Frightful Friday: Evil in All Its Disguises by Hilary Davidson

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. This week’s featured title is Evil in All Its Disguises by Hilary Davidson:

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (March 5, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 076533352X
  • Source: Publisher

Travel writer Lily Moore and a group of other journalists go on an all-expense-paid trip to Acapulco, Mexico. It isn’t long after she arrives that Lily realizes the paradise she is expecting is instead replaced by death and doom. The hotel they are staying in, the Hotel Cerón, is remote and far from the rest of town. Despite the hotel’s supposed popularity there don’t seem to be many guests and the armed guards and extremely watchful staff are disconcerting.

Another journalist on the trip, Skye McDermott, picks up on the ominous feel of the hotel. She asks Lily for her help on writing an article, eluding to revenge. Shortly after she speaks these words she goes missing. Lily informs the hotel staff who don’t seem to be concerned about Skye’s disappearance. They insist that she’s checked out of the hotel but Lily is hesitant to believe them. It is when she herself attempts to leave the hotel that she realizes that she is prisoner, involved in something much more than just the fraud and corruption that Skye alluded to.  Lily must confront her painful past and summon all her inner strength in order to escape, saving not only her life but the life of others as well.

Evil in All Its Disguises is the third in the Lily Moore series. While it’s not necessary to read the series in order, it is best to in order to truly grasp the history of pain and loss dealt to young Lily. This is by far my favorite of the series, only because Davidson is so visual and detailed in her writing that she has the reader questioning Lily’s sanity. Is she truly bait in a plot for revenge or is her past with the hotel’s owner tainting her feelings and observations about what is transpiring? Additionally, while the actions that transpire take place in the span of a few days, the intensity in the plot makes it feel as though a lifetime has passed since Lily has walked through the doors of the hotel.

Davidson excels at creating a protagonist that is both incredibly strong but also has a weak, vulnerable side.  The truly rewarding part of this series as a whole is Lily’s ability to rise above her painful past to rise above and overcome the challenges dealt to her. Lily Moore has come to be one of my favorite female main characters in thriller fiction, one that I continue to root for as long as Davidson continues to write about her. What stands out for me about Davidson as an author is that, with each book, she continues to impress me with her talent, proving to be an author I can rely upon to truly entertain me with her writing. I know each time I pick up one of her novels that I will be transported to a truly breathtaking setting, captivated by a truly intense plot. If you are looking for a truly addictive thriller series with a incredibly genuine protagonist, this is the series for you. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Forge Books, Frightful Friday, Review, Thriller | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (March 12, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062197339
  • Source: Publisher
Genevieve is following her dream of leaving the hectic London life, buying a houseboat to fix up and live on for the next year. She invites old friends from London as well as more recent ones to a “boat-warming” party. Genevieve loves her new home, finding the waves beating against the hull of her boat quite soothing. However, the night of her boat-warming party, everything changes. Genevieve wakes to hear something hitting against the side of her boat. It’s quite typical for garbage to find itself lodged there, so she thought nothing of it.  Until she saw what was causing the noise: the body of a young woman.

Seeing the woman’s body takes her back to her life in London. She recognizes the woman as a close friend she had while living in London. Her past comes flying back at her; she can’t let her new friends know about her night-job as a dancer at The Barclay, a private member’s club. When she left London, she vowed never to return. When other mysterious things start happening, she has no choice but to call the man who saved her from that life…the man who told her never to call him.

Told in alternating time frames, flashing back between Genevieve’s previous life in London and her current life, Haynes expertly crafts a genuinely thrilling read. As she did with her previous novel Into the Darkest Corner, Haynes gets inside the head of the female lead character, producing a protagonist who is incredibly strong yet also full of flaws. This novel is truly a study in one woman’s reaction to the life she found herself immersed in. Was it all worth it? Teetering on the side of danger in order to obtain the life she’s dreamed of?

While Dark Tide wasn’t nearly as intense or chilling as Haynes previous novel it certainly still kept me up late at night. Genevieve’s character was one I quickly became invested in; she’s incredibly smart and talented, not putting up with anyone standing in the way of her dream. So, she lets her heart get in the way not once, but twice. Who hasn’t, right? My only complaint was that, for such a strong and committed young woman, at times it seemed that she relied far too much on the men in her life. I don’t necessarily think this was intended by the author but it’s something I found lessened the impact of the book a bit.

All in all, though, Dark Tide is an incredibly intense, addictive read. Haynes knows thrillers, and she excels at writing incredibly genuine female protagonists. I cannot wait for more! Highly recommended.

 

Posted in Harper Books, Mystery/Suspense, Review, Thriller | Leave a comment

Tales of a (Formerly) Reluctant Reader: The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Jenn

Tales of a (formerly) Reluctant Reader is a feature in which my thirteen year old son, John (a formerly reluctant reader) shares this thoughts on books geared toward reluctant readers. The review below is entirely his own with no alterations other than corrections in spelling.

  • Age Range: 8 and up
  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Walden Pond Press (February 26, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062071858
  • Source: Publisher

Haley a pretty normal teenage girl living with her family in Connecticut. All of her friends are looking forward to spending their summers going off to fun camps. Haley’s plans are a bit different; she plans on spending the summer driving around the country with her very supportive parents, investigating the disappearances of several people thanks to a grant from a mysterious research foundation. There’s more than just missing persons, though. Around the same time they go missing, the towns they live in undergo a lapse of time in which they don’t remember what happened. Sixteen minutes are lost with no explanation. Haley uncovers a group of people referred to as We are the Missing,who claim to have experiences with alien abduction.

Dodger lives in Washington and, like Haley, is awarded a grant to investigate the unusual. Unlike Haley, he doesn’t really have a supportive family and is always trying to get the approval of his father. Haley and Dodger meet when the foundation supporting their research mission calls everything off when things get too dangerous. Haley and Dodger soon become the ones investigated, instead of the ones investigating. They are the only ones who can find out the truth about these disappearances and must do so before they too go missing!

Wow…was this an intense book! Normally, I’m not really in to alien abductions or anything spooky like that but this book changed my mind! From the very beginning, the story grabbed my attention. It was almost as if I was watching a movie rather than reading a book!  One of the things I really liked about the book were the two main characters, a boy and a girl. Both Haley & Dodger were very interesting people, Dodger maybe more than Haley because he heard voices. But because there is both a boy and a girl character, I think this book would be interesting to both boys and girls my age.

Also, the journey the two go on is pretty sweet! All-expense paid two week vacation!? Yes please! The investigations they go on are pretty intense so this also almost feels like a mystery as well. Maybe a sci-fi mystery? In any case, I’m going to be telling all my friends about this book! Now I need to come up with an exciting way to spend my summer vacation!

Guess what! My mom says that one lucky reader of this blog can win a copy of this book. Awesome, right? To enter, just fill out this form below. The winner will be emailed by my Mom on Friday, March 15. Tell all your friends about this giveaway! Trust me, you don’t want to pass this up!

Posted in 7-10 years of age, 8-12 years of age, Kid-Lit/Middle Grade, Tales of A (Formerly) Reluctant Reader, Walden Pond Press | Tagged | Leave a comment

Guest Review: Surfing with Turtles: Bindi Wildlife Adventures by Bindi Irwin

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Jenn

  • Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  • Paperback: 112 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (March 5, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1402280947
  • Source: Publisher

Bindi Irwin is the thirteen-year-old daughter of wildlife conservationists Steve and Terri Irwin. Although her father passed away a few years ago while working with wildlife, his life-long passion, Bindi and her brother continue his legacy.

In Surfing With Turtles, the eight book in the Bindi Wildlife Adventures series, a host of young readers are introduced to an exciting wildlife adventure with Bindi and friends. Off the coast of Mexico and California, Bindi and her American friend Kelly are on a surf-ari, catching some pretty amazing waves along the way.  One day, a green sea turtle joins them while surfing. The two girls learn about a volunteer turtle restoration team and are given the opportunity to participate themselves in a night watch to protect the turtle nests from poachers.  It is then they see a fellow surfer acting strangely, disturbing a nest of green sea turtles. Bindi realizes he has more than surfing on his mind and decides to keep an eye on him. Her instincts are correct; Bindi is able to prevent the man from transporting a captured animal across the border!

I am excited to have the opportunity to review this book with my youngest soon, Justin. At seven years old, Justin is an avid reader. When I was pitched this book for review, I enjoyed having the opportunity to read this book with him. Our family has been fans of Bindi since she first appeared on her father’s show at just three years old! Over the years, we have enjoyed watching her grow up and continue her father’s great work.

Following are Justin’s thoughts on the book, followed by mine. Other than correcting his spelling, the following review is Justin’s in its entirety:

Hello everyone! My Mom said I should tell you if I liked this book or not. I DID! Bindi is a little girl who goes on adventures, learning about animals I have only seen at the zoo. Even though she is a girl, she is fun because she does things that girls in my class would never do. Like in this book, she picks up a snake with her own hands! Also, she goes surfing and even though a wave crashes into her, she doesn’t freak out and just knows what to do.  I also really liked this book because it sort of had a mystery to it. I wanted to know what the bad surfer guy was going to do next. I also learned a lot about sea turtles and how to protect them. I really think you should read this book, if you are a boy or a girl. I really liked it and want to read more about Bindi’s adventures.

My review:

Like Justin, I appreciated reading about a little girl who was strong and able to step outside of what is expected of a young girl. She’s witty, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. Her excitement about animal conservation helps educate children her age and younger about what can be done to protect the wildlife around us.  While this book is geared for children ages seven and up, I do believe some of the language is a bit above that age level. Fortunately, I was able to read it alongside Justin and provide him an explanation of what some of the terms meant. So, with the caveat that the book be read with a parent, I do agree with the age range used to describe this book. Overall, I do think it would be an excellent addition to any home or school library. Like Justin, I look forward to reading more of Bindi’s adventures!

Did you know that BINDI WILDLIFE ADVENTURES series donates a portion of all proceeds to the Australia Zoo Conservation Projects? Each book is a new adventure for Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin and a chance for children to experience new places and new ideas.

Bindi is starring in Return to Nim’s Island, based on the Nim books by Australian author Wendy Or.  The movie will premiere in the U.S. this March on the Hallmark Channel and will be available on DVD March 19.

 

Posted in Jabberwocky, Kid-lit, Kid-Lit/Middle Grade, Review, Sourcebooks | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Month in Review: February 2013

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Jenn


Books Reviewed

Total books reviewed: 12

*Pick(s) of the month: February was such a pretty stellar reading month for me. Out of the 12 books reviewed, there were only a few I found to be “meh” or less than exciting. Looking forward to another great reading month!

Special Events

Earlier this month, I hosted The Big Game’s On Superbowl Read-a-thon! I had a lot of fun; I hope those who participated did as well!

Upcoming Events!

Next Friday I’ll be celebrating my five year blogging anniversary! Would it be wrong to create a book registry of sorts so I can get gifts!? Kidding! (Mostly!)

 

How about you? What were your favorite books of February?

Posted in Month in Review | 6 Comments

Review: The Secret of Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (February 19, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062201034
  • Source: Publisher

Anna is shocked when she receives a phone call from her grandmother, Goldie. The two haven’t seen each other in five years after Goldie made it clear how she felt about Anna’s husband, Ford. Ford has since passed way to leukemia, yet the pain that caused the estrangement still lingers. Goldie’s sharp tongue and high resistance to mediocrity has caused a riff in their relationship. Anna is further stunned when Goldie asks her on a cross-country trip to San Francisco to return a collection of valuable Japanese art to its owner. The art, in Goldie’s possession since the 1940s, given to her by someone close to her heart before they entered a Japanese-American internment camp. For obvious reasons, the art holds a great deal of meaning to the elderly woman. Just how meaningful is unknown to Anna…until now.

Reluctantly, Anna agrees and the two embark on the cross-country journey in Goldie’s Rolls-Royce. As the journey passes, Anna’s strong feelings about her grandmother soften as Goldie reveals a terrible secret she’s kept hidden for over half a century. From her own struggles as a young Jewish immigrant to a love she was forced to abandon, Goldie realizes she must open up about her past in order to let Anna, still recovering from the loss of her husband, heal.

Alternating between Anna’s point of view in the present time to Goldie’s young adult years, The Secret of the Nightingale Palace tells a beautiful, yet also heartbreaking, story about the power of family, sacrifice, forgiveness, and ultimately, love. The journey Anna and Goldie takes is an incredibly enlightening one, Anna realizing the motive behind her grandmother’s pain and sharp conviction. Anna is certainly not a weak woman, but the loss of Ford, and the period preceding his death, has turned her into a shell of a woman. She’s unable to feel love or passion and instead throws everything into her job. Goldie realizes her granddaughter has so much more hope in her and is frightened that Anna will never live up to her full potential if she continues to dwell on the past.

The Secret of the Nightingale Palace is a truly rewarding novel that will pull at your heart-strings. The alternating timeline and point of view adds a completely new dimension of the story, showing a parallel in the lives of two women that are a lot alike, yet refuse to admit so. The historical aspect of this novel is incredibly well-developed, the reader given a glimpse of two cultures that are quite different, yet due to the treatment they received, ultimately have strong similarities.

What makes this novel so attractive are the incredibly strong, richly drawn-out characters. While they each had their faults and were incredibly fallible, both Anna and Goldie were characters readers can’t help but sympathize and relate to. Their relationship is rocky at best and it was tremendously rewarding to watch it grow, heal, and nurture during their journey. A truly strong and memorable novel, perfect for a wide-range of readers from fans of history to those drawn in by character-driven novels. Highly recommended.

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other stops in the tour.

Posted in Historical Fiction, Review, William Morrow, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Review: The Missing Rose by Serdar Ozkan

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Tarcher; Reprint edition (December 27, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0399162305
  • Source: Publisher

When Diana’s mother dies, a letter she wrote on her deathbed reveals a life-altering secret: Diana’s father, thought dead, is actually alive. Additionally, she has a twin sister, Mary,  she never knew existed. Her mother’s dying wish is for her to find her sister. While wealthy and head-strong, Diana has always sought out the approval of those around her. Mary has spent a large portion of her life trying to find their mother. Through a series of letters written to her mother, Diana learns of Mary’s art of “hearing roses.” Based on the letters, written using elaborate imagery about this art, Diana is certain Mary is mentally ill.  Reluctantly, she travels to Istanbul in an attempt to locate her.

There, she locates the magical garden in which Mary learned her art. In this journey to find her sister, Diana embarks upon her own journey of self-discovery, truly realizing her own self and potential is more valuable and true than the identity imposed by others.

As an international bestseller, published in over 40 languages, this novel had the potential to be something great. Unfortunately, it fell quite short for me. While some of the prose was incredibly beautiful and almost poetic, other segments seemed rudimentary, almost robotic, to me. At first I thought it might be due to a translation error, but the author completed his university education here in the United States. Additionally, the overall storyline was quite formulaic, the characters the only difference than other novels like it.

That said, it is a relatively short read at just over 200 pages. I can concede that perhaps I’m not the right reader for this novel, so I wouldn’t suggest that you not read it. To put it simply, it just wasn’t the right novel for me.

Posted in Fantasty, Review | Tagged | Leave a comment

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Jenn

a1

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer (audio)
The Lion Is in by Delia Ephron (review)
A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock (review)
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines (review)
The Missing Rose by Serdar Ozkan

Currently Reading

The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns
Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill
White Night (Dresden Files #09) by Jim Butcher (audio)

Books to Complete This Week


The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Evil in All Its Disguises by Hilary Davidson

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 4 Comments

Frightful Friday: Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. This week’s featured title is Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines:

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway; Reprint edition (February 26, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0804136572
  • Source: Publisher (egalley)

A zombie outbreak has devastated the Earth. A year later, in Los Angeles, a band of superheroes attempts to protect survivors sheltered in what remains of Hollywood. As if fighting zombies, known as exes (ex-humans), wasn’t enough, the heroes are also forced to battle a rabid street gang known as the Seventeens over remaining supplies.

Told in alternating chapters of “Then” and “Now,” Clines successfully executes a pretty tremendous feat of combining two very different worlds. The heroes he creates are unique, ranging from a human electric current (Zzap) to a man who cannot die yet can heal others (The Regenerator). Each of these individuals have only recently discovered their powers, in most cases many just woke up with these extremely unique talents. Each of the chapters covers the viewpoint of these heroes, allowing readers to both piece together the events that lead to this devastation as well as get a unique viewpoint with each chapter.

It would be easy for a novel like this to crash and burn, but Clines is such a skilled writer (and obvious fan of comic book heroes) that he pulls it off successfully. Down to the origin, physiology and behavior of the zombies/exes, Clines creates a wholly unique spin on a subject matter (zombies) that seems to be exploding lately.

What makes this such a stand-out novel is the cross-over appeal, both fans of comic/super heroes as well as fans of zombie fiction clambering over one another to get their hands on this truly tremendous title.  I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the next book, Ex-Patriots.

 

Posted in Crown Publishers, Frightful Friday | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Review: The Lion Is in by Delia Ephron

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (January 29, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0452298938
  • Source: Publisher

Three women are on the run. Tracee is a kleptomaniac, running from a life spiraling out of control. Her best friend, Lana, is alcoholic who just happened to be with Tracee when she decided to bolt. She stole a great deal of her father’s money and drank it away, so Tracee is really the only person of value in her life right now. Rita is a minister’s wife, desperate to escape her dull-drum life. She just happened to come across Tracee and Lana on the side of the road and joined in on their journey. When their car breaks down on a rural highway in North Carolina, they are forced to seek shelter in what they thought was an abandoned nightclub. Turns out, it wasn’t abandoned, just neglected. When they find a caged lion inside, everything changes.

Tracee, afraid that her past crimes will catch up with her, is unable to anyone to help with the broken down car. Instead, the three women agree to work at the nightclub, sharing a single salary, in order to earn the money to repair the car.  In doing so, each of the women embark on a journey of self discovery and healing, the impetus for such a grand transformation is the lion, Marcel, himself. Something about this caged king of the jungle sets each of the women free, allowing them to break through the restraints binding them to their current lives an allowing them to evolve into completely different, incredibly strong, women.

In each of these women, Ephron has created extremely flawed characters that readers can’t help but connect with. Compassion, friendship, and understanding are characteristics of this book that make it a truly heartwarming read. Personally, I read it in one sitting, sad when I finally turned the last pages. I wasn’t ready to let go of the characters quite yet. Days later, I still miss them, and I find myself wondering what the women (and Marcel!) are doing now.

If you are looking for a witty, humorous, uplifting read, The Lion Is in is the book for you. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Humor, Plume, Review, Women's Fiction | 3 Comments