be a lot of books out there where good girls tame bad boys, or fix broken boys, etc. I get that Anna is supposed to be escaping from her father and branching out on her own, but her prudeness got to be a little much sometimes. I did like Anna’s character though, and I loved Xavier. Sure, I am not a big fan of bad boys, but Xavier is the sex. I would never want to tame him,  I mentioned in a status update on Goodreads that I would use him just like he uses other women. It would be purely sexual and I am so okay with that.

The point is, I am getting a bit tired of the whole good girl/bad boy thing going on these days. I understand in this book why Xavier is a bad boy, but I dont know, can’t we have a bad girl and a bad boy taming each other?! Or maybe a good girl/boy finding their inner devil 😉 Spice it up!

I do like the sex scenes in this story. One thing I can’t stand is when authors write “he touches my sex…” I can’t connect to that. If and when I read smutty, steamy novels, I want to feel it. I love when a scene was so well written I need a cigarette after (and I don’t smoke). A quick way for me to lose interest is using terms that aren’t relateable. I am not afraid of reading the “p” word (I say it this way for the simple fact that out of respect to my younger Goodreads friends and followers) in a sex scene. That’s hot! I want to hear what I would hear if it were me in that scene! Though the scenes weren’t fireworks, they held for a lot of promise.

At the end of the day all I can say is THAT END THOUGH! There is a major cliffhanger. So, if you don’t want to have to be stranded with the literary version of blue balls, wait until the second and final book comes out (date not yet given).

I listened to this as an audiobook. I think Alexandria Wilde did a phenomenal job. At first it took me a little getting used to her narrating style, but it worked. I loved her voice for Xavier. She made him sound all grovely and sexy. So when I heard Sean Crisden reading the few Xavier chapters, it just didn’t do it for me! I was left wanting and disappointed. The voice just wasn’t sexy. It made me a little sad that Alexandria Wilde’s voice for Xavier makes you feel things when the narrator who read Xavier’s chapters left you going “WTF”

Posted in YA Book Reviews

The Graveyard Book

Posted on by Little Bee

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I will make this short, sweet, and too the point! Primarily because I wanted to review this book sooner, but it took me a while to get to it (10 days since I finished it)

Rating: 5 stars

Audiobook rating: 5 stars (full cast version)

This was my second Neil Gaiman book and I feel like I should have started with this book first.

The story was well written. I liked how every chapter was a different story in the life of Nobody Owens. Each chapter being a snippet of an experience of Bod’s life like a puzzle piece being placed and the end of the story is the final picture each puzzle piece was responsible for.

If you haven’t read it, I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending made me tear up. I wonder if all of his endings are like this. My previous experience, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, also had a saddish ending. I also like that we meet a character in The Graveyard Book that is related to the Hempstocks from The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

I listened to this book as a full cast audiobook. This elevated the story to a level I didn’t even think was possible. Each character was brought to life by it’s own narrator making this story that much more enjoyable.

I do look forward to expanding my Neil Gaiman repitore and I wonder why it took me so long to begin reading him in the first place! I enjoyed this book so much I suggested it to my mother who listened to my audiobook in one weekend.

Posted in Book Reviews

The Paper Magician

Posted on by Little Bee

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Rating: 4 Stars

Narrator Rating: 5 Stars

I first received this book through the Kindle First program but decided to listen to it instead….WONDERFUL idea!

Historical fiction is sometimes hit or miss for me, but this is definitely a hit! McFadden’s delivery captured me from the very beginning. Ceony was annoying until she finally let go of her anger about being forced into paper magic. I understand her sorrow/anger/aggravation, I’m not sure that I would’ve chosen paper magic either. That’s why she was forced.

I totally have a crush on Magician Emory Thane. If this were a movie I think Ian Somerholder would be a perfect fit.

I think Ceony was a little harsh on her quick clouded judgment on Thane and it was a nice bittersweet moment for her when she realized it and questioned how often had she done it before (because she was wrong)/

I gave this book 4 stars because, without giving too much away, I’m not sure what purpose the bulk of the book served. The specific chapters regarding when Ceony was trapped inside of Thane’s heart. I only see three purposes it served:

1) She developed a greater understanding and respect for Thane
2) A few spells she learned that helped her defeat Lira
3) How Lira became the way she is

Other than those reasons, it served no purpose. And it took up A LOT of chapters.On the flip side, it was nice to learn more about Thane.

The ending was feel-good and expected. But it was one of the few times that “expected” worked. Usually I am not a fan of too predictable of an ending. In this case, I was anxious to see how it played out to get to the ending.

I started this book with a smile and I ended it with a smile. It was magical, heart warming (sometimes heart breaking). with a dash of romance (but not romance at the same time…more of a heart opening experience). I am looking forward to the rest of this trilogy. The characters are lovable, they experience growth when growth is expected.

Amy McFadden was EXCELLENT in her delivery. Every voice and emotion was spot on. She elevated the experience of this story to a whole other level. She puts you into the scenes with Ceony. You experience Ceony’s journey like you are by her side the whole time.

Posted in Book Reviews

I’m Still Here

Posted on by Little Bee

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My rating: 5 stars

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. This is my honest review.

There will be a minor spoiler at the end of this review. Just throwing it out there.

I was super excited when I found out that I had won this book. It is one book that I truly wanted and wanted badly. The whole premise just sounded spot on. Kathryn Biel delivered.

Esther has this sense of humor that is completely relatable. I enjoyed every interaction she had with Kingston. Their banter was spot on. My heart broke for Esther having a family that didn’t want her. Who couldn’t care less about her. My heart hurt for her for having a twin sister that just suddenly disappeared. Esther tried moving on with her life as if Aster was dead, because she truly thought she was.

Like you can read in other Goodreads reviews, I laughed throughout this book. I cried. I was angry. I was in shock. My heart literally hurt. I got so anxious that I had to read faster and I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t read any faster than I was. This was truly a phenomenal read. I am glad I got to go on the journey with Esther. (Spoiler)–I wish she retained her memory, but I am glad that her and Kingston were able to further their relationship and she let him and that he was man enough to stay when everything happened. Some men that would have scared off. It was nice to see a nice strong male lead so deserving a strong woman. Esther had everything I want in a female protagonist. She is strong. She is independent. She is witty. She is relatable. She has strength when everyone around her is barely holding on. She has perseverance like I haven’t seen in a character. She just keeps moving, keeps going forward, keeps doing what she has to do to keep her head above water. When she finally drowns, the family she never had, rescues her and gives her the will to keep going.

I highly recommend this book to pretty much everyone! It was so good. I read it all in one sitting. I was left just…feeling. I wasn’t even sure how to write this review. It was a moving story and I will definitely be seeking out more of Biel’s works.

Posted in YA Book Reviews

As Red As Blood

Posted on by Little Bee

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Goodreads rating: 2 stars

Narrator Rating: 4 stars

 

First, let me say, this review will contain a spoiler. I am just not sure how to write my true feelings and reasons for the low rating without giving away things. I won’t give away much, but enough to justify my feelings.

I originally received this book for free through the Kindle First Program. After multiple failed attempts to start this book, I gave up trying. Recently, I saw that I could get this book super cheap on Audible. I figured I could attempt it again this way. I can say that I finished the book.

This book was difficult or me to get into. Throughout the story, I kept getting lost during a half-assed flashback. The flashbacks were so vague that I didn’t think I would ever understand why Lumikki was such a badass. I thought of everything this girl could have gone through to become how she is. I thought maybe she was sexually abused as a child or maybe she was involved with the mafia (because how else would a 17 year old girl know how to do half the stuff she does). But no. Lumikki wasn’t an escaped victim of the sex trade, or a prostitute trying to hide from her pimp. She had no ties to the mafia. So…how did Lumikki become the ninja level master of disguise? *SPOILER* She was BULLIED Before I continue, I want to note that bullying is NEVER okay. EVER. I am simply stating that it is hard to believe that a bullied girl could suddenly exhibit CIA level covert, operating detective skills WITHOUT help in such a short time. I just can’t make that connection. The way Lumikki is now suggests something much more sinister than being beat up and bullied by a couple of mean girls she knew since she was a little girl. Yeah, the bullying was really bad. I can see how it would impact Lumikki’s life. Just not with these types of skills.

I know, I know…sometimes bullied kids retaliate in the most atrocious way. This isn’t like that. This girl became a sneaky super spy for herself. And ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time involving a bunch of drug lords and knew how to handle herself in the situation and how to investigate at such a high skill level. It just isn’t logical for Lumikki to be a bullied victim and have these skills.

A plus side is that Lumikki isn’t a damsel in distress. She is a very strong protagonist. For me, she isn’t 100% relatable but you do warm up to her. Her quirks make it harder to accept that she was bullied and that is why she knows how to walk 20 different ways or look less like herself on the fly. Or even how to snoop around a house with someone inside and they have no clue she is there.

This is apparently the first book in a trilogy, which has me confused. This book ENDED. What is there left for 2 full books? This book held a lot of promise, but for me, it failed to deliver. There is always a lot going on, which usually makes for an interesting story, but the climax just built with the end being a dud.

My narrator rating was high because the narrator was good. There were times some emotion wouldn’t have hurt. There were also times where her characters blended together and you couldn’t tell who was talking or if it was a flashback.

Posted in Middle Grade

It’s a Pandy thing.

Posted on by Little Bee

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My rating: 4 stars

 

I received this book for my honest review

My overall impressions of this book was that it is cute for the target age group.

Tony Pandy, the main character, is a bit selfish, self absorbed, sarcastic, mean and a bit on the jerk side. As the story develops, Tony also develops. At first, Tony’s behavior frustrated me. But as the story unfolds and you see how sad of a life Tony truly has, it makes sense. Tony is really sick, wheel chair bound, and not many years of life left.

Tony’s “father” died and Tony did not want to go to the funeral. In fact, Tony never went outside. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t get down the stairs in his wheelchair because there was no wheel chair ramp in the house. Further, it had been years since Tony even saw his own mother. They communicated via intercom in the house.

My favorite character was Hawes. I was so sad when Hawes was fired. I am curious about his background though…but Hawes showed Tony that not everyone is in his life for the money. Hawes genuinely wants to help Tony. How did Tony repay Hawes? Tony tricked Hawes into believing Tony’s mother approved of an outing. The end result? Tony’s oxygen tank depleted and he ended up in the hospital.

This story really is an underdog story. There isn’t ever really a slow moment. There is a lot of growth, a lot of “mysteries” to be solved and gaining a life worth staying alive for.

My one issue is that I felt it just kind of ended. I believe this is a series book? If not, the ending left me wanting. I am okay with happy endings, or bad endings that I didn’t want to happen, I just need an ending! I am curious about what Assignment Two is and am looking forward to reading when it is released! Aside from being asked for my honest review of the book, even though Mr. Lundqvist’s grass needs mowed, he really needs to finishGang of Sleuths. The grass can be mowed later!

If you have middle grade kids, this is definitely a fun little read.