Tag: fiction

Every Mountain Made Low, by Alex White

every-mountain-made-low
Image belongs to Solaris.

Alex White is a born-and-raised Southern writer who likes Legos, racecars, and, of course, whiskey (He is Southern, after all.). Every Mountain Made Low is his first published novel.

Loxley Fiddleback is haunted.

She inherited her ability to see spirits, but the problem is, they can see her, too. They are drawn to her, and the pain from their touch is excruciating. Seeing ghosts is cruel and painful, and none more so than the spirit of her best friend, alive only a few hours ago.

Loxley isn’t cut out to solve a murder:   she lives near the bottom of a strip-mined pit of a city called “The Hole” and suffers debilitating anxiety and fear of strangers. But Loxley swears to revenge her friend’s murder, and soon uncovers a conspiracy that leads all the way to the top of The Hole. And her enemies are looking for her, too, especially a brutal enforcer named Hiram who will follow Loxley into the strange depths of the city to protect the secrets he’s been hired to safeguard.

Every Mountain Made Low has probably the most unique setting I’ve ever read. I was almost through with the book when I realized The Hole was in the American South (not that that really matters, just an observation). And Loxley is one of the most unique characters I’ve ever read, too. Her mental differences make her viewpoint sometimes-disorienting, but always intriguing, and I found the world both discouraging (because I could see our culture headed that way) and interesting (because it’s just so different). This book is well-worth reading!

(Galley provided by Solaris.)

Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame

did-i-mention-i-miss-you
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Estelle Maskame is the author of the Wattpad sensation Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy. Did I Mention I Miss You? is the final book.

Eden hasn’t spoken with Tyler in over a year. After he left her, she started a new life at a school in Chicago, and tried to forget about Tyler. Now she’s just angry at him, and she never wants to speak to him again. But back in Santa Monica for the summer, it’s hard to forget Tyler when she’s surrounded by things that remind her of him.

And she’s not the only one who returns to Santa Monica. Tyler has made a new life for himself, and he wants Eden in it. Eden is confused by this new Tyler, and she’s not sure if she can ever forgive him. But when family conflict draws them together, Eden must decide if Tyler is worth everything he’s put her through.

Okay, I’ll admit it:  cheesy high school movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. Think Ten Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance. I also love reading books like that, and the DIMILY trilogy fits nicely in there. It’s been fun seeing Eden and Tyler change and grow throughout the books, and this is an enjoyable ending to a series I liked.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Heir of Thunder, by Karissa Laurel

heir-of-thunder
Image belongs to Evolved Publishing.

Karissa Laurel is the author of The Norse Chronicles. Her newest book, Heir of Thunder, is the first book in The Stormbourne Chronicles.

Evelyn Stormbourne is left reeling by the sudden death of her father amidst an attack by revolutionaries. Her only ally is Gideon, her father’s horse master, who helps her conceal her identity as they flee to the safety of the coast to find a ship to the Continent.

When a horrific storm washes Evie overboard, she finds herself “rescued” by slavers collecting girls from all cultures. Though Evie escapes, she’s determined to save her fellow captives, with the aid of nomads who live in airships fueled by lightning. Add in a cabal of Dark Magicians intent on using her to create a new god, and an ancient family intent on claiming Evie’s birthright, and the likelihood of disaster is high, as Evie struggles to embrace her identity as well as her powers.

Heir of Thunder is an engaging read set in an intriguing world. The airships are fascinating, as is the culture of the people who live in them. Evie starts off as a sheltered, spoiled brat, but grows so much as a character throughout the novel. A great epic fantasy read for YA or adult readers alike.

(Galley provided by Evolved Publishing via NetGalley.)

NaNo: Week 2 Update

writer
I do not own this image. But it’s so true, right?

I kind of forgot to post an update yesterday, so this is a day late (and a dollar short).

Current word count:  24,257. Almost halfway done.I feel this word count is more impressive if you also know that I’ve written 4,000 words each of the last 3 days.

Current mental status:

writing-cat
I don’t own this image, either, but can we talk about the slightly manic look on this cat’s face? SO. ACCURATE.

 

Nutshell, by Ian McEwan

nutshell
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.

Ian McEwan is an award-winning English author. His most recent novel is Nutshell.

Trudy left her husband, John, making him leave the dilapidated but priceless family home in London. John is a poet, a romantic dreamer that Trudy once loved madly. Now she loves Claude, John’s banal, boring brother. But taking Trudy from John isn’t enough for Claude:  he wants John’s life as well.

There’s just one problem, the witness to their plan. The nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb, her son with John.

Nutshell is written from the most interesting perspective I’ve ever read:  that of an unborn—but very aware—baby. Trudy and Claude are unlikeable characters, but the baby is fascinating. That viewpoint alone makes this book worth reading, but the book is very well-written, and will keep the reader guessing until the end.

(Galley provided by Doubleday via NetGalley.)

NaNo: Week 1 Update

With the first calendar week of NaNo over, I thought I I’d give a brief update:  I’ve written 10, 272 words so far. That’s more than I’ve written in a week in probably 5 years! I’m happy with my progress, and eager for more.

Unfolding, by Jonathan Friesen

unfolding
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Blink.

 

Jonathan Friesen is a former teacher’s pet who wrote his first novel while his students were working. Unfolding is his newest novel.

Jonah has a tough life in tiny Gullary, Oklahoma. He has a debilitating physical condition and epilepsy, which keeps him on the outside of many things. His parents are distant. He’s in love with his next-door neighbor, the troubled Stormi, deposited here as an infant when a tornado touched down. The same tornado that destroyed the Supermax prison where Jonah now works—the only employee—as an occasional tour guide and the caretaker for the prison’s solitary inmate, the mysterious Tres.

Stormi is carefree and vibrant, everything Jonah wishes he could be. She’s also different, a difference the town notices when she senses things before they happen, averting tragedy—or not. When Stormi senses she should leave town to find safety, Jonah is drawn in her wake as they struggle to find out the truth behind what happened in Gullary so long ago, and left the town scarred and harboring a darkness Jonah can only imagine.

This book. I couldn’t put it down. Seriously. I would have finished it in one sitting except I’m not independently wealthy and had to go to work. From the opening sentence to the final line, I was completely spellbound. Jonah is a fantastic character:  he’s physically struggling, but emotionally strong, and this story is so firmly in his viewpoint I felt like I was experiencing every stumble and seizure. Stormi is full of life and mystery, and their interactions leap off the page. You should definitely read this!

(Galley provided by Blink via NetGalley.)

The Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E. Pearson

beauty-of-darkness
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Henry Holt & Co.

 

Mary E. Pearson is former school teacher, a lifelong player at being different people, and an award-winning author. Her newest novel is The Beauty of Darkness, the third book in The Remnant Chronicles.

Lia is First Daughter in Morrighan, but she abandoned her family and what was expected of her years ago in favor of choosing her own destiny. She ended up a captive in Venda, where she learned of the great evil stalking Morrighan and the rest of the world.

With war looming, Lia has no choice but to return to her home to warn them, but she risks imprisonment or worse if she is caught. With Rafe forbidding her to return to Morrighan and one of her betrayers now seeking to aid her, Lia does not know where to turn. She has a choice between an impossible task that might claim her life, or doing what is expected of her.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, especially considering I have not read the first two books in the series (yet). I don’t normally read only part of a series, so I assume I overlooked the fact that it’s the third—and final—book in one. Even so, I loved the characters and found the world intriguing. Great action and mystery here!

(Galley provided by Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley.)

Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova

labyrinth-lost
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

According to her website, Zoraida Cordova says, “(I) write YA Urban Fantasy about mermaids and other things that go bump in the night. I also write about 20-something-year-old-girls searching for love and the meaning of life. I often wish my life were a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sex and the City. I’m a contributing writer to Latinos in Kid Lit because #WeNeedDiverseBooks.” Her newest novel is Labyrinth Lost.

Alex is a bruja in a family of powerful witches. But Alex doesn’t want her powers. She wants to be normal. She’s hated magic for years, ever since it made her father disappear. Instead of a Quinceañera, Alex prepares for her Death Day:  the most important event in a witch’s life, and her one chance to get rid of her magic.

But the curse she performs during the ceremony goes wrong, and her entire family disappears, leaving her alone and with all of their magic. Nova is the only one she can turn to, a brujo with ambitions of his own. They must travel to Los Lagos, a land in-between two places that makes Wonderland look like a cartoon fairy tale.

The characters in Labyrinth Lost are so vivid they almost step off the page. The magic system is unique (with a hint of the feel of voodoo). Alex is conflicted over her heritage, but not her love of her family, and she grows so much in this book. There are a few twists in the book that will catch the reader by surprise.

 

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

What I Read in August

Nothing like being almost a month late with this post.

Sorry about that.

I’m actually very OCD about To-Do Lists/my BuJo, but some things just get away from me. Like talking about what I read in August.

Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Queen’s Necklace, by Kathryn Kenny. This was from my TBR pile, and is also a book I loved when I was younger. This series is just so…innocent and happy.

the summer that melted everything
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.)

The Summer that Melted Everything, by Tiffany McDaniel. Read to review. And wow.

getting it right

Getting it Right, by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Read to review. Felt sort of like A Confederacy of Dunces to me.

the reason I run

The Reason I Run, by Chris Spriggs. Such an inspiring book, full of determination and love. Read to review.

last-road-home-flat-cover

The Last Road Home, by Danny Johnson. Read to review. Excellent read. Very emotional and poignant.