Book Review | THE VISITOR by Amanda Stevens

September 27, 2016;
MIRA

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen.

Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price. 

THE VISITOR is the 4th installment of the Graveyard Queen series, and it has been four years since The Prophet (#3). If you have not started on this series yet or need to brush up on the info, I do suggest you pick up the previous 3 books before starting on this one. Our protagonist, Amalia Gray, basically outgrew her own self since the beginning.

Decades ago, Kroll Cemetery was a refuge, a walled sanctuary that protected its inhabitants from the outside world. Now, it calls to Amalia to uncover the mystery that shrouded the death of many. After finding a stereoscopic image, mirroring her own, from her basement, she knew that the summon is personal. And this time, it's not only the dead who are haunting her. 

"What you are, I once was. What I am, you will someday become."

For the record, this is the creepiest installment in this series. I literally checked my walls at night, while reading this. "Why in the world would a sane person read this at bedtime?", you asked. Well, because I couldn't put it down. Duh!

Seriously, though, Ms. Stevens outdid herself in this installment. It is so worth the wait. The Visitor is filled with new threats, revelations, and more secrets. I really don't know how Amalia can handle all these on her plate, especially, when John Devlin is keeping secrets of his own. So, there are even more reasons to look forward to book #5.

Book details:

Title:  The Visitor

Series:  The Graveyard Queen #4 
Author:  Amanda Stevens
Publication:  September 27, 2016; MIRA
Genre:  Fiction, Paranormal
Rating: ★★★★★

*Thank you MIRA and Netgalley for the DRC.

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Say It With A Book # 8 | Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Guest Book Reviewer | Ingrid Mae Membrere

     

It's one of those books about summer that well, isn't all about summer.

It's about a friendship between Anna and Frankie and Matt. Anna the shy one, Frankie the more outgoing one, and Matt the brother of Frankie and the bestfriend-that-is-a-boy for Anna. Happy and Sad. Befores and Afters. But it talks about grief too. I'm not entirely sold about the grief part, but this book did capture the summer vibe. The characters weren't as likeable, or relatable, as I thought they would be (or maybe it's just me outgrowing the YA genre). I could quite say it was a similar read to The Sky is Everywhere so if you've read that book and liked it, you might want to read this book. Also, if you want to know how to find summer flings (20 boys in 3 weeks at The Golden City), then this is the book for you, haha!

Book Details:
Title:  Twenty Boy Summer
Author:  Sarah Ockler
Publication:  June 1, 2009; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre:  YA Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

About Ingrid:

     

Hi everyone, meet Ingrid! She is one of the youngest members of TFG, and more of a daughter to me, since my own is just about the same age too. As it happens, this charming young lady recently passed the Occupational Therapist Licensure Examination and hooked the 3rd highest rank. We're all very proud of her!

TPW:  What is your favorite genre?

Ingrid:  My favorite genre would be young adult (Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, John Green, to name a few). I'm probably a wee bit too old for this genre (?) but what I like about these books is that they're relatively easier to read. Most of the time, I read for pleasure; some young adult books would give me warm and fuzzy feelings, some others ignite the thrill-seeker in me through the intense action-packed adventures, but all of which simply take my mind off things.

TPW:  How would you define yourself as a reader?

Ingrid:  As mentioned earlier, I read mostly for pleasure. I guess with that, I could say I'm quite picky and can be a book snob. Life's too short to read books you don't really like, or so someone said. You'd rarely catch me reading philosophical, historical, "heavy" literary works, and other books which would make one think, unless otherwise required (i.e. books of the month) by my book clubs (The Filipino Group and Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books, based on Goodreads). 

When I'm in the mood for reading, or when a book is really, really engaging, I'd make sure to finish it within the day (given the free time) or as soon as I can. But like all readers, I also encounter reading slumps which could go on for days, or weeks. I'm not overly conscious of how I get out of it. I just read what I can, when I can because the only way to get out of a reading slump is, well, to read!

TPW:  Thank you very much, Ingrid, for sharing. Again, congratulations and Godspeed!

Ingrid:  Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog!  ♥♥

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Book Review | MILLER'S VALLEY by Anna Quindlen

April 5, 2016
Random House

A novel about family and the secrets that we keep—a young woman learning to love and leave home and realizing that, maybe, she never quite left.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Still Life with Bread Crumbs and Rise and Shine. ~Goodreads

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It’s like having a long walk with a friend, wherein the conversation drifts to things we rarely talk about. Everything was intimate, vivid, and rarely touching trivialities. There were happy moments, sad moments, and quiet moments that signify comprehension and unspoken agreement.

Mary Margaret Miller (Mimi) grew up in a farm located smack-center of a drowning valley. She is the only daughter of a tinkerer and a nurse, a family shared with two older brothers and an agoraphobic aunt. The story follows her (and her family’s) struggles through the meager farming life, while eminent flooding threatens the whole valley. Their family and the whole valley itself share a compelling story that perhaps anyone can relate to.

My name was Mimi Miller. I lived in Miller’s Valley. Everyone I knew lived in Miller’s Valley. I wasn’t ignorant; I knew there was a world outside. I just had a hard time imagining it.

MILLER’S VALLEY is a great demonstration of Anna Quindlen’s insightful gift in writing true-to-life stories. The details resemble a fully scrutinized canvas of an ordinary life that is fully lived with its joys, sufferings, and regrets. This book is not a product of mere imagination, but of excellent discernment.

Pre-order your copies now, through Penguin Random House.

Book details:

Title:  Miller’s Valley

Author:  Anna Quindlen

Publication:  April 5, 2016; Random House

Genre:  Fiction, Coming-of-Age

Rating:  ★★★★★

*Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

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TFG BINGO

The Oracle is at it again! Our Reading Challenge for 2016 at the book club is called TFG Bingo. Each one of us chose a number (1-75), and each number represents a card. No two cards are alike, I presume. Now, the card is very tricky. Instead of numbers, each box could represent a book genre, topic, setting, or a certain book list found in Goodreads.

Here’s my card:

As you can see, I’ve already marked the set I wanted to pursue. I am posting this here so that I can keep track of the challenges I’ve set upon myself. Each mark will be replaced by a book title if I finish a challenge, so I think I’ll add this to my sidebar for easy access.

There is no strict rule on when each challenge should be accomplished, except that we finish it within the calendar year. But I guess I should add for myself, on this challenge, any Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) does not apply. That would be like hitting two birds with one stone, and it wouldn’t be an honest challenge at all.

TFG had been doing these challenges for years now. It’s not only fun, but a good way to further stretch our reading horizon or step out from our comfort zones. I’m glad that a good number of members still enlist themselves. And, I highly appreciate the people who take time to conceptualize and initiate these challenges (Yay!).

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Book Review | THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig

February 16th, 2016 by Greenwillow Books

March 3rd, 2016 by Hot Key Books

It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveler. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just too distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever. ~Goodreads

Heidi Heilig penned a very impressive debut. Creating a seamless timeline for time-traveling is not easy, but she effortlessly did it. Heilig introduced a new sense of time-traveling that details every curve and rocks of a shoreline, possible only through a meticulously-inked map. The authenticity of the settings is vivid and concrete, both the scenery and culture.

The incredible premise is made stable by the steady building plot. It’s easy to follow and very convincing. Replete of poetic prose with the addition of the characters’ easy jibe and wit, the narration is simply enjoyable.

I love this diversity of characters, their individual distinction is engaging.  They are fleshed out enough to retain a certain amount of mystery. Perhaps, it’s Heilig’s unspoken promise for the coming sequel. Their relationships are very intriguing as well, especially, Nix and Slate’s stained father-daughter partnership, which is exceedingly fascinating since there is also an unquestionable amount of respect moving around their ship. And although there is also romance on the plot, I really like how Heilig downplayed it to give more focus on the adventure and the gathering details.

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE is a product of both hard research and great imagination. You can’t go wrong with that! Pre-order your copies now.

Book details:
Title:  The Girl from Everywhere
Series:  The Girl from Everywhere #1
Author:  Heidi Heilig
Publication:  February 16th, 2016 by Greenwillow Books
                         March 3rd, 2016 by Hot Key Books
Genre:  YA, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

*Thanks to Hot Key Books and Netgalley for the digital galley in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Book Review | BAD LUCK by Pseudonymous Bosch

February 9, 2016
Little, Brown Books

Reader, beware! This is a BAD book. A VERY BAD book that will bring you nothing but BAD LUCK. Luckily no one would want to read it as it is extremely BORING and contains NO ADVENTURE whatsoever. No magic. No betrayal. And NO DRAGONS. No flying dragons. No fire-breathing dragons. No dragon hunters. ABSOLUTELY NO DRAGONS. The only reason anyone would DARE read this book is if they are VERY BAD and never do what they’re told. And you always do what you’re told. Don’t you? -Goodreads

Another summer at Earth Ranch, meanwhile Clay is still struggling to understand what he is doing there when he has no magic to pride himself on. But then, things got thicker at Price Island when a cruise ship dropped anchor just right across Mount Forge. A crew of men claims to be searching for a boy who fell off the ship. Or are they, really?

This is the second book in the Bad series. I have not had the pleasure of reading the first book, but I had a marvelous time reading the Secret series almost two years ago. So when I spied this on NetGalley, I needed to grab it at once. Besides, the plot is very easy to follow and the constant need to know what’s next is pounding.  The author’s usual digressions, footnotes, and constant shift from third-person to 1^st-person narrative made this even more fun and easy access to any middle-grade (or adult).

Nothing short of entertaining, this book is a brilliant mix of wit, magic, thrill, and adventure. I do suggest you grab a copy when it comes out on February 9, 2016.

Book detail:

Title:   Bad Luck

Series:   The Bad Books #2

Author:   Pseudonymous Bosch

Publication:  February 9, 2016; 
                        Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction

Rating:  ★★★★★


*Thanks to Little, Brown Books and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

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Wednesday Spotlight | DEBT by Rachel Dunning

About the Book:

The Debt Collector

I pay my debts, and I expect others to.

I was raised in the slums of London, I knew nothing of privilege. My father was murdered when I was seventeen. Morty figured my father's passing meant I would automatically take on dad's debts. I refused.

And I paid for that refusal.

So did my sister.

So now I fight. All I know how to do is fight. The best cash is in the states, so that's where I am now. A big fish called Vito came along offering me a "favor" when I arrived.

Another debt.

I paid for that one too.

I knew Kyla Hensley would be trouble when I met her. But I wanted her. I could see through the falsehood of her wannabe-slutty clothes and her sexy legs. So I chased her.

Besides, trouble is my middle name.

Kyla Hensley

I was brought up in privilege, but I lacked everything else. My father is a business tycoon who buys and sells and doesn't care who gets rolled over in the process.

I never knew my mother, and all I have of her is a photo with a note scrawled on the back in French saying "I'm sorry." The only Female Figure I had growing up is my dad's wife who is a bleach blond with seven boob jobs. We never bonded.

I drink. I party. I meet guys.

But I wasn't always like that.

I've had a string of lovers in the last few years, the worst and most recent of which was Vince Somerset. My best friend Vera was dating a guy called Rory Cansoom who is the opposite of Vince in so many ways, and yet so the same.

She and I hit the road for the summer, getting away from the two college psychos and just trying to have some fun.

But there's a funny thing about trouble, the more you run from it, the more it finds you.

Which is when I met the Debt Collector.

It was only supposed to be sex. He made that clear. I made that clear.

That's all it was supposed to be.

I never expected to fall in love. I never expected to fall so deeply, madly, uncomfortably in love with a man who is wrong, so wrong for me.

And yet...so unbelievably right.

Content Warning

Not intended for readers under the age of seventeen.

Get your copies of Debt from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

About the Author:

Rachel Dunning hit the scene in August 2013 and is the author of the highly praised Naive Mistakes Series, Truthful Lies Trilogy, Johnny Series and the paranormal romance series, Mind Games.

A prolific writer, she sticks to stories where Alpha Males aren’t pricks and where women have guts.

She’s lived on two different continents, speaks three different languages, and met the love of her life on the internet. In other words, romance is in her blood.

*Contents sent author for this blog's publication. This is a free ad.

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