Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1)
Author Isaac Marion
ebook, 256 pages
Published April 26th 2011

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.
R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

I think I have fairly mentioned before that I hated zombie flicks/stories. But not anymore. I have read a couple of books featuring zombies and this is by far the most eloquent, if not, vindictive characterization of a zombie. And I love it.

While I refrained from watching the film adaptation of Warm Bodies, I consider myself lucky to be one of the readers of this Isaac Marion brain-eating macabre masterpiece. The story coming from R was full of passion, as if he really was speaking from his heart, or the lack thereof (initially, that is).

Although I was on the verge of spewing coffee & food all over my Kindle while reading , I managed to control my emotions and soon I developed a love-hate relationship with R. Yes, that gory zombie who had a hole in his stomach and had decaying flesh. That walking-but-no-talking zombie who ate the brain of a certain young man, then soon fell in love with Julie, who happened to be the girlfriend of the said certain young man. Never mind that Julie was alive and kicking, but she did made R felt more human than ever before. Oh yes, what a mouthful, eh?!

The ending of the story was a little rushed, but I am not complaining. Seeing that Julie became an instrument for R to become alive and kicking again, it didn't bother me anymore if I have stumbled upon a lot of cuss words.

Because seriously, this is one of the best written zombie novel I have ever read. Yes, I repeat, I haven't watched the movie.. but NO, I have no intention of watching it anytime soon. Because I still want to bask in all those gory details that Isaac Marion had instilled on my mind. He is sick! But he is definitely a great writer.

Betrayers of Magic

Title: Betrayers of Magic
Author: Lynette Creswell
Kindle edition
Published 2013

Finding the separation from her immortal people too much to bear, Crystal soon returns to the Kingdom of Nine Winters. Her homecoming coincides with the Feast of the Four Quarters Festival where the magical realms come together to choose this year’s new apprentices who will join, if chosen, the Supreme Circle of Mages. On this very special day, the princess meets a bold and courageous apprentice named Niculmus DeGrunt who is like no one she has ever met before but is there something sinister lurking behind those mysterious dark brown eyes? 

Outside the city, trouble is brewing and there is unrest within those who deem themselves above the law. Conspirators take matters into their own hands and soon the royal family is forcibly separated. Everything will hang in the balance when Crystal has no choice but to search for the lost Book of Souls and free the fourth mage from inside it.
Beware! The power of the revengeful mage is about to be unleashed ...

Finally, I got my hands on this sequel and I must say, it was a tremendous  journey to the Kingdom of Nine Winters.

The protagonist, Crystal found her way back to the magical realm after her father fetched her from the mortal world. She and Matt (her special human friend) were at odds before she left, she only wanted what was best for him, and that was his safety.

Back in the Winters Kingdom, Queen Amella was reunited with her daughter, just in time for the Festival of Four Quarters, where there had been the so-called Trial of Apprentices. There she met the brooding, excellent and mysterious mage, Niculmus. Although their first encounter ended up with a kiss and Crystal in tears, things turned differently when they saw each other again as apprentices of Professor Valentine. I actually liked Niculmus… a lot! I liked him way better than Matt who was my first choice in Book 1 (Sinners of Magic).

Crystal’s life in the magical realm proved to be quite challenging and full of obstacles. Aside from being able to sense danger or see certain visions, she discovered her new ability to heal using her fingertips. It was fun to see old characters again like Amafar, Voleton, Arhdel, Tremlon, Bridgemear and even Lilura! There were new interesting characters introduced, new allies and villains and mythical creatures. I loved how The Wanderer was initially described: a prisoner like no other, someone to be afraid of.

The kelpies, the firebird, the plainwalker, the dragons and elves, all with striking personalities that kept me interested. There was also the Satyr, and Clump, the Windigo, who was very likeable. Although windigos or changelings were supposed to be monstrous and conniving, I couldn’t help but like Clump, who is very different from the rest. He served Crystal well, and when it was time for him to go, I cried alongside the princess.

Elveria, the cunning traitor mage, was every bit of a villain, no wonder I never liked him even in the first book. The twist in the end made me hate him more. Sorry, I know Hate is such a strong word, but when you get to read this book, I assure you, all your emotions will come out. That’s how effective Lynette Creswell’s storytelling is.

Betrayers of Magic is the sequel that would bring you to tears, make you sigh, give an evil eye, mutter incomprehensible words,  and will have you scream for more. It was definitely worth every penny. This had been a marvelous sequel and I cannot wait for Book 3. I’m giving Betrayers of  Magic 5 stars!

unstoppable

this is my so-called life

Red Is An Attitude

Title: Red Is An Attitude
Author: Kathy Lynn Hall
Kindle Edition
Published April 2012

Lydia “Red” Talbot continues her adventures with Mac, her late husband who has now been re-incarnated as a Great Dane puppy; Joe, the hot handyman and her new paramour; and the residents of her inherited trailer park and the Gold Country city of Nuggetville. She and Joe take a pet-friendly cruise to Mexico, bringing along Mac. A new mystery springs up onboard and Red becomes embroiled in solving it, but trouble follows her back to Nuggetville. Mac isn’t a ghost any longer, so a new spirit arrives to help Red through the most dangerous of her escapades.

As expected, Red had saved the day! Lydia “Red” Talbot was taken to a surprise cruise, courtesy of her chef-handyman-lover. There she met various characters, like Miss Barbie, who was after Sugar Daddy Henry’s money, who was also taken by surprise by her wife, Agatha. There are also new couples on board, Trevor and Elaine particularly, who was kind of a little aloof at the start, but turned into a helluva woman in the end.

During her adventure, Joe and Mac were always by her side. Mac, the Great Dane dog, was the reincarnation of Red’s dead husband. When trouble was brewing inside the ship, (a pitcher almost went down on her head, and she was almost thrown overboard), a new spirit appeared and warned Red. The Misfortunes, apparently followed her to Nuggetville, where her trailer park, The Springs was located. It seemed like wherever Red is, trouble is not far behind. Another attempt on her life may just be the reason for her to leave The Springs… Or is it?

I LOVED this sequel to Red Mojo Mama. It was hilarious, exciting and still full of mystery. It definitely made me think the whole night, who could be after Lydia again. The answer came as a surprise when I discovered who the real culprit was.

Another 5 ***** review for Miss Kathy Lynn Hall. Looking forward to reading more of Red soon! Please, write a third book already

Sucker Literary

Title: Sucker Literary
by Various Authors, compiled by Hannah Goodman
Kindle edition
Published March 2013

When Alex’s bandmates invite a girl to sing lead, a battle of the sexes becomes a battle over something unexpected. . .
A girl tells her friend about hooking up with longtime crush Fred, but his kisses are not what makes that night in his car memorable. . .
A therapy session with Doug might just make Jason go insane again. . .
Wallfower Aubrey hooks up with Gordon after the cast party, which would be fine if he weren’t the most forbidden fruit of them all…
Savannah certainly doesn’t sound like a convicts name, so maybe hanging out with her isn’t all that dangerous.
Miki is committed to getting over Dex, yet she can’t get him off her answering machine—or her doorstep.
In between puffs of cigarettes and attempts to smear lipstick on her face, Allie’s grandmother dishes out advice that maybe Allie should take. . .
And finally, what’s a girl to do with Satan as both her boss and father?
Nine short stories pose the questions we obsess over whether we’re growing up or all grown up: Who should I love? Am I doing the right thing? Is there ever an end to heartbreak? In its second volume, SUCKER continues to showcase the very best emerging talent in young adult literature and give (some of) the answers to Life’s Big Questions along the way.

A collection of YA stories that would make you cry, melt your heart and wish for more.

The different stories of love, acceptance, forgiveness, inspiration and redemption are masterfully written in this anthology that doesn't suck at all. Kudos to the writers who have finally found their niche and are slowly making waves in literature.

I particularly loved The Missing Ingredient, a love story of musical sorts. Alex thought his three-piece band was enough but when a girl decided to join the loop, his feelings had gone haywire. Will they find harmony along the way?

My next favorite is A Little Bit of Sunshine, or what I would love to call, When Allie Saw Henry. Two young teens found each other again when the girl cut classes to have her teeth checked, as ordered by her pesky grandmother, then ran into the boy of her dreams at a restaurant. I admit, I never liked her grandmother but in the end, she redeemed herself for helping her granddaughter realize that love was just around the corner.

The other love story I liked was about Miki and Dex, who seemed to have a cat-and-dog love affair. Miki was intent on breaking up with Dex, but the man was bent on getting her back.

The other stories, Day Pass and Dark Angel deserved to become full-length novels. I'd really love to read more! Savannah the prisoner intrigued me a lot, while the twin fallen angels made their way to my heart after saving a little boy. I wonder how their Father would react.

Angels and Serendipity tore my heart. A woman who lost her mom to cancer, managed to save a life from the attack on the World Trade Center. It was truly a heart-melting scene; I cried during and after reading it.

I'd love to go on and on and on, but I think it is already suffice to say that all the stories here in Sucker Literary are brilliant! To sum it up, I'm giving this anthology genius five stars!

5***** Highly recommended!

Priceless by Shannon Mayer

Title: Priceless (A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery) Rylee Adamson # 1
Author: Shannon Mayer
Kindle edition
Published November 2012

When children go missing without a trace, there is only one person who can find them.
Welcome to the world of Rylee Adamson, a woman with unique abilities, some wild friends and a unstoppable drive to save those who can’t save themselves.
But when the details of a missing child duplicate that of her worst case, things start to get freaky. And not in a good way.

The heroine, Rylee Adamson, is a badass, no holds-barred, brave Tracker, one who was able to track and find missing kids. These kids were either lost here or were transported to the other side of The Veil. Her ability to track came to her when she lost her sister Berget, at a park one fine day. Since then, she met and made friends with Milly, a strong witch; and Giselle, a psychic who helped both Rylee and Milly harness their gifts.

And then there’s Agent Liam O’Shea. An FBI agent who has been following Rylee for 10 years for allegedly killing her younger sister. If not for the case of missing sister, I’d say that Agent O’Shea was a stalker, what with all the tracking device he planted on Rylee’s jeep and all.

When Agent O’Shea’s partner was killed supernaturally with his bullet, Rylee knew that it was only a matter of time before he discovered her true nature and the real world she was in. Soon, the two joined forces, with a werewolf, ogre, daywalker, and a harpy as unlikely allies. Together they battled a sisters-act tandem of harpies, a team of FBI agents, and a coven of evil witches.

The question is, would they be able to find the missing kids or would their case be turned cold in the end?Friends, allow me to say that Priceless may well be one of Shannon Mayer’s best book ever. She clearly has what it takes to become one of the greatest authors of her generation. I definitely love this fantastical world she has created, with supernatural characters I have come to love.

This action-packed, mind-blowing first book in a series is already making waves in Amazon, with more than 200 reviews, mostly with 5 stars ratings. And so here goes another one.

Yes, I’m giving Rylee Adamson my priceless 5 stars because she earned it.

motherhood

Flying Lessons

Title: Flying Lessons

Author: Francis Potts

Kindle edition

Published August 2011

A love story of sorts. When Swann was referred to the psychiatric clinic for assessment, he assumed it was purely routine. But then he met Alison.

To say that this novel is great is an understatement. Let me tell you the truth. Flying Lessons is a spectacular book, something every reader should have in their shelves, something every bookworm should read.

The story revolved around Mr. Swann and his dream of flying someday. He asked for sleeping pills to help ease his agitation, but soon he was sent to a psychiatrist for further evaluation. The first day he went to the specialist was the first time she met Alison, in flesh and in picture.

After stealing her photograph, Swann's previous feeling that something great was about to happen, came true. It was the start of his affair and flying lessons with Alison.

In a relationship, Swann was the type of guy who was naive, submissive and innocent. He asked the pertinent questions, he only answered Yes or No and did not further elaborate with his replies, he made sure that he pleased Alison and the other people around him.

And the other people included Mrs. Strange. She was quite a character. She stripped her clothes in front of Mr. Swann, she sorted out her birds and smoked a lot.

When Alison, one day, failed to appear at their usual rendezvous, Swann felt that he was not in control with his life. He soon stopped showing up at Mrs. Strange's bird sanctuary, grew weary & restless. He even did breaking and entering! And the result: he jumped from a second floor window, thought that he was going to fly.

And then he saw Alison again at a hospital. Soon we learned about Alison's idiosyncrasies and condition.

Flying Lessons has a lot of morals. It teaches you to look beyond the appearance, to look deeper. It teaches you that the grandest ambition can start in a simple dream. It teaches you love without boundaries. It tells you that even the craziest man and woman can fall in love and build dreams together.

Here's one of the best lines or quotes I loved in the book:

Unromantic bastard. Here we are, falling in love, and you don't even want me to hold your hand.
-Alison

My rating for Flying Lessons: 5 stars!

The Ex-Factor

Review: # 26

Title: The Ex-Factor

Author: Andrea Semple

Paperback, 304 pages
Published October 2005

FROM THE BACK COVER

When Martha Seymore finds out about her boyfriend Luke’s one-night-stand she doesn’t know what to do. And Martha’s business is relationships. As sex columnist at Gloss magazine, she gets paid to sympathise with the cheated and jilted, the under sexed and over attached. Realising she’s just as clueless as her hapless readers is hard. Also, there’s the distinctly unattractive prospect of admitting a failed relationship to her oh so perfect friend, Desdemona.

Worse, Desdemona’s new fiancé is Alex.

Martha’s first ex-boyfriend, who, infuriatingly, has matured rather better than expected. Tired of always doing the right thing, Martha starts to wonder whether her new flatmate has the right approach to relationships after all: is the best way to get one man off your mind to get another one into your bed?

In a world full of surprises, Martha was really in for the shock of her life when 1) Luke, her boyfriend of two years admitted to have been unfaithful and 2) that the woman he was having an affair with was Martha's friend, Desdemona 3) whose boyfriend was Martha's ex-boyfriend, Alex. A juicy rollercoaster love triangle, isn't it?

I have already an idea about the whole story after having read the back-book cover. Yeah, it's really quite predictable. But I still didn't put the book down after getting to Chapter 5 and onwards. There's still the "intriguing factor" that Andrea Semple have induced on each character and how Martha ended up with ---- came with a few surprising twists that had me laughing out loud

Honestly, I was first attracted to the book cover - those three toothbruses re-enacting a scene - is really cute! My two kids, Kyle & Kian were actually intrigued when they saw me reading this book. Kyle grabbed the book from my bedside table and asked me ridiculous questions, "Mom, are you reading a story about toothbrushes? Why are they kissing? How come the white one looks lonely?" and my other son Kian asked "Mommy, can you read this for us on our next bedtime story? Hahaha, silly kids!

My rating for The Ex-Factor: 3 bookmarks!

Friday Finds - May

Thank Goodness, It's Friday I'm In love...


Welcome to the first Friday of May, the month of flowers! Friday Finds is hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Here are my Friday Finds for this week:

The Language of Flowers

by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Princess of Egypt Must Die

by Stephanie Dray

The Comeback Kiss

by Lani Diane Rich

Bound to Love

by Sally Clements

Sword Bearer

by Teddy Jacobs