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ericarobyn
I'm a total sucker for cutesy Hallmark-ish romances. This book certainly fit the bill!
The writing was light and very easy to read. The dialogue was realistic. The characters were lovely. The plot was predictable, sure, but oh so adorable. I picked this up one afternoon and didn't put it down until I had read the whole book.
I really enjoyed Darcy as a main character, even though she seemed a bit immature. The way the author let her run away with her thought spirals was so realistic! For example, when a group of characters were out caroling and singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, Darcy starts asking questions about the song. Once she gets started, one questions leads to another, and another, and another! I thought this scene was absolutely hilarious! And her questions were all ones that I had wondered myself!
My favorite passage:
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first, otherwise you’ll have nothing to work with.
My final thoughts:
I just loved this book! Sure, it was quite predictable, but it was such a fun and light read that was perfect for this time of year!
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of cutesy holiday romances!
The writing was light and very easy to read. The dialogue was realistic. The characters were lovely. The plot was predictable, sure, but oh so adorable. I picked this up one afternoon and didn't put it down until I had read the whole book.
I really enjoyed Darcy as a main character, even though she seemed a bit immature. The way the author let her run away with her thought spirals was so realistic! For example, when a group of characters were out caroling and singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, Darcy starts asking questions about the song. Once she gets started, one questions leads to another, and another, and another! I thought this scene was absolutely hilarious! And her questions were all ones that I had wondered myself!
My favorite passage:
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first, otherwise you’ll have nothing to work with.
My final thoughts:
I just loved this book! Sure, it was quite predictable, but it was such a fun and light read that was perfect for this time of year!
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of cutesy holiday romances!
DNF.
This book was way too dry for me. It seemed like all of the points that the book was going to make were clearly laid out in the introduction. From there, it was just examples that didn't really interest me...
This book was way too dry for me. It seemed like all of the points that the book was going to make were clearly laid out in the introduction. From there, it was just examples that didn't really interest me...
I usually really enjoy these cozy mysteries, but this one just fell flat for me. I didn’t care about any of the characters or their troubles. I wasn’t engaged with the plot. And at the end I didn’t even enjoy the murders reveal...
Another thing that bothered me quite a bit was the main characters overreaction to catching her eighteen-year-old son smoking pot. It was way too much. I have to admit, I started skimming over the instances where the main character went off on crazy rants about it... which continued on many pages after the initial incident.
My favorite passage:
Right now she needed some tea and sympathy.
My final thoughts:
Overall, I did semi-enjoy this read. I never once thought about DNFing, but it just ended up being a miss.
However, I would still recommend this book to readers that enjoy quick and easy to read cozy mysteries!
Another thing that bothered me quite a bit was the main characters overreaction to catching her eighteen-year-old son smoking pot. It was way too much. I have to admit, I started skimming over the instances where the main character went off on crazy rants about it... which continued on many pages after the initial incident.
My favorite passage:
Right now she needed some tea and sympathy.
My final thoughts:
Overall, I did semi-enjoy this read. I never once thought about DNFing, but it just ended up being a miss.
However, I would still recommend this book to readers that enjoy quick and easy to read cozy mysteries!
In this issue, Iron Man is meeting with Dr Strange, Professor Xavier, Dr Reed Richards, Black Bolt, Prince Namor, and the Black Panther to ask them to all band together to protect Earth rather than sticking to smaller groups and struggling to do what they can. Namor is out right from the start and the others aren't sold on the idea. Eventually Dr Reed brings up that they could have saved a lot of lives if they all met and discussed what they knew from time to time. They seem to be making progress but then Black Panther tells them all to walk away, that this is a bad idea. Years later, they all meet again to discuss the Act. Once again, it doesn't go as Iron Man had hoped...Iron Man also announces that he is planning to make Spider-Man the example for all...which would ruin Peter's life.
This was such a cute book! I absolutely loved it. Definitely one that I will be buying when I have kiddos, but also as gifts for my friends kids.
The storyline was adorable! At first it was a bit spooky, but soon it was upbeat and happy. There is one page that has much more text than the others that was typical Lemony Snicket style.
My favorite element of this book was the author bio at the end, which stated:
LEMONY SNICKET has been accused of leaving his readers in the dark. He is the author of numerous books, including those in A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions.
Gosh, I love the Lemony Snicket persona SO much. I think it is so clever!
The storyline was adorable! At first it was a bit spooky, but soon it was upbeat and happy. There is one page that has much more text than the others that was typical Lemony Snicket style.
My favorite element of this book was the author bio at the end, which stated:
LEMONY SNICKET has been accused of leaving his readers in the dark. He is the author of numerous books, including those in A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions.
Gosh, I love the Lemony Snicket persona SO much. I think it is so clever!
It has been a very, very long time since a book has had this much of an impact on me. Most of it was such a light and fun read! But there was also a very serious and raw emotional edge that made me totally fall in love with this book.
Seriously, this is quite the read! I laughed, I got nervous, I scowled, I held my breath, I cried, but most importantly, I cheered!
I loved absolutely everything about this book, and I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a read.
BUT!!
If you have not read this book, I urge you NOT to continue on with this review OR read the goodreads synopsis OF the inside book flap. It all gives too much away! This is really a book that you need to go into totally blind so you can get the absolute most out of it!
This book was so real; the storyline, the characters and their interactions, the dialogue, the situations, the emotional reactions... everything was just so realistic.
I absolutely adored each and every one of the very well developed characters, even the ones that seemed a bit rough personality-wise. Eliza is a character that will always hold a special place in my heart. She was just so incredible to me and so relatable, even when she was in her darkest moments. Wallace was lovely. I really enjoyed seeing how his relationship with Eliza developed and that as readers, we got to learn more about him as time went on. Emmy and Max were very intriguing to me, especially where I have numerous "online friends" that I also talk to every day. The dynamic between Emmy, Max, and Eliza was so wonderful! I loved reading their chats and would very happily read an entire book that was dedicated to just their IM threads!
Then we have the family dynamics... Oh my goodness. I really can't say much here because I don't want to spoil anything (even though I urged you to navigate away from this review if you hadn't read the book yet!). If you've read the book, click the button below for the spoilers section.
I absolutely love how the brothers come together to support Eliza towards the end. Their sibling relationship reminded me a lot of my relationship with my brother growing up. While we certainly had our loving family moments, it seemed like we fought all the time while growing up. And phew... when we were both teens... that was intense. But then one day, our world was rocked and we turned to each other and became best friends.
Reading about Sully as he took the lead in informing their parents how badly they messed up and how Church chimed in with perfect timing was incredible. I was SO proud of them. But the moment that made me tear up and cheer was when Sully told Eliza that if she needed to talk, he was there. And then instead of leaving, he walked in and sat down next to her to just be there! Oh, my heart! That was such a powerful scene to me.
The pacing of the book was perfect. I was hooked from the very first paragraph and could not stop thinking about the book when I had to put it down. This is a book that could very easily be read in one sitting because it is so captivating.
The writing style is very easy to read and I loved the way it was organized as a story that flows from point a to point b, but has short blurbs of IM chats, emails, letters, and bits of the online comic mixed in. This really gave the book more depth, and again, made it so realistic.
On that note, I really enjoyed the online aspects that this book covered. Not simply with the online comic, but with fandoms and friendships. It was all so well done, especially the parents not understanding the appeal.
I found that I really related to Eliza's character (which really doesn't happen very often) because her anxiety in many situations was so similar to mine in the past. I couldn't stop crying during one particular scene toward the end of the book because it really hit home.
I definitely need to say that I personally appreciated the way the author wrote about Eliza’s anxiety and panic attacks. It's so rare for an author to really get this right while not sugarcoating or taking things too far. But Francesca nailed it.
My favorite passages:
I made Monstrous Sea because it's the story I wanted. I wanted a story like it, and I couldn't find one, so I created it myself.
There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt.
The doubt it's self is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster, though, is smart. It's always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, unchanged the doubt and lets it run wild. Even when I know it's coming, I can't stop it.
My heart jumps out of staccato rhythm in my chest and my stomach sloshes around like the great foaming tides of Orcus.
...happiness trickles from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.
Of course, there are crude messages. Vile ones. Ones that don’t seem like they came from a real human being at all, but some computer program designed to say things no person should say to another person. I read all of those too, like Pringles- they might be terrible for you, but once you pop, you can’t stop. This is a rollercoaster that only goes down. Near the end I feel like a hollow shell clicking a mouse, scanning words with aching eyes.
Maybe that’s normal. The things you care most about are the ones that leave the biggest holes.
Nature doesn’t care if we feel so heavy we might sink into the ground and never be able to pull ourselves out again.
Broken people don’t hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.
Disappearing is an art form, and I am its queen.
I would very highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to reread it already. Five stars!
Seriously, this is quite the read! I laughed, I got nervous, I scowled, I held my breath, I cried, but most importantly, I cheered!
I loved absolutely everything about this book, and I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a read.
BUT!!
If you have not read this book, I urge you NOT to continue on with this review OR read the goodreads synopsis OF the inside book flap. It all gives too much away! This is really a book that you need to go into totally blind so you can get the absolute most out of it!
This book was so real; the storyline, the characters and their interactions, the dialogue, the situations, the emotional reactions... everything was just so realistic.
I absolutely adored each and every one of the very well developed characters, even the ones that seemed a bit rough personality-wise. Eliza is a character that will always hold a special place in my heart. She was just so incredible to me and so relatable, even when she was in her darkest moments. Wallace was lovely. I really enjoyed seeing how his relationship with Eliza developed and that as readers, we got to learn more about him as time went on. Emmy and Max were very intriguing to me, especially where I have numerous "online friends" that I also talk to every day. The dynamic between Emmy, Max, and Eliza was so wonderful! I loved reading their chats and would very happily read an entire book that was dedicated to just their IM threads!
Then we have the family dynamics... Oh my goodness. I really can't say much here because I don't want to spoil anything (even though I urged you to navigate away from this review if you hadn't read the book yet!). If you've read the book, click the button below for the spoilers section.
Reading about Sully as he took the lead in informing their parents how badly they messed up and how Church chimed in with perfect timing was incredible. I was SO proud of them. But the moment that made me tear up and cheer was when Sully told Eliza that if she needed to talk, he was there. And then instead of leaving, he walked in and sat down next to her to just be there! Oh, my heart! That was such a powerful scene to me.
The pacing of the book was perfect. I was hooked from the very first paragraph and could not stop thinking about the book when I had to put it down. This is a book that could very easily be read in one sitting because it is so captivating.
The writing style is very easy to read and I loved the way it was organized as a story that flows from point a to point b, but has short blurbs of IM chats, emails, letters, and bits of the online comic mixed in. This really gave the book more depth, and again, made it so realistic.
On that note, I really enjoyed the online aspects that this book covered. Not simply with the online comic, but with fandoms and friendships. It was all so well done, especially the parents not understanding the appeal.
I found that I really related to Eliza's character (which really doesn't happen very often) because her anxiety in many situations was so similar to mine in the past. I couldn't stop crying during one particular scene toward the end of the book because it really hit home.
I definitely need to say that I personally appreciated the way the author wrote about Eliza’s anxiety and panic attacks. It's so rare for an author to really get this right while not sugarcoating or taking things too far. But Francesca nailed it.
My favorite passages:
I made Monstrous Sea because it's the story I wanted. I wanted a story like it, and I couldn't find one, so I created it myself.
There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt.
The doubt it's self is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster, though, is smart. It's always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, unchanged the doubt and lets it run wild. Even when I know it's coming, I can't stop it.
My heart jumps out of staccato rhythm in my chest and my stomach sloshes around like the great foaming tides of Orcus.
...happiness trickles from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.
Of course, there are crude messages. Vile ones. Ones that don’t seem like they came from a real human being at all, but some computer program designed to say things no person should say to another person. I read all of those too, like Pringles- they might be terrible for you, but once you pop, you can’t stop. This is a rollercoaster that only goes down. Near the end I feel like a hollow shell clicking a mouse, scanning words with aching eyes.
Maybe that’s normal. The things you care most about are the ones that leave the biggest holes.
Nature doesn’t care if we feel so heavy we might sink into the ground and never be able to pull ourselves out again.
Broken people don’t hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.
Disappearing is an art form, and I am its queen.
I would very highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to reread it already. Five stars!
Curse of the Sands by Martin Ferguson is the second book in this incredible series. If you enjoy action-packed adventures, you have to pick this one up!
I loved the first book, Eagle of the Empire, SO much. When Mr Ferguson offered to send me the second book in this series, I gotta admit, I was so excited I started tearing up! Then I anxiously awaited the book's arrival.
I'm so thrilled to say this book did not disappoint. It. Is. Incredible.
Let's dive in!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Like the first book, the first chapter really starts with a bang! From there, it is non-stop action!
I really appreciated that as a reader we were re-introduced to the main character Adam. The way that the author introduces him gives you a great, but very brief (just two paragraphs), summary to catch you up. I noticed that we were also given bits of information from the first book that we needed throughout this book as it became necessary. I haven’t seen a series do this successfully, so it was incredibly refreshing to see!
Wow, what an incredible story! This plot was so interesting to me. I also really enjoy stories about Ancient Egypt, so of course this was a hit. The pacing of the storyline was so perfect throughout; definitely a page-turner! I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next!
I continued to enjoy the characters. I'm so happy to see them slowly coming more together as a team. I also enjoyed the very slight romance element. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where that goes!
I'm also looking forward to seeing how the world reacts now that the museum's secret is out. Will they try to shut down the Museum? Will they be afraid? Or will the world look at our crew as heroes?
Again, the writing was so wonderful; easy to read, great flow, realistic dialogue. The varying perspectives continued to be a wonderful element that gives you the full story. In the organization of these storylines, I found that I enjoyed both of the main perspectives equally, which really added to the page-turning factor.
And of course I was so happy to see the chapter headers that captured Adam's humor.
When I read the very last page which states: “THE RELIC HUNTERS WILL RETURN IN BROTHERS OF THE WAR,” I let out a Whoop! I cannot wait for the next book!
I highly recommend checking out this series if you haven't already.
I loved the first book, Eagle of the Empire, SO much. When Mr Ferguson offered to send me the second book in this series, I gotta admit, I was so excited I started tearing up! Then I anxiously awaited the book's arrival.
I'm so thrilled to say this book did not disappoint. It. Is. Incredible.
Let's dive in!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Like the first book, the first chapter really starts with a bang! From there, it is non-stop action!
I really appreciated that as a reader we were re-introduced to the main character Adam. The way that the author introduces him gives you a great, but very brief (just two paragraphs), summary to catch you up. I noticed that we were also given bits of information from the first book that we needed throughout this book as it became necessary. I haven’t seen a series do this successfully, so it was incredibly refreshing to see!
Wow, what an incredible story! This plot was so interesting to me. I also really enjoy stories about Ancient Egypt, so of course this was a hit. The pacing of the storyline was so perfect throughout; definitely a page-turner! I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next!
I continued to enjoy the characters. I'm so happy to see them slowly coming more together as a team. I also enjoyed the very slight romance element. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where that goes!
I'm also looking forward to seeing how the world reacts now that the museum's secret is out. Will they try to shut down the Museum? Will they be afraid? Or will the world look at our crew as heroes?
Again, the writing was so wonderful; easy to read, great flow, realistic dialogue. The varying perspectives continued to be a wonderful element that gives you the full story. In the organization of these storylines, I found that I enjoyed both of the main perspectives equally, which really added to the page-turning factor.
And of course I was so happy to see the chapter headers that captured Adam's humor.
When I read the very last page which states: “THE RELIC HUNTERS WILL RETURN IN BROTHERS OF THE WAR,” I let out a Whoop! I cannot wait for the next book!
I highly recommend checking out this series if you haven't already.
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I'm not super into the artwork in this series. Cap looks too much like Johnny Bravo.
My favorite element of this book were the illustrations! I loved that they started small in the margins of the pages and then grew, adding new elements as each story went on. The colors of the illustrations were also really fun; I liked that they were all the same color scheme as the text with splashes of black, white, and the other main color here and there.
But speaking of the color scheme... I didn’t like that the text itself was in varying colors depending on the chapter. I would have greatly preferred for the text to be simple black or a dark gray as the maroon and blue text was a bit hard for me to read.
I did enjoy the stories overall. Unfortunately, most of them just seemed to drag. Perhaps I picked this up at a bad time, but I was never fully interested in any of the stories. I found that each time I put the book down, I was slow to pick it back up which is always a bummer.
Here are my unedited, quick notes that I jotted down after reading each story:
Ayama and the Thorn Wood-
I enjoyed this one, though it seemed to drag a bit.
2/5
The Too-Clever Fox-
I really enjoy how this one ended. I picked up on a few foreshadowing elements during the story and by watching the illustration change, which was really fun! As a whole though, it just didn’t hook me.
3/5
The Witch of Duva-
This one was interesting, but quite strange. The pacing dragged a bit for me a couple times.
3/5
Little Knife-
I was getting a bit annoyed with the pacing of the story, but I enjoyed the idea behind this story. I also liked the ending!
3/5
The Soldier Prince-
This one was so much fun! I loved the twist on the story about Clara and the Nutcracker. The pacing was perfect and I really enjoyed seeing how the illustration grew as the story went on.
4/5
When Water Sang Fire-
This story was fun. I enjoyed the twist on the Little Mermaid tale. Unfortunately, I just kept losing interest. A few times I found myself skimming and had to go back to re-read a few paragraphs.
3/5
My final thoughts:
Overall, I did enjoy this read. I always have fun reading new takes on fairy tales. Unfortunately, I think this one is going to be pretty forgettable for me as the only element that really captured my attention was the use of illustration.
However, I would definitely recommend giving this book a read if you also enjoy fairy tale renditions with a bit of a dark twist.
But speaking of the color scheme... I didn’t like that the text itself was in varying colors depending on the chapter. I would have greatly preferred for the text to be simple black or a dark gray as the maroon and blue text was a bit hard for me to read.
I did enjoy the stories overall. Unfortunately, most of them just seemed to drag. Perhaps I picked this up at a bad time, but I was never fully interested in any of the stories. I found that each time I put the book down, I was slow to pick it back up which is always a bummer.
Here are my unedited, quick notes that I jotted down after reading each story:
Ayama and the Thorn Wood-
I enjoyed this one, though it seemed to drag a bit.
2/5
The Too-Clever Fox-
I really enjoy how this one ended. I picked up on a few foreshadowing elements during the story and by watching the illustration change, which was really fun! As a whole though, it just didn’t hook me.
3/5
The Witch of Duva-
This one was interesting, but quite strange. The pacing dragged a bit for me a couple times.
3/5
Little Knife-
I was getting a bit annoyed with the pacing of the story, but I enjoyed the idea behind this story. I also liked the ending!
3/5
The Soldier Prince-
This one was so much fun! I loved the twist on the story about Clara and the Nutcracker. The pacing was perfect and I really enjoyed seeing how the illustration grew as the story went on.
4/5
When Water Sang Fire-
This story was fun. I enjoyed the twist on the Little Mermaid tale. Unfortunately, I just kept losing interest. A few times I found myself skimming and had to go back to re-read a few paragraphs.
3/5
My final thoughts:
Overall, I did enjoy this read. I always have fun reading new takes on fairy tales. Unfortunately, I think this one is going to be pretty forgettable for me as the only element that really captured my attention was the use of illustration.
However, I would definitely recommend giving this book a read if you also enjoy fairy tale renditions with a bit of a dark twist.
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi is an absolutely adorable graphic novel. I loved the artwork so much, and the storyline was so intriguing. I cannot wait to get my hands on book two!
Whenever I see graphic novels marked as "Middle Grade," I'm a bit hesitant. I've read a number that were really awesome, while others were lacking. In this case, I absolutely loved the book! And while marked as MG, there were many illustrations that were very creepy, which, of course, I really enjoyed!
The prologue sets the story up wonderfully. Then we just dive in to the main storyline, which follows the trope of loss and a new start in an old creepy house. If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a total sucker for this trope!
I really enjoyed the characters! Their dialogue was so realistic, they were well developed, and their facial expressions during certain events were perfect!
The elements of fantasy and the paranormal were wonderfully done. I also really enjoyed the elements of humor that were scattered throughout. That mixed with the captivating storyline and perfect pacing made this a great read!
My final thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
I would definitely recommend this to graphic novel fans than enjoy lighter stories with a dash of fantasy.
Whenever I see graphic novels marked as "Middle Grade," I'm a bit hesitant. I've read a number that were really awesome, while others were lacking. In this case, I absolutely loved the book! And while marked as MG, there were many illustrations that were very creepy, which, of course, I really enjoyed!
The prologue sets the story up wonderfully. Then we just dive in to the main storyline, which follows the trope of loss and a new start in an old creepy house. If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a total sucker for this trope!
I really enjoyed the characters! Their dialogue was so realistic, they were well developed, and their facial expressions during certain events were perfect!
The elements of fantasy and the paranormal were wonderfully done. I also really enjoyed the elements of humor that were scattered throughout. That mixed with the captivating storyline and perfect pacing made this a great read!
My final thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
I would definitely recommend this to graphic novel fans than enjoy lighter stories with a dash of fantasy.