May Wrap-Up

I got to everything I wanted to read this month except Tsalmoth by Steven Brust. That one was iffy anyway, since I'm waiting on other people to get the audio book for the buddy read. 

 

If you've been following my blog you've probably already seen my review for Seed Money by B.E. Baker. I really loved this one!

  

4 of 5 stars

 

And you probably saw my review for The Will of the Many by James Islington, another book I ended up loving, and it got a rare 5 stars from me.

 

5 of 5 stars

 

I also posted a review for Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White. A book, I was sad to say, I was disappointed in.

 

No rating at this time

 

Also, I finished up Son of Avonar (The Bridge of D'Arnath #1) by Carol Berg and loved it so much! Carol Berg has a talent for writing some really heart wrenching stories that make you want to keep reading. I loved the characters in this book. I'll be posting a review for this later.

 

4.5 of 5 stars

 

I read the superb Hercule Poirot mystery, Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie. I really enjoyed this book. As of now, it ranks in my top ten Poirot books, which is surprising to me because Poirot doesn't really do all that much in this book. Originally, I was trying to review all the Poirot books along with a film version, but unfortunately it got to be too much for me to keep up with. I have watched all the ITV Poirot episodes of the books I've read though. Some of the books I've liked but not had a lot to say about. I'm hoping to make some reviews of the ones I liked the most, so maybe I'll end up posting a review for this one later.

 

4 of 5 stars

 

Our book club read was The House Witch (Volume 1) by Delemhach. I loved this charmingly funny book! My review will be coming soon.

 

4 of 5 stars 

 

I read the second book in the Space Janitor Series by Julia Huni, The Dust of Kaku. This one was ok, but lacked some of the elements I liked in book one. Namely the romance and the space station, as the main character is planet side for most of the book. Also, the narrator is not a favorite.

 

3 of 5 stars

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Murder Most Fair (Verity Kent #5) by Anna Lee Huber.

 

 4 of 5 stars

 

And last from my reading list,  I'm still reading The Book That Wouldn't Burn (The Library Trilogy #1) by Mark Lawrence. I've been reading this book a little at a time all month. It had a very slow start and didn't really pull me in until chapter 24 or 25. I'm still not loving it, but it isn't bad either.

 

As always, I ended up reading extras that weren't on my reading list. These were the extras I got to read-

I had forgotten to add the third book in the Dragonback series by Timothy Zahn, Dragon and Slave, to my reading list for May, but I did get started on it a couple of days ago.

 

 

I also read the second book in the Bridge of D'Arnath Series by Carol Berg, Guardians of the Keep. This book was heartbreaking at times, but un-put-downable! I was never sure how things were going to end up for the characters. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars (Series review to come.)

 

I read a novella in the Space Janitor Series by Julia Huni, that takes place between books one and two, The Trouble with Tinsel. It was a really cute story and I liked the narrator change because I didn't really care for the narrator for books one and two. I also enjoyed this story more than I did book two.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And finally, I enjoyed The House Witch by Delemhach so much that I went ahead and read the second volume.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

I hope you all have a great day! I'll be posting my reading list for June tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: No rating at this time
Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance
Content: Clean

 

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the man he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, but he doesn't count on falling in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. When war breaks out in Europe, and their relationship is put in jeopardy, will their love survive?

As Evie and Sterling work to track down an elusive German agent, they unravel mysteries that go back a generation. The ripples from the Great War are still rocking their lives, and it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

 

 

I've been trying to get through this book all month and I'm 65% in. I've tried not to push it, and just picked the book up when I felt in the mood for it, but I'm at the point now where I just don't want to pick it up anymore. So, I made the decision to stop reading it. Maybe I'll eventually get back to one day, but with a big list of books to read, I'm setting it aside for now.

This book incorporates two timelines. I'm not a huge fan of romances with dual timelines. The timelines in this book are set in 1942 and 1914. Originally, I decided to read this because I was hoping it would have the same type of feel as the Shadows Over England Series, and the Codebreakers series; romance and espionage with some historical fiction mixed in. Unfortunately, I found this one to be rather boring, and the stories from the two different timelines were too similar. There wasn't enough romance or espionage to make the story spark. Also, the characters in the 1914 timeline frustrated me. I know there were lies told by someone that they both wanted to trust, but I feel like one of them would have done more checking into the story. Why wouldn't Rem have contacted the Inn at least? Anyway, I'm not finished with the book, and maybe he eventually does, but from where I am, it doesn't seem like it. 

I do think that the author had a great idea to include characters from several of her series in this book. They make appearances at different points, and it was a nice surprise. It was probably the thing I liked the most about this book. It put a big smile on my face when Margot De Wilde from The Number of Love was mentioned.

This author's books are all over the spectrum for me. I absolutely love two of her series and count them as favorites. Then there is one series that I liked a lot, but didn't love. There are also two that I never finished, and now this standalone that I've decided to give up on. Usually, when I love something by an author, I consistently love most everything they write, or at least like everything they write enough to keep reading, so this is an odd case here. I'll continue to read her books though, because I absolutely love them when they click with me, and there are some beautiful messages in her Shadows Over England and Codebreakers series.

Two Beautiful New Releases

I got these new releases today! I had to get a hardcover copy of The Will of the Many for my library, and I'm buddy reading The Shadow Casket in June. 

 

 

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1) by James Islington

  

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language, Torture, Mass killing (none of these elements are done in a very graphic way)

 

 

 The Catenan Republic – the Hierarchy – may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus – what they call Will – to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.

I read The Shadow of What was Lost by this author a couple of years ago, and ended up disappointed in it. I didn't think the story was bad, but it just didn't wow me the way I was hoping it would. So, I had decided that maybe this author just wasn't for me, and I didn't pay much attention to this book when it was announced. That is, until I saw my Goodreads friend, Petrik talk about it on his YouTube channel. Then I saw my friend Niki Hawkes talk about it on hers as well, and I thought maybe I should pay some attention to it. So I ended up adding it to my to-read list. I have to tell you that I am so glad I ended up reading this book! The story pulled me in right from the beginning and I just couldn't put it down. This is one of the best books I've read in a while. If you like dark academia, or magic school type fantasy books, then you will probably love this one.

This is a Roman inspired series, and I liked that about it. It felt a little different from some of the other books I've read, and I found the use of other people's will in the magic to be both intriguing and horrifying. There were several events in this book that were surprises, especially the one at the end. I didn't expect that at all, and now I can't wait to read the next book. 

I thought the author was good at creating characters that I could care about and sympathize with, while also creating a world that was interesting, with a plot that was compelling with unexpected elements.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a ARC of this book.

Lost Planet Homicide by Larry Correia

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi
Content: Strong Language

A lost colony planet, a perplexing murder, and a dogged homicide cop in this Audible Original story from best-selling author Larry Correia.

When the biggest colony ship in human history was sent to settle a paradise world, an accident hurtled it deep into uncharted space. A thousand light years from Earth, with no way home and no way to call for help, the colonists’ only hope for survival was the one barely habitable planet in range, a nightmare world they named Croatoan. Landing on the only five mountain peaks tall enough to rise above the lethal acid clouds, the settlers carved a civilization from the rock.

A hundred years later, Five Points has grown into a city of corruption and violence. With powerful corporations ruling the surface domes and criminal syndicates running the caverns below, murder is just the cost of doing business.

So when a Special Magistrate is found dissolving in a protein vat, it barely registers - until DCI Lutero Cade, the last honest cop in Five Points, catches the case. What he finds could threaten the colony’s very existence.

Or, at the very least, Cade himself.

 

After not loving Monster Hunter International I wanted to give Larry Correia another chance. I really enjoy space mysteries, so I thought this might be a good option.

Overall this was just ok to me. The main character goes around and investigates, but I don't think there were enough clues or misdirection. I felt like I was just reading a story that told me what happened, but didn't invite me to try and guess anything.

I definitely think the book is way too short to do a mystery justice. I know there are mystery authors that have pulled off pretty good mysteries in a short format, but I don't think Larry Correia is one of them. I still might listen to the second one though.

 

 

 

 

Seed Money (The Scarsdale Fosters #1) by B. E. Baker

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Content: Loss of an unborn child; Infertility; Loss of spouse, parents, and other family members

 

Some people have all the luck, but so far, Seren’s has all been bad.

Seren Colburn's had nothing but bad luck her entire life, so she's not surprised when Dave, a possible buyer for her family mansion, mistakes her for a vagrant squatting in the unfurnished home. If she wasn't about to lose her movie-star grandmother’s house to the bank, she wouldn't even be selling it.

But after he realizes Seren’s the owner, Dave has an idea.

He suggests they work together to turn the mansion into an inn, capitalizing on her grandmother's graceful and timeless image. Seren really doesn’t want to, but she's out of options. Dave quickly realizes he wants her as more than just a business partner, but can he convince Seren that her luck’s about to change. . .if only she'll take a chance on him?

 

I was excited to start another contemporary romance series by Bridget E. Baker. I've loved her Finding Home Series and her Birch Creek Ranch Series, and I think she shines the most as an author when she writes this type of book. I had a hard time putting this book down, and I ended up breezing right through it in just over a day!

I like the way we're introduced to Seren in the book. The way she and Dave meet is really cute and funny! Overall, I liked the humor in the book. There are some seriously devastating events that have happened in Seren's past and I was tearing up a couple of times, but the humor added a nice balance to the story so those parts didn't weigh it down too much. 

Seren and Dave both have big hearts, and it was good to read a book that included fostering. My parents fostered a couple of times when I was a teen. They weren't orphans, but they came from homes that they were temporarily removed from, and they were much younger than the boy in this book, but I could still relate to the subject matter, and I can still remember how much my parents wanted to adopt the little boy they fostered for a whole year, starting at 18 months old. There was a bond that grew there. Eventually he ended up being able to go back and live with his dad, and it was both a happy and a sad thing for my parents.

If there were any negatives about the book, I would have to say the events in the book felt a little more rushed than I would have liked. Also, there was too much gushing done by Dave over Seren, but other than that, this was a great book that I really loved. At first I thought things might have worked out too perfectly for everyone in the book, but I think this is the rainbow after the storm for both Seren and Dave—especially Seren. The storm just happened before this story, and the story is about the beautiful and healing part after.

This is definitely a setup kind of book. It sets up the relationship between Seren and Dave, and the beginning of fostering. I'm not sure if subsequent books in the series will be about Dave and Seren adopting more children, or if they will be about other couples, but I'm looking forward to finding out. 

 

Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planned reads for May

Here is my May reading list. 

 

The planned buddy reads at Fantasy Buddy Reads are-

The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence. 

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from NetGalley and also a hardcover copy from a Goodreads giveaway. 

 

Tsalmoth (Vlad Taltos #16) by Steven Brust. 

We started buddy reading this series in chronological order over a year ago, and then we all got busy I guess and never finished it. This is a new release and it just so happened to fit in right where we left off chronologically, so we are attempting to buddy read it. 

 

Over in the Mystery Book Club we have these two to read-

The Dust of Kaku (Space Janitor #2) by Julia Huni

 

Murder Most Fair (Verity Kent #5) by Anna Lee Huber

 

Also our book club book for this month- 

The House Witch by Delemhach

 

My Pick it for Me book for May-

Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White

 

A NetGalley ARC I plan to read this month-

The Will of the Many by James Islington

 

 

A new B. E. Baker book that I got an ARC for-

Seed Money (The Scarsdale Fosters #1) by B. E. Baker

 

And the Hercule Poirot book I want to read-

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie