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I was one of those nerds that always thought Data from Star Trek was cute - I loved his struggle with emotions vs. logic, and Eve Langlais's cyborg series seems to hit that science fiction bug inside me just right. That, combined with her snarky humor and amazing characters made this one close to a home run. X109GI, Joe (hahaha...I just got that), is one of the first cyborgs to break free of his programming and rebel against the humans that controlled him. He and his brothers are on a mission to find out more about how they are created and if they can create more like them. Joe's struggle with the emotions and thoughts that he encounters along this journey are great. His internal debates about what is logical and what isn't were well thought out.
On the other hand, I wish I could have seen more about Chloe earlier on. I can't say too much about her here because there's a really big secret involving her. Where Joe was very dynamic - especially considering he's part machine - Chloe didn't strike me as a very great character until almost the very end. Other than being cute, I didn't quite see what Joe saw in her at first.
C791 was an amazing start to the series, and laid the groundwork for a lot more action and sexiness to come. The world is very well written - especially for a novella where there isn't always a lot of time to develop the surroundings. My inner sci-fi geek is feeling quite well treated after this one.
On the other hand, I wish I could have seen more about Chloe earlier on. I can't say too much about her here because there's a really big secret involving her. Where Joe was very dynamic - especially considering he's part machine - Chloe didn't strike me as a very great character until almost the very end. Other than being cute, I didn't quite see what Joe saw in her at first.
C791 was an amazing start to the series, and laid the groundwork for a lot more action and sexiness to come. The world is very well written - especially for a novella where there isn't always a lot of time to develop the surroundings. My inner sci-fi geek is feeling quite well treated after this one.
I'm always a fan of some good sarcastic comebacks and wordplay. The Talking Dirty series (at least book two and three) had delivered on this and then some. The dialog is the highlight of these romances for me, and book three delivers in many ways. I was cracking up about their email fiascos and watching the crazy and uninhibited Marisa tackle the OCD and orderly Luke was entertaining every step of the way. I like how seriously the author took Luke's OCD (he has a more severe case) and how disruptive it can be to a person's life. I love how supportive his friends were of his condition and how Marisa came to accept it as just another part of the man she was growing to love. They have a lot to figure out in the novella, and the have the added complication of a baby on the way. A sweet and snarky novella that really hit the spot. *This book was received in exchange for an honest review* - See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-talking-dirty-with-boss-by.html#sthash.PQONOGaW.dpuf
Lichgates is was a fantastic return to the fantasy that I grew up on. As a lover of any good fantsy - the more imaginary creatures the better - Lichgates hit the spot. Kara is sucked into a world of strange new beings and amazing creatures - some from myth and many she'd never heard of anything like before. S.M. Boyce introduced all these creatures is a way that I was able to see them fresh, interesting, and many times very frightening for the first time - just as Kara did. Even the various human-like races all had a unique twist that made them all stand out from each other.
The story itself unfolded very naturally and I loved every page of it. Kara was a likable character placed in a very difficult position. The future of Ourea has been placed in her hands and she hasn't even heard of the place before. Her recently found Grimoire will try to guide her, but how far will the guiding go before it turns into orders? Unsure of who she can trust and what their motives are, she finds herself mostly alone in this strange land.
The creatures Kara finds and her relationships with them realy made this book a winner for me. Each creature and race has its place in her life and I loved them all. This was a fantastic story. When you throw in Braedon's struggle with his past and himself it becomes incredibly well rounded and a must have for yound adult and adult fantasy lovers.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-tour-review-and-giveaway-lichgates.html#sthash.ujYqvatT.dpuf
The story itself unfolded very naturally and I loved every page of it. Kara was a likable character placed in a very difficult position. The future of Ourea has been placed in her hands and she hasn't even heard of the place before. Her recently found Grimoire will try to guide her, but how far will the guiding go before it turns into orders? Unsure of who she can trust and what their motives are, she finds herself mostly alone in this strange land.
The creatures Kara finds and her relationships with them realy made this book a winner for me. Each creature and race has its place in her life and I loved them all. This was a fantastic story. When you throw in Braedon's struggle with his past and himself it becomes incredibly well rounded and a must have for yound adult and adult fantasy lovers.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-tour-review-and-giveaway-lichgates.html#sthash.ujYqvatT.dpuf
Wow! It's going to be hard to talk about this one and not give away any of the amazing plot. While this is book two in the Faces of Evil series - I don't think you would "need" to read the first book in order to pick up Impulse and enjoy it.
Jess has a history with a very nasty serial killer known as the Player - and now he's targeted her. He will find a way to make her feel the fear by picking off her friends and family one by one before he makes his final move. Jess and Police Chief Dan Burnett are in a race against the clock to find his victims before he can finish them off.
With lots of action and suspense - I flew through the pages constantly asking myself "oh my god - what's next?" With just enough going on that there are no dull moments, but not so much that it became overwhelming, it was the perfect combination of story and suspense.
Jess has a history with a very nasty serial killer known as the Player - and now he's targeted her. He will find a way to make her feel the fear by picking off her friends and family one by one before he makes his final move. Jess and Police Chief Dan Burnett are in a race against the clock to find his victims before he can finish them off.
With lots of action and suspense - I flew through the pages constantly asking myself "oh my god - what's next?" With just enough going on that there are no dull moments, but not so much that it became overwhelming, it was the perfect combination of story and suspense.
Sparks had quite a few good things going for it. The fact that the story was told completely from the male point of view was a first for me - at least that I can remeber. The fact that the matchmaker was a cute little animal or an annoying female friend was another. Ollie was an OK character - but I think that was the point. He was an everyday Joe with a broken heart that wished for a girl he could fall in love with. Along comes Sparks - with a promise to help him - because Sparks "knows things". And so the story begins. Of course Sparks can't just wave a magic wand and have everything work out the way Ollie hopes. Nope, he's going to make Ollie work for it - he wouldn't really appreciate it otherwise. The dialog between Ollie and Sparks was very humorous at times. The love story that follows is very subtle and it really sneaks up on you in the end - and then you realize that it was staring you in the face all along and you just didn't see it - sort of how love can sneak up on a person in real life. I loved that Sparks was out to help Ollie with more than just his love life - he genuinely wanted to help him have a better life and life outlook. This was a cute story - but parts of the relationships seemed a little forced - perhaps because it was a shorter book. Definately worth reading with some very memorable characters though. - See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/tour-schedule-sparks-matchmaker-by.html#sthash.kPibDE0h.dpuf
Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself
Steve Hockensmith, Bob Pflugfelder
I love finding books that I can get into with my daughter. Nick and Tesla is one of those books that parents and children (boy or girl) can love to read. Nick and Tesla are great characters that are extremely intelligent and inventive. They use their brains and whatever they can find in their Uncle's lab to create some really fun gadgets. The mystery was fairly straight forward and perfect for the pre-teen age group. I even enjoyed waiting to find out who the bad guys were and just what they were up to.
The projects in the book had fairly simple supply lists. The items I didn't have around the house (Mentos and PVC pipe and caps) would be fairly easy to come by and not very expensive. Since the projects need to be done outside, we haven't had a chance to do them yet in this cold December weather, but the instructions are very straight-forward with some well-placed diagrams to help. We are thinking of trying the robo-cat this spring.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-nick-and-teslas-high-voltage.html#sthash.nXnVZFKe.dpuf
The projects in the book had fairly simple supply lists. The items I didn't have around the house (Mentos and PVC pipe and caps) would be fairly easy to come by and not very expensive. Since the projects need to be done outside, we haven't had a chance to do them yet in this cold December weather, but the instructions are very straight-forward with some well-placed diagrams to help. We are thinking of trying the robo-cat this spring.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-nick-and-teslas-high-voltage.html#sthash.nXnVZFKe.dpuf
Lightbringers is an very interesting and different take on reincarnation. Beginning with Queen Nefertiti's awakening to her destiny and continuing into the near future of about 2050. She and her King, Akhenaton, have struggles life after life to bring humanity to a new understanding of balance in the world. Their most recent incarnation has wrapped them up in the life of Dr. Natas, an unfeeling man set to robotize the world - beginning with the children.
The story jumps around a lot from where it begins to ancient Egypt (my favorite part) and a few of their other past lives. Then forward again into their most recent incarnation - where they find themselves in a do or die scenario with the future of mankind coming to a critical crisis. Their final incarnation was the best part of the story, but unfortunately it was one of the smaller parts as well. They story itself was quite good, but at times the writing style seemed a little forced and mechanical - it just didn't fit well for me.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-lightbearers-by-nora-m-garcia.html#sthash.PedZ2b6j.dpuf
The story jumps around a lot from where it begins to ancient Egypt (my favorite part) and a few of their other past lives. Then forward again into their most recent incarnation - where they find themselves in a do or die scenario with the future of mankind coming to a critical crisis. Their final incarnation was the best part of the story, but unfortunately it was one of the smaller parts as well. They story itself was quite good, but at times the writing style seemed a little forced and mechanical - it just didn't fit well for me.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-lightbearers-by-nora-m-garcia.html#sthash.PedZ2b6j.dpuf
Lauren Kate has created an amazing new reality in Teardrop. A reality where magic is real and myths and legends begin to come true. Eureka doesn't think she's anything special. Just a girl whose mother died a strange and horrible death. Her mother's inheritance is nothing like she expected. Not that she wanted money or anything, but her mother's gifts seem strange and otherworldly. Then the strange boy that has been following her seems to know more about them than she does herself. Book one of the Teardrop series is a lot of world building. It tends to move along a little slow at times but the people are brought to life along with the world and it's legends in a beautfiul way. Eureka is a confused teenager - and Lauren Kate shows us all sides of this, along with her family and friends to really bring us into her world. It was a fantastic start to the series with quite a bang and cliffhanger for the ending. I'll be keeping my eye out for book two. When I checked out Goodreads to look for an expected publication date, I stumbled on a #0.5 - a short 50ish page story that I picked up right away. I really want to know more now! Look for that review soon and for book two as soon as I can get it. *This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
My Review of Book One: Outside
Book two of Shalini Boland's Outside series is much more intense and exciting than the first book. While the first book seemed to be done in small little episodes - book two has a much larger story arc that continues to build throughout the entire story. Again the storyline jumps from the past - following a little girl names Liss after she is kidnapped from her parents - to the present of Riley and Luc attempting to rescue her from a compound known for kidnapping and brainwashing children to build an army.
Liss's story is tragic and frightening. Boland does a fantastic job portraying the events she needs to overcome in order to resist the brainwashing that she is being subjected to on a daily basis. Riley and Luc, having just returned from their dangerous trek in search for the killer of Riley's sister, are sent outside the perimeter to help find and rescue Liss in return for some valuable information on a deadly enemy.
Full of excitement and adventure, the book was much easier to sit down and read straight through than the first. Boland's writing seems to have developed in a fantastic way. The world that is built really develops and there is a lot of character building as well. Most of the time I don't like the second as much as the first or the ones that follow - this was a welcome surprise that I really enjoyed.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-clearing-by-shalini-boland.html#sthash.cZ3Yojqm.dpuf
Book two of Shalini Boland's Outside series is much more intense and exciting than the first book. While the first book seemed to be done in small little episodes - book two has a much larger story arc that continues to build throughout the entire story. Again the storyline jumps from the past - following a little girl names Liss after she is kidnapped from her parents - to the present of Riley and Luc attempting to rescue her from a compound known for kidnapping and brainwashing children to build an army.
Liss's story is tragic and frightening. Boland does a fantastic job portraying the events she needs to overcome in order to resist the brainwashing that she is being subjected to on a daily basis. Riley and Luc, having just returned from their dangerous trek in search for the killer of Riley's sister, are sent outside the perimeter to help find and rescue Liss in return for some valuable information on a deadly enemy.
Full of excitement and adventure, the book was much easier to sit down and read straight through than the first. Boland's writing seems to have developed in a fantastic way. The world that is built really develops and there is a lot of character building as well. Most of the time I don't like the second as much as the first or the ones that follow - this was a welcome surprise that I really enjoyed.
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-clearing-by-shalini-boland.html#sthash.cZ3Yojqm.dpuf
