A Touch Of Death By Rebecca Cruden

August 15, 2020by Pooja G35 Comments

Introduction

As you guys may remember I reviewed a book by Rebecca Cruden a while ago called Haze and I had such an amazing experience reading that book that I decided to pick up another book by her. This one is called A Touch of Death and is a part of a dystopian romance series. As you guys may know romance is not my favourite genre but I do love dystopia so I decided to give this one a try.

About Rebecca Crunden

Rebecca Crunden is a writer and fellow blogger. She has written multiple books over the years all of which you can check out by clicking here. She also has an amazing blog where she writes reviews and you can check that out by clicking here. If you want to read Haze by Rebecca Crunden you can find it on Amazon and Goodreads.

Synopsis

A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears.
A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him.
Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.

My Review

On the one hand, as mentioned above, romance is a genre I tend to avoid except the occasional cheesy romance I like to read once in a while. On the other hand dystopia is a genre I fell in love with in high school as we had to read dystopian books for our exam and write dystopian stories of our own. Ironically, even as a history student I tend to really enjoy reading books about the future and I always think it’s interesting to read about what other people think the future will be like.
I was a little unsure whether I would enjoy this book or not but I decided to give it a try since the last book I read by the author was from a genre I usually tend to avoid by all means possible and I still ended up really enjoying. This one did not disappoint either and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book- even the romance parts of it. So, I’m just going to go ahead and discuss the plot now. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum but there may be a few ahead so just giving you a heads up.
The story takes place a thousand years in the future where under a totalitarian kingdom the rich thrive while the poor are left to suffer. We are introduced to the main character- Nate, Catherine and Thom. Catherine is Thom’s fiance and Nate is his brother. Nate has always been a trouble maker and has often caused trouble some of which involved Catherine and Thom. Although Thom forgives Nate for everything including openly dissenting Catherine does not and holds a grudge against him for making her and Thom’s life more difficult.

“In all her memory, Nate had never been scared of – or reasonable about – anything.”

Catherine has always enjoyed a sheltered and privildged life- one that she quite enjoys the perks of. She is a stark contrast to Nate who although eccentric is much more aware of what is going on politically, socially and economically. I enjoyed the contrast between the two as it was often used by the writer as a symbol/metaphor for the contrast between the rich and the poor in their society.

“Small, elegant taps on the wall were filled with soaps, softeners, moisturisers, scents, dyes, delouser, thickeners, straighteners, curlers, and other various puddings,jellies and potions which would do anything desired to the hair or body.”

Unfortunately for Catherine, she is forced to leave behind her privileged life and go on the run with her much hated nemisis, Nate, to the Outlands. I just want to pause her and say that I love the way that the author described everything in this book. Personally, I feel that it takes a lot more work to describe things in dystopian novels because the vision that the writer has may not be the same thing the reader imagines as a very large chunk of things in dystopian books are the writers imagination. Therefore, description can really make or break your book and in this case the writer did a wonderful job with description which was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me. It really helped me imagine what the writer had in mind and it also really helped paint a more accurate picture of everything going on.

“Thunder boomed in the distance, and a crack of lightning brought a cold rush of wet wind and a streak of blinding brightness across the horizon, giving her a brief glimpse of the terrain.”

While on the run they end up contracting a disease and they are not able to touch anyone but each other. Their lives were already in danger and now the situation has gotten much worse. I admit, this twist was a really good idea because it kept me on the edge of my seat. I don’t know about you guys but I really enjoy books with lots of twists and turns otherwise I end up getting a bit bored after a while.
“…We’re not sure why. It hurts her if anyone touches her.”
The plot in general is quite interesting. As I mentioned it does have a good amount of description, twists and turns and also some quite emotional moments.
“The world did not care that everything had gone terribly sideways for Catherine and Nate”
I wanted to end this review by talking about the book in general minus the plot. Before I begin I wanted to say that I saw someone say in the comments on Amazon that the start of the book was a bit slow. I just want to address that because I know a lot of us readers like faster plots where things instantly start to happen. However, that is very difficult to do with dystopian books because you need to first introduce this world you have created to the reader in a organic way that’s not just a bunch of details showed in their face. As someone who spent months working on dystopian stories (maybe just one story- I’ve forgotten how A levels work but if anyone is doing their GCSE’s let me know in the comments) I can say that it is insanely difficult to write a very fast paced dystopian plot. With a dystopian story line you do not get the privilege of the reader knowing exactly what you’re talking about. That being said, I personally felt the writer handled it quite well and I did not think the story started out slow because I found it helpful that she took the time to give a description and explanation of what was going on. I think in the end it kind of depends on your personal preference.
I also enjoyed the writing very much. I feel like the author has a very unique style of writing and she has this gift where she takes genres that are generally not for everyone and gives them a twist and that ends up making a very specific theme/topic/genre interesting for a much more diverse audience. I don’t know if I explained that well but all I meant to say was that she writes genres that I personally don’t generally read because from prior experience I personally don’t find them interesting but the way she combines them with other genres it makes them much more interesting for me and I’m guessing for other people too. Plus, it creates a very unique combination which I love.
The characters were great- I definitely felt a connection with all of them. I found Catherine to be a little annoying to be honest but she did grow on me as the book progressed. I was definitely a little emotional when events took place that effected the characters.
I also thought the whole idea of the rich living a sheltered/privileged life and going out of their way to maintain this life by crushing all opposition was quite fitting because we see that in the past in history, we see that currently and I am pretty sure it’s not going to change anytime soon- although we should keep trying to change things of course. I love it when dystopian books take inspiration from historical events or current events.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the book- even the romance parts which as I have mentioned is not always my favourite. I thought the idea for the plot was a really good one and it was written really well too which helped bring the authors dystopian world to life. If you are a fan of dystopian books I would highly recommend giving this one a go and even if you are not a huge fan of dystopia I would recommend checking it out because you may still end up liking it. This is part of a series so I am currently reading the next book and of course the review for that will be up as well as soon as I’m done reading it.

Thoughts

Do you enjoy dystopian books? Are you a fan of romances? What book are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below- I always enjoy hearing your thought!
Check out the book on Amazon and Goodreads. And be sure to check out the authors blog by clicking here.

For all things books click here.
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Salt + Stilettos by Janet Walden

July 2, 2020by Pooja G11 Comments

About The Author

Janet Walden-West lives in the southeast with a pack of show dogs, a couple of kids, and a husband who didn’t read the fine print. A member of the East Tennessee Creative Writers Alliance, she is also a founding member of The Million Words craft blog. She pens inclusive Contemporary and Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy.

Summary

Sweet Home Alabama meets Top Chef when Miami’s most determined image consultant clashes with Samoa’s most uncooperative chef in a race to rebrand him as South Beach’s newest star.
Brett Fontaine learned early that appearance matters and not to count on anyone but yourself. Trading her red-dirt roots for the title of Miami’s go-to image consultant, she refuses to let anything jeopardize her new life.
Not an influential client-turned-stalker who’s up for parole.
Not post-kidnapping panic attacks.
Certainly not the stubborn, attention-phobic chef she’s challenged to transform into a celeb in ninety days.
Will Te’o can almost taste the dream he sacrificed American Samoa, culture, and cherished family ties for—opening a four star restaurant in the most cut-throat culinary location in North America. Unfortunately, that requires navigating it’s equally cut-throat social scene. When his first public performance ends in a social media spectacle, his only option is turning to the stiletto-wearing nemesis who’s invaded his kitchen.
Neither expected to share anything but barbs, yet somewhere between accidentally bonding over comfort food and office-wrecking sex, they’re named South Beach’s hottest pairing. Until Brett’s stalker engineers a reputation-shattering reveal. She may be going down, but she’s not taking Will’s dreams with her. Now Will’s pulling out all his new skills and cooking up a last-ditch event. He’ll prove to Brett that relying on the right person makes for the perfect recipe—or be left heartbroken in the spotlight.

My Thoughts

As you guys know I don’t always read romance novels but I am kind of a sucker for a good romance novel once in a while. Especially when it’s about two people who are quite different from each other but grow to appreciate one another’s differences and even love them. As always I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum and not give away too much of the plot because for me the best part about reading a book is the twists that keep you at the edge of you seat.

“When his gaze drifted to her face, the last traces of a smile danced around her lips.”

Brett Fontaine and Will Te’o seem like they are very different people with different lives, different lifestyles, different priorities and definitely different personalities. When they first meet they find it challenging to be around one another and feel pretty frustrated by the other. Brett is from the South but left her roots behind to become a successful, career oriented celebrity image consultant. Will on the other hand also left behind his roots to become one of the best chef’s in North America.

“But a little work and I grew on you?”

After spending more time together they begin to bond and realise that they have more in common than they expected and that they actually have a special connection. I really enjoyed that the romance between them was not forced as I feel it is in some romance novels. It was more organic and over time which is more realistic and they kind of grow on each other which personally I find more believable.

“He was promising they belonged together.”

Unfortunately, certain things about Brett’s life are revealed by her stalker and their lives are quickly changed. However, Brett does her best to protect Will’s life and career from the turmoil in her life.
I really enjoyed that the book was not at any point slow or boring for me. A problem that I have very often with romance novels is that the parts with the main characters are interesting but the rest of the side plot sometimes seems kind of unrealistic or boring- like a distraction from the actual plot. However, with this book I found their back stories, their careers and personal lives to be quite interesting even without the romance parts of it. They both had issues that they needed to deal with, they both had certain things from the past that haunted them and they both were great people despite their flaws.
I also enjoyed that Brett was a strong, ambitious and career oriented female instead of a damsel in distress with nothing on her mind except romance and finding a man. I also liked that Will was vulnerable, insecure and emotional. The realistic description of both characters made them more lovable and allowed me as the reader to connect with them on an emotional level. I loved that they were able to grow together and learn to build one another up from their past trauma.
In conclusion, I genuinely enjoyed this book very much. The characters were all interesting including the side characters. The main characters were very lovable, fun, interesting, quirky and sweet. The plot was clearly very well thought out and cleverly delivered. As mentioned above I did feel bored at any point and I did not feel the urge to skip any pages. I was fully invested in the book and it only took me about three days to finish the book.
You get this book through any of the sites below:
Amazon: smarturl.it/lqnyyv
B&N: https://tinyurl.com/y8544ez8
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y9kjkov2
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/ybrq7h9s
You can find out more about the author below:
Twitter: @JanetWaldenWest
Instagram: janetwaldenwest
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetwaldenwestauthor
Website: http://www.janetwaldenwest.weebly.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18062729.Janet_Walden_West
Amazon: J anet Walden-West
The Million Words Blog
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janet-walden-west

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Haze By Rebecca Crunden (Book Review)

June 25, 2020by Pooja G50 Comments

About Rebecca Crunden

Synopsis

When Eliza Owens gets a phone call in the middle of the night from a girl she’s never met, she doesn’t know what to think. The girl introduces herself as Paige, and says she used to date Erik Stern, Eliza’s fiancé. What’s more, she has something important to discuss.
The only problem? Paige has been dead for years.
Believing it to be a sick prank, Eliza tries to force it from her mind until Sam, Eliza’s older sister, tells her she met Paige only a few weeks before. And, according to Sam, Paige has nothing nice to say about Erik.
The fight which follows shatters the lives of everyone involved, and Erik disappears without a trace.
Five years later, Erik returns to town after his father’s death. Old wounds quickly resurface, and with them several burning questions. None the least of which is: Who spoke to Eliza and Sam if it wasn’t Paige? And why?

My Review

This book is a paranormal romance which is a genre I rarely dip my feet into. I did not know exactly what to expect considering I have a bit of a problem with paranormal stuff- especially ghosts in particular- so I was a little skeptical. I do like romance though so I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did because I was really impressed by this book and I think it kind of opened me up to a whole new genre I was not really into before. Also turns out I’m not scared of paranormal stuff when it’s in a book but that’s not the point of this review so let’s just get into the review.I don’t want to give away a lot about the book and the story line because I want to avoid putting out spoilers so I am going to try to summarize it as much as possible without too many details.

“Death is a friend that greets us at the end”

It starts out with two characters- Erik and Miles- discussing and then attempting to bring someone back to life. It then moves on to nine years later. Eliza who is currently in a relationship with Erik gets a suspicious phone call from a girl named Paige who apparently has something important to talk to her about. However, when she discusses Paige with Erik it turns out that Paige was his ex-girlfriend who had passed away.

“Hope was for idiots.”

The story continues with Sam, Maya, Erik and Eliza on a hike and Sam and Erik get into an argument. Although Maya and Eliza try to intervene the fight escalates and Sam ends up punching Erik in the face. In response Erik lightly pushes Sam away. For some reason, instead of moving a few steps back Sam flies into a tree and dies. Everyone is in disbelief, especially Erik.

“Sam, unmoving. Dead.”

The story moves on again to five years later. Erik, had left town after the incident however has returned to support his mother after there was a death in the family. Eliza is in a pretty bad place. She is still traumatized by her sisters death and has started using drugs. The story goes on from here and I’m going to end my summary there because saying more may ruin the book for you.

“But if that night’s events hadn’t made sense then, they made even less sense now.”

I think Crunden is an amazing writer. Not everyone can pull off a paranormal romance and I’m not going to lie- I’m a very picky reader when it comes to romance novels. I don’t like cheesy romances in general and I tend to lean towards romance novels that also have some kind of story to them which is why I think I really enjoyed this book. I also really enjoyed the plot twists and I liked that she sprinkled in the paranormal stuff at the beginning instead of just diving straight into it. That left me wanting to know more about what’s going on and why all these things were happening.
Although this was a paranormal romance novel it also took the time to explore a lot of other areas as well such as mental health topics. It shows us more about guilt, repression, anxiety, depression, trauma and grief and the effects that these things can have on a person and the decisions that they make. It also has quite also describes and explores the effects of drug use among other heavier themes. Like I mentioned earlier- I like a book with more depth and a good plot which this book definitely had.
In conclusion, I had almost no expectations when I began reading this book and almost no experience with this genre prior to reading this book. However, this book went beyond anything I could have expected and in the end I was quite impressed. It was well written, well structured, had a deep and interesting plot, enough plot twists to keep your interest but not so many that you lose interest and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks they would be interested in a paranormal romance book. I also want to add that I am really loving reading books by indie authors. These books may be lesser known but to be honest some well known books are just over-hyped while books like these are kind of hidden gems.

Thoughts

Are you a fan of paranormal romance? Have you read this book? Do you like paranormal or romance novels in general? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Check out the book on Amazon and Goodreads. And be sure to check out the authors blog by clicking here.

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Good Days And Bad Days By Mio Angelo

May 8, 2020by Pooja G45 Comments

Disclaimer: If you or someone you love are suffering from mental health problems please seek professional help.

About The Author

Mio Angelo is a fellow blogger who runs a blog called mentallyillinamerica. As you can probably guess from the name he is a mental health blogger. He suffers from Schizophrenia and writes on his blog about his experiences as well as other topics such as quotes, philosophy, poetry and many more. I first began interacting with him through the comments section and thought he was a lovely person and a really good writer. Further conversation proved just this- he is an absolute delight to talk to and a very talented writer. I was even able to guest post on his blog which was such a great experience. I really love that he is out there talking about mental health because as you guys know I strongly believe that we need to talk more openly about mental health and get rid of the stigma that so often accompanies mental health illnesses. In this book he talks about his experiences and how he was able to learn to live with his mental illness.

My Thoughts

“I know that it won’t be easy—it never has been
easy. It is going to take a strong commitment to living a better life by making good choices!”

The books describes his whole life from youth to his current life and talks about the ways in which his life foreshadowed the mental illness that he now lives with as well as to what extent genes and the experiences he had in the past played a role in his mental health. He talks about being “different” as a child and his relationship with his parents and other family members. He also talks about his symptoms like hallucinations, delusions of grandeur and other symptoms associated with schizophrenia. He also acknowledges how lucky he is to have reached a point in his life where he is able to control his symptoms and function normally to an extent because a significant number of patients who suffer from schizophrenia are not able to keep taking medications regularly and end up having to spend their entire lives in mental health facilities or are forced into even worse situations like homelessness due to the lack of proper mental healthcare facilities.

“As Han Solo said in Star Wars, “I don’t want to know the odds.”

I really liked that he mentioned recovery and how recovery for people dealing with mental health problems is not about going back to normal because for him and for many people suffering from mental health problems there really is no “normal” anymore and this becomes our new normal. For a lot of us recovery simply means learning to live with our symptoms or rather despite our symptoms. The can come and go, they can be worse on some day then others, medication/therapy/alternatives to medication can help to an extent but for many mental health disorders your symptoms may never fully leave and that’s okay because there are ways to control them to an extent and learn to live with them.

“In this arena of difficulties, I can tell you that I have good days and bad days, but mostly
bad days. During a bad day, I try and salvage things by working to make the day better overall!
And, sometimes it works!”

He also talks about how a number of people suffering from schizophrenia don’t realise they are actually suffering from a mental disorder. Those that do realise that they have schizophrenia have to choose between taking medication for the symptoms and dealing with the side effects or living with the symptoms and not taking medication. I’ve taken psychology for three years and when we studied about schizophrenia one of the things we learnt is that medication for schizophrenia is known to have very harsh side effects which is why quite a large number of patients (compared to patients that have other mental disorders) end up taking medication for only a short while and eventually end up taking it altogether. There are also no cures for schizophrenia and although therapies such as CBT have been known to help some patients, most patients find that only medication really helps get rid of the symptoms or at least make the symptoms manageable. Therefore, unlike other mental disorders schizophrenia is very reliant on medication and has few alternative options making it very difficult for patients. This is something that is addressed in the book and I’m glad it was addressed as it is a very important issue.

“It’s a catch 22 for a lot of us.”

Despite everything the writer has been through it’s incredible that he is still able to remain positive and do his best at improving himself, his life and his mental health. I think this book has a very motivating and inspiring message. Although I don’t suffer from schizophrenia, I do suffer from other mental health problems- my most challenging one being anxiety and I honestly felt better after reading this. I found it very inspiring and also very relatable because certain things he talked about like the lack of proper facilities etc. for mental health, how recovery does not mean full recovery and the impact of nature/nurture were things I have felt the same way about myself.

“So, the only thing I have to lose are my bad habits.”

In conclusion, this was the first book I’ve read by Mio and I thought it was extremely well written, interesting, uplifting, relatable and inspiring. As someone who suffers from mental health problems I always find it amazing when someone is able to open up and talk about their experience because even if just one person in the world can relate and feel motivated to not give up by it then you’ve already made a difference. I like that despite the obviously heavy and emotional content Mio was able to add some humour to lighten the mood. It helped show that not everything is horrible all the time. Of course there are ups and downs but there is also good along with the bad. All anyone can do is their best and I think Mio has learnt how to do his best despite the situation he is in.

“I just love being able to say, ‘I did my absolute best here today,’ and will rest easier

tonight, knowing that.”

To get a copy of Mio Angelo’s book contact him via email at chilloutmusicproducer@gmail.com and be sure to check out his blog by clicking here.
For all things books click here.
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Books I’ve Read Recently

October 3, 2019by Pooja G55 Comments

I haven’t been reading a lot of novels or non-school related books so I haven’t been writing a lot about books or book reviews but recently I asked you guys what posts you wanted to see on the blog and a lot of people said books so here are some recent ones I’ve read and my mini reviews on them.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell– This is a book about two twin sisters. One is an introvert who writes fanfic in her free time and the other is an extrovert attempting to live her best life in university. This book is very hyped up and everyone was obsessed with it a while back so I decided to read it. Maybe my expectations were too high because everyone talked about how amazing this book was or maybe I’m too old for YA now but in all honesty I thought this book was not all that. It wasn’t bad, it just was not good either. I thought it started out great and the story line was interesting and I could relate with the introvert, fan fiction writing twin but as the story progressed- at least for me- it just deteriorated. I would give it a 2.5/5.

Bossypants by Tina Fey- I LOVE Tina Fey- obviously who doesn’t- and I LOVED this book. It’s all about her life and where she came from and how she reached where she was. Tina Fey is just so funny, down-to-earth, genuine and sweet and you can so see this in her writing as well. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something fun and relaxing to read. I would give it a 4.5/5.

The Roads To Modernity by Gertrude Himmelfarb- So I had to read this one for my American Enlightenment class. It’s about the Enlightenment’s that occurred in Britain, France and America. I thought it was an interesting and informative read, however, I felt that Himmelfarb tended to focus on certain parts of the Enlightenment while ignoring the others. I also thought she ignored key aspects such as the effects of the Enlightenment on education, women’s lives, race and slavery although she did talk about the latter two but not in as much detail as I thought she should have. I would recommend it if you want to read about the Enlightenment in general but not if you’re a historian or someone who wants to read a more detailed explanation of the Enlightenment. I would give it a 3/5.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac- So I reread this some time ago since it is one of my favourite books of all times and has inspired me so much to come out of shell and do what I like/enjoy doing. I have to say Kerouac is as inspiring as ever. For a more detailed review of this book click here. I would give this book a 4.8/5.

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Ivy Feckett Is Looking For Love

June 18, 2019by Pooja G28 Comments

About The Author

Resident in Ireland for the past 22 years, Jay Spencer Green has worked as a factory laborer, hotel dishwasher, van driver, conveyor belt supervisor, college lecturer, court coverer at Wimbledon, stagehand for the Chippendales, correspondence course tutor, and database editor. The consequent cornucopia of negative work experiences has provided enough trauma for several novels, which are now being stealthily introduced to the reading public like a slow-release poison. The first of these,Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s, was voted one of the top ten indie books of 2015 and won the Lord of the Book Covers award. Lisa McInerney, winner of the Bailey’s Prize for Fiction, described it as “Savagely funny and deftly anarchic.”

Over the years, Jay has launched a number of projectiles into space, usually in the direction of the TV.

Goodreads

When brainiac nerds and smooth-talking power players meet up, there’s no telling what can happen. In the case of Ivy Feckett, what happens is a nonstop romp of wry, quirky fun.

Bookish Ivy’s cluelessness is as endearing as it is comical, from the first peek into her random sexual fantasies to the moment she realizes that her boss, the rich, handsome Ned Hartfield, is a serial manipulator with “wealth-induced Asperger’s.” Her search for love may not go as smoothly as her search for geocaches, but its route through awkward hookups, clumsy intrigue, and fake evangelicals is both hilarious and touching.

Told with a tone that’s pitch-perfect, Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love is a nerds-against-the-patriarchy romantic comedy that will tickle the inner geek of even the most sophisticated reader.

Amazon

The “nerds-against-the-patriarchy” romcom guaranteed to tickle your inner geek!

When brainiac dweebs and smooth-talking power players meet up, there’s no telling what can happen. In the case of Ivy Feckett, what happens is a nonstop romp of wry, quirky fun.

The second novel from award-winning author Jay Spencer Green, Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love is an outrageous, hilarious, and uplifting tale that will have you amused while you muse, cackling while you contemplate, and chortling while you cogitate. Sometimes all at once!

Voted Best Indie Comedy Book of 2016.

My Thoughts

Okay not going to lie, I could tell this book was going to be good by the title. Do you guys ever see a title and can kind of figure out how the book is going to be? I had one of those moments with this book. It’s really clever, funny, weird (in a good way!) and I really enjoyed reading it.

As you can probably gather from the title this book is about a girl called Ivy. She is totally a shy, smart, nerdy, introvert who is not the best at going out and meeting people. She prefers to stay home and day dream instead (relatable af right?). Her roommates are however the opposite- total extroverts who love going out and meeting people. Her best friend is nerdy, dorky and sweet Sam who she really cherishes as a friend. Is he secretly in love with her? Duh.

Now it all gets really interesting when Ivy meets Ned- a confident and powerful men who gets what he wants. He also happens to be her boss who she definitely starts fancying- cue the love triangle between Sam, Ivy and Ned.

This book was hilarious, witty, romantic, super relatable for an introvert like me and at times a little risque. I also loved Jay Spencer Green’s writing style and I am definitely going to be reading more of his books in the future.

I would totally recommend this book for anyone who enjoys romance or just wants to read something witty and a bit romance-y.

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I Will Kill You By Kristina Gallo

May 29, 2019by Pooja G16 Comments

About The Author

She is an indie author. Her native language is Croatian. She started with a blog where she described life situations like satire stories. Then she made a collection of 4 self-help books. After this, she decided to write short stories based on real events. She is between romance, drama, and thriller.

GoodReads

Helena just wanted to live like a normal teenager, to go on parties and date guys. She was not popular but soon things will change. She was not aware of her power which crosses the limits. Some people are injured, others are dead, and Helena is afraid to sleep.

Amazon

Helena is a sensitive young girl. She just wanted to live like a normal teenager, to go on parties and date guys. She was not popular but soon things will change. She was not aware of her power which crosses the limits. Some people are injured, others are dead, and Helena is afraid to sleep. The background of this book is social life in Croatia during 90’s.
“Nina tried to understand her, but it was no use. Some girls had asked Nina why the two hung out together when they were so different in nature. Sometimes, she asked herself the same because Helena had an interesting personality and friendship with her was a real challenge. But, she was loyal. She knew about her parents, and it was a bigger reason to keep a connection.”

My Thoughts

Like most of Gallo’s stories I found this one interesting and unique. I am a pretty big fan of books which are psychological thrillers/horror and I thought this one had a very interesting plot and a unique story line.

The books is based in Croatia about a girl called Helena who has a sort of dull and sad life. However, things change when her dreams get a little too real. She gains the power to hurt her enemies in her dreams which lead to a lot of events that alter her life.

If you’re a fan of horror/thrillers I would definitely recommend checking this book out and giving it a read because it’s super fascinating and of course it’s always a good idea to support writers!

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Get Over Your Ex (Book Review)

March 23, 2019by Pooja G13 Comments

About The Author

Amazon Summary

This is a book for women who passed through breakups. Find how to get over your failed relationship. Men might be interested how to face it with illusions about their ex-lovers. The previous relationship is sometimes the obstacle for a new romance.

Goodreads Summary

This book is written for women who passed through a hard break-up. You can enjoy in real stories with a dose of sarcasm. I wanted to inspire you to stand up and smile after your personal defeat. This book reveals both sides, how to handle a break-up and the pressure after you leave your partner.
It is not the same to be abandoned or to get out from a relationship. Here are examples and stories about couples who learn their lesson in a harder way.

My Thoughts

As you guys know I love supporting WordPress writers and Kristina is one of my favourites We have been friends for quite a while now and I always enjoy reading new books from her. It’s really inspiring and impressive how well she writes considering English isn’t her first language. I have been lucky enough to see her writing grow and evolve and this book was one of my favourite book from her so far.

This book is written to help women struggling with getting over their ex or moving on from a relationship. It is witty, sometimes anecdotal and amusing but underneath it all there is actually some solid advice on how to move on from a relationship because obviously this isn’t always an easy thing to do. It analysis different situations and gives advice on them and how to better deal with them.

I would definitely recommend checking out this book and all of Kristina’s other books too because she is quite a fascinating writer!

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Strange Cars In The Night

February 8, 2019by Pooja G25 Comments

About Eric Keegan:

Eric Keegan has been writing novels and screenplays since 2005 but only recently became an avid and enthusiastic reader. The two hundred books he has read in the past three years have helped him hone his own writing style. Eric likes to go against the grain when crafting his stories.

Eric currently works in manufacturing. When he isn’t working or writing, he seeks inspiration through his travels and in the great outdoors. He has never forgotten his Eagle Scout training and still finds nature a welcome respite from the stresses of daily life.

Amazon And Goodreads Summary:

Strange Cars in the Night is a savage debut poetry collection that moves at breakneck speed, written in the taste of a modern-day Hunter S. Thompson. It continues to unfurl Eric’s stream of conscious writing style onto the page and depicts an almost hallucinogenic recounting of what happens every night when the moon comes out to play.

My Thoughts:

I love reading poetry and this was one of those books with poetry that you just absolutely fall in love with. It’s written in a sort of stream of consciousness and it feels like you’re reading someones thoughts out loud. Instead of trying to prove a point or trying too hard these poems flow naturally.

Like I said in my last post I’m a really big fan of Keegan’s writing and I love his style. This book is probably my favourite book that I’ve read this year and I would definitely highly recommend checking it out!

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The Dioramist By Eric Keegan

February 7, 2019by Pooja G17 Comments

“Sometimes, when you take a rooted step out the front door, you feel like a song.”

About Eric Keegan:

Amazon And Goodreads Summary:

The titular character in Eric Keegan’s The Dioramist is in the throes of a quarter-life crisis. He may only be in his midtwenties, but the dioramist finds himself lost and confused. He has spent so much of his time in an ill-defined relationship that he doesn’t understand himself apart from his partner.

When a friend suggests that he begin writing down his inner thoughts, hopes, and dreams, our hero sets off on an adventure that shows him a new passion in life. Writing becomes fundamental to his identity, but he isn’t sure if he has the courage to share his thoughts with the world.

At the same time, he struggles with his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Elizian. The two have been in a holding pattern for so long that neither is sure they’re ready to make the next step. As the writer gains enlightenment about his own life, Elizian will be inspired to seek out the same.

This intimate, personal look at one man’s journey shows the many different routes recovery can take and reminds you that it’s never too late to fall in love with something new.

My Thoughts:

I loved reading this book. I’m just going to get right into it and say this was one of my favourite books I’ve read recently. I love Keegan’s flow and the way his books are so free and like a stream of consciousness.

It was also quite relatable because being in your twenties is so super confusing and scary but it’s also where you find yourself and realise what you really want in life.

I would definitely highly recommend checking it out!

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