Book Review- Hunted (House of Night #5) P.C Cast Kristen Cast

Synopsis: What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you?

At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer.  But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses.  Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa’s Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down.  Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems.  The red fledglings have cleaned up well – they’ve even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home – but are they really as friendly as they seem?  On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Erik, but she can’t stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet’s sinister influence at all costs.  Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?
The Nerd's Ramble: This series is an emotional roller coaster for me, and not in the traditional sense. More of a "Oooh I like this series" and "Let me throw this damn book out the window because no."

First of all I'm getting tired of the love dodecahedron that's building up around Zoey. Can she just have one love interest? The Casts have shown that neither Heath or Eric are really good for her. Aphrodite has even stated how bad Eric is for anyone--yet Zoey continually bounces between the two of them. Enter Stark from the previous book whom she knew for all of 24 hours before he died. And then he 'un-died' and all of a sudden, he's added to the 'to bone' list. And then there's Kalona. The antagonist, the consort of the big bad--who creeps into Zoey's dreams and has naughty sexy times with her because she's the reincarnation of of the Maiden who imprisoned him in the Earth. And yet she calls Aphrodite a 'ho' and talks about 'gross-kissing sounds'.

Yeah. Still with me?

I just wish the Casts would focus on the plot. There's a lot of interesting things going on, and I don't even mind that Zoey's continually gaining powers. From the first book the Casts have made it known that she's specul (tm). I like how the other characters are also developing. Aphrodite is turning out to be one of my favorite characters. Even the twins are changing slowly.

Though, the character development can make me go "ooh yes!" and then "Damn it no." Can we just for a moment talk about Damien and Jack? I applaud the Casts for having homosexual teenage characters in a YA book. It doesn't happen all that often. But-- can we have two gay characters who don't; cry, faint, scream or become emasculated because they are well, gay? Can we also have the characters stop referring to the gay couple as "the gay parade" or "gay boy". I mean really.

Back to the book. Hunted is okay. It's clearly a filler book meant to bridge between the two parts of the series. I have a serious love hate relationship with this series, and I'll continue just because curiosity and stubbornness won't let me let it go.

Marked
Betrayed
Chosen
Untamed

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Total Length: 321 pages
Available Format: Kindle, Nook, Epub, Traditional
Publication Date: March 10, 2009 (St. Martin's Griffin.)
Author's Page: House of Night

Book Review-- The Paris Wife Paula McLain

Synopsis: A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill-prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
The Nerd's Ramble: This book blew me away. I had no intention of reading it as I'm not a fan of Hemingway. I kept seeing it around various stores, and when I went into the library to pick up some books that I had on hold I saw that it was the book selected for our county's read-a-long. I picked it up, read the back and figured I'd give it a shot. I sat down one morning and didn't move until I finished the book. It's not very long, it took me a couple hours to read and I think it's a book that I'd also like to own (one day when I have more space on my shelves.)

Much how people either love or hate Hemingway, people love or hate this book. Goodreads is full of reviews talking about how much people loved this, and equally how much they hated it. I for one loved this book. The story is told from Hadley's point of view, a 28 year old woman who meets, and falls in love with a much younger Hemingway. They have a whirl-wind romance and courtship through letters, and I got caught up in it as well. Ms. McLain is a wonderful story teller, and she managed to drag my Hemingway-despising self through this six year romance and actually brought me to tears toward the end of their story.

The main setting of the book is post-war Paris, and the descriptions really transported me there. The setting itself is a character, seducing both Hemingway and Hadley into it's lifestyle and introducing them and the reader to names that still hold a lot of sway on literary shelves. The story really is vibrant and beautiful, though tragic in the end. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Rating: ★★★★★
Total Length: 314 pages
Formats Available: Kindle, Nook, Epub, Traditional publication.
Publication Date: February 11, 2011 (Ballantine Books)
Author's Link: Paula McLain on Goodreads

Book Review The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

Synopsis: A mesmerizing thriller -- told in reverse "The 13th Hour" is the story of a man given the chance to go back in time in one-hour increments to prevent a vicious crime from destroying his life.Nick Quinn is being held in jail, accused of the murder of his beloved wife, Julia. He knows she's dead; he saw her bloody corpse, shot in the head at point-blank range. The police tell him they found the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it in the trunk of his car. Nick is confused, grief-stricken -- "and completely innocent."

At 9 p.m. on July 28, a gray-haired gentleman visits Nick in the police interrogation room and asks him a simple question: ""If you could get out of here, if you could save her, would you?"" He hands Nick a golden talisman that allows Nick to go back in time, one hour at a time, for a total of twelve hours. With each hour that Nick travels back, he finds more clues to the identity of Julia's real killer, but he also discovers that his actions in the past may have unexpected repercussions in the future.

In his race against time to save the woman he loves most in the world, Nick will find that friends become enemies, old loyalties are tested, and Julia's murder is part of a larger scheme that has its roots in greed and vengeance. Nick has the ability to save Julia, the chance to put his own world in balance, but he is venturing down a precarious route. If he hasn't set things right by the thirteenth hour, his desperate attempts to save Julia's life may lead to a far greater catastrophe than he could have ever imagined.
The Nerd's ramble:  This book was amazing. From the first page to the last I couldn't leave it alone. I read this in one sitting, all afternoon curled up in a cozy chair as a nasty spring storm raged outside. The 13th Hour is a science-fiction thriller, due to the element of time travel; that manages to keep things tense, interesting and smart, revealing little clues hour by hour as to the motives behind Julia's death and the plane crash.

The story is told in reverse and in fact the author leaves a note saying that the book starts with chapter thirteen. Nick is an interesting and compelling character, risking everything to protect the woman he loves. Julia is very much a secondary character, in the worst way, but the other supporting cast really help with the mood and desperation of this book.

I liked the overall idea of this book, and the characters. The pacing was nice, the development of plot as the story progressed (regressed?) was something really well thought out. As time ran out the narrative moved faster, events were sped up, contributing nicely to the overall mood of the book. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Rating: ★★★★★
Total Length:  389 pages
Format: Traditional, Kindle, Epub
Publication Date: December 29, 2009 (Aria Books)
Author's Page: Richard Doetsch

Book Review-- Soldier Dogs Maria Goodavage

Synopsis: A leading dog-blogger offers a tour of military working dogs' extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impacts they have on those who work with them.

People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. A dog's natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don't have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog-the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table-could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium.

Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world's most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory.

The Nerd's Ramble: I really, really loved this book. This is the second book about MWD (military working dogs) that I've read. Ms. Goodavage's book is more factual based, more about the science and training that goes behind the selection of a MWD. Along with the science the reader is presented with the different types of working dogs, and what they search out for the Armed Forces. There are soldier anecdotes, as well as first had interaction with some of the dogs.

This is a different book that Sergeant Rex, but still at the same time so very enjoyable. I think that they should be read together. Sergeant Rex gives a first hand account of a military personnel working with the dog, whereas Soldier Dogs presents the more business end of the story. Both are great reads for civilians or anyone who is interested in military dogs.

It certainly makes me look at my German Shepherd in a whole different light.

Rating: ★★★★★
Total Length: 283 pages
Format: Epub, Kindle, Traditional and Audio book.
Publication Date: March 15, 2012 (Dutton Adult)

Book Review-- Chosen (House of Night #3) P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

Synopsis:  Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn.  Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies.  And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends.  So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before.  Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.  Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster.  Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres.  But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

The Nerd's Ramble:  Despite the spelling of vampire (yes, I will mention that in probably every review of this series, it just gets under my skin, and I can't let it go) and the teenage angst/cliches I really liked the first two books of this series. They were so promising. The House of Night presented a different take on vampires, one that really stuck with me and made me think. Not to mention, on a purely superficial level the covers of the books that I own are absolutely gorgeous.

Chosen, however, is a whole different kettle of fish. Rather than the amazing plot and conflict that is hinted at by other characters, or events in the previous two books, and bits and pieces throughout the third, this book instead focuses on Zoey's 'ho-ish behavior.'

Zoey doesn't have a boy problem, she has a honesty problem. She's leading around two boys who in their own way care very much about her, and somehow she's managed to attract the attention of a very 'young and hot' teacher. Teacher/student relationships bother me on a slight level, but for the most part I can ignore it. Not here. Every other paragraph Zoey is slathering on about whatever boy she's daydreaming about for that half second. I understand that romance conflict is interesting, but this is a little much. Especially for a high school student-- who is still the top fledgling and super unique (inching scarily close to the Dreaded Mary Sue Line), has a great group of friends and has to deal with the change.

Also? The constant presentation of stereotypical homosexual cliches in one character have gotten out of hand. Please stop that. This character is way too cool to have this done to him. It's only gotten worse as the series progressed. I wish the Casts had focused on this plot that they've created. The changes that happen to two other supporting characters are interesting and continue to lead the reader into what's going to happen.

I will continue to read this series, as it's sucked me in just enough. I'm hoping Untamed is a bit better.

Marked (House of Night #1)
Betrayed (House of Night #2)

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Total Length: 307 pages
Format: Kindle, Epub, Traditional.
Publication Date: March 4, 2008 (St. Martin's Griffin)

Book Review-- Silver Orphan by Martine Lacombe

Synopsis: An endearing tale of unlikely friendship and compassion between two diametrically opposed individuals - a vibrant young woman and an elderly frail man - Silver Orphan illustrates that giving of yourself reaps untold benefits.

The subject matter covered in Silver Orphan is disturbing from a collective point of view. How we treat our elders, how we discard them - both in life and death - mirrors how we fare as a society. The old will soon outnumber the young - a chilling prospect treated with compassion in Silver Orphan. Interwoven in the stark reality of our superficial ethos is a story of love, redemption, and compassion. Silver Orphan should be included in ethics class curricula nationwide. A chance encounter; an unusual request; two lives inexorably transformed.

When self-absorbed Brooke Blake uncharacteristically sheds her narcissistic armor, she discovers that the hand we lend may pave the way to our own redemption. Silver Orphan is a perplexing hall of mirrors where every image reflects agonizing - though liberating - secrets.

The Nerd's Ramble:  I was sent a Galley copy of this book for a review. I am not compensated, nor influenced in any way.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Lacombe manages to weave stories and manage to make them both understandable and interesting. The female protagonist, Brooke is a little unlikeable, but as her's and Frank's story unfolds it becomes less grating to me. I really liked the use of flashbacks to progress the story.

I also really liked the social aspect of this story. We all age, obviously, and this story brings to light a lot of the challenges and difficulties that come with having a large aging population. And the fact that no one really seems to care. I don't think that society should so easily brush off those that took care of younger generations without a second glance. That's one of the reasons why I like this book so much, is that it lays things out--uncomfortable things, real issues and makes the reader look at them.

I didn't mind the medical jargon at all. I noticed a few readers did have difficulty with it. I think it added to the story considering Brooke's profession. I am familiar at these terms so they didn't seem out of place for me.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Total Length: 250 pages
Format: Traditional, Kindle, Epub
Publication Date: November 1, 2012 (Five Leaf Clover).

Book Review-- Betrayed (House of Night #2) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast.

Synopsis: Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night.  She's come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

The Nerd's Ramble:  This book picks up right after the first in the series, continuing with the story of Zoey and her band of dorky vampyre fledglings. I still dislike the spelling of vampire, and it's still rather jarring to me to see it spelled that way. The Greek theme continues, and it's something that I really enjoy and I think it makes this series stand out, and apart from most of the vampire works out there.

Zoey, our protagonist is continuing to gain power and has been declared "The most powerful fledgling ever" (TM). This is a little irksome, but I think that Zoey's internal monologue and way of speaking keeps it from getting a little too cliched. In this book we also find that things are not what they seem at The House of Night, especially in regards to characters that were heavily lauded, or mistreated/mistrusted in the first book.

I was not prepared for a character's death and that just blew me away. The Casts have some serious testicular fortitude (so to speak) to do that to one of the characters, and the supporting cast. There's an interesting twist at the end, and while I don't want to give anything away--it was unexpected. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Book #1 Review: Marked

Rating: ★★★★☆
Total Length: 310pages
Format: Epub, Kindle, Traditional
Publication Date: October 2, 2007 (St. Martin's Griffin)

Book Review--Enslaved By Ducks by Bob Tarte

Synopsis: When Bob Tarte bought a house in rural Michigan, he was counting on a tranquil haven. Then Bob married Linda. She wanted a rabbit, which seemed innocuous enough until the bunny chewed through their electrical wiring. And that was just the beginning. Before long, Bob found himself constructing cages, buying feed, clearing duck waste, and spoon-feeding a menagerie of furry and feathery residents. His life of quiet serenity vanished, and he unwittingly became a servant to a relentlessly demanding family. "They dumbfounded him, controlled and teased him, took their share of his flesh, stole his heart" ("Kirkus Reviews").
Whether commiserating with Bob over the fate of those who are slaves to their animals or regarding his story as a cautionary tale about the rigors of animal ownership, readers on both sides of the fence have found Tarte's story of his chaotic squawking household irresistible--and irresistibly funny.

Shelly's Thoughts: I didn't really care for this book. Though well written, the author and his wife rarely seem to consider the long term when it comes to animal care, and often times they purchase animals just because they look pretty or can speak (when it comes to birds of course). Not the worst thing I've ever read, but I certainly won't recommend it to any of my friends.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Total Length: 320 pages
Formats: Epub, Kindle, and traditional publication
Publication Date: October 1, 2004

Book Review-- Sergeant Rex.

Sergeant Rex by Mike Dowling.

Synopsis: Called “a deeply affecting tale of courage and devotion in the cauldron of war” by Publishers Weekly, Sergeant Mike Dowling’s heart-pounding account of an unbreakable bond between man and dog takes us into the searing 130-degree heat, the choking dust, and the ever-present threat of violent attack in Iraq’s infamous Triangle of Death. In 2004, Dowling and his military working dog Rex were part of the first Marine Corps military K9 teams sent to the front lines of combat since Vietnam. It was Rex’s job to sniff out weapons caches, suicide bombers, and IEDs, the devastating explosives that wreaked havoc on troops and civilians. It was Mike’s job to lead Rex into the heart of danger. An extraordinary chronicle of loyalty in the face of terrible adversity, Sergeant Rex is an unforgettable story of sacrifice, courage, and love.

Shelly's Thoughts: I picked this up after my dad left it laying around. A couple hours later, I had finished it and was wiping away tears. (just as a heads up, everything works out okay).

This is the real life account of Sergeant Mike Dowling and his Military Working Dog (MWD) Sergeant Rex. Sent to Iraq to seek out improvised explosive devices (I.E.Ds) and to launch the Marine Corps military K9 use in the front lines. This book was a quick read, and more of a conversation between Dowling and the reader. It's pleasant to read with a bit of military and 'boy' humor thrown in. It depicts day to day life with the military and working dogs in the front lines of the Iraq war. Dowling keeps politics out of the book, and recounts both humorous and sad times with his work with Rex. There is a nice afterword that explains what happened after the brunt of the story. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.

Kind of makes me feel a bit silly that all my German Shepherd does is nap. Though all I have to do is pull out the Kong ball and he's ready to play.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Total Length: 289 pages
Formats available: Paperback, Hardback, and EBook.