Review: Beastly Bones By William Ritter

Title/ Author: Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2) by William Ritter
Rating: 5/5 stars
Genre: Historical, supernatural, mystery
Synopsis: “I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Review:

*ARC Review*

Thoughts on the Overall Book: So anyone who follows my reviews will know how much I have been waiting for this one. I think that's explanation enough. And it didn't disappoint.

Cover--Yea or Nay: I love the covers for these, I think they are very pretty.

Characters: What else can I say? I adore Jackaby and Abigail. Abigail is a lovely narrator and I continue to love her just as much in this book as the first one, and Jackaby is just such a fun, eccentric character and the way Abigail describes him makes him even more so. I was glad we got to see Charlie again in this book, as he is definitely one of my favorite characters and I liked him just as much in this one too. This book had quite a few new characters introduced who I really liked as well. Mr. Hudson the trapper was fun to meet, as well as the two paleontologists who were constantly at each other's throats--very reminiscent of your typical archeologists of the day. My favorite though was the reporter, Nellie Fuller (view spoiler) She was just a really awesome, spunky female character, the kind I love to pop up in stories like this. So many awesome characters in one cast, and perhaps a new official nemesis? So excited to see where the plot goes with the pale man.

The Romance: (view spoiler)

Writing Style: Just as awesome as the first one. Abigail might be one of my favorite female narrators. Her descriptions are witty and enjoyable to read, she doesn't have an attitude, and I have no complaints being stuck in her head. While the first one might have been more frightening and presented a scarier villain, I still really enjoyed the mystery in this one, and while I guessed a couple things, several of the clues jumped out at me and the way two seemingly unrelated cases melded together was very cool. It's fast-paced without seeming to be just filled with action, and had a well-plotted storyline just like the first.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not really applicable here.

Problems/What bothered me: My only problem is that I wish it was longer! Not because it needed to be, but because I hate having to finish another Jackaby book!

Conclusion: 5 stars. LOVED IT! This is definitely a new favorite series of mine. The end promised interesting things to come, and can I just say that I am very sad to hear about the demise of Jackaby's nymph-made yeti wool hat.

Recommended Audience: If you enjoyed the first one, you will love this one as well. Fans of supernatural mysteries must try these! Girl or guy read ages 13 and up.

(Read this Review with Spoilers on Goodreads) 

BookCon/ May Book Haul

So, I usually just put the books I aquired during each month in my wrap up post, but this time, I thought it best to do just a BookCon NY trip haul post because I got a bunch of books and wanted to do a special post for them.

I will have another post up soon about my BookCon experience and a sort of survival guide to those who wish to do it next year, but pretty much, I had an awesome time. I met up with my friend and fellow blogger, Mara from The Reading Hedgehog and we had fun exploring New York together and experiencing BookCon. She will also be writing a BookCon post soon, that I will link to this one when she gets it up. We also got to meet another fellow blogger, Kel from Booked Til Tuesday who gave us BookCon tips and brought us lunch (Thanks again!) But more about that in my other post, this one is about my loot. While in NY Mara and I had to visit The Strand which was just as amazing as promised.  Three stories of tight rows of shelves is pretty much a booklover's dream. I didn't buy as many books there as I could have, but it was awesome.

Here's some pictures of everything. I hauled 22 books in May between books that I bought at BookCon and The Strand and books that I got free at BookCon and ones people gave me. Some of these were ones that I brought to get signed so not all of them I bought this month but I'll list everything below.

These are all the books I got signed

Getting books signed at BookCon was harder than expected (more about that in my next post). I actually missed Maggie Stiefvater's autographing session but I met up with her by chance afterward and she was kind enough to signed them all for me (Thanks again Maggie!) But apart from that I really enjoyed getting to meet Courtney Alameda (Shutter) and Michael Buckley (Undertow) They were both awesome and I really look forward to reading Michael's new book. I was sad that I didn't get the opportunity to get my copy of The Maze Runner signed by James Dashner, but I did get to see him in panel and he too is a very awesome fellow.

Other books that I bought

Free Books!

And of course all the swag I picked up. I got lots of buttons too, but those are already on my bag.

And without further ado, here is all the books I hauled this month:

Books given to me or that I got for free:

#1: Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (This was given to me by Mara)

#2: Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2) by William Ritter (Also given to me by Mara--thank you!!!!)

#3: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 

#4: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (Both of these were also given to me by Mara)

#5: Undertow by Michael Buckley (Free with the signing at BookCon)

#6: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (BookCon giveaway)

#7: Feral Nights (The Feral Series #1) by Cynthia Leitich Smith (BookCon giveaway)

#8: Reawakened by Coleen Houck (BookCon ARC giveaway)

#9: The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick (BookCon Giveaway)

#10: Demon Dentist by David Walliams (BookCon ARC giveaway)

Books I bought:

#11: The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns #2) by Rae Carson

#12: The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson

#13: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige 

#14: The Finisher (Vega Jane #1) by David Baldacci

#15: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

#16: This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

#17: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

#18: Shutter by Courtney Alameda

#19: Nether Isle by Nicoline Evans 

#20: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson 

#21: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

#22: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

So that's my haul! Definitely can't wait to read all the new books I got. Now I just have to find shelf space for them!

I'll be back later with my BookCon experience post. 

Slainte, Hazel

May Wrap Up 2015

First off, I'm very sorry I didn't get any reviews up this month. I was so busy writing and all the blogging I did was for my other blog Tales From a Modern Bard (If you haven't checked out the recent challenge stories that I posted, do so! We had some awesome stories this time around and some new writers!) On the plus side, I did finish the first draft of the second book in the Modern Tales of Na Fianna series, An Earthly King. I'll be looking for beta readers to the first one Blood Ties at the end of June but I'll talk more about that later.

Of course, I also have been getting ready for BookCon! By the time this post is put up, I'll either be there or be home from there, and will be making a seperate post all about it and my BookCon Haul which I know will be massive.

So, I'll just post a quick list of my reads for the month as usual. Only read 5 because of everything else, but I did read a lot of good ones, so I can't complain.

#1: The Luck Uglies (The Luck Uglies #1) by Paul Durham (3/5 stars)
#2: Blue Bloods (Blue Blood #1) by Melissa de la Cruz (2/5 stars)
#3: Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian (4/5 stars)
#4: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson (4/5 stars)
#5: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (4/5 stars)



Favorite Reads of the Month

Red Queen
Tunnel Vision


I will be back soon with the BookCon post! So excited to share my experience with you!

April Wrap Up 2015

Back with another wrap up already! April seemed to go by really fast, but thankfully I got so much more work done this month than I did last month and finally got back into writing my second Na Fianna novel as well, which I'm aiming to finish by the end of May before summer starts.

This month I read 9 books, which was way more than I was hoping to, so that made me happy :) (also, I'm hoping to start posting more pictures on my blog, since now I have a better phone camera that makes it sooo much easier to upload pics.)

#1: Downfall (Cal Leandros #9) by Rob Thurman (4/5 stars)

#2: Fairest (Lunar Chronicles #.05) by Marissa Meyer (4/5 stars)

#3: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (4/5 stars)

#4: K-9 (Knightly and Son #2) by Rohan Gavin (3/5 stars)

#5: Shutter by Courtney Alameda (4/5 stars)

#6: Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne (3.5/5 stars)

#7: Call of the Wild by Jack London (3/5 stars) This was my classic book club read of the month.

#8: Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (3/5 stars)

#9: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Reese Brennan (3.5/5 stars)

Favorite Reads of the Month

Downfall

The Replacement

Shutter

I'll have the reviews for these up sometime later this month so keep an eye out!

I was good with my book buying this month, (because next month at BookCon is going to be ridiculous) even though everything were splurge buys, I only bought four. I found another used bookshop where I got two, and then I made a trip to B&N because I bought my brother a giftcard for his bday (tactical) 

#1: Summer Knight (Dresden Files #4) by Jim Butcher

#2: The Navigator by Eoin McNamee

#3: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Girl of Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

#4: Penny Dreadfuls This is a B&N anthology of classic horror stories. It has an awesome selection in it!

Also for those of you not following my Twitter, I finally got my baby hedgehog this month! His name is Horatio.

So next month I will be going to BookCon in NY so there will be a special book haul wrap up for that. I really look forward to sharing my experience with you all. If anyone else is going to BookCon, please let me know! 

Book Review: "A Darker Shade of Magic" by V. E. Schwab

Title/ Author: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis: Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit. 

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

Review:

Thoughts on the Overall Book: In short, AMAZING. In fact, it's the best book I have read so far this year, and I've read a lot of good ones.

Cover--Yea or Nay: To be honest, the cover does nothing more me, in fact it's not the kind of thing I would pick up unless I took time to look at it, but it's not eye-grabbing, the title would do more to spark my interest, but the cover is rather bland.

Characters: I loved Kell, he was a great hero, because he's kind of quiet, he takes time to think but he also has a lot of little human quirks and insecurities that make him a relatable character. Sometimes he seemed older than he was and sometimes younger, but he fast became a very likable character to me. I also really liked Lila. Like most of Victoria Schwab's leading ladies, she was smart and practical, without having that 'I'm a kick butt female heroine with an attitude' vibe. She easily fits the profile of my favorite female characters, and her spunk and snark only made it better. I don't always like female thieves, but Lila was awesome and actually reminded me a bit of Parker from the show Leverage which is a huge plus as it's one of my favorite shows. I also liked Rhy, even if he is sort of a playboy, he's also a decent prince; even more I LOVED the brotherly relationship between him and Kell. Even though they are only foster brothers, they acted like real blood brothers, and the brother feels were love in this book. They made me very happy.

As for the villains...amazing. Holland was cold and creepy, but yet, I also ended up feeling sorry for him having to serve the twins, and being pretty much owned by them. He was actually a character I wished we had gotten to see more of in the story, I think he had a lot of layers and I was a bit sad that we didn't spend more time with him. Astrid and Athos on the other hand were just plain creepy. Seriously, they sent shivers up my spine, and that's why I loved them. They were bloody good villains, because you knew they would carry out their threats, and they did, and I was on the edge of my seat by the end of this book, just wondering how it would all turn out.

The Romance: Hardly any to report, though there's a little bit of attraction between Kell and Lila and a couple kisses. Apart from that, nothing.

Writing Style: Okay, so I warn you this will be a long section. Victoria Schwab is one of my favorite authors. I have loved every book of hers a read, and I think I've mostly read them all. Her YA books are really good, but her 'adult' books are amazing. Even now,Vicious is on the list of best books I have read and this one is going there too. There's just something about the way she puts characters you can care about and relate to into these amazing worlds that are so different from anything else that honestly blows my mind, and that doesn't happen a lot at all. Her books are so unique that they will always stand out because you'll probably never find anything like them. The whole multiple dimensions of London thing? Strange on paper, but it works, and it's awesome. My favorite kinds of fantasy novels are the ones that go away from the norm and this one did that very well. It was interesting, it worked, the magic made sense, and on top of that, the writing style itself was beautiful as usual. The characters were great, the storyline was engaging and unpredictable, I honestly wasn't sure how it was going to end for a while and that's what I love most in books.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not applicable.

Problems/What bothered me: Nothing really, it was kind of one of those books you go along for the ride with.

Conclusion: 5 of 5 stars. Loved it! Loved it a lot. And seriously, where can I get a coat like Kell's? I need one.

Recommended Audience: If you have enjoyed Victoria Schwab's books and have not read this one, read it. You're missing out. Gril or guy read, ages 18 and up due to some dark themes.

Review: The Cure For Dreaming by Cat Winters

Title/Author: The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
Genre: YA, historical, supernatural
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis: Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Review:

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I usually avoid suffragist books like the plague, but this one was actually enjoyable, and Cat Winters gives us another interesting supernatural sort of read that was not disappointing in the least.

Cover--Yea or Nay: I love the cover, I think it's really cool, the font is beautiful, and it's just the kind of things that makes me want to pick up a book, as the time period is obvious.

Characters: Olivia is an enjoyable protagonist. Mostly, I liked how she was a strong female character, but even though she's into women's suffrage, she's still not a rampant man-hating harpy like so many of them are. She just wants to make her own way in the world, and I respect that. There were a few times I didn't totally agree with her, but for the most part, I didn't have any complaints on her character. Her father on the other hand, I enjoyed hating. At first I wasn't sure whether he was a more misunderstood character or not, but as the book progressed, I could not forgive him for what he did to his own daughter. There is no excuse for that, it's just disgusting. Then there was Percy, who I saw coming a mile away, but he wasn't so terrible that I spent a whole lot of time hating on him. I loved Henry, as is probably to be expected. He was just the kind of male characters I always fall in love with. And his devotion and the loving relationship he shared with his sister made me like him more. (view spoiler) As for supporting characters, I also liked Frannie and her family, and Percy's other friends were so fun to dislike.

The Romance: There's not a ton of romance here, and no love triangles, thankfully. As is pretty obvious, Olivia and Henry end up forming an attachment to each other, and there's kissing involved, but it never gets so mushy that it's annoying and takes over the plot. I was very invested in their relationship, and I thought it very sweet.

Writing Style: Cat Winters is a very good writer, what I love especially is how she is able to capture a time period so well that it really feels like you're in it. This was not nearly as dark as In the Shadow of Blackbirds but it was just as well written, and still had a strange supernatural twist to it, even though there were sadly no ghosts in this one. I really loved how she described the way Olivia was able to see things after her hypnotism, it was very vivid and it worked for me. You have to know going into this book that it's going to be a little strange, but that's part of the joy.

Accuracy/ Believability: Very accurate as far as the time period. I would have liked an author's or historical note in the back, but from what I know of the time period anyway, it seemed pretty much very well done. Of course the hypnotism stuff isn't exactly real to life, but it gives the story a cool twist.

Problems/What bothered me: I probably never would have read this book had it not been recommended to me by a friend I trust, because I do not read suffragist novels, but this one was the most if not the only, tasteful suffragist novel ever. Yes, there were still a couple parts that had my eyes rolling, but I think it captured the softer side, and through Olivia who just simply wanted to be able to make her own way in the world, it was bearable. It was certainly not a rampant man-hater novel, and I respect Cat Winters for that.

Conclusion: 4/5 stars. Enjoyable book. Not sure whether I liked this one or In the Shadow of Blackbirds better, but I am really looking forward to the next novel Cat Winters comes out with.

Recommended Audience: Girl read 16 and up. Fans of gothic supernatural historical novels would enjoy it. Definitely check this out if you also liked In the Shadow of Blackbirds

(Read this review with spoilers on Goodreads) 

March 2015 Wrap Up

Hey everyone! This came a day late because I wasn't ready for it to be April today haha :P Anyway, here's my March wrap up. This was a super busy and stressful month for me, so I didn't get a whole lot of reading done, and nor have I even finished half of my reviews either. I've been working on other projects and beta-reading for people so I did as much as I could.

I finished six books in March and started a seventh but I did enjoy all the ones I read.

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab (5/5 stars)
2. Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Neilson (4/5 stars)
3. The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London #3) by Maureen Johnson (4/5 stars)
4. Prowlers (Prowlers #1) by Christopher Golden (3.5/5 stars)
5. Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker (4/5 stars)
6. The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (3/5 stars)

Favorite Reads of the Month

A Darker Shade of Magic
Beware the Wild


I did buy a few books this month because I made one trip to B&N and stumbled upon another used book store. Only acquired six books though so I was good, and one was actually given to me and another my mom bought me because she wanted to read it.

1. Dead Wake by Erik Larson 
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (the beautiful B&N hardback addition)
3. Fairest (Lunar Chronicles #1.5) by Marissa Meyer
4. Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
5. Pagan's Crusade (Pagan #1) by Catherine Jinks
6. Stargazer (Land of Elyon #4) by Patrick Carmen

What was everyone else's favorite reads/releases this month? Mine was definitely A Darker Shade of Magic it's the best book I've read this year so far. I'll have the review up before too long, or you can read it on Goodreads. I hope everyone has a good April!

Slainte, Hazel