Category: Book Reviews

Posted in Book Reviews

The Girl On the Train

Posted on by Little Bee

22557272

 

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads Rating: 3 stars 

 

Even though I have given this book a rating of 3 stars, for me, it is more of a 2.5.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while, however, I felt myself having to push through it. I almost quit reading it. The writing style is not my type. I couldn’t get into Gone Girl for very similar reasons.

I figured out who the killer was, even though the author tries to throw you off. I figured out what ailed Morgan to end up getting her killed. It was, to me, predictable…which is a big reason I stopped reading mysteries.

This book was very slow and very hard to get into. I know a lot of people have given it rave reviews, and maybe my review will get tossed to the side and ignored. However, I read this with a few friends and we all felt the same way.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this is a story about a drunk who rides a train to a job she no longer has so her roommate doesn’t start to worry about rent. The train stops outside houses where drunk used to live. Every day said drunk sees one couple at their home (sometimes just the woman). Every day train goes by, and drunk creates a life for the people she sees at that happy home. Then one day, drunk sees something else. At first, I the reader, thought maybe she witnessed the attack, but no, that is not it. The drunk also has many black out episodes, and she struggles hard with sobriety trying to figure out what exactly she saw during her last blackout. Did the drunk see something on the day that Morgan went missing and was killed? Will people believe her? Who do you think did it? The husband? An ex? The therapist? Some other random person in her life? Can you figure out who it was?

My least favorite character was Anna, the new wife of the ex-husband of the drunk. Rachel (the drunk) and Anna were at odds. The man in question, Tom, cheated on Rachel with Anna during the marriage and then Anna got pregnant, Tom divorced Rachel, and moved Anna in and got married rather quickly. Rachel tried stealing their baby once. She will call in her blackout states, email, etc. Struggling to hold on, struggling to let it go. Anna and Tom live on the same block as Megan, the girl who ultimately goes missing.

You will have to give it a try for yourself to see if it is enjoyable. If this is your kind of writing style, then there should be no problem. But if you need some excitement, through the whole story, and not just the last 50ish pages, then this book may miss it’s mark completely.

Posted in Book Reviews

Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men

Posted on by Little Bee

5999242.jpg

Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men written by Molly Harper, Narrated by Amanda Ronconi

Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

Narrator Rating: 5 stars

 

This is book 2 in the Jane Jameson series. I read the first one in 2014, and enjoyed it immensely. I got my mom hooked on this series and pretty much every series written by Molly Harper and she has listened to every single audiobook out there in existence of Molly Harper’s.

I was a little disappointed with this book. I felt there was so much action and drama to get through, this book just kind of fell flat for me. I felt there was too much back and forth drama between Jane and Gabriel that was annoying and I would have given up on a LONG time ago. I felt what was going on with Zeb could have had a bigger impact or plot thickener than what it was.

I was also a bit turned off by Jane’s family and am HOPING this changes. I also felt it was unjust that the Grandma felt the way she did about Jane…but in light of the discoveries Jane made…Grandma wasn’t upset or dissuaded with her own life possibly on the fringe of ending. For most of the story being based on Jolene, I felt like there is still more to know about the family and I wished it would have gotten into it on a deeper level.

Amanda Ronconi is a great narrator and delivered again in the sequel to Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs. I am looking forward to making my way through the rest of this series and I hope that the unanswered questions left dangling in this book, will be answered soon!

Posted in Book Reviews

Daring

Posted on by Little Bee

20454084

Daring by Elliott James

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars

IMG_20151118_213615

I want to first start by saying, I LOVE this series. This is the second book in the Pax Arcana series by Elliott James. For a sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal series, it is probably one of the single most entertaining reads I have read in a while. You can check out the review for Charming here: Charmed, I’m Sure

Unlike in Charming, the Knights Templar have a bigger role. You meet more Knights, including the very head honcho who puts John Charming up to an ultimatum: his life, and his friends’ lives be spared, if he infiltrated a wolf pack, and brought a human/knights killer to justice. And by justice…he means death.

Be prepared for just as much wit, fighting, betrayal, and humor as the first book. If you make time for the books, they are pretty quick reads due to their humor and story flow. There is not a lot of stalling in the story, and everything progresses at a normal, expected speed, with not really any filler or bits of information that if removed from the story, would not have altered it. Everything part in this story was necessary for story to progress appropriately.

And like the first book, I still picture that hunk John Charming being played in my head by Joe Manganiello! mmmm mmm mm!

Posted in Book Reviews

Ready Player One

Posted on by Little Bee

9969571.jpg

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Narrated by Will Wheaton

Goodreads rating: 4 stars

Narrator: 4 stars

 

My boyfriend and I listened to this book together on the way to Mississippi from good Ol West Texas during the Thanksgiving holiday. It is not typically a book I would read, or be interested in, (Between what he had said about the book and others who have heard about it, I did ultimately put it on my TBR list for a later date,) but my boyfriend had been wanting to listen to it (he is not big on any books really), so I decided to listen with him.

I want to admit, the entire time I was listening, I kept thinking about Sheldon Cooper and Will Wheaton’s issues on Big Bang Theory.

This book, in case you didn’t already know, is about video games. And not just any video game, but a video game that pretty much took over Real Life. There were actual jobs that people could get in the Oasis video game, and when the work day was over, they simply left the simulation. When the game’s creator died, he left a challenge for the players, a way to inherit EVERYTHING he owned. This story was about the Main Character, Wade Watts’ journey through the game to his ultimate winning of the game (no this is not a spoiler, he even talks about it in the beginning of the book).

Even though I knew Watts would win, I found myself anxious in some parts because it just didn’t seem probable for him to win. Watts had everything going against him. Including multiple near death experiences.

I can’t really compare this book to anything else I have ever read, because I haven’t read anything quite like it. I enjoy Science Fiction/Dystopian novels from time to time, most are usually overplayed, but this one is completely different. I liked that it is a gamer’s dystopian and not just the normal run of the mill rundown country that destroyed itself. Yes, the world in 2045 is not the same we know today, but it is still functioning in some capacity. I am not much into video games, but I probably would have gotten into this hoopla found in Oasis. Sounds like my kind of game!

I don’t want to go much further into a review, one, I really don’t feel like I am capable of giving away much more than what I have due to possible spoilers; two, because I have never read this kind of book before, I am not sure how to address my feelings of the overall book. I enjoyed the book. I feel it deserves the rating provide by myself, but also the overall rating it has on Goodreads as well. I think Wheaton did a great job narrating it, made it worthwhile. I have been on the fence about another book Wheaton narrated, but now that I have heard his skills, I will give other books narrated by him a try.

Ultimately, it comes down to this. I enjoyed listening to this book with my boyfriend while we made the 30 hour round trip drive. It combined both of our loves, my love of reading, and his love of video games. It was something we could do together and talk about.

Posted in Book Reviews

Appetizers of the Gods

Posted on by Little Bee

Goodreads rating: 4 stars

Narrator/Performance Rating: 5 stars

I was given this book by the author through AudiobookBlast dot com in exchange for my honest review.

This book went kind of slow at the beginning and I found myself questioning where it was even going. After the four leprechaun brothers arrived at Colin’s home, the story picked up pace and I found myself laughing and enjoying the book.

This book is uniquely original and can get through it pretty quick. I found each of the 4 brothers to be enjoyable and I loved when they were interacting in the story. I liked how each character brought something to the overall plot.

Posted in Book Reviews

Bull Sharks vs The City of Chicago

Posted on by Little Bee

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars

I received a copy of this Audiobook through Audiobook blast dot com from the author in exchange for my honest review.

I really like sonicmovies now. I think this is my third reviewing for the author and I have found that it is entertaining and his short stories are packed with excitement.

I like the humor he puts into each of his stories. I found myself laughing in Bull Sharks vs. The City of Chicago. I am really starting to feel sorry for Chicago….they seem to get hit a lot…Zombies….bull sharks…they can’t win 🙂

I look forward to listening to more of Yancy’s work!

Posted in Book Reviews

Misunderstanding

Posted on by Little Bee

61Mx0ygn5LL._SL300_

Misunderstanding by K Anderson Yancy

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars

Narrator rating: 5 stars

I received this book from the author/narrator through audiobook blast dot com in exchange for my honest review.

The music is loud with audible but it’s supposed to be clear in the original format. It is still enjoyable to listen too, there is just some playback noise.

In this story there is what is called a proxy father and a proxy father is sent to married couples by the government when after 5 years the couple does not or cannot conceive a child. This couple is waiting for their proxy father to arrive when a knock at the door produces a baby photographer. You can see where this is going? The photographer and the wife have a conversation but the whole time are on two different topics. The baby photographer talks about his success rates for his photo sessions while the woman assumes he is talking about all the ways he has helped women conceive.

I laughed the whole time I listened. I have quite a few of this author’s audio productions and I have enjoyed them immensely. They are short, sweet and to the point.

Posted in Book Reviews

Daughters of Men Blog Tour

Posted on by Little Bee

daughters of men

Daughters of Men

by A.R. Draeger

published April 5, 2015

Devastated by the loss of her son, Rebecca is struggling to salvage her marriage to Jacob, a cold and detached pastor. When he goes on a men’s hunting retreat and does not return on time, Rebecca fears the worst. Jacob arrives three days late, citing bad weather and poor cell service as the reasons none of the men called home. Jacob appears healthy, but Rebecca is concerned with the deep gashes on his arms and is even more alarmed when he tells her that he stitched them himself. As the weeks pass, Rebecca begins to wonder what happened in the mountains. Jacob is not the same man he was before. While she is relieved he is no longer detached, she cannot comprehend why he’s become so flirtatious, so sexually aggressive. So obsessive. Jacob’s odd behavior mounts, and the actions of the men who joined Jacob on the retreat grow more and more strange, convincing Rebecca that the men who came home are not the men who left. Who are these pretenders… and what have they done with her husband?

Screenshot 2015-11-03 at 7.40.56 AM

Daughters of Men is the second book published by A.R. Draeger. I received this book for my honest review and to participate in this blog tour. My overall rating for this book is 4 stars.

A.R. Draeger’s writing style is hauntingly beautiful. I fell in love with her flow in Of Ocean and Ash a while back, and Daughters of Men is no different. The writing is very fluid, and smooth like creamy milk chocolate (seriously). It just works. You don’t get that very often from big named authors, and to find it in an independent author is something very special and I am very glad to have that chance to experience it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this story. From the synopsis, it is known that a group of church men go off on a camping trip and come back different, but there is nothing explaining how they are different really. What makes them different? I was pleasantly surprised at what that difference was (and for spoilers sake, I won’t give it away). It was not how other stories in the same subject are usually projected at being. These men came back very creepy, and I believe I would respond the same as Rebecca had my Eric came back the same way…that or I would have just left the moment I saw that change in the bathroom. I would have just rand out the door and fled until my gas ran out and then filled up the tank and kept on going.

Daughters of Men is a fairly quick read. It starts out a little slow, but picks up pace once the men go off on their trip. There is definitely a lot of death in this book, so don’t get too attached to any of the characters.

My one major flaw with the book was that I got really confused at the end, I am still not really sure what the heck was going on to be entirely honest. I finished this book on Monday, November 2nd, so I have taken a few days to really think and process the information, but I still am not entirely sure what I was reading. I can’t and won’t say it was because it was unclear, it may just be because I am really exhausted, and there is a lot going on in my life, but I just didn’t follow the last chapter.

All in all, it is worth the read. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this blog tour for Amber. I can’t wait to read other books of hers. If you are interested in other books of hers, check out my posting for the blog tour Of Ocean and Ash.

 

 

Amber DraegerABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.R. (Amber) Draeger resides in rural Texas with her husband, Josh, and son, Logan. When not writing or reading, she is watching reality TV shows or tromping through the nearby woods.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

 

Sad woman in a forest. Loneliness and melancholy concept

giveaway

KindleFire HD
Daughters of Men by A.R. Draeger (ebook + paperback)
Of Ocean and Ash by A.R. Draeger (ebook + paperback)
Immersed by Katie Hayoz (ebook)
Untethered by Katie Hayoz (ebook)
Sanguinary by Margo Bond Collins (ebook)
Waking up Dead by Margo Bond Collins (ebook)

Rafflecopter Giveaway Link

Posted in Book Reviews

The Zombie Apocalypse & The Chicago Winter

Posted on by Little Bee

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars

Narrator Rating: 4 stars

Written and Performed by K. Anderson Yancy

I received this Audiobook from Audiobook Blast (dot) Com for my honest review. I did not pay for the book nor was my opinion solicited or paid for in anyway. This review is my own

I have never heard of K. Anderson Yancy, and I have not had much experience listening to SonicMovies style audiobook, meaning that it is meant to sound like one of those old school, Radio story productions when families sat around the old fashioned radio listening because there was no tv yet. I found myself giggling a few times. The sound effects are pretty great and I like how it is relatable even though it is Zombies. Yancy used current pop culture in the production which gave it that extra kick of funny.

It is definitely a different style, and I am not sure if it is something I could listen to all the time, but it made my work morning a bit better!

Posted in Book Reviews

White Trash Zombie Gone Wild

Posted on by Little Bee

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars

Narrator Rating: 5 stars

I happened upon this series when I first started listening to Audible books. I have truly enjoyed each one and book 5 is no different!

This particular installment really focuses on Angel’s addiction problems. I like that the whole book really faces on her own struggles when she was still human and how she still faces them in her zombie form. I know that some reviews on Goodreads really speak negatively about this, but I like that it shows how she grows as a person, I mean zombie.

I also like the amount of plot twists this story contained!!!! Dang! Some of them I did not see coming!!! Of course, as always, Angel’s dad is one of my favorite characters in the book.

As far as narration goes, the reason I listen to this book over reading, Allison McLemore is such a wonderful narrator!! She truly brings this story to life. I love her southern, white trashy, twang she gives Angel. All of her voices really make each character in the book fantastic. I am not sure I would have enjoyed the story as much if I would have read it.

Here is a really horrible picture of me (I have lost 25 pounds since this photo was taken!) with Diana Rowland at the RT Booklovers Book Convention in Dallas, Texas back in May of this year!! She hid the entire week and my mom found her during the big book signing event at the end of the week!!

20150516_113214