A 3rd Time to Die by George Bernstein
What I liked about the main character - You have met a lover from your past life. You want to fall in love again and you are but you are married and conflicted about cheating on your spouse. Ashley and Craig are in the same ‘pot’ so to speak. Minus the past life element, their actions and reactions about whether they should be together were believable and engaging. How did the pacing feel? The pacing was consistent and I liked that about the book. It didn’t slow down for no reason or suddenly switch gears. Ashley and Craig are strong but also vulnerable and every time they feel sad, confused or conflicted, the pacing of the story fits with their emotions. What did you think about the dialogue? The balance was good. The characters voice out what they are thinking but the reader is not pulled away from the main plot or settings of the story. The different time periods took a bit of convincing but as the story progresses you get used to it and want to keep turning the pages. Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Finding Claire Fletcher
What did you think of the story structure? Sometimes, it felt as if there were multiple storylines that eventually formed the main story. I liked the way Lisa Regan did this. Claire Fletcher's story needed to be told in sections so readers could sort out how they felt about the situation. The story structure was effective and kept me interested throughout the book. Which secondary character resonated most with you and why? Raynard's mother - She knew what her son was and she protected him even though he had raped both his sisters. On the one hand, how do you choose between right and wrong when your child is involved? But she made no attempt at trying to remedy the situation.
What did you think of the ending? I liked the ending because Claire had a choice of a life in her hand and ending this life. She chose moving on with her life and heal as best as she can without taking this other person's life. That was really big of her.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Intoxicated
Which did you find more appealing, the introduction or the conclusion? The introduction. Kline makes a good attempt at building her characters and focusing on Lauren's issues with her current boyfriend so readers are clear. This was my favourite part of the book as Lauren seemed strongest and most decisive at this point. Why would you recommend or not recommend this book? I would recommend this book to anyone who is patient enough to understand the main character. I liked Lauren and she's a familiar symbol of many young women today but it often felt as if the author was forcing her to become someone she was not.
Did the book description relate to the story? The description was accurate but too long. I think this is the first time anyone in the book club has ever said that. But really, while it provided a good idea of what the story was about, it also gave away too much.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Family Magic: 1
What I didn't like? The torture Miriam went through and the humiliation Alison went through. While I understand these scenes were necessary to illustrate the point of evil in the story, it was realistic enough to give me goosebumps. Cover - I liked the cover a lot. The design was simple and the shades of blue were vivid. The eye with the pentagram in the pupil was a great touch and the curvy fonts for the author's name and book title were eye-catching.
Which secondary character resonated most with you and why? Quaid warned Syd about his mother and I admired this character for being able to choose right over wrong, instead of blood over water. He went against his evil parents and this really says something about who he is and what Syd means to him.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
The Darkest Lie
What I didn't like – More than once, the author stated the obvious. It seemed as if she was using the descriptions and character's actions as fillers which didn't really draw me in. Overal, I liked the story and the flow of the story. Is the story plot or character driven? For this reader, the story was plot driven. Thane was the central character whose life becomes part of a complicated magical adventure. He is motivated to find answers, the reader follows Thane on this journey and the plot becomes clearer from scene to scene.
What did you think of the story structure? I loved it. It didn't jump around as some fantasy books do. It was straightforward, twisted enough to be adventurous but not so complicated that you did not understand what was happening.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
muted: a short story in verse
Was the book different from what you expected? Where do I start? When we first saw that it was short story verse, we were expecting a few different stories meshed into one. One story, for about 2000 words that turns out be moving and touching at the same time, not at all what I was expecting. Does the author spend too much time on description? No. The writer uses a combination of words to create a scene or description and I think this is one of the best things about Muted by Jessica Bell. Once the stage is set, the scene cascades towards the audience much like the main character's singing and the harpist tunes.
Was the time period important to the story? Not really. In some countries these kind leaders already exist and for others, it is a matter of time before we our every movement, action and speech is monitored to be condemned or punished.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
For Gods and For Men (Lifeblood Saga, #1)
Favourite location / setting … In the cave, where all the writing were carved on the walls. Even though the story is set in a different time and place, this did feel a lot like Brandon Fraser's movies about "The Mummy". There was always some discovery around the corner and this is what kept the book going for me. Favourite scene …. When they found the secret room in the cave. There were many unexpected events in the story and I liked that each character had some secret incident or place to add to the story.
Favourite quote … "It has always been our charge to aid mankind." One thing about this story is that even in the worst of times, the characters seem to speak in a formal tone. I think this was intentional although to some readers it may seem like they lacked emotion.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
The Call of Agon: Book One of The Children of Telm
What were the main relationships explored in this book? Ifferon -Teron and Ifferton - Yavun - Herr' Don. Ultimately, it's Ifferon's journey to escape the angry gods of Agon. But destiny has other plans and this is where the twist becomes more apparent to the reader who is then taken on a journey of mystery and discovery. 3 things I liked about the book … I loved the idea of fantasy and demons. Every element of this book is easy to like and I want to read other books by the same author. As soon as I saw the tagline, I know I wanted to read the book - The last line. The last words. The last chance. This book has a lot of dialogue. Many authors use paragraphs of description to tell their story. This author used his characters to develop the plot.
Favourite character(s) … Ifferon. He makes more than one difficult decision which changes the course of his life and those around him. His courage, wisdom and overall personality allowed this reader to take a little bit of him when they finish the book.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Women's Obsession with Shoes
What kind of language does the author use? The language is straightforward and simple but this book needs a good polish where editing is concerned. It's one thing to use "SMS" language when writing dialogue in a fiction book but to use it in a non-fiction book, it was distracting, to say the least.Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant. When the author talks about buying her Zena boots which are Italian made. I love boots as well, so I liked reading her thoughts on this.
What have you learned after reading this book? You need to edit and format your book more professionally. It was tedious reading this book when superscripts appeared as normal text, introduction headers were different for each chapter. Are you reading a sub-chapter, a new chapter or does the formatting need fixing?
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
The Hunter's Son (JC Mather, #1)
Top 3 things I liked about the main character. JC was bright. He tried to fit in, every time they moved. He searched for the truth about the society . Top 3 things I liked about the setting in this book. It was spooky and kept me guessing what was around the corner. Full of mysterious people. It seemed like a normal town on the surface so the reader is greeted with a lot of surprises.
Cover. The cover was colorful. It showed a spooky picture of Abby, the boo hag.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
The Forth Conspiracy
Favourite location … When William stumbles around in the dessert and he spots the North Star. He then thinks about what Elizabeth is doing. I really like how the author used such a serene location to highlight the strain William and Elizabeth were going through.Favourite quote … "Every step must be taken towards it" This indicates William's willpower and determination to save his ancestral home.
Describe the main character in one word. Courageous. This couple took a big risk to save their ancestral home and I think this is the main element that made the story more interesting. They never gave up even if it meant they were apart for so long.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Emma's Secret: A Novel
List the characters and describe them. Emma, a child who is kidnapped before her third birthday. Megan and Peter are her parents. Dottie has dementia and kidnaps Megan. She then 'pretends' that Megan is her grandchild. Jack is Dottie's husband.What was the mystery and how it was solved. The mystery of problem in this book was Emma's disappearance. Once she is found and returned to her biological parents, it takes a lot of adjustment because she has formed a strong bond by the people who took her.
What are your general thoughts about this book? This is the first book I am reading by this author and I absolutely loved everything about the story. It is breathtaking. I can't wait to read the prequel and other books by this author.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Granite Key: Arkana Archaeology Thriller Mysteries #1
Time period? Didn't give a time period but I do expect that it can be set in any time period. List of characters and describe? Cassie - Was a college student. She was a pythia. She joined the society.
Maddie- Red head, in her 50's, smoker. 6 ', in the society.
Faye - Head of society. She told everyone what to do.
Griffin - Very smart, very factual. In his 20's, 6'.
Erik - The protector of the group.
Abraham - Twisted. Ordered several murders.
Leroy - Murderer. Did all the dirty work for Abraham.
Problem in book, solved? Problem was to find the bones of the mother. Leroy was never held accountable for murder either.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Dark Corners
Do any characters grow or change during the course of the novel? Carl the Santa Claus. Although all stories were focused on horror or some bloody event, I really wasn't expecting the ending of that story. He changed from one extreme to another in a matter of seconds.What motivates a given character’s actions? Each of these stories brings out the worst in humans while some focused on altered perceptions which is how most of us see the world. We are adamant that the world functions exactly as how we understand it without realising that at least 10 other people are thinking the same thing.
Which characters do you particularly admire or dislike? Lenny. He seemed so flawless and so interesting right up to the end when this perception is altered in every way possible. That is the one thing that is dominant in all stories, they each had an open ending or a weird twist that is worthy of M. Night Shyamalan.
The Critical Flaw: How to Profit and Protect Wealth in History's Greatest Opportunity
Top 3 things I liked about the theme. The book explains how to make sound investments using silver and gold. This was something new to me and I will pay more attention to it in the future. The author has done a lot of research into the various scams and investments that a person can become involved in. I especially liked the chapter on inflation. It is a concept so many people overlook or think that it does not relate to them and the author proves that it does affect every single one of us.Top 2 things that I could relate to. The Definition of Money is definitely worth re-reading especially when he goes on to explain in detail how the economy-money link. Secondly, "
In large societies people don’t know all the other community members, let alone trust them." This is very true, in my opinion, the more we progress moneywise, we sometimes take a step or more backwards.
Cover. I didn't really get the question mark in the middle but after reading the book, that is the best way to describe what the book is about.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Untethered
What were the main relationships explored in this book? Friendship and family. Sylvie's parents are on the verge of a divorce. She is being bullied at school and is down to literally, one friend. as she comes to term with her life and the deeper, darker secrets that surround her, this makes for a very interesting read.3 things I liked about the book … It's setting and characters are very easy to connect with. It was very well-written. The powerful conclusion was just amazing. No one and I mean no one, saw it coming. Loved it.
Favourite character(s) … Sylvie, her soul searching brings about a whole string of events that is worthy of Hollywood.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.