Synopsis:
Dive into the macabre, mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tales with popular coloring book artist Odessa Begay (Little Birds). Inspired by Poe’s beloved stories, Begay has created images that reference settings, motifs, and details that fans will recognize.
(Synopsis taken from Amazon).
My Thoughts:
If you've been in a bookstore, grocery store, or anywhere that sells books/magazines, you've probably seen an adult coloring book. They are everywhere you turn. Everyone around the world is obsessed with them, including me. When Sterling publishing asked me to review the Edgar Allan Poe adult coloring book, I jumped at the chance. It has become one of my favorite adult coloring books.
I have always loved Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and poems. I read The Raven as a kid, and ever since I have been hooked. I think I have read everything he's written. Having the power to bring his works to life through the adult coloring book was a dream come true. The coloring book used quotes from some of his books, including my favorites, Black Cat, and The Raven, with beautiful pictures that bring the story to life.
Most of the pictures are really intricate, and take quite some time to color, which I like. It makes the book last longer. As for the pages themselves, they are thick, high quality pages. I wouldn't hesitate to color them with fine line markers. In fact, I recommend it because colored pencils leave a weird texture from being so light. I tried colored pencils, markers, and watercolor. I enjoyed the fine line markers the best. I almost wish it would have said that on the book before I started coloring, because the first picture I colored didn't look professional.
I greatly enjoyed the Edgar Allan Pie coloring book. It was high quality, and will last a while, which is important to me when buying adult coloring books. I hope Sterling Publishing makes more adult coloring books featuring other authors. I think a Jane Austen, or Charles Dickens coloring book would be an amazing idea. I definitely recommend this book to everyone and anyone interested in trying out an adult coloring book.
I give Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book: 5/5.
Want to know know more about the author?
Website: http://www.odessabegay.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odessa.design/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/odessabegay
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/odessabegay/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odessabegay/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odessabegay
I received this adult coloring book from the publisher, Sterling Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Throne of Glass was one of my favorite books that I read this year. As soon as I finished it, I had to start the second book in the series, Crown of Midnight, immediately. I became very anxious to read it, even though I hadn't heard positive things about it. After reading it, I have to say that I don't know what everyone was giving it a negative review for. I loved it just as much as Throne of Glass, if not more so.
Crown of Midnight starts off as an action packed thrill ride, and only gets more exciting from there. As the book went on, I found myself wanting to read more and more, and getting upset when I had to put it down. There are so many things that happened in it that I wasn't expecting. Most of the book took me by surprise, especially a main character death that had me sobbing like nothing would ever be okay again. It made me feel like the death happened to one of my friends, instead of a fictional character that didn't even exist. That's how you can tell that a book is good. It leaves you gasping, crying, laughing, cheering, and just generally freaking out and wanting more. When Celeana was in the tomb, I was literally having a panic attack and yelling and screaming at my Kindle. It was one of those things where I wanted to look away because I knew what was going to happen, and it filled me with anxiety, but at the same time, I needed to know if I was right.
If I thought I liked the characters in the first book, I fell in love with them in the second book. I got to see so many new sides to all of my favorite characters, and meet some new characters. I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the new characters. Even though they were introduced, the reader doesn't get to know them very well, because they don't show up a lot. I hope that changes in the future books. I want to know more about them, especially Roland. There's a mystery that surrounds him that intrigues me.
I loved Crown of Midnight so much. I would say that its my favorite book of 2016, but I think at this point, I should just label the whole series as my favorite books of 2016 because I have a feeling my favorite book while switch as I continue on with the series. The ending left off on a crazy cliffhanger, so I'll be picking up the next book in the series immediately, Heir of Fire, to find out what happens. I recommend this book to everyone who loved Throne of Glass. You should definitely ignore all of the negative reviews, and check it out for yourself.
I give Crown of Midnight: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://sarahjmaas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THRONEOFGLASS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJMaas
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjmaas/
Tumblr: http://sjmaas.tumblr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsjmaas/
I received this ebook from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Their fight for freedom is humanity's last hope for survival. The chilling Revolution 19 trilogy continues in Fugitive X.
A war between humans and robots is on the horizon, and only one side will survive.
Siblings Nick, Kevin, and Cass are struggling to survive in a world where deadly, sophisticated robots have turned on their creators and enslaved mankind. Fugitives from one of the bot-controlled Cities, the siblings venture into the woods, but when they are attacked by bot foot soldiers, the siblings are separated...and for the first time, they are on their own.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I read an ARC of Revolution 19 quite some time ago. It was one of my favorite books of 2013. Even though it's been several years since I've read Revolution 19, I wanted to continue with the series, so I picked up Fugitive X. I didn't enjoy it as much as Revolution 19, but it was still good. I didn't find this book as action packed as the first one, which made it boring at times. There was a lot of dialogue and politics going on, which I didn't enjoy nearly as much.
It had been quite a long time since I read Revolution 19, but I didn't find Fugitive X confusing at all. Fugitive X gives the reader reminders of what happened all throughout the book, which I found very helpful. It made my reading time a lot easier, and more enjoyable.
That being said, the book did have it's good points. I got to revisit some of my favorite characters, and continue their story lines. Cass turned into a complete bad ass, which I loved. I think throughout this book, she became my favorite character in the series.
While I didn't like everything in Fugitive X, I did think that it was a good sequel. I love the scifi/dystopian world that Gregg Rosenblum had created. I'm excited to read City 1, the final book in the trilogy, to see how everything wraps up.
I give Fugitive X: 3.5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://alloyentertainment.com/authors/gregg-rosenblum/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gregg-Rosenblum-author-503611676339567/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreggRosenblum
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5838087.Gregg_Rosenblum
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Shocked to see Nora's bruises, Lance is furious that she put herself in danger and demands to know where she got them. As Nora confesses her true nature, she's equally shocked to learn that Lance has some secrets of his own, drawing them together despite Kingsley's orders….
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I just found out about Tiffany Reisz's books last year when I started The Last Good Knight series. I'm kind of ashamed to admit that it's taken me this long, due to my crazy busy schedule, but I finally finished the third book in the series, The Games Destiny Plays. I think it might be my favorite book in the series. I regret not reading it sooner, since I've had it for a while. I think Tiffany Reisz is becoming one of my favorite authors. I've only read the first three books in this series by her, but based on that, she's definitely in my top ten.
This book in the series was fantastic, yet infuriating at the same time. It answered a lot of my questions, but left a whole heck of a lot more unanswered. It also gave me new questions to ponder over. I really did enjoy that we got to see more of Nora and Soren's relationship. I really hope that the other books in the series delve into that more because I'd enjoy watching it evolve (The Siren might show it too. Not sure, I haven't read it).
Tiffany Reisz writes short stories in such a compelling way that just draws the reader in. I can't wait to finish the rest of The Last Good Knight series, which I plan on doing tonight. I recommend this for any fans of the Original Sinners series, although it's not required to read that first.
I give The Games Destiny Plays: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.tiffanyreisz.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleredridingcrop/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiffanyreisz
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/tiffanyreisz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8thcirclepress/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4480131.Tiffany_Reisz
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I've tried to read Throne of Glass several times, and just couldn't get into it. I've heard all of the hype, but never really understood it. Recently, one of my close friends in the book community read it, and was ranting and racing about how good it was. She practically begged me to read it all the way through, and finish it. I'm glad she did. After finishing the book, I am slightly obsessed with it.
I have to admit, when I was reading it this time, I was tempted to put it down again. The first twenty percent or so of the book is really slow. Nothing happens, except setting up some world building, which was boring. My friend kept telling me that I needed to push past that point, and I'm so glad I listened to her. After that point, the book becomes action packed. I can't even find words that properly describe how much I loved it. It was suspenseful. I kept wracking my brain, trying to figure out who was killing the champions, and I still got it wrong in the end. The book also had a great combination of funny, yet it knew when to be serious, and could switch between the two easily. It's hard to find a book that can do that well.
I am very hard pressed to find a character that I didn't like. I even liked all of the antagonists, which isn't usually something that happens for me in books I read. Even though I didn't like their actions, it was easy to see why they made the choices they did. Although I was very happy to see the female antagonist get what was coming to her in the end, so to speak. As far as the main character, Celaena, goes, I want to be her when I grow up. She is so badass, yet she has a certain class, and grace about her. She can be really girly, yet she can kill someone without blinking an eye. I love that about her. By the end of Throne of Glass, she's in a love triangle with two guys. Usually that type of thing annoys me, but I didn't mind it in this book. I know which guy I really want her to pick. We'll see if it happens.
Despite the show start, I really loved Throne of Glass. After reading the book, I've become so obsessed with it that I spend most of my time searching the hashtag on Instagram. As soon as I finished Throne of Glass, I started Crown of Midnight immediately, and an almost halfway through that book. I just can't get enough of this series. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, or is just looking for something to read that's intriguing, and unlike anything else out there.
I give Throne of Glass: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://sarahjmaas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THRONEOFGLASS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJMaas
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjmaas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsjmaas/
Tumblr: http://sjmaas.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3433047.Sarah_J_Maas
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Meet a child zombie in "The Zombie Playground" or discover a lucrative career during the zombie apocalypse in "The Zombie Eaters."Perhaps you just want to escape San Francisco being destroyed by monsters so large they can't see you.
Whether you like werewolves,zombies or the unknown creature,The Zombie Playground, A Creature Compilation ,is a fun collection of seven short stories you'll want to add these to your own creepy library!
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I have a slight obsession with anything and everything related to zombies. I especially love The Walking Dead, and T.W. Brown's Dead series. Even though I don't really care for short stories most of the time, I decided to give The Zombie Playground by Astrid Yrigollen a try. Every now and then, I will read a short story when I need a small break in between chapters of a longer book. I'm glad I picked up The Zombie Playground.
While I didn't enjoy all of the short stories, I did like the majority of them. Astrid Yrigollen knows how to write short stories that captivate the reader, which is difficult to do with so little space to tell the story in. All of the short stories flowed well. Each one had a beginning, middle, and end, and made perfect sense. I have to admit, I didn't enjoy a couple of the short stories as much as I hoped I would. There were a few that were either boring, or confusing, and hard to get through. There were also quite a few editing errors that drove me crazy, and kept me from being fully immersed in the story.
While not all of the stories in The Zombie Playground, I did enjoy most of them. Astrid Yrigollen is a very talented writer. I plan on reading more of her books, and short stories. I recommend this zombie short story book for zombie fans that have a few minutes to spare at a time, and are looking for a good read. It puts a new spin on the classic zombie stories.
I give The Zombie Playground: 3.5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.astridyrigollen.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AstridYrigollen
LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/author/yrigollenastrid
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/AstridYrigollen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx_v2ecQUlFd7uY0QQRj2WA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5139046.Astrid_Yrigollen
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
When Linnea Holland's plans for her dream wedding collapse, she flees to the safest place she knows: Blue Falls, Texas. At her best friend's family ranch, nobody asks for details. The Brody boys just welcome her with open arms and a whole lot of brotherly love.
Trouble is, the feelings between Linnea and Owen Brody are a little warmer than that. They practically grew up together, but she has suddenly noticed that Owen has grown into one hot cowboy. And his protective instincts kick in when he sees how much Linnea is hurting. He's the perfect antidote to her lying ex-fiancé. But can their feelings be love -- or is Owen simply a guy she can rely on for the rebound?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Typically I'm not a big fan of Harlequin novels. Granted, I've only read two Harlequin novels in my life. They were Harlequin Blazes, and I read them when I was a teenager, which was quite a long time ago. I remember I want impressed with them. Cowboy novels aren't usually my favorite genre either. However, I wanted to read Her Cowboy Groom because I loved Trish Milburn's Coven series. I'm glad I took a chance on this book. Not only did it change the way I think about Harlequin novels, it also changed my feelings towards cowboy novels too. I absorbed every word of Her Cowboy Groom within a few hours, and wanted more when it was over.
I honestly don't even know where to start with how much I loved Her Cowboy Groom. As I previously stated, typically I hate cowboy novels. It's almost to the point where I will refuse to read them. This book made me see how cowboy novels in a new light. Trish Milburn has a crisp, wonderful writing style that had me captivated from beginning to end. I loved the interaction between Lin and Owen. I felt like I was right there in the book with them, watching their relationship develop. Trish Milburn made me feel immersed in the world of Blue Falls. It makes me want to read not only the Blue Falls series, but more of the Harlequin Western Romances as well.
The characters that Trish Milburn wrote were fantastic. They felt more like family to me than fictional characters that I was reading about for the first time. I loved Linn and Owen's chemistry. It felt genuine from the beginning. I also loved all of the side characters. I hope to see more of them in the other Blue Falls novels. There was only one thing I didn't like about the book. The final confrontation at the end surprised me, and not in a good way. I thought it was going to be more violent, or physical, and it wasn't. It was kind of a letdown. It just felt very anti-climatic.
Despite the anti-climatic confrontation, I loved Her Cowboy Groom so much. It made me not only look at Harlequin novels in a different light, but cowboy novels too. I will definitely be reading a lot more of both, starting with the rest of the Blue Falls series. I an looking forward to devouring anything that Trish Milburn writes in the future. I also plan on reading the rest of the Harlequin Western Romances collection. Trish Milburn has restored my faith that good romance novels are out there. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance story. Even though it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.
I give Her Cowboy Groom: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.trishmilburn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trishmilburnauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrishMilburn
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/trishmilburn2/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108409297131247035285
Tumblr: http://trishmilburn.tumblr.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ZWx-6uHzvRGtSCu8If-dA?feature=
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1335180.Trish_Milburn
I received this ebook from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
