Recommendations and Why?

[A.L.]

Ok I will start:)
Viridis and Devil On a Sparrow's Wing. I really liked both of these steampunk romances. As my first foray into steampunk it was a whole new and wonderful world. The characters were entertaining and the villain suitably dastardly making me really hate him. The world was complex - steampunk Victorian London but the characters fitted the world with the social upheavals of the time, the inequalities in both class and gender and the scandals which could bring down families. The romance side was not straightforward with the heroine being courted by two men not to mention the villain but the independent minded woman was not an easy catch. Flaunting the morals of the time she would take a lover and the sex scenes were both touching and well described, not over the top (well not for me).
Viridis is a romance, a fantasy and mystery in one and the second installment picks up later and becomes more complex when one of the characters from book 1 disappears. Devil on a sparrow's wing is less of a mystery but the touching romance is there and the well portrayed world.


However there was a lot of darkness in book one and a lot of violence, particularly against the heroine(including a rape scene)and although difficult to read in terms of subject matter was well written and not over done.

I liked these a lot but certainly the first is not for the faint hearted.

[Alyssa]

Hi, I would like to recommend a book called, by Lizzy Ford. This is a continuation from the Rhyn Trilogy but you can still read it as is. The book has humor, fantasy and romance so check it out. I just finished reading this and I just have to share it to everyone. :)

[Christen]

Hey guys! I just finished reading by Julia Crane. The book is definitely a great. It has great characters and the plot is uncommon from most other books your read. I strongly suggest that you check this book out. :D

[Alyssa]

I am now almost done reading by Lizzy Ford. This is the second book of the Witchling series and I would definitely recommend it. It is a very good ya paranormal series. :D

[Jodi]

I just finished up the two "Lightwaker" books. Loved them! Book one happens to be free for a kindle version on Amazon today.
Rethana's Surrender

Rethana's Trial

[Charmaine]

Review of Chaos Bound
Chronicles from the Applecross #2
Rebekah Turner

If there was a word to sum this book up, I’d say Kick-Ass. I devoured this book. Sucked me in from the start and let me off the roller-coaster two hundred and sixty pages later. I loved the heroine with all her faults, physical and mental. Loved the sprinkle of humour. Could really see the heroes in my mind – yes there are two – AND fell in love with BOTH of them.

The secondary characters are full of life and snarky comments to make about the heroine and the fantasy world is well-realised. Each chapter ends on a keep-you-reading-note. Over all, it’s a great paranormal romance on par with the big players of this genre.

5 stars for me

[Christen]

Just finished reading Rourk by Julia Crane and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed reading it very much.

[Charmaine]

Cursed: A Fallen Siren Novel
S.J. Harper

Who-dun-it with a paranormal twist set in a real world. The mystery had a few twists and turns which kept me interested, as did the predicament of the heroine. I didn’t quite lock onto the hero at first – why I’m not sure – I didn’t get a clear picture in my head of him and I got the impression in the first chapter the heroine didn’t want anything to do with him because she didn’t like him, not because she was highly attracted to him. That might be just the way I personally read the first chapter.

I liked the building of the attraction between the main characters, but felt that since Emma is a siren there was no reason to leave the love scenes at the bedroom door. It’s no use having a highly erotic character without describing what makes her erotic. Kind of like chopping your nose off…

I also thought that she could have spoken to Zac about her dilemma – i.e. why Emma can’t fall in love with him and then have them try and work out a way around it together. I think this would have strengthened the sexual tension between them as they try and work together, and struggle to keep their hearts intact. This may come in the next book, but at the end of this book, I felt that putting the spell in Zac’s drink to forget was an easy way out, despite her sadness at doing so.

3 stars for me

[L.G.]

The Way of Shadows I finished this recently, and I loved it. The writing is pretty crisp and the characters are generally interesting. However, it is the pacing that sets it apart. There's rarely a dull moment! I had to fight the urge to skip ahead in the series.

[Raymond]

A 3rd Time To Die by George A. Bernstein
Book Review by Susan McMichael
4 out of 5 stars

What is it about you stranger?
This is a love story with a mystery at the heart of it, a paranormal mystery. Why can Ashley Easton speak French so well? Why can she ride a horse so well, after only riding for just a few weeks? Who is the mysterious young man she meets in the dressage competition, and why is he so alluring? A 3rd Time to Die by George A. Bernstein is a love story and a mystery, rolled into one. It uses the concept of reincarnation as an interesting plot device.

Our first glimpse of Ashley Easton is of a woman rescuing a horse:
"Hey quit that!" Her shout raspy, she banged the gate with the side of the pitchfork. (p. 25)
The horse has always represented passion and desire in literature, and A 3rd Time to Die is no exception. Ashley's new horse brings her excitement and energy into her life and allows a new relationship to flourish. Ashley is revitalised and energised by rescuing the horse; it also brings into sharp relief the way her life has changed. Ashley is an engaging character who knows her own mind and who is financially independent. She feels a great deal, but takes a long time to act on these feelings: this is Ashley Easton's challenge.

http://goo.gl/Jg40jh A 3rd Time To Die (Book ed.)
http://goo.gl/eg6sE5 A 3rd Time To Die (Kindle ed.)
http://goo.gl/uTOJg9 George Bernstein (Facebook page)
http://goo.gl/xp0Wvc George Bernstein (Goodreads page)

For the full review please click:
http://raymondmathiesenbookreviews.bl...

[Jim]

"Alas Babylon" by Pat Frank.

Published more than fifty years ago, this depiction of the aftermath of a world-wide thermo-nuclear war still packs a wallop.

Just the concept of thousands of years of civilization and social evolution being wiped out and very quickly replaced by a return to the most primitive and barbaric activities imaginable is enough to hold the reader's undivided attention from the first page to the last.

[J.D.]

Midnight Angel by Lisa Marie Rice

This is one of my favorite books. It is a third book in the Midnight series, the main characters are a scarred soldier and a blind musician.

[Shannon]

A few weeks ago I finished Exodus Conflict and it's worth a read. I gave it a low rating based on some issues I had with it, but it had nothing to do with the story itself. The story is solid and I'm really hoping this author comes out with a follow up soon.

[Christen]

I am reading

[Ericka]

Has anyone read Patricia Briggs' books, especially her "Mercy" series? Night Broken is the most recently released book in the series and it's great so far! I've loved all of them, although I found one a bit slow in the beginning. Her world-building develops fantastical elements in a way that feels real, natural. There's a logic to things, it seems. It's imaginative without feeling like she tried to throw in everything and the kitchen sink.

The main character, Mercy, is special and realistic at the same time. You can see why she's the main character and yet she's not this ultimate badass or Chosen One. She's actually weak compared to the more powerful entities around her and yet she comes through because of her loyalty and care for the people who are important to her. Many other characters are wonderful as well and I can definitely think of several I'd like to read more of.

[Neely]

I love the Mercy series. She is just plain cool! I love the character development and the way everyone has grown and changed since the series began.

[Jim]

A distinctly different and original fantasy - The Changeling by Keith Donohue - Published in 2006 by Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc. (New York).

Changeling - a word that describes within its own name what it is bound and intended to do; which is to kidnap a human child and replace him or her with one of their own who then assumes the human's identity, physical appearance, and life.

[Megan]

There are three books I can't ever seem to get out of my head. Always the first ones I think to recommend to friends.

In an apocalyptic world after angels take over Earth, Penryn just wants to keep her paraplegic little sister safe and her crazy mother alive. However, when a gang of angels take down another of their kind in front of her, then take her little sister to who knows where, Penryn will do anything she possibly can to get her sister back. Even if that means siding with the enemy. I love the banter between the main characters, and how funny the dialogue is! The second book is just as good, but the first is what sticks in my head.

Such a sweet little book! Hollywood movie star, Jackie Bloom would like a break from her life in the spotlight. Calling Maddie Bloom, her twin country bumpkin, the girls switch places until Jackie can get her head straight. With the plan being to just make appearances and staying hidden when not needed, Maddie couldn't have anticipated the hunky Dallas Bines getting in her way. The actor will stop at nothing to be around Maddie, but he thinks she's Jackie, whom he dated for a short time. With confusion, evasion, and sexy breakfast, Maddie finds herself falling for Dallas. I really wish this were a series!! I just can't stop rereading it all the time! It's so sweet and funny, I love it :D

A recent discovery of mine. Mmmmmmm...Roth ;) With gargoyles and demons, this book gives you so much to learn of Layla's world. Layla is a Warden - a protector of the mundane world from any demon that may lurk the shadows, but Layla also has demon blood in her. Part gargoyle and part demon, this girl's got a complicated life. She can see a soul and tell whether they are pure or not, only, she craves the darkest and the lightest of them as if they are her own personal drug. That's the demon in her talking. The Warden in her knows stealing a soul is bad, very bad. Like, being killed for it, bad. Throw in Roth, mega sexy higher demon, and Layla has a serious problem. So much happens in just this first book, that I still sit up at night wondering how I'm going to survive until the next comes out! I love everything about this book.

Sorry for the long commentary on all of these, but I just love them so much! You can only imagine what it's like when I'm in person trying to explain my love for these... Hope someone finds a new favorite :)

Happy reading!!

[Shelby]

Megan I love the books you recommended Veronica Blade and Jennifer L. Armentrout are two of my favorite authors!

are also great books.

[Lorina]

My favorite series this year is Dom Wars by Lucian Bane. It's very beautifully and uniquely written. It's come at a time when BDSM has gained so much popularity and this author creatively weaves his story around his personal experience and in the process creates a beautiful story of true love and the unbreakable bond that forms when two people dominate themselves to suit to each other. The series has plenty of heat and spice as well as action, adventure, suspense, and emotion.

[Brodie]

I recommend The Commons:book one:journeyman to find out why read my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Geraldine]

Hello everyone, I'm new to goodreads. I have loads of books that I would love to recommend. I love Immortals after dark by Kresley Cole because it was a love story but there is always a good strong plot behind it. I also loved Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews because the world building was brilliant. I also have to say that i loved Fire and Fangs by Josephine Mc Nabb. I loved it because I could identify with the two main characters immediately and the plot started so quickly that I was having a hard time trying to put it down. I always look forward to the newest releases.

[Ericka]

Hi Geraldine, I agree; the Kate Daniels series is pretty good! I haven't read the other two you mentioned but they sound good too =)

[Kaeri]

CHAOS WALKING is seriously one of the best dystopian series out there. MUST READ!!!

And if you're into mind*ckery but awesome YA dystopian, check out Unwind series. . Too good to miss!

Dystopian with a good mix of science fiction, try Partials . Underrated but really good.