"Queen of Sorrow" by Sarah Beth Durst (Book 3 in Queens of Renthia Series) Great Series!

Gerard's review:
The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst is the final book in the Queens of Renthia trilogy.  Queen Aleina wants peace for her land and now with Queen Naelin at her side, things look bright for the future!  But, when Naelin's children are taken by other spirits, she has reason to believe that Queen Merecot is behind it and Naelin wants her children back!  If it means war, then so be it.  This book is really, really good just like the previous two.  The writing is very good as well!  This is one you get into right away and hate to put down!  I loved the interaction among all the characters and was glad to see the wolf, Bayn, back in this one.  Love that wolf!  (5++ stars)


The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst is a wonderful finish to the Queens of Renthia trilogy, my favorite fantasy trilogy of all time! I loved this story so much, I was disappointed to see it end—even though I liked the ending. Queen Merecot had Naelin’s children kidnapped and brought to her castle in Semo and also got rid of the wolf Bayn, having her spirits chase him into the untamed lands! Merecot enters into a power struggle with the Queens of Aratay in the hopes of getting enough “spirit” power to change the spirits for good. We also meet Ven’s family, Queen Daleina’s sister, and Cajara, a new heir candidate. There is much death and some sadness in this but it is well balanced with joyful occasions, humor and happiness.

I liked all of the queens in this book and enjoyed their negotiations and scheming as well. I was pleased with Naelin’s decision in the end and enjoyed her journey! What a trip! I am normally not one for politics, but really was drawn into the political aspects of this book. I really hope the author comes up with some more books about Renthia! I want to know what happens with Merecot, Arid, Ven and Naelin, Hannah and of course, Queen Daleina. The characters are so well developed and the writing is amazing! I liked that it has so many characters without being confusing. Sarah Beth Durst has officially become my favorite fantasy author!
(Karen's review 3/22/19, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 32: As she flew, she flung her mind out like a net, catching every spirit within fifty miles and driving them toward Semo. SAVE MY CHILDREN! ATTACK!

See our other reviews for this series:  The Queen of Blood and The Reluctant Queen

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"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens -- WOW!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is the coming of age story of Kya, a lonely, abandoned, abused girl who lived in a Marsh in North Carolina. It is a murder mystery and a love story as well. This is an amazing emotional read that starts out slow but picks up as it goes along. It has much sadness but some high points are mixed in. In a way, it is a rags to riches story. There were a lot of heartbreaking events and yet Kya proved to be very strong, overcoming great obstacles with very little help from others. She was definitely a “lone wolf” until as a teenager, the loneliness caused her to make some poor choices.

All I can say is WOW, what a book! This is well written and reminded me of To Kill a Mocking Bird. It includes lots of information about nature and is a remarkable story about how a girl who only attended school one day in her whole life, became a well-recognized author. I especially liked the courthouse cat, Sunday Justice, who befriended Kya. I would recommend this as a book club read because of the many issues it raises.
(Karen’s review 2/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 2/18/19:
In Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Kya is the last one left of her family.  First her mom left, then her brother and sisters left.  Her pa was the last to leave, but she found a way to survive in their shack in the marsh.  Two young men came into her life during her teen years.  When an incident happens though, Kya is once again all alone and her fate is in other people's hands.

This is a pretty good book!  Kya is a great character and I enjoyed how she got along so well by herself.  More action though would have been nice, but the pacing of this book made up for that.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 16: “If anybody comes, don’t go in the house. They can get ya there. Run deep in the marsh, hide in the bushes. Always cover yo’ tracks; I learned ya how. And ya can hide from Pa, too.”

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"The Flight Attendant" by Bhris Bohjalian

Imagine waking up in a bed hungover in a foreign country, naked next to a dead man that bled out!  Did you do it?  and, if not, why were you not killed?  That is the dilemma Cassandra faces in The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian.

I would have enjoyed more action and fewer dull parts.  That being said, I thought Cass was a good character and I was interested to see how it would all play out.  Well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  Had she ever seen so much blood?  Not from a human.

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"Evermore" by Sara Holland

Evermore by Sara Holland is the sequel to Everless.  Both are good.  Evermore focuses on the Alchemist's (snake) quest to kill the Sorceress (fox) with lots of adventure, close calls, and unexpected romance.  Jules super power of controlling time becomes stronger in this book and she gets back some memories from her past lives.  Liam has a much bigger part in this book.

This went pretty fast because there was so much action.  I raced through it and liked the ending.  The magic was a bit confusing to me, but still, a good read.
(Karen's review 2/9/19, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 2/16/19:
Evermore by Sara Holland is the follow-up to Everless.  Jules finds out who she really is and Caro wants what Jules has and will do anything to get it back!  I thought this book was better than the first because it had lots more action and did not really know what to expect next!  I liked the ending.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 5:  Word of my crimes has spread to every corner of Sempera.  That I seduced Roan Gerling while a servant at Everless and used him to gain access to the visiting Queen's chambers.  Then cut Roan's throat and stabbed the Queen through the heart.

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"Reckless Disregard" by Robert Rotstein

Reckless Disregard by Robert Rotstein is a complex Hollywood mystery with lots of crazy characters. Basically, William Bishop, a pillar of the community sues Poniard, a video game designer, for defamation of character because in his video game, Abduction, Poniard implies that Bishop is responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of Paul Felicity McGrath. The purpose of the game is to find out what actually happened. Poniard is a mystery too because no one actually knows who he is and he is intent on keeping his identity a secret, even to the point of refusing to appear for a deposition or make a court appearance! Parker Stern is a mediator who is drawn into this case as Poniard’s attorney and who has secrets of his own. This book has secret identities, betrayal and death.

This book is written in a very unique way, using the “game” to reflect what Poniard thinks really happened. There are a lot of surprises and twists and turns in the book which kept making it more puzzling. I felt that it was beyond believable though and was glad when I finished it. I did like the lawyer and the trial part. (Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 35: I’ve spent the last twenty-five years trying to keep this secret. My celebrity almost ruined me, and I don’t want it back, not even a vestige of it. I’m a lawyer, not an actor.

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"The Last Straw" by Ed Duncan is Full of Violence

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan is adult fiction with several story lines and several main characters.  First is the story line of why a Chicago crime boss is ordering a hit on a teenage girl who witnessed a car jacking in which the driver was killed.  The other is about the relationship between Paul (a well-respected lawyer and friend of the witness's family) and a hit man named Rico.  There is a lot of killing and action from the get-go in this dark adult fiction book.  It has racketeers, hit men, a prostitute, an inter-racial affair, murder and suicide.  

I got this book in exchange for a review and that's really the only reason I finished it.  There are a lot of characters in this, to which most I could not relate.  Rico was a hit man with a conscience which to me made him the most interesting character; however, this book is mostly about action and killing.  I felt the characters could have been developed more.  This book was just too dark for my taste with the only wholesome thing about it being the teenage eyewitness who was willing to testify.       
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Jerry was the closest thing he had to a friend.  Yet when he found out about his death, he had felt nothing akin to grief.  Indeed, what he felt was almost nothing at all, except that he might be next.

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"DRY" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

DRY by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is teen fiction about a drought, or Tap-Out in southern California and the story of how teens Kelton, Jacqui, Alyssa and her younger brother Garrett evacuated on their own in search of a place with water. They pick up another teen, Henry, on the way who decided he couldn’t stay where he was. The group dynamics was both interesting and fascinating. Kelton and Alyssa were neighbors. Kelton’s dad was one who was a firm believer in being prepared to protect his family. Kelton was a bit weird and had a crush on Alyssa. Jacqui was a tough chick who helped save Kelton’s life and he offered to help her by giving her some antibiotics for her cut. Henry was an opportunist.  Alyssa and Garret even have a pet dog which I liked.

This book shows how quickly people can lose their humanity when they get desperate. This is a modern-day horror book. I enjoyed this book because of the adventure the teens went through to just survive and also the interaction and vying for leadership among them. I liked how the story is told from the different perspectives of the main five characters. It was easy to follow because the name of the person telling each part was at the beginning of the section. This made me realize how valuable water is and how much we take it for granted.
 (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Here's my husband's thoughts, very different from mine:
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is about a group of teens who are dealing with a tap out, which means there is no water to be had!  This book fell flat for me.  There were some exciting parts that made me think, "Okay, here we go," but no!  The story line was okay.  I had no trouble with that, but I only enjoyed a few of the characters and others I found annoying.  I give this book 3.5 because I just really never got into it at all.

Teaser from page 12: As I look around the stacks of drinks, I find a single case of water that someone abandoned there maybe yesterday, when it wasn’t such a precious commodity. I reach for it, only to find it pulled away at the last second by a thin woman with a beak of a nose.

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"Pieces of Her" by Karin Slaughter

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter is a dark thriller that focuses on a mother and daughter who are in danger. The mother has had a very adventurous life but never shared about it with her daughter. The daughter is sort of in limbo, trying to find her purpose and also trying to figure out who her mother really is. The mother is a complex person who loves her daughter very much, but makes her leave and go out on her own when her mother’s past seems to be coming back to haunt her.

As with most conspiracies, this book has a complex story line and lots of characters to keep straight. It is slow moving and drags in places, but if you can stick with it, everything falls into place in the Epilogue. All my questions got answered. I can’t really say much about the details of the story line without giving spoilers, but I can say I’m glad a read to the end and finished it. The writing did not appeal to me though because it alternated throughout the book between the past (1986) and the present (2018). The chunks it time were quite long and it was a bit challenging to remember where the events left off before the time switched. How Nick was so charismatic and able to manipulate people was sort of interesting. I thought the daughter was pretty stupid so didn’t care for her.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 61: “They’re going to take you down harder than him, Laura. You did that kid a favor. This is all going to be about what you did, not what he did.”

SPOILER ALERT--STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET:

I was confused because some characters have the same name and I didn’t realize they were different people until much later in the book when it came out the mother was in the witness protection program and had changed her name. I liked the surprise twist that Andrea’s “stalker” was a U.S. Marshall.


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"The Death of Mrs. Westaway" by Ruth Ware

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is a chilling thriller.  Things are not looking up for Hal--bills are starting to pile up and money is scarce.  Then comes a letter that could solve all her problems or make things worse!

I really enjoyed this book a lot!  Hal is a great character and the story line is very well done.  If you can solve this one, you are way better than me.  This is another winner from Ruth, the author of The Woman in Cabin 10.  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 50:  She would not cry.  She refused to.  But she felt something huge and bitter and wild with grief rise up inside her.

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"Oregon Discovery" (Trails of the Heart Book 4) by Rachel Wesson

In Oregon Discovery by Rachel Wesson, we meet Tilly and her friend, Fiona, who was her servant.  This book has highs and lows.  Lots of death, but also a reunion and a wedding.  This book jumps a few years with the children in the previous book now in their teens and centers on Almanzo.  Tilly is engaged to a much older man, Richard, that her father has chosen for her.  The man is despicable and Tilly is determined never to marry him!

I enjoyed this book and look forward to finishing this series.  Almanzo is a great character who has both sadness and happiness in his life in this book.  My favorite part was when Fiona and Tilly were held at the Indian camp where Red Wing took care of them and where Tilly was called "Fire Daughter" because of her hot temper.  This is an entertaining historical read I would recommend, but only after reading the previous books in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 84-86:  "He believes women should look decorative.  Our sole aim in life is to please our menfolk and produce an heir.  Anything else is against God's wishes."  Tilly's face screwed up as she repeated what her father had drummed into her for as long as she could remember.

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"The Second Opinion" by Michael Palmer

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer is an interesting book with about a medical conspiracy, greed, betrayal, murder and a dysfunctional family including two adult children with Asperger's.  Their father who is a prestigious internist at a well-known hospital is in a coma from being involved in a hit-and-run accident.  His oldest son, Dimitri who has Asperger's, believes it wasn't an accident, but only his sister, Thea, believes him.  She also has Asperger's and came back to Boston from working with Doctors Without Borders in Central Africa to see her dad.  She believes there is a slight chance he could recover but the twin brother and sister want to let him go.  Thea agrees to take over her father's patients and senses something is off.  Her life is threatened shortly after she starts asking too many questions.

This is quite the mystery that also includes a bit of romance, suspense and insights into adult Asperger's.  I liked it once I finally started it and looked forward to getting back to it.  I liked Thea and her devotion to her dad.  The ending was a shock to me that I did not see coming.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  There remained unfinished business between them.  The man had never, in all her memory, told her that he loved her, nor had she taken the initiative and told him.  At the very least, she needed that exchange to happen between them before the end.

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"Nyxia Unleashed" by Scott Reintgen (We Both Loved This One)

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen is the follow up to Nyxia.   Emmett and the rest of the Genesis 11 and 12 must now explore a new planet and collect Nyxia for Babel.  I enjoyed this book much more than the first one!  There is lots more action for one thing and I liked how the author had new stuff coming up.  I never really knew what was going to happen next!  The ending was full of action and I look forward to the third and final book in this series to see how it all plays out.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


Karen's review:
Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen is book 2 in the Nyxia series that I am loving!  This book picks up where the last one left off as Genesis 11 and 12 land on Eden.  The world building is phenomenal but left me slightly confused.

I really enjoyed all the humor in this book and that the two "teams" really became one and worked together against Babel who was lying to them the entire time.  I felt very bad when two of the group died.  There were some surprises and twists and kept turning pages to see what was going to happen next.  The thing I really didn't understand was that only one shipment of Nyxia got sent back and no one even questioned it.  I thought that was odd.  I was also a bit confused as to what Jacqueline Requin was doing on Eden as a queen or whatever--at least she had a lot of authority.  This series is so awesome, a very interesting read that I couldn't put down.  I am so disappointed that I have to wait until next year for the last book--UGH!  I have so many unanswered questions!  I liked this one as much as the first, if not more.  I highly recommend this series.
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 20:  The blood's soaking through his uniform.  Azima holds a rag to the thing, trying to stop it.  This isn't exactly the welcome we expected on Eden.

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"The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay is one of the dumbest books I ever read! I should have known I wouldn’t like it when I saw Stephen King praising it. I just kept reading because I thought it must get better, but it never did. Two gay guys and their adopted Chinese daughter are at a cabin in New Hampshire on vacation when four strangers come to see them. Practically the entire book takes place inside the cabin. The only action in this book is killing people. The writing was annoying to me as well, very wordy. I was glad when it finally ended! It’s a stupid scenario and depressing. Maybe Stephen King fans would like it, but I really hated it. I give it zero stars if I can. It’s really the worst book I ever read and finished and feel like it was a big waste of my time. I should have quit on it from the start when I thought about it. I would not recommend this one to anybody.
(Karen's review)

Teaser from page 25: “We are not here to hurt you. We need your help to save the world.”


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"Nyxia" by Scott Reintgen is First in this Sci-Fi Series

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen reminded me a lot of Ender's Game which I loved!  A group of teens are chosen by Babel Communications to train to travel to Eden, an inhabited planet, to mine an amazing new mineral called Nyxia.  If they are chosen, they will be paid lots more money in addition to what they got just for signing the contract.  Out of ten trying out from around the world, only the top eight will be able to actually go on the mission.  All have hard luck stories and are from poor families so the money is a great incentive.  Emmett, the narrator of the story and one of the recruits, is from Detroit and really wants to go bad to help his parents.  Can he make it without sacrificing his morals?

This book had my interest right from page one and kept it all the way through.  I loved the adventure, the competition, getting to know all the contestants and the drama of the dynamics among the characters.  Emmett is a good guy but wasn't the best at challenges.  I liked the twists throughout the book and the surprises Babel created.  The only thing I didn't care for was when the one character who I liked very much got killed.  I thought the challenges were fun and interesting!  If you like competition, lots of interaction among competitors and science fiction, I would highly recommend this book!  I can't wait to read book 2 in this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


Teaser from page 51:  "I know you'd be a good person to team up with, Kaya, but why would you want to team up with me?  I'm in ninth place."
 
Gerard's review:
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is told by Emmett.  He is one of ten young people picked for a very special assignment!  He has a chance to go on a hidden planet.  Besides that, a huge money payout will be rewarded also!  But only eight will get to go.  Let the games begin!

This book is sort of a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent minus all the killing.  I thought it was interesting how the ten players interacted with each other.  Emmett is a good guy and I was rooting for him.  Could have used more action in my opinion; however, it picked up in that at the end.  I enjoyed it enough to read book 2 in this series.
(4 stars)



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"Now I Rise" by Kiersten White

Now I Rise by Kiersten White is the follow-up to And I Darken.  Lada failed to secure the throne of Wallachia and now she will not stop until she gets it and woe to anyone who gets in her way.  She wants her brother, Radu, to help her, but he rejects that to hook up with Mehmed, the Sultan, to serve him instead.

This book is told by Lada and Radu.  Lada is still her "bad ass" self going after people!  Radu becomes a spy for the Sultan and his part is very exciting also.  I enjoyed this book as much as the first one and look forward to reading book 3, the last in this series.  This book was action packed!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from pg. 43:  Lada smiled.  She knew that should not please her, but it did.  The prince thought her a big enough threat to warrant an assassin.

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"The Sun Does Shine--How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" by Anthony Ray Hinton

This book tells the true story of Ray Hinton, who found himself on death row for a crime he did not commit!  Most of this book is very depressing.  He even had evidence that he did not do it, but it was ignored.  No one paid any attention to that.  The last part of this book is uplifting!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Sun Does Shine—How I found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is the sad true, but inspirational story of his life. He was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. This book shows his journey of appeals and his imprisonment. It made me more appreciative of my freedom and certainly made me more aware of the injustices that happen in our nation. It is an emotional read, making me feel both sadness and anger. I even cried at one point when he received news that his mother had died. He lost 30 years of his life because of prejudice and he’s not the only one! This is horrible! 

The afterward was especially sobering.  It listed the names of all those who are sitting on death row as of March 2017 by state so the reader can pray for them!  It said that "Statistically, one out of every ten sentenced to death is innocent. This was a shocking statistic to me and one that should put an end to the death penalty." 

This was hard to read because it is a true story of injustice but I’m glad I read it. It speaks to the issue of capital punishment and I think it’s good that people be made aware of how inhumane life on death row is. It was sort of funny how Ray kept his sanity and sense of humor while locked up wrongly all those years by using his imagination. I recommend adults and teens read this book.  (5 stars)


Teaser from first page of the forward:

He resisted mightily the notion that he was arrested, charged, and wrongly convicted because of his race, but he ultimately couldn’t accept any other explanation. He was a poor man in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.

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"Last Man Out" by Mike Lupica

Last Man Out by Mike Lupica is about a brother and sister whose father was a Boston fireman who died rescuing a family from their burning house. Tommy played football and his dad would always sit in the top corner of the bleachers to watch his games. His sister, Em, was the star on her soccer team and her dad also attended all her games. This story is how the father’s death affected Tommy and Em and how they were able to help each other.

This book is sad, but with a good ending—well sort of. It does show how important it is to enjoy every chance you get to play and how things can change very quickly. Both Tommy and Em felt angry at losing their dad and dealt with the pain differently. I liked this book and would recommend it.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 23:  Tommy wished this was all a dream and he could wake himself up.  A nightmare that would end as soon as his eyes opened.

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"Neverworld Wake" by Marisha Pessl

In Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl, Beatrice has five cool friends she made in high school.  Her boyfriend was the sixth and the leader of the group!  He has a shocking death and two year later, Beatrice is not over it.  Now the old gang is getting back together for the first time since high school graduation.  Beatrice decides to go because she knows secrets about her friends and maybe she can get some answers about her boyfriend's death.

For the most part, this book was pretty good.  Some parts were far fetched, but the ending chapters more than made up for that!  Beatrice was a real good character!  Give this a shot!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 30:  "You're all nearly dead.  Wedged between life and death."

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"Tower Lord" by Anthony Ryan

Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan is the follow-up to Blood Song, which I loved! In the book, unlike the first, the story is told by other people than Vaelin. It is told by Reva, Frentis and Lyrna as well. A lot goes on in this book which is a good thing at 600 pages. The main story is Vaelin building up an army to fight in the war. The action parts are very good and I enjoyed when Vaelin told the story the most. I also liked the parts with Snowdance, the war-cat! I didn’t like this quite as much as the first, but good enough. Vaelin is awesome!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15:  Despite his scorn the words were enticing.  "You were there when it was taken from my father's martyred corpse."

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"Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan--Husband Loved It, Wife Hated It!

In Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, Vaelin is only ten when his father takes him to join the sixth order.  The sixth Order is devoted to battle to protect the realm and the faith!  The book is told by the point of view of Vaelin.  I really enjoyed the first part of the book when he goes through training exercises with his band of brothers.  There is good action in this book with some twists that surprised me.  At 575 pages, this is no light read to say the least, but I was caught up in it and pretty much enjoyed it all!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4/25/18:
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is like a marathon; I was so glad when I finally finished it! This is a fantasy that I really did not like much at all—only a few parts. It’s about Vaelien who is sent to the Sixth Order to learn to kill, supposedly to defend the faith and the realm. Part I was the best in my opinion, and then it went downhill from there. It is filled with fighting, murder, betrayal, and war.

Here are the few things I liked:

1) The training at the Sixth Order.
2) Vaelien’s relationship with sister Sherin, Snowdance (a huge cat that was in it very little).
3) Vaelien’s Valarian slave-hound named Scratch, and his horse named Spit.

Here are the things I did not like:

1) The writing was hard to follow because it kept going back and forth from present to past and often I had to reread passages to figure out who was speaking.
2) Too many characters and then some even were called by several different names!
3) Characters I really liked got killed.
4) The names were hard to remember.
5) I had a hard time understanding how the magic worked.
6) The whole plot was hard for me to follow.
7) Lots of different countries to keep straight and I didn’t really understand what the war was all about—it made no sense to me.
8) The ending was horrible! I felt so let down and that I wasted so much time reading this.  The only good part of the ending was when he let Spit run free!

I know I am in the minority on this book, it got lots of very good reviews. However, I was extremely disappointed in it and therefore give it just 2 stars. I will not be continuing on with this series.


Teaser from pg. 29:  "Your first day in the Order is over," he told them.  "It is a rule of the Order that you can leave in the morning if you wish.  It will only get harder from now on so think carefully."

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