The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume (by Lisa Rumsey Harris)

Posted on December 17, 2012 by setaian

“Have you ever tried to look really good for a special occasion and just ended up looking stupid?”
Aussie didn’t respond. “Well, I have. In middle school, I wore parachute pants on a ski trip. People drew cartoons of me for months.”

Treasure Blume has gone through her entire life as the girl nobody likes. She wears dowdy sweaters, lives with her cat and her grandmother, teaches first grade, and spends most of her spare time trying to keep her grammy out of trouble and dodge her well meaning family.

She doesn’t really have any expectations from life. Men aren’t interested in her and she has very few friends her own age. Despite that she is able to see beauty in everything and is a blessing to the people around her, even people who are unkind.

Despite his initial dislike of Treasure, Dennis has to admit that she is a good teacher for his daughter, Micaela. Under her care, Micaela who was quiet and withdrawn has blossomed. Over time Dennis overcomes his dislike of Treasure and starts to see her for the kind-hearted woman she is.

The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume is a gentle and sweet love story about a woman who doesn’t fit in anywhere, and a man who doesn’t trust easily. It’s a relentlessly optimistic book about resilience and perseverance.

Many thanks to Cedar Fort Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Posted on December 14, 2012 by setaian

Shannon A. Thompson

This morning a 20-year-old gunman murdered 27 people, including 20 children, in Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Keep the victims and their families in mind today as this unfortunate incident is, sadly, not the first.

Read more about the shooting here, and keep your eyes out for ways to help the families.

Also, in regards to school shootings, I think education is very important, and I like to do this through writing and reading as many of you know. Even though I personally believe we cannot logically understand the illogical (situations like this), I still think we can try and/or cope.

I read Todd Strasser’s, Give a Boy a Gun, many years ago, and I found myself deeply moved by the severity of school violence he exposed. I really suggest this reading and/or Rachel’s Tears, which depicts the life of Columbine victim, Rachel Scott.

Please educate yourself, share…

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My Bluegrass Baby (by Molly Harper)

Posted on December 13, 2012 by setaian

“We’re going to talk and you are really going to listen to me. Because this isn’t coming from Kelsey, your awesome assistant who knows and sees all, but Kelsey, your friend, who cares about you as a person and the overall condition of your soul. You are heading down a very dangerous path, Sadie. If this promotion was the One Ring, you would be Gollum. If it was the white whale, you would be Ahab. If it was the Iron Throne, I’m pretty sure you would be a Lannister, and nothing good ever happens to a Lannister.”

Sadie is a shoo-in for the job as director of the Kentucky Tourism Commission. That is until the government decide to bring in some fresh blood. Now she has to compete for the job that was supposed to be hers with a flashy, over-confident PR man from Atlanta.

With the battle escalating and everyone in the office taking sides, Josh and Sadie need to settle their differences and find a way to work together before the entire office descends into all out war.

My Bluegrass Baby is great fun. It has elements of romance, chick-lit and travelogue all rolled into a quirky book about a woman who loves Kentucky just a little more than is healthy. Reading this book I really got the sense of just how much Molly Harper loves her home state. The book has Molly Harper’s trademark snarky sense of humor and will sit very comfortably on a book shelf right along side And One Last Thing, her other foray into chick-lit.

Many thanks to Pocket Star Books (Simon & Schuster) and Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC.

2012 Books that blew my mind…

Posted on December 5, 2012 by setaian

1. The Siren (by Tiffany Reisz) Erotica

I couldn’t think of anything else for weeks after I read this book. A stand-out for the best book I’ve read this year.

(this book contains graphic depictions of sex and bad language. Some readers may find it offensive.)

2. Easy (by Tammara Webber) Young Adult

Well written and well researched. It’s a book which deals with the difficult issue of sexual assault but it’s also a gentle love story.

3. Days of Blood & Starlight (by Laini Taylor) Fantasy

Book two in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, Days of Blood & Starlight is one of those rare books that change the way you look at a genre.

4. Flowertown (by S.G. Redling) Thriller / Suspense

I found this book uncomfortable and disturbing. A dystopian novel about a town which is put in lockdown after a chemical spill.

5. Checkmate (by R.L. Mathewson) Romance (I think)

In the space of twelve months R.L. Mathewson has gone from being a complete unknown to me, to being one of my favorite authors. Her Neighbor from Hell series has me aching from laughter.

6. Confessions of an Angry Girl (by Louise Rozett) Young adult

A book which deals with a whole grab bag of issues facing young adults and manages to do it without preaching.

7. Even White Trash Zombies get the Blues (by Diana Rowland) Urban Fantasy

Book two in Diana Rowland’s White Trash Zombie series is every bit as much fun as the first.

8. Eleanor & Park (by Rainbow Rowell) Young Adult / Romance

This book is due to be published early in 2013 but it’s incredible. Intelligent and poetic.

9. My Bluegrass Baby (by Molly Harper) Contemporary Romance / Chick Lit

I love Molly Harper’s snarky, often biting but always intelligent sense of humor.

10. Love You More (by Lisa Gardner) Mystery & Thriller

Lisa Gardner is a master story teller. She manages to write incredibly complex tales which still manage to be easily read page turners.

Running Wild (by Linda Howard & Linda Jones)

Posted on November 30, 2012 by setaian

On the run from a psychopathic stalker, Carlin never stays in one place for long. She avoids drawing attention to herself and always keeps her “run kit” at hand just in case she needs to make a quick escape. When she arrives in Battle Ridge, Wyoming, she takes a job as a housekeeper for a rancher. She is immediately attracted to Zeke but life on the run leaves little room for romance and she does everything in her power to keep him at a distance. But it’s hard to keep him at a distance when they’re living under the same roof.

Running Wild is not overly complicated. The authors deliver exactly what their readers want, good romantic fiction with a healthy dose of humor and suspense.

Many thanks to Random House & Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

The Coven series (by Trish Milburn)

Posted on November 27, 2012 by setaian

Book 1, White Witch

Jax is no ordinary high-school girl. She’s a witch with a powerful darkness inside her. After fleeing from her coven she finds herself in the mountains of North Carolina where she can hopefully live a peaceful life. But Jax knows more than anyone what the coven will do to someone who leaves.

As she attends school she makes a couple of friends and actually starts dating. But things are never that simple especially when her boyfriend, Keller, comes from a family of supernatural hunters. Keller and his father have dedicated their lives to killing her kind, and she is struggling to keep her burgeoning powers under control.

Book 2, Bane

The darkness inside her is starting to assert more control and Jax travels to Salem in search of answers. She desperately needs to find the Bane, a shadowy group of witches who might just hold the secrets to containing her powers. But they are elusive and she’s not sure what kind of welcome she will get from them even if she does find them.

While she hunts for answers, somebody is hunting her. A supernatural hunter who is seen as a zealot even by other supernatural hunters. And her coven is suspiciously quiet which can only mean storm clouds are on the horizon.

Book 3, Magick

The Coven Series is Young Adult Urban Fantasy at its absolute best. It does everything I expect from books in this genre and does it superbly. The series is great fun and completely addictive.

The best urban fantasy I’ve read since Carolyn Crane’s The Disilluionists trilogy.

Checkmate (by R.L. Mathewson)

Posted on November 19, 2012 by setaian

…he had to touch her, had to kiss her and he did just that.
“Ow!” he winced, stepping away from Rory as he rubbed the back of his head where it suddenly throbbed. He looked over his shoulder and found all five of her brothers watching them with innocent doe-like expressions on their faces.
“It was a squirrel,” Craig said somehow keeping a straight face.
“Vicious little bastards,” Bryce added solemnly.
“You should really be careful,” Johnny added before mouthing “bitch.”

Rory and Connor have been bitter enemies since pre-school. Over the years their many battles have become folklore and they’ve been banned from just about every establishment in town. When their building companies are awarded a joint contract to renovate a hotel the sparks immediately start flying. It’s a knock down drag out battle for the right to be called the #1 building contractor in town. But maybe their biggest problem is that they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

R.L. Mathewson’s A Neighbor from Hell series is whacky and completely off the wall. As an independent author she doesn’t have the same resources as other authors, but she still manages to deliver books that are polished and completely addictive. She’s the best thing since sliced bread and Checkmate is yet another fun read you won’t want to end.

Days of Blood & Starlight (by Laini Taylor)

Posted on November 15, 2012 by setaian

Days of Blood & Starlight is book two of a trilogy. This review may contain spoilers.

For thousands of years Angels and Chimaera had fought a brutal war of attrition. In Daughter of Smoke & Bone the Chimaera’s greatest secret was discovered and the Angels pressed their advantage, defeating the Chimaera.

The war is over and the Chimaera armies have been decimated, but what follows war is not peace but genocide. The Angels have turned their attention to the innocent civilians and are hunting them down like animals.

Bitter and broken from what Akiva has done, Karou has joined a small group of Chimaera warriors who survived the final battle. They are led by Thiago, a narcissist and sociopath whose goal is not to protect Chimaera but to exact a bloody revenge. As the only surviving resurrectionist Thiago needs Karou to build him an army. She finds his tactics repugnant but can she stand up to him when she hasn’t got a single ally?

Akiva is crushed with guilt over what he has brought about. As he watches the genocide unfolding he makes a decision to turn against his own and protect the innocent Chimaera. But what can a single angel do in the face of so many?

Days of Blood & Starlight is as close to perfect as it’s possible to get. In parts it’s an extremely uncomfortable book to read and I literally had to put it down because I couldn’t go on. But before very long I just had to pick it up and continue. It’s a powerful story about good versus evil; love versus hate; hope versus despair.

A Penny’s Worth (by Nancy DeRosa)

Posted on November 6, 2012 by setaian

Penny is approaching 40, single, with no friends and a job that is sucking the life out of her. Even her family don’t think she will ever amount to much.

Desperate to turn her life around she quits her job as a school nurse and manages to find a job working in the oncology ward at her local hospital. Caring for cancer patients she is able to find the self worth that has eluded her. But every step forward she takes, her critical and overbearing mother is dragging her two steps back.

A Penny’s Worth is very much a Cinderella story, complete with the wicked step-mother and sisters. It’s a fairytale for adults which never gets overly complicated and always manages to stay positive and upbeat.

Many thanks to Fingerpress and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Three Strong Words (by Becky S. Araujo)

Posted on November 4, 2012 by setaian

I originally reviewed this book as a guest reader for The Indie Bookshelf. The Indie Bookshelf is a blog created and run by a group of frighteningly talented women that supports independent authors. It is something like an Aladdin’s Cave for book lovers and a great place to find your next book.

http://www.theindiebookshelf.blogspot.com

I hate you. I never actually said those words aloud to him but in the beginning I sure did think it a lot. The thought of being near him sent nausea churning through my stomach and hearing his name caused my temper to flare to the point where I could almost feel my blood boil. Aiden Parker, every time I look at you three words always run around in my head. I hate you.

Aidan’s father is widely known as the most racist man in town. A man who enjoys beating up people of color for kicks.

When Esmeralda, a young Hispanic woman, is forced to do a joint school project with Aidan there are immediate fireworks. In her opinion, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and she isn’t going to take any abuse from him. But over time she comes to realize that he is completely different to his father and their initial antagonism turns to attraction.

This book isn’t perfect. There are things which just didn’t work. There was a (thankfully) brief detour into a courtroom drama which fell flat and honestly didn’t belong in this book. But those little blips don’t add up to much and there are so many good things about this book that I can’t help but love it.

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