Tricia Copeland's Blog, page 44
August 14, 2019
Unwind (Unwind, #1), A chilling dystopian read
Hello and happy back to school week! My kids started their school years today and I'm catching up on my to-do list. My most recent book club read is a dark dystopian read, Unwind, by Neal Shusterman. This is a highly rated book with 4.18 stars with over 150k ratings. Unwind is set after a second civil war in the United States fought over when a life starts. The treaty between the groups reads that life begins at conception and that abortions are illegal. The caveat comes in at the age of thirteen when parents may choose to "unwind" their children. This process takes every part of their bodies and makes them available for reuse by other people in need, or as you find out, that just want different parts.As a mother, this idea is horrid. How one could decide to have their child taken apart in such a way is beyond me. But I give kudos to the author for thinking up the story line. Having said that, I did like the characters, plot line, and twists in the story. Three teens have been sentenced to be unwound, one by his parents, one by the state, and a third serves as a "tithe", a child born to be donated. Their paths intersect and they combine forces to avoid being unwound.
My official review: 5* - I rarely give 5 stars to book and if this was a 1/10 scale, I may have rated it 9/10. At times I felt this book should have been written in first person POV, and others I was grateful it wasn't. This book was haunting enough as it is and having a 1st person POV may have been too much for it, so in the end I agree with the author's choice of the 3rd person. I liked that the characters stories and backgrounds intersected. It is a unique although horrible premise to a dystopian read. I equally want to read the following books as well as am not sure I can put my mind through the mental torture of the high and low of the characters' fates. I feel this is exactly what this book is supposed to be though, horribly appalling, intimate, and yet holding us at arm's length all the same. Kudos to the author.
Shusterman weaves a tale that horrifies yet engages you. Part of me wants to continue the series but the thought of reading about a kid dying isn't something I can take right now. Those that like dark reads will love this book! You can find it on Amazon here. Or go to Goodreads to add it to your TBR list!
Happy reading,
Tricia
August 6, 2019
2019 Best Books - Highly Acclaimed + Beach Reads
[image error] Happy August and happy Tuesday,
Every year I go through this cycle, my reading starts picking up in the summer, then by August I start feeling like I'm already behind. I scoured the internet to get some recommendations of the hottest new reads of 2019! These top picks ranked on several of the sites I found!
1. Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi - rated 3.11 with 4254 ratings on Goodreads. From the back cover: Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories--equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe. Mother and daughter embark on a magical journey to land where their gingerbread recipe is highly regarded, Druhástrana, the far-away and potentially fantastical land of the daughter's early childhood. This isBlack Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James renowned magical realm British novelist Helen Oyeyemi's sixth novel. Find on Amazon by clicking the title above.
2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - rated 3.53 with 7313 ratings on Goodreads. The first novel of the Dark Star trilogy bringing together myth, fantasy, and history in a tale that finds a mercenary searching for a missing child. Form the back cover: Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written an adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf explores the fundamentals of truths, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all. Read from Amazon by clicking the title above.
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney - 3.96 Stars on Goodreads from 83,364 ratings. This one looks like a book I'll put at the top of my TBR list as I'm searching for a lighter read right now (more beach reads below). From the back cover: At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.
4. Lanny by Max Porter - 4.23 Stars on Goodreads with 3500 ratings. There’s a village sixty miles outside London. It’s no different from many other villages in England: one pub, one church, red-brick cottages, council cottages and a few bigger houses dotted about. Voices rise up, as they might do anywhere, speaking of loving and needing and working and dying and walking the dogs. This village belongs to the people who live in it and to the people who lived in it hundreds of years ago. It belongs to England’s mysterious past and its confounding present. But it also belongs to Dead Papa Toothwort, a figure schoolchildren used to draw green and leafy, choked by tendrils growing out of his mouth. Dead Papa Toothwort is awake. He is listening to this twenty-first-century village, to his English symphony. He is listening, intently, for a mischievous, enchanting boy whose parents have recently made the village their home. Lanny.
5. Spring by Ali Smith - 4.32 Stars with 2215 ratings. From the bestselling author of Autumn and Winter, as well as the Baileys Prize-winning How to be both, comes the next installment in the remarkable, once-in-a-generation masterpiece, the Seasonal Quartet. Spring will come. The leaves on its trees will open after blossom. Before it arrives, a hundred years of empire-making. The dawn breaks cold and still but, deep in the earth, things are growing.
6. Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4.24 Stars from 84,177 ratings. Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
Touted Beach Reads...
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things, a delicious novel of glamour, sex, and adventure, about a young woman discovering that you don't have to be a good girl to be a good person. Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are. Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love.
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory - Another that will be added to the top of my TBR list... Maddie and Theo have two things in common:
1. Alexa is their best friend
2. They hate each other
After an “Oops, we made a mistake” kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking.
Hoping that you can find some fun, entertaining, and perhaps inspiring reads in this list. Click on the titles above to get them directly on Amazon.
To find more of the top reads here are the links I found. I'll be highlighting more top picks in the weeks to come.
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g26234148/best-books-2019/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/05/best-books-of-2019-so-far
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g25446583/best-books-of-2019/
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-books-of-2019
Happy reading!
Tricia
Every year I go through this cycle, my reading starts picking up in the summer, then by August I start feeling like I'm already behind. I scoured the internet to get some recommendations of the hottest new reads of 2019! These top picks ranked on several of the sites I found!
1. Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi - rated 3.11 with 4254 ratings on Goodreads. From the back cover: Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories--equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe. Mother and daughter embark on a magical journey to land where their gingerbread recipe is highly regarded, Druhástrana, the far-away and potentially fantastical land of the daughter's early childhood. This isBlack Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James renowned magical realm British novelist Helen Oyeyemi's sixth novel. Find on Amazon by clicking the title above.
2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - rated 3.53 with 7313 ratings on Goodreads. The first novel of the Dark Star trilogy bringing together myth, fantasy, and history in a tale that finds a mercenary searching for a missing child. Form the back cover: Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written an adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf explores the fundamentals of truths, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all. Read from Amazon by clicking the title above.
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney - 3.96 Stars on Goodreads from 83,364 ratings. This one looks like a book I'll put at the top of my TBR list as I'm searching for a lighter read right now (more beach reads below). From the back cover: At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.
4. Lanny by Max Porter - 4.23 Stars on Goodreads with 3500 ratings. There’s a village sixty miles outside London. It’s no different from many other villages in England: one pub, one church, red-brick cottages, council cottages and a few bigger houses dotted about. Voices rise up, as they might do anywhere, speaking of loving and needing and working and dying and walking the dogs. This village belongs to the people who live in it and to the people who lived in it hundreds of years ago. It belongs to England’s mysterious past and its confounding present. But it also belongs to Dead Papa Toothwort, a figure schoolchildren used to draw green and leafy, choked by tendrils growing out of his mouth. Dead Papa Toothwort is awake. He is listening to this twenty-first-century village, to his English symphony. He is listening, intently, for a mischievous, enchanting boy whose parents have recently made the village their home. Lanny.
5. Spring by Ali Smith - 4.32 Stars with 2215 ratings. From the bestselling author of Autumn and Winter, as well as the Baileys Prize-winning How to be both, comes the next installment in the remarkable, once-in-a-generation masterpiece, the Seasonal Quartet. Spring will come. The leaves on its trees will open after blossom. Before it arrives, a hundred years of empire-making. The dawn breaks cold and still but, deep in the earth, things are growing.
6. Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4.24 Stars from 84,177 ratings. Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
Touted Beach Reads...
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things, a delicious novel of glamour, sex, and adventure, about a young woman discovering that you don't have to be a good girl to be a good person. Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are. Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love.
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory - Another that will be added to the top of my TBR list... Maddie and Theo have two things in common:
1. Alexa is their best friend
2. They hate each other
After an “Oops, we made a mistake” kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking.
Hoping that you can find some fun, entertaining, and perhaps inspiring reads in this list. Click on the titles above to get them directly on Amazon.
To find more of the top reads here are the links I found. I'll be highlighting more top picks in the weeks to come.
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g26234148/best-books-2019/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/05/best-books-of-2019-so-far
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g25446583/best-books-of-2019/
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-books-of-2019
Happy reading!
Tricia
August 1, 2019
The Life of Colin Phelps by Kevin Kelley
[image error] Happy Thursday! Today I'm highlighting my most recent read from author Kevin Kelley. Kevin is a local author and I had the privilege of meeting him last year. I read his first novel,
A Time of Lies
, a contemporary spy thriller, last spring and was excited to read his new work. The Life of Colin Phelps is a historical fiction set in mix-19th century London and U.S. It follows Colin, an orphan boy from his struggle to survival on the streets of London to a U.S. Civil War battlefield. As in Kelley's A Time of Lies, there's a also a bit of a sweet love story included.
Here's more about The Life of Colin Phelps..
From the back cover: A sweeping historical novel tracing a boy's journey into manhood. Set against a backdrop of poverty in 1855 London to America where he is shaped by the events leading up to and including the Civil War. Slavery, shipwrecks, treachery, and enduring romance make this a book to be savored. A book you will enjoy.
More about the author and his cause... from Kevin Kelley...
It (The Life of Colin Phelps) represents nearly three years of work, with research and, of course, procrastination. The end result is historical fiction tracing a boy’s life from poverty on the streets of London in 1855 to America, where he is shaped by events leading up to and including the Civil War.
I’ve pledged all sales proceeds to two Colorado non-profits including Attention Homes, which has cared of homeless and at-risk youth in Boulder for nearly sixty years, and The Colorado Women’s Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to women who are non-traditional college students.
My hope is that you will enjoy the novel, while providing support to two very worthy charitable organizations.
My review 4*
This is my second read from this author. It is very different from his other spy type action novel (although that one is a bit historical in nature too). I liked this book. It is a historical fiction of a boy that is orphaned in London in the 1800s. It follows him as he struggles to survive, eventually making his way to Boston at seventeen. There he is thrown into a country on the brink of civil war. The author created a likable character and does a great job of painting the historical backdrop. I found the story and plot interesting, entertaining, and heart warming.
Find The Life of Colin Phelps on Goodreads and help support Attention Homes and The Colorado Women's Education Foundation!
Happy Reading,
Tricia
P.S. I'm currently reading Unwind by Neal Shusterman a haunting dystopian story, book 1 of the Unwind Dystology... more on that next week unless I'm having too many nightmares to stay awake... ;)
Here's more about The Life of Colin Phelps..
From the back cover: A sweeping historical novel tracing a boy's journey into manhood. Set against a backdrop of poverty in 1855 London to America where he is shaped by the events leading up to and including the Civil War. Slavery, shipwrecks, treachery, and enduring romance make this a book to be savored. A book you will enjoy.
More about the author and his cause... from Kevin Kelley...
It (The Life of Colin Phelps) represents nearly three years of work, with research and, of course, procrastination. The end result is historical fiction tracing a boy’s life from poverty on the streets of London in 1855 to America, where he is shaped by events leading up to and including the Civil War.
I’ve pledged all sales proceeds to two Colorado non-profits including Attention Homes, which has cared of homeless and at-risk youth in Boulder for nearly sixty years, and The Colorado Women’s Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to women who are non-traditional college students.
My hope is that you will enjoy the novel, while providing support to two very worthy charitable organizations.
My review 4*
This is my second read from this author. It is very different from his other spy type action novel (although that one is a bit historical in nature too). I liked this book. It is a historical fiction of a boy that is orphaned in London in the 1800s. It follows him as he struggles to survive, eventually making his way to Boston at seventeen. There he is thrown into a country on the brink of civil war. The author created a likable character and does a great job of painting the historical backdrop. I found the story and plot interesting, entertaining, and heart warming.
Find The Life of Colin Phelps on Goodreads and help support Attention Homes and The Colorado Women's Education Foundation!
Happy Reading,
Tricia
P.S. I'm currently reading Unwind by Neal Shusterman a haunting dystopian story, book 1 of the Unwind Dystology... more on that next week unless I'm having too many nightmares to stay awake... ;)
July 30, 2019
How to Hack a Heartbreak
The story behind this rom com book seemed too fun not to share! It goes behind a romance with themes on how to handle work place situations and manage sticking up for yourself in delicate situations. Details follow! Happy reading! - TriciaTitle: How to Hack a Heartbreak
Author: Kristin Rockaway
Genre: Women’s Fiction/RomCom
Publisher: Graydon House
Publication Date: July 30th, 2019
Blurb:
Swipe right for love. Swipe left for disaster.
By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers--"Hatchlings"--who can't even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she's matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr.
But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It's called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight.
Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez--the only non-douchey guy at Hatch--has no idea she's the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41887423-how-to-hack-a-heartbreak
Author Bio:
Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker and recovering corporate software engineer. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of code. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and planning her next big vacation.
Author Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YwFkSJ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15294188.Kristin_Rockaway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristinRockaway
Website: http://kristinrockaway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinRockaway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KristinRockaway/
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3kpGpO
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
July 16, 2019
Seeking Clemency by Joy Martin
[image error]
Happy mid-July! It's half-way through the summer and I'm feeling good about my reading progress. Does everyone read more in the summer or is that just me? Plane flights, vacations, and lack of schedule afford me more time so I've been taking advantage.
I was introduced to the author of my most recent read by another author/friend. We connected and had been chatting so naturally I was interested to read her work. She's an Irish writer and although there are a few words I had to figure from the context of the story, I had no trouble following along on this delightful tale. Joy brings the setting to life with her descriptive pros and I felt as if I were right there along with the character.
Seeking Clemency is told from the first person point-of-view of a woman I would guess to be in her early thirties. Caroline's spunk reminded me of Bernadette from Where'd You Go Bernadette and I immediately liked the character. In the beginning she travels from England to her birthplace in Ireland following the death of her aunt. Childhood memories flood back as she explores the once beautiful mansion. Back in England she is shocked to find her husband in a compromising position with another woman (I won't give the details of this surprise plot twist away). Caroline faces this issue with resilience and resolve, moving back to Ireland to restore the home she grew up in. The small town surrounding the property holds secrets from her past which she is determined to unravel.
I loved this book. The main character Caroline has a spunkiness that was hard not to like and root for. I would call this a chick lit book as it has some romance, some mystery, but ultimately is about a woman in transition and how she handles her transition and becomes the person she wants to be. I applaud Joy for a great book! I can't wait to read others in the series. You can find Seeking Clemency on Amazon or add to your TBR list on Goodreads here. Happy reading!
I was introduced to the author of my most recent read by another author/friend. We connected and had been chatting so naturally I was interested to read her work. She's an Irish writer and although there are a few words I had to figure from the context of the story, I had no trouble following along on this delightful tale. Joy brings the setting to life with her descriptive pros and I felt as if I were right there along with the character.
Seeking Clemency is told from the first person point-of-view of a woman I would guess to be in her early thirties. Caroline's spunk reminded me of Bernadette from Where'd You Go Bernadette and I immediately liked the character. In the beginning she travels from England to her birthplace in Ireland following the death of her aunt. Childhood memories flood back as she explores the once beautiful mansion. Back in England she is shocked to find her husband in a compromising position with another woman (I won't give the details of this surprise plot twist away). Caroline faces this issue with resilience and resolve, moving back to Ireland to restore the home she grew up in. The small town surrounding the property holds secrets from her past which she is determined to unravel.
I loved this book. The main character Caroline has a spunkiness that was hard not to like and root for. I would call this a chick lit book as it has some romance, some mystery, but ultimately is about a woman in transition and how she handles her transition and becomes the person she wants to be. I applaud Joy for a great book! I can't wait to read others in the series. You can find Seeking Clemency on Amazon or add to your TBR list on Goodreads here. Happy reading!
July 12, 2019
Finding Infiniti by Rose Garcia
[image error] I'm excited to share Rose Garcia's new release today. I've been following Rose and her work for quite some time and it's exciting to see each book come out. Finding Infiniti is a YA paranormal romance and the sequel to Saving Infiniti. It is also a novella in the Havenwood Falls High series! Keep reading for all you need to know about Finding Infiniti and Rose!
Blurb:
The highly anticipated sequel to Saving Infiniti—can Joe find Infiniti again or is she lost to him forever?
Joe Greg has reunited with his soul mate Infiniti Clausman only to lose her in a cruel twist of fate. Separated by time and space—and a memory ward that has wiped him from her mind—he vows to do whatever he can to find her, but so far nothing has worked. Believing he’ll never be able to see her again, he starts losing all sense of himself. Worse than that, he can’t shake the growing feeling that Infiniti’s life is in danger...again.
Infiniti Clausman is trying to make the most of summer, but something isn’t quite right. She feels like she’s stuck, as if she can’t move on, as if she’s missing something or someone. She dismisses the sensation, calling it a case of the graduation blues, but when her psychic neighbor tells her about a quantum event that’s been happening since the Cold Moon last December, Infiniti can’t ignore the feelings any longer.
Soul mates separated. Memories forgotten. Time slipping. Joe must find Infiniti before it’s too late—or he might lose her again, this time for good.
Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. Including the high schoolers. This is only but one…
Along with its prequel, this is a stand-alone Young Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls High series of Young Adult fantasy stories featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each author’s story is a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order.
Author Bio:
Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Rose is known for bringing richly diverse characters to life as she draws from her own cultural experiences. Rose lives in Houston, Texas with her awesome husband and two amazing kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com.
Author Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRoseGarcia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseGarciaBooks
Author Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/2BVum1D
Goodread: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829367.Rose_Garcia
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RoseGarciaBooks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/RoseGarciaBooks
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/RoseGarciaBooks
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rose-garcia
Web: http://www.rosegarciabooks.com/
Newsletter: www.RoseGarciaBooks.com/newsletter
Buy Links:
Havenwood Falls Novella featuring characters from the Final Life Series
Finding Infiniti:
Apple Books: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-ab
Amazon US: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-zon
Amazon UK: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-zonuk
Saving Infiniti: https://books2read.com/SavingInfiniti
The Final Life Series
Final Life: www.books2read.com/FinalLifeByRoseGarcia
Final Stand: www.books2read.com/FinalStandByRoseGarcia
Final Death: www.books2read.com/FinalDeathByRoseGarcia
First Life: www.books2read.com/FirstLifeByRoseGarcia
The Final Life Series Box Set, books 1-3: www.books2read.com/TheFinalLifeSeriesBoxset
Blurb:
The highly anticipated sequel to Saving Infiniti—can Joe find Infiniti again or is she lost to him forever?
Joe Greg has reunited with his soul mate Infiniti Clausman only to lose her in a cruel twist of fate. Separated by time and space—and a memory ward that has wiped him from her mind—he vows to do whatever he can to find her, but so far nothing has worked. Believing he’ll never be able to see her again, he starts losing all sense of himself. Worse than that, he can’t shake the growing feeling that Infiniti’s life is in danger...again.
Infiniti Clausman is trying to make the most of summer, but something isn’t quite right. She feels like she’s stuck, as if she can’t move on, as if she’s missing something or someone. She dismisses the sensation, calling it a case of the graduation blues, but when her psychic neighbor tells her about a quantum event that’s been happening since the Cold Moon last December, Infiniti can’t ignore the feelings any longer.
Soul mates separated. Memories forgotten. Time slipping. Joe must find Infiniti before it’s too late—or he might lose her again, this time for good.
Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. Including the high schoolers. This is only but one…
Along with its prequel, this is a stand-alone Young Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls High series of Young Adult fantasy stories featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each author’s story is a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order.
Author Bio:
Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Rose is known for bringing richly diverse characters to life as she draws from her own cultural experiences. Rose lives in Houston, Texas with her awesome husband and two amazing kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com.
Author Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRoseGarcia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseGarciaBooks
Author Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/2BVum1D
Goodread: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829367.Rose_Garcia
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RoseGarciaBooks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/RoseGarciaBooks
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/RoseGarciaBooks
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rose-garcia
Web: http://www.rosegarciabooks.com/
Newsletter: www.RoseGarciaBooks.com/newsletter
Buy Links:
Havenwood Falls Novella featuring characters from the Final Life Series
Finding Infiniti:
Apple Books: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-ab
Amazon US: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-zon
Amazon UK: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fi-zonuk
Saving Infiniti: https://books2read.com/SavingInfiniti
The Final Life Series
Final Life: www.books2read.com/FinalLifeByRoseGarcia
Final Stand: www.books2read.com/FinalStandByRoseGarcia
Final Death: www.books2read.com/FinalDeathByRoseGarcia
First Life: www.books2read.com/FirstLifeByRoseGarcia
The Final Life Series Box Set, books 1-3: www.books2read.com/TheFinalLifeSeriesBoxset
July 10, 2019
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This month's book club read in my neck of the woods is Becoming by Michelle Obama. Although many friends recommended the book, I'd never considered reading it. This wasn't because I didn't think it would be good, but just that I don't often read autobiographies and don't generally feel I need to know things about popular people (my head is packed with things I can't remember about my own life and kids, practice schedules, doctors appointments, etc.). But, I've dedicated to this book club and I loaded Becoming on my Kindle and started reading. I immediately liked some of her opening comments on why she picked the title. She posed, and I'm paraphrasing, that we don't ever arrive, instead we may be always becoming, becoming a student, becoming a (fill in your job), becoming a mother, or the next thing in your journey. I connected with that idea and dug into the book with more interest.She described growing up in Chicago and her close relationships with mother, father, and brother, her high school years, attending Princeton, and meeting Obama. I found several parallels to my own life in that I too failed my patent bar exam the first time (Michelle failed her law bar exam the first time). I also liked learning things about the White House and Presidency. All in all I give this a solid 4*. Michelle seemed real and grounded. You can find Becoming on Amazon.
July 1, 2019
Darkening Night by P. M. Hernandez
Happy July! Today I'm highlighting Author P. M. Hernandez's novel, Darkening Night, Dark and Bright Series, Book Two. You may remember that I highlighted the first book in the series, Dark and Bright, back in February. I'll add a link to that post at the end of this one for you. I loved Dark and Bright and was super excited to read the next installment. You may remember when I read Dark and Bright, I had no clue what the story was about. I've loved P. M. Hernandez's books and felt assured that I would love this one. And that book as well as this one did not disappoint. They are a series and I would suggest reading book one first (links below).Darkening Night is about a teen who volunteered for a research study. He and his friends are genetically engineered with animal DNA to create chimera-like beings with super strength, speed, and other traits. They escape the lab and hide out in a seemingly abandoned cabin where they meet Ember, a girl recovering from the loss of her grandfather. I loved the characters, their interactions, story line, plot, pace, and really everything about this book. It is a fun, fast-paced read, and I highly recommend it!
From the back cover:
SOMETIMES, NOT KNOWING IS THE SCARIEST PART.
Adam doesn’t remember his real name. What he does know is this. He’s faster. Stronger. Tougher. Meaner. A monster. When the opportunity strikes to escape from Franx Biotech, he and his buddies run for it. But freedom comes at a price.
December Silva promises to help Adam take down Franx Biotech, even if that means teaming up with the mad doctor’s strange daughter, Caroline. December thinks leaving behind her parents is the biggest sacrifice she could make, until she realizes there is so much more she stands to lose.
More about P. M. Hernandez:
P.M. Hernandez is a young adult paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction author. She lives in Virginia but travels the globe, finding inspiration in the colorful, mysterious, and sometimes spooky corners of it. She wears a lot of black, not because she’s cool but because she’s fashion-challenged. More information about her books, including where to purchase them, is available on her website, a world where gargoyles take flight, aliens visit Earth, and magic is real.
I'm so excited about this series by P. M. We met at an indie book conference five years ago. It was our first conference for each of us, so I feel this special bond with her. She's a fun lady and it's great to be able to share her books with you!
Happy reading!
Tricia
Buy Darkening Night on Amazon
Darkening Night on Goodreads
Dark and Bright, Dark and Bright Series, Book One Post
Other books by P. M. Hernandez... find them Amazon by clicking on titles or images below
Dark and Bright, Dark and Bright Series, Book One
Earthborn, The Earthborn Series Book 1 (YA sci-fi - also a 5* read)
Verseborn, The Earthborn Series #2
Flesh and Stone, Whitewood Journals Volume One (YA paranormal fantasy - gargoyles )
Shadow and Spark, Whitewood Journals Volume Two
[image error]
[image error]
June 27, 2019
My last book club read - The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Happy Thursday! Today I'm highlighting my last book club read, The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I was in a bit of a crunch as I sometimes find myself with book club reads. There is never enough time to read books! If only I could get paid to read... wait, I think some people do that! I read this book in two days, It held my attention well and I gave the read 4/5* but ... there are some things you should know before one clicking to buy above. Although written from the perspective of a 13 year old boy, this is not a young adult book. There are many adult situations and his mother survives a brutal sexual assault for which he has a front row seat to the aftermath of. The other component of the story is the history and culture of the Ojibwe Native American tribe which I found fascinating. First a bit more about the book... from the back cover:An exquisitely told story of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.
One of the most revered novelists of our time - a brilliant chronicler of Native-American life - Louise Erdrich returns to the territory of her bestselling, Pulitzer Prize finalist The Plague of Doves with The Round House, transporting readers to the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.
Riveting and suspenseful, arguably the most accessible novel to date from the creator of Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and The Bingo Palace, Erdrich’s The Round House is a page-turning masterpiece of literary fiction - at once a powerful coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a tender, moving novel of family, history, and culture.
My review: 4/5*
This book came up on my book club list, so as per my usual, I didn't read the back blurb, had no idea the subject matter or even who the author was, I just started reading. I like that this book was written from the viewpoint of the 13 year-old son. You get a front row seat on how a horrible crime against his mother affected him and his family. About two chapters in, I decided to look up the author because I wanted to check to see whether it was a female or male author because the teen's voice seemed so authentic. I was surprised to see this was female author and thought she did an amazing job of depicted this character's view point. She gave us a front row seat in some scenes I wish I hadn't witnessed but were raw and honest.
My one negative is the lack of quotes for dialogue. In the beginning I thought it was kind of cool and assumed that dialogue would be a very minor part of the story. As the story went along though, it became hard to know who was talking and that it had switched from storytelling to dialogue. I would have to go back and read dialogue portions to gleam the full meaning after I realized they were dialogue and who the speaker was. That said the issue with the dialogue took my rating from a 5* to a 4* because while annoying the book was well written, a great suspenseful story interspersed with history and culture, and a poignant and educational view of family and issues within Native American society.
I recommend this book if you are interested in Native American culture and the issues these people still face today. It is also a poignant coming-of-age and family dynamic story. You can find it on Amazon or Goodreads with the following links:
Amazon
Goodreads
Happy Reading,
Tricia
June 21, 2019
Kingdom of War RELEASE DAY 6-21-2019!
Happy 1st day of summer 2019! I'm so excited to bring you my newest release and the finale to the Kingdom Journals series, Kingdom of War! When I started this series three years ago with my first vampire/witch hybrid character Alena, I had a good idea who the characters were and what their mission was. This series literally took on a live of its own with the characters writing their own stories in my head. The first book began with Alena finding a boy, Hunter, who'd been an imaginary friend in her childhood, and it brings the tale full circle to wrap up this series telling this boy turned man's story. Well, to be clear, letting Hunter tell his story.So, what can you expect from Kingdom of War? You can expect to see each of the character grapple with their own demons and perhaps a couple of real ones! I won't give too much away but as might be expected the evil Sonia is back. The trinity must use all their resources and expand their network to break the curse and save the witch line from damnation to eternal purgatory. Hunter and his team gain some surprising allies along the way and I'm excited for you to meet the new characters in this novel.
But enough from me... here are all the stats!
Blurb:
They were just imaginary childhood friends until Alena found in him in a library thirteen years later. In their quest to find the third of the trinity, they created a coven of witches, eight souls shouldered with the burden of breaking an age-old curse. But someone must lead, and from the moment he became a full witch, Hunter knew it had to be him. His power, the magic coursing through his veins, hungered for a life of its own. Can he control his own demons? Will Alena, Camille, and Hunter figure out how to break the curse or will the darkness consume them?
Title: Kingdom of War (Kingdom Journals Volume 4 - Hunter’s Story)
Series: The Kingdom Journals
Author: Tricia Copeland
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release: June 21, 2019
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45415399-kingdom-of-war
Buy Links $0.99 limited release price (FREE on Kindle Unlimited):
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2XlVGky
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2IZADeq
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2WPim8b
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2WStOA6
In the Series:
Kingdom of the Damned (Kingdom Journals Prequel) – Anne’s Story
Kingdom of Embers (Kingdom Journals #1) – Alena’s story
Kingdom of Darkness (Kingdom Journals #2) – Camille’s story
Kingdom of Honor (Kingdom Journals #3) – Jude’s story
Kingdom of War (Kingdom Journals #4) – Hunter’s story
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2fe2Jrw
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2y9i7t1
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2woT2h2
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2xbRdRK
Author Bio (hey, that's me!):
Tricia grew up in Georgia but now lives in Colorado with her family. She believes there is magic in every aspect of our world and tries to infuse her works with inspiring characters. With novels in the clean new adult, and young adult paranormal, fantasy, and dystopian genres, her books aim to capture heart, humor, and imagination. Find all of Tricia’s books at www.triciacopeland.com.
Happy summer and happy reading!
