Dana's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:02:45 -0700 60 Dana's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Premiere (A Love Story #1) 23393388
Samantha “Sam� Cathner gave up needing Peter years ago, but now her theater needs his play. She knows how fairytales end once the house lights are up, so she steadies herself to work with the brilliant playwright who once broke her heart.

Peter Everoad is back in Pasadena, the hometown he traded for the bright lights of New York as soon as he graduated. The Pasadena Playhouse, where his oldest friend and one time lover Sam works, is in financial trouble, they need him and his new play Looking In.

Sam is flustered to reencounter this new version of Peter—as always, witty and smart, and now handsome and successful. But he’s still the jerk who crushed her happily-ever-after. She’s not going to let him waltz in and unsettle her carefully ordered life. But she’s drawn to him and intrigued by the autobiographical undertones of Looking In—is the Pasadena debutante “Sally� supposed to be her?

Can Sam ever really trust Peter again, or will the demons that drove them apart the first time, tear them apart again?]]>
272 Tracy Ewens 0990857115 Dana 0 to-read 3.60 Premiere (A Love Story #1)
author: Tracy Ewens
name: Dana
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More and Spending Less]]> 26091241
Unlike subject specific travel literature that tells you where to go and what to do, this practical book shows you how
- Beat the Best Online Fare - Every Time
- Turn a one-way flight into a half-way-around the world ticket
- Bypass checked bag and roaming fees
- Beat Priceline by understanding how it works
- Stockpile rewards points without buying anything - Fund your travels
- Avoid EXTREME travel scams that can empty your wallet
- Find coupons for up to 40% off in most major cities
- Disaster proof your vacation

You also
- How to travel 5 times more on the same budget using lean principles.
- Hundreds of neatly organized niche travel resources for students, families, business
travelers, couples and solo travelers.
- The 7 factors that play a hand in any travel deal and how to use them to your advantage.
- Actual tools and templates Russell uses to travel 5 times more for the local cost of living.
- A step-by-step system that shows you how to multiply your savings.

You don't need to quit your job, sell your home or leave your life., Stop Dreaming... Start Traveling has everything you need to travel - without the bill.]]>
260 Russell Hannon 0994758405 Dana 0 to-read 3.68 2015 Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More and Spending Less
author: Russell Hannon
name: Dana
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion (The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, #4)]]> 11260526 144 Mark Cotta Vaz 0316134112 Dana 3 4.29 The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion (The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, #4)
author: Mark Cotta Vaz
name: Dana
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves:
review:

]]>
A Native’s Tongue 22366414
As I walked out under the Los Angeles sky, the possibility of becoming something more than a short order cook, living in the valley, and resenting my dysfunctional family occurred to me�

Charlie Winters has never been an overachiever. He is used to just getting by while living with his single mother and working a dead-end job at a cheesesteak stand. Meanwhile, he’s constantly grappling with the voice of his sister, who died in a tragic car accident years earlier, echoing in his head.

So when Violet, an older woman, sets her sights on Charlie and refuses to let go, he follows along. He soon finds himself immersed in a destructive relationship that still fails to fill the void within him.

But then he meets Jennifer, a mystical young woman whose energy and life convinces Charlie to pursue her, even through the darkest corners of Los Angeles, and sets their lives upon a path that can’t be stopped.

Escaping to the California coast, Charlie and Jennifer finally find what they’ve always needed. But a sudden illness quickly pulls them both back to LA.

It is there, amid the sex, drugs, and split-second decisions that pulse through the city, that tragedy strikes—threatening to tear Charlie and Jennifer apart forever.

Love and tragedy collide in Michael D. Dennis’s poignant new novel, A Native’s Tongue.]]>
Michael D. Dennis Dana 4 This is a solid "obsession" novel, with more emphasis on the characters than the actual stalking. I had a love hate relationship with all the characters in this story, and I love how it made me reevaluate who the victims really were. I don't normally say this but I wish that this novel was longer.

I would have liked to have been able to witness more of the relationship between Violet and Charlie. I always like having sympathetic villains and because there wasn't a lot of back story in this novel, the story wasn't able to achieve that.

Overall this is an intriguing book that is easy to devour, however the ending feels a little disjointed from the rest of the novel.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
3.12 2014 A Native’s Tongue
author: Michael D. Dennis
name: Dana
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/07/02
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: insta-love, lurve-scenes, 2014, adult-romance, netgalley
review:

This is a solid "obsession" novel, with more emphasis on the characters than the actual stalking. I had a love hate relationship with all the characters in this story, and I love how it made me reevaluate who the victims really were. I don't normally say this but I wish that this novel was longer.

I would have liked to have been able to witness more of the relationship between Violet and Charlie. I always like having sympathetic villains and because there wasn't a lot of back story in this novel, the story wasn't able to achieve that.

Overall this is an intriguing book that is easy to devour, however the ending feels a little disjointed from the rest of the novel.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
A Native's Tongue 37942144

A young man, torn between two women, struggles to find his way in the world in Michael D. Dennis’s touching new novel, A Native’s Tongue.


Charlie Winters is used to just getting by while living with his single mother and working a dead-end job. Meanwhile, he’s constantly grappling with the voice of his sister, who died in a tragic car accident years earlier, echoing in his head.


Soon Charlie finds himself immersed in a destructive relationship with an older woman who still fails to fill the void within him.


But then he meets Jennifer, whose energy and life convinces Charlie to pursue her—even through the darkest corners of Los Angeles.


Escaping to the California coast, Charlie and Jennifer finally find what they’ve always needed. But a sudden illness quickly pulls them both back to LA.


It is there, amid the sex, drugs, and split-second decisions that pulse through the city, that tragedy strikes—threatening to tear Charlie and Jennifer apart forever.]]>
232 Michael D. Dennis 0996096418 Dana 4 This is a solid "obsession" novel, with more emphasis on the characters than the actual stalking. I had a love hate relationship with all the characters in this story, and I love how it made me reevaluate who the victims really were. I don't normally say this but I wish that this novel was longer.

I would have liked to have been able to witness more of the relationship between Violet and Charlie. I always like having sympathetic villains and because there wasn't a lot of back story in this novel, the story wasn't able to achieve that.

Overall this is an intriguing book that is easy to devour, however the ending feels a little disjointed from the rest of the novel.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
3.43 2014 A Native's Tongue
author: Michael D. Dennis
name: Dana
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:

This is a solid "obsession" novel, with more emphasis on the characters than the actual stalking. I had a love hate relationship with all the characters in this story, and I love how it made me reevaluate who the victims really were. I don't normally say this but I wish that this novel was longer.

I would have liked to have been able to witness more of the relationship between Violet and Charlie. I always like having sympathetic villains and because there wasn't a lot of back story in this novel, the story wasn't able to achieve that.

Overall this is an intriguing book that is easy to devour, however the ending feels a little disjointed from the rest of the novel.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
Gambit 25294101

Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.


Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?]]>
556 C.L. Denault 1942111061 Dana 4 I'm so glad that I gave this book a shot as it really paid off. A great debut, for fans of Dystopia and Romance. Admittedly the romance aspect does outweigh the Dysopian , but that didn't bother me.

What did bother me was the romantic interest. However, he did end up growing on me and I'm anticipating that some revelations in the future will help me to get behind the romantic interest more. I loved Willow and thought that she was a strong and (mostly) intelligent heroine.

The whole concept of abilities and genetic coding was pretty cool, I hope that the next book expands on this more, but for the first book it featured enough on it to whet my appetite.

Overall my paltry review doesn't do this book justice, but I shall blame that on my currently flu riddled brain. If not for this awesome book I think it likely that I would have gone crazy from being stuck in bed all day. I can't wait for the next one!

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy



Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
4.16 2015 Gambit
author: C.L. Denault
name: Dana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/19
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: 2015, buy, dystopian, fantasy, netgalley, post-apocalypse, romance, science-fiction, up-all-night, young-adult
review:

I'm so glad that I gave this book a shot as it really paid off. A great debut, for fans of Dystopia and Romance. Admittedly the romance aspect does outweigh the Dysopian , but that didn't bother me.

What did bother me was the romantic interest. However, he did end up growing on me and I'm anticipating that some revelations in the future will help me to get behind the romantic interest more. I loved Willow and thought that she was a strong and (mostly) intelligent heroine.

The whole concept of abilities and genetic coding was pretty cool, I hope that the next book expands on this more, but for the first book it featured enough on it to whet my appetite.

Overall my paltry review doesn't do this book justice, but I shall blame that on my currently flu riddled brain. If not for this awesome book I think it likely that I would have gone crazy from being stuck in bed all day. I can't wait for the next one!

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy



Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
<![CDATA[Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle, #1)]]> 22322014
Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna's revolution and Nalia's sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia's not sure she can trust him, but Raif's her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more dangerous than ever for Nalia. There's just one for Raif's unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of the bottle...and convince Malek that she truly loves him.

Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia must make choices that betray everything she believes in and choose between the jinni who has unexpectedly stolen her heart and the dangerously persuasive master who wants to own it. Soon Nalia realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay; but how far is she willing to go for it?

In this gorgeous fantasy debut, Heather Demetrios brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.]]>
480 Heather Demetrios 0062318586 Dana 4
Despite the title awkwardly sounding like a very erotic romance book, I quite enjoyed this novel. The story centers around Nalia, a powerful Jinni trapped in servitude to a cruel and mysterious master. When she finally gets a chance at freedom its only through a tense alliance with an enemy.

I loved the story, I was on the edge of my seat for much of it. The relationships were my favourite part. They were so well done, the relationship between Nalia and her master felt very realistically complicated. The sequel looks good too but for some reason I'm not in a rush to read it. Probably just due to my huge tbr pile.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews ]]>
3.60 2014 Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle, #1)
author: Heather Demetrios
name: Dana
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2017/08/07
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: 2017, buy, love-triangle, romance, the-price-is-right, up-all-night, young-adult-paranormal
review:
Micro Review (courtesy of my two year old.)

Despite the title awkwardly sounding like a very erotic romance book, I quite enjoyed this novel. The story centers around Nalia, a powerful Jinni trapped in servitude to a cruel and mysterious master. When she finally gets a chance at freedom its only through a tense alliance with an enemy.

I loved the story, I was on the edge of my seat for much of it. The relationships were my favourite part. They were so well done, the relationship between Nalia and her master felt very realistically complicated. The sequel looks good too but for some reason I'm not in a rush to read it. Probably just due to my huge tbr pile.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews
]]>
Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) 24685115
Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.]]>
526 Pierce Brown 0345539850 Dana 4
This final installment was bloodydamn amazing! Very few authors can make me crazy for sci-fi but Pierce Brown is one of them. The space battles were some of the best that I have ever read.

And as per usual the characters were still as fresh and vibrant as when I had left left them. As much as I love Sevro, I think Ragnor won for top spot of most badass characters.

I also loved that the war wasn't just between Gold and Red, but also Darrow and all of his friends. The tension in the group felt raw and added a great sense of suspense to the story.

Overall I found this to be a great final installment. For once I am actually hoping for an author to come out with a series of cash grab “shorts� just so that I can stay in this world a little while longer.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews ]]>
4.57 2016 Morning Star (Red Rising, #3)
author: Pierce Brown
name: Dana
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/12
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: 2017, buy, dystopian, nail-destroyer, science-fiction, up-all-night
review:
I finally finished this series! After a year of procrastination I started the last book. I was not hesitant to read this book for any fear of low quality. Quite the contrary. The series has been so good that I didn't want it to end. However my curiosity finally won out and I am glad that it did.

This final installment was bloodydamn amazing! Very few authors can make me crazy for sci-fi but Pierce Brown is one of them. The space battles were some of the best that I have ever read.

And as per usual the characters were still as fresh and vibrant as when I had left left them. As much as I love Sevro, I think Ragnor won for top spot of most badass characters.

I also loved that the war wasn't just between Gold and Red, but also Darrow and all of his friends. The tension in the group felt raw and added a great sense of suspense to the story.

Overall I found this to be a great final installment. For once I am actually hoping for an author to come out with a series of cash grab “shorts� just so that I can stay in this world a little while longer.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews
]]>
Pear Shaped 23274591
‘What a fantastic book. Really quite brilliant, way superior to standard chick-lit…so well written, fresh, insightful, funny…honest and very contemporary. Fantastic dialogue. Great characters. There's so much that's fresh and fun, including the food world which I loved.� Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express

Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl loses mind.

Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life � to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true � and he is.

An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere.

What people are saying about Pear Shaped�

'If you are a girl with a passion for food, this modern city heartbreak is the book for you.' Heat Magazine

‘A fabulous first novel by a British writer…Her writing is witty and snappy and she is hilarious on the food industry � I also found her fascinating on the methodology of contemporary dating.� Wendy Holden

‘Pear Shaped is Stella’s first book and what a victorious debut it is. With a wonderful lead character who is impossible not to like, a horrible boyfriend, witty dialogue and a vast quantity of delicious sweets and desserts, this book is for anyone who has loved and lost. A sharp, refreshing and occasionally sad story, that tells beautifully, of the balance between love and insanity, it is an honest tale of discovery and finally accepting who you are, cellulite marks and all.� Handwritten Girl

'Pear Shaped is the best sort of guilty pleasure, from the copious puddings our heroine Sophie tests in her day job, to the relationship she just knows is wrong for her but can't seem to give up. You'll shout out loud willing her to dump him, and cry with laughter as you recognise all the daft things we do when we're in love. And then you'll have a second helping of pudding and fall in love with Stella Newman's quick wit and her clever portrayal of that delicate balance between food, love and insanity.' Kathleen Baird-Murray]]>
344 Stella Newman 190949061X Dana 5 This book warmed my heart. Clever, cute and hilarious...what more could you ask for in a story? I found Sophie to be pretty relatable for the most part (the good and the bad). I loved all the details about food, which were comprehensive without becoming boring. I believe that this book is filled with great moral lessons, and that any it will leave any woman with a smile on her face. Pear shaped, apple shaped, banana shaped, whatever fruit shape you are, you are sure to enjoy this terrific read! 4.5/5

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
3.46 2012 Pear Shaped
author: Stella Newman
name: Dana
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2014/10/04
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: 2014, adult-romance, clever-characters, favourites, netgalley, up-all-night, blog
review:

This book warmed my heart. Clever, cute and hilarious...what more could you ask for in a story? I found Sophie to be pretty relatable for the most part (the good and the bad). I loved all the details about food, which were comprehensive without becoming boring. I believe that this book is filled with great moral lessons, and that any it will leave any woman with a smile on her face. Pear shaped, apple shaped, banana shaped, whatever fruit shape you are, you are sure to enjoy this terrific read! 4.5/5

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
<![CDATA[Burning Glass (Burning Glass, #1)]]> 25788337 Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone in a debut fantasy about a girl forced to use her gift for sensing—and absorbing—other people’s feelings to protect the empire from assassins. Steeped in intrigue and betrayal, Burning Glass captivates with heartrending romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s quest for redemption.

In Riaznin, it’s considered an honor for Auraseers like Sonya—girls with a rare form of synesthesia—to serve as the emperor’s personal protector, constantly scanning for feelings of malice and bloodlust in the court. But Sonya would rather be free.

After the queen’s murder and a tragic accident, Sonya is hauled off to the palace to guard a charming yet volatile new ruler. But Sonya’s power is reckless and hard to control. She’s often carried away by the intense passion of others.

And when a growing rebellion forces Sonya to side with either the emperor who trusts her or his mysterious brother, the crown prince, Sonya realizes she may be the key to saving the empire—or its greatest threat.]]>
512 Kathryn Purdie 0062412388 Dana 3 Sonya is an Auraseer, which means she can sense peoples emotions and intents. After a devastating loss, she is conscripted into the service of a tyrant king. There she must navigate the complex emotions of complicated nobels and servants alike as she tries to control her wild gift that often leaves her overwhelmed.

This book started off really strong, the relationships between Sonya and Pia were always charming and fun, and the complex dance between Sonya and the King was well choreographed. However the pace was very slow, by the 50% mark not much had happened, and there was a lot of repetitiveness regarding a will-they-won't-they romance. Any who hate love triangles, beware.

Despite the slow pace and slightly juvenile love triangle, I was still enjoying this for the unique settings and interesting relationships, but sadly the nail in the coffin ended up being the finale. It felt very rushed after the meandering pace of the first 75% and while I am not against neat endings this felt...disingenuous.

Despite my grumblings, overall this was a decent story and there were large parts of this that I did enjoy. I got this as a kindle daily deal for $2 and for that price I have no regrets with this book. I think that this author has great potential and in time could be an amazing writer.



Check out more of my reviews

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow

]]>
3.49 2016 Burning Glass (Burning Glass, #1)
author: Kathryn Purdie
name: Dana
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2017/08/16
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: 2017, borrow, historical-fiction, insta-love, love-triangle, le-fromage, romance, satellite-mind, young-adult-paranormal
review:

Sonya is an Auraseer, which means she can sense peoples emotions and intents. After a devastating loss, she is conscripted into the service of a tyrant king. There she must navigate the complex emotions of complicated nobels and servants alike as she tries to control her wild gift that often leaves her overwhelmed.

This book started off really strong, the relationships between Sonya and Pia were always charming and fun, and the complex dance between Sonya and the King was well choreographed. However the pace was very slow, by the 50% mark not much had happened, and there was a lot of repetitiveness regarding a will-they-won't-they romance. Any who hate love triangles, beware.

Despite the slow pace and slightly juvenile love triangle, I was still enjoying this for the unique settings and interesting relationships, but sadly the nail in the coffin ended up being the finale. It felt very rushed after the meandering pace of the first 75% and while I am not against neat endings this felt...disingenuous.

Despite my grumblings, overall this was a decent story and there were large parts of this that I did enjoy. I got this as a kindle daily deal for $2 and for that price I have no regrets with this book. I think that this author has great potential and in time could be an amazing writer.



Check out more of my reviews

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow


]]>
The Fatness 36121811
From award-winning author Mark A. Rayner, The Fatness is a dark comedy that satires socialism, capitalism, and the so-called “obesity epidemic�. This is Catch-22 for a new generation, with a distinctly tender undertone, even as it mercilessly spoofs the establishment.

IPBA Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Humor (silver), 2018IndieReader Discovery Award for Best Humor, 2018

★★★★� "THE FATNESS is a story of socialism gone wrong is set amid a plausible backdrop with witty characters who will steal your heart and, snag your cheeseburger if you're not careful."~IndieReader.com

★★★★� "Food for thought dished out in one of the funniest novels to come around."~San Francisco Review of Books

★★★★� "LOVED this book. It was funny, sweet, scary and absolutely charming. It dealt with the horror of fat phobia and discrimination sensitively and directly. Read it - you too will love it." ~Amazon Reviewer

★★★★ "When first diving in, I wasn’t sure to expect. I was a bit leery due this being classified as satire; I tend to not enjoy satirical stories. However, I was pleasantly surprised while reading. To be honest, I didn’t find much of the content humorous. It had more of a sad undertone, but still fairly light, if that makes sense." ~Heidi N.

★★★★� "I love this book. It is funny, satirical and inspiring with a little bit of suspense. Most importantly, for a portly person like myself, I find it very relatable." ~Amazon Reviewer

★★★★� "At times this book was hilarious, and at others, it was all too real. This is a biting satire focusing on everything from governmental control to private healthcare to corporate greed to societal norms. You do not have to be an individual who has struggled with their weight to enjoy this book, but those of us that have ever fallen into the 30+ "bimmi" category with certainly identify with Keelan and company." ~Kyle E.

"Rayner’s satire is best read without a lot of preconceived notions. His work is never boring, often surprising and always memorable. I don’t know of anyone writing fiction today that’s quite like his." ~Lisa Brandt]]>
354 Mark A. Rayner 192759006X Dana 2 dnf, 2017, netgalley
Merged review:

Strong and intriguing start but around the 75% mark I had to DNF this, it was moving too slow and felt a bit redundant and out of focus. Good idea, but could have been trimmed up a bit.]]>
4.10 2017 The Fatness
author: Mark A. Rayner
name: Dana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2017/12/29
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: dnf, 2017, netgalley
review:
Strong and intriguing start but around the 75% mark I had to DNF this, it was moving too slow and felt a bit redundant and out of focus. Good idea, but could have been trimmed up a bit.

Merged review:

Strong and intriguing start but around the 75% mark I had to DNF this, it was moving too slow and felt a bit redundant and out of focus. Good idea, but could have been trimmed up a bit.
]]>
Firstlife (Everlife, #1) 28936090 Step one...you die.

ONE CHOICE.
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.


Tenley "Ten" Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live � after she dies. There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in Troika and Myriad, long-time enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms that will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she's drawn to isn't where the boy she's falling for lives? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…]]>
480 Gena Showalter 1760374458 Dana 1
The characters were also supposed to be in their late teens, yet they had the mentality and dialogue of young children. This was especially at odds with some of the more brutal scenes in the book. However even such scenes were not all that squeamish due to the over-the-top nature of much of the action.

It's like how I am usually pretty wimpy when it comes to gory movies, but I have no problem watching most Quentin Tarantino movies because its just like watching ketchup spout from a bottle. There are many other issues I had with the story, the insta-love, the romanticizing of abusive relationships, the pointless stubbornness of the main character for no point other than to extend the number of pages.

It felt as though the author was just trying to fill a word count at times. Rather than rant anymore however I will simply let the book speak for itself, in the form of multiple quotes below the spoiler tag. Note that there are some spoilers in the quotes.

[spoilers removed]

Some parts are even worse than the above listed, but I have to stop somewhere. Don't even get me started on Ten's “poems�




Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Burn

Check out more of my reviews ]]>
3.72 2016 Firstlife (Everlife, #1)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Dana
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2016
rating: 1
read at: 2017/03/18
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: 2017, bin, insta-love, is-it-just-me, le-fromage, love-triangle, romance, terrible, wtf, zzz, young-adult, fantasy, dystopian, the-price-is-right
review:
Very interesting premise, that had me entranced for the first half. Soon however this turned into one of the most disappointing books I have ever read. Talk about bait and switch. I loved the originality of this story but it felt “off � a lot of the time. Nothing really meshed together, the writing... I couldn't tell if my struggle to enjoy this was a cause of the author trying too hard or not trying hard enough.

The characters were also supposed to be in their late teens, yet they had the mentality and dialogue of young children. This was especially at odds with some of the more brutal scenes in the book. However even such scenes were not all that squeamish due to the over-the-top nature of much of the action.

It's like how I am usually pretty wimpy when it comes to gory movies, but I have no problem watching most Quentin Tarantino movies because its just like watching ketchup spout from a bottle. There are many other issues I had with the story, the insta-love, the romanticizing of abusive relationships, the pointless stubbornness of the main character for no point other than to extend the number of pages.

It felt as though the author was just trying to fill a word count at times. Rather than rant anymore however I will simply let the book speak for itself, in the form of multiple quotes below the spoiler tag. Note that there are some spoilers in the quotes.

[spoilers removed]

Some parts are even worse than the above listed, but I have to stop somewhere. Don't even get me started on Ten's “poems�




Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Burn

Check out more of my reviews
]]>
The (Not) Sleepy Shark 29101835 39 Tamia Sheldon 168195270X Dana 3 4.09 The (Not) Sleepy Shark
author: Tamia Sheldon
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: 2019, borrow, childrens, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[I'm Not Your Other Half: A Cooney Classic Romance]]> 20869763 A high school junior finds the perfect boyfriend... but is he too good to be true?



Chapman High juniors Fraser and Annie have been best friends forever. They’re each missing only one critical the right boyfriend. Then Annie meets Price. And Fraser meets the guy ofherdreams.


Gorgeous, sensitive, and considerate, Michael is the perfect boyfriend. Before long, he and Fraser are spending every free minute together. But that’s the trouble—Fraser has no time for herself. She’s starting to give things up for him, like the Madrigal choir she loves. Worst of all, she’s drifting away from her friends. She feels smothered, as if she can’t make a move without Michael—as if she’s losing herlife. And the same thing is happening to Annie . . .


I’m Not Your Other Half
tells a story of friendship and romance, first dates and first love. It’s also a novel about the choices and compromises we make, asking the question, Can anyone everreallybe perfect?]]>
151 Caroline B. Cooney 148045205X Dana 3 This is a realistic book for tweens that highlights the issues of getting too obsessed with boys. I think this is a good novel for tweens to read, because that is around the time that girls start getting boy crazy. I'm Not Your Other Half stresses the importance of keeping your own identity and hobbies even after starting a relationship with a boy.

The only thing I didn't like was that the women in the story acted as though they were living in the 1950's. I can understand a teenage girl having the world revolve around a boy, but for grown women to act like nothing matters but a man's happiness was somewhat disturbing.

Overall I think this is a good book for girls between the ages of 12-14.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
3.17 1985 I'm Not Your Other Half: A Cooney Classic Romance
author: Caroline B. Cooney
name: Dana
average rating: 3.17
book published: 1985
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/03
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: 2014, childrens, insta-love, netgalley, young-adult
review:

This is a realistic book for tweens that highlights the issues of getting too obsessed with boys. I think this is a good novel for tweens to read, because that is around the time that girls start getting boy crazy. I'm Not Your Other Half stresses the importance of keeping your own identity and hobbies even after starting a relationship with a boy.

The only thing I didn't like was that the women in the story acted as though they were living in the 1950's. I can understand a teenage girl having the world revolve around a boy, but for grown women to act like nothing matters but a man's happiness was somewhat disturbing.

Overall I think this is a good book for girls between the ages of 12-14.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
Zac and Mia 22697806 "When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics." So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can't forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.]]> 301 A.J. Betts 0544453271 Dana 2 If I had to describe this book in one sentence, I would describe it as the poor man's TFIOS(The Fault in Our Stars). I really had to force myself to finish this. My main issue was Mia, she was such a MASSIVE bitch. I truly hated her. She was a cruel, selfish, ingrate who literally cared about no one but herself. As for Zac, he was okay, although I found him kind of boring and nothing more than a crutch for Mia's abuses.

If you're looking for a teenage love story look elsewhere, these two protagonists don't even have enough chemistry to be worthy of the shared title. 2/5

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
3.85 2013 Zac and Mia
author: A.J. Betts
name: Dana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2014/08/02
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: 2014, meh, netgalley, young-adult, blog
review:

If I had to describe this book in one sentence, I would describe it as the poor man's TFIOS(The Fault in Our Stars). I really had to force myself to finish this. My main issue was Mia, she was such a MASSIVE bitch. I truly hated her. She was a cruel, selfish, ingrate who literally cared about no one but herself. As for Zac, he was okay, although I found him kind of boring and nothing more than a crutch for Mia's abuses.

If you're looking for a teenage love story look elsewhere, these two protagonists don't even have enough chemistry to be worthy of the shared title. 2/5

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
<![CDATA[Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Yuletide Yahoos, Ho-Ho-Humblebraggers, and Other Seasonal Scourges]]> 25836970
When it comes to time-honored holiday traditions, Jen Mann pulls no punches

In this hilariously irreverent collection of essays, Jen Mann, nationally bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat, turns her mordant wit on the holidays. On Mann’s naughty list: mothers who go way overboard with their Elf on the Shelf, overzealous carolers who can’t take a hint, and people who write their Christmas cards in the third person (�Joyce is enjoying Bunko. Yeah, Joyce, we know you wrote this letter.�). And on her nice list . . . well, she’s working on that one. Here, no celebration is off-limits. The essays include:

� You Can Keep Your Cookies, I’m Just Here for the Booze
� Nice Halloween Costume. Was Skank Sold Out?
� Why You Won’t Be Invited to Our Chinese New Year Party


From hosting an ill-fated Chinese New Year party, to receiving horrible gifts from her husband on Mother’s Day, to reluctantly telling her son the truth about the Easter Bunny, Mann knows the challenge of navigating the holidays while keeping her sanity intact. And even if she can’t get out of attending another Christmas cookie exchange, at least she can try again next year.

Advance praise for Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat

“Jen Mann understands that wanting to be a good person and yearning to punch the deserving in the throat aren’t mutually exclusive. At no time is this more evident than during the holidays. Buy this book if you’re a fan of not spending the holidays behind bars.�—Jen Lancaster, author of I Regret Nothing

Praise for People I Want to Punch in the Throat

“Jen Mann says the things we’re all too afraid to say. Her honest and hilarious writing style reminds me of David Sedaris and Tina Fey.�—Robin O’Bryant, author of Ketchup Is a Vegetable

“Comedy gold . . . Reading her stories is like riding a waterslide: fast, direct and unpredictable.�—New York Daily News

“Will make you cringe and burst out laughing at the same time.�—Karen Alpert, author of I Heart My Little A-Holes


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]>
203 Jen Mann 0804176299 Dana 2 Unfortunately I found that this book was not able to live up to the hilarity of it's predecessor. Where People I Want to Punch in the Throat came off as witty and snarky, this sequel ended up going into the direction of bitter and exhaustive.

I think the issue was that there simply wasn't enough appropriate subject matter that fit into the theme of the book, and therefore every quip came across as far reaching. Complaining simply for the sake of complaining.

There were still some funny moments in here, even laugh out loud ones, but the magic of the previous book is nowhere to be found. This isn't a terrible book by any means, but if you are interested in this author I would recommend reading the original first. You can check out my review of that here

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow 2.5/5


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.]]>
3.91 2012 Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Yuletide Yahoos, Ho-Ho-Humblebraggers, and Other Seasonal Scourges
author: Jen Mann
name: Dana
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2015/09/20
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves: 2015, borrow, comedy, is-it-just-me, netgalley, memoir
review:

Unfortunately I found that this book was not able to live up to the hilarity of it's predecessor. Where People I Want to Punch in the Throat came off as witty and snarky, this sequel ended up going into the direction of bitter and exhaustive.

I think the issue was that there simply wasn't enough appropriate subject matter that fit into the theme of the book, and therefore every quip came across as far reaching. Complaining simply for the sake of complaining.

There were still some funny moments in here, even laugh out loud ones, but the magic of the previous book is nowhere to be found. This isn't a terrible book by any means, but if you are interested in this author I would recommend reading the original first. You can check out my review of that here

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow 2.5/5


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
Living Dead Lovers 19547603
Living Dead Lovers follows the life and times of famed psychic-medium half-Romani gypsy Valentina ‘Cabbage� Moone, from her mute infancy trawling the roads of Europe to a fiery-tongued, hard-drinking, speed-loving clairvoyant with a complete disregard for human life, including her own of late�

Psychic medium Cabbage brings forth more than she can chew with a womanizing dead racing-car driver, Marty ‘Magma� Molloy, who doesn’t want to give up the chase. Unfortunately, Cabbage has always possessed a sick fascination for deviants and perverts which she blames on her unconventional bohemian quasi-gypsy upbringing.

A twisted love-affair never meant to be. Necrophilia: that’s what the skeptical call it. Romantics call it the yin-yang love between being and human being, light and oh so very dark.

And her guardian angel Mr. Brick Shithouse makes it even more complicated…]]>
354 Jonathan Dunne 1494480913 Dana 0 to-read 4.22 2013 Living Dead Lovers
author: Jonathan Dunne
name: Dana
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)]]> 23281894 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Fans of the All Souls Trilogy sent this highly anticipated finale straight to #1 on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. Bringing the series� magic and suspense to a deeply satisfying conclusion, The Book of Life is poised to become an even bigger phenomenon in paperback.

Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]>
561 Deborah Harkness 0143127527 Dana 0 to-read 4.31 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Dana
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Inferno (The Drone Wars, #2) 22429206
Was he ever wrong.

Kidnapped by the brutal Dark Fiber militia, Matt is shocked to discover he’s been betrayed by those he trusted most. Stranded in an isolated location in the middle of Michigan, far away from the girl he fought so hard to regain, Matt is made March22’s point man in a plot to get control over a cache of thousands of stolen ground-to-air missiles. As time runs out, he’s their last—and best—hope of sparing the country of a heinous attack on commercial aviation that could quickly turn the United States into a permanent war zone.

In this action-packed, explosive follow-up to "Saving Raine," the first book in Frederick Lee Brooke’s "The Drone Wars," Matt Carney finds himself at the center of a firestorm of stolen missiles, stolen drones, and stolen dirty nukes, tormented by stinging betrayals, clinging to a last hope for love. Sure, he was able to save Raine—but as the inferno rages around him, can he find a way to save the country from further violent chaos…and a way to save himself?]]>
358 Frederick Lee Brooke 1499769075 Dana 0 to-read 4.36 2013 Inferno (The Drone Wars, #2)
author: Frederick Lee Brooke
name: Dana
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Overbite (Insatiable, #2) 9462815
Sure, her ex-boyfriend was Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames. Now Meena's sworn off vampires for good ... at least until she can prove her theory that just because they've lost their souls doesn't mean demons have lost the ability to love.

Meena knows convincing her co-workers � including her partner, über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf � that vampires can be redeemed won't be easy ... especially when a deadly new threat seems to be endangering not just the lives of the Palatine, but Meena's friends and family as well.

But Meena isn't the Palatine's only hope. Father Henrique � aka Padre Caliente � New York City's youngest, most charming priest, has also been assigned to the case.

So why doesn't Meena � or Alaric � trust him?

As she begins unraveling the truth, Meena finds her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare ... and temptations she never even imagined existed, but finds impossible to resist.

This time, Meena may finally have bitten off more than she can chew.]]>
275 Meg Cabot 0061735108 Dana 3 3.35 2011 Overbite (Insatiable, #2)
author: Meg Cabot
name: Dana
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/02/16
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)]]> 17849112 Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world. When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

]]>
320 Susan Ee 1477867287 Dana 3
Paige and Penryn's mother were again very intriguing characters, and the ending had an amazing twist. Overall I liked this sequel, but felt that it just wasn't able to live up to its predecessor.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.]]>
4.09 2013 World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
author: Susan Ee
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/04/24
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: 2015, borrow, dystopian, fantasy, netgalley, post-apocalypse, young-adult
review:
Susan Ee proves her talents again in this fast(ish) paced sequel. However I wasn't the biggest fan of Penryn in this novel, I felt that she acted a little too reckless for my liking. I get that Raffe is swoonworthy, but I don't think that he is more important than your family or your safety.

Paige and Penryn's mother were again very intriguing characters, and the ending had an amazing twist. Overall I liked this sequel, but felt that it just wasn't able to live up to its predecessor.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
Omens (Cainsville, #1) 19253152
Olivia Taylor Jones, 24, seems to have the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech-firm CEO with political ambitions. But Olivia's world is shattered when she finds out that she's adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers, each still serving a life sentence.

The news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, and Olivia thinks the best thing she can do for herself and for them is run away from it all. She ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her decision to uncover the truth about her birth parents. Olivia decides to focus on the Larsens' last crime, the one Pamela Larsen swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel Walsh, Pamela's former lawyer, start investigating, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. There are dark secrets behind her new home, and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.]]>
497 Kelley Armstrong 0307360547 Dana 0 to-read, next-reads 4.03 2013 Omens (Cainsville, #1)
author: Kelley Armstrong
name: Dana
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: to-read, next-reads
review:

]]>
Peril and Paradise 20761071 Her search leads her to an island that is almost magical and where she falls in love with a handsome young islander well-versed in the ways of the West. Through a series of adventures he keeps her safe until the secret of the islands is uncovered, and she can return to her home. She leaves with her research is in tatters, guarding a secrete that can never be told, but knowing she she has much to accomplish in life.]]> 362 Patricia Berwick 0473273330 Dana 0 to-read 4.38 2014 Peril and Paradise
author: Patricia Berwick
name: Dana
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Shattered Veil 19194602 377 Tracy Banghart 1493613200 Dana 0 to-read 4.33 2014 Shattered Veil
author: Tracy Banghart
name: Dana
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Cursed (The Watchers, #1) 19550841
On Lilly’s first day of college, she meets Brand Cole. Intrigued by Brand, Lilly must decide whether or not she can give up her adolescent fantasy of being reunited with Will and allow Brand the opportunity to conqueror her heart.

Not only do Will and Brand both love Lilly, they share a dark secret neither wants Lilly to discover. Lilly thinks Fate is after her once again when a new series of attempts on her life start to take place, but she soon learns someone of flesh and blood is trying to kill her this time.]]>
312 S.J. West 1480231487 Dana 0 to-read 4.14 2012 Cursed (The Watchers, #1)
author: S.J. West
name: Dana
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
#zombie (Zombie Botnet, #1) 20742092
Some blamed Twitter, others Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and even MySpace. The zombie botnet infiltrated them all, and the world was changed forever.

#zombie was the biggest trend on Twitter ever, and zombie 'selfies' as much a cause for the destruction of mankind as the original zombie botnet itself.

A press of a button and flesh was the currency of choice, and there was only one person to blame: Sarah. Known to her friends (1) as Ven.

She didn't do it on purpose though, let's get that straight from the get-go.

Ven just wanted to steal your money, not your humanity...

Suitable for adults only. Contains not only humor but strong language and scenes of zombies doing what they do best: eating your BRAINS!]]>
238 Al K. Line Dana 0 to-read 3.10 2014 #zombie (Zombie Botnet, #1)
author: Al K. Line
name: Dana
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 16034235
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]>
406 Sarah J. Maas 1619630346 Dana 3 This ended up being a fun read, although not as gritty as I had anticipated, I found this book to keep me intrigued throughout. I actually didn't read it until now because I thought that I had already read it. (Yes, that's how many teenage assassin books I read)

There was also a lot more romance in this book than I expected. Although romance and love triangles rarely turn me off a book, so while I did find that element to be a pleasant surprise, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little misplaced in the plot.

The paranormal aspects in the book were very interesting and I can't wait to find out more about it and Celaena's adventures in future books.3.5/5 Because while enjoyable it was also very predictable read.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow

Check out more of my reviews ]]>
4.15 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2016/05/02
date added: 2023/10/12
shelves: 2016, borrow, fantasy, love-triangle, romance, young-adult, up-all-night
review:

This ended up being a fun read, although not as gritty as I had anticipated, I found this book to keep me intrigued throughout. I actually didn't read it until now because I thought that I had already read it. (Yes, that's how many teenage assassin books I read)

There was also a lot more romance in this book than I expected. Although romance and love triangles rarely turn me off a book, so while I did find that element to be a pleasant surprise, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little misplaced in the plot.

The paranormal aspects in the book were very interesting and I can't wait to find out more about it and Celaena's adventures in future books.3.5/5 Because while enjoyable it was also very predictable read.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow

Check out more of my reviews
]]>
Every Breath (Every, #1) 20300225
While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again...]]>
335 Ellie Marney 1770497722 Dana 4

Thank you Ms. Marney for writing this book, I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to read this ARC. I was having a miserable day but this story completely turned my mood around. I have nothing bad to say about this, the characters were genius (literally, in Mycroft's case), and I felt that the pacing was perfect.

I don't normally read murder mysteries, in fact I usually avoid them like the plague, and for this reason I am all the more impressed with how much this novel enchanted me. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.


Note: I received this book for fee in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
4.01 2013 Every Breath (Every, #1)
author: Ellie Marney
name: Dana
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/20
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves: 2014, clever-characters, netgalley, young-adult, up-all-night, mystery
review:


Thank you Ms. Marney for writing this book, I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to read this ARC. I was having a miserable day but this story completely turned my mood around. I have nothing bad to say about this, the characters were genius (literally, in Mycroft's case), and I felt that the pacing was perfect.

I don't normally read murder mysteries, in fact I usually avoid them like the plague, and for this reason I am all the more impressed with how much this novel enchanted me. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.


Note: I received this book for fee in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
<![CDATA[The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm]]> 21981650
From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key," wondrous worlds unfold--heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique--they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes's introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes.

A delight to read, "The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers."]]>
568 Jacob Grimm 0691160597 Dana 2
I give up. I tried so hard to like this collection and I thought that it would be a home run for sure but this turned out to be so far from that. In the very lengthy introduction it mentions that the popular Grimm fairytales, which most of us are familiar with are actually extremely edited versions of the originals. Intrigued I started this book, however very quickly I realized that I *gasp* actually prefer the edited mainstream versions (blasphemy I know).

I am far from an expert in fairytales but I just expected so much more, I found most of the stories to be dull, dumb and repetitive, and indeed many of the stories are almost exact copies of each other except for very minor changes. This made reading extremely tedious and I quickly tired of this collection.

I cannot in good faith recommend this version of Grimm's fairytales, and would suggest just sticking to the more familiar version of events (Edition 7).

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
]]>
4.23 1812 The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
author: Jacob Grimm
name: Dana
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1812
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/06
date added: 2023/08/24
shelves: 2014, anthology, fantasy, meh, netgalley, blog
review:
DNF @ 46%

I give up. I tried so hard to like this collection and I thought that it would be a home run for sure but this turned out to be so far from that. In the very lengthy introduction it mentions that the popular Grimm fairytales, which most of us are familiar with are actually extremely edited versions of the originals. Intrigued I started this book, however very quickly I realized that I *gasp* actually prefer the edited mainstream versions (blasphemy I know).

I am far from an expert in fairytales but I just expected so much more, I found most of the stories to be dull, dumb and repetitive, and indeed many of the stories are almost exact copies of each other except for very minor changes. This made reading extremely tedious and I quickly tired of this collection.

I cannot in good faith recommend this version of Grimm's fairytales, and would suggest just sticking to the more familiar version of events (Edition 7).

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
My Girl 814106 your Mom's in heaven,
and your Grandma's got a screw loose...
it's good to have a friend who understands you.
Even if he is a boy.

Thomas J. is Vada's best friend. They live near enough to each other to bike ride over and play, or even just hang out. The two are always together, sharing their afternoons, their adventures in the lake, and all of their secrets. Then something terrible happens to Thomas J. and Vada has to learn to fill her days without her best friend around. ]]>
192 Patricia Hermes 0590551191 Dana 3 4.23 1991 My Girl
author: Patricia Hermes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves:
review:

]]>
Virgin 21471308 Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right? I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.]]>
304 Radhika Sanghani 0425278336 Dana 1 How to describe this novel..... first words that come to mind...Pathetic, Miserable, Temperamental,Plaintive. I was pretty disgusted with the main character the entire time I was reading this. I really hope this is not supposed to be a relatable character, because if so then our planet is going to shit.

I suppose I was given adequate warning by the title, but every bloody sentence has her whining on and on about how it is so deplorable to be a virgin. In her opinion being a virgin is worse than hooking up with some random stranger in a sketchy pub. I guess anything to get rid of her "v- plates". This novel was rage inducing for me, and her epiphany at the end of the novel just felt contrived and juvenile. PASS PASS PASS!


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

]]>
3.37 2014 Virgin
author: Radhika Sanghani
name: Dana
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2014
rating: 1
read at: 2014/07/15
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: 2014, netgalley, terrible, blog, satellite-mind
review:

How to describe this novel..... first words that come to mind...Pathetic, Miserable, Temperamental,Plaintive. I was pretty disgusted with the main character the entire time I was reading this. I really hope this is not supposed to be a relatable character, because if so then our planet is going to shit.

I suppose I was given adequate warning by the title, but every bloody sentence has her whining on and on about how it is so deplorable to be a virgin. In her opinion being a virgin is worse than hooking up with some random stranger in a sketchy pub. I guess anything to get rid of her "v- plates". This novel was rage inducing for me, and her epiphany at the end of the novel just felt contrived and juvenile. PASS PASS PASS!


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


]]>
Fallen 19393227 280 Lia Mills 1844883051 Dana 0 to-read 3.37 2014 Fallen
author: Lia Mills
name: Dana
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Wicked: The Grimmerie 24937 Wicked

Wicked: The Grimmerie is the behind-the-scenes story of the hit that has captivated Broadway—and now the world. Designed to resemble the ancient book of spells that changes Ozian history, Wicked: The Grimmerie includes profiles of the cast and creative team, the complete, illustrated lyrics to all the songs, and more than 200 full-color photographs. Packed with thrillifying details, Wicked: The Grimmerie is also full of bonus features that will delight fans of the show, from an Ozian Glossararium and an Oz travelogue to a step-by-step look at how Elphaba gets green. No need for innuendo or outuendo: This is a must-have for Wicked fans of all ages.]]>
191 David Cote 1401308201 Dana 2 4.19 2005 Wicked: The Grimmerie
author: David Cote
name: Dana
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/07/28
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae]]> 23485581 40 Linda Granfield 1554553601 Dana 0 to-read 4.36 1915 In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae
author: Linda Granfield
name: Dana
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1915
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Deadly Curiosities (Deadly Curiosities, #1)]]> 18775220
Welcome to Trifles & Folly, a store with a secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide’s psychic gift lets her know the history and magic of an object by touching it. Cassidy and her friends—including Weaver witch Teag and her vampire business partner Sorren—save the world from vengeful ghosts, dark magic, hidden monsters, and things that go bump in the night.

When a trip to a haunted hotel unearths a statue steeped in malevolent power, and a string of murders leads to the abandoned old Navy yard, Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren discover a diabolical plot to unleash a supernatural onslaught on their city.

It’s time for Cassidy and her team to handle the “deadly curiosities� before it’s too late.]]>
456 Gail Z. Martin 1781082332 Dana 0 to-read 3.54 2014 Deadly Curiosities (Deadly Curiosities, #1)
author: Gail Z. Martin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
The Girl With All the Gifts 18656044
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.]]>
407 M.R. Carey 0316278157 Dana 0 to-read 3.90 2014 The Girl With All the Gifts
author: M.R. Carey
name: Dana
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Chasing the Sun 18222866 Andres suspects his wife has left him—again. Then he learns that the unthinkable has happened: she’s been kidnapped. Too much time and too many secrets have come between Andres and Marabela, but now that she’s gone, he’ll do anything to get her back. Or will he?

As Marabela slips farther away, Andres must decide whether they still have something worth fighting for, and exactly what he’ll give up to bring her home. And unfortunately, the decision isn’t entirely up to him, or up to the private mediator who moves into the family home to negotiate with the terrorists holding Marabela. Andres struggles to maintain the illusion of control while simultaneously scrambling to collect his wife’s ransom, tending to the needs of his two young children, and reconnecting with an old friend who may hold the key to his past and his wife’s future.

Set in Lima, Peru, in a time of civil and political unrest, this evocative page-turner is a perfect marriage of domestic drama and suspense.

]]>
291 Natalia Sylvester 0544262174 Dana 5 gratis, 2014, favourites Chasing The Sun is the stunning debut novel from Natalia Sylvester that I just couldn't put down. It's books like these that really make me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to participate in the Firstreads program. Being given the chance to win an advance reader copy is always thrilling. For a broke student like me who always plays it safe when purchasing books, the giveaways give me the opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone when picking stories.

The novel tells the story of a husband, whose wife has been kidnapped and follows his desperate attempt to get her back. What adds to the story is that this husband and wife have a crumbling marriage and I was constantly wondering when he would decide that enough was enough. Was it worth it to give up everything he had to get her back, considering that she had already left him in the past? Do you still fight for someone who doesn't even want you?

I was at the edge of my seat while reading this and ended up chewing my nails to the quick. The suspense was terrible! but I didn't want it to end. The plot was so well thought out and clever. The characters were very believable. I have never loved a book so much yet hated a main character so badly. I was raging to anyone who would listen, about my strong opinions on this book and to me, that is the mark of a good novel. One that you just can't stop thinking about, can't stop caring about.

5/5
]]>
3.44 2014 Chasing the Sun
author: Natalia Sylvester
name: Dana
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2014/04/11
date added: 2022/09/19
shelves: gratis, 2014, favourites
review:

Chasing The Sun is the stunning debut novel from Natalia Sylvester that I just couldn't put down. It's books like these that really make me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to participate in the Firstreads program. Being given the chance to win an advance reader copy is always thrilling. For a broke student like me who always plays it safe when purchasing books, the giveaways give me the opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone when picking stories.

The novel tells the story of a husband, whose wife has been kidnapped and follows his desperate attempt to get her back. What adds to the story is that this husband and wife have a crumbling marriage and I was constantly wondering when he would decide that enough was enough. Was it worth it to give up everything he had to get her back, considering that she had already left him in the past? Do you still fight for someone who doesn't even want you?

I was at the edge of my seat while reading this and ended up chewing my nails to the quick. The suspense was terrible! but I didn't want it to end. The plot was so well thought out and clever. The characters were very believable. I have never loved a book so much yet hated a main character so badly. I was raging to anyone who would listen, about my strong opinions on this book and to me, that is the mark of a good novel. One that you just can't stop thinking about, can't stop caring about.

5/5

]]>
<![CDATA[Banished Love (Banished Saga #1)]]> 20709430 290 Ramona Flightner 0986050210 Dana 0 to-read 3.66 2014 Banished Love (Banished Saga #1)
author: Ramona Flightner
name: Dana
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection]]> 22731743 "Anyone in a fairy country like the Land of Oz can do anything"

Believing that the modern fairy tale no longer required 'a fearsome moral' rendered by 'horrible and blood-curdling incidents', L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) decided to create a world in which 'the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out'. Since the early successes of the Oz series during the author's lifetime, and with the production of numerous stage, film, television and literary adaptations in the years since his death, Baum's magical fairyland of Oz - devised 'solely to please children of today' - has continually delighted and influenced the imaginations of millions across the world for over a century.

Journey through the magical world of Oz with Dorothy and friends in this 15 book collection by L. Frank Baum, redesigned and anglicised. These beloved children's classics will make the perfect gift; timeless and loved by all.

This collection includes the following books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvellous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Tik Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz, Rinkitink in Oz, The Lost Princess of Oz, The Tin Woodman of Oz, The Magic of Oz Glinda of Oz, The Royal Book of Oz]]>
3816 L. Frank Baum 1782261680 Dana 0 to-read 4.48 The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection
author: L. Frank Baum
name: Dana
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August]]> 18295861 416 Claire North 0316399612 Dana 0 to-read 3.93 2014 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
author: Claire North
name: Dana
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Starbreak (Starglass, #2) 18228405 Asherah has finally reached Zehava, the long-promised planet. There, Terra finds harsh conditions and a familiar foe—Aleksandra Wolff, leader of her ship’s rebel forces. As Terra and Aleksandra lock horns about how best to reach the alien city, they encounter violent beasts—and dangerous hunters. It’s only when they’re taken to the city as prisoners that Terra finally discovers Vadix, the boy who has haunted her dreams. But Vadix has a dark past of his own, and Aleksandra is intent on using violence to lead their tiny band to freedom. When the rebel leader gets humanity expelled from the planet, it’s up to Terra, with Vadix by her side, to unite her people—and to forge an alliance with the alien hosts, who want nothing more than to see humanity gone forever.]]> 432 Phoebe North 1442459565 Dana 0 to-read 3.53 2014 Starbreak (Starglass, #2)
author: Phoebe North
name: Dana
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell]]> 35995489
Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.]]>
448 Robert Dugoni 1503949001 Dana 3 2019, borrow, family-saga 4.37 2018 The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
author: Robert Dugoni
name: Dana
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2021/01/09
shelves: 2019, borrow, family-saga
review:

]]>
Calypso 38348476
If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you're getting with Calypso. You'd be wrong.

When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself.

With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Make no mistake: these stories are very, very funny--it's a book that can make you laugh 'til you snort, the way only family can. Sedaris's powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled. But much of the comedy here is born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future.

This is beach reading for people who detest beaches, required reading for those who loathe small talk and love a good tumor joke. Calypso is simultaneously Sedaris's darkest and warmest book yet--and it just might be his very best.]]>
272 David Sedaris 0316392359 Dana 5 4.11 2018 Calypso
author: David Sedaris
name: Dana
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2020/09/27
date added: 2020/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]>
Meaty 19175503 New York Times bestselling author Samantha Irby explodes onto the printed page in her uproarious first collection of essays.

Irby laughs her way through tragicomic mishaps, neuroses, and taboos as she struggles through adulthood: chin hairs, depression, bad sex, failed relationships, masturbation, taco feasts, inflammatory bowel disease and more. Updated with her favorite Instagramable, couch-friendly recipes, this much-beloved romp is treat for anyone in dire need of Irby's infamous, scathing wit and poignant candor.]]>
257 Samantha Irby Dana 3 4.00 2013 Meaty
author: Samantha Irby
name: Dana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2020/09/27
date added: 2020/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles, #1)]]> 46156814 A Time Magazine Best Fantasy Book of 2018

L. Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.

The kingdoms of Elsira and Lagrimar have been separated for centuries by the Mantle, a magical veil that has enforced a tremulous peace between the two lands. But now, the Mantle is cracking and the True Father, ruler of Lagrimar and the most powerful Earthsinger in the world, finally sees a way into Elsira to seize power.

All Jasminda ever wanted was to live quietly on her farm, away from the prying eyes of those in the nearby town. Branded an outcast by the color of her skin and her gift of Earthsong, she’s been shunned all her life and has learned to steer clear from the townsfolk…until a group of Lagrimari soldiers wander into her valley with an Elsiran spy, believing they are still in Lagrimar.

Through Jack, the spy, Jasminda learns that the Mantle is weakening, allowing people to slip through without notice. And even more troubling: Lagrimar is mobilizing, and if no one finds a way to restore the Mantle, it might be too late for Elsira. Their only hope lies in uncovering the secrets of the Queen Who Sleeps and Jasminda’s Earthsong is the key to unravel them.

Thrust into a hostile society and a world she doesn’t know, Jasminda and Jack race to unveil an ancient mystery that might offer salvation.

]]>
523 L. Penelope 1250258383 Dana 4 3.97 2015 Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles, #1)
author: L. Penelope
name: Dana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/27
date added: 2020/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Almost Midnight: Three Classic Fairytales]]> 28930914
Meet Ella, a young woman who has lost everything; Hans, a boy doomed by his father’s greed to live as a monster; and Nameless, a lonely mermaid who yearns to be loved. Each seeks their happily ever after, but wishes and magic will only get them so far�

Almost Midnight takes three beloved fairy tales and retells them with new twists and turns, uniting them through the powers of love, courage, hope, and the magic of midnight.]]>
230 Ceinwen Langley 0992474027 Dana 0 to-read 4.08 Almost Midnight: Three Classic Fairytales
author: Ceinwen Langley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1)]]> 44015108
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself? *THE FIRST BOOK IN THE CAMELOT RISING TRILOGY* ]]>
352 Kiersten White 0525581693 Dana 4 3.85 2019 The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1)
author: Kiersten White
name: Dana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/11
date added: 2020/08/11
shelves:
review:

]]>
Girls Burn Brighter 36129373 When Poornima first meets Savitha, she feels something she thought she lost for good when her mother died: hope. Poornima's father hires Savitha to work one of their sari looms, and the two girls are quickly drawn to one another. Savitha is even more impoverished than Poornima, but she is full of passion and energy. She shows Poornima how to find beauty in a bolt of indigo cloth, a bowl of yogurt rice and bananas, the warmth of friendship. Suddenly their Indian village doesn't feel quite so claustrophobic, and Poornima begins to imagine a life beyond the arranged marriage her father is desperate to lock down for her. But when a devastating act of cruelty drives Savitha away, Poornima leaves behind everything she has ever known to find her friend again. Her journey takes her into the darkest corners of India's underworld, on a harrowing cross-continental journey, and eventually to an apartment complex in Seattle. Alternating between the girls� perspectives as they face relentless obstacles, Girls Burn Brighter introduces two heroines who never lose the hope that burns within them.

In breathtaking prose, Shobha Rao tackles the most urgent issues facing women today: domestic abuse, human trafficking, immigration, and feminism. At once a propulsive page-turner and a heart-wrenching meditation on friendship, Rao's debut novel is a literary tour de force.]]>
320 Shobha Rao 1250074266 Dana 5 3.87 2018 Girls Burn Brighter
author: Shobha Rao
name: Dana
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2020/07/22
date added: 2020/07/22
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)]]> 44797223 #1 ​New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launches her brand-new CRESCENT CITY series with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savoring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City—has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce’s world.

Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city’s most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step.

Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there’s far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he’s going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.

As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir�

With unforgettable characters and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.]]>
874 Sarah J. Maas Dana 4 4.58 2020 House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/16
date added: 2020/06/27
shelves:
review:

]]>
The Immortalists 44547620 If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds.]]>
352 Chloe Benjamin Dana 3 3.87 2018 The Immortalists
author: Chloe Benjamin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2020/06/03
date added: 2020/06/03
shelves:
review:

]]>
What in God's Name 19198769 241 Simon Rich Dana 4 4.07 2012 What in God's Name
author: Simon Rich
name: Dana
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/28
date added: 2020/05/28
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)]]> 39963343 Librarian note: Older cover of B00Z5Z5NNO.

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.]]>
497 Susan Dennard Dana 4 I was a little hesitant about Truthwitch after all the mixed reviews, but I'm so glad I was able to check this out relatively risk free thanks to a Kindle Daily Deal! I really enjoyed this. It's not very common (atleast not in the YA books I've been reading lately) for a story (a fantasy story no less) to focus so much on female friendship.

The relationship between Safiya and Iseult read so authentically that I couldn't help but root for them fiercely throughout the whole story. The side characters and bad guys were also well done, and seemingly everyone having their backstory “shrouded in mystery� was pretty fun too. Sometimes being in the dark can get frustrating, but this story paced the breadcrumbs very well and I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens to everyone!

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews ]]>
3.94 2016 Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)
author: Susan Dennard
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/08/02
date added: 2020/04/29
shelves: 2017, buy, fantasy, favourites, young-adult-paranormal, the-price-is-right, up-all-night
review:

I was a little hesitant about Truthwitch after all the mixed reviews, but I'm so glad I was able to check this out relatively risk free thanks to a Kindle Daily Deal! I really enjoyed this. It's not very common (atleast not in the YA books I've been reading lately) for a story (a fantasy story no less) to focus so much on female friendship.

The relationship between Safiya and Iseult read so authentically that I couldn't help but root for them fiercely throughout the whole story. The side characters and bad guys were also well done, and seemingly everyone having their backstory “shrouded in mystery� was pretty fun too. Sometimes being in the dark can get frustrating, but this story paced the breadcrumbs very well and I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens to everyone!

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy

Check out more of my reviews
]]>
Exodus: A Memoir 17707535 304 Deborah Feldman 0399162771 Dana 0 to-read 3.26 2014 Exodus: A Memoir
author: Deborah Feldman
name: Dana
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
The One & Only 20663666 Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas--a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker's legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea's comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she's chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most--and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, "The One & Only" is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.]]>
432 Emily Giffin 0385680422 Dana 4 3.18 2014 The One & Only
author: Emily Giffin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2020/04/24
date added: 2020/04/24
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Tsar's Dragons (Tsar's Dragons #1)]]> 21823580 526 Catrin Collier 1783755245 Dana 0 to-read 3.60 The Tsar's Dragons (Tsar's Dragons #1)
author: Catrin Collier
name: Dana
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live]]> 32802899
An elegy for an eccentric late father, and the end of a marriage, Am I Alone Here? is also a celebration of the possibility of renewal. At once personal and panoramic, this book will inspire readers to return to the essential stories of their own lives.]]>
325 Peter Orner 1936787261 Dana 4 3.75 2016 Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live
author: Peter Orner
name: Dana
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2020/03/28
date added: 2020/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1)]]> 38898759 New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,� he said, “where learning is a game.�

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.� It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2018 * Junior Library Guild Selection * 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nomination * 2019 ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults Nomination * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2018 * ŷ Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction 2018 * 2018 Nerdy Book Club Young Adult Winner * SeventeenBest YA Book of 2018]]>
432 Maureen Johnson Dana 4 3.94 2018 Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1)
author: Maureen Johnson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/02/17
date added: 2020/02/17
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)]]> 38213103 355 N.K. Jemisin Dana 5 4.39 2015 The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Dana
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2020/01/22
date added: 2020/01/22
shelves:
review:

]]>
Go 36793956 For two teens, falling in love is going to make a world of difference in this beautifully translated, bold, and endearing novel about love, loss, and the pain of racial discrimination.

As a Korean student in a Japanese high school, Sugihara has had to defend himself against all kinds of bullies. But nothing could have prepared him for the heartache he feels when he falls hopelessly in love with a Japanese girl named Sakurai. Immersed in their shared love for classical music and foreign movies, the two gradually grow closer and closer.

One night, after being hit by personal tragedy, Sugihara reveals to Sakurai that he is not Japanese—as his name might indicate.

Torn between a chance at self-discovery that he’s ready to seize and the prejudices of others that he can’t control, Sugihara must decide who he wants to be and where he wants to go next. Will Sakurai be able to confront her own bias and accompany him on his journey?]]>
174 Kazuki Kaneshiro 1542048826 Dana 3 3.63 2000 Go
author: Kazuki Kaneshiro
name: Dana
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, family-saga, romance, young-adult
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters]]> 13012708 French Kids Eat Everything is a wonderfully wry account of how Karen Le Billon was able to alter her children’s deep-rooted, decidedly unhealthy North American eating habits while they were all living in France.

At once a memoir, a cookbook, a how-to handbook, and a delightful exploration of how the French manage to feed children without endless battles and struggles with pickiness, French Kids Eat Everything features recipes, practical tips, and ten easy-to-follow rules for raising happy and healthy young eaters—a sort of French Women Don’t Get Fat meets
Food Rules.]]>
305 Karen Le Billon 0062103296 Dana 3 2019, borrow, self-help 3.88 2012 French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters
author: Karen Le Billon
name: Dana
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, self-help
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[age-proof: How to Live Longer Without Breaking a Hip, Running Out of Money, or Forgetting Where You Put It - The 8 Secrets (Thorndike Large Print Lifestyles)]]> 34690891 Two of the world's leading experts explain the vital link between health and wealth that could add years to your life and dollars to your retirement savings.

All the money in the world doesn't mean a thing if we can't get out of bed. And the healthiest body in the world won't stay that way if we're frazzled about five figures worth of debt. TODAY Show financial expert Jean Chatzky and the Cleveland Clinic's chief wellness officer Dr. Michael Roizen explain the vital connection between health and wealth--giving readers all the tactics, strategies, and know-how to live longer, healthier, more lucrative lives.
The same principles that allow us to achieve a better body will allow us to do the same for our investment portfolio. For instance, physical and financial stability comes down to the same equation: Inflow versus outflow. Do we burn more calories than we ingest? Likewise, are we making more money than we spend? The authors detail scientific ways to improve our behavior so that the answers tilt in the readers' favor. They also offer ways to beat the system by automating how we do things and limiting our decisions in the face of too much food or too much debt.
Chatzky and Roizen provide a plan for both financial independence and biological strength with action steps to get you there.]]>
572 Jean Chatzky 1432839845 Dana 3 2019, borrow, self-help 3.41 2017 age-proof: How to Live Longer Without Breaking a Hip, Running Out of Money, or Forgetting Where You Put It - The 8 Secrets (Thorndike Large Print Lifestyles)
author: Jean Chatzky
name: Dana
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, self-help
review:

]]>
Begin Again (Again, #1) 35996274
A new start. It's the only thing keeping Allie Harper going, when she packs up her life and moves across the country to Woodshill, Oregon. She's about to start college, desperate to leave the ghosts of her past behind her. Even if that means never talking to her parents again.

Now the hard part - finding an apartment before classes start. Just when it seems she'll have to live out of her car, Allie visits one more place. It's beautiful. With one exception: can she stand being roommates with campus bad boy Kaden White? Sure, Kaden is sexy with his tattoos and careless attitude, but he's also an arrogant jerk. With nowhere else to go, Allie moves in.

The first thing Kaden does is make a set of rules. Either Allie obeys, or she's out:

1. Don't talk about your girl problems.
2. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home.
3. We will NEVER hook up.

Easy enough, thinks Allie. Who would want to get involved with a brute like Kaden? But the more she gets to know him, the more she sees beyond his gruff facade. He, too, is harboring some painful secrets. For Kaden and Allie, it gets harder and harder to ignore the sparks between them. And the lines between the rules start to blur-

Begin Again is a beautiful romance that shows us just how possible it is to start over. To find freedom in heartbreak and love in the most unlikely places.]]>
278 Mona Kasten 3732544982 Dana 2 4.09 2016 Begin Again (Again, #1)
author: Mona Kasten
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, bin, chick-lit, meh, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy, #1)]]> 25489134
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.]]>
319 Katherine Arden 1101885939 Dana 3 4.07 2017 The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy, #1)
author: Katherine Arden
name: Dana
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, fantasy, is-it-just-me
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Depression & Other Magic Tricks]]> 34594982 Depression & Other Magic Tricks is the debut book by Sabrina Benaim, one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time, whose poem "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" has become a cultural phenomenon with over 5,000,000 views.

Depression & Other Magic Tricks explores themes of mental health, love, and family. It is a documentation of struggle and triumph, a celebration of daily life and of living. Benaim's wit, empathy, and gift for language produce a work of endless wonder.]]>
75 Sabrina Benaim 1943735204 Dana 3 2019, borrow, netgalley 3.75 2017 Depression & Other Magic Tricks
author: Sabrina Benaim
name: Dana
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, netgalley
review:

]]>
Neverwhere (London Below, #1) 14497
"Neverwhere" is the London of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Strange destinies lie in wait in London below - a world that seems eerily familiar. But a world that is utterly bizarre, peopled by unearthly characters such as the Angel called Islington, the girl named Door, and the Earl who holds Court on a tube train.

Now a single act of kindness has catapulted young businessman Richard Mayhew out of his safe and predictable life - and into the realms of "Neverwhere." Richard is about to find out more than he ever wanted to know about this other London. Which is a pity. Because Richard just wants to go home...]]>
370 Neil Gaiman 0060557818 Dana 2 4.17 1996 Neverwhere (London Below, #1)
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Dana
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1996
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, bin, fantasy, is-it-just-me, le-fromage, meh, zzz
review:

]]>
Helium (Button Poetry) 34594981
Helium is the debut poetry collection by internet phenom Rudy Francisco, whose work has defined poetry for a generation of new readers. Rudy's poems and quotes have been viewed and shared millions of times as he has traveled the country and the world performing for sell-out crowds. Helium is filled with work that is simultaneously personal and political, blending love poems, self-reflection, and biting cultural critique on class, race and gender into an unforgettable whole. Ultimately, Rudy's work rises above the chaos to offer a fresh and positive perspective of shared humanity and beauty.]]>
112 Rudy Francisco 1943735190 Dana 3 2019, borrow, netgalley 4.29 2017 Helium (Button Poetry)
author: Rudy Francisco
name: Dana
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Live. Save. Spend. Repeat.: The Life You Want with the Money You Have]]> 33596522
There is a better way to reach your goals! In Live. Save. Spend. Repeat. you will discover a simple-to-implement plan that will help you wisely use your money to break the cycle of financial mistakes and worry. Your confidence will grow as you learn how to Financial freedom isn't all about sacrifice. Use your money as a tool to reach your goals and finally experience joy and success as you Live. Save. Spend. Repeat .]]>
256 Kim Anderson 0736970886 Dana 2 netgalley, self-help, 2019 3.63 Live. Save. Spend. Repeat.: The Life You Want with the Money You Have
author: Kim Anderson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: netgalley, self-help, 2019
review:
Okay book, but the religious tone was not my cup of tea. Tried to ignore that part of it, but it was too prominent and therefore distracting.
]]>
<![CDATA[A Poison Dark and Drowning (Kingdom on Fire, #2)]]> 33629245 "Devastatingly magical and monstrously romantic. I can't decide if this book stole my heart or ripped it out of my chest." —Stephanie Garber, author of Caraval

The magicians want her to lead.
The sorcerers want her to lie.
The demons want her blood.
Henrietta wants to save the one she loves.
But will his dark magic be her undoing?

In this seductive and explosive second book in the Kingdom on Fire series, Jessica Cluess delivers her signature mix of magic, passion, and teen warriors fighting for survival. Hand to fans of Victoria Aveyard, Sarah J. Maas, and Kiersten White.

Henrietta doesn't need a prophecy to know that she's in danger. She came to London to be named the chosen one, the first female sorcerer in centuries, the one who would defeat the Ancients. Instead, she discovered a city ruled by secrets. And the biggest secret of Henrietta is not the chosen one.

Still, she...

]]>
383 Jessica Cluess 055353596X Dana 5 3.94 2017 A Poison Dark and Drowning (Kingdom on Fire, #2)
author: Jessica Cluess
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, fantasy, up-all-night, young-adult-paranormal, favourites
review:

]]>
The End of the Day 31408829
It's good to have a friendly face, you see. At the end.

But the end of all things is coming. Charlie's boss and his three associates are riding out, and it's Charlie's job to go before.

Sometimes he is sent as a courtesy, sometimes as a warning. He never knows which.]]>
432 Claire North 0316316741 Dana 2 2019, zzz, bin, netgalley 3.36 2017 The End of the Day
author: Claire North
name: Dana
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, zzz, bin, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Hair Therapy: Cures For Growing Your Beautiful Natural Hair]]> 36303384
In this prescriptive manual, readers will learn

- Make educated decisions as to whether or not natural hair is right for you.
- Reach your hair-length goal.
- Maintain short hair after the "big chop."
- Discover hair care regimens to produce strong, healthy hair.
- Deal with hair loss.
- Scalp Treatments.
- How to find the right products for your hair.


And more!]]>
104 Tiffany Dr. Anderson 1944992812 Dana 1 2.20 Hair Therapy: Cures For Growing Your Beautiful Natural Hair
author: Tiffany Dr. Anderson
name: Dana
average rating: 2.20
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, bin, meh, self-help, zzz
review:

]]>
Curioddity 28220986
Curioddity is Paul Jenkins� debut novel... exciting, fast-paced, and uncanny. A must-read.]]>
320 Paul Jenkins 1250026156 Dana 2 3.43 2016 Curioddity
author: Paul Jenkins
name: Dana
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, bin, meh, mystery, paranormal, zzz, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)]]> 23766634
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.

THE THRILLING THIRD BOOK IN #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY SERIES FROM SARAH J. MAAS.]]>
705 Sarah J. Maas 1408857901 Dana 5 4.41 2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, clever-characters, fantasy, favourites, love-triangle, romance, up-all-night, young-adult-paranormal
review:

]]>
The Price Guide to the Occult 35879387 From the author of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender comes a haunting maelstrom of magic and murder in the lush, moody Pacific Northwest.

When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbors. Guilt and fear instead led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch� out of her home. So Rona cursed them. Fast-forward one hundred–some years: All Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life. She has reason to hope: First, her supernatural powers, if they can be called that, are unexceptional. Second, her love life is nonexistent, which means she might escape the other perverse side effect of the matriarch’s backfiring curse, too. But then a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price. Nor senses a storm coming and is pretty sure she’ll be smack in the eye of it.

In her second novel, Leslye Walton spins a dark, mesmerizing tale of a girl stumbling along the path toward self-acceptance and first love, even as the Price Guide’s malevolent author � Nor’s own mother � looms and threatens to strangle any hope for happiness.]]>
272 Leslye Walton 0763691100 Dana 0 3.35 2018 The Price Guide to the Occult
author: Leslye Walton
name: Dana
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: dnf, 2019, bin, young-adult-paranormal, zzz, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[How to Be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use]]> 25898044 248 Randy J. Paterson 1626254060 Dana 0 dnf, 2019, bin, self-help 3.97 2016 How to Be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use
author: Randy J. Paterson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: dnf, 2019, bin, self-help
review:

]]>
The Financial Diet 32927009 How to get good with money, even if you have no idea where to start.

The Financial Diet is the personal finance book for people who don’t care about personal finance. Whether you’re in need of an overspending detox, buried under student debt, or just trying to figure out how to live on an entry-level salary, The Financial Diet gives you tools to make a budget, understand investments, and deal with your credit. Chelsea Fagan has tapped a range of experts to help you make the best choices for you, but she also knows that being smarter with money isn’t just about what you put in the bank. It’s about everything—from the clothes you put in your closet, to your financial relationship habits, to the food you put in your kitchen (instead of ordering in again). So The Financial Diet gives you the tools to negotiate a raise and the perfect cocktail recipe to celebrate your new salary.

The Financial Diet will teach you:
� how to get good with money in a year.
� the ingredients everyone needs to have a budget-friendly kitchen.
� how to talk about awkward money stuff with your friends.
� the best way to make (and stick to!) a budget.
� how to take care of your house like a grown-up.
� what the hell it means to invest (and how you can do it).

]]>
208 Chelsea Fagan 1682450570 Dana 3 2019, borrow, meh, self-help 3.41 2018 The Financial Diet
author: Chelsea Fagan
name: Dana
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, meh, self-help
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga, #2)]]> 40669906 Nachdem es ihr nicht gelungen ist, den walachischen Thron zu erobern, will Lada jeden zur Rechenschaft ziehen, der es wagt, sich ihr in den Weg zu stellen. An der Spitze ihrer Männer stürmt sie das Land, doch rohe Gewalt wird Lada nicht ans Ziel bringen. Und wenn sie an Mehmed denkt, den aufsässigen osmanischen Sultan, vermag das ihr dorniges Herz nur wenig zu besänftigen. Ihr bleibt keine Zeit, sich zu fragen, ob er noch an sie denkt oder sie vielleicht sogar liebt. Sie hat ihn verlassen, bevor er sie verlassen konnte. Lada braucht nun die Unterstützung ihres jüngeren Bruders Radu, doch Mehmed hat ihn nach Konstantinopel geschickt � und das nicht in diplomatischer Mission. Der Sultan will die Stadt unter seine Kontrolle bringen, und Radu fungiert als Spion hinter den feindlichen Linien. Als Lada ihn zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben um Hilfe bittet, lehnt er ab, was seine Schwester vor die dunkelste aller Entscheidungen stellt. Hin- und hergerissen zwischen seiner Loyalität zu seinem Glauben, zu den Osmanen und zu Mehmed, weiß Radu, dass er Lada nichts schuldet. Doch sollte sie sterben, würde er sich das niemals verzeihen. Aber sollte er in Konstantinopel scheitern, würde es ihm Mehmed jemals verzeihen? Die Geschwister Dracul müssen nun entscheiden, was sie bereit sind zu opfern, um ihr Schicksal zu erfüllen. Reiche werden fallen, Throne gewonnen ... und Seelen zerstört.]]> 476 Kiersten White 055352237X Dana 5 4.12 2017 Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga, #2)
author: Kiersten White
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, historical-fiction, young-adult, up-all-night, favourites
review:

]]>
Do you really need it? 45028296 313 Pierre-Yves McSween Dana 3 3.24 Do you really need it?
author: Pierre-Yves McSween
name: Dana
average rating: 3.24
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, meh, self-help, netgalley
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)]]> 22055262
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.]]>
400 Victoria E. Schwab 0765376458 Dana 3 2019, fantasy 4.04 2015 A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Dana
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, fantasy
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis]]> 38358610 From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class through the author’s own story of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town.

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of poor, white Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for over forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. In HillbillyElegy, J.D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hanging around your neck.

The Vance family story began with hope in postwar America. J.D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love� and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history.

A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.

]]>
274 J.D. Vance 0062872257 Dana 4 2019, borrow 4.20 2016 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
author: J.D. Vance
name: Dana
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Minimalism for Families: Practical Minimalist Living Strategies to Simplify Your Home and Life]]> 36375018 Organizing your home and leading a minimalist lifestyle can seem like a daydream for busy families—but it’s possible! Designed for families who want to declutter and embrace minimalism into their life and home, Minimalism for Families lays out a room-by-room strategy to conquer chaos and show your family how much more time, space, and energy you gain when you live with less.

Minimalism for Families contains:

An Introduction to Minimalism covering essential information including what minimalism is, its lifestyle benefits, and how to adopt and integrate the mindset into your life A Plan for Every Room providing practical and realistic strategies for decluttering your family home one room at a time Tips for Team Effort tactics for getting your family on board with minimalism, plus approaches to address resistance to minimalism as a lifestyle

Minimalism for Families features techniques to declutter and tidy up every room: Living Areas, Kitchen, Bedrooms, Home Office, Bathroom, Basements, Attics, and Other Storage Spaces.

Clean up your family home for a clear purpose with Minimalism for Families.

]]>
164 Zoë Kim 1623159784 Dana 4 2019, borrow, self-help 3.63 Minimalism for Families: Practical Minimalist Living Strategies to Simplify Your Home and Life
author: Zoë Kim
name: Dana
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, self-help
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Iron Flower (The Black Witch Chronicles, #2)]]> 36651885
While the Resistance struggles to fight back against the harsh rulings of the Mage Council, more and more Gardnerian soldiers descend upon the University…led by none other than Lukas Grey, now commander of the nearby military base. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is determined to tie himself to her, still convinced that she is the next Black Witch, the destined vessel for a magic that will decide the future of all Erthia. As his own magic calls out to her, seeking to awaken a dark force within, Elloren finds it more and more difficult to believe that she’s truly powerless, as her uncle always claimed.

Caught between her growing feelings for the rebellious Yvan Guriel and the seductive power offered by Lukas, Elloren must find a way to stay true to what she knows is right and protect everyone she loves…even if that means protecting them from herself.]]>
608 Laurie Forest 1488030502 Dana 5 4.41 2018 The Iron Flower (The Black Witch Chronicles, #2)
author: Laurie Forest
name: Dana
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, fantasy, young-adult-paranormal, up-all-night, favourites
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)]]> 10836728
So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, The Rook is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer.]]>
504 Daniel O'Malley 0316098795 Dana 2 4.10 2012 The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)
author: Daniel O'Malley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, bin, is-it-just-me, le-fromage, meh, mystery, paranormal, zzz
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)]]> 25740412 A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is a treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of rebels…if only she can find the courage to trust those she’s been taught to fear.]]>
601 Laurie Forest 0373212313 Dana 5 4.06 2017 The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)
author: Laurie Forest
name: Dana
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, young-adult-paranormal, up-all-night, favourites
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Light Mage (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1.5)]]> 36631066
Before Elloren Gardner came to possess the Wand of Myth, the Wand was drawn to another bearer: Sagellyn Gaffney.

Sage’s affinity for light magery, a rare skill among Gardnerians, makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the shadows spreading across Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe from the demonic forces hunting for it, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and forge a new path for herself…a dangerous course that could lead to either triumph or utter ruin.]]>
304 Laurie Forest 1488099383 Dana 4 4.19 2018 Light Mage (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1.5)
author: Laurie Forest
name: Dana
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, fantasy, young-adult, young-adult-paranormal, up-all-night
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman]]> 37826192 264 Lindy West Dana 3 2019, autobiography, borrow 4.20 2016 Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
author: Lindy West
name: Dana
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, autobiography, borrow
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[To the Bright Edge of the World]]> 28452830 An atmospheric, transporting tale of adventure, love, and survival from the bestselling author of The Snow Child, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

In the winter of 1885, decorated war hero Colonel Allen Forrester leads a small band of men on an expedition that has been deemed to venture up the Wolverine River and pierce the vast, untamed Alaska Territory. Leaving behind Sophie, his newly pregnant wife, Colonel Forrester records his extraordinary experiences in hopes that his journal will reach her if he doesn't return--once he passes beyond the edge of the known world, there's no telling what awaits him.

The Wolverine River Valley is not only breathtaking and forbidding but also terrifying in ways that the colonel and his men never could have imagined. As they map the territory and gather information on the native tribes, whose understanding of the natural world is unlike anything they have ever encountered, Forrester and his men discover the blurred lines between human and wild animal, the living and the dead. And while the men knew they would face starvation and danger, they cannot escape the sense that some greater, mysterious force threatens their lives.

Meanwhile, on her own at Vancouver Barracks, Sophie chafes under the social restrictions and yearns to travel alongside her husband. She does not know that the winter will require as much of her as it does her husband, that both her courage and faith will be tested to the breaking point. Can her exploration of nature through the new art of photography help her to rediscover her sense of beauty and wonder?

The truths that Allen and Sophie discover over the course of that fateful year change both of their lives--and the lives of those who hear their stories long after they're gone--forever.
]]>
410 Eowyn Ivey 0316242845 Dana 4 4.26 2016 To the Bright Edge of the World
author: Eowyn Ivey
name: Dana
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, historical-fiction
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich]]> 42672465
Discover #1 New York Times bestselling author David Bach’s three secrets to financial freedom in an engaging story that will show you that you are richer than you think . Drawing on the author’s experiences teaching millions of people around the world to live a rich life, this fast, easy listen reveals how anyone—from millennials to baby boomers—can still make his or her dreams come true.

In this compelling, heartwarming parable, Bach and his bestselling coauthor John David Mann ( The Go-Giver ) tell the story of Zoey, a twenty-something woman living and working in New York City. Like many young professionals, Zoey is struggling to make ends meet under a growing burden of credit card and student loan debt, working crazy hours at her dream job but still not earning enough to provide a comfortable financial cushion. At her boss’s suggestion, she makes friends with Henry, the elderly barista at her favorite Brooklyn coffee shop.

Henry soon reveals his “Three Secrets to Financial Freedom,� ideas Zoey dismisses at first but whose true power she ultimately comes to appreciate. Over the course of a single week, Zoey discovers that she already earns enough to secure her financial future and realize her truest dreams—all she has to do is make a few easy shifts in her everyday routine.

The Latte Factor demystifies the secrets to achieving financial freedom, inspiring you to realize that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams. By following the simple, proven path that Henry shows Zoey, anyone can make small changes today that will have big impact for a lifetime, proving once again that “David Bach is the financial expert to listen to when you’re intimidated by your finances� (Tony Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Master the Game ).]]>
144 David Bach 1982120231 Dana 3 3.79 The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich
author: David Bach
name: Dana
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, netgalley, non-fiction, self-help
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)]]> 40411206
In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?� She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!�), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout�).

In “What It Was Like, Part One,� Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two� reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high�), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!�).

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.]]>
224 Lauren Graham 0425285189 Dana 3 2019, borrow, meh, memoir 3.92 2016 Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
author: Lauren Graham
name: Dana
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, borrow, meh, memoir
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams Along a Shanghai Road]]> 26150583 An unforgettable portrait of individuals who hope, struggle, and grow along a single street cutting through the heart of China’s most exhilarating metropolis, from one of the most acclaimed broadcast journalists reporting on China today.

Modern Shanghai: a global city in the midst of a renaissance, where dreamers arrive each day to partake in a mad torrent of capital, ideas, and opportunity. Marketplace’s Rob Schmitz is one of them. He immerses himself in his neighborhood, forging deep relationships with ordinary people who see in the city’s sleek skyline a brighter future, and a chance to rewrite their destinies. There’s Zhao, whose path from factory floor to shopkeeper is sidetracked by her desperate measures to ensure a better future for her sons. Down the street lives Auntie Fu, a fervent capitalist forever trying to improve herself with religion and get-rich-quick schemes while keeping her skeptical husband at bay. Up a flight of stairs, musician and café owner CK sets up shop to attract young dreamers like himself, but learns he’s searching for something more. As Schmitz becomes more involved in their lives, he makes surprising discoveries which untangle the complexities of modern China: A mysterious box of letters that serve as a portal to a family’s � and country’s � dark past, and an abandoned neighborhood where fates have been violently altered by unchecked power and greed.

A tale of 21st century China, Street of Eternal Happiness profiles China’s distinct generations through multifaceted characters who illuminate an enlightening, humorous, and at times heartrending journey along the winding road to the Chinese Dream. Each story adds another layer of humanity and texture to modern China, a tapestry also woven with Schmitz’s insight as a foreign correspondent. The result is an intimate and surprising portrait that dispenses with the tired stereotypes of a country we think we know, immersing us instead in the vivid stories of the people who make up one of the world’s most captivating cities.

]]>
336 Rob Schmitz 0553418084 Dana 5 4.25 2016 Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams Along a Shanghai Road
author: Rob Schmitz
name: Dana
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, family-saga, biography, up-all-night, favourites
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea]]> 34663135
Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.]]>
159 Masaji Ishikawa 1542047196 Dana 4 2019, buy, memoir 4.09 2000 A River in Darkness:  One Man's Escape from North Korea
author: Masaji Ishikawa
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, memoir
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002]]> 32498038
For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for his finest work, and through them he has honed his cunning, surprising sentences.

Now, Sedaris shares his private writings with the world. Theft by Finding, the first of two volumes, is the story of how a drug-abusing dropout with a weakness for the International House of Pancakes and a chronic inability to hold down a real job became one of the funniest people on the planet.

Written with a sharp eye and ear for the bizarre, the beautiful, and the uncomfortable, and with a generosity of spirit that even a misanthropic sense of humor can't fully disguise, Theft By Finding proves that Sedaris is one of our great modern observers. It's a potent reminder that when you're as perceptive and curious as Sedaris, there's no such thing as a boring day.]]>
514 David Sedaris 0316154725 Dana 5 3.94 2017 Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
author: David Sedaris
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, clever-characters, family-saga, favourites, memoir, up-all-night
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant, #1)]]> 22081680
One fateful night � different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful � Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.� Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.]]>
300 Drew Hayes Dana 4 3.81 2014 The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant, #1)
author: Drew Hayes
name: Dana
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, adult-romance, buy, comedy, mystery, paranormal
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1)]]> 38362809 Tade Thompson's Rosewater is the start of an award-winning, cutting edge trilogy set in Nigeria, by one of science fiction's most engaging new voices.

Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless—people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.

Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again—but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.]]>
432 Tade Thompson 0316449059 Dana 5 3.71 2017 Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy, #1)
author: Tade Thompson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, clever-characters, dystopian, fantasy, favourites, paranormal
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein]]> 38255342
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.]]>
304 Kiersten White 0525577947 Dana 4 3.91 2018 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
author: Kiersten White
name: Dana
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/25
date added: 2019/12/25
shelves: 2019, buy, family-saga, horror, mental-illness, paranormal, science-fiction, young-adult, young-adult-paranormal
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)]]> 32916085 One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiotAn NPR Best Book of 2017An AV Club Favorite Book of 2017A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2017A ŷ Choice Awards nomineeDavid Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making.For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for his finest work, and through them he has honed his cunning, surprising sentences.Now, Sedaris shares his private writings with the world. Theft by Finding, the first of two volumes, is the story of how a drug-abusing dropout with a weakness for the International House of Pancakes and a chronic inability to hold down a real job became one of the funniest people on the planet.Written with a sharp eye and ear for the bizarre, the beautiful, and the uncomfortable, and with a generosity of spirit that even a misanthropic sense of humor can't fully disguise, Theft By Finding proves that Sedaris is one of our great modern observers. It's a potent reminder that when you're as perceptive and curious as Sedaris, there's no such thing as a boring day.]]> 528 David Sedaris 031630851X Dana 0 4.06 2017 Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)
author: David Sedaris
name: Dana
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2019/11/19
date added: 2019/11/19
shelves:
review:

]]>
<![CDATA[A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)]]> 31938963 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.]]>
707 Sarah J. Maas Dana 0 4.57 2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2019/12/26
date added: 2019/10/14
shelves:
review:

]]>
Love Him Not 27457537
With 60 endings ranging from "I don't know what happened!" to “I do,� don't be surprised if art imitates life and you throw this book across the room� only to pick it up and try again. One more time. Because, unlike real life, when you don't like the outcome, you can go back to a pivotal moment and explore the path not taken, or even start over at the beginning.

BUYER BEWARE: Happily Ever Afters are hard to come by in Love Him Not. In fact, most of them are flat out unhappy. Still, with persistence, you might find one or two endings that downright satisfy - even if it means Elle drives off into the sunset alone.

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK:

It’s simple: start the story as you would any other, reading until you’re presented with your first dilemma! Decide between the two options offered and tap your choice at the centre of the link, which will advance you to the appropriate *SECTION number (NOT PAGE number) where you'll see what you’ve gotten Elle into -- or out of. And so it goes. Until you die. Well, you won’t “die,� but your relationship will. (See “throw book� above.) But then you get dozens of chances to do it over again!

[UPDATED VERSION FOR DOWNLOAD: This title was originally published as "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" in 2014. Significant changes were made to the current edition for a smoother ereader experience. If you purchased a copy of the original title, please manually delete it from your Kindle library and re-download "Love Him Not" to enjoy the enhanced version, Thank you,]]]>
530 Tara K. Reed 0993781225 Dana 0 to-read 2.84 2014 Love Him Not
author: Tara K. Reed
name: Dana
average rating: 2.84
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/08/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
One Night, Markovitch 23269042 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin meets The Marrying of Chani Kaufman in this cinematic novel about the birth of Israel and the true story of the marriages of convenience that were arranged to smuggle Jewish women out of Nazi-occupied Europe.
On the eve of World War II, a ship bearing twenty young men sets sail from the Palestine Territory toward Europe. Eagerly awaiting them on the other side are twenty young women, whom the men have never met. They have been set up in arranged marriages to enable Jewish women to escape Nazi Germany and enter Palestine without being turned back by the British.
But when Yaacov Markovitch, a thoroughly unremarkable man, finds himself married to Bella Zeigerman, the most beautiful woman he has ever set eyes upon, things start to get complicated. Yaacov’s fake marriage is the beginning of a lifelong obsession, as he vows to make his beautiful bride, Bella, love him, despite her determination to break free. Their changing fortunes take them through war, upheaval, terrible secrets, tragedy, joy, and loss.
Vital, funny, and tender, One Night, Markovitch brilliantly fuses personal lives and epic history in an unforgettable story of endless, hopeless longing, and the desperate search for love.]]>
384 Ayelet Gundar-Goshen 1770899766 Dana 0 to-read 3.85 2012 One Night, Markovitch
author: Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
name: Dana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/08/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Raven Son 20627953
Raven Son is based on Russian fairy tales and myths.]]>
284 Nicholas Kotar Dana 0 to-read 4.33 2014 Raven Son
author: Nicholas Kotar
name: Dana
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/07/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>
Dirge 29532658 120 Tim Marquitz 1618684302 Dana 0 to-read 3.78 2015 Dirge
author: Tim Marquitz
name: Dana
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>