book reviews on the run

Rating: 5/5
Audience: YA, no language, a love scene, kisses, violence
Length: 342 pages
Author: Amy Harmon
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: May 1st, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He’d never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But there is more to a man than his parentage. More to a man than his blade, his size, or his skills, and all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.

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ALL GOOD THINGS.

I forgot how much I LOVE AMY HARMON BOOKS. She’s not super well known, so hopefully this review will convince you to read her books. Emotional torture is her strong suit and she does great fantasies and contemporaries.

This particular book is a fantasy romance. YAAAAAS. Sometimes that’s what kind of book you need in your life. There was angst, tears, love, guilt, and courage.

I couldn’t put it down and it had me from the first chapter, especially since this was book two. I already knew and loved these characters.

Kjell is a cinnamon roll who melts my soul every time he talks. A fierce warrior who is more tender than he knows what to do with. Watching him with Sasha will make you swoon.

While you can see the twist coming, you don’t see the fullness of it. Even I was stunned for a second trying to figure out where we were going. The ending was blissfully what you need.

A YA+ book with no language. Light descriptions of naked people (when Changers shift they have no clothes). A soft, tastefully scripted love scene. Some kissing and make-out scenes. Occasional violence.

Book Review

Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

September 1, 2018 GoodeyReads

Rating: 5/5
Audience: YA, language, some kisses, almost love scenes, violence/torture
Length: 565 pages
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

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Note: Review does contain spoilers. I have read this series 3 or 4 times. I have no chill over this series. This is a re-read I’m doing specifically before KoA comes out in October.

Second note: I firmly believe while yes they’re similarities between her two series, they are SO DIFFERENT. Needed to throw this out there after seeing a lot of reviews claiming they were too alike. I think some phrasing, character type, etc. is similar, but overall the stories are unique.

DOWN WITH AROBYNN!!!!

I still threw out 5 stars to this book, but it definitely dragged more than others in this series. [Which is fine because EoS changed all of that]

Okay, but Arobynn dying by the hands of Lysandra? YOU BET I WAS ALL OVER THAT. I kept wondering after Assassin’s Blade when Arobrynn was finally going to meet his maker. He needed to pay for all that he did. I loved how evil (yet, “loving” — just go with me here) he was with Aelin. It made him more diverse and shows how deep jealousy can take someone.

WE GET AEDION IN THIS BOOK TOO. I love him. He’s one of the best side characters around. He loves so fiercely and cares so deeply. It’s also great that SJM gave Aelin, Lysandra as her new BFF. Those 2 could bring down the world together.

It was hard watching Chaol and Aelin come to terms with their relationship, but I love that it HAPPENED. There was a discussion it wasn’t just thrown to the side. It was nice to get closure on that chapter.

I keep remembering how many characters get added in this book, because LORCAN is here too. And I love him as well. Really, the side characters are awesome in this series. Now that I’ve read it so many times, I’ve been focusing on the other POV chapters besides Aelin, I’ve come to appreciate them so much more.

Manon meets Elide too. Their friendship (or guardianship?) between the two is the stuff. Getting out of Morath (and finding its secrets) was the goal and them working together was a wonderful dynamic. We also see that Elide can hold her own too. And while afraid, always brave.

Dorian has become a hidden POV at this point. I truly thought we were going to lose him at first to the Valg (PLOT TWIST, right?). Alas, that did not happen, we did see his character change though. After Sorscha, then the Valg, Dorian really starts to change. Still a sweet Prince, but now a more hardened and burdened King.

Okay, have to mention the scene with Aelin and the gold nightgown *falls out of chair laughing *. I LOVE SCENES LIKE THIS. Where things are simple, humorous, sweet, sexy, and nefarious all in one. It’s nice to have those breaks in between all of the action. I think SJM writes team dynamics really well (the Court of Dreams is #friendshipgoals).

Still language. Some love-adjacent scenes with discussions of things they want to do to each other. A few make-out/kiss scenes. As always, a heavy dose of violence and torture.

Book Review

Review: All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA/Adult, no language, discussion of tough topics (rape/whore/abuse), some kisses, no love scenes, some violence
Length: 274 pages
Author: Julie Berry
Publisher: Viking Books
Release Date: September 26th, 2013
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family.

Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas.

But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

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A GOOD KINDA ODD.

This book was recommended to me and seemed interesting enough so here we are! Definitely an odd, keep you on your toes, not sure where this is going kinda book. I really enjoyed it! And may have finished it in essentially one sitting (baby to take care of and all ha!).

Set in what is perceived to be some type of Colonial period the story is broken up into choppy chapters and a unique POV. Judith speaks to a boy the entire time and she struggles to tell her story.

All I wanted to do was yell at Judith to SPEAK! So many odd things kept happening and the ending was starting to worry me. Berry weaves a creepy tale with characters you kinda hope burn.

While seriously, every single person will aggravate you at one point or another, this book is good! Matters resolved

I love finding interesting and different ways that authors choose to write! It’s a great experience for me because it mixes up the usual.

Some tough topics throughout, more mature audiences would be best suited. No language, some violence. A few kisses, but no love scenes.

Book Review

Grant by Ron Chernow

July 15, 2018 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA+, very little language, descriptions of war, racial violence
Length: 1,074 pages
Author: Ron Chernow
Publisher: Penguin Press
Release Date: October 17th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

MORE THAN A “DRUNKARD”.

Guys, look how long this book was. Holy moly. I know I said this when I read Hamilton, but I am not reading anything this long until KOA this October. I stand by this statement.

This book was so good. Ron Chernow once again eloquently pieces together the life of a true American Hero.

Grant was such a good person. It was his downfall at many moments in his life as he trusted quickly and couldn’t believe someone would go behind his back. His inherent belief in other’s though, gave so much color to his life.

He worked hard to keep America together through the Civil War, and even harder when President. It was amazing learning all of the facts about his life. How he didn’t really even want to be President, but also didn’t want to say no. Julia, his wife, was someone who stuck by Grant’s side always, and helped him through his drinking issues.

It was surprising as well that he really wasn’t so much of an alcoholic as his enemies desperately tried to convey to the U.S. So many stories were mostly conjecture, while so many more stories told of how he often turned his wine glass over at dinner parties to ensure he wouldn’t have any. Ironically enough, cigars were his real downfall.

ALSO, MY DEAR FOLLOWERS, THE “S” IN HIS NAME DOESN’T STAND FOR ANYTHING. For real. Probably one of the most surprising facts in this entire book haha.

Great read for older ages who have the attention span for a long haul [that I totally almost gave in, which is why it’s taken me so long to post again]. A tiny bit of language, and descriptions of the many wars he was apart of and the violence he witnessed. Also, quite a bit of racial violence as Grant dealt with the KKK and post Civil-war Southern issues.