Secrets: Guardian Trilogy
Favourite location / setting … The gallery where all of Olivia's pictures were displayed. Favourite scene …. When the demon was tied to the fence post and slowly burnt to death.
Favourite quote … "I had to wrangle her out of bed."
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Jack Canon's American Destiny
Did the plot pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? For me and a few other book club members, the beginning was a little slow. I think this had to be done so readers had adequate introduction to the characters and the situation. How realistic was the characterization? The characters were fairly realistic. They were all crooks as with most politicians.
How does the setting figure into the book? They travel everywhere to campaign, and face campaign challenges at every turn. Will Jack Canon have his American Destiny?
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
The Druid legacy
What was the best part about this book? The whole new world the author has created. It has these amazing creatures who can transform themselves into other beings, and the author even includes drawings / images so you have an idea of what he wants you see. In some parts, it was a lot like the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian.What was the problem in the book, and how was it solved? For me, it was about Wess getting used to his new abilities. First, he needs to accept them and then he needs to learn how best he can use it without misusing it. That's a lot for a young boy to handle which is what makes this book an excellent read for young children.
Did anyone in the book do something you did not like? When Leo punches Wess. Think this was absolutely unnecessary and very wicked of Leo to do it. Leo had hurt Myka, and he seemed to be a violent person who didn't care who he hurt physically or mentally. At first it was scary when I thought Wess wouldn't be able to handle him.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery (Writing in a Nutshell Series) (Volume 2)
Was the book written in a way that was easily accessible? Yes, it was. The language and examples used were items that most writers use in creating a fiction novel.Did the author provide any pertinent web links for readers to use? Not directly related to adverbs and cliches but she did provide links to her sites which also share similar topics and writing guides.
Would you recommend this book? Yes and do not think it's a book just for writers. If you would like to improve your language - speaking or writing - this book is a must read.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
City of the Fallen (Dark Tides, #1)
If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? How she is able to write so many different genres and still provide readers with a certain pull. When discussing City of the Fallen, we also realised that this author had many non-fiction books and other fiction novels. Almost each book was in a different genre so this is definitely one fascinating lady we would love to meet and read more of.How do you define the central theme in this story. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Walking Dead meets Twilight. Vampires rule the world. The few humans left are scavenging for food and hiding from the blood thirsty creatures. And then there's Belle and Marcus who are in some kind of relationship which I can only assume will grow in the next book. The core theme is survival with love providing an unlikely backdrop in a world filled with darkness.
Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? The ending was / is the biggest discussion among our book club members. While most cliffhangers offer a lull, with a slight tease for the next book, City of the Fallen slams the brakes while doing 110 miles per hour. This is an extremely well-written book with characters you know will end up on the big screen, so had the ending offered a little more resolution, a lot of us would have loved this book.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Forth Conspiracy
What were the main themes of the book? Family secrets. William and Elizabeth are faced with a challenge when they have to provide the missing deed to their home. This by itself was an original idea and then of course, there's murder, an exotic location, government secrets and betrayal. This book had it all.Describe 2 different scenes. When William is sailing from Alexandria to Athens. This is the first time in a long time, the reader is confident that there is some hope Mayfair Hall will be saved. And then, in correspondence to this, there is the heartbreaking scene when Elizabeth thinks William is dead. I swear, this book made my heart beat so fast.
Were you able to connect with the main character and why? I liked both William and Elizabeth. They had a strong bond and as main characters, complemented each other really well.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Her Books Presents: Book Club Picks
Cover. One of the most adorable covers we've seen in a long time. The pastel shades and coloured flip flops give an immediate hint that you can expect women's fiction and you won't be disappointed.What did the title have to do with the book? This book offers eight samples from different books and authors. The book club has been really honoured to read books from most of these fabulous authors with the exception of Elena Aitken, Kathleen Valentine and Karla Darcy. Why bother reading samples when you can read the whole book? With the sea of books available these days, this sampler offers readers a good opportunity to pick your favourite read.
Would you recommend this book? Most certainly especially to book clubs or groups who would like a collection of stories with a particular theme. While most stories are focused on women's fiction, they each carry a bond of friendship, family or love. You cannot step away from this sampler without feeling touched in some way.
Emma's Secret: A Novel
If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? Why did she choose to keep the connection with Jack? He did not question his wife's actions and dementia or not, her actions brought a lot of grief to another family so why maintain this connection that caused so much sadness in the first place.Which character did you like best? Peter. He does everything he can to fix what has happened and often pushes himself more because he feels like he is not doing enough. I think we all need more like him and he needs to give himself a break.
Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? I wasn't surprised but a lot of this book left me conflicted. Not because it was a bad story, it's very well-written. It was the way Steena Holmes brought each character to life, introduces them to the reader and then forms such a close connection to the point that when they break down so do you. I wanted everyone to be happy, and yet, deep down I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Gabriela and The Widow
What motivates a given character’s actions? Gabriela's heart places a big part in her being Laviuda's caregiver. She does everything out of love.Did anyone in the book do something you did not like? All the abuse and manipulation that was put on Gabby.
What part would you change in the story, and why? Wouldn't change anything. This was a really good read and I look forward to reading more books from this author.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Granite Key: Arkana Archaeology Thriller Mysteries #1
One word to describe character, 5 reasons? I fell in love with Cassie. She is an extremely interesting character with lots of substance, charisma, personality, heart and depthClimax and why? Some book club members disagreed with me but I felt the climax in the book wasn't as strong as I would have liked it to be.
Who will read? Adults who enjoy reading mysterious historical fiction. As the writer indicates in the introduction, if you are expecting only mystery and dead bodies with no history, this is not the book for you.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
y1
What were the main themes of the book? Life vs. death. This author has displayed a unique and creative way of exploring both themes that had us captivated from the first chapter onwards. The book starts with a 7 year old Zane who is contemplating future and his whole life ahead of him. Then there's Peter Senior whose life is ending and is also contemplating the future but in a more morbid, searching sense.Describe your favourite scene. When Joseph Cabrini reflects on why he only has one daughter. His frustration is obvious and easily felt by the reader.
Were you able to connect with the main character and why? Easily. He is strong, charismatic and has a 'power' that no one else has. But he's also weak and searching like Peter Senior which had a lot of us at the book club wondering - was it the author's intention to create a young and old version of the same emotion? This was by far the most engrossing element of the book.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
Dark Corners
Find one word that describes a character in your book very well. Collectively, each story focused on a single main character within an unfolding plot. If I had to pick a word to describe these main characters, I would say "tormented". No information is offered about their past but I am very sure they did not end up the way they did without any help from their circumstances or people around them.Compare two of the characters in this book. Clare and Carl. They both seemed to have multiple personalities and misled people around them. One personality was sweet, nice and approachable and then you had the opposite, which was resulted in bloody endings for both stories.
What part would you change in the story? The stories are perfect. What I would change it page breaks. There are no page breaks and each story / section is divided by a header but this is sometimes misleading because sometimes this header means a continuation of one story and other times it means you are reading a new story.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Critical Flaw: How to Profit and Protect Wealth in History's Greatest Opportunity
What kind of book is this? This is a non-fiction book that focuses on educating readers on personal finance, investments and the recession.If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? How long did it take for him to research and write this book. There are so many details, I cannot imagine anyone being able to compile it singlehandedly.
If you could rewrite the ending, would you? No. This book is perfect the way it is and will function as a valuable asset to anyone who wants to understand the economy, whether you are an individual or a business owner.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
The Big Book of Dumb White Husband
Favourite location / setting … When Eril describes Christmas festivities that he hoped "would become tradition." I really like the way this scene was set and it certainly made me think of my home during Christmas.Favourite scene …. When Erik is trying to explain the Christmas song by Spinal Tap to Mrs.Howard. I could only imagine her shock.
Favourite quote … "The real problem was that one couldn’t simply declare himself not a jerk." It was not unlike someone trying to tell you that they’re cool." So typical and yet so very true.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.
ARIA: Left Luggage
Favourite location / setting … When Ryder observes the Marimar (jet) and he is so awestruck that he almost forgets the recent incidences. Ryder was my favourite throughout the book. He always puts others ahead of himself. And while some may think it is stupid, it struck me as compassionate. Given that they were dealing with something so dangerous, he made it a point to have a "first one in, last one out" attitude.Favourite scene …. Reading this book got many of us thinking about what it would be like to not remember things that had happened so my favourite scene is when Teresa explains what ARIA actually is and how people are actually diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Of all the diseases aliens are able to release on humans, I wonder why the author picked memory loss? Has he dealt with something similar in his own life, which then inspired the foundation of this story?
Favourite quote … "But unless you talk to us, we’ve little idea about how you feel.” - This applies to real-life as well. There were many part of this book, although it revolves around science fiction elements, that had a realistic feel.
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Mars Rising
What did you think of the story structure? It was excellent, with the different planets and characters, the reader isn't distracted from the main plot.What do you think will be your lasting impression of this book? The amount of work the author has spent creating this book. Each sketch fits the chapter it introduces and each poem at the beginning of the chapters appears to offer a summary of what is to come.
Was the time period important to the story? Not really, it could happen 10 years from now or 100 years from now, the time period was purely fictional.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.