Books Read-2015 – Page 4 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Review/ Ghost

Posted on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015 by Cindy

Ghost Series: An Evil Dead MC Story #5

Format: eBook
on October 24, 2015
Pages: 290
Buy on Amazon

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Ghost has been living his life under one rule…never fall in love, never get too close, never get tied down to just one woman. Focusing solely on his club, he is able to remain unattached and free…. until a girl from his past is dropped in his lap. She was a line he swore he’d never cross. And now, in order to obtain an alliance his club needs, he’s forced to use her in ways he’d never imagined.

She needs his protection, and she’s the one woman he can’t refuse.

When Ghost finds himself unable to keep his distance from her, will he be able to push his feelings aside and use her as a pawn for the attainment of his club’s goals? Or will he put the club and their lives at risk to follow his heart?

When lies and secrets come between them, can they overcome everything to find their own piece of heaven?

This is part of The Evil Dead MC Series, but each book can be read as a standalone.
Check out other books in The Evil Dead MC Series…
Outlaw – Book 1
Crash – Book 2
Shades – Book 3
Wolf – Book 4
Ghost – Book 5

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I should state right away that this can be read as a stand alone but I personally think I would have enjoyed the story more knowing more of a back ground history of the characters and the story line but that is just me.

With that being said I did enjoy reading this book and it has peaked my interest in the series now. So this won’t be a in depth review just because its book 5 in a series and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might be reading this.

Ghost is a member of the Evil Dead MC. Ghost is just going about his daily life when he accidently bumps into his once step sister Jessie who is on the run and her life is in danger because she over heard a conversation that she shouldn’t have. When she bumps into Ghost at a bar she tells him what is going on and he has taken it upon himself to protect her.

Ghost has a hard decision to make on how he will keep her out of harms way as well protect himself. He realizes that he has to keep her at arms length because of their past and he had already almost cross that line many years ago and doesn’t want to cross it again. Its hard for Ghost to do because she has been that one person he couldn’t get out of his head.

Growing up Jess entered Ghost’s live when he father married her mother. He always thought of her as his step-sister until one day when she was a teen when they kissed. In his mind he knew it was wrong so he left. Can he resist Jess?

Ghost will do anything to protect Jess so when he informs his brothers of what Jess knows they come up with a plan and this plan makes Ghost feel uncomfortable, will he risk Jess to protect her? With Jess being in danger when guns go off will Ghost realize just how much he truly cares about her?

This isn’t something that I typically don’t read but I have to say it was a nice little change in my reading.

Have you read this series? Is it something I should continue to read if you have read it?

Review/ Until We Meet Again

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Cindy

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins
Format: ARC
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. on November 3rd 2015
Pages: 336
Goodreads
Genres: 20th Century, Dating & Sex, Historical, Love & Romance, Social Issues, United States, Young Adult

Country clubs and garden parties. The last thing Cassandra wants is to spend the summer before her senior year marooned in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. Cass craves drama and adventure, which is hard when she just feels stuck.But when a dreamy stranger shows up on her family's private beach, claiming that it is his property-and that the year is 1925-Cass is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cass discovers a truth that thrusts Lawrence's life into jeopardy. It won't matter which century he is from if he won't live to see tomorrow.Desperate to save the boy who's come to mean everything to her, Cassandra must find a way to change history...or risk losing Lawrence forever.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was lucky enough to pick up this book at BEA this past May and I have held off on reading it until now.

I have to begin by saying that I loved the book and I couldn’t put it down. I was literally reading this every chance I could get. Its been awhile since I have read time traveling books. I use to be a big fan when they came out and I stopped reading them but now I feel like I want to dig out what ones I have sitting in my tbr pile and read them again. Do you like time traveling books? Have you read any time traveling books?

This is the perfect book to read on a beach during a summer vacation. I was getting home sick reading this because I grew up on the beach and this is your typical summer vacation romance kind of story.

Cassandra is your typical teen age girl. She is on vacation with her mother and new step father and is clearly not having the time of her life because she misses her friends back home. Its when she is on the beach that she is at peace and one night she meets this cute boy named Lawrence. Cassandra knows there is something different about Lawrence but she just can’t think what is so different about him until the story line progresses.

Instantly Cassandra and Lawrence connect and you can see the instant love happening. Your typical but not so typical summer love story.

I really loved that it was told in Cassandra’s and Lawrence’s point of views because you got the back ground story which I think added to the storyline.

It doesn’t take long before they both come to realize that Lawrence is from the 1920’s and Cassandra is from the present day. The realize that the beach is the only connecting spot for them and they take to spending alot of time on the beach. The only think I kept worrying about was the fact Cassandra was trying to help Lawrence out and provide him with information and if all that would alter history that has already been written. Could their romance change the course of their history?

You might think this is just a typical summer romance story but there is so much more to the book then just that. There is tons of twist and turns (lets just say a mob family from NYC, mixed with murder, mystery, jealous and tragedy) that make you turn the page to find out what is going to happen next. I really wanted to zip through the book but a part of me just wanted to bask in the story line because it was so beautifully written and it made me long to be on the beach.

Reading this book came at the perfect time to cure my little reading slump I was in.

Review/ Moletown

Posted on September 30, 2015September 13, 2015 by Cindy

Moletown Format: eARC
on October 1, 2015
Pages: 32
five-stars

Torben Kulhmann's stunningly illustrated, nearly wordless tale offers a fascinating window into an imaginary, yet hauntingly familiar word under our feet, where a mole suddenly recognizes the precarious balance between progress and preservation. Kulhmann's open ended text encourages thoughtful exploration into possible solutions, and his delightful endpapers depict a montage of solutions that could very well save the moles' world and ours.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I opened this picture book but I have to say I was blown away with the illustrations in the book. The illustrations are beautiful.

There isn’t a written story per say but the illustrations tell the story.

The history of Moletown is very similiar to our history. When Moletown was founded back in the day it was all very simple and nothing fancy like it was for us but as time evolves and changes with technology happen so do our lives and the lives around us. This is the case for Moletown.

A mole discovers this beautiful green spot that no one has discovered yet but that doens’tand slowly as time moves on this little green spot is no longer there much like our world right?

This will definitely be a picture book I plan on purchasing.

Review/ George

Posted on September 28, 2015September 8, 2015 by Cindy

George by Alex Gino
Published by Scholastic Inc. on August 25th 2015
Pages: 208
Goodreads
Genres: Bullying, Friendship, Social Issues, Young Adult

BE WHO YOU ARE. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

George by Alex Gino has been a book that has been on my radar for quite some time now and its been on my wishlist since then so this past weekend I decided to pick it up when I visited a little indie bookstore in my area.

BE WHO YOU ARE is literally something I live by and I wish more people would actually do this. I loved the message behind the book and I can’t even image the struggles some children and people must go through in life.

If you look at George you will see a boy because he looks, dresses and acts like a boy but on the inside there is a girl screaming to get out and be recognized for who she is. George is only ten years old and she is struggling to keep this deep dark secret inside her. Being a kid is always a hard but when you have a secret that could possibly make things worse for you its even harder for you and throw in a bully who likes to make fun of you and wants to fight you.

George is in the fourth grade and this year her class is putting on the play, Charlotte’s Web. Which is a favorite of mine. Who doesn’t like Charlotte’s Web?

George decides she wants to play Charlotte which we all know is a girl’s part but for George its a way that she can actually feel like a real girl for once and be who she feels inside around her friends and family who have no clue about what is going on.

George’s best friend is Kelly and they both decide to rehearse together for the part. Eventually George decides to let Kelly in on her secret and knowing its a huge risk she is taken but I have to say I thought Kelly handled the situation extremely well and I would only wish more kids had a friend like Kelly in their lives.

When the day for the auditions happen Ms. Udell is not happy that George wants to audition for the part of Charlotte and tells George that it won’t happen that he can have another part but George says no that if she can’t be Charlotte she wants no other part in the play.

Fast forward to the day of the play and Kelly and George come up with a plan that in the second performance they would switch. Ms Udell is not happy but thankfully Principal Maldonado came to the rescue and told George that if she ever needed to talk her door was always open and I think that is what kids need to hear that someone will be there to hear them speak.

As a parent I have always let Michael know that we are not all the same but we all deserve love and respect from one another and that it doesn’t matter who we are, what color our skin is its whats inside that counts. When I look back over the last 12 years of Michael’s life I see that I have instilled those values and he treats everyone with kindness, love and respect and that everyone is a person no matter what.

Book Spotlight/ St. Martin’s Fall Sampler 2015

Posted on September 23, 2015September 22, 2015 by Cindy

St Martin's Fall 2015 Sampler Format: eBook
on October 2015

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is the third sampler that St Martin’s Press has put together to my knowledge. ]

I love when publishers do this because it allows us the reader to get a snippet of what new and exciting books are coming out plus it gives you the chance to read a bit to peek your interest. For me this is a great way to discover a new author(s) that I might normally pass up when I am at the bookstore plus it allows me to perhaps dig into a book that I might not normally pick up otherwise to see if I might like it.

This was the case with this sampler. I have discovered a few hidden gems that I think I would have missed out on otherwise. There is fourteen debut books talked about in this sampler. Here is the list of books that are in the sampler:

The Man on the Washing Machine by Susan Cox
The Marriage Pact by M.J Pullen
Avelynn by Marissa Cambell
The Debt if Tamar by Nicole Dweck
A Good Family by Erik Fassnacht
Dark Reservations by John Fortunato
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Marriage Pact by M.J Pullen
Time of Departure by Douglas Schofield
In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward

Here is the books that peeked my interest and have been added to my wishlist of books to get.

I was able to pick up Dream Things True at #BEA15 and I can’t wait to dig into this title.

Shay Mitchell is a Canadian actress who is on Pretty Little Liars and Michaela Blaney is American and Canadian Marketing professional. This sounds like it will be a good book.

Do any of these titles interest you? What would you get to read?

I think this fall/winter will be a really good time to curl up and read. What do you think?

Review/ Stay

Posted on September 1, 2015August 31, 2015 by Cindy

Stay! a Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer
Format: eARC
Published by Peachtree Pub Limited on September 1st 2015
Pages: 32
Goodreads
Genres: Animals, Boys & Men, Dogs, Pets, Young Adult

Looking after Ben's dog, Buster, is no walk in the park. Buster is messy, he is naughty, he is EXHAUSTING! But Ben loves him more than anything. When Ben goes away, he tells Grampa exactly how to look after Buster. But has Ben remembered the most IMPORTANT thing?

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Its been a little while since I have reviewed a picture book and I have to admit that I miss doing them.

Stay by Alex Latimer is such a cute little book that I am sure all the kids will love to read. I know I enjoyed it.

The illustrations are really nice and colorful so when you are reading the book you can’t help but look around at everything on the page.

Ben has a dog named Buster and lets just say that Buster can be a handful all the time and loves to get into trouble. When Ben’s parents announce they are going on vacation but Buster will not because of his actions. Buster will be going to stay at Ben’s grand dads house.

Ben takes to writing notes for his grand dad and they include what Buster likes and doesn’t like, favorite scratching spots, and so much more and these notes continue to arrive even while Ben is on vacation because he loves Buster so much.

While Buster is with grand dad, grand dad takes it upon himself to start trying Buster into a better dog and when Ben comes home he loves the changes in Buster and he loves that grand dad even wrote Ben notes on how to keep things up.

Has Buster changed for the good? Or is there still a little of the old Buster inside?

If your looking for a fun picture book then I highly recommend this.

Review/ Olive & Beatrix: The Not So Itty Bitty Spiders

Posted on August 27, 2015June 3, 2015 by Cindy

Olive & Beatrix: The Not So Itty Bitty Spiders Series: Olive & Beatrix Book #1

Format: eARC
on August 26, 2015
Pages: 80

Meet twin sisters Olive and Beatrix! One is a witch. One is totally not-a-witch.

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Twin sisters Olive and Beatrix don't often get along. Olive is "ordinary" and loves science. But Beatrix is a witch! She has a brain full of tricks, and she uses her magic powers to play pranks on Olive and her best friend, Eddie. In this first book, Beatrix ruins Olive and Eddie's latest science project. So Olive and Eddie play a prank on Bea. They rig up a bucket of spiders over her bedroom door. But when the spiders crawl into one of Bea's magic potions...WHAM! Giant spiders are on the loose! These sisters will have to work together to shrink the not-so itty-bitty spiders down to size!

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I picked up this cute little book from #BEA15 this year.

This is the perfect book for the kids who are just a little too old for picture books but yet a little too young for chapter books. The book has some great illustrations that go along with the story really well.

I loved Olive & Beatrix. They were cute girls who loved to play off each other. Beatrix is the witch and loves playing all kinds of tricks on her sister and Olive is just your regular girl who is getting a little tired of being the one getting pranked on so with the help of her friend they set out to prank Beatrix. While Olive be able to pull it off?

This is the first book in the series and I have to say it was a fun and very quick read. We really enjoyed it and are looking forward to the other books in the series.