A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 84

Catacomb (Book 3 of the Asylum series) by Madeleine Roux

                                                                               *Audiobook Review 

     Believe it or not, I liked this book so much more than the previous two!  I learned my lesson and stopped looking at the book as a horror story and saw it for what it was: a modern day Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys sort of mystery thriller.

     Dan, Abby and Jordan are in New Orleans now- looking for his parents and more.  People are dying, losing appendages, but at least they're receiving useless clues!   Instead of making the story more mysterious, it just annoyed me.  But the story on Dan- that was pretty good.  

     More than likely, when I get so many books, I need to donate to make way for the new, these will be in the 'Give Away' stack.  I may never read these books again.  They didn't hold me long enough to do anything more than finish them.  I was let down, looking for serious ghosts and  haunts.  Instead, I got Scooby and the gang.  BUT, if you take on the books with a YA mystery-sleuths attitude instead of horrific, you won't be let down.

​     The Asylum series is done and I can now find a real fright!

Sanctum (Book 2 of the Asylum Series) by Madeleine Roux

 *Audiobook Review 

     So this is the follow-up to Asylum, by Madeleine Roux.  Sanctum starts off so much better than its predecessor.  There's a set plan and there seems to be a great deal more mystery that makes it a likable book.

     Dan and his friends have returned to Brookline and the NHCP program, under the guise of returning students.  The desire to become super sleuths came from mysterious letters and a frightful visit to Felix in his new state of mine.  It's all confusing to Dan, Abby and Jordan, who still suffer haunting nightmares and postals.  What are three seniors to do when they're threatened and preyed upon?  Why go to the place it all began of course!

     This time, the trio pretend they're interested in returning to Brookline for college.  They go through orientations and other programs, while investigating clues left by Felix and ghost droppings. They're also spied, followed and attacked several times.  These kids are the lame version of the Mystery Machine's crew.  Yet they managed to shut yet another door on a case, button the finale...      I'm not even gonna lie, this too was an audiobook and it was boring.  I listened with little interest.  The author kept it slightly ghostly, but I was seriously expecting Mr. Hyde White to pop up at the end!  The worst sort of monsters are the people kind.  

     Though well written, it didn't hold me as I'd hoped.  I'm now moving on to Catacomb to finish the series.  Wish me luck.  ​

Asylum (Book 1 of the Asylum Series) by Madeleine Roux

                                                                                        *Audiobook Review  
   Asylum by Madeleine Roux is from my own audiobook collection.  I'd read the actual book a while ago, but decided to hit it again, along with the other two books, Sanctum and Catacombs.  

     One reason I wanted to read the series is due to it's sinister cover.  It's a ghost photo and you can never go wrong with ghost pics, right?  Well...

     The story is about Dan Crawford and his adventure at Brookline's NHCP (New Hampshire College Prep) program.  It's for those young adults looking to gain a jump on their college education.  Unbeknownst to Dan, he and his friends gained more than book lessons.  

     They were haunted by mysterious photos, dreams, letters, ghost emails and voices.  Dan even gained information concerning his genealogy... and it wasn't good and their discoveries weren't innocent.  Students actually died and Dan almost arrested.  All because something lured them into the basement of Brookline. This story was, for me, a letdown.  I was looking for some seriously, spooky 'hauntings' and specters.  What I got were weird happenings and... NO SPOILERS!  I hate to say it, but even with this book being well written and backgrounds on point, I wasn't all that crazy about Asylum.  It was more of a psychological thriller.  I enjoyed the story, but I lived through high school and college already.  Give me an experience I haven't already trudged through!  

Thanks for reading- time to grab another book!

Follow You Home by Mark Edwards

     Follow You Home by Mark Edwards was a deceiving yet, amazing read... er, listen.  I nabbed the audiobook on a whim because I wanted some horrific ear candy; I thought that was this book.  Instead I got thriller ear candy and I regret nothing!

     Follow You Home is about a couple from London (yay), looking for a fascinating, European tour before settling down and having a family and maybe marriage.  They never expected to be ejected from a train in Romania with no passports, money or a grasp of the native tongue.  With them was a young, Romanian gal, who'd attempted to translate their situation the train conductor and security,  but ended up, booted from the train herself.  The three of them decide to walk along the train tracks to the next town for help but along the way, the Romanian disappears. What happens next is a ride into madness!  The couple, unknowingly, are trapped between two horrific schemes that takes the lives of many around them... and possibly their own! ​     This book was so freaking good!  Not to mention they're from London- the UK!  Any book set in my dream country has to be good, right?  Wrong, but I can tell you, you will like this book.  It's adventurous, mysterious and full of action. There weren't dry moments and I found nothing left open or neglected.  As a matter of fact- the ending is a loo-loo!

      I listened to the book while on my Bahama cruise and set against a tropical backdrop, this book kept me on my toes. Suspect characters were secretive and the protagonist was realistic, allowing the story to grip you from beginning to end.  And the narrator, James Langton, was great!  His carry in tonality and emphasis were perfect for the story.  I don't know about other books by this author, but I'll be on the lookout for them.  Stop by your local library and check out Follow you Home.  I promise, you'll love it.  

The Heavenfield (Book 1) by I. G. Hume

*All photos belong to the creators of The Heavenfield, www.theheavenfield.com      The Heavenfield, by I. G. Hume is a science-fiction, book, ebook, podiocast and audio-drama series.  The book/series has been granted various awards, the FX are awesome and the cast is brilliant!

     First, the illustrations are envy-inducing!  They're dark, eye-catching and tell so much of the story, you have to be curious!  The scenes, I borrowed for the slideshow, are nothing compared to what your mind conjures up with the elaborate descriptions and audio.  
Sometimes, a scene is playing out and you can hear the sounds of the wind, a haunting howl or voices- luring you/your character into their certain demise.  It is all so fascinating, I went ahead and purchased the physical book!  I had to have my own copy to enjoy and spice up my book collection.  I do believe you will enjoy the series if you're in to SciFi.  I'm about to dive into the second book next.  So what's the story about, you ask?

     Grace Palmer, a scientist, and her team have found another world.  A world, either in another dimension or in-between dimensions.  While in the field, a crew member dies and the others end up stranded, with no way to return.  And they have no idea the land they crossed in to is a war ground between planetary residents and nightmarish creatures.  Back home, Palmer is trying to get her team back, but there facility was attacked, like a previous facility! Someone doesn't want them in the Eden-like area, but why?  

     People are being assassinated, things are walking into our world and there's an angelic/demonic woman telling them all, "Come with me.  I can help you.  Let me help you..."

     This book is creepy, sciency (Oh yes I did!), and full of horrific thrills.  Read the story that won 2009's Founder's Choice award.  Enjoy it while I"m off to the next book.  ​

The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story by Keith C. Blackmore

     *Audiobook Review

     You know how much I love audiobooks, right?  They're an auditory delight, allowing me to multi-task as I enjoy, whatever it is that I wanna enjoy!  This story allowed just that.  This book was a fun story to listen to and visualize.  It's a small piece of a book whole, I believe.  I haven't purchased the other books yet, but you know, I think I will.

     The Hospital: The First Mountain Man Story by Keith C. Blackmore is about lonely Gus, an apocalyptic survivor.  He's lost tons of weight, has established survival rules gleaned from horror movies, which he follows to a "T" even under terrifying conditions.  It's a short story but enough of a sample that I need to read the book in its entirety.  It's set around an abandoned hospital, where he needs supplies and maybe even some food, but there's something inside worse than flesh-eating humanoids.  

     I enjoyed this short and also appreciated the author not using the word zombie.  He has a new name for them that fits.  Blackmore also has a style that resembles that of one of my fav authors, Mark Tufo.  He makes you laugh and cringe at the same time, while physically urging him to get up and keep going!

​     If you enjoy audiobooks, listen to The Hospital. Ratings: 

Lights Out by Ted Koppel

      I grew up with Ted Koppel on tv.  My dad always watched Nightline and I remembered being oh, so bored!  I hated politics then and still do today.  It's in my genetic make-up.  Genes that weren't passed down from my dad.  Lights Out, however caught my attention.  Not because of politics, but because it deals with a long-time threat to the US and lends to the apocalypse: Cyber Attacks!

     Everyone knows what to do if the zombies attacked, but what if there were no zombies, but you still had to deal with no electronics, no water, no food and no electricity.  Yeah, I know I named two items dealing with power but no electricity and no electronics are two totally different things.  When your device dies, you normally go to electricity in your home or car... but what if they're dead too?  This book not only deals with attacks on the power grids, Mr, Koppel also speaks on EMP's, no batteries, States of Emergency, and the worst of all... out of control people.

     This book was interesting because it dealt with something I don't like: REALITY.  The truths on human nature, what's prepares for such an issue and how we're definitely not ready.  I would have rated this book 5/5 specs but I couldn't.  Number one reason was because the book cover, though exact in the storyline, just didn't seem to grab me.  The second reason was due to me thinking Mr, Koppel had written a fictional take on these issues.  It wasn't.  It was a news broadcast, just like my daddy's watching of Nightline.  The only difference was, this one kept my attention.  On to another book.

Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep by Caitlin R. Kiernan

     So normally, I am not into a book of short stories.  Why when I love Stephen King stories so much?  Because I've come to love the full-length tales more- but with this book- I was not disappointed.  There's nothing more terrifying than the things that may or may not lurk beneath the glassy surface of our oceans.        In Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep, put together by editor, Paula Guran, popular authors like Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R. Kieran and so many more put together stories of sirens, nymphs, and various sea people.  From shy to seductive; from benevolent to beastly- all holding tight to the tales that make Disney's Little Mermaid look like a walk in the park.  No, my friends, these are more like the mer-folk of The Pirates of the Caribbean movie!  So before I give a few reviews, I first have to mention this book cover.

     I fell in love with this book cover the moment it popped up on my computer screen!  I had to have it.  Look at her eyes- doesn't she look real!?  Mystical?  Magical?  This is what book covers are all about!  I'd have been happy with this book on my shelf even without reading it, but then I'd lose the true treasures that make this so great.

     Her skin textures, her plica semilunaris (the pink corners of her eyes)- all of it screams to me.  What do you think?  Am I just crazy or is this book cover not amazing?  You know it is- just say so!      As for the actual stories, I wasn't that happy.  for some reason, many authors have taken on a sort of romance for gibber-jabber.  Many of these stories were just going on and on, like poetry, but they really weren't saying anything I was interested in.  In a few, the parts of the mermaids were so limited, they may as well have not even been there!

     I did like one titled: Letters on A Body On The Cusp of Drowning, by A. C. Wise.  If I understood it correctly (see what I'm saying?) it was about a girl who went by the name Kit.  She loved the sea so much, she ran from home, bound herself and pretended to be a boy.  She loved her life, but one day her mates pull a witch/mermaid from their nets.  The witch gives Kit a gift, but whenever she used this gift, she lost memories.  So she began to write letters to herself and the story goes from there.  It was mysterious but not quite what I was looking for.

     Each story was amazingly written, but not to my taste.  I am happy to move on from this book, with the hopes of a finding another mermaid title... a bit more contemporary though!  On to the next book! 

The Jackdaw Hammond Series by Rebecca Alexander!

     So for the first day of the new year, I decided to review a 2-book series.  There could be more books, but I haven't found them.  The author, Rebecca Alexander, who loves historical fiction, has written two great books: The Secrets of Life and Death and The Secrets of Blood and Bone.  The UK covers are so much prettier, but these are fine.  Book two definitely looks better than one, but on to the reviews!      I love historical fiction- primarily in the UK, so when I stumbled across the follow-up to this book, I had to go backwards and read the first one.  The Secrets of Life and Death is about a handful of people, in two different time periods but carrying a mutual interest- extending life.

     In the past, (Krakow, 1585) Edward Kelley and Doctor John Dee are trying to save the life of the Countess, Elizabeth Bathory.  They play with magic and science finding a way to remove the curse that could cause a the loss of riches and land... also their lives should they fail.  

     In the present, (England, 2013) Jackdaw "Jack" Hammond and Professor Felix Guiechard are pretty much doing the same thing.  A girl, Sadie, has been given borrowed time.  She was supposed to be dead, but is not and that makes her valuable to some people who'd love to have her.       In The Secrets of Blood and Bone Jack is different and on the run from Elizabeth Bathory.  She's has gone toe to toe with the Countess and hungry for something new.  All she wants to do is hide away and be alone, but her place of seclusion turns out to be a place of even more danger.

     Her place, in the middle of nowhere lands her in the clutches of a crazed family of witches, using black magic, bent on her destruction.  She battles for safety and sanctity while Felix is on a hunt of his own, in the states.  New Orleans.  Home of witchcraft, voodoo, hoodoo and so much more.  Felix ends up in trouble himself, into the underground and heavy into the occult. 

​     The book travels back and forth in time as well, but it ultimately comes down to the master of the occult, Edward kelley to save them from present-day dangers.  He may be Jack's only way to stay alive and end her own curse!      These two books were good.  Very good, but they caused me to lag a great deal!  I really wanted to become enthralled within the stories, but It took me almost three weeks to get through book one.  The stories of Edward Kelley and John Dee were so much more exciting than the present day happenings of Jack, Sadie and Felix.  I kept putting the books down or reading/listening to others before finishing them.  

     Those who know me know, I love anything UK and England, but this was not enough for me.  I am sad to say, but when I finally finished them, was a tad relieved.  They're awesome stories, but the bouncing back and forth in time and then bringing them together became too much.

     I'll go for another book by Rebecca Alexander, but these must go on my shelf and sit a while.  Maybe I'll go back and find I like them more.  I am moving on to the next book on my TBR now!

2015: Books in Review (Goodreads.com Reading Challenge)

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      So this is it!  My 2015 Reading in Review!  H onestly, between the pdf's and and ARC's that couldn't be listed due to not being released, I probably would have a total of about 180 or so to my name.  Regardless, I'm pretty excited.  I've read some pretty awesome books and just a few terrible ones.  I read many from Indie Authors and more than established too.  The thing is, with each and every book, I was taken on a journey.  I explored the world, the cosmos and other dimensions and all I can say is, "Thank You!"

     I felt a major growth spurt in my author-life because of the many books I've read.  It's true when they say you can not become an improved author unless you've read other authors.  I've found a voice and a style all my own because of the various styles of others.  It's easy to find your way when you have a community to share with.  My special community is in Instagram.

     Now, while enjoying the Christmas break, I'll be working on my website.  Each year I change my theme and add new photos.  I don't know what I'm changing for 2016, but I do know that my interest, love and need for books will never change.  
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!  And for those who do not celebrate, Happy Yule and:Africa - Een Plesierige KerfeesChina - (Mandarin) Sheng dan kuai leEthiopia - Melkin Yelidet BeaalFrance -Joyeux NoelGreece - Kala ChristouyennaHawaii - Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki HouIndia - Baradin ki shubh kamnaayeItaly - Buone Feste NatalizieKorea - Sung Tan Chuk HaNavajo - Merry KeshmishPhilippines - Maligayang PaskoPoland - Wesolych Swiat Bozego NarodzeniaPortugal - Boas FestasRussia - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim GodomSpanish - Feliz NavidadSweden - God JulWales - Nadolig Llawen
Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sty...​