The Truth About Us by Tia Souders

The Truth About Us

by Tia Souders

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Historical Fiction, Holocaust
Format - Kindle

*Blurb* 

The present is built on the past. But what if your past is a lie? When 18 yr old Abigail Bridges’ grandmother dies, she leaves behind a mysterious letter asking her to unravel a hidden family secret. There is only one rule: tell no one. But meeting strangers in the dark and receiving old journals dating back to the Holocaust isn’t what she bargained for. Neither is a chance encounter with the enigmatic, brown-eyed Kade Oliver, who makes her want to discard her usually reserved nature. After a key clue goes missing, Abigail ignores her grandmother’s rule and tells Kade everything. Together, they begin to unravel a terrifying truth. The truth may set others free, but for Abigail, it will tear her family apart. Now, she must decide between continuing to uncover her families’ lies or burying the past once and for all.


*Review*

When I started reading the story I had no idea the roller coaster ride I was about to take. The story had many ups and downs. I was able to figure out the secret before it was revealed in the book and it left me concerned that the book was going to just drag out with clues. I was so wrong! Once the secret is revealed it sets poor Abigail up for what is probably one of the biggest choice she will ever make in her life.

I lost my own grandmother earlier this year and kept wonder what kind of person Abigail's grandmother was. If they were that close (like my gram and I were) a secret like that wouldn't have been kept or placed on me. The kind of secret she kept was one of mass proportion. The fact that she left it to her teenage granddaughter to deal with seemed kind of wrong. The decision Abigail needed to make was life changing not only for her, but her family. I feel like Abigail wasn't given proper time to grieve the loss of her grandmother either. Her grades were dropping, she was not paying attention in school and instead of the speaking up or her parents keeping her home, it seemed like everyone thought she should be just fine.

I had an instant dislike for her friend Cammie. I feel like the girl only cared about making herself feel good. It's one thing to be honest with your friends, it's another to be downright mean as I feel she was. I also wasn't sure about Kade. He comes off as a very sweet and quiet boy, but also a bit of a stalker.

I highly recommend checking out other books by Tia Souders, including my review on Something of Substance.

Deadfall by T. Graham

Deadfall: The Fallen Forest

by T. Graham

Available On Amazon

ARR

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘1/2
Genre - Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format - Paperback
Pages - 324

*Blurb* 

Trees begin falling in the American Northeast, only a few at first, but a building storm promises a disaster of biblical proportions. The government is helpless to stop the carnage as the world watches the Northeast reduced to a tangle of tree limbs and branches.
Roads are impassable and thousands are trapped in damaged rural homes without electricity and communication with the outside world. Flooding from obstructed waterways threatens lives and property as water cuts off escape roads and food supplies are running out fast...


*Review*

When I was contact by the author to do a review, my interest was peaked when he told me that the parts of the story took place in the area I live in. I figured it was going to be the Adirondacks or some well known place like that. When the actual town was mentioned I was shocked and it made those parts of the books not only easy to picture, but it was almost like I  could "see" what was going on.

Imagine waking up to trees being knocked over by the slightest breeze with no explanation. Would you make out ok or do you, like myself, live in an area that is mostly wooded? Imagine your home surrounded by trees, that once fallen, cause massive flooding from backed up streams and rivers. What would you do first? Would you try to ration the food you have and wait for help or would your try everything in your power to get out without knowing if there's any place to go?
The book jumps back and forth between characters each dealing with their own tree situation. Some trying to get out, some trying to get in to save their family or help others that may be trapped.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I feel liked it jumped from character to character too quickly. There wasn't enough time to form any kind of bond with them because you were only given a few pages at a time. And while I wasn't given time to form a bond, it seemed like the characters formed them too quickly. I know that people tend to get closer to each other when it seems things might be ending, but these characters got really close.

The Dinner List by Rececca Serle

The Dinner List

by Rebecca Serle

Available On Amazon

 ARC - Release Date September 11, 2018

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre -Romantic Comedy, Coming of Age, Metaphysical
Format - Paperback
Pages - 273

*Blurb* 
“We’ve been waiting for an hour.” That’s what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just bordering on cursive. That’s the thing I think first. Not: Audrey Hepburn is at my birthday dinner, but Audrey Hepburn is annoyed.”
At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel, THE DINNER LIST, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as One Day, and the life-changing romance of Me Before You.
When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together.

*Review*

Who would your 5 be?

The book starts out as Sabrina finds herself sitting down with the 5 people she wanted to have dinner with....dead or alive. The chapters go back and forth between the dinner itself and Sabrina's life with the guests. It is very easy to follow along with and the chapters are very short which I prefer.

Though I don't find this book to have suspense, twists or romance.....I can't stop reading it. I am curious what will happen when dinner is over. The main part of her life that is being discussed during dinner is her relationship with Tobia. Is this all a dream, will anyone remember what happened or will time reverse so that they can fix any errors they made in their life (ok, I guess you could say it has suspense). There were definitely some situations that I was not expecting and I really felt for Sabrina. The whole time I was reading and hoping that they were going to be able to change the past and wind up in a better future after dinner. I was

The only thing I didn't quite understand was why Conrad was there. Maybe I missed it, but I don't see what made him important enough in her to for her to choose him. Still it recommend this book. It isn't like any other than I've read. Props to the Author.

The Dead House by Billy O'Callaghan

The Dead House

by Billy O'Callaghan

Available On Amazon

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Ghosts, Horror, Supernatural
Format - Hardcover
Pages - 202

*Blurb* 
This best-selling debut by an award-winning writer is both an eerie contemporary ghost story and a dread-inducing psychological thriller. Maggie is a successful young artist who has had bad luck with men. Her last put her in the hospital and, after she’s healed physically, left her needing to get out of London to heal mentally and find a place of quiet that will restore her creative spirit. On the rugged west coast of Ireland, perched on a wild cliff side, she spies the shell of a cottage that dates back to Great Famine and decides to buy it. When work on the house is done, she invites her dealer to come for the weekend to celebrate along with a couple of women friends, one of whom will become his wife. On the boozy last night, the other friend pulls out an Ouija board. What sinister thing they summon, once invited, will never go.
Ireland is a country haunted by its past. In Billy O'Callaghan's hands, its terrible beauty becomes a force of inescapable horror that reaches far back in time, before the Famine, before Christianity, to a pagan place where nature and superstition are bound in an endless knot.


*Review*
The Dead House was a dead book to me. I was quite disappointed throughout the whole book. It start off with the main character, Mike, describing Ireland in great detail. I'm not saying that explaining the land wasn't important, but I don't think it needed to take that much of the book before it really started to get interesting. Then it was only interesting for a few pages before it went back to Mike describing the land, his life, feelings and all that. It did pick back up again toward the ending only to, once more, last a few pages. The book was a slight love story, but without all the sappy romance that some books have with a slight twist of ghosts.

I would've given only a 1 book rating but instead gave 2 because I do want to give credit to the detail that the author uses to describe the scenery and feelings he has, but I think that he spent too much time doing that and not enough time on the ghost parts that could've made the story awesome.

Book Signing Event

Come support the Little Falls Public Library in Little Falls, NY at the 1st ever 

Read N' Reviews hosted Book Signing.

August 31st from 1pm - 4pm.

10% of each book sale is being donated to the library.

 

Check out the event on Facebook to stay up to date.

There will be treats to snack on as well donate by

Honey Brook Hobbies

(4 East Main street, Ilion, New York)

 Check them out on Facebook.

Crystal Eyes by N. B. Austin

Crystal Eyes -

The Civiland Series: Book 2

by N. B. Austin

Available On Amazon
Available on Book Depository 

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fantasy, Fiction, Coming of Age
Format - Paperback
Pages - 261

*Blurb* 
Turmoil continues to reign in the Murrieta Territory.
Just as the Riverlands fall under control of the Keagan gang, Daniel Keagan is faced with a mysterious new threat. Meanwhile, William Keagan is ready for his journey back to the east Duresian city of New Berkeley, where he will finally reunite with his estranged father.
In the Mountainlands, Hanzah tries to locate Jeannie, Dominic, and Harrison. Far away from their home in the Tokali south, his sister Latera has discovered and freed the leader within her—but is she too late?
The second book of the Civilands series, Crystal Eyes raises the stakes in the world of the Murrieta Territory in ways that will excite, surprise, and inspire.

*Review*
Just about every book has a hero and a villain. Everyone always roots for the hero and hates the villain, right? Never before have I ever felt bad for the villain, but in Crystal Eyes, I did...well not all the villains.

The Keagan's are horrible people. Their gang is all about bettering themselves. But what if they aren't all the same? William, Daniel and Clovis are the Keagan brothers and want to control trade in the Murrieta Territory and beyond. To do this they have taken over villages and enslaved the Tokali and V'hani people. Though William and Daniel seem to actually care a bit about the people in the lands they are taking over, Clovis is heartless and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

As much as I hate the Keagan's and what they are doing, I actually have a soft spot for William. He is going through his own personal struggles and it almost seems as if he wants to be good, to be fair to the people in the areas he's overtaken. He talks about being fair to the people. Because of this the situation with his father at the end of the book, which is awful, on top of the result of what happens really made me almost forget that he is one of the bad guys. My heart really went out to him.

In the meantime, Latera is trying to do what she can to not only free her people, but also the Tokali. Though the Keagans managed to put the two groups of people against each other, Latera is working to fix that and to be rid of the Keagans for good. Though how much can a young girl do?  And will she be taken serious by anyone? Will she be able to free her people and bring peace to the V'hani and Tokali or will the Keagans rule everything? All these questions I have and hopefully they'll be answered in the the next book Crescent Heart.


One of things I love most about the way N. B. Austin writes is that he isn't over-descriptive, yet he describes things just enough that I am able to picture the story in my head in my own way.Being able to do that makes me actually feel like I am part of the book.

 

No Plain Rebel by M.C. Frank

No Ordinary Rebel (Book 2)

by M.C. Frank

Available On Amazon
Available on Book Depository 

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format -Ebook


*Blurb* 
A soldier is summoned to the North Pole, days before the year changes, told to fix the great Clock for a celebration. He has no idea what to do.
A girl, hunted for the crime of being born, almost dies out on the ice. She is rescued by the last polar bear left alive.
A library waits for them both, a library built over a span of a hundred years, forgotten in the basement of an ice shack.
The world hasn't known hunger or sickness in hundreds of years. It has also forgotten love and beauty.
This is the One World.
The year is 2524.

Inspired by the short stories of Ray Bradbury, this futuristic young adult novel in three parts is set in a world where Christmas -among other things- is obsolete and a Clock is what keeps the fragile balance of peace.

Written in three parts, this is the breathtaking story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other, one book at a time.

In No Plain Rebel, Felix finds out the truth.
Pretty soon, everything he thought he knew is crumbling around him. He’s about to lose it all. Even her.
But he must concentrate on what’s important; he must fight. It’s time. The Stadium is looming in the distance.
It’s ten heartbeats to midnight.

*Review*
This is the second book in the No Ordinary Star series and it's just as good as the first. Although Felix is no longer a tin soldier, he is still learning how things work and what they mean in the "real world". Everything he has know his entire life is just one big lie and there's no time to waste. Now he needs to work fast to get the ever important clock finished before time runs out. As the time gets closer Felix knows that he can't do this alone. Who can he ask to help him now that everything he is and does is again the law? Not returning home, building the clock, reading.....being near a female!

Once you start reading, you're not going to want to stop. My head was spinning with questions. Would the clock be finished in time for the celebration? What would happen with Felix and Astra? Do they fall in love? Will they get caught? What would happen if the clock IS finished in time?

So many questions, some will be answered and others.....I've got to hurry up and get the next book in the series. 

M.C. Frank is an author that is able to not only make me be able to visualize what I'm reading, but when the Timer was talking in the Vis, I swear I was able to actually hear him. I don't remember ever reading a book before where a character actually had a "voice" of their own.

Bad Blood by E.A. Owen

Bad Blood

by E.A. Owen

Author Requested Review

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Mystery, Romantic Suspense
Format -Paperback
Pages -176

There's not much that can be better than an author asking you to review their book. It's a huge compliment to me and makes writing a poor review that much harder.

*Blurb*
Mary calls her life a nightmare, but the pain has only begun... And Mary will not be the only victim. Mary was born into an idyllic family, her mother and father a storybook couple, but her parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was 12. She grows up to marry a man who betrays her, and her teen daughter, victimized by a family friend, gives birth to twins.

And that is only the beginning of an entire family's descent into a series of catastrophes that amount to more than can be blamed on just the ill-winds of fate, including the greatest sin imaginable, committed unwittingly and born of nothing less than true love.

Mary wonders how life can be so cruel early in the story, but when she is old she discovers both the complexity of the web of which she is a part and the terrible truth. The many characters relationships are revealed as fate brings the survivors together, some bound by blood and love and all of them bound by a curse.

This is a tale that will horrify you and pull at your heartstrings by turns. The main characters suffer in the extreme for reasons beyond their control, but they never fail to love one another.


*Review*
Although it's not on Amazon as a Young Adult book I would definitely say it is. I thought this book was going to be suspenseful with ups and downs. It was anything but that.

The book starts off good, telling you about the life of Mary and what happens to her poor daughter. That takes place during the first few chapters. The rest of the book is about a teenage boy and girl that meet, an accident and this love at first sight type of relationship they have. Nothing suspenseful or even interesting happens until your reach the end of the book.

Then ending has quite a nice twist that I didn't expect but the curse was fixed way to easily.  There needed to be more than just the kids falling in love and the accident to make this book better. If the author added some kind of weird situations, made the ending longer and the curse removal have some kind of suspense, I think this could have been really good.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

The Other Woman

by Sandie Jones

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘1/2
Genre -Suspense
Format -Paperback
Pages -


ARC- set to release August 21, 2018

*Blurb*
HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.

BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

AND SHE'LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

THE OTHER WOMAN will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones' chilling psychological thriller about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go.


*Review*
First, I feel that this book must have been wrote pre-cell phone because no one is going to try and prove what another person is doing or saying without recording it as a form of proof to show people. If a person is threatening you (like Pammie was doing to Emily) so bad and making your life miserable, you're definitely going to do something about it more than just trying to "get them caught". I hated Pammie aka Pamela right off the bat. It's one thing to want to make sure that your child is in a relationship with someone that deserves them, but it's also their life not the mothers. Plus, there's really only so much you should do for your child. At the same time I was aggravated with Emily for handling things the way she did. If you're going to be marrying someone then there shouldn't be secrets. If you have an issue with someone, speak up. I don't know if I'd have been able to keep my mouth shut for as long as she did. Both Pammie and Emily needed to grow a backbone and speak what was on their minds instead of beating around the bush, then again, if they did that there wouldn't have been a book.
The book was definitely full of suspense, but the ending left me feeling a little disappointed. Everything ended to easy for all that the woman went through. I feel like all that happened should have took longer than a few pages to finish on. There should have been more of a fight or something like that.

Active August

It's was a busy July for me involving a week long family vacation to Massachusetts. I really need to remember to pre-plan things to do before going so I am not wasting time tying to schedule everything last minute.

 

I did manage to find a small book store that I instantly fell in love with. She had a beautiful collection that I would've loved to have brought home, but unfortunately I don't have an endless bank account for books. I did manage to grab these two small books for just $1 each.

There's so much going on for August as well. I recently signed up to be an Independent Consultant with Thirty-One Gifts. If you're interested click here to join my Facebook group. I am hoping to be able to incorporate it with my books over time. If you don't want to join the group,k but still interested in shopping, click here.

Since it's a new month there's lots going on in the Read N' Reviews Facebook Group too. The Author of the Month is Nick DeWolf. Check out his page on the blog here. Don't forget to join the Facebook group Q&A with Nick.
As always, the group gets to vote on a Book of the Month to read and discuss. There was a tie and I have chosen to go along with both books.

 The Dead Houseby Billy O'Callaghan

 Click here to join the read along on Facebook.

 The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Click here to join the read along on Facebook.

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Turtles All The Way Down

by John Green

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Teens, Depression & Mental Illness, Anxiety Disorders, Coming Of Age
Format -Hardcover
Pages - 286


*Blurb*
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
   
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 
 
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.


*Review*
Having previously read The Fault In Our Stars, I felt like Aza was a lot like Hazel. They were both teenage girls that had a disease that made their lives difficult. I can't imagine living with a disorder that makes you feel like you have no say in your simple day to day activities. No way to make your head stop questioning everything you did or say.

I didn't read the blurb before reading the book (as I tend not to with most books) and had no idea that there was going to be a search going on for Russell Pickett. I almost felt like that part of the book was a bit cheesy. I feel as if it would have been more relatable to real life if it had just been about the typical teenage life and not have some manhunt added into it.

I did find this book extremely easy to read and follow along with.

It by Stephen King

IT

by Stephen King

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre -Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
Format -Paperback
Pages -1184


*Blurb*

Stephen King’s terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, “a landmark in American literature” (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers.

Readers of Stephen King know that Derry, Maine, is a place with a deep, dark hold on the author. It reappears in many of his books, including Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and 11/22/63. But it all starts with It.

*Review*

This book took me forever, but it's also the longest book I've ever read. I've wanted to read this book for a long time too because there's so much hype about it as well as the movies. I promised myself that I'd read the book, watch the original movie and then the new one. I hope the movie is better than the book.

I give lots of credit to Stephen King for the time it took to write this book - September 9th, 1981 until December 28th, 1985. Anyone who loves an overly descriptive book would enjoy this. There was a lot going on. You read from the view of seven different children from two different time periods. You would think that would make it hard to follow, but it was quite easy to keep up with. That was the reason for 3 books instead of just 2. The issue I have was how much detail went into the book. There were some parts that I think could've been left out and it wouldn't have changed anything except the length.

Some people have considered this to be a very scary book. Not once was I scared nor did I find it suspenseful. Overall I was disappointed.

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No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank

No Ordinary Star

by M.C. Frank

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre -Science Fiction, Dystopian
Format -Ebook

Reading books set in the future never seem to hold my attention, but No Ordinary Star is no ordinary book. The beginning had me wondering if I was going to be able to follow the story or not. It didn't take long before I found myself unable to stop reading. The book just flows making it easy to read and the more you read the easier it is to picture everything happening. 

The year is 2524. People no longer sleep, eat or think on their own. Instead the take pills to keep them awake, pills to give them everything they need for nourishment and are told what to do. The world has become the perfect place, sort of.

Felix was just another solider, with the exception of always being the best and never breaking any laws...so why does he end up in a place that he shouldn't be. And why hasn't he left yet? Felix finds himself breaking laws rapidly. From not going home to his first meeting with Astra. Will this "tin soldier" be able to understand the truth or will he give up and head home to face the consequences of his disappearing? 


I can't wait to read the next book in the series. There are so many questions that need to be answered.

What a way to end the week.

The weather the last couple days has only been so-so. I woke up this morning (6:15am to be exact) to my almost 4 year old crying because she last night Daddy told her that she needed to pick up her room when she got up. I don't know if she thought she had to use telekinesis to do it or what. The trials of a toddler. In any event, my husband got up with her and I was able to stay in bed until 7 (not that I went back to sleep). The sun was shining and I thought it seemed like such a nice day and how I wished I had something to do. At 7:30 I was checking Facebook and one of reminders came up for an event near me. How could I forget about the World's Largest Garage Sale at our local Fairgrounds?? Well of course I immediately had to get  myself dressed, my daughter dressed, gather some of our "out and about" stuff and head out.

We arrived pretty early considering I had forgotten about the whole thing. Even so, there were already tons of people. I brought a stroller in case my daughter got tired of walking and to put stuff we would end of buying into. I love garage sales because you can usually find good deals on lots of stuff....especially books!!!
As we made out way down the first alley I spotted a sign "Books From Local Authors" and made my way over. At this table I met Jordan Elizabeth and WK Pomeroy.

WK Pomeroy & Jordan Elizabeth (6/16/19) at the Worlds Largest Yard Sale at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds.

 

From there we continued down the next alley and I met Erin Maine. I thought how wonderful to have just came across 2 stops with local authors. My daughter and I continued, buying a couple books for me, books for her and of course stuffed animals. I mean who can pass up books for .50 each? .

Erin Maine (6/16/19) at the Worlds Largest Yard Sale at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds.

We had gone through the two buildings and headed off to check out the vendors outside before departing for a lunch date. It was definitely my lucky day as I found a 3rd stop with James McNally and his his books.

James McNally (6/16/19) at the Worlds Largest Yard Sale at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds.

This morning turned out to be so great. It's not everyday that you get to meet local authors, let alone four of them (at least I never have). What's even better? They all have their books on Amazon! Feel free to check them out -

Click here for books by Jordan Elizabeth 

  Click here for books by WK Pomeroy

Click here for books by Erin Maine

Click here for books by James McNally

Reading frustration, but something to smile about

With so many amazing books out there, I hate knowing there's no way I'll be able to read all of them in my lifetime. Sure, there's bunch of books on my shelves that I wouldn't mind reading when I get to them. And then there's a HUGE stack making up my current TBR (to be read) right away. That pile wasn't too bad, but recently I noticed it getting pretty high and it has actually started to make me frustrated. I am a stay-at-home mom and I also babysit. Basically from 6:30am until 8pm there isn't much "me" time, which in turn mean not much time to read. I have been reading Stephen King's It for months now and am just over half way. I know it's a very long book, but it really shouldn't have taken so long. I usually read more than one book at a time too. It has helped a little because while I feel I am not getting anywhere with It, I was able to finish a couple other books in just a couple days. Those make me feel accomplished.

Currently I have three books that I am working on and today I realized that I am getting overwhelmed because of It. I feel like I really need to focus on finishing It and once I do I won't have this frustrated feeling anymore. Have you ever gotten frustrated with reading? Was it a book in general or too many books? How many books do you read at once? Do you think people should only read one at a time? If not, how many is too many to read at once? All these questions I know, but I'd love to get to know MY readers, even if it is only a blog and not a book...you're still reading.

We both have a blanket and a book.

Today was a bit chilly in Upstate, NY and so I grabbed the blanket I won from a Helen Hardt giveaway and tried to get in a couple pages. My, almost 4 year old, daughter followed suit. She grabbed her blanket, book and climbed up on the other end of the couch. Granted I was only able to get a few pages in, but knowing she enjoys reading is so heart warming. Even though I may feel I am not getting enough reading done, I know that I am still making an impression with the reading I do get in. No matter how frustrated I get, I still have a reason to smile....she's my everything.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Thriller, Suspense
Format - Hardcover
Pages -352

I received this in my Book Of The Month subscription box for May. 

It was also voted for the book of the month in Read N' Reviews Facebook Group. 

It will be discussed later this month. Check back for a link to the discussion.

Inside cover excerpt.

The just over one page prologue made me say "whoa" and I was quite excited to continue. I began reading about a woman who was very bitter about her marriage falling apart due to her younger replacement. She drinks to try and help relieve some of the pain of loosing her husband. I previously read The Girl On The Train as well as The Woman In The Window and was wondering if it was going to be just another book whose main character was a drunk and made up stories for attention. Turns out the woman did drink, but wasn't a drunk and who made up stories, but not for the reasons you'd think.

I find this book a bit hard to really review without giving away anything. I didn't find it as suspenseful as I thought I was going to. The ex-wife always seemed to lack a backbone. Instead of speaking her mind she'd either be shut down by someone else or not say anything. She made me quite annoyed throughout the book. Both of the women were a bit annoying with how much control they let Richard have over both their lives. I also thought that maybe there was too much effort put into "dealing" with Richard. I get that the ex-wife was trying to right a wrong, but I think she should've just moved on. What he did was not right, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed it was going to be. Then again, if she'd just moved on there wouldn't have been a book either.

The cover tells you not to assume anything and you really shouldn't. It did make me stop halfway through and wonder if I had even been paying attention to what I was reading.

The Megarothke by Robert Ashcroft

The Megarothke

by Robert Ashcroft

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘1/2
Genre - Science Fiction
Format - Softcover
Pages - 280

I am not a science fiction fan, but this book made me think that I should check more out in that genre. I received this book in my March PageHabit subscription box. As always, I enjoyed the author annotations throughout the book.

At first I was thinking that it was going to be another one of the stories (ok I haven't read a story like this before so I was thinking more like a movie, but still) where it's all going to be about robots and one person who does everything. I also thought that I might not finish it because its not a "thriller" or "suspense" book. Well, it wasn't about just one person and I did finish. As a matter of fact I was able to read it in just a couple days.

It's the future, 2051 to be exact, and after the Hollow War there are 50,000 people left in the world all living in Los Angeles. The billionaires had fled to the Orbital which was like a world above the city. Robot monsters know as fiends, harbingers and bruisers and bionic people are roaming everywhere and are said to be controlled by the Megarothke. No one knows where the Megarothke came from  or when it came to Earth. The only thing that people do know it that it needs to be destroyed. Theo wants to uncover his feeling of having had a part in the Megarothke and to rid the world of it. The story goes back and forth between the current year and Theo's past when him and his wife were together and their separation. I was able to stay with the story up until the end. I actually started to get confused when Theo figured out what he had to do. I thought the ending was dragged out a bit longer than it needed to be.

Although I didn't care for the ending I did still think it was a good book and that people who are more into the science fiction genre many appreciate more than me.

Crimson River by N.B. Austin

Crimson River (The Civilands Series : Book 1)

by N. B. Austin

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fantasy
Format - Softcover
Pages -242

I was lucky enough to win the whole series of The Civilands by N. B. Austin. This review is for the 1st book in the series. I recommend you purchase the whole series unless you enjoy being left wondering what happens. I think this is the first fantasy book I've read and I surprised myself at how into I got, so much so, that I read it in just a few days. Although there are many characters, it's easy to know who is who and what part they are playing. The characters and the settings are all explained so well you're able to picture it without thinking.

In the Murrieta, trading is a way of life and very profitable for those who control the trade routes. Jeannie Morrell is only 13 years old when looses her entire family as the Keagan gang seeks to take over all the trading in the Murrieta Territory. The Keagan gang doesn't care who gets in their way or what they need to do to become the richest around even if it means killing others. The Morrells are not the only people that stand in the way of the Keagans. There are also the V'ahani, who are peaceful people. The V'ahani are able to speak to the Grizzly Bears and will use them to help defend their people if need be. The V'ahani people are unaware of the betrayal in their group as they put their trust in an outsider to help them against the Keagan gang.

The story takes you on a journey from the beginning of the Keagan takeover, through the travels of Jeannie, the V'ahani and others. Will anyone be able to stop the Keagan gang from overtaking the Murrieta Territory or will they all end up under a new leadership? Will Jeannie and the others be able to return home or will the have the same fate as so many before them who tried to stop the Keagan gang? I will say again, you will want to have the second book ready for when you finish this one.

Interested in the rest of the series? Check them out on Amazon -

Crystal Eyes (Civilands Book 2)

Crescent Heart (Civilands Book 3)

Or get the whole series and save  

Civilands (3 Book Series)