Word to Dreams

First I would like to thank the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not change my review in any way.

Oh my! I can't believe what a whirlwind of a ride I've just been on. This book kept me captivated from the very beginning. It's starts with a mystery that lasts just about the entire book. I had an idea of who and why but the how totally evaded me. Well done Rebekah, Bravo!

This is a book of suspense and mystery, mixed with magic, horrific creatures of the woods and fairies. This is quite unlike most magical books that I've read, and that's a compliment. Salome sticks to her morals and although several times she could have been corrupted, she never gave in. A strong heroine, sometimes a damsel in distress, but not one that played the role. When she asked for help, she indeed needed it.

There is a whole collection of different people in this story, each with their own wants and ways. Each are portrayed in ways that it makes it very easy for the reader to discern who is who. Nevin, the mysterious boy in the snow, Colton, the school boy she's crushed on for ages, Gareth, the bodyguard who seemed to appear at a moments notice. What are their agendas? Who will Salome choose? How will the curse be broken? Will Salome live to see 19? Amazingly, this book gives you all the answers you need, not in a rushed way, and leaves the reader satisfied.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. Between being creeped out and feeling scared for Salome and trying to put the pieces together too, the author has totally proven herself to be an amazing storyteller. Did I have issues? Yes, but not with the book itself. The characters at times really ticked me off. Salome's grandmother really could have given her some more info before they left for the winter, her father was a bit underdeveloped but he served his purpose in the story and her mother could really have snapped out of her own shell and faced reality sooner.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good suspense story filled with mystery, magic, and the unknown. There are Fae in this book, but to me the story is so much more than them, it's the story of the curse and how Salome finds her way during times of uncertainty. I look forward to reading further books from this author.

The name is catchy, the ease of use as a functioning cookbook works well (pages open wide), the recipes seem pretty easy to follow, but the tone of the entries inside are set by the images on the front cover, and they are just not enticing for a teen looking for something to start from. Having teens myself, they were excited about the cookbook, especially with one being in the pastry arts at the local tech school, but it because quickly evident that these recipes were just not the kind they had much of an interest in. There is a varied amount of recipes in the book; How To's, guide, basic sections and a big bonus is that the dessert section does not take up any more than the other sections. I can't say how many times I've picked up a cookbook to find that the majority of the recipes were desserts.

There are plenty of different recipes in this cookbook. Everything from how to boost up your basic yogurt to those with flair, such as rancheros. There are numerous ethnic type recipes in this book that are great beginner type recipes if one's interested in expanding their palate. The downside is once again, the pictures with the recipes. Several of them just aren't eye appealing to the point of wanting to try them out. Another downside is that there are just too many ethnic recipes in the book. A different name for this cookbook could provide a whole different outlook on it and as the primary chef in the household, I have to say that it's marketability would rise.

I do like the fact that the majority of the recipes have ingredients that aren't hard to find and have the common names used. If you've ever gone looking for Asian chili paste, you know this dilemma well. The guide in the beginning of the book is full of great information for the upcoming consumer. This guide gives information on how to eat healthy and seasonally. It also provides the basics on organic food, vegetarianism, the pros of buying locally and what is fair trade. Everything that consumers young and old need to know, throwing out a lot of the mystery and giving the reader the beginning knowledge to either take as is or grasp and research further.

All in all, a good cookbook for teens who are looking to mix things up a bit. A bit of a overhaul on the pictures and possibly a name change are things that I find would really make this cookbook stand out over all the others on the market. Cookbooks are kind of like restaurants, the good ones prosper and are well visited, those that are kind of all over the place get one time visits and those that just don't pop and sizzle from the get go, are rarely looked at.

4.5 stars

I would like to thank the author and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to read this by providing me with a complimentary copy. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.

I have just found a new series to read. Mary Hades is a true mixture of mystery, murder and ghosts that pleased me from start to finish. Twists and turns in every chapter, but not to the point that was overwhelming. A campfire type story that is built up to stand on its own and carry through an entire book.

Mary Hades has been through a lot in her 17 years. She's seen things that very few do, she's experienced situations that you wouldn't wish on anyone. She takes this knowledge, using key elements as tools to what is coming. On top of all this, her best friend is a ghost. Between the two of them, they have the ability to outwit crazy spirits, bring others into their small circle and learn a thing or two about themselves along the way.

This is a great story to start the series with. It gives the reader the understanding of what Mary and her friend have experienced and what they have to look forward to. I recommend reading the prequel novellas too. The author gives the reader the information on their lives prior, but I feel that the prequels will fill in some of the blanks. You don't have to read the prequels to read this book though, the author fills the reader in on past happenings quite well.

The author got me on this one. I thought I knew where it was going and in some ways that's where it did go, but on another count it wasn't. I can't go into it because than I'd be giving the story away. The detailed settings throughout the book really kept the pace moving and I felt like I was there, part of the surroundings, watching the story unfold. My only dislike with this book was the character building of Seth. I felt like there was something missing with him, there were times when he just felt flat.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good ghost story, mixed with horror, suspense, mystery and thrills. I would say readers 13 and up would find this a great read. In some ways, it reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood, but not in a copycat way, but in a good comparative style, ie if you liked ADiB, you'd like Mary Hades.

I look forward to reading further books in the Mary Hades series, and plan on doing so in the very near future. The horror genre is one of my favorites and Sarah Dalton is able to bring it to the reader through YA literature, leaving out a lot of the gore found in the adult horror books but still keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

What more can I say about this book that the stars don't? Let's see. When I requested the book, I was expecting a how to book, but upon receiving it, it was more than I expected by far. At least twice the size of the usual DYI craft books and with so many different types of duct tape projects inside. Admit it, how many books have you picked up, and after looking through it, the projects are either out of date, repetitious or just downright too intense? These projects are all up to date, unique, and the majority are for those with the basic duct tape know how. Don't have that yet? You will with this book.

The start of this book gives you the ins and outs of different types of tape, materials needed, materials to stay far-far away from, and the basic how to's of duct tape. We are talking the very basic start up of using duct tape as a craft project instead of wanting to use it on your sister or brothers snitching mouth. Oh, don't give me that look, you know you've thought about it once or twice while they got you grounded on at least one occasion. For adults, I've been known to use it around the sliding door during hurricane season.

The instructions are clear, the pictures too. Each project gives you a list of the materials you will need, the amount of time it "should" take to complete and rates the difficulty level of the project. I say should, because I know that I'm not that good with sticking to referenced time, plus it really depends on the materials you are using. If you decide to mix up the materials and use an assortment of different patterns and colors it will take more time than if you just used a few. That's another think I like about this book, it's not boring. The projects are shown with really cool colors and patterns instead of just using basic one color duct tape. It really gives it all a better effect.

The type of projects you will find in the book are again, everything from the very basic to flowers, wallets, purses, backpacks, glass cases, bracelets, rings, chokers, etc. If you can think it, it's either in here or with the techniques presented, you can figure out how to make it. I just can't stop gushing over this book.

This book is perfect for everyone. Parents or older siblings can use it with young children. Teens can use it by themselves or with their friends. Adults can use it for themselves or to make crafts for friends or relatives. Groups can use this for either making gifts or even to make things to sell at craft fairs. I'm actually going to show this book off at my children's Girl Scout troop because I think that all of them, including the leaders, will find projects that interest them. What a great craft to make while at camp too!

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Providing such does not sway my review in any way.

A unique take on the post-apocalyptic world; part fantasy, part dystopian, part Grimm's fairy tales, but altogether original material in a genre that has become very popular and sometimes over saturated with the same type of story lines. The sun comes into play and is part of the story in a way that I never considered. In some ways like the cancerous effects of dioxin and other biochemical waste products.

The story centers around Pearl. She is unique in several ways. She was born irradiated, with sucker caps that remind you of an octopus, pink skin and thin silver hair. Honestly, I wish this book came with pictures. Through the descriptions and my imagination filling in the blanks, I can only hope that what I felt many in the book looked like is close to how the author sees them.

People are drawn to Pearl. Some are drawn to help her, some are drawn to use her for their own benefit in wiping out others. The one constant variable throughout the book is that her sister, Jade, would go to the ends of the world to save her. Jade, an old soul who has seen much in her years, still has the compassion for those that she knows have been done wrong but even than, will strike that person down fast and hard if she knows that they are part of why her sister was taken away.

Being a huge fan of the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre, I found it really hard to get through this book. Descriptions were murky, story lines were a bit over the top, parts of it having me think Lord of the Rings meets Firefly meets Farscape but minus space and spacecraft and overall it just felt disjointed. The story didn't flow very well, even with the change of POVs, but towards the end it all finally seemed to finally weave together and become much easier to follow.

I don't recommend this to mainstream dystopia readers, but I do to those readers who like a bit of quirkiness interjected. I think that this would be right up their alley and could spread like wildfire by them just by word of mouth. I honestly feel that this would be much better as a graphic novel than how it is presented. There's so much description needed and the people and settings ache to pounce from the written word and be seen in all it's grand tapestry.

Having said all this, I will be following the author and will check out the further books in the tunnel trilogy. He has just scratched the surface in what can become an epic story. Just recently, the second book in the trilogy was released, Degenerated.

As it states, this is a short story at 25 pages, but oh, does it pack a punch. I was breathless, eating up each page to see what was going to happen next. The reader learns a bit about Nathan, before the war. He's a jerk, but we get to see the side of him that is dying for his fathers attention. We learn how just by trying to make his father proud, he ends the world as we know it. We also get to see him try to make a wrong, right, while in the middle of a living hell.

In 25 pages, my emotions ran from one end of the scale to the other and back and forth. I felt disgust, sympathy, anger, pain, fear and much more. For an author to do this with a short story, that author has mastered the art of storytelling. I bet her campfire stories keep even the forest creatures too scared to rest! The suspense, the doom, the ending, oh my!

This is a must read for those just starting this series and for those that have read Sovereign and The Offering. Both groups will be wanting more. I recommend this for anyone who likes the post-apocalyptic genre.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.

Ingenious, original, nail-biting and just plain spectacular doesn't even come close to how I feel about this book. I can honestly say that I've never read anything quite like this. For those who read and enjoyed [b:Warm Bodies|7619057|Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies, #1)|Isaac Marion|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323400027s/7619057.jpg|10090210] by [a:Isaac Marion|1302285|Isaac Marion|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1307641785p2/1302285.jpg], you will find yourself eating up every page of this book.

This dystopian book has to do with an alien invasion, but instead of just centering on bits and pieces, you get the sense of how it has affected the survivors featured in this novel, the changes that they have gone through and the side of the aliens that have been exterminating the human race. You find out so much more about the alien history, their fight for survival, why they came to Earth and what they want, but through the eyes of an alien that has seen through the atrocities and knows what his race is doing is wrong and trying to find his way through it and coming out the better man.

There are lessons to be learned through this story. Lessons of tolerance, lessons of how history can repeat itself if left unchecked, lessons of trust, hope and love. You will find yourself wondering how someone could love such a hurtful being that realizing a split second later, how just one change can create a world full of changes.

A great story, very well written, never dull and extremely vivid with characterization and scenery. I would love to read more about Blade, Jessica, their group of friends and further interactions with the aliens as a whole. Their story has so many possibilities and would be amazing to dive in to.

Well done, Gemma Drazin, very, very well done.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.

I was a little skeptical when I started reading this book, because honestly, I have not read the first two. Thankfully the author provided just enough of the characters story at just the right times that I wasn't stumbling over what was going on. Now, even if I had, I wouldn't have docked it any points because it's obviously my own fault for not reading the first two books.

From the very beginning of this book, I was swept into the story and didn't want to come up for air. I was completely intrigued with the characters and story line and felt a pull towards them. This was refreshing for me, because lately there's been a bit of lack of chemistry in books between the characters themselves and story line to reader.

As this books progressed, the author provided perfectly executed tidbits of information that she's kept from the reader or had them guessing at. Just enough to give you the aha moments with the knowledge that there's so much more to learn. This books is full of betrayals, revenge and the strive to find pure happiness amidst the former.

I recommend this book and series to anyone who likes a good paranormal romance mixed with werewolves and shape shifters. A fairy tale retelling that trumps so many that have sprung up lately. I look forward to reading more from author Ashley Lavering.

I love science, I love space, I love Mars, but oh I was not so keen on this book. The first half droned on and on and on. I felt like I was being tortured reading this. I put it down, picked it back up, put it back down a few pages later. Thankfully I kept on going, because what would have been a DNF turned into something much better once those on Earth became involved with the story. Honestly, the main character Mark Watney, would be a bit of a bore in real life and I don't know if he's someone I would find myself conversing with.

Eventually the droning brings some action, and I wanted to know what those on Earth were going to do for this poor soul. Could they get to him in time? Another bad day, he's going to die before they can. Back and forth the story went. I admit, I skimmed, because even when things started moving, they moved than stopped, than snail paced moved again.

I don't know who I would recommend this book to. If you like dry, scientific fiction novels, this one's for you. If you like a story that actually moves along, this isn't one for you. I was so looking forward to reading this, and I feel a bit let down afterwards.

I'm sad that the series has come to and end, but I loved every moment of the journey. Review to come..

This is a story of a woman's journey from living a daily hell to finding her own direction in the world as it has been presented to her. In some ways, Naya's life parallels those of other women in our world right now and it saddens me that such atrocities are still occurring and girls and women are sold into sexual slavery every day.

The government's plan is actually a more underlying story than the one about Naya, her fight for freedom, her fight to save her unborn children, her fight to help those that are still on The Line and those who are risking everything to keep her safe. This story is not for everyone, but anyone who reads it will come away with knowledge that they may not have ever wanted but they can't close the doors on again. Anne Tibbets paints the scenes, gives the characters life and doesn't shy away from the uneasy parts.

A quick read, maybe because I really liked the story and how it flowed. I could see the dingy walls, smell the putrid garbage, feel the darkness of not only night but that of lives that know no light and I wanted to keep Naya safe and I wanted to rescue all the girls on The Line. Writing this review, I find that I also feel anger. Anger to the person who would do that to a child. Anger to the person who would put their wants and needs before their own and sell them into a life that they wouldn't want to endure themselves.

Each character's personality leaped off the page. Reading, I could sense their presence, movements and emotions. This is a struggle for many writers, but Ms. Tibbets makes it seem so easy and she does it flawlessly. I laughed with the characters, felt their burdens, pains, heartaches and also their light hearted moments of happiness.

With all this, what I found as lacking was a good story line to the governments plot. It really needed to be beefed up a bit more and it should have been center stage earlier and stronger throughout. The story felt like the relationships, how everyone got from point a to b to wherever was planned thoroughly, than the author was like, ok, where am I going to put in the reasoning behind everything, than slid it in. Being this is the first book in the series, I'm guessing that the plan is going to be more of a focal point in the next book, so I'm not going to go on more about it.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good conspiracy story with government cover ups but with more of a character interaction and story line than the evil plot. A mixture of Mission Impossible, 1984 big brother government, 20/20 special assignment feel and an enduring mix of characters. Due to the subject matter though, I don't recommend this to readers under the age of 18, unless they are more mature than their peers, than I would say no younger than 16. I look forward to reading further stories in The Line series and seeing the changes in Naya.

I would like to thank the author for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read and reviewed Ms. Howards first book in this trilogy, The Forgotten Ones, I was curious to see where she was taking the readers with her story. I was not only happy about the path she chose, but I liked the way she reiterated some of the first book to help get things moving. It has been a little while since I read the first book, so it really helped me get back into the storyline. The way she did it didn't take away from the story in the least bit, which can be tricky at times.

This book is an example of not only the story getting better, but the story teller maturing a bit with her writing and letting her characters guide her. This created a much more well rounded identity to each character which in turn really let the story flow and take on a life of its own. The mystery and intrigue know coming front and center and the world of the Danaan weaving in intricate layers. Once you think you know what's going on, something makes you think twice.

Allison, a heart bigger than any other, finds that there are even more questions than answers still. She has evolved since the first book in confidence, knowledge, relationships and more. Having done so, I felt a bigger draw to her and really began rallying for her. All the characters have evolved a bit, making for a stronger story, more convincing relationships and creating an over all great read.

I recommend this book to everyone who has read the first one, because again, it's even better and you won't be disappointed. I recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys fantasy and the world of fae and magical forces. Readers 13+ will enjoy this book and with the twists, especially at the end, will be recommending this book to their friends. Personally, I can't wait for the final book!

I would like to thank the author for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Receiving such does not sway my thoughts in any way.

I enjoy science fiction, having read from authors such as Jack McDevitt, Beth Revis, etc. This book ranks right up there with those authors. I have to say that this book is in a neck to neck competition with Across the Universe by Ms. Revis. Spaceships, confusion, betrayal, hierarchy and kidnapping all wrapped up in this book and delivered to the reader in a way that I just couldn't put it down. I read from beginning to end, breaking myself away only when I had to.

The crew are all smarter than they appear at times and given that, sometimes they are also too smart for their own good. Rhiannon, who outsmarted the tests, is destined to be a Queen Commander. Her best friend and her friends boyfriend tested in a way that would take them from one another. Rhiannon, in a way was coerced into putting together a Hive that would keep them together, but would take the groups destined schooling away, and put them all in jeopardy.

Being the first book in a series and a scifi one at that, there is always the fear that too much of the book is going to be backstories and very little present time. Thankfully, that is not the story with this book. As the story progresses, you get the info you need at the moment, and it keeps on moving. When a situation arises, that requires further information from the past, the author provides just what you need, and lets it go at that. Not only does this allow the story to progress with a normal flow, it also doesn't distract you from the current storyline.

There is some unrealistic aspects to the story though. Basically going in blind and being able to maneuver and fly a spacecraft with no past experience and not taking half the side of a docking station off with it, or flying into other spacecraft was a bit unbelievable. I can understand getting the feel of it after all that, but not before. And the fact that being such a young Queen, with such a young crew, that more people didn't take notice was curious.

Once you get past the peculiarities, the story itself takes you for a ride. The conflicts between the crew. The Queen learning how to be just that and learning how to have her Hive confident in her. The engineering issues, the Devotes relationship with the Queen, the passenger that stirs up troubles and more just keep the reader focused and the page flipping commences.

A strong science fiction novel that will hold the interest of all scifi readers, young and old, and is guaranteed to make some non genre readers converts. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Hive & Heist, and I look forward to reading other books from this author.

I would like to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Scouts honor, if the first 150 pages of this book would be condensed to about 30 pages, this book would be a solid 4 star. There were some points that went on during those pages, but they could have been made as a whole and gone on from there. During those pages, not only is it drawn out but nagging questions appear that are never answered. A condensed version would have had the reader maybe left wondering but not feeling pressured by them. Plus, I felt that the descriptions weren’t set up enough to get a real feel of the surroundings nor enough for the reader to let their imagination fill in the gaps. The first half also feels a bit juvenile, but even with the main characters ages, they would be wise above their years.

The remaining 150 pages really get the story moving. There are events that make you really think. These events give you questions. And most of these questions are given answers to and those that aren’t answered lead up to the next book. I would love to read a prequel novella about Coe’s life before the incident that took away the majority of the memory of her childhood. Possibly told from Tiam’s eyes, because he went through some things in his early seasons too that set up some of his insecurities.

Near the end of the book, I started to get a feel of the City of Ember series. Being that I loved that series (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. DON’T watch the movie!), that’s not a bad thing. I am really interested in Ms. Reilly’s next book in this series. She has really set it up where the next book could just blow away this first one. I anticipate a wide eyed, caffeine fueled, burning the midnight oil read with it.

A true YA dystopian, this book is filled with death, hope, romance, mystery, betrayal and discovery. I suggest this book to readers 12+ who are looking for something a little different but with adventure included. I don’t feel that adult readers will enjoy this as much as a young reader just because of the peculiarities involved.

First I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing such does not sway my review in any way.

When I was a child, I loved reading about different legends and lore. This book brought back those years to me, spun a contemporary take on them and gave me comfort in the creepiness of the story. Comfort of the known and comfort with the fact that this author didn't just tell me about the legends but treated them with honor and respect.

The author breathed a new life into the legendary characters and stories. She provided a means to bring them all together while creating a story of her own. She is spot on with the mannerisms of the era's and you can feel the historical attributes as if you were right there at that time and place. The story flowed so well and the interactions of all the characters felt like the author fine tuned each and every one of them before she even wrote it, giving each their own persona and sculpting it to perfection which meshed all the different layers together in a way that not many storytellers can.

The story itself is dark but mixed with character cockiness, stubbornness, sarcasm and humor. I found myself laughing out loud, wanting to hide in terror, ready to punch a little punk who was claimed by "The La Brea Tar Pits of asshole-ism," call the white coats, silently creep on the neighbor because he's like everywhere, and more. Any story that can take you through all these emotions and not lose you as a reader plus take it back and forth from past to present seamlessly is a keeper and one to shot praises of it from the rooftops.

This book is not for younger children, but I can see teens through adults glued to the pages. I can see this book being shared from one booklover to another to another and so on. I look forward to further legends books by Ms. Rourke and I think I'm going to do some catching up on those that I loved as a child.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.

As I read this book, I found myself transported into the pages and inserted right into the scenery. That right there is easily the best hook in keeping me reading and all the twists and turns throughout kept me glued to what was going to happen next. As the characters breathed, I was right there with them breathing along with my heart beating in anticipation and sometimes in fear.

A great read that is filled with secrets and twists and turns and along with it a romance that blossoms. This will entice a great audience of readers and will have them ready for the next book in the series. The greater your audience, the greater risk an author takes and Neel Kay rose to the challenge and conquered. Not only does she do that well, but the female characters that she created have the strength and perseverance one wants in their reading.

That being said, I did have a few issues with the book. There are times that there is so much going on in the story that some things seem a bit jumbled and I had to reread areas a couple times because of this. There is also, at times, lack of details that disrupt the sensory perception of the story itself which in turn takes away from the flow of the story. There were also some details in the book that felt a bit over the line and could have been done differently with the same outcome.

The conflicts that the characters deal with will strum at the strings of many readers’ hearts. There are situations that they deal with that on some levels can cross to reality. Betrayal of a sibling, loss of a parent, loss of one’s true identity, spark of romance, and the threat of certain truths being found out. I recommend this to readers 17+ who enjoy a good fantasy romance that will leave them thinking, even after the last word has been read.