Review: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire

Title: Tin Stars

Author: Jeff Lemire

Artist(s): Dustin Nguyen

Series/Standalone: Descender Series (Volume #1)

Genre: Science Fiction, Graphic Novel, Adult

Pages: 160

Publisher: Turtleback Books

Year Published: 2015

Format: Hardcover (Library Copy)

"Young Robot boy TIM-21 and his companions struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. Written by award-winning creator, Jeff Lemire, Descender is a rip-roaring and heart-felt cosmic odyssey. Lemire pits humanity against machine and world against world, to create a sprawling epic."

My Rating: 2.5/5

This first installment was interesting to me and it took a while to get used to the worlds we were being introduced to. As far as an introduction went it was ok, but the premise interests me. So I'm looking forward to seeing where the next volume goes. Was it perfect? No, but was it intriguing? Yes. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 13

Title: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 13

Author/Artist: Shuzo Oshimi

Series/Standalone: Blood on the Tracks 

Genre: Manga, Horror, Adult

Pages: 224

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Year Published: 2022

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"It's been 20 years since his mother told Seiichi that she renounced motherhood, since she thanked him for being a killer, since he tried to strangle her there in the courtroom- and somehow he made it through. living alone, working the night shift at a commercial bakery, barely speaking to his father, Seiichi's life is solitary and empty, and he likes it that way. But nothing lasts forever....

The grand preface is over- and now the real story begins!!!"

My Rating: 1/5

I think this is where I will be leaving the series. I don't care to continue on, the time jump did nothing for me, and the direction the plot is taking isn't for me. I doubt that I will continue at this point but I would still recommend the series for anyone who wants to be a bit unsettled. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Title: Hook, Line and Sinker

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: Bellinger Sisters Duology (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Pages: 353

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he's a guaranteed good time- in bed and out- that's exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She's immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his... personality? And want to be friends? But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a  few tips from Westport's resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker's eye... yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. 

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she's walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and.... and.... man overboard! He's fallen for her, hook, line and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he's all in, she'll choose him instead?"

My Rating: 3.75/5

This book was exactly what I needed from a summer romance. It had a great atmosphere, follows characters we've already met and a great trope for the reason the characters can't be together. I do love a fake dating trope. The smut was phenomenal as always, but I did find the flashbacks to what the characters had said in previous scenes frustrating. It's one thing to be thinking about what the hero or heroine had said and another to have it seem to loop so frequently that I was taken out of the current storyline. Not my favourite, but the epilogue made up for it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Flawless by Elsie Silver

Title: Flawless

Author: Elsie Silver

Series/Standalone: Chestnut Springs Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 424

Publisher: Kindle 

Year Published: 2022

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line: "You got one angry motherfucker here, Eaton."

"The rules were simple. Keep my hands off his daughter and stay out of trouble.

But now I'm stuck with her. There's only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken.

I'm the face of professional bull riding- the golden boy. Or at least I was, until it all blew up in my face. Now my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I'm stuck with his ballbusting daughter for the rest of the season as my 'full-time supervisor.'

But I don't need a goddamn babysitter, especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running not 

A mouth I can't stop thinking about.

Because Summer isn't just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn't run- she pulls me closer, even when she shouldn't.

She says this means nothing.

I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn't cross. That my reputation can't take any more hits- and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I'm going to steal it anyway."

My Rating: 4/5

This book was such a fun ride..... the author did an excellent job of making the characters unique but not too over the top. The way the perspectives of the characters alternated so well together made my reading experience so much more enjoyable. Between the plot and the smut, it was a great read and I can't wait to read more from the author and this series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Title: Local Woman Missing

Author: Mary Kubica

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Adult Fiction

Pages: 378

Publisher: Harlequin 

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"People don't just disappear without a trace....

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared to what they'll find...

In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times best-selling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried."

My Rating: 5/5

It's been a while since I read a thriller that kept me at the edge of my seat and threw me in the deep end. I loved the way that this book was written. Just when I thought I knew where the plot was going something would be thrown in that would change the direction. I loved being shocked and surprised throughout. The atmosphere kept me on my toes and the time jumps kept the suspense alive.  I think the audiobook is a great way to read this book and I will be picking up more books by the author ASAP. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Covet by Tracy Wolff

Title: Covet

Author: Tracy Wolff

Series/Standalone: Crave Series (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 680

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"I may have reached my breaking point. As if trying to graduate from a school for supernatural isn't stressful enough, my relationship status has gone from complicated to a straight-up dumpster fire. Oh, and the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on us all.... Then again, when has anything at Katmere Academy not been intense?

And the hits just keep coming. Jaxon's turned colder than an Alaskan winter. The Circle is splintered over my upcoming coronation. As if things couldn't get worse, now there's an arrest warrant for Hudson's and my supposed crimes- which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.

Choices will have to be made... and I fear not everyone will survive."

My Rating: 3/5

I like this series, but you must know what you're getting into when you read this. These are angsty, they are fun, they are dramatic. They remind me a lot of early 2010s paranormal romance which I enjoy for the cheesiness of it, but it's not world shaking. If you are looking for a fun paranormal romance I would recommend this series. I love the audiobooks and they are quick to read. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Title: The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Fiction, Magical Realism, Contemporary

Pages: 304

Publisher: Canongate Books

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook (Own Paperback Copy)

"Between life and death there is a library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices... Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets? A novel about the choice that go into a life well lived.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place."

My Rating: 5/5

I ultimately really enjoyed this book. While I see how people would feel upset about how the author handled depression and if you were in the midst of it, or had been suicidal I wouldn't recommend reading this during that time. I don't think that the author was necessarily saying that you just have to look on the bright side to cure depression. But more so that often as humans we think about the roads that we didn't take, they plague us and when they become inescapable maybe that's part of the reason we spiral. This hit hard for me in a lot of ways and I hope to read more work by the author soon.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series/Standalone: Throne of Glass Series (Book #.5)

Genre: Novella Collection, Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 448

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Year Published: 2014

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

"Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trust only her fellow killer-for-hire Same. In these action-packed novellas- together in one edition for the first time- Celaena embarks on the five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out."

My Rating: 4/5

I think that this novella bound up did exactly what it set out to do. It helps readers further understand our main characters' past. It helps to see how the events in the first novel take place and I'm glad I read it after the second book in the series due to the twists that take place in the second book. It was exactly what it set out to be and my only complaint was that the main character started to be annoying in this prequel situation. I know a lot of people find her annoying throughout the series, but I've never thought that until this one. Fun, intriguing and plot-driven. I look forward to continuing the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 12

Title: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 12

Author: Shuzo Oshimi

Series/Standalone: Blood on the Tracks Series

Genre: Manga, Horror, Adult

Pages: 256

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Year Published: 2021

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"Ordinary middle school student Seiichi Osabe receives love and care from his mother Seiko. 

Until one summer an incident changes the family dynamic forever.

This is a story of a mother's love that has gone too far..."

My Rating: 2/5

This didn't capture my interest the way I wanted it to. I just felt as though not a lot happened throughout this volume although there were some plot points they weren't all I wanted from it. It was just ok for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sdiny

Review: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 11

Title: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 11

Author: Shuzo Oshimi

Series/Standalone: Blood on the Tracks Series 

Genre: Manga, Horror, Adult

Pages: 256

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Year Published: 2021

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"Shigeru's midnight visit leads Seiichi back up the hill where his mother dropped him as a child... and as events begin to fold in on themselves like the layers of his psyche, Seiichi starts to see the past through Mommy's eyes....

With one symbolic act, Seiichi can finally free himself of his mother's malign influence- but is this a nightmare, or is it all too real?!

My Rating: 3/5

This is where we're going off the rails. I really thought I had a grasp on where the series was going and yet, boom the author has surprised me once again. I didn't love the twist, but I can respect it. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 10

Title: Blood on the Tracks Vol. 10

Author: Shuzo Oshimi

Series/Standalone: Blood on the Tracks Series,

Genre: Adult, Manga, Horror

Pages: 256

Publisher: Vertical Comics

Year Published: 2021

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"His mother finally in custody, Seiichi is questioned by police and recovers a memory of being thrown off a cliff just like Shigeru. He begins to free himself from his mother's spell, and even rekindles his relationship with Fukiishi....

But even as Seiichi's heart fills with new hope, a strange visitor comes to him in the night."

My Rating: 4/5

I think this volume had the creep factor along with decent twists and turns. Again, the art style adds to the narrative immensely. I look forward to continuing the series.

Book Review: I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

Title: I'm The Girl

Author: Courtney Summers

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Hard Hitting

Pages: 344

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"The new groundbreaking queer thriller from New York Times bestselling and Edgar-award Winning author Courtney Summers.

When sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley's older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley's killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty- but who is guiltiest.

A spiritual successor to the 2018 breakout hit, Sadie, I'm the Girl is a masterfully written, bold and unflinching account of how one young woman feels in her body as she struggles to navigate a deadly and predatory power structure while asking readers one question: if this is the way the world is, do you accept it?"

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book came out at a key time. I've read a few works from the author and she challenges our society to explain why we seem so alright with atrocity after atrocity. This book contains a ton of trigger warnings so I would recommend that you look into those before picking it up. But this book reflects current events uncomfortably. Throughout the story, I couldn't help but feel disgusted with the way this mimics the world girls and women live in. I couldn't help but want the characters to scream out for help, but I realize that this is the reality for victims, people surrounding them see where the road is leading and either can't or won't help them. It was a great read, in the worst way. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Below Zero

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series/Standalone: The STEMinist Novellas (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella

Pages: 139

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.

Mara, Sadie and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn...

Hannah's got a bad feeling about him. Not only has NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station- but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival. 

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams... but he's never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?"

My Rating:  2.5/5

This one was my least favourite out of the three novellas that I read from this author. it just didn't go the way I expected which is fine, but I think this one could have benefited from being a full-length novel. It just didn't have the traction that other pieces of her work had. I liked it, it was fun, but it wasn't all I thought it could be. 

Thanks for reading, 

Sidny

Book Review: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Title: Between the Lines

Author(s): Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Series/Standalone: Between the Lines Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 385

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Year Published: 2012

Format: Audiobook 

"Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book- one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous and loving. He really speaks to Delilah. And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He's a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He's sure there's more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom. 

A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales."

My Rating: 3/5

This was a fun audiobook and I really enjoyed the concept of the story. Seeing such a popular author writing with her daughter gave me the warm and fuzzies but overall this book fell flat for me. I understand that I am not the targeted audience but there were a few messages that I wasn't a fan of. I liked how the characters appeared to be real teenagers. I liked that the perspectives alternated and the chapters from the book where Oliver lives help to really flesh out the world. All together, fun, but nothing that will stick with me. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny