Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Book 3)- Charlaine Harris

This book was actually a little slower than the others so it took me longer to read. It almost felt like the author was trying to draw out the story a little bit. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good story. But it definitely had those times where I almost wanted to skip through some of the more descriptive parts to get to something a little more exciting. 

When Bill goes missing, Eric sends her to Jackson in order to find out what happened to him since she had the gift of Telepathy. She is paired up with a Werewolf named Alcide (one of the characters from the show actually) and together they discover what happened to Bill and then plan an elaborate rescue. 

After everything is said and done, Sookie has pretty much had enough with the supernatural world and wants to live a normal life. As much as she can with what she can do, even going as far as rescinding the invitation into her home that she had given Bill and Eric. 

This story had it's ups and downs. It had those really exciting times were I was sitting at the edge of my seat and focused solely on what was being read. But then it also had those moments that I continued to look at the page number or my watch to see just how long it was going to take to get more interesting. This is probably the slowest story out of the three I have read so far. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

FaeTAL (FaeTAL Series Book 2)- Becca Moree

Becca Moree has done it again. Another book that made me want to skirt my adult responsibilities and climb into my reading area and shut the world out! In fact, that's exactly what I did (Except for shutting the world out, I have kids, I can't do that.)

At first, we kind of pick up where we left off in book 1, but then just when you think you are about to get some answers, BAM, we are in someone else's point of view and it leaves you sitting there stupidly with your mouth open wondering what the hell happened to these Characters you have grown to love in book one. Because that's the main reason you picked up the second book in this series, right? Now, I have said in previous reviews that I HATE it when the point of view keeps changing because that makes it hard to keep up with the story-line. I must admit that I spoke to soon. That or I hadn't found an author that knew how to do it smoothly. Until Now. 

Another confession, when I first started this series and when I first met the author, I was apprehensive about the writing style. I am very picky with the books I read and the writing style has to be just perfect for me to get into them and previous authors that I have discovered through FB groups were not exactly my style. Let me just say this; Becca Moree knows her shit. She knows how to keep you wanting more. She knows how to write. And she knows how to tell a DAMN good story. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors! It also helps that she is a DAMN good person too! 

I will admit that this book is different from the first. Not so much horror and gore as explaining what the Fae are as well as the bonds they share with there mates. Of course, we do still see the carnival of darkness and the asshole that is Fred (I WISH HE WOULD JUST DIE ALREADY! A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE DEATH). But it is not the center of the story anymore which I found refreshing! But that does not mean that ANYTHING was taken away from this series because it wasn't. It was still just as good of a story and just as well written as Carnival of Darkness was. 

The ONLY complaint I have about this book/series, is that the next one isn't out yet. I am completely hooked on these characters and am in love with the story! Another one to add to my favorites! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! 

Carnival of Darkness (FaeTAL Series Book 1)- Becca Moree

Okay. So this book was actually gifted to me by the author when I joined her group on FB. I had heard about it in another group and thought the plot sounded like something I would be interested in. Her group on FB actually got me more and more interested as time went on and after watching her live feed and hearing her read the first two chapters, I just had to stop reading the Sookie Stackhouse series long enough to read this. Needless to say, I'm moving on to the second book in this series right away as I am hooked. 

I absolutely love horror, thriller and suspense along with a little romance. This book had absolutely all of that and then some. From the first line, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I finished this book (though just a little over a hundred pages) in about an hour and actually screamed at the cliffhanger ending! No book has ever had me screaming at the end. None. Laughing out loud, maybe crying, yes, but not screaming. I needed more! I need to know what happens next! 

This book is definitely not for the feint of heart. There is very strong language and graphic content. I know, I know, how can a book be so bad? Trust me, it's gory. It was so well worded and so perfectly described (But not in that overly boring way that makes you want to move on to something more entertaining), that it literally felt like I was right there, in the middle of the COD, which is definitely NOT a place anyone should want to visit. Just when I thought I had seen/heard it all, Mrs. Moree takes it to a whole new level. There were times I was actually grossed out! Something else that a book has never been able to do. Until now. 

The writing in this book is so real. And I'm not talking about the fact that it exists. It's deeply real. The characters are so easy to relate to and they speak like actual normal people. Maybe it's because I, myself, sometimes find that I have a dark and twisted mind, but I found this to be such a, not really an easy read (because some of these descriptions will have you cringing in horror), but an enjoyable one? That doesn't really sound right either because now it sounds like I enjoy people getting maimed. I guess I'm not really sure how to describe it so that everyone else can understand. But it's definitely an amazing book.  

This book has surpassed my expectations far beyond anything else. I was expecting a cool, fun, good read. I had absolutely no idea that I would become so hooked in just 104 pages. There are not a lot of books that I go back to over time, but I just know that I will go back to this series time and time again. Especially when I feel a little dark and twisty. If I could give this book higher than a 5 star rating I most certainly would, but ratings are always out of 5 stars. 

Definitely a must read if you are into horror/suspense thrillers with a touch of romance thrown in! LOVED IT! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars :) 

A bit about Me!

Hey all! I figured I should write a little bit about me so you can get to know me a bit. 

First off, I'm a 29 year old Marine Wife. Been married for almost 8 years now and we have two beautiful children, a boy, age 3, and a girl, age 6. We were both born and raised in sunny, Southern California but now reside in North Carolina because this was where the Marines brought us. We ended up liking it here so much that we actually bought our first house a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. 

I am a stay at home mom. I care for my kids, take care of the house and all the bills, etc. and I also babysit for another Marine in my husband's unit who is a single mother. So basically, I have 3 kids nearly every day of the week from 5am until about 6pm, but I love it as I have always loved kids. I was pretty much ready to be a mother by the age of 16 and was even helping my sisters raise their kids. 

Despite having such a busy life, I manage to find the time to do the things I love to do. Mostly reading or writing. I write my own Fanfiction, though not the way most people think of when they hear the term Fanfiction. I don't do slash fic nor do I change the story line too much. I mostly remove the characters that I feel don't have much purpose or that I don't like and add some of my own. It's my own little creative outlet, I guess and I really get a kick out of it. It helps me to de-stress a lot. 

Reading wise, my tastes vary depending on my mood. I like horror, YA, fantasy, paranormal and even some romance. But I will also read a good crime novel if I'm in the mood for it and I will always do my best to finish a book if I start it. Though sometimes that's not always the case. In my entire life, there have only been 3 books that I haven't been able to finish and I hope that I won't need to add too many more to that number. Then again, my to-read list is close to 2,000 books so you never know. 

I do have a tendency to read a lot of books about vampires. I am not sure why, that just seems to appeal to me the most, but I have read all kinds of books. Though I just recently started keeping this blog with my reviews and I hope to keep it going in hopes that I can help other people find some good books to read that they might not have heard about anywhere else. :) 

Happy Reading! 

Living Dead In Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2)- Charlaine Harris

This is the second installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. 

It was in this book that I really started seeing the differences between the books and the TV Series, True Blood, and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about them. To me, the TV series seemed to flow a lot better. Things fit together easier. This book, while still really good, seemed a bit off to me. Maybe, again, it's because I am partial to the TV show. But this book didn't have the same relationships that they did in TV show and that really threw me. Some of my beloved TV show characters were either not in the book at all or killed off in a paragraph, destroying the relationship I had already felt towards them due to the show. 

But none of that, in no way, means that this book was not enjoyable. It was. It's very well written and still has a very good story line. I just don't want you to believe that the show is EXACTLY like the book series. Because it's not. While the show does follow the main points of the book, some of the characters and relationships you built with them, are not the same in the slightest. 

We start this book back up with Sookie and Vampire Bill. Eric has asked them to go to Dallas, as a favor, so that Sookie can use her telepathic abilities to help locate a Vampire that has gone missing. Trouble ensues and Sookie finds herself being held captive by the Fellowship of the Sun, religious fanatics whose motto is to take the UN out of UNDEAD. 

Once she finally gets back in Bon Temps in Bon Temps, Sookie still has to worry about identifying a murderer and dealing with a Meanad (not sure if I spelled that right.) Her life sure was a lot easier when the supernatural wasn't involved.  

Again, another really good read. Still recommend it, even if I am slightly disappointed that I watched the TV series first. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse Book 1)- Charlaine Harris

I actually started reading this series because I loved the TV show and my library actually had them. I live in a small town where the library isn't that big. 

The story takes place in Bon Temps, Louisiana where we meet Sookie Stackhouse. She's a perky waitress who has the abilities to meet minds, something she found to be a huge burden. As she was working one day, a vampire finally walks into the bar and it was like the best day of her life. She had been wanting to meet one since the day they had "come out of the coffin" so to speak. But she had no idea that her growing relationship with Vampire Bill was going to turn her entire life completely upside down. She was thrust into the world of the supernatural and as if that wasn't bad enough, several girls around town (who were also intimate with vampires) started getting murdered and her brother was the main suspect. Now Sookie must try to deal with everything that was being thrown at her and prove her brother's innocence before it was too late. 

As I said, the TV show is actually the main reason I started reading this book and I am glad I did. Seeing the similarities was so exhilarating for me. When the show ended it broke my heart because I had felt like I had a relationship with those characters and this series started bringing all that back.

I might be a little biased on my rating since I have watched the TV show first. But, as of right now, I actually like the TV show a little bit more than the book series. Don't get me wrong, the book was awesome, but it just wasn't the show. So, I am actually going to give this book 4 stars instead of 5. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Her Fallen Angel (Her Angel Book 2)- Felicity Heaton

Another captivating read from page one! Still absolutely love this series, though I have realized that there seems to be more sex than actual story line. 

Don't get me wrong, the story lines have been great, but the book seems to focus more on the sex scenes than anything else. It's almost like the author writes the stories just for the sex and adds the story as filler. 

If you like a quick read with lots of steamy, very descriptive scenes, this series is definitely for you! 

This story was about Annelie and Lukas. Annelie met Lukas 3 years prior, when he had first stepped into her pub. The two of them got to talking and eventually they fell for one another. After Lukas disappears for 3 weeks, upon his return, Annelie can't control her emotions around him anymore and the two of them end up spending a night completely lost in passion. The next morning, she quickly discovers that he is not who he seems, that Lukas is, in fact, an Angel. An Angel who has been framed for a crime he did not commit and was banished, having most of his powers stripped from him. Despite her struggle to come to grips with what he was, and whether or not her feelings for him were going to get her sent straight to hell, she decided to help Lukas clear his name in hopes that he can get his full power restored to him. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Her Dark Angel (Book 1)- Felicity Heaton

If you are looking for a great romance novel with a little bit of supernatural things thrown in, this book is definitely for you! 

I started this book just a few hours ago and already I am finished with it. It is a short but very interesting read and I loved it! The intimate scenes were steamy and the story line was great. You know the author has talent when you find yourself wanting to be in the main character's place! 

This book is about an Angel named Apollyon who was watching the world through a pool in Hell, just waiting for his next assignment from his master. When it came he was surprised to find that the call came from Serenity, a woman he had been watching from the pool for quite some time. She had involuntarily called him in order to get revenge on her scumbag, cheating, ex-boyfriend and he can't help but want to fulfill her wish for vengeance. In doing so, the two of them fall helplessly in love with one another and must find a way to stay together, even after their contract was fulfill. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dusk (Warrior Series Book 1)- Melanie P. Smith

This book was my introduction to this Author and I have to say, she far surpassed my expectations! 

I won this book in a giveaway during one of the FB events that a friend invited me too. I'll admit, the cover kind of threw me a bit. Sometimes even I fall prey to judging a book by it's cover and while it's a beautiful picture, it's not normally something that would catch my attention when it comes to books I like, but the description of the book did. Which was why I was looking forward to giving it a shot and boy am I glad I did! 

We are introduced to Alex, a seemingly normal girl who had lost both of her parents in a short amount of time, and after losing her father, she returns home to be with her brother Thomas. It's not long after her father's death that Thomas basically throws her into a completely different world, that they have managed to keep from her for her entire life, and everything is turned upside down. Now Alex must learn to cope with all of it and help to keep those she loves alive, all while trying to stay alive herself. 

For all those who love book about vampires and Fae, Dusk is the start of a great series! One of the best I have actually read. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made it very hard to put the book down! I immediately fell in love with the characters and sometimes felt like I was right in the fight with them. 

Some minor complaints I have would be the editing. There were a few mistakes punctuation wise (which I completely understand as I, myself, write fanfiction on occasion and I know how you can get so deep into the story that your fingers move without you knowing about it) and some of the sentences could have been combined to make it flow a little easier. 

But that did not interfere with the story nor did it affect my reading in the slightest. The story just naturally flowed and I can't wait to get into the second book of this series! Melanie P. Smith has definitely become one of my favorite authors! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! 

Revival-Stephen King

I hate not being able to finish a book, I really do, and I normally love Stephen King. But for some strange reason, I just could not seem to get into this book and I gave it until I was over half way finished with it, then I just couldn't go on anymore. 

The beginning actually started out pretty cool and I thought that meant that this book was going to be good, like the other Stephen King books I have read. 

We start off with a young boy who meets a priest that had just come to town. The two of them hit it off and the priest actually confides in the boy, telling him that his real passion is electricity. Then the boy witnesses the priest healing his brother's vocal cords after they had stopped working due to an accident and he begins to see this priest differently. Which was when the priest loses his wife and child due to a horrific accident and he seems to lose it. 

This is where this book began to lose me. We continue to follow this boy as he goes through life, joining a band, becoming addicted to drugs, etc. and then he runs back into this priest, who is actually no longer a priest, and he heals him of his drug addiction using electricity and then they part ways once again. Later on in his life, he learns that the priest is back to being a priest only this time as a revival healer using his electricity, despite the side effects it has on the brain, and the boy is determined to stop him. 

In all honesty, it didn't really feel like this book had a story line or plot. We are basically following this boy around as he lives his life and he occasionally runs into the priest. That's about it. There's no build, no urge to continue on to the next chapter. It honestly just felt like someone telling their life story and I'm not really big into autobiographies. Needless to say, this book is not my cup of tea and will be going back to the library before I finish it. 

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars. 

The Fifth Wave- Rick Yancy

Now, I am normally not big into Sci-fi/Alien type things. I could never get into Star Trek or even Star Wars, nor could I read books about things like that. But I do like reading about the end of the world type stuff (Don't ask me why as most people find that kind of thing super depressing), so I decided to give this book a shot and I was actually very glad I did. 

In this particular series, the Alien Invasion came in 5 separate waves. First, they knocked out all the power. Then, an earthquake big enough to shake the entire planet. Third, a disease that spread across the world. By the fourth wave, the aliens were already on earth, inhabiting human bodies so they remained undetectable. The fifth wave is human extinction. Only a few survivors remain and together they must fight to keep the planet for the human race. But how can you fight as a group when your only chance of survival is to trust no one? 

From page one this book had me captivated, written in Cassie's point of view, it's a very easy but captivating read as she is a teenager who still thinks and talks about teenage things. You go on this journey with Cassie as she tries to survive the invasion the only way she knows how. I actually would highly recommend this series. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. 

World War Z- Max Brooks

Normally, I'm a huge Zombie Fan. Walking Dead, Undead World Series, I like them all. So I picked up this book thinking it would be awesome. I was wrong. 

Each chapter is a different eyewitness account of the Zombie Apocalypse, which I'm normally not a fan of anyways, narrated by an agent of the United Nations Post War Commission, following the devastating effects of the Zombie Virus. My usual routine is to give the book a chapter or 2 to capture my attention before I finally consider it a no-go (Which I absolutely hate to do, because I always have to read a book through). I gave this book 5 chapters because I had heard such good things about it. But I think I read the first chapter 3 times because I was so bored that I missed a lot. 

I guess this book just wasn't for me. It seemed to bounce around way too much for me to keep track. So unfortunately, I have to give this a low rating. 

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars. 

The Heart's Ashes (Dark Secrets Book 2)- AM Hudson

This is the second book in the Dark Secrets Series written by AM Hudson and I swear it was harder to put down than the first one was. 

It's hard to create a summary that won't give anything away, but I will do my best! So bear with me! 

Ara was having a difficult time moving on from David. In fact, she didn't seem to be getting over him at all. Between that and the memories of her own attack, the threat of David being horrifically punished by his Set, all because of her, was almost too much for her to bear. She hadn't even seen him since the day he said goodbye, but little clues began to pop up that gave her hope that he might still be looking out for her. That alone makes her even more determined to find him and bring him back home where he belongs. 

Putting her own life on the line by hanging out with yet another vampire, she hopes to gain information about David's possible whereabouts by using him as an informant. What she didn't plan on was learning more about David's dark and twisted path than she had ever planned on. Her heart is torn between loving him, and everything he himself had done, and hating the monster that had attacked her. This new information threatens to change her perception of his species and change her entire life. 

When the possibility of immortality is put back on the table, Ara must decide if it's what she truly wants and if she is prepared to pay the ultimate price for her forever. Is her love enough to pull her through or will she, instead, beg for the sweet release of death? 

This is one of the few books that have actually had the ability to make me cry. I hated having to put this book down in order to be an adult and fulfill my responsibilities. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves a good Paranormal Romance novel! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- JK Rowling

I swear, every time I read these books, it's like reading them for the first time! 

We begin the story back in Pivet Drive where Harry had to return after his first year of Hogwarts. Things with his aunt and uncle had not changed and they still treated him like garbage. While Harry had thought his friends from school would have at least written him, he hadn't gotten a single letter all summer, just topping off his misery. That's when Dobby the house elf shows up and warns him not to go back to school because terrible things are going to be happening there. 

But, of course, Harry has to go back to school, it's the only place he truly feels like he belongs. But then muggle-borns start getting attacked and this new threat could very possibly cause the school to close. Will Harry be able to stop these attacks before Hogwarts is closed for good or will he be forced to go back to the Dursley's and live in misery for the rest of his life? 

This book is another smash hit for all ages! It was a very captivating read right from the start! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dark Secrets-AM Hudson

I have actually read this book 3 times now. The first two was because of just how much I loved it and the third was, not only because I loved it, but because I was finally able to get the rest of the series. I don't think this book will ever get old, no matter how many times I read it. 

After suffering a horrible tragedy, Ara-Rose makes the long jump from Australia to the United States in order to move in with her father, Step-mother, and her half-brother. After spending months trying to rebuild her life after everything was taken from her, she is forced to go back to high school and to try and regain a sense of normalcy. There, she meets a dark and mysterious boy named David, whom she almost immediately falls in love with. But it didn't take long for her to discover that he was hiding a deep, dark secret. 

When David finally told her this secret, she couldn't even look at him the same way anymore. Though her feelings for him never changed, a part of her was always weary. Then the time came and David told her that she had a choice to make: to give up her current life in order to be with him, or to say goodbye to true love. 

This book kind of has a "Twilight" feel to it, but it's so much better written. Like it's actually the way "Twilight" SHOULD have been written. There are so many twists and turns in this book that putting it all down into a summary is very hard. But all in all, this is definitely one of my favorites. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J.K. Rowling

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said?

This is an epic adventure about a boy named Harry Potter. He grows up with his aunt and uncle and their son believing that he was less than everyone and being treated just the same. Then, on the night of his 11th birthday, he discovers something amazing. He is not just a normal boy, that he had been raised to believe. He was, in fact, a wizard, just like his mother and father, and he would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

Not only did he discover he was a wizard. He discovered that he was also very famous in the Magic World. His parents, whom he had always been told had died in a car crash, had been killed by the most powerful dark wizard known. But when he had tried to kill Harry, the spell had backfired and destroyed him instead. Thus, Harry became known as the boy who lived! 

This book follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts as he learns all about becoming a Wizard. From Herbology to Transfiguration, and Potions to Quidditch (the famous Wizarding Sport played on Broomsticks), Harry struggles with them all. Then, an enemy from the past comes back and threatens his school as well as his new friends and Harry, Ron and Hermione must pull together everything they had learned in order to stop him before it's too late. 

This is one of my favorite book series and, to be honest, this is about the forth time I have read this book. It's a captivating read from beginning to end! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! 

The Apocalypse Outcast (The Undead World Book 3)- Peter Meredith

It seems like the more I get into this series the better it gets! This book, while it started out a little slow, really picked up and made it damn near impossible for me to put it down. 

When it comes to the Zombie Apocalypse, it's kill or be eaten. But what happens when the Zombies become the least of your worries? Our little rag-tag group of survivors learn this the hard way when there is a huge bounty put on two of their heads and a third one runs away to save her infant child from a group of fanatical cultist. 

Desperate to save her and bring her back or at the very least help her to save the baby, Neil, Sadie, Nico and Jillybean embark on a rescue mission that could very well be their last. With the Bounty Hunter hot on their trail and Jillybean losing her mind, the group tries tirelessly to find Sarah and help her rescue Eve from the False Prophet's clutches. Will they reach her in time, before she gets herself killed or will they meet their own fate in the process? 

This book is filled with so much action and detail that you can't help but feel like you are right in the middle of the Zombie Apocalypse with them! Once again Peter Meredith creates an amazing story that drags you into the depths of hell right along with our characters! 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


*Amanda*

The Apocalypse Survivors (The Undead World Book 2)- Peter Meredith

This is the Second book in Peter Meredith's Undead World Series and I have to say, I liked it better than the first, to an extent.

We pretty much pick up where we left off in the first one, following Ram and his group around as they face the challenges of the Apocalypse with both Zombies and Humans alike. This books is completely action packed and full of twists and turns that you could not predict. Most of the time, I can pretty much figure out where a story is headed, but this one caught me completely off guard. Out of all the books I have read, only three have made me cry actual tears. This is one of them.

When the world turns to shit, there is only one thought on everyone's mind. Survival. What the threat of the Apocalypse does to people is absolutely terrifying and we feel a lot of that in this novel. The scary thing is, a lot of what happens is almost a reflection of our society now. People turning the other way when something goes horribly wrong, human life being regarded as nothing more than currency. It's sad and depressing but makes for a captivating read, if that's what you're in to!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.


*Amanda*

The Apocalypse (The Undead World Book 1)- Peter Meredith

For those who know me, you know how picky I am when it comes to my "End of the World, Apocalyptic" novels. I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead and since I got into that, normally nothing can compare. Then I picked up this book, and while it is nothing like The Walking Dead, it has quickly become one of my favorite Zombie series.

I know for the most part, the Zombie thing is pretty worn. Since Walking Dead, Zombie's seem to be the new thing. But Peter Meredith has managed to put something new into the Apocalypse.

While reading this book, I realized that almost everything that occurred, would most likely happen should the Zombie Apocalypse actually come to pass. Which is both interesting and very depressing. With each new chapter, we see things from the point of view of different members of the group. Now, normally, this would turn me off of a book because to me that skips around, a lot, but Mr. Meredith has managed to make the transition smooth and very easy to follow. You can't help but get into the story as we follow the group and see just how far the world has crumbled since Zombies came into the picture. It is the first book in the series and while, in the beginning, it was a little slow, it definitely picks up and I couldn't seem to put it down. We see how the group forms and we get background information on each of them. We see where they came from and how their particular skills either help or hamper them in the most trying times. We also watch them grow and change to accommodate their current surroundings. All in all a very captivating read.

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Amanda*