New Releases ~ week of 04/09/ 2018

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (#1 The Shadow Game)
At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon (#1 Dark Talents)
Bull of the Woods by Ainsley Booth, Sadie Haller (#5 Frisky Beavers)
Close Cover by Lexi Blake (#16 Masters and Mercenaries)
Cyborg Fever by Grace Goodwin (#5 Interstellar Brides: The Colony)
Dead Weight by Pandora Pine (#4 Cold Case Psychic)
Edge of Insanity by S E Smith (#6 Alliance)
Farewell, My Cuckoo by Marty Wingate (#4 Birds of a Feather Mystery)
For Love of Distant Shores by Adrian Tchaikovsky (#3 Tales of the Apt)
Her Guardian Angel by Larissa Ione (#14 Demonica #15.5 Masters and Mercenaries)
His to Claim by Shelly Bell (#2 Forbidden Lovers)
His to Protect by Carly Phillips (#3 Bodyguard Bad Boys)

Homecoming By The Sea by Kathi Daley (#1 Haunting By The Sea)
Inquisition by David Gibbins (#10 Jack Howard)
Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier (#1 Isle of Blood and Stone)
Justify Me by J. Kenner (#4.5 Stark International)
Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton (#2 Kensington Palace Chef)
Masked Desire by Alana Delacroix (#2 The Masked Arcana)
Misadventures of a Rookie by Toni Aleo (#12 Misadventures)
Natural Mage by K. F. Breene (#2 Magical Mayhem)
Nightblade's Honor by Ryan Kirk (#2 Blades of the Fallen)
Nothing to Gain by Claire Boston (#2 The Blackbridge Series)
Rafe by Maryann Jordan (#2 Heroes At Heart)
Rebellion's Fury by Jay Allan (#2 Flames of Rebellion)
Rescuing Sadie by Susan Stoker (#6.5 Delta Force Heroes)
Say You Won't Let Go by Corinne Michaels (#3.5 Return to Me)

Shoot First by Stuart Woods (#45 Stone Barrington)
Skyjack by K. J. Howe (#2 Thea Paris)
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Sunny by Jason Reynolds (#3 Track)
Taste of Wrath by Matt Wallace (#7 Sin Du Jour)
The Cowboy's Outlaw Bride by Cora Seton (#2 Turners Vs Coopers)
The Crooked Castle by Sarah Jean Horwitz (#2 Carmer and Grit)
The Cutting Edge by Jeffery Deaver (#14 Lincoln Rhyme)
The Dark Clouds Shining by David Downing (#4 Jack McColl)
The Fairies of Sadieville by Alex Bledsoe (#6 Tufa)
The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth (#2 Carve the Mark)
The Gate House Secret by Debra Burroughs (#4 Jenessa Jones Mysteries)
The Neon Boneyard by Craig Schaefer (#8 Daniel Faust)
The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan (#1 A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery)

The Thief by J. R. Ward (#16 Black Dagger Brotherhood)
The Third Brother by Andrew Welsh-Huggins (#5 Andy Hayes)
Twenty-one Days by Anne Perry (#1 Daniel Pitt)
Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer (#2 Spindle Fire)

New Releases ~ week of 01/16/2017

A Love for Leah by Emma Miller (#4 Amish Matchmaker)

A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot (#1 Mercy Kilpatrick)
A Puzzle to Be Named Later by Parnell Hall (#18 Puzzle Lady)
Adoring Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan (#6.5 Montgomery Ink)
All He Needs by Shirley Hailstock (#3 Weddings by Diana)
Bewitching Bedlam by Yasmine Galenorn (Bewitching Bedlam #1)
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth (#1 Carve the Mark)
Contract Signed by Marie Harte (#1 Triggerman, Inc.)
Empire Games by Charles Stross (#1 Empire Games)
Feversong by Karen Marie Moning (#9 Fever)
Five O'Clock Twist by Joanne Pence (#5 Rebecca Mayfield Mystery)
Flawed by Tracy Wolff (#4 Ethan Frost)
Her Lakeside Family by Lenora Worth (#5 Men of Millbrook Lake)

Hollow by Robert J. Crane (#12 Out of the Box)
Hot Combat by Elle James (#1 Ballistic Cowboys)
Into the Abyss by Dale Mayer (#10 Psychic Visions)
Law And Disorder by Heather Graham (#1 Finnegan Connection)
Let It Burn by Ruth Cardello (#4 The Barrington Billionaires)
Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn
Red's Salvation by Kennedy Layne (#7 Red Starr)
Savage Sacrifice by Ellis Leigh (#5 Dire Wolves Series)
Scheduled to Death by Mary Feliz (#2 Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Secret Origins by James Riley (Story Thieves #3)
Spurred On by Sabrina York (#3 Stripped Down)
Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas (#2 Taking Chances)
The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz (#2 Evan Smoak)
The Rising by Heather Graham, Jon Land
Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank (#1 Energy Vampires Series)

What I'm Reading

I'm kind of scattered in my reading right now. Which means I haven't finished anything to write a review about. I recently finished Taste of Darkness by Maria V Snyder but am still unsure how I feel about it.
Instead, I decided to give a glimpse of the three books that I'm currently reading.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Goodreads) - I finally watched the movie for Divergent. It was what I expected but I found it entertaining. It also made me want to finally get around to the second book. All I can say right now is it's interesting. Not sure how I feel about Tris or Four. Some of the things they are doing just make me cringe at the stupidity. I do like the overall story of the factions and the differences between them. Learning more about them and why the would or wouldn't become involved in the war that is going on.

Half Bad by Sally Green (Goodreads) - This is told in both first and second person. It takes some getting used to. Even the first person reads weird at times. I'm not far enough in for the story to have left an impression. Nathan is kind of depressing as a character. There hasn't been much good in his life except his brother and sometimes one of his sisters. There is talk of black witches and the council but I still feel like I need to know more to understand what is happening.

Shadow Study by Maria V Snyder (Goodreads) - I'm only two chapters in but already the Yelena and Valek goodness has started. There's a mystery assassin, unknown toxin/illness, and Valek rushing off to the Commander as usual. I cannot wait to get more into this one.

Some Thursday Randomness

Sometimes you see things around the web that are just too cute. Found these household items and there are so any of them that I could buy on whim if I had the funds. The Ototo Designs can be found here (website).

Nessie Ladle

Off the Shelf did a list of 12 Fantastical Pop-Up Books. There were some interesting ones on the list but this was my favorite. Full List (website)

I don't normally like movie covers for books, but I like the new covers for Insurgent better than the actual movie posters I've seen.

Lastly, the trailer for the Fantastic Four reboot. Based on this trailer not really that interested in it. We just watched the original with son and while not a great movie it was at least fun (and a little campy).

New Releases ~ week of 10/21/2013

The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown (#22 in Mrs Murphy )

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen (#3 in The Secret )
Teardrop by Lauren Kate (#1 in Teardrop)
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (#3 in Divergent)
Black and Blue by Gena Showalter (#2 in Otherworld Assassin )
Ask Not by Max Allan Collins (#19 in Nathan Heller)
Driving Her Wild by Meg Maguire (#3 in Wilinski's)
Omega by Jeremy Robinson (#5 in Jack Sigler Thrillers)
Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews (#16 in Meg Langslow)
Trust In You by J Lynn (#1.5 in Wait for You)
Cross and Burn by Val McDermid (#8 in Tony Hill / Carol Jordan)
Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky (#16 in V.I. Warshawski)
Waking Up Dead by Emma Shortt (#1 in End of Days Love)

Sycamore Row by John Grisham (#2 in Jake Brigance)
Seven Years by Dannika Dark (#1 in Seven)
Theirs to Keep by Maya Banks (#1 in Tangled Hearts Trilogy)
Since You've Been Gone by Elle Kennedy (#4 in Welcome to Paradise)
Spy in the Saddle by Dana Marton (#3 in HQ: Texas)
Renegade Guardian by Delores Fossen (#4 in Marshals of Maverick)
A Scandal in the Headlines by Caitlin Crews (#7 in Sicily's Corretti Dynasty)
The Highlander's Dangerous Temptation by Terri Brisbin (#8 in MacLerie)
Peace by Shelley Shepard Gray (#4 in Secrets of Crittenden County)
Primal Temptation by Sydney Somers (#4 in Pendragon Gargoyles)
Christmas at Cardwell Ranch by B J Daniels (#4 in Cardwell Ranch)
Malicious Mischief by Marianne Harden (#1 in Rylie Keyes Mystery)

Silent Night: A Spenser Holiday Novel by Helen Brann, Robert B. Parker (#43 in Spenser)
Up to the Challenge by Terri Osburn (#2 in Anchor Island)
Esrever Doom by Piers Anthony (#37 in Xanth)
Ms. Sue Has No Clue! by Dan Gutman (#9 in My Weirder School)
Outlaw by Mark T Sullivan (#2 in Robin Monarch)
Empire of Bones by N. D. Wilson (#3 in Ashtown Burials)
The Shadowhand Covenant by Brian Farrey (#2 in Vengekeep Prophecies)

New This Week

These are just a few of the new books out this week that I'm looking forward to...

Black Dawn (Morganville Vampirees #12) by Rachel Caine
Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore
The Last Boyfriend (Inn Boonsboro Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts
Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Book Review ~ Divergent

Divergent (Divergent #1)
by Veronica Roth
Published by Katherine Tegen books

Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

My Thoughts: I loved this book more than I thought I would. Dystopians have been really hit or miss for me. 
This book is set in a beaten down Chicago. Part of what helped was I'm familiar with the landscape and could easily imagine a dried up marsh, etc.  The community being broken into different factions based on their virtue/personality was intriguing. The differences were almost jarring when looking at how different they went about their day to day lives. We learn this from the group of transfers that become friends after they all switch into a different faction. 
Beatrice/Tris became a very strong female lead throughout this book. I liked watching her go from a seemingly weak (of mind and physically) girl to a very strong individual who would not only stand up for herself but her friends as well. The rest of the characters added to the overall feel of the book. Whether they feel into the friends category or evil, they all helped shape Tris in some way.  The romance aspect between her and Four was well done. It wasn't overdone and didn't have that insta-love that always turns me off in books.
Overall this story flowed from beginning to end in an enjoyable roller coaster of a ride. From the ups of jumping off moving trains, buildings, and zip lines to the lows of betrayal and death I couldn't put it down. Cannot wait for Insurgent.  


Rating: 5