Waiting on Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, highlights upcoming releases we cant wait for. This week I'm excited to read..........
The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman
Cemetery Dance Publications
Publication Date: October 2010
Synopsis
When Henry was a child, something terrible happened in the woods behind his home, something so shocking he could only express his grief by drawing pictures of what he had witnessed. Eventually Henry's mind blocked out the bad memories, but he continued to draw, often at night by the light of the moon. Twenty years later, Henry makes his living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home. There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler.
A winter storm is brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness. But will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first? (Found at authors website)
This sounds super freaky.......and different, so I'm excited to get my hands on a copy!!!
Blog with Bite introduces its latest brain child eBites, a fun weekly meme highlighting new and upcoming ebooks. This week Im sinking my teeth into........
Joan Fuller enjoyed a privileged life-until her wealth and connections garnered her the wrong sort of attention. Her rejection of a textile heir-s proposal comes back to bite her when he turns out to be a werewolf on the prowl for a mate.She may have been turned against her will, but now that she-s part of his pack she sets out to protect all its women. Even if that means joining forces with a witch and a vampire-and leaving the comfort of Boston. Former bootlegger Seamus Whelan has cleaned up his act, but when his old partner Gavin comes to him for help, he can-t say no-no matter how deadly the threat. Escorting some female wolves to safety should have been easy, except their leader is a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Her courage captures his interest, and her first hesitant kiss ensnares his heart. But before they can build a haven for their kind, they must free themselves of the past-and the powerful man who-s out to teach her a lesson she may not survive-
Warning: This novella contains a rakish werewolf bootlegger forced to join forces with a teetotaling ex-debutante as they fight epic battles, engage in criminal activities and eventually give in to inappropriate passion on a kitchen counter. .........(Amazon)
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I loved the warning......I don't have a Kindle...(yet) but at Amazon you can download the application for Kindle onto your PC or iphone....I downloaded this to my computer and found it to be highly addicting. They have tons of free ebooks as well as 99 cents to 5 dollar books, once you start you wont stop!!!!!
I can’t believe it has been a year since I stated this adventure called a book blog. This year has been very fun and much more than I ever thought. Writing reviews started off as a experiment to help me formulate words and sentence structure, not only was I wanting to talk about books but I was wanting to stimulate the creative juices floating around in my head. I was so raw when I first started, I mean I didn’t even come up with a spiffy name to title my blog just boring Tinasbookreviews simple and to the point. I look back at some of my first reviews and want to smack myself for the sheer stupidity of them. Six months into it, I think I started improving, especially with formatting my reviews, learning the ins and outs of the blog community and gaining wisdom about copyright laws. I'm still learning new things but being wise about content and pictures on the web, copyrights and linking sources makes me a better blogger. A year in and I’m happy with my blog name and thrilled with my blog design and layout....(thanks Rach....:)
Teetering with the idea to focus solely on one genre in the beginning really didn’t work out for me. I contemplated dedicating every review to YA but my blog as you can tell is very eclectic. I enjoy so many different genres and styles that I could never box myself into one certain type of book. I tend to read tons of dystopian literature as well as a high majority of YA and paranormal (hello vampires)…but my range of books is limitless. So carrying on I will do the same and focus on books I like in all genres.
I feel I’ve really grown as a writer (writer of reviews) and have finally found my voice in my own little corner of blogosphere. I’ve defiantly grown as well in my discernment. Novels provoke such strong emotion from me and being able to articulate those emotions without attacking, bashing or kissing an authors butt and relating them to a blog reader in a positive or say professional way took some time. My absolute most harsh review (inspired by Parajunkee’s post on bad reviews) over the year went to Shelter Me, I was absolutely livid when I wrote it and although looking back I could have been more professional about it, I wouldn’t change how I felt or what the book provoked out of me………Read it HERE if you dare…………
At the same time though I’m really proud of a few of my reviews and feel they stuck out as some of my strongest. Writing reviews have helped me write some short stories of my own and really discover the love I’ve always had for writing itself. Besides a few nasty emails and Robert Pattinson calling me a nerd with a blog..(lol) my overall experience has been wonderful. My blog has become a huge part of my life, something I highly enjoy but at times find very overwhelming balancing with family and a life outside of books. Has anyone else ever gotten to this point----overwhelmed and on book burnout? I still love it though and as of now have no plans to stop blogging. Hopefully someday I will get my own work published but for now I’m enjoying being a blogger, reviewer and reader. I look forward to continuing on with my blog and helping host the Blog with Bite, my sister blog and paranormal outlet.
Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born. (GoodReads)
Review
Incarceron holds many secrets- the first - its location- from its inhabitants and the outside world. Incarceron can feel, breath and sense all the emotions in the prison. It can be light or dark, hot or cold and can control all the elements in its world. Many of the prisoners are so embedded in Incarceron, they have no thoughts of a different place or time, but some feel the isolation and wrongness of the prison, one of those is Finn. With no way out and no knowledge of his past, Finn is determined to find the man that can help him, the only man who knows Incarceron’s whereabouts and the only man who holds the key to its door- the warden.
Life outside the prison has the sunlight, the stars and the moon. Not everything is paradise though, real life has been put on hold, no advancement, no going forward and its people are stuck in a forced Era of a time passed long ago. Claudia daughter to Incarceron’s warden lives in this world and on the cusp of an arranged marriage she stumbles upon a truth that will rip the reality of the Outside apart. Fisher captures two very different yet strong characters both trapped in their own prisons. Each one wanting to get out, each wanting to know the truth. When by chance both of them find a duplicate key, they find each other and are able to communicate through it. With hope of a way out of the prison, Claudia begins to dig deep into Incarceron’s secrets and devises a plan to guide Finn to the Outside.
Incarceron is layered with many weird and futuristic elements; the prison shows us a world of metal rainstorms, hybrid individuals and red camera eyes. When Finn speaks to the red laser and finally gets a response it reminded me of that crazy space movie with the astronaut talking to that computer. While Incarceron pulls us into science fiction, the Outside shows us more the dystopian themes. With old era kingdoms, control over the society by force of time progression, evil queens that practice sorcery and the plots for ultimate power. Ms. Fisher did an amazing job bringing these two worlds and two characters together, some of the visual imagery and almost slow-motion action scenes put you right into the thick of this novel. Although slow building in the plotline; I thought the pace fit the story to bring you the feel of both worlds. Once the climatic part hit it did speed up the story and resolved it's main issue. With many questions left and a cliffhanger leaving us wanting more, Incarceron was a fantastic thrill ride with in-depth characters, who’s really the bad guy here moments and guessing at every turn. Fall into a fascinating, brilliantly written science fiction adventure that will intrigue you with its intelligent prison and futuristic themes.
Rating
Incarceron can be enjoyed by many readers including teens and adults as well as middle grade readers who read above average. Contains- mild language, violence, action, fantasy elements with dystopian themes, depression, grief, betrayals and magic.
1. Claudia was portrayed as a very strong character, did you think bravery lead her steps into Incarceron or do you think she just played a card in the prisons hand?
I think Claudia and Jared out tricked the prison. I believe her bravery lead her steps and listening to her heart about Finn helped her determine to free him. Also near the end I think Claudia was fueled by anger. Anger and love can move mountains!!
2. Although Jared and Claudia's relationship is purely student/ teacher....did you pick up any undercurrent of sexual tension between them?
I know it my seem ewwy, because Jared came off as much (much) older than Claudia but......I think there was some undercurrent attraction going on. Claudia trusts him completely and I think Jared loves her as well.
They act much closer than teacher/student and rely on each other a bit more than say father/daughter. I don't see a connection between Claudia and Finn but at this point there has been no romance in the book....so I guess we will see!!
3. Spill! What are your predictions for the next book {Sapphique}? What are you looking forward to/what do you hope gets explained before the grand finale?
Well I see Finn taking his rightful place.....perhaps going back in to rescue Attia and his brother...(I think there may be something up with Finn and Attia) Who knows- hopefully they can find a way to super size the prison and free all its inhabitants.
4. What do you think of the relationship between the Warden and the Queen in regards to the big picture?
I think it was a complete manipulate/blackmailing relationship. I think both were trying to outdo each other, Certainly the queen is not done with her scheming and the warden obviously has some tricks up his sleeve...(little sleeve now) but I got the feeling that these two are bitter enemies.
5. Do you think that Finn is the only one besides Sapphique who has escaped or left Incarceron?
Hard to say...but as of now yes....I think these are the only two, unless there is some crazy tunnel that others have found...but according to the rules of Incarceron and how Fisher set the plotline it would only be possible for Finn to have escaped.....the ending in the cave threw me but also made me stop and think if Sapphique really got out or is perhaps not even real.........
6. What is your take on the futuristic aspects mixed with the period clothing and mannerisms? Is this what would be considered Steampunk or is it more Science Fiction?
The storyline was defiantly science-fiction, although it had dystopian elements Incarceron wrapped itself around fantasy and mystery. I think the clothing and feel was for sure Steampunk. Only the whole forced Era and mannerisms were fake, If I compared this I could see it as a Sherlock Holmes meets Blade Runner.
Today I'm participating in Parajunkee's Follow my book blog Friday.....be sure to check out all these fun blogs and support them by saying hello and becoming a follower!!!
It is the summer of 1958, and life in the small Texas community of Graham Camp should be simple and carefree. But not for twelve-year-old Sammie Tucker. Sammie has plenty of questions about her mother's "nerve" problems. About shock treatments. About whether her mother loves her. When her mother commits suicide and a not-so-favorite aunt arrives, Sammie has to choose who to trust with her deepest fears: Her best friend who has an opinion about everything, the mysterious kid from California whose own troubles plague him, or her round-faced neighbor with gentle advice and strong shoulders to cry on. Then there's the elderly widower who seems nice but has his own dark past.Trusting is one thing, but accepting the truth may be the hardest thing Sammie has ever done......(Taking From the CFBA Tour Site)
If you would like to read the first chapter of Chasing Lilacs, go HERE.
Review
Most times when reading a novel that contains mental illness or suicide the reader gets bombarded with dark themes and hopeless depression. Chasing Lilacs offers a more hopeful view on a very dark subject.
Sammie is coping with the suicide of her mother, learning to let go of the guilt and asking herself was it my fault? Carrying the burden of guilt over her mothers death leaves Sammie depressed, worried and very emotional. As Sammie is working through her issues over the loss she also explores the issues her mother was struggling with, trying to make sense of the pain that haunted her on a daily basis. On top of all that, Sammie's father decided the best thing for her is to move her mothers sister into the house for awhile to help out...........controlling aunt+depressed and resentful kid=trouble.
I loved the time period of Chasing Lilacs, the simple outside time the kids enjoyed running off and having freedom most children of that age today don't have. Stewart made sure her research fit the tone and setting of the novel and was able to display a very 50's feel. There were of course parts of the novel where I wish the author would have gone darker, gotten in deep and dragged me through the gritty reality of loss and suicide but Ms. Stewart played it save, not saying it wasn't a nice story just that pieces of it were defiantly too wholesome. Connecting to Sammie for me was difficult, at times I could buy that she was 12 but most of her thoughts, inner and outer dialog came off as an adult. While the writing was nice, the character for me was unbelievable for her age. Most of you out there who enjoy very inspiring, hopeful novels will enjoy Sammie's story. Recommended to readers of uplifting Christian Fiction and joyful stories.
Rating
Chasing Lilacs is suitable for most readers, although its message is very wholesome content includes: suicide, depression, grief, loss and moving on.
3/5- Christian Fiction
Review Copy provided by the CFBA tour site, To find out more information and view a complete tour list go here.
Death .....Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence. Wraiths ....Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.
Segue..... Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow. Twilight...... This is the place between life and what comes after - a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door. (GoodReads)
Review
The Banshee (pronounced /ˈbænʃiː/, BAN-shee), from the Irish bean sídhe [bʲæn ˈʃiː] ("woman of the síde" or "woman of the fairy mounds") is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. (Wikipedia)
A Banshee in reality is me…wife and mother of three yelling at her pretty’s to clean their rooms…in Erin Kellison’s amazing debut a screaming banshee is Talia daughter to death and mortal. Born from the shadows of Twilight and watched by the Dark Fae, she posses a power to yield the dark shadows around her and drag every force from Twilight to destroy and track the wraiths attacking the earth.
I very much enjoyed Shadow Bound, from its hauntingly poetic prologue to its quiet subtle end. I felt Erin’s words flowed beautifully from dark seductive descriptions to a modern day mystery which kept me entertained and intrigued with the flow of the plotline. I loved the use of the Fae in this novel, not that the story was wrapped around faeries themselves but the world of the faeries which created a very dark tone and a rather freighting look into the creatures that live in Twilight.
Writing aside though I did have a hard time connecting with the two main characters of the novel, I was pining for Shadowman and Katherine's story but Shadow Bound follows Talia, the doomed lover’s daughter after her first terrifying encounter with a wraith. At first Talia doesn’t understand her powers or who she is. She’s scared of the shadows that ultimately are her protection and she fears her father who let’s face it…were all scared of…after trying to discover who she is and writing tons of research on the wraiths and Shadowman she attracts the attention of Adam, director of a research foundation called Segue whose sole purpose is to discover a way to rid the earth of the soul sucking wraiths. Adam is not driven though by scientific interest, he holds a personal vendetta against the wraths seeing how his older brother is one who by the way is trapped in the research basement just waiting for his chance to escape and eat some brains. The hard part about connecting to these two was the abrasiveness of their relationship, Talia and Adam have major attraction to one another, but Adam in the beginning is fueled by anger and darkness where Talia is just flaky in her emotions, one minute she’s confused and wants to escape Adam the next she wants to hold and comfort him, next she wants to smack him, next she’s having hot sex with him on a glass window………..
Although the development of their relationship and their personality’s wind you in slowly, Adam does redeem himself as a courageous man with love as his intention while Talia discovers her inner strength and truly finds who she is. While I love where the end takes us, I cannot wait to see if Erin continues with Shadowman and Katherine. For sure an enjoyable read to those who love PNR and fantasy novels.
Rating
Shadow Bound is recommended to adults only. Contains- violence, murder, frightening elements including dark magic, graphic sexuality and language.
4/5- Paranormal Romance- Wraiths
A big Thanks to Erin Kellison for Review Copy. To learn more about Erin and Shadow Bound check out her website.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and features upcoming book releases. This week I'm excited for......
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
July 20th 2010 by Tor Books
Hardcover, 304 pages
When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe unit they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. (GoodReads)
What an exciting wow I seriously cant wait until July 20th..Magic, death, legends and villains....................need I say more....!!!!!
Maia Morland is pretty, only not pretty-pretty. She's smart. She's brave. She's also a self-proclaimed train wreck.Leigh Hunter is smart, popular, and extremely polite. He's also completely and forever in love with Maia Morland.Their young love starts off like a romance novel—full of hope, strength, and passion. But life is not a romance novel and theirs will never become a true romance. For when Maia needs him the most, Leigh betrays both her trust and her love.Told with compassion and true understanding, After the Moment is about what happens when a young man discovers that sometimes love fails us, and that, quite often, we fail love......(Goodreads)
Review
OH, the power of teen romance….the dramatic doomed adventures of love here now and gone forever. You know the kind I’m talking about- the characters so destined to be together yet somehow always miss that opportunity to really make it happen. After the Moment is told through the voice of Leigh, who in the beginning of the novel is an adult man reflecting on his past after a brief encounter with Maia, his high school love. Leigh is a pretty good guy, much more mature than your average 17 year old, he’s smart, cares extremely for his family, especially his little step-sister who in the story portrays the ‘wise child’ and sets things in motion for the teens tortured love story. Leigh reminded me of Nicholas Sparks melancholy John, right down to the challenging father, although John comes full circle in his story, I felt Leigh never really did. I think his decisions haunt him and even years later after the moment….he still lives in that moment.
The writing I found was smart for dialog but did not draw me in as a reader, I felt very outside of the book and felt Leigh said and thought things that didn’t fit his character. Perhaps that was because he was flashing back as an adult but regardless Leigh never really fit the age of a teenage boy. For example a major thought in Leigh’s head was the Iraq war…and how he was going to escape to Canada with the help of his parents if there was a draft. One sentence of this was enough for me but Leigh expresses this over and over and over…not hard to guess the authors thoughts on the Iraq War or President Bush.....and that’s where many authors including this one, lose me with political bashing. I really don’t care how much you hate the republicans or in the rare instance the liberals but come on, if your protagonist is going to be a Bush hater at least let it make sense within the story and not yammering constantly about dodging a draft that never happened or has happened since the Vietnam War.
Needless to say, I never felt connected to the characters nor did I buy one second of Leigh and Maia’s love story. Maia was so blahze about her self-destructive behavior that instead of coming across tortured girl in need to be saved, she just irritated me. The sexual content was looked at so casual -even the disturbing stuff- that I couldn’t perceive any of the book as serious and the fact that the plot moved so slowly didn’t help me connect to the story either. A combination of unbelievable characters, romance and slow pacing determined this to be a book not for me but some of you out there might enjoy this, I would recommend it to adults or the more mature teen who wants to try and go deep. I believe most teens will not enjoy the slow pacing and will not connect to the storyline but then again I could be wrong so take your chances and find out if After the Moment is for you.
Rating
After the Moment is suitable for the mature teen/adult. Content includes: Lying, betrayal, rape, drinking, sexual discussions and content, grief, depression and mild language.
Its Summer and along with new books to read comes the need for new space...so its summer clear out time at Tinasbookreviews and what better way then to share them with all my savvy followers....so I will be hosting my summer giveaway for the month of July and offering some great prize packs.
That is a lot of books and a total of 4 winners........and as the contest goes on I may add more to the pot... the only rules are you must be a follower and you must fill out the form. Thanks and goodluck.......
Its Spirits and Deathly Haunting's week at the Blog with Bite and if you haven't heard of the awesome contest going on at The Blog with Bite...now is your chance to head over and enter to win a copy of Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall by featured author Erin Kellison....also you can check out our fun posts this week as the Bite girls share scary campfire stories and also vote for next months reading picks...to get it on the conversation or share your own scary story go here......
I couldn't resist adding my favorite campfire story hoop and yo yo style.....
Summer is here and the days are already flying by, there are so many great books I want to read, so far my summer list looks like this........
Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.
Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.
Pray For Silence by Linda Castillo
In the quiet town of Painters Mill, an Amish family of seven has been found brutally murdered on their farm. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to secrets, but she can’t get her mind around the senseless brutality of the crime.
State agent John Tomasseti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a tentative relationship, but each is wary of commitment. The disturbing details of this case will push them to their limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts.When Kate discovers a diary, she realizes a haunting personal connection to the case. One of the teenage daughters may have been leading a lurid double life. As the case develops, Kate’s list of suspects grows. Who is the attractive stranger that stole the heart of the innocent young Amish girl? Did her estranged brother—a man with a violent past who was shunned by his family and the Amish community—come back to seek out revenge? Driven by her own scarred past, Kate swears she’ll find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.
Blood Song by Cat Adams
Bodyguard Celia Graves plies her trade in a world where vampires roam the alleys of Tinseltown and movie stars openly practice witchcraft., where streetcorner psychics have real powers and cops use memory enhancement spells on witnesses. Though she’s an ordinary human, Celia uses street smarts and charmed weapons to protect the rich and famous from mortal and supernatural threats. She’s landed a plum job, protecting the Prince of a small but politically vital nation while he tours Los Angeles’s least savory hot spots. What should be a routine assignment goes badly wrong. Attacked by a master vampire, Celia knows she is about to die. She’s startled to awaken on a cold metal table in a university lab. Celia Graves has become an Abomination, neither fully mortal nor fully vampire. Her “master” is hunting her, to destroy her or finish what his bite began. She’s accused of murder and the cops aren’t sure whether she should be locked up or staked. And then there’s the demon she glimpsed during the vampire attack . . . . Struggling to cope with her new powers and trying not to terrify everyone she meets with a flash of fang, Celia reaches out for help from her once (and future?) lover, who is a powerful mage; his warrior-priest brother; a handsome werewolf who keeps his lupine nature concealed from the world; an elderly clairvoyant, and one trustworthy cop.
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old Realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor of the day pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive of a sadistic psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered spirit back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
From New York Times bestseller Elin Hilderbrand, a new novel set on Tuckernuck, a tiny island off the coast of Nantucket. Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Instead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations. .......
Fragile by Lisa Unger
Despite their mostly happy marriage, when their son Ricky's girlfriend vanishes, Maggie and Jones find themselves at odds—Maggie is positive Ricky had nothing to do with Charlene's disappearance, while Jones isn't as sure. With Charlene gone, the memory of another young girl who went missing some twenty years ago is haunting the town. That story didn't have a happy ending, and almost everyone has an unrevealed reason to keep the horror of it firmly in the past. As Jones and the police turn their focus on Ricky, Maggie must find out the truth about what happened all those years ago. In order to save her son and the young woman whose life hangs in the balance, she'll test the bonds of her community—and find out just how fragile they can be.
And last but not least I really want to begin and finish the entire Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
Here's Hoping for some great summer reading....whats on your list????
Anax thinks she knows her history. She’d better. She’s now facing three Examiners, and her grueling all-day Examination has just begun. If she passes, she’ll be admitted into the Academy—the elite governing institution of her utopian society.
But Anax is about to discover that for all her learning, the history she’s been taught isn’t the whole story. And that the Academy isn’t what she believes it to be. Anax’s examination leads us into a future where we are confronted with unresolved questions raised by science and philosophy. Centuries old, these questions have gained new urgency in the face of rapidly developing technology. What is consciousness? What makes us human? If artificial intelligence were developed to a high enough capability, what special status could humanity still claim............(Goodreads)
Review
Well after reading this novel, I feel as if I stepped off the sane train. I wanted to like this…I really did but the story was so contrived I just couldn’t connect to it. Perhaps it was the use of the biblical story in Genesis verses the story of evolution mixed into one theory that equaled artificial intelligence that bugged me or perhaps it was just the use of the title….but something about this novel was just…..off…..
The entire story takes place over a three hour exam, where Anax after years of intense study and mentoring, faces a panel of examiners who will determine her admission into The Academy. Throughout each hour we are showed the society’s history and glean background on the story unfolding purely through the use of dialog. Anax analyzes the distinctions between human beings and technology, the human heart verses the unemotional calculations of a computer. Basically the overall idea of man verses machines, yet Beckett takes this idea and fragments it with pieces of creation and pieces of evolution and twists it into a new idea of science fiction.
The writing to me almost felt like a textbook, it was so sterile that I couldn’t connect to Anax at all. Think classic science fiction with white walls, white rooms with no furniture and characters with no faces. While the ending was shocking, it still left me with just a blah feeling due to the fact that there was no emotional investment into any aspect of the novel.
From a dystopian standpoint, I did see the Utopian feeling it created but didn’t see the gritty dark story I’m normally drawn to in an apocalyptic setting. This was a much more, let me throw all these theories at you and test your inner thoughts on philosophy and see how deep your genius can go.
Rating
Genesis by Bernard Beckett is suitable for most readers, while a more mature audience will understand the philosophy and overall message Beckett is trying to send, the content is PG. Topics include: Violence, murder, betrayal, evolution/creation and A.I intelligence.
The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman
