Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne


Title: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
(Steampunk Chronicles 0.5)
Author: Kady Cross
Kindle Edition, 78 pages
Published May 1st 2011

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined...

This is a short story, a prequel to the steampunk bestseller The Girl In the Steel Corset, a book I have yet to read. The story begins with Finley Jayne who was fired from her last job after hitting her former employer's governess in the face!

Jobless, Finley went to her mother's home, hoping to find refuge for a few days. Then a wealthy matriarch hired her to be her daughter Phoebe's companion. Soon Phoebe and Finley became friends. Little did Finley know that  she was actually hired to spy on Lord Vincent, a man of science who was eerily engaged to Phoebe. I say eerily because there was something sinister about him and his house full of automatons, and wanting to wed a girl who looked like his dead wife!

Finley is a brave and loyal companion as well as a fierce heroine. She possesses great strength and character and she sure has lots of spunk! I really want to read  The Girl In the Steel Corset, really soon, because I need to know more about Finley and how she became a not-so-normal teenager with super-strength.

 The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a quick/fast paced steampunk novella, quite entertaining and intriguing at the same time.  Young adult fans of steampunk will surely enjoy this :)

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Lucky Stars

So for today, my choice for a funny book is the hilariously lovely comedy by Jane Heller - Lucky Stars!

This is a really funny book about the crazy relationship between a mother and daughter. The book was easy to relate to, as i see myself in Stacey's place & my mom on Helen's.

For the Book Description, read below. But in my own simple terms, it is about an upcoming actress or a starlet taking her chances in Hollywood to find fame and fortune and in a twist of fate- her mother gets discovered and becomes very famous. Believe me, this Mother-Daughter Tandem is neurotic!

There are times when i find myself in Stacey's shoes and can't help but be "angry" with my own mom. I loved my mother, really I did. But there are times when she drives me nuts. And I don't mean nuts as in she aggravates me. I mean nuts as in she made the tiny vein in my left eyelid twitch. But I definitely love everything about her..

So if you got time and want a funny moment, I suggest LUCKY STARS and you won't regret it!

I'll rate this book with 4 smiling stars!

Book Description:
Stacey Reiser left Cleveland for Hollywood to pursue an acting career—and to escape her lovable but meddlesome mother, Helen. But her plan backfires when the widowed Helen sells her house and follows Stacey to tinsel town, invades every aspect of her daughter’s world and drives her crazy. As in eye twitch crazy. Insomnia crazy. Acid reflux crazy.

“If only Mom would get a life,” Stacey wishes after her mother has called for the zillionth time that day to nag her about her clothes, her hair, her lack of a wedding ring. “If only she’d get a life and stay out of mine.”

How could Stacey ever imagine that Helen would get a life – the very life Stacey craves? Just as Stacey's career takes a dive, a twist of fate lands Helen in a television commercial that catapults her to stardom. Now it’s Helen who’s the media darling and Stacey who’s the meddler. And while Stacey is hoping for a commitment from her boyfriend, it’s Helen who snares the catch of the century. Or does she? Helen’s new beau isn’t what he seems, and it’s up to Stacey to expose his shady past before it's too late. But it’ll take the acting job of a lifetime to do it, not to mention a whole lot of heart. Lucky Stars is a novel that’s as keenly observed as it is entertaining, and it will have mothers and daughters laughing out loud and nodding in recognition.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

The Emperor's Edge

Title: The Emperor's Edge
Author: Lindsay Buroker
Kindle Edition; 197 pages
Published December 2010

Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. 
But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed. Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down.  
Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.


This is one of my favorite steampunk e-book and I actually LOVED it! Lindsay Buroker crafted a master-piece with lovable characters like Amaranthe, Sicarius and Maldynado.


A high fantasy novel in the era of steam - it simply has all the ingredients I am looking for in a story - magic, swordplay, politics, womanfolk and a little bit of romance on the side. The characters - simply amazing! A renegade enforcer (Amaranthe Lokdon), a deadly assassin with a good heart (Sicarius),  an evil & cunning commander (Hollowcrest), a lovestruck emperor (Sespian), a viscious team working in conspiracy (Books, an alcoholic ex-professor; Maldynado, an aristocratic ladies man, and Akstyr, a skeptic young wizard-in-training, who doesn't want others to know that he practices mental sciences)   and another group that is willing to do whatever it takes to take down the empire (Forge).. and don't forget the monsters or creatures that rip out the hearts of its victims!

From start to finish, I was at the edge of my seat, thinking about the strategies that Lokdon and Sicarius had done in order to ensure Emperor Sespian's well being, amidst all the chaos and poison circulating around the palace. Amaranthe Lokdon is a spectacular heroine, quick and witty, full of punk & steam (yeah literally), a little intimidating maybe, but is all business when it comes to protecting the Emperor. She's got a likeable persona even though she keeps on wearing her hair in a bun!

Sicarius, on the one hand, is still a mystery to me - although his relation to the Emperor has been discussed, I still believe that there is more to him than meets the eye. While I would love to see him get all goody-goody & lovey-lovey with Amaranthe, I think that Emperor Sespian and the lady enforcer look better together.

Maldynado, on the other hand, is quite a handful of a character. At first, I didn't really like him at all, but on the succeeding chapters, his humorous character has shifted into someone that can melt your heart and put smile on your lips.. He is truly a ladies man.. I'd love to read more about him on the rest of Lindsay Buroker's  trilogy.

The whole story is fast-paced, deep, a little dramatic in the end and a cliffhanger, too. The action scenes are imaginable (at least, to me!) and the dialogue will certainly never bore you. No dull moment at all.  But there was certainly something amiss in the end..

Where was the kiss?! Hahaha.. Just Kidding..

My bookmark rating for The Emperor's Edge: 5 stars!! An awesome feat! Kudos Lindsay Buroker :)

I already bought Dark Currents. I'll read it very very soon!! I promise!




Friday, September 13, 2013

Neverwhere

Title: Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Paperback, 370 pages
Published September 2003

Under the streets of London there is a world of which most people could never dream. When Richard Mayhew accidentally stumbles on this hidden city of monsters, saints, murderers and angels, he is catapulted from a safe and predictable world into one that is eerily familiar yet utterly bizarre.
This is my second Gaiman book, and I can't help but compare it with another children's book, Alice In Wonderland.  Neil takes me to an underworld of doors and creatures I actually never wanted to meet.

The protagonist, Richard Mayhew, as I have mentioned above, was actually like Alice In Wonderland where he embarked on a journey with Lady Door, a girl who can open any door, (of course), locks, windows, even handcuffs. And there he also met two vicious men, Mr. Vandemar and Mr. Croup who would do everything and anything just to get the girl. And there was also an Angel in disguise. An angel holding a deep secret that only Door can unlock.

Neverwhere is a good book. At first, I found the story boring and predictable, but I pushed through it and the second half was entertaining. In the end, everything ties together with mystery and makes you want to keep reading after some really interesting revelations and plot points. I consider the end to be the best chunk of the novel, which is concluded well and inventively, preceded by an unlikely climax.


I'm having a hard time deciding whether to give this 2 or 3 as a rating. But then, since this is a Gaiman story, I believe he deserved 4 stars ****!

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Mountains Belong To Me


Title: The Mountains Belong to Me
Author: Linda Dickert
ebook, 64 pages
Published June 3rd 2013
"Cries of coyotes, the croak of frogs and chirping of crickets exemplify the concertos of the Smoky Mountains. I appreciate the age-worn rocks’ accommodating a waterfall’s endless challenge. I hear gospel songs, and I can see myself clogging to great blue grass harmonies."

Linda Dickert’s collection of poetry and prose celebrates life in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her short essays, conversations, and inspirations draw from the happenings in the mountains of North Carolina, sharing with readers the spirit of the Appalachians and instilling an appreciation for the natural world and our responsibility to protect and cherish it. Dickert also gives readers an opportunity to reflect on their own environment and connection with nature.

Let me share with you the wonderful words that recently captured my attention:

"O ye hidden flourishing bloom
clinging to a stem,
Your fragrance reminiscent of the cinnamon aroma
of a grand claret,
Peering through your secret space
Behind a water fall
Lingering in the mist to
Take my breath away"

This is actually an excerpt from a collection of poems that Miss Linda Going Dickert had compiled. The Mountains Belong To Me is such a great book that you would feel the writer’s passion for her work once you read her words. The author has strong ties with her emotions as she talked about Appalachians, the seasons, animals and her beliefs and her philosophy. I loved all her stories, especially her Conversation with Sparky, and the encounter with the Genie, the different seasons and my most favorite - Seventy - a vision of Linda at the age of 70, while she was only 4 years old.

I'd like to applaud Linda Dickert because she made the verses on the book come alive and sing out to the world. She created pictures of delight, beauty, serenity and hope, as evidenced by the illustrations embedded on the collection. Yes, I so loved the background photos she used to portray the emotions of her poetry. Truly amazing!

And the best thing about the author is her advocacy to help the animals that are so close to her heart. It was actually mentioned on her book that "All proceeds from this book will go to Spark Companions, a non-profit organization that helps individuals unable to pay for vet bills."

Reading her passages made me laughed, sighed and also realized one thing: Sometimes you have to go through the hard times to realize how strong you are. And with her strength, she just showed the world, that the mountains really belonged to her.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Stained

Stained (Stained #1)
by Ella James
Kindle Edition, 254 pages
Published September 14th 2011

After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia’s home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie - Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.

A love story among the angels like no other. This is definitely a must read. The characters are quite enjoyable, especially the gorgeous Nephilim Cayne. True, he’s  amnesiac, but his determination to get back his memories and bring down the Angel of Darkness Samyaza was an admirable personality. No wonder the Stained One, Julia was drawn to him. And yes, I was drawn to him too, :)

I liked that action started right from the start and didn't disappoint as the story progressed.  After only a few lines, I jumped into this book and it was hard for me to put it down! The plot was intense and the characters were intriguing (Oh, Yes, Cayne!!!) and quite interesting. Although I thought Julia was a weakling, at the latter part of the story, I found myself liking her. She is a kind of “clingy” character, but that’s okay since she was acting her age (sixteen). Cayne, on the other hand, really needs a crash-course on driving.. maybe I could help, ha ha!.

Stained is an incredible story. The author did a fantastic work. Although not so fast paced, I found myself enjoying the story until the end… oh wait! There’s no END yet!  Actually, I was fuming at the ending. The book ended rather abruptly, I was immediately intrigued. Cayne’s life was at stake and I need to know what happens next!

I can’t wait for the next installment in the series. 4 stars for Stained.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Monday Musings

SEPTEMBER!
Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away...

Pardon me for singing.. I am just in the mood, this month of September. Where the cold season is awaiting. Anyway, welcome to the first edition of Musing Mondays for September.


Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should be Reading.

Musing Mondays (Oct. 3)
Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• Describe one of your reading habits. 
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s). 
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it. 
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us! Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
My Musing for today is about my monthly reading habit. If last month, it was all about Angels and Demons, this month, I am going to read Steampunks, Sci-Fis and Suspense Thrillers. OOhhhh.. this is gonna be a thrilling and exciting month!

Here are my proposed reads this week:

The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross



The Josiah Trenchard series
by Jonathon Fletcher



Chosen
by Jolea Harrison

Steam
by Jessica Fortunato


Wither
by Lauren DeStefano

and

Private Games
by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan


Sunday, September 1, 2013

Simply Sunday

I'm joining a new Sunday meme this September. Got it from Chiara's Blog - Books for a Delicate Eternity via
http://delicateeternity.wordpress.com



Simply Sunday is a reading meme hosted by Books For A Delicate Eternity. It’s where you can share your favourite quote of the week; be it from a book, a novella, a short story, a poem, a song – whatever you like!

Here's my new favorite quote this first day of September:

"Love has to be reciprocated for it to be real.”
― Alexandra Adornetto, Hades

It's true.. For love to work and be splendid, both parties should share the same feelings, passion, emotions. Love is a two-way street, love is like a dance - it takes two to tango, that's what most people say. So if you want to have a lasting relationship, you need to love and be loved.

Happy Sunday!

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