Well, would you look at that… I’m writing about books again!

Sunday, 16 March 2025

Phew, it’s been a long time since I last sat down to type out my thoughts on a book. Almost ten years, actually!

In that time, life kinda took on a life of its own—three kids, a dog, a cat, endless sports runs, jobs, and just the general chaos that comes with all of the above. Somewhere along the way, I kept reading (obviously), but the thought of actually sitting down to write about it? Yeah… that got lost in the whirlwind of everything else.

Now, with my youngest officially graduated from primary (where did the time go?!), I’ve finally had a moment to breathe and reflect. I’ve read so many incredible stories over the years, but I never quite had the brainpower to put my experience into words. Still, I highlight passages, obsess over characters, and get that same rush of excitement when I come across a book that completely owns me.

So why now?

Well, for one, a friend (and ridiculously talented author) just had an ARC drop, and I figured, hey, why not spread the love? Plus, I need something to keep me occupied while I spend hours at the gym (not for me—don’t be silly, that would require actual effort).

And, because timing is everything, just as I was getting into that book, another one I’ve been dying to read landed right in my lap. So what’s a girl to do?

Obviously, write about it.

Time to get back into the swing of things—let’s go! 



Zeroes by Chuck Wendig

Friday, 8 July 2016

Zeroes by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Hack yeah another great read this year. With The Silence of Six still in my memory as the book to beat I could not wait to get my hands on Zeroes. As an avid follower of Wendig's blog I have been eyeing since I first read the synopsis through one of his blog posts. This was also not long after binge watching Person of Interest and then learning it never got a follow up season. My depressed state was short lived after I spoiled myself for mothers day (perfume is dead I tell you). Nothing beats a good hacker/thriller.


Of course I will not be able to spoil anything. Which is incredibly hard. But what I can tell you is that Zeroes combines the good and the bad in a crazy straight jacket and runs around like a minion chased by terminator. Well maybe that is a rather laced picture but its as accurate as I can get to it.

The story follows 6 individuals who have all dipped their fingers into 01010001110.

Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers #1) by Rachel Aaron

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars 


It is quite the task to find a dragon shape shifter book that is A: Not a Alpha male seeking a mate B: Has great amount of action and a fantastic story line and C: Is funny as hell.  Nice Dragons Finish Last is probably one of the best Dragon books I have ever read. If not THE BEST.   I know I am throwing about big words here.. Contenders such as Dragon riders of Pern, Talon and Seraphina make it nearly blasphemous but this really is a read for yourself  kind of statement. Nice Dragons Finish Last is the first book of the Heartstrikers series (which is planned to have 4 or 5 books from what I have been able to find out) and such a creative take on dragons it will give you whiplash however somehow keeps staying true to the classic bad dragon image.




This witty combination of Urban, Fantasy, and Contemporary humor has totally caught me by surprise. Yes, after reading the synopsis I was already quite taken with the promise. A under performing Dragon about to get his ass whooped if he does not live up to the cunning and ruthless Dragon standards. The way Rachel Aaron has woven this story together is simply brilliant.

The Emperor's Edge Series by Lindsay Buroker

Friday, 15 April 2016


The Emperor's Edge Collection by Lindsay Buroker

You know when sometimes you feel like reading something a little different?
Something that has your favourite elements but does not constantly make you angsty? You know, simply a cleverly laid out adventure which a bunch of solid characters and no bull...? That is what The Emperor's edge was like for me. The series had me thoroughly entertained till the end, and that is no easy feat when it spans a full 7 books! Set in a world with strong steampunk elements and a dash of scifi, it is bound to fall a little out of the box but has something to suit almost anyone.

This review covers 7 main books in this series! (Though there are 8 if you count the follow up Republic)

Let me start by saying I love our main girl Amaranthe. She is smart, she is funny, and overall she does not feel sorry for herself whilst trying to turn each bad situation into an opportunity. She is not 'pretty' or 'special', but comes up with plans and acts on them, with or without help from the others which I can appreciate. She is creative too, which she demonstrates in  becoming a leader to a gang full of flawed guys. Pushing them all toward a goal benefiting each individual as well as help a kingdom filled with unrest. Man if that is not a kick ass accomplishment, I don't know what is..

Cornerstone (Cornerstone #1) by Misty Provencher

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Warning: This was suppose to be a review for Cornerstone, yet somehow I ended up reading all books in practically one sitting. It has thrown me off my usual format so you will  have to excuse me.. Actually, scratch that, I'd better not apologise as there is a pretty good chance it will happen again at some stage.. so yeah.. it may be slightly spoilery .



Cornerstone has been on my 'to read' list for at least a couple of years. I came across it as a recommendation based on previously read books and the synopsis sounded original and interesting. It really grabbed me. But then life got in the way, slowly pushing it further down my list and other books got scooted to the top as sequels kept coming out.

Finally, on a Friday I opened it up on my reader as I was sitting in the waiting room preparing to get my wisdom teeth removed. I can not tell you how glad I am that I did. I literally went on a reading binge for the following 4 days and blasted through the entire series (4 in all). Granted I was probably a little high from all the painkillers but I'm fairly sure they didn't impair my judgement to much..



It was simply unique, invigorating, touching and bitter-sweet. The books branch on a range of subjects in any young adults life as well as throw you into a fantastically imaginative world not found anywhere else. Misty Porvincher is most definitely not afraid of letting her readers stretch their imagination and take a bit of risk. It is not chewed out or easy to swallow but certainly refreshing in the current YA genre to have a writer not be afraid to go beyond the line. Though it is not all seriousness and crazy stuff.. it also shows a light and comical side..

The Divide (The Dreamland Series, #2) by E.J. Mellow

Thursday, 7 January 2016


The Divide
by E.J. Mellow


My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Divide has been on my list of most anticipated sequels for 2015. When it finally arrived in my mailbox I was ecstatic and slightly nervous. As the sequel to a smashing debut novel I was truly hoping it would live up to the awesomeness of the first book and that there would be a good chunk more of Devlin (though really the story was a reason enough of course hah!)...


descriptionThe Divide jumps right into where The Dreamer left off. Molly is on her way to be put under for a few days in order to get her training under way. And ohh do we get thrown straight back into it! We finally get to delve a little deeper into Terra and get introduced to whole heap more interesting gadgets and what not's. There are some truly tension packed scenes right up my ally and I am extremely glad that this is a NA novel and did not have to conform to YA fadeouts. It delivered on all of my TGTBT expectations  (for anyone wondering , it's short for 'To Good To Be True').

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles #2) by Ilona Andrews

Thursday, 12 November 2015


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ahhh I simply adore the Inkeeper Chronicles, you guys have no idea how happy I was when it got announced there will be more books to come!

Ever since I started reading Clean Sweep through the then hosted serial, I have been obsessively checking my email in the hopes another episode would have been posted. I devoured Sweep in Peace as soon as it followed. Luckily anyone that has missed out, the actual polished book form is to be released on the 13th of November pre-order here (awesome or what!).
  
We pick up a little while after Clean Sweep ended. Dina is in a bit of a slum. Sean Evans has left for the wider universe after one awesome kiss, making good on the favor he still owed. Neither is she any closer to finding out what happened to her parents or how she can get some much needed clientele into Gertrude Hunt. Then out of the blue she is proposed an offer she cant refuse when George knocks on her door in hopes of finding a place to host a peace summit (you will George and his team from the The Edge series which is funnily enough the first Ilona Andrews series I read and got me hooked on their work).

Breaking Measures by Emma Raveling

Friday, 25 September 2015

Release date is today! You can grab your copy through the below links:
 Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks Kobo

Breaking Measures by Emma Raveling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Watch the Trailer!


As soon as I heard Emma Raveling was releasing a prequel to another work in the making, I got extremely excited.

She is one of those rare writers that have an incredible talent with words that simply sweep you away with their lyrical descriptions. When I found out this was to be a contemporary novel, I was in two minds. Mostly because I was afraid that there would be a lack of imaginative story telling and leave me wanting.Could it really live up to her other work?


Any fears are completely unfounded though. Whilst Breaking Measures is indeed contemporary and has a completely different feel from her Ondine Quartet work, it still managed to completely capture me.

The story follows a young woman, Leila Cates. An up and coming Pianist who's striving to reach the expectations of her parents and the world around her. Though when one by one the steady parts in her life break, she comes to realize there is more going on behind the scenes then she has allowed herself to see. Pinned with the murder of her supposed boyfriend Carlo she desperately tries to unravel the knots and come to terms with the implications of what she uncovers.

The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers

Wednesday, 2 September 2015


The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
 

I have a bit of a weakness when it comes to tech/hacker stories. I absolutely love Person of Interest and sometimes I wish my computer skills (and my patience level) would be bad ass enough to go underground and pull down sites to make a point or uncovering secure info from a super secret government  


* kidding of course...  well sort off * 

 I had previously been fooled when I picked up Cipher, expecting a hacker heroin only to be faced with nill action and a case of bad instalove romance.

So when I read the summary of The Silence of Six I was immediately intrigued. Could it be? A book which might actually make true on the promise of hacker action, a believable conspiracy, skirting the edge of today's issues faced regarding transparency and privacy as well as deliver on credibility but keeping it interesting enough to not put you to sleep?

I think The Silence of Six  is the perfect mix of all of the above. 


The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos (Enlighten series #1) by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

Friday, 10 July 2015

The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos by Kristin D. Van Risseghem
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilletos is a ya/teen novel. It plays on the fantasy genre and follows Zoe, our protagonist who finds out she is destined to fulfill a world saving prophesy. She has a best friend Kieran, whom she later finds out is an angel and is in fact in love with her. However bad boy and half angel Shay comes in the picture and steals her heart as her potential soulmate instead. Both have been appointed to look over her as her 18th B-day is destined to reveal what she truly is and if she is capable to make true to the prophecy. Not only that, but her best friend is a faerie and is ordered by the summer court to guard her as well.



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