Review ~ Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer by Seth Grahame-Smith

TITLE: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer
AUTHOR: Seth Grahame-Smith
COPYRIGHT: 2010
TYPE: Fiction
PAGES: Audio - 11 hrs
SERIES:  No

REASON FOR READ:

I mean come on Abraham Lincoln as a vampire slayer... there were two outcomes it could either be a really good book or a horribly horribly bad book...

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation. 

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

I have to admit this book surprised me and that is saying something now and days. It is a rare day when a book especially an audio book can suck me in so much that I don't want to leave my car because I want to know what is going to happen next but this book did just that. The author did such a great job at weaving in the "journals" of Abraham and the history of this fascinating man's stories that I was shocked that I found myself going sure that could work. And weeks later I am still talking about it to people and telling them you have got to read this book. That is not something that I do very often. The way the journal, history and telling of the story are put together I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with this writer that I went out and picked up his 3 other books. 

THINGS I LIKED

I have no idea where to start. I loved how the writer weaved seamlessly the telling of Abraham's life into him actually hunting vampires to the point where I was like well... that could have happened. I enjoyed it immensely. 

I liked the concept its not something I would have put together and it was a pleasant surprise. As I put in the reason for reading this had 2 outcomes it could have been really good or bad. Lucky for me this turned out really well and I enjoyed it. 

The characters were very interesting including the completely made up one Henry and I enjoyed him enough I went out and got his own book just because I enjoyed how much of a role he played in Abraham's story. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

My main complaint throughout the story is the constant counting as an audio book I have no idea what the counting was for or what it was about. But they were constantly counting from 5 or 2 or 3 and it wasn't chapters b/c they still made sure to read me the damn chapters as well. 

Also reading me the footnotes at the precise moment of the footnotes is very jarring and took away from the freaking telling of the story and I didn't like it (just a pet peeve of mine) it could've waited until the end or wasn't actually needed nor necessary for a fiction novel. 

Favorite part or line from story:

I have to say that Henry was the interesting part of the story not to mention the diaries kept me on the edge of my seat. The way the author weaved history and the vampire story line so seamlessly into one another blew my mind. I was blown away by it. 

FINAL GRADE: 4 out of 5 stars but thinking of changing this to 5 out of 5 the more I think on it

Would you recommend this story?Yes and I do to a lot of people

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

 Audio Book Challenge

Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author

Alphabet Title Challenge 

Review ~ Zoo by Tara Elizabeth

TITLE: Zoo 

AUTHOR: Tara Elizabeth
COPYRIGHT: 2013
TYPE: young adult
PAGES: 290
SERIES: 
yes

REASON FOR READ:

The whole plot sounded beyond interesting

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

A chronicle of my time living in a zoo . . . I'm not really sure where to start, and you may have trouble believing me even as I tell you my story. My family did. They laughed the first time I told them, so now I just say it was all a crazy dream. You see, I died in a totally preventable car accident . . . or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to discover that I had been resurrected into the year 2282 and, just as unbelievably, was locked up in a zoo! A HUMAN ZOO! Oh wait, I mean the People's Past Anthropological Center.

The Global Government created the Centers because all of the different cultures of the world had, over centuries of time, slowly absorbed into one uniform culture. Everything and everybody felt the same, and the world didn’t like it. So, to help the people of 2282 find cultures they thought worthy to live their lives by, they used time travel to zap the people of the past into the future. They created enclosures to house their live human exhibits. And that's what happened to me. I became a research project, a source of entertainment. I was a prisoner who was over two hundred years away from my family and friends.

Most of my time in the enclosure was spent trying to escape. I also made friends, lost friends, fell in love, was betrayed, was held captive within captivity, and lots of other fun stuff. There were some shocking moments and some devastating moments . . . It’s a lot to recount, but I’ll try my best to tell you all about my time travel . . . PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.

I'm Emma, by the way.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

Man I had a love hate relationship with this book. I kept going back and forth. I would start to love it and then I would turn around and hate it. I think I put on goodreads my initial thoughts like this: 

So this is a complicated review... that will need some thoughts. 
Liked the plot
Hated the main character
Loved Kale
Hated James
Loved hated this story... 

And sadly this is still how I am when I think about this book which is sad b/c I am not really still thinking about this book. The plot itself had so much promise. A place in the future where people are kept on display for people to look at. The main character however, was such a whiny, selfish, flat, not likable at all character. I actually kept rooting for something bad to actually happen to her that would knock her down a peg or two and that usually isn't how I roll. Add to it her insta-love attraction to a cowboy named James in the enclosure across the way to her (and we know how much I hate the insta-love plot device for no other reason than MAN he's HAWT and oh I'm a virgin so I wouldn't know what to do with him anyway I just know that he's my soul mate cause he fine) freaking a shoot me now.  Then throw in Kale who I actually liked he was a good guy who proved way too many times he was better than the main character would ever deserve yet we all knew that by the time she figured that out it would be a too little too late yet she would get him in the end kind of thing. Hated the cowboy James who however, fit his time frame so I can't even blame him. And then there's Victoria who was like 13 that Emma was so mean to just b/c she happened to be the one that was picked by the zoo keepers to be the cowboy's mate. Dude not her fault get over yourself. See, see what I mean this book made me act like a teenager I was like SLOW YOUR FREAKING ROLL and GROW THE HELL UP then I was like okay I'm done skim, skim, oh that's interesting, skim, skim, oh cool, skim, skim, oh good we're done. 

Needless to say I think you get the point this book had great potential sadly for me it just fell flat and din't work. 

Favorite part or line from story:

Even thought parts of this story got on my nerves I enjoyed when Emma and James wrote on the wall in mud. I thought that was very sweet and enduring. 

FINAL GRADE: 2 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this story? no

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

Alphabet Title Challenge
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author

Review ~ Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

TITLE: Birthmarked

AUTHOR: Caragh M O'Brien
COPYRIGHT: 2010
TYPE: young adult, Dystopian
PAGES: 361
SERIES:  
yes

REASON FOR READ:

The premise sounded really interesting and I thought it would be a good book to dive into and find out more about.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. 

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

I am going to just start off with I didn't like it. I tried to like it and there are parts that were interesting to me, but overall I just didn't like it. Nothing really jumped out at me like OH WOW this is awesome. The characters are flat, the plot has holes in it, there are too many questions, and the whole story doesn't make sense. All in all I found myself rolling my eyes through the majority of the story and skimming more pages then actually hooked on anything in general. The main character has a scar at times I would have told it was the most life alternating massive, huge half of her face has to be marred, her eyes have to sewn shut, life alternating scar for her to think she is as hideous as she is. Only to find out it has to only be a fine thin line or barely seen scar or a mark of some sort that shockingly her parents gave her so that she wouldn't be given up. And that's it the main character at one point is so native that she loves the government, and serves them loyal with no questions until one day when the lights come on then hates them with a burning passion. A  girl who can barely do anything for herself plots to bring down the wall. But first sneaks into the wall to rescue her parent but before she can do this the one thing in the world she wants she ruins it by saving a dead woman's baby by bringing it back to life when she has only be successfully delivering babies on her own for 4 months? or is it 6? Either way it doesn't make sense and don't' get me started on the love story or the code breaking to figure out whose related to who? Why wouldn't the government keep track of the parents that they take the babies from that doesn't make sense. You want healthy babies yet you don't keep birth records on who you pay money to when you take the babies from their parent? 

The inbreeding and the cause of the inbreeding is a bleeding disorder and that's it not a mental disorder or multiple toes but a bleeding disorder that you won't have your scientist fix instead you demand more adopted babies outside the way from the poor people who have better genes instead of fixing the problem like IDK finding the gene and treating it? Anyway this book just irritated me. The character is strong and weak and not in a the healthy way. She is annoying and childish yet wants to lead a revolution at the same time. Yet can't figure out how the government knows all and sees all. It is a mixed bag. I had a hard time wrapping my head around why people were risking their lives to help her when she lack inspiration. I mean the only thing she stood for was herself nothing she wanted to do would help anyone but her. Add to it the girl didn't do anything but ask a question and get an answer she didn't do any work at all to get anything.

There were parts I liked for example the tattoos her mother put on the babies to represent the lost child and what that meant and stood for. 

I am trying to think of something else I liked but other than that I am at a lost for a words there is not much else the premise was interesting then it fell very very flat. 

FINAL GRADE: 2 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this story? no

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

Alphabet Title Challenge
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author
TBR pile Challenge

Currently Reading

TITLE: Wicked Game
AUTHOR: Jerri Smith-Ready
PAGES: 361
GENRE: Urban Fantasy

SUMMARY:
LATE NIGHT RADIO YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station — and the link it provides to their original Life Times — the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around — next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher — and the perils graver — than any con game Ciara's ever played...

CHALLENGES
Alphabet Title Challenge
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author
TBR pile Challenge

Currently Reading

TITLE: Birthmarked

AUTHOR: Caragh O'Brien
PAGES: 361
GENRE: young adult

SUMMARY
In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.

CHALLENGES
Alphabet Title Challenge
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author
TBR pile Challenge

Review ~ Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

TITLE: Uglies

 

AUTHOR: Scott Westerfeld
COPYRIGHT: 2005
TYPE: young adult
PAGES: 425
SERIES:  yes

1. Uglies

2. Pretties

3. Specials

4. Extras

REASON FOR READ:

The premise sounded good wanted to see if it was as good as it sounded

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license - for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all.

The choice Tally makes changes her world forever... 

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

 I was surprised by this book. At times I really, really enjoyed it and at other times I found I was absolutely done with it. I wished there were specific examples when I could show you I was done but I can't find them because it changed so fast. I was annoyed with Tally when she wanted to be pretty so bad she betrayed Shay but then she didn't betray her, but then she did but then she didn't. I was annoyed with no one finding it suspicious that Tally made it to the camp on her own. Yet I thought it was awesome that Tally came into her own at the camp. It annoyed me that Tally didn't think that destroying the locket would do more damage then again I probably wouldn't have thought that either. I liked that she escaped only to plan a rescued yet was annoyed that she just continued to lie and lie and lie and lie and then wonder why no one would want to rescue her. So I was torn throughout the reading of this book. The plot itself was interesting. The story idea was fascinating the characters however lacked interest for me. Tally was too immature, Shay was too over the top, David was too flat, Dr. Cable was too evil. IDK I will read on just to see if they rescue Tally and what that will look like but I think instead of buying that book I will just borrow from library. 

THINGS I LIKED

1. That Tally liked the Smoke and began to think of it as home

2. That Tally fought so hard not to be taken in 

3. That the romance wasn't so much an instant love kind of thing for Tally at least

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE

1. I didn't care for the traitor part to wait until so long to come out to David

2. I was really shocked that Shay was changed to Pretty not going to lie

3. I honestly didn't expect Tally to be changed

4. I was really surprised that Tally became a traitor

Favorite part or line from story: 

The hooverboards just b/c I have always had a thing for those

FINAL GRADE: 3 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this story? yes I would to a teenager 

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

Out Do Yourself Challenge
Alphabet Title Challenge

New To Me Author

TBR pile Challenge

Review ~ Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

TITLE: Ender's Game 

AUTHOR: Orson Scott Card
COPYRIGHT: 1994
TYPE: young adult/ science fiction
PAGES: 324
SERIES:  yes

REASON FOR READ:

I sadly watched the movie first and thought it was an interesting idea so I wanted to go back and read the book.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. 

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

This book took me forever to get through and I am not sure why. It was interesting and at the same time had a lot of technical stuff to wade through. The information about Valentine and Peter while interesting had nothing to do with the main plot in my mind and could have been left out. I actually found those parts easy to skip through and move on. Battle school was the most interesting parts for me and while Command School had some interesting aspects especially the ending (which if you have watched the movie then the twist ending isn't surprising, but alas I won't spoil it for you here) lacked the interesting aspects of Battle School. I think Battle School forced Ender to interact with other children and form attachments or lack of attachments while Command school had no attachments and he was alone for better or worse except for his mentor. 

The ending was a long drawn out affair and left me confused. I liked the twist and I get where the author is going but then he ended up on another planet due to Peter taking over Earth and Valentine going to rule another planet that was a bug planet that he lived on for a long time but yet somehow he is going to help do other things because this is a series (so in a way maybe this is a spoiler review yet not b/c I still don't get the ending). Anyhow be that what it may it wasn't a bad book it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was looking for more action more interaction and maybe a little more grown up things. I think by watching the movie first I came to think of the whole thing as something more condensed then it was which I admit in hindsight was my mistake. That being said was still a good read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys space adventures and alien/bug story lines. 

FINAL GRADE: 3 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this story? Yes while not my favorite I could see how others would enjoy it.

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

Alphabet Title Challenge
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author
TBR pile Challenge

Review ~ Looking for Alaska by John Green

TITLE: Looking for Alaska

AUTHOR: John Green
COPYRIGHT: 12/28/2006
TYPE: Young Adult
PAGES: 256
SERIES:  No

REASON FOR READ:

Loved The Fault in Our Stars and thought he why not try his other works.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

It is hard for me to type this review and I think the probably is simply I didn't like it. I found it hard to read and eventually hard to finish. It wasn't a book that I just had to know what would happen next. In fact it was a book I was flipping and skimming through just to complete. The mystery wasn't anything mysterious for me and I found I just couldn't connect with the characters at all. There was nothing about Pudge, Alaska, or anyone else in this book that said, "hey connect with me my character is fascinating". To me that was the sad part. I really enjoy the writer. I think Mr. Green has a fantastic talent and not just because of "The Fault In Our Stars" even though that was a top 5 read from last year. No it has more to do with the fact that Mr. Green can paint such a vivid picture of the setting and the atmosphere you feel yourself smelling what he describes or worse that you are soaking wet from the rain. 

That just wasn't enough to save this story for me. I always struggle with young adult books and have a hard time reading them because of the maturity level and that might be what was missing in this book. The characters were just too immature or over mature and not believable for their age at times I found I wanted to shake them, smack them, or yell at them. Other times I rolled my eyes wondering how in the world had they survived to this age or worse nope not going to make it in the real world. While I didn't connect to this book or characters Mr. Green did a fantastic job on writing in general which is the only reason this was a completed book verses a DNF.  

FINAL GRADE: 1 star out of 5

Would you recommend this story? Sadly I would not.

Is this a part of a reading challenge?

Out Do Yourself Challenge
Alphabet Title Challenge

Massive Read-a-thon

So without meaning to I began a read-a-thon of the Psy-Changeling series from Nalini Singh (seriously if you haven't tried these books you are missing out). Since I want to finish or at least catch up to this series I thought to myself huh let's read as many as I can, hence the read-a-thon.


I started where any good reader with OCD would start at the beginning

Title: Slave to Sensation
Series #er: 1
Page #ers: 352
Published Date: 2006

Summary:
In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation...

First Read: 2007
2nd Read: 2009
3rd Read: 2015

Thoughts:
This one is still one of my top 5 of the series. I love it because it is the book that hooks you into this world. We learn the differences between the Psy and Changeling races. It introduces us to the Dark River clan and what their structure and lives are like. We meet the "major" players that at some time or another will have their own story lines even thought it doesn't feel as a "Let me introduce this character b/c they are next to get their story in my series" introductions. We also get to see what an alpha male is like and why he is like that.
The world is believable and is created in such a way that you want to know more about these cats and freaking wolves that work together to protect their own. Add to the mix the mystery of the Psy race and the reasoning behind the Silence protocol. The mystery that deals with both races is interesting making the reader curious as to who is killing females and why? We know that he killer is not a changeling and that leaves the readers questioning the psy protocol and issues with their system. Learning about the net and what that is and also learning about the one psy who isn't fitting in was very curious to me.
I enjoyed this book enough to re-read it for the 3rd time and still enjoyed diving back into this world and series.

Next up:

Title: Visions of Heat
Series #er: 2
Page #er: 332
Published Date: 2007

Summary:
Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous - aching need...exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her sight, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.

Changeling Vaughn D'Angelo can take the form of either man or jaguar, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar's instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith's sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced - and keep her from Vaughn.

First Read: 2008
2nd Read: 2009
3rd Read: 2015

Thoughts
I have no shame I have to say that I really, really, really enjoy Vaughn he is just too much and yet finds the right mate in Faith. And I have to admit I love Faith this is not usually the case. Now that I've said all that this one was also interesting. Not only do we have another psy that is breaking protocol we have one that is a powerful foreseer which introduced us to yet more levels in the psy community. The other interesting part of this book was the introduction to the Council of the psy and how they work behind the scenes. It was a great 2nd book which is not normally the case. Not only did we learn more about one of my favorite cats we also learned a great deal about the psy community and what they are attempting to accomplish. This was a good book b/c it didn't have a great mystery to solve or a complex sub-plot. In fact the whole point of the story was connecting Vaughn with Faith and what that would entail. I did like the ending with Faith's father and what that would look like and will in the future books on this world. Again clearly one of my favorites soly based on the fact I read it for the third time in this read-a-thon. 

Then I moved on to

Title: Caressed by Ice
Series #er: 3
Page #er: 352
Published Date: 2007

Summary:
As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna...

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives...

First Read: 2009
2nd Read: 2015

Thoughts
Okay so I thought I loved me some Vaughn and I do but boy howdy do I love me some Judd. What a great character. Sometimes an author starts off with a character that is tough, hard, mean, and a killer. Then warps them into a soft sensitive guy that is changed by their woman. Judd is not that man. He knows what he is and what he is capable of and doesn't really change much throughout the book. He goes from a hired gun of the psy council to a man who kills to protect and to change the world. But he is still a killer and still a man that has a hard time breaking silence. 
Brenna was introduced in the first book as the only female to survive the horrible killings of changeling women and as a survivor has been changed herself. She has to discover how to live with the memories of th attack and how to deal with the emotional fall out of it all. 
This book was just fantastic. Brenna was written like a true survivor one that isn't instantly healed and ready to jump in the hey with her man. She fights demons of her attack and fears mixed with worries about what the monster did to her. Judd is the man that she needs because he doesn't baby her or treat her as if she will break. He respects her and tries to help her anyway he can. It was great watching this man of ice melt with Brenna and start to want to feel and heal her. It was also great to watch the healing take place in Brenna due to her own strength as well as the strength and confidence she gained from Judd. 
This story wraps up all the loose ends from book 1 and shows us the psy network is planning something big and something very very scary. It let's us the readers know where the author is going to take this story and gives us an idea of where we are heading. I enjoyed this one b/c it was a male psy that broke silence and it introduces us to the arrow community a deadly assassination squad the council made. It shows us how brutal the council is and what they might be up to as well as the limits they are willing to go to make it happen. This book also let's us dive deeper into the wolf community of the Snow Dancers. We get to see Hawke (their alpha) and a look at his group of leaders and inner circle. I honestly can't wait til we meet his mate and I have a feeling I know who it is. It was nice to be out of the cats minds for awhile and enter into the wolf mind. Although similar they definitely approach things differently in living arrangements and culture which is refreshing. 

Just finished up: 

Title: Mine to Possess
Series #er: 4
Page #er: 328
Published Date: 2008

Summary:
Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed...and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Talin McKade barely survived a childhood drenched in bloodshed and terror. Now a new nightmare is stalking her life--the street children she works to protect are disappearing and turning up dead. Determined to keep them safe, she unlocks the darkest secret in her heart and returns to ask the help of the strongest man she knows...

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past...or lose everything that ever mattered. 

First Read: 2009
2nd Read: 2015

Thoughts:
Clay was an interesting story line. I have to say of the 4 he was the least interesting one for me. Mainly I think b/c we always knew who his mate was (Talin) he talked about her little but Ms. Singh mentioned her names enough that it wasn't a real mystery. It was cool to see how a cat/changeling would survive in a world where he couldn't change and what would happen to someone who hurt his pack. The back story was good and interesting, but I have to admit Talin drove me insane with her trauma thing I get it but for Pete's sake you were being molested by a man who killed tons of children and when your good friend killed the man who hurt you, you became so scared of him that you faked your own death and let him rot in jail. Sorry I don't buy nor like it. The reconciling of the whole back story was sweet and the mystery around the kids being kidnapped was interesting enough to keep this story moving forward. It also helped prepare me for whose story will be next and I can't wait to dive in. 

Starting up on this one CURRENTLY READING

Title: Hostage to Pleasure
Series #er: 5
Page #er: 330
Published Date: 2008

Summary: 
Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy--cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules... 

CURRENTLY READING

There are many many more in this world for me to catch up on next on the list is and these are the ones I never read but continued to buy hoping that one day I would get to them. Very excited to see where this series is going. 
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Kiss of Snow
Tangle of Need
Heart of Obsidian
Shield of Winter (need to purchase)
Shards of Hope (released 2015)

Have you read this series? Do you like it? How far along are you? And lastly have you ever re-read the series like I am? What are your thoughts on a read-a-thons?

Currently Reading

TITLE: Looking for Alaska
AUTHOR: John Green
PAGES: 256
GENRE: Young Adult

GOOD READS SUMMARY:
Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

CHALLENGES
Out Do Yourself Challenge
Alphabet Title Challenge

Review ~ Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

TITLE: Gone Girl 

AUTHOR: Gillian Flynn
COPYRIGHT: 2012
TYPE: General Fiction
PAGES: 395
SERIES:  
no

REASON FOR READ:

B/c of all the hype regarding the movie. Thought I have to read this before I see the movie

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? 

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

First off this was one of those books that I read so quickly I couldn't even advertise that I read it. I picked it up on a Thursday night from the library and by Friday I had finished it. Between meetings, sleep and on eating breaks I continued to push through this book. Why all the stopping? B/c at times I absolutely felt dirty for reading it and liking it so much. The characters are so deranged and morbid that I felt nasty that I was devouring this book at a speed that shocked even me. I had to know more, I wanted to know more and yet I felt like a voyeur peaking in on a family that needs not only counseling, therapy and shock treatment but also a family that really should've have just walked away from each other. The book has been reviewed numerous places so I won't go further with yet another recap. I will however say I still can't tell if I love this book or hate it. I can't tell if I enjoyed it b/c my gosh I feel better about my life or if I enjoyed it because dang yo she was super smart.

Did I connect with any characters? nope. Did I want to be either of the characters? HELL NO. Did I find that I couldn't put the book down? Oddly yes. Would I recommend it? yeah which I can't decide if that makes me as messed up as the author who wrote the damn thing.

Needless to say I enjoyed it enough I will check out other books by this author. 

FINAL GRADE: I really struggled giving this a grade and kept hopping between 3 or 4 stars

Would you recommend this story? Oddly yes

Is this a part of a reading challenge?
Out Do Yourself Challenge
New To Me Author

Alphabet Title Challenge