Mark This Book Monday: A Darkness Strange And Lovely by Susan Dennard!

For my next Mark This Book Monday entry, I'm reviewing the second book of the Something Strange & Deadly series, and even if I've tried to keep things as spoiler free as possible, there might be some unintentional spoilers for both this book and book 1 in the series.


A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I loved the first book of this series, with its unique take on the 19th century and the undead. I loved Eleanor with her parasol swinging and her take-no-shit-from-anyone attitude. So I was quite excited to read what was next for her and the Spirit Hunters.

The sequel starts with Eleanor in Philadelphia trying to deal with all the consequences from the battle that took part on the ending of book 1, and trying to deal with her feelings for Daniel. Her mother is at an assylum and she's selling all her posessions to be able to care for her. She's trying to deal with the rejection of her previous social circle, her own mother, the guilt of what happened on the showdown and the fear of having Marcus come out of hiding and attack her at a moments notice. When her fears get confirmed after finding out that Marcus visited her mother using her brother's body, she decides to follow the Spirit Hunters to Paris, the City of Light.

During her boat trip to Paris she meets two interesting characters, a French lady called Laure and a mysterious guy called Oliver. I felt that despite Eleanor misgivings with Oliver, she just ends up doing whatever he says even when she doesn't trust him, only cause of her brother's memory.

Eleanor was more annoying and exasperating for me in this book, and I loved her in the first book. Not only I was shaking my head at her on many occasions but I kept on feeling like shaking her whenever she kept on making the wrong choices, trusting the wrong people and lying to her friends left, right and centre. The way she dealt with her powers was irresponsible and the way she interacted with Joseph, Jin and Daniel was unlike the Eleanor of the first book. Truth be told, she does have a point for hiding her powers given the reaction of the Spirit Hunters when they find about it, but I'm sure the fact that she kept on lying to them must have had something to do with it.

I liked how guessing who the real villain behind the Undead of Paris had enough twists and false hints throught the book, and I like how by the end Eleanor faces her friends and tries to explain and work with them.

The romance with Daniel is sort of present but not taking front stage, and despite some showdowns between the two of them, still there's too much unsaid between them. I like how Daniel thinks he's improving himself to make him more worthy and less of a scallywag but he seems to forget that Eleanor loved him for what he was, as infuriating as he were on occasion.

This was a good second book plot wise, upping the stakes and moving the story forward, adding some chances and preparing the final showdown, but I was not very pleased on how my dear Eleanor conduced herself throughout most of the book, so that's the reason I'm giving this book 3 and a half stars. I'm tempted to round up to 4 stars cause of the fantastic descriptions of Paris and all the mentions of fantastic French food!

Despite my complains, I'm really looking forward to reading book 3 and hoping Eleanor will kick arse in it!



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Mark This Book Monday: Fifth Grave Past The Light by Darynda Jones!

For yet another Mark This Book Monday I'm gonna be talking about the latest book in what is one of my fave adult series right now, the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones! And here is book 5!


Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've been in love with this series from book 1, with Charley, with Reyes, with Cookie and with the fantastic humour that Darynda Jones seems to effortlessly imbue in every page!

That said, I think this one has to be my fave yet! I love how the story keeps on progressing and how despite poor Charley always getting such crap thrown at her, she's beginning to be more proactive and a lil less just reactive. She's finally believing that she's a proper kick arse grim reaper and that leads to her starting to use her powers more and finding that she can do more than expected.

About Reyes... what can I say about Reyes? I just love that he's more than just the very hot son of Satan, and that he's getting through a lot of growth himself, and I keep on finding how he and Charley interact more and more funny and adorable! The steamy scenes are well, steamy!

Some of the ongoing plots and questions are getting answers and some closure in this book, but some new are opening and leaving some even bigger questions, but it does have a feel of "starting to wrap up things" if only slightly.

But no matter what about the plot and some issues getting solved and some issues getting even bigger, this book completely hooked me, as all previous books have, with the characters and their interactions. Charley and Cookie are best friends more than just working together, Charley and Reyes are made for each other... There's that humour that gets you through the tough parts and that humour that simply makes you laugh out laud while reading.

I'm not sure if book 6 will be the last one, what I'm hoping is if the series continues, it will manage to keep me hooked this way, and won't end up falling flat like other series that have been stretched past their time. For now, this book didn't disappoint and I'm really looking forward to book 6!



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Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Over The Rainbow by Brian Rowe!

I have a few reviews for this week's Mark This Book(s) Monday and hopefully I'll manage to work all of them in!

For starters, I'm gonna start with a book that comes out tomorrow, and I think you need to give it a try!


Over the Rainbow by Brian  Rowe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was intrigued by this books blurb and requested and ARC via NetGalley, and I have to say I'm very glad I did. This book has such a quirky, fun and positive story, despite the very tough subjects it touches, that made me smile and root for Zippy from page 1!

The play on the Wizard of Oz story starts with the title, and continues in many small ways, from the finding 3 companions and a dog (named Judy, which I think it's a reference to Judy Garland that played the original Dorothy in the movie) to making their way to the Emerald City, in this case referring to Seattle (apparently is the official nickname for the city) where each one of the travellers expect to find something... The journey is full of strange & wondrous things, and not exempt of danger.

Our Dorothy in this book is Zippy, a sweet & quirky girl from Kansas, full of spirit and about to be sent away to an anti-gay camp by her zealot homophobe of her father. She manages to run away from him at the airport in the most improbable and hilarious way and unconventionally boards a plane to Seattle, so she can finally meet Mira, the girl she's been in love (and talking online) for two years.

Then the first twist happens, with the plane crashing when the pilots and most of the passengers simply dissapear, and Zippy finds her first companion, Frankie. The story progresses with them trying to figure what has happened, how the world is suddenly changing and trying to get to Seattle by land. They encounter the rest of the troupe and quite a few adventures along the way. I will only say one word: DINOSAURS!

We also have a few bits of the narrative from Zippy's father POV, which are quite disturbing, since I could never find myself understanding such anger, such determination to not be able to love his daughter as she is, and such clinging on hate to those who are different.

The end of the journey is one full of hope and a lesson on how we can be the ones to make our world a better place, with our own choices. This book has a very important message, one of positivity, and also is adds more diversity to the YA narrative, with a LGBT main character and secondary characters.

I'd really recommend this book to everyone who wants to enjoy a good book and love quirky & funny bits with dinosaurs in them! Very well deserved 4 stars!



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Showcase Sunday #4!

 Showcase Sunday is a feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (phyisical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

 The King's Guard by Rae Carson

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill 

Won in a Twitter Giveaway!

Thanks a lot to Ashley Eshton for the Twitter giveaway and the chance to win my first paper ARC and sending some of her bookmarks along with the book!

Alienated by Melissa Landers

For Review (via the author)

Ultraviolet Catastrophe by Jamie Grey

What books did you get all get this week??

Waiting on Wednesay, first edition!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly awaiting.

For my first Waiting On Wednesday, which equals to "damn-is-it-here-yet" I chose Deception (Defiance #2) by C.J. Redwine.

Goodreads summary:

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

 Why am I eargerly awaiting on Deception?

I have a double reason, and that's why I chose it for my WoW, firstly I loved book 1, Defiance, so I can't wait to see what's next in store for Logan and Rachel, and discover more of their world, and secondly, I'm awaiting a signed ARC to come in the mail that I won on C.J. Redwine's massive giveaway!

What book(s) are you waiting on?

Bloglovin it up!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin


I've decided to start using Bloglovin as well as the regular GFC for my blog, seems that is more general/all kinda blogs friendly, and not just Blogger centric!

Mark This Book Monday: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle!!

For the second (and last) Mark This Book Monday of this week I have a book I had on my TBR list for a long time, but finally got around to read, and it has quite the unique premise, it mixes the Amish and the end of the world as we know it!



The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had this book on my TBR list for a while, cause I read the blurb and thought that was such an unique idea, but for some reason I never got to reading it till I saw the ARC for the second book on NetGalley and I thought I needed to read book 1 STAT!

I'm so very glad I did, The Hallowed Ones is a 4 and a half stars for me, and I'm fairly glad went into it without having too much information about it, aside from the blurb.

Katie is one of the Plain Folk, the Amish, and she is eagerly awaiting the time of her "Rumspringa", when according to Amish tradition, the youth can experience the Outside world and decide if they want to remain there or come back and get baptized and be part of the community fully. Katie is excited about fully experiencing the Outside and even more doing it with Elijah, the boy that she considers her future husband.

But before the time of her Rumspringa arrives, something horrible happens to the Ouside and the Elders of her community decide that the only way to keep them safe is closing up the doors and completely isolating themselves from it. Katie has never been good at the blind obedience thing, and she finds herlself doubting things more and more. After they find an outsider and the Elders decide to leave him to die, she does her first act of rebellion and saves him, hiding him on an old barn.

This book is more postapocalyptic with a dash of horror than dystopian, and it just keeps you glued to the pages! I found myself relating and rooting for Katie, cause she keeps on trying to think for herself and doing what she thinks is right, no matter who she has to go against.

The monsters in this book are plain and simply scary... they're the stuff of nightmares, and the lack of information of what and how it happened makes you are even more defenceless, even though the Plain Folk seem to have an in-built defence in their way of life.

I loved this book, and I'm really glad the sequel is coming out this September, cause I can't wait to read more about Katie's journey!



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Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill!!

Another week is starting and so there's another edition(s) of Mark This Book Monday!

I want to start with one of the latest ARCs I was approved for on NetGalley and that was highly recommended to me by another two awesome bloggers:  Sam of Realm of Fiction and Kristen of My Friends Are Fiction, both of them loved it, and Kristen specially highly recommended it to me, so thank you so much ladies!

Also, I wanna thank Bloomsbury Publishing for sending this modest bookworm and blogger an ARC of their book!

Without any further ado, let me introduce you to:

All Our Yesterdays by Crisitin Terrill

I've settled to give this book 4 and a half stars and I have to say I'm still tempted to give it 5 stars.

Making sure this review is as spoiler free as possible might be difficult, cause this is a book I'll love to talk about for a long time, but I don't want to spoil the experience of wondering, pondering and passing pages frantically not being sure what to expect of it!

All Our Yesterdays is about time travel, it's not all about the science behind time travel or the discovery of time travel, though we do get a plausible enough explanation with enough science to make you understand and make it believable, but it's more about our choices in life, and what would we do to save the future.

The book starts with Em and Finn in prison, and Em obsessed with the drain in her prison cell. There she finds a list of all the things she's done before to change the present by going back to the past and didn't work, and the one thing that she and Finn need to do, their last chance at making sure the horrible world they are living in doesn't happen.

The narrative keeps on changing back and forth, from the present to the future, to the past, and going from one character to another, but it is never confusing, it just manages to keep you captivated and wondering. I kept on turning pages and wondering if they'd change the future and how, cause every event kept on changing what had happen before and what might happen in the future...

There is romance in the book but it is not the wirldwind one that swepts you off your feet, it's the one built through hardship, companionship & friendship, it's the kind romance that gives that extra spark when the going gets rough and that helps you see there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Cristin Terrill wrote a fantastic book, very well rounded and that will make you want to devour and savour it, all that the same time. And after finding out there's a sequel, and I'm quite anxious to see what new twists and turns she'll have in store for us!