Goodreads Blurb

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

My Review

What an amazing book. I just love all the action in this series. It’s great when the heroes are teenagers who are there to fight to the end. If you love space travel with alien like creatures killing everyone off, plus a killing squad then look no further. This was a non stop thriller. Plus it’s so enjoyable reading a book that is written in a nontraditional way. All the emails, images and texts plus documents makes this story so interesting and engaging. Thanks for writing a wonderful book. I rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and is in development for film and TV. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, their rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library.

Jay Kristoff is the #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE NEVERNIGHT CHRONICLE, THE ILLUMINAE FILES and THE LOTUS WAR. He is the winner of five Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over half a million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 12,000 days to live. 

He does not believe in happy endings.

Goodreads Blurb

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

My Review

I got this book from First on Line and was very happy I had the amazing opportunity to review such an amazing story of love, courage, strength, determination, and the will to survive. The story started off with a huge bang and ended with a bigger bang. It had my mine rolling over its own intelligence while the story kept on plotting for the next danger. Kady and Ezra will be together in my heart forever. Such strong willed young teens were able to survive and find that love was still amiss all the havoc. My heart broke when kady thought that going to the ship Alexander was the only way to save Ezra and she finds out she was wrong. I was heartbroken and scared that she had to try to bring Aidan back (who was central intelligence that was controlling everything) while having to go through a ship infested with humans that were contaminated. I felt every emotion, fear and helplessness that Kady had to live through in order for her to save everyone. My favorite part is the this book was written in email, text and image format. Is definitely nothing you have ever read before. This is an amazing series. I rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and is in development for film and TV. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, their rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library.

Jay Kristoff is the #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE NEVERNIGHT CHRONICLE, THE ILLUMINAE FILES and THE LOTUS WAR. He is the winner of five Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over half a million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 12,000 days to live. 

He does not believe in happy endings.

Goodreads Blurb

‘How long have you been sitting out here?’
‘I got here yesterday.’
‘Where did you come from?’
‘I have no idea.’

East Yorkshire: Single mum Alice Lake finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement she invites him in to her home.

Surrey: Twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Two women, twenty years of secrets and a man who can’t remember lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s brilliant new novel.

My Review

This thriller was one of the top reads for 2017. Lisa Jewell has left me with tears in my eyes after this heart breaking story. This book grasped my attention from the very first sentence. It started off breaking the chapters in the present with a man who doesn’t know who he is and a women missing her husband. Then it would take you to the dreadful year 1993, that takes you to a gripping and horrifying event. This truly is a story that we should all remember. People’s true colors are not seen right away. Some people are more sensitive and can feel when someone doesn’t have good intentions. What I learned from this book “people are like onions, you need to peel a piece each day to truly see who they truly are”. Please don’t miss this incredible book. It will alter you life forever.  I rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

She worked for the fashion chain Warehouse for three years as a PR assistant and then for Thomas Pink, the Jermyn Street shirt company for four years as a receptionist and PA. She started her first novel, Ralph’s Party, for a bet in 1996. She finished it in 1997 and it was published by Penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best-selling debut novel of that year.

She has since written a further nine novels, as is currently at work on her eleventh.

She now lives in an innermost part of north London with her husband Jascha, an IT consultant, her daughters, Amelie and Evie and her silver tabbies, Jack and Milly.

Goodreads Blurb

You and your children can learn all about the Gaines family’s story of becoming gardeners in Joanna’s first children’s book—starting with the first little fern Chip bought for Jo. Over the years, the family’s love for gardening blossomed into what is now a beautiful, bustling garden.

Julianna Swaney’s illustrations bring the Gaines family garden to life with colorful, whimsical watercolors and invite you to enjoy the beauty of a thriving garden.

My Review

If you are planning to create your own garden then look no further. This book goes through how to plan your garden and the number of mishaps you can encounter in creating your garden and the after effects. Joanna and her children learned many lessons while first taking care of a fern and then deciding on creating an outdoor garden. I loved how this was a planned project together as a family and provided you with some great tips. Having your own garden lets you eat healthy fruits and vegetables while you get to see everything growing right before your eyes. I love plants but find that they don’t live long when I am taking care of them. We have our own garden thanks to my dad. The illustrations were superb. I highly recommend you pick this book up. All ages will enjoy.

Author Biography

oanna Gaines is co-owner, co-founder and lead designer of Magnolia Homes, and co-stars in HGTV’s Fixer Upper with her husband Chip Gaines. She is the mother of five and lives in Waco, Texas.

Goodreads Blurb

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

My Review

Once again I am speechless. Such deceit in the worst way possible. What comes around definitely goes around. I was so tormented by Cass’s fear of the murder of her friend and her mind playing games with her. I felt all her worry, terror and fear all through my bones. To feel like your losing your mind for two months its utterly frightful. Not to spoil the story the ending will leave you with goosebumps. B.A writes novels that get your mind warped in a sea of fear and helplessness but brings the main character back to life with the worst vengeance of them all. Power to be free of fear and torment made Cass reach out for her girl power. Sometimes we really don’t know our closest friends. I read this book in three days couldn’t put it down. Thanks for flipping my brain into pieces.  I rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

Goodreads Blurb

Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

My Review

When the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare. This amazing thriller will leave readers with twisted currents, secrets and survival. I was tormented watching Lo go through so much horrible situations and fighting to live. Every corner of this luxury ship gave me goosebumps and fear of every character. It is scary not knowing who the murderer is. A thrilling read to have you splashing for the truth. I rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller.

Goodreads Blurb

Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He’s smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane illustrations and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced book proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!

My Review

I loved this book. It’s an inspirational story that teaches kids that it’s okay to be different. What matters is how hard you work and fight through all obstacles that get in your way. People will try to make you feel bad but you need to be true to yourself and not give up on your dreams. I love the concept of the muscles cars. They were all different and had different strengths. Elbow Grease was different but he had courage and strength. The illustrations were superb and the content to story was just right. I rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, author and television host.

Tuesday, June 11 at 7pm at your local Barnes & Noble, they will have their monthly book club. Go join the talk about The Guest Book. If you didn’t read it I still recommend you stop by so you can meet new friends and get an understanding on how it works.

This month they are also starting a young adult book club. They will be discussing Again, but Better. It will take place June 13, at 7 pm at your local book store. Please go join the fun. I always attend and enjoy hearing what others say about the book.

Goodreads Blurb

The Guest Book follows three generations of a powerful American family, a family that “used to run the world”.

And when the novel begins in 1935, they still do. Kitty and Ogden Milton appear to have everything—perfect children, good looks, a love everyone envies. But after a tragedy befalls them, Ogden tries to bring Kitty back to life by purchasing an island in Maine. That island, and its house, come to define and burnish the Milton family, year after year after year. And it is there that Kitty issues a refusal that will haunt her till the day she dies.

In 1959 a young Jewish man, Len Levy, will get a job in Ogden’s bank and earn the admiration of Ogden and one of his daughters, but the scorn of everyone else. Len’s best friend Reg Pauling has always been the only black man in the room—at Harvard, at work, and finally at the Miltons’ island in Maine.

An island that, at the dawn of the 21st century, this last generation doesn’t have the money to keep. When Kitty’s granddaughter hears that she and her cousins might be forced to sell it, and when her husband brings back disturbing evidence about her grandfather’s past, she realizes she is on the verge of finally understanding the silences that seemed to hover just below the surface of her family all her life.

An ambitious novel that weaves the American past with its present, The Guest Book looks at the racism and power that has been systemically embedded in the US for generations. Brimming with gorgeous writing and bitterly accurate social criticism, it is a literary tour de force. 

My Review

This was a story that brought together three generations of secrets, privilege, guilt, power, sadness, death and family unity. Change is eminent, but accepting and working towards making a difference will be the only way to make a difference in this world.

I thought this story was very long and dragging. I didn’t like that each chapter was numbered instead of stating the time period, since it went back and forth between three generations. These characters truly annoyed me. They would keep talking about racism and how they treat everyone the same but they truly didn’t. Each character had their own view of the world depending on what was going on at that time.

This story had a lot to say, but I didn’t see the story evolve. When Len found the disturbing documents from Ogden, I truly believe he was going to tell Joan and everyone what terrible dealings Ogden did in order to keep his company afloat. Reg was the one character that saw everyone exactly for what they were. He wasn’t afraid to tell you how wrong you were and how your actions and or things you say are racist in nature. Moss was looking for what he was missing in his life and felt that having Reg to be seen as an equal and a friend he can make a difference. Evelyn was a spoiled brat who only thought about herself and always controlling Joan’s life. Joan disappointed me. She finally found love and because of one incident and embarrassment she chose her family instead of that mind tripping spark she felt every time she was with Len. The secrets she took to her grave were heart retching to forgive. Kitty went through two terrible experiences that no mother should ever go through. She tried to move on with her life but her heart was torn for her actions. Her pride was too important that she couldn’t see the horrors that the Jewish communities were going through. She could have saved a child but her pride got in the way.

The story ended abruptly with some unveiled secrets to the reader, but the characters still lived in their beautiful little world. Joan’s secret was never revealed to her daughter Evie. Evie took pride in being a Milton and that one kept secret would have torn her world apart. The Milton’s island will forever hold all their secrets. I rated 3 out of 5 stars.

Author Biography

Sarah is the author of the novels, Grange House, the bestselling The Postmistress, and The Guest Book forthcoming; a chapbook of poems, Full Turn, and the artist book Runaway Girls in collaboration with the artist Robin Kahn. She lives in Washington DC with her husband, the poet Joshua Weiner, their two sons, and a little white dog.

June 15, 2015, I decided to open this book group for readers. Where they are able to enter giveaways, share information about book signings and books. I never thought I was going to have so many wonderful readers follow me in my group. I am super happy that I have made so many wonderful new friends. To celebrate 4 fabulous years with you all, I have decided to give a brand new kindle to one winner and will choose a couple other winners to win books, swag or tote. Please leave a comment below and invite some new readers to come and be part of this group. I thank you all for your love and support. https://www.facebook.com/groups/384315168432021/