Title: Target Down Author: Dane A. Gillespie Jr. Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform ISBN-10: 1481859676 ISBN-13: 978-1481859677 Release Date: December 29, 2012
I found this description off of Amazon.com Synopsis: This is a book about two friends who has crazy times its a action comedy with lots of adventures. Review: This is a short story written by a friend of mine. He is a new author and this is his first try at things. "Viper" is the main character and he and his friend "Cobra" are on a vaction leave from the military when they are suddenly called back into active duty for a special mission. From the moment that they leave to start their mission they are constantly assaulted with ambushes and betrayals. They wind up deep in the jungle at times and other times they find their selves in cool cars and boats. They eventually, after all kinds of adventures, finish their mission. You can find a copy of this book at Amazon, available in paperback and kindle download.
Title: Triangles Author: Kimberly Ann Miller Series: Bermuda Triangle (#1) Publisher: Spencer Hill Press Release Date: June 18, 2013
Synopsis: A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong? In the Bermuda Triangle-a lot. Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life- her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who's practically stalking her- seventeen-year old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle she fears shes gone nuts for more than one reason: that losers suddenly claiming they're a happy couple...a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her saying Happy Anniversary...and suddenly she's full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead shes warned that these alternate realities could become permanent. She just has to ask herself one question- how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect with Triangles because I checked out a few other reviews on Goodreads about it before reading the book. I noticed it was like most other books, split down the middle, some loved it and some did not. But what got me was some of the negative things the people who didn't like it were saying. I went ahead and gave the book a shot. I personally thought that the author, Kimberly Ann Miller did a great job at writing Triangles. While Autumn might not have been the most enjoyable character I didn't find the story lacking. The book is about a ''mean girl'' named Autumn Taylor who is going on a vacation cruise with her older sister, Jessica. It turns out that Joey, a guy that Autumn works with, is also going on the same cruise with his grandparents. Joey has had a huge crush on Autumn since she started working at the same auto repair shop as him about six months ago. He follows her around like a lost puppy and is always leaving her little gifts which really annoys her. She is constantly trying to avoid him. While on the cruise she meets a guy named Marcus and just to be mean to Joey, flaunts Marcus in front of him. Some crazy things start happening to Autumn when the enter the Bermuda Triangle and each day is a different alternate reality for her. She begins to realize just how messed up and wrong she has been, and starts to except things that she can't change. I found Triangles unique because it was about a ''mean girl". A lot of books are about girls that constantly have to deal with a girl who for some reason or another is mean and vindictive. I thought this was a good change of pace. This book had my emotions all over the place. I was angry, happy, sad, and I even teared up a little. At the beginning and through a good bit of the book I found it really hard to like Autumn. I wanted to slap her silly for the way that she treated Joey. Most girls would die to have a guy treat them the way Joey treated her. He worshiped the ground she walked on, but all she kept doing was mocking him and saying rude and mean things to him. I kept screaming in my head for him just to give up on her and find someone that truly deserved him. Jessica was the ideal older sister and Autumn was constantly picking fights and being mean to her also. I mean come on she didn't have to step up and take over guardianship of Autumn, she didn't have to put her life on pause like that. I get that life had dealt Autumn a pretty crappy hand, but it was almost the exact same hand that Jessica had been dealt, but she wasn't running around with an ''I hate the world'' type of attitude. Joey was the most sweetest guy I've read about in a long time. He was polite, honest, caring, and fiercely loyal. The best way to describe him would be: a true old time type gentleman. I felt so sorry for him with all the stuff he had to put up with. I would honestly say I think he was my favorite character in the whole book. From the moment that Marcus was introduced to us I could tell that he was not good news. His personality dripped with the stench of being a player. He was shallow, self centered, and materialistic. He was also very mean to Joey. This was the first book I've read about the Bermuda Triangle and also the first for alternate realities. It was definitely different from what I usually read but I enjoyed it none the less. I would recommend this to anyone who has a thing for sci-fi/paranormal types of books, and teens and adults alike. (c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved
Title: Clarity Author: Kim Harrington Publisher: Scholastic Point Release: March 1, 2011
Synopsis: When you can see things others can't, Where do you look for the truth? This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift And a curse. When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother- who has supernatural gifts of his own- becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?
Review: It had been a while since I've read a mystery novel, so I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to get into this book. Clarity caught my attention real quick. The fact that it had a paranormal factor added in made it that much more enjoyable. I've always thought it would be neat to be able to hear what people are thinking or to be able to get visions from touching objects. Clarity "Clare" Fern, our main character, lives in a Cape Cod tourist town with her mother Starla and brother Perry. They run a family business together, giving psychic readings to the tourists. The three of them each have a different but unique gift. Clare can touch an object and get visions from it, Starla can read peoples minds, and Perry is a medium and can talk to the dead. Clare is an outcast at her school because of her talent and is constantly having to deal with other kids bullying her. She always has to watch her back so Tiffany, her biggest tormentor, doesn't do anything to her.The only friends she has are Perry and his best friend Nate. An eighteen year old tourist girl ends up being murdered and the mayor enlists the help of Clare to hurry up and get the case solved because it is an election year plus the tourists are worried and cutting their vacations short. She'll have to work closely with Gabriel, the hot son of the newest detective in town, who doesn't believe that psychics are real. Perry winds up landing right in the middle of the police investigation as the prime suspect because he can't keep his pants on and Clare will do anything to clear his name. I thought Clare was a neat character. She didn't have a problem telling people what she thought and did a good job of standing up for herself. She's had to develop a backbone and thick skin. I liked how the author also showed that she is not made of stone and some things do bother and hurt her, and leave her vulnerable and raw. That made her seem more real. I just want to know, Who in the world names their child Periwinkle? When I first learned Perry was short for Periwinkle, I thought to myself "That poor guy has probably had it worse than his sister". But no, apparently he has had it pretty easy with people excepting him for what he is able to do. I found that kind of weird because come on the dude talks to dead people. You would think he would be just as much of an outcast as what Clare was, if not more of one. When we first meet Gabriel Toscano it looks almost like things might be turning around for Clare but then he learns that she is the "nutjob" he is supposed to work with. You eventually find out what his big beef with psychics is and it'll throw you for a loop, but you get an understanding for all the hate. Justin Spellman is Clare's ex-boyfriend. At the beginning of the book I absolutely couldn't stand the guy. To me he seemed like the biggest jerk in the world. Plus, he has the nerve to go and ask for her help, who was he kidding? It's a good thing that Clare has a good head on her shoulders and some excellent morals. But as the story progresses I started to realize that he's actually a pretty good guy. There were plenty of twists and turns in Clarity. The minuet I thought I had figured everything out, BAM!, another twist. The momentum and progression of the story was very smooth and never lagged. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat, dying to know what happens and how it ends. I would definitely recommend this book to people who love mystery and paranormal genres alike. (c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved
Title: Dream Boy Authors: Mary Crockett and Madelyn Rosenberg Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Release Date: July 03, 2014
Synopsis: When Dreams Start Coming True... It was all just brain waves, I thought-disconnected, like the notebook my friend Talon keeps. She draws a line down the middle; on the right side she writes everything she remembers about a dream, and on the left notes about what's happening in real life. Reality on one side, dreams on the other, a clear line between the two. But it turns out there are no clear lines-just a jumble of what is and might be. And all of it is real. How Do You Know What's Real? Annabelle's dreams have started coming to life. Which is great when you're dreaming about a gorgeous guy whose purpose in life is to win the Best Boyfriend Ever Award. And then dream boy walks into your science class. Talk about the perfect date for homecoming. But not all of Annabelle's dreams are so...friendly. And when the dream stops, the nightmare begins...
Review: Normally there is a method to how I choose a book to read. The book cover has to be interesting and appealing, the synopsis has to catch my attention and have me wanting to know more, and I do have a tendency at times, but not always, to follow all the book rage. With Dream Boy I'm ashamed to say that only one of those played a role in my decision to read this book. I was really aggravated with my online library because I've been on the waiting list for months for a few books that I'm dying to read and I looked and looked but everything interesting seemed to be checked out at the time. So needing to read something I decided to read the book with the prettiest cover. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm glad that Dream Boy was the book I picked. It was a good read that I was unable to put down. Crockett and Rosenberg managed to make all of the characters seem so real. They gave them such dimension that if it wasn't for the paranormal factor in the story I would have thought that I was reading about a real teenagers life. Every teenage girl has at one time or another dreamed about the perfect boyfriend. I found it refreshing to read a YA paranormal book that was about dreams and nightmares. I'm sure there are many other YA books out there that are about dreams and stuff, but for me personally this was the first book I've read about them. I found it as something I could easily get into reading. The story progression was very smooth, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Annabelle Manning is the main character and the story is told through her perspective. Will Connor has been Annabelle's best friend since they were both in preschool. Will seems to me to be the ideal best guy friend for any girl. He is funny, smart, loyal,wears shirts that while corny and cheesy are still awesome, and I loved the fact that he was protective of the girls. There are times in every teenage girls' life when you just can't tell your guy friends things, and Annabelle is dealing with a situation like that. She's been having dreams about the perfect guy. All the sudden he shows up at her school in her science class. After going through some extreme measures to make sure he is real and didn't imagine him, she tells her other best friends Serena Mendez and Talon Fischer. Serena thinks it is all a coincidence and Talon thinks he is an alien. Martin Zirkle is Annabelle's dream guy. I know that name is a mouth full but I find it very unique. I loved the fact that the authors chose a different personality type for him than what we're always reading about in alot of today's books. Martin is very sweet, charming and polite when it comes to Annabelle, not at all the bad boy type. I enjoyed the fact that he was nice. Although for me personally I found him very generic when it came to looks, blonde hair, blue eyes and looks like he stepped off the cover of a magazine. I would have found him more appealing if he was described as having dark hair, dark eyes, and rugged, but what's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander. (That was slightly cheesy but I like it so I'll keep it in here) Things seem to be going really good for Annabelle, she's happy, has the perfect guy and a date for homecoming, but you know how it is when things start working out great, It all goes to crap again. If dreams really can come true then nightmares can too. When it came to the nightmare part, I'm pretty sure I was white knuckling my tablet I was gripping it so hard. It was definitely well written and could have easily have been one of my own nightmares. All in all I gave it a 4 star rating on my Goodreads account, but only because the ending left me asking: What happens next? If not for that factor I would have easily of given it a 5 star rating. I think this book would be loved by any person from the age 12-13 to adult. I urge any adult who is thinking about reading it to just go ahead and read it and give it a chance. I don't think you will be disappointed.
I thought this was cute. Mary doing her happy dance with a copy of her book. (c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved
Synopsis: Jess thought the old tales of dangerous creatures living beneath the water were just crazy stories, until her friend Freya was stolen. To rescue her Jess must capture one of them- a shapeshifter, a kelpie- but he's nothing like she imagined. Finn sees her in ways that on one ever has. Not even Magnus, who's known her all her life. Caught between two worlds, Jess must choose between what she's always known and what lies... Beneath. Review: Let me start this out by saying that Gill Arbuthnott has the ability to tell a story very well. She was able to describe the scenes and characters with such detail that I was able to picture everything clearly and very vividly. While I feel that Gill did an amazing job at telling this story I can't help but feel that it was intended for a slightly younger crowd than myself, maybe kids of the middle school age. Now I'm not saying that Beneath wasn't good or entertaining, it was actually the opposite, I enjoyed reading it. Arbuthnott has packed this book with plenty of adventure and action. Although the romance aspect of it was a little bit PG 13 I feel it was fitting because of the era in which the story takes place. Jess is the main character and the story is told mostly from her point of view. The story takes place in the year 1577, in a small town called Kirriemuir in Scottland. Jess lives on a small farm with her mother Martha, father Ian, grandmother Ellen, and younger brother Ashe. Jess' best friend is Freya, the local beauty and she knows it too. Magnus is Freya's cousin and he has a thing for Jess. Jess and Freya are out in the woods one day collecting mushrooms and brambles when Freya ends up getting taken by a kelpie named Finn. Jess tries to tell her family and Freya's father that she saw a black horse with blue eyes take her into the lake but they don't believe her. They try to convince her that she is mistaken and that Freya drowned but Jess knows better. The only one that believes her is her grandmother Ellen. Ellen tells her there might be a way to get Freya back. Jess is determined to find her best friend and goes into the kelpie world to get her. She forces Finn to help her get Freya back home and in the process finds out that Finn really meant to take her and not Freya. Instead of being freaked by all of this Jess is intrigued and it is the beginning of a very odd love triangle. Now don't get me wrong I enjoy a good love triangle just as much as the next person, soap operas use them all the time, but this one was just a little awkward for me. I absolutely could not stand Magnus. I kept screaming in my head for him to just go away. Sure he was a good guy and had only the best intentions but he was always getting in the way and making things worse. I got a little agitated with Jess for not making a decision up until one was kind of thrust upon her because she had to choose which world she wanted to live in. The way the book ended definitely threw me for a loop. If I had been the author I would have given it a different ending but she made it work. I feel that this book could easily have been turned into a series. It had all the makings for it. All in all I feel that Gill Arbuthnott did a really good job in writing this book and I was captivated from the beginning. I would recommend reading this book to anyone who is into the fantasy and mythological genres. Beneath does seem to be geared to the tween to early teenage ages but it is no less entertaining for an adult to read. (c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved
Title: Obsidian Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Published: November 2011 Publisher: Entangled Teen
Synopsis: Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.
Review:
Ok I absolutely loved Obsidian! Jennifer Armentrout was able to catch my attention from the very beginning.You don't need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy it.This is one of those books that the moment you start reading you're unable to put it down and usually end up devouring the whole thing in one sitting. You have to find out what is going to happen next, so you keep reading until you're finished and your eyes are too heavy to stay open and you realize it's 4 am. The story itself is outstanding. All the dynamics of a great story are pack into this book. There are sizzling characters, the chemistry between the characters is mind blowing, drama, action, romance, and the banter between Katy and Daemon is absolutely hilarious. It's a thrilling ride from start to finish and will leave you emotionally exhausted but it's so worth it. Being a fellow West Virginian I was very impressed with Armentrout's depiction of WV and the fact that she focused on a lot of the positives and the beauty of our state and didn't turn this into a bashing of the West Virginian populace.
Katy Swartz is the main character and the narrator of the story. I was immediately able to connect with Katy and her love for books. She came off as a person who is sensitive, fiercely loyal, independent, completely stubborn and hardheaded, snarky and of course she's a total book nerd like me. Plus she kind of has this take no crap from anyone type of attitude. She is real quick to call Daemon out. She tries hard to be herself but to also follow her mother's advice: make an effort.
Daemon is the holy trinity of hot boys: Beautiful face, Beautiful body, Horrible attitude. From the first moment we meet him, Daemon projects an air of arrogance, an ego the size of Alaska, a conceited attitude, and as Katy would put it is a "douche canoe". He has a way of ruffling her feathers and getting under Katy's skin and the readers. And he is way too over protective of his sister but you soon discover he has his reasons.
Daemon's equally beautiful sister's name is Dee. She has a very sweet, bubbly, and hyper personality. Her and Katy become friends instantly, like best friends. Daemon doesn't want Katy and Dee being friends the least little bit. Katy moves to West Virginia with her mom to get a new start 3 years after the passing of her father from cancer. Her mother has turned into a workaholic as a way to deal with the loss, so Katy pretty much stays at home alone. She ends up living next door to an incredibly hot Daemon Black and his equally beautiful twin sister Dee. Katy and Dee click from the moment they meet but from the moment that Katy and Daemon meet he is an absolute douche to her. Sometimes it almost seems like he is going out of his way to be a jerk. But as the story progresses we learn that he is only trying to protect his family. Katy, when she's not about to strangle Daemon, can't get over how gorgeous he is. And in the moments that Daemon is not being a douche, sparks fly, like blow up a laptop kind of sparks, between the two of them. Dee finds a unique way of getting Daemon to spend time with Katy so he can get to know her better, she hides his car keys. Daemon ends up having to save Katy's life and ultimately reveals his huge secret. Daemon and Dee Black are both aliens. Katy seems to be fine with the fact that her best friend is an alien but Daemon and the other aliens are worried that she will cause them a whole bunch of trouble and expose them. I would definitely suggest to anyone that they go out and get a copy of Obsidian today, head to the bookstore, audio store, Amazon, B&N or your local library right now. I mean like Right Now! I don't think you will be disappointed. I know I wasn't. (c) 2015 Andrea Hatfield All Rights Reserved
This is something that I've wanted to do for a while now and I've finally worked up the courage to follow a dream. I've made reading a huge part of my life, if I absolutely don't have to be doing something then I have a book in my hands. I love talking about the books I read to anyone who will listen and have thought about blogging about them for a while now, but I'm just now working up the courage to do it. I guess this can fall under a New Years Resolution that wasn't broken.
Okay, so right now I am waiting to get my hands on a few new books. To get the books I read I will either go to my local library or my local libraries' online website because if I bought every book I read then I would be broke and my house would be crammed from floor to ceiling in every room with books. Believe me I wish that was a possibility but my husband and kids might freak out just a little bit. Most of the time I can finish a book really quickly so I should be able to post relatively quickly. I can't promise one everyday but I will try to have one up the minute I finish a book. So I should be able to get 2 or 3 up a week, unless I've been really busy and haven't had a lot of time to fit in my books that day. I hope everyone can be patient with me as I am still learning things and try to work out my blog page. When I blog a review about a book your comments on the book are welcome and any book recommendations are always welcome. Happy reading everyone! Please subscribe!
