Friday, May 31, 2013

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
The Almond Tree follows the life of  Ichmad Hamid from a life changing event in his childhood throughout the trials of life and growing old. He faces adversity with strength, determination and intelligence that leaves him an outsider in more ways than he could imagine. After being handed an opportunity to prove himself, Ichmad is able to pursue a different path than those of his siblings. While advancing himself through college and earning degrees, he is also able to provide for his family back home in Israel. Through sadness and joy, the reader sees the fullness of a life lived in oppression and allowed to bloom fully in freedom.

Review:
This book was based in Israel with Palestinians under strict, oppressive rule. The reader is shown the ugly side of military oppression and the cost that it can bring upon innocents caught in the crossfire of disagreeing philosophies. In truth, the author could have easily replaced the Israeli/Palestinian aspect with any other fueding ideologies and the book would be the same. The story is well paced, keeping the reader's interest while providing enough description to make the reader feel as though he or she is there in the action with the characters. I truly liked this book from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this if you are a reader of historical fiction.

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti is available in both paperback and Kindle form. It can be found at Amazon.com at the link below.
The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Currently Reading

I've been making some progress with the books. It's taking me a little more time than usual due to prior commitments but I am determined to have one or more of these books finished by this time next week.


This week I am reading;

Evolution by Jim Reilly  -  (p. 60 of 294)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R. R. Martin  -  (p. 207 of 1,060)

Blood Flats by Edward Trimnell  - (31% finished)


 Check back for more book reviews and updates as I work my way through these and more!

Happy Reading,
Kay

Monday, May 27, 2013

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

Rating:  4 out of  5 stars.


Synopsis:
Gorgeous is a coming of age story in which we meet a girl named Becky. Born into a remote, small town, she doesn't seem to have very many paths available to make something of herself. She lives at home with her overweight mother and works at a local store with her best friend. Only after turning eighteen and losing someone very close to her, Becky is presented with the choice of a lifetime. She can choose to stay plain Becky or she can throw caution to the wind and become Rebecca, a devil-may-care woman who women will want to be and men will want to be with. Having made a promise that she intends to keep, Becky makes her choice. She begins her whirlwind journey, finds what love truly is along the way and learns how devastating secrets can really be.


Review:
 I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book through a giveaway at Goodreads.com and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I can't say that I didn't struggle to get through some parts of the book. There were a few times where I thought the style of writing changed and made it difficult to stay within the story all the way through. However, the story itself was enough to keep me reading and held my interest until the very last page. The relationship between the charachters was explored and believable, in my opinion. I did think one of the characters needed a swift kick in the behind as he was fairly standoffish and cruel at times. Yet, it was the way the character had to be in order to do what needed to be done. All in all, Gorgeous was a delightful story that didn't end the way I thought it would. Surprising to the very end, you will be entertained.

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick is currently available in hardback, paperback and Kindle form. It can be found at Amazon.com at the link below.
Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

Friday, May 24, 2013

Synthetic: Rise of the Siren by Shonna Wright

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Kora is an expert in synthesizing creatures, real or imagined but she has a rule that she follows, no matter the cost. She refuses to create a vampire - period. While kept locked inside her laboratory, Kora was commissioned to create her greatest synthetic yet, Siren. The creature is beautiful beyond words and soon becomes wanted by a very wealthy client that Kora's boss cannot refuse. The Siren, along with Kora and her faithful squid companion, are whisked away to the home of the client. It is then that the truth behind the commission is revealed to Kora's horror. She must make her prized creation into a vampire or risk never leaving the grounds alive again.

In the midst of this turmoil, forgotten memories and familiar faces beg Kora to remember events best kept buried. She races to find the answers behind all of her questions while trying to save herself, the Siren and many more who come to depend on her.


Review:
Okay, I admit that when I saw that this was another new take on vampires, I inwardly groaned. No, I'm not a fan of a certain trilogy no matter how many chances I'm begged to give it. I pushed myself to give this book a chance. That was a very good decision on my part. The book doesn't try to change the vampire mythos or pretend to be some lost knowledge. Since the vampires are scientifically created, it would not be difficult to imagine that they are somewhat different than what is commonly thought of as a traditional vampire. It was refreshing to see a different way of looking at vampires, to be honest.

The cast of characters in the book also plays a big part in my enjoyment of the book. Each definitely had their own personality. Some I despised and some I felt drawn to almost immediately. I liked how the author wove several smaller storylines into the large storyline and created a fairly good read that kept me entertained for quite a while. If you're up for something a bit out of the ordinary, you should definitely consider picking this book.

Synthetic: Rise of the Siren is currently available in Kindle form. It can be found at Amazon.com at the link below.
Synthetic: Rise of the Siren by Shonna Wright

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Currently Reading

I have several books that I'm currently reading. Yes, I tend to have more than going at a time. I am one of the lucky ones that I can keep the storylines straight. Although when reading a series, sometimes I forget which book ended with what and that makes it a bit tough to back track. Since I have a reading goal for the year of 100 books, I have been keeping track of them through Goodreads.com and will probably be posting reviews of many of them here.

This week I am reading;

The Blood of Gods (Emperor #5) by Conn Iggulden

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R. R. Martin

Blood Flats by Edward Trimnell


 Check back for more book reviews and updates as I work my way through these and more!

Happy Reading,
Kay

Monday, May 20, 2013

UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn

Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Poor Mina Grime is a down-on-her-luck high school student who finds her world turned upside down during a class field trip to a local bakery. She had always been a magnet for unhappy events and had grown accustomed to the worst possible endings. It was a huge shock to her when she ends up saving the day, and the boy, when an accident occurs on the field trip. Overnight, her place in the world shifts and the attention places her under intense scrutiny that her family had fought to keep from her. It comes to light that Mina is descended from a line with a past which is difficult to outrun or avoid. She makes the decision to face it head on, no matter the sacrifice. In the process, she comes to learn who she truly is and what is truly important to her.

Review:

First time reading the story, I did find quite a few grammatical and spelling errors that distracted me. It did seem as though many should have been caught before publication. As the story progressed, the errors became less noticeable and I was able to enjoy the story for what it was. I thought the idea was a creative way to retell the stories we've heard as children. By the end of the book, I was hoping for more and wondering how Mina, the main character, was going to finish the task given to her. It was a good read for a gloomy afternoon. If you are a fan of young adult novels or simply looking for something a little out of the ordinary, you should definitely give this book a try.

UnEnchanted is available in both paperback and Kindle form. It can be found at Amazon.com through the link below.
UnEnchanted by Chandra Hahn

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Hello, my name's Kay...

...and I'm a wordaholic.

I'm addict to words. I came to the realization after many years of finding myself buried under piles of books that I have yet to read as well as those that I've read a thousand times over. I have been writing everything from short stories to poetry for as long as I can remember. Either way, I am always feeding this addiction of mine.

Recently, I have found myself drawn to ebooks. I have a Kindle full of books that I would never have room for on my shelves. Thanks in large part to the free ebook promotion, I have hundreds of books that I am planning to read. I also have received several books from promotional giveaways from Goodreads.com that I find interesting.

All of this has led me to make the decision to begin a book review blog. Since I have already begun doing so at several other places, it only makes sense to put them in a general location and fan out from there. I hope to encourage to pick up a good book or two in the process.

Come along with me as I feed this addiction of mine. Let's get lost in the world of words together.

Happy Reading,
Kay