Tag Time: The Netflix Book Tag

~ megs14malloy

Hey fellow bookworms – time for a tag!

Today I decided to do The Netflix Book Tag which I first came across on Josh’s Beards & Books channel on YouTube. You can watch his video by clicking here >>> The Netflix Book Tag <<<. I’m not much for chatting today so without any further ado, let’s just get into the questions:

1. Recently Watched (the last book you finished reading)? The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I listened to the audiobook -this is an adult psychological thriller that takes place aboard a luxury cruise ship. It was okay – I wasn’t blown away but it had its moments. I gave it a 3-star rating.

2. Top Picks (A book/books that have been recommended to you based on book you have previously read)? Horror books get recommended to me a lot because of my tiny Stephen King (who are we joking here….ENORMOUS) obsession. Usually, things by great authors such as Jack Ketchum, Robert McCammon, Peter Straub, Kealan Patrick Burke, Ania Ahlborn, etc., etc.

3. Recently Added (The last book you bought)? The last book I bought, which arrived today from Amazon, is Flight of Fright. This is a brand new horror anthology edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent. Basically, King, who is afraid of flying (as am I) decided it would be a fantastic idea to compile a bunch of stories dealing with the myriad of horrifying ways your flight could go wrong…and probably will. Definitely a good read for airline travel!

4. Popular on Netflix (Books that everyone knows about – 2 you’ve read and 2 you have no interest in reading): Two books that I have read that everyone knows about could be, The Shining by Stephen King and Dracula by Bram Stoker. Incidentally, these are two of my top 5 books of all time! Two books everyone knows about but that I have no interest in reading would be, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

5. Comedies (A funny book): The last book I read that really had me laughing out loud was Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills. This is a contemporary YA book that just had such witty banter between the characters. I absolutely adored Emma Mills writing style and gave the book a 5-star rating.

6. Dramas (A character who is a drama queen/king): I thought Leah from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was a bit of a drama queen. Getting all angry at Simon for no good reason! No good reason, Leah! Good grief…

7. Animated (A book with cartoons on the cover): Howl’s Moving Castle, the Greenwillow Books Edition, published in 2008.

8. Watch it again (A book/book series that you want to re-read): I am definitely due a reread of my favorite book of all time, The Stand by Stephen King.

9. Documentaries (A non-fiction book you’d recommend to everyone): The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. Top notch writing. Also, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, an absolute brilliant classic in true crime writing.

10. Action and Adventure (An action packed book): The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes which I reviewed on this blog about a week ago. Action-packed from start to finish, this new middle grade release is part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. This was just an awesome little story and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

11. New Releases (A book that just came out or will be coming out soon that you can’t wait to read): Wildcard by Marie Lu which just released yesterday, September 18th. This is the follow-up to last year’s, Warcross, which was my favorite YA book of 2017. I preordered a copy of Wildcard and it should be arriving tomorrow!  So excited!

So that is it for my Netflix book tag! Feel free to tell me your answers to any of these questions in the comments section below – I want to know! Also, what’s everyone been watching on Netflix lately? I am excited for the new Sabrina reboot to drop!

Cheers and happy reading~

Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

~ megs14malloy

One of Us Is LyingOne of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 kids. 1 asshat teacher. 1 room. 1 mysterious death.

Whodunit?

This type of set up is one of my all time favorite mystery tropes. It is so nostalgic for me, bringing back memories of family games of Clue, watching Murder, She Wrote with my Mom and reading Agatha Christie books on summer vacation. Add in the fact that this cast of characters is very similar to the stereotypical characters in the Breakfast Club and you have an equation for the perfect book for Meg!

I listened to the audiobook for this and it had different narrators for the main characters. They all did a wonderful job and I flew through this book. Even though I predicted the ‘whodunit’ portion less than halfway through it was just a hunch and I did not deplete my enjoyment of this at all. I could have easily been wrong but I am glad I wasn’t because it was such a great twist to a classic tale. Getting to the conclusion was pure fun and I never got bored or felt that it was dragging.

Each chapter is from the perspective of one of the suspects – one of the four kids left alive after detention – and each chapter ended in sort of incriminating new facts related to that character. It was really well done and a ton of fun to read! I think this is easily the best YA-mystery that I have ever read and my first Karen McManus book – I am so excited for her next book to be released. If it is anything like this one, it is going to be a heck of a good time!

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Review: The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

~ megs14malloy

The Storm Runner (The Storm Runner #1)The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prepare for a gush fest people because I LOVED this book!

The Storm Runner is a new middle grade fantasy novel that is being published through the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. If you aren’t aware, sort of the purpose of this imprint is to provide a stage for diverse voices to tell stories based upon myths and folklore from various cultures around the world. This book is based upon Mayan Mythology and is full of angry gods, magic, mythological creatures and a ton of action and adventure.

Our main character, Zane Obispo, is a kid who has struggled a bit in his social life due to a limp caused by the fact that one of his legs is a little bit shorter than the other. Throughout school, Zane has had to deal with bullies and the feelings of inadequacy that can come when you feel like people are only seeing your faults, as opposed to the rest of you. Despite this, Zane is a sweet baby cinnamon roll who is full of good humor, love for his family and respect for his elders.

I truly fell in love with Zane’s character. I think he is an incredible role model for young readers and, heck, even adult readers. Not only is Zane a great character but he is surrounded by a whole flock of amazing side characters who bring humor, love, depth and drama to this adventurous tale. After witnessing a demon crash a plane into a volcano near his house, Zane ends up heading out on a quest to save the world with his new friend, Brooks (who also happens to be a shape-shifter) and his lovable Uncle, Hondo. Together these three battle scary enemies and plot incredible schemes to save all of humanity. Through his travels with his Uncle and friends, Zane discovers who he truly is and how powerful he can be.

There was so much action in this book. Literally, scene after scene of edge of your seat moments that keep you glued to the pages long after ‘lights out’ time has come! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves middle grade stories and/or books based upon mythology. Additionally, I think this would be a great book for parents or guardians to read with the kids in their life. I think there are a lot of great discussions to be drawn from this book and a lot of fun that can be shared as well. Overall, this is a fantastic story that will leave you feeling like magic is not only possible, but real.

Thank you so much to Rick Riordan Presents and Disney Hyperion for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. It was such a wonderful experience, one I will be thinking about and dreaming about for some time to come. I really appreciate the opportunity and hope that this series is a big success and continues on!

Initial Review: YEEESSSSSS! ARC received – this story sounds amazing – I cannot wait to dive in!

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Review: Brother by Ania Ahlborn

~ megs14malloy

BrotherBrother by Ania Ahlborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Rebel raised an eyebrow in approval. “Good idea,” he said. “A party ain’t a party without a splash of red.“


Brother is my first Ania Ahlborn book. I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to have a new horror writer to obsess over! This book, set in the heart of Appalachia, is deeply disturbing. If you aren’t disturbed in some way by this, I’m not sure we can be friends…for real. One of the most disturbing aspects of this book is, it’s so realistic. At least the writing makes it seem so realistic. Why couldn’t this happen? It could totally happen. It is horrible and dreadful but it could happen. Nothing is scarier than mankind and their capacity to harm one another. At least not to me.

This book follows the Morrow Family, but in particular Michael Morrow, the 2nd son and the one who doesn’t seem to belong. Michael was adopted into this family but he has been well conditioned in their ways; bringing to mind the whole nature versus nurture argument. The skill of Ahlborn’s writing was on full display in the intricacies of the familial relationships. The relationship between Michael and his sister, Misty, was heartbreaking and that between Michael and his brother, Reb, the most disturbing and dysfunctional of all. I loved to watch the evolution of the relationships and the way Michael’s outlook begins to change when he befriends someone from outside the home. Even after this happens though, loyalty to the family remains one of the most important themes in his world.

“His conscience wouldn’t let him abandon them. His mind wouldn’t ever let him disconnect.“

I really became attached to Michael as a character. As morally grey as he was he seemed like the one shining light in this gloomy, hostile world. I wanted him to be free, to escape from the clutches of his grim reality. I wanted to help him. It’s weird to me how a character, by no means a perfect person, can become so loved, instilling such heavy feelings of empathy in a reader. This to me is a sign of exceptional character writing. I definitely plan to read more of Ahlborn’s books. If you have read any of her books, let me know in the comments what your favorite(s) are because I definitely want to put them on by tbr!

Also, just a side note, loved the references to The Shining in this one! I always love to see King references in other fiction – it makes my heart happy!

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Best Road Trip Book Ever!!!

~ megs14malloy

Happy September fellow bookworms! My favorite month of the year and the start to the best reading season. I want all the spooky, mysterious and thrilling things from now through January. My most recent completed book, Dark Matter, brought all of those feelings and more!

Every Labor Day weekend I travel from my island home of Nantucket to the beautiful State of Maine (where I am originally from) for a weekend full of family & friends at a cabin in the mountains. This is always a fun occasion, but man, getting there can be a real bitch. It starts and ends for me with a 2-hour, 15-minute ferry ride in my car to the mainland and then…the drive. As many of you know, and have probably experienced, Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends in the United States. Getting off the Cape and through Boston/New Hampshire/Southern Maine can be challenging and LONG!

Needless to say, I take great pains to select just the right audiobook for every trip I take up there. This year – I hit the jackpot! My selection was Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This is an adult science-fiction novel that I had heard nothing but good things about, however, I essentially knew nothing about the plot. Nothing. It’s one of those books where people don’t want to spoil anything for anyone so all you are really told is that it is excellent!

Blake Crouch is a bestselling author who also penned The Wayward Pines trilogy which was adapted into a well-received television series on FOX starring Matt Dillon. I watched it, I loved it but never read the books although I own the entire trilogy (story of my life).

Dark Matter follows scientist turned Professor, Jason Dessen, as he struggles with the after effects of the strangest night of his life. After a couple of drinks at his local watering hole, he is kidnapped and assaulted, when he wakes nothing is as it should be. This book started off with an absolute bang – there really isn’t much build up to the main plot and the action. The narrator for the audiobook, Jon Lindstrom, had the perfect voice for this story and it was easy to focus on his storytelling even whilst navigating traffic.

My road trip was essentially a 5-hour drive each way and I was able to complete the book in that time period. It was so exciting and confusing (in a good way) that it easily kept me awake and engaged the entire trip. One little thing I will reveal on the plot (stop reading if you want no hints) is that it revolves around a multiverse trope which is on of my all-time favorite sci-fi tropes! I was so stoked and once I discovered that was this story, I was even more sold than before. I felt it was handled so well as far as the science is concerned and in a very unique fashion. Crouch is an excellent writer and I definitely plan to read many more of his books now.

Dark Matter made my trip bearable. I got where I need to go and crushed a great book in the interim. Win, win all around. What has been your favorite audiobook for a road trip? I am always looking for more audiobook recommendations. To me, the narrator can make or break a story. Even if a book that you may enjoy if you were the person reading it, has a terrible narrator, it can completely ruin the story. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by Jon Lindstrom! Who have been some of your favorite narrators? I want to know! Leave a comment here or contact me through my contact me links to the right >>>

Cheers & Thanks for Reading!

xo

One of the best memoirs I have ever read…

~ megs14malloy

The Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected AdventureThe Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected Adventure by Shoba Narayan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored this book! As memoirs go – top, top notch – super interesting and engaging!

The Milk Lady of Bangalore took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what this was going to be like and within the first few pages I was hooked. Narayan, a journalist by trade, writes in such a pleasing way. To me, it flows like you are sitting for coffee with a friend and she is telling you a very detailed story. I couldn’t put this one down and ended up reading it in three days.

This is a memoir – one of the best I have EVER read – but it is truly so much more than that. The basic gist is that Narayan decides with her husband to move back to their native-India after living for 20-years in the United States. They both have parents who are getting older and as they have two children, they want their children to know their grandparents and experience their culture. They move into a large apartment building in Bangalore and on move in day, Narayan, by chance, meets Sarala, the milk lady. This is how it all begins.

This book is a beautiful examination of culture, friendship, life, love, loss and growth. I laughed and I cried. You know you have found a special book when one brings out such a wide range of emotions – in my opinion anyway. It was interesting to read about Narayan really learning about her own culture for a second time. I could absolutely relate with a lot of her feelings having moved away from the area I grew up in, and being away for many years, going back, you see things with fresh eyes. You can appreciate how much culture varies from area to area and that can really bring forth a lot of self reflection about ones own beliefs, traditions, goals, wants, needs and really where one feels like they belong.

Now, COWS:

In this book you will also learn so much about cows – magnificent animals, they really are. This book felt to me like a microhistory of cows and their role/significance in India culture, particularly through different Hindu beliefs and customs. I absolutely adored that aspect of the book. If you are someone who enjoys that type of book, you will love this. Also, if you are a foodie, you will probably love this and should definitely read it. There is a lot in here about milk, the different types / properties of milk. I am telling you, fascinating.

Overall, I applaud Shoba Narayan for her efforts with this and I say, thank you, for sharing this part of your life with the world. It was beautiful! Also, a big thank you to the publisher, Algonquin Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize that it has taken me so long to get to this! One of my favorite and most unique reads of 2018 so far!

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Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

~ megs14malloy

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3)Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a previous stutter start with this one, I have finally finished it and therefore completed the series! Again, I listened to the audiobook – the narrator is the same for all three and she just did such an incredible job – absolutely no complaints there. The first time I tried listening to this, I kept getting to the same spot and getting stuck and my mind would just be wandering away. This time around, I set out determined, I could do this and you know, I am glad I did. Also happy to be done with this series. I leave so many series unfinished so it feels like an accomplishment.

There’s no denying Laini Taylor is one hell of a writer. Her characters are interesting, the worlds are well constructed, there is humor and action – she is a true wordsmith. My problem I have finally decided was Akiva. I’m just going to say it – I don’t like him. Easy now, put down the pitchfork…

I just could not get into him. He was so bland and boring for me. Now Ziri, that was someone I could get behind. I loved his storyline in this one – he makes my heart sing. Then of course Zuzana and Mik. I adore them and was so happy they were along for the ride in this installment. My favorite addition in this book was the incorporation of the scientists. Adding the human element, what was going on around the globe after the angels arrived was just really, really cool. I loved that part. Eliza was a great addition as a character as well.

Overall, this was a good series. I am not swooning over it or anything but it was good and I’m glad I read it. I am going to read Night of Cake & Puppets for sure, as Mik & Zuz are some of the best side characters ever, IMO. I also will be reading basically anything else Laini Taylor writes because…beauty.

Previously:…trying again…I started this earlier this year and shelved it again after my mind could just not stay focused on it. This series has been a mixed bag for me but I REALLY want to finish it. I have heard that this is the best book of the series so am hoping it will really take off for me!

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Review: Empress Unveiled by Jenna Morland

~ megs14malloy

Empress UnveiledEmpress Unveiled by Jenna Morland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5-stars

Empress Unveiled is a debut YA fantasy novel by Jenna Morland. This is the start to a new series and with that ending…I can’t wait to get the next one! This book was highly addictive. I am not sure what it was about it. When I wasn’t reading it, I was kind of wishing I was…but I was confused about it…I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was drawing me in.

Morland’s writing style does have a nice flow to it. It was a quick read that set the stage well for a continuation of the series. It left off on quite the cliffhanger actually. I would say as fantasy books go, this is a good beginner fantasy. Please note, that is not shade.

Fantasy is a genre, that to me, can be broken up into different levels: beginner, intermediate and high or advanced. Let’s clear something up, I am OLD. I have been reading fantasy for over 25 years and read a lot of epic fantasy and high fantasy – that is why I am calling this beginner. The concepts were very easy to understand and therefore accessible to younger readers or people who may want to try fantasy but are intimidated by complex magic systems, political systems, etc.

This story follows, Swazyi, a high school girl in ‘our world’ Alaska. When a portal to another world opens, that’s where the magic comes from. The portal leads to the world of Empress, home to many mythical/magical creatures and peoples that we all know and love, such as fae, vampires, witches, werewolves, etc. I think portal fantasy is a good way to introduce magic or magical concepts into an otherwise normal world and in fact, it is quite frequently used.

This story is heavy on your standard YA tropes as well. Most notably: instalove, angsty love triangle and the ‘chosen one’ trope. If any of these is not your bag you may not enjoy this as much. The love triangle was my least favorite aspect of the story but 16-year old me probably would have loved it. There are tropes for everyone, it’s all about finding the right books to tickle your fancy! I had a couple of other small, personal taste, things that weren’t quite for me but as mentioned earlier, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and that’s not a bad thing!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Oftomes Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity to read a book early and provide my thoughts. For a debut book, this is solid. I had a lot of fun with it and look forward to continuing with the series. Jenna Morland should be proud of her efforts and I look forward to watching her develop as a writer! The sky is the limit…unless you find a portal to another world in the sky…then there is no limit!

Previously: So happy to finally be starting this new YA fantasy! Also happy I get to marvel at the beauty of this cover every day whilst doing so… I mean, look at it!!! 😍😍😍

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Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

~ megs14malloy

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, okay. This. Book.

This was so good. I have been enjoying this series very much up to this point, don’t get me wrong, but in my opinion this one takes it to the stratosphere. Whole new level here. I won’t make this too long as there probably isn’t much that I can say that would be new at this point. I will just let y’all know how this one made me feel and that would be freaking psyched. I am such trash for this series now – fangirling all afternoon long after I finished this. SJM is my Queen and I will read every single word she ever writes.

Seriously though, I felt that this developed the story so incredibly well. I loved the relationship development in this one and I don’t mean that in the romantic sense. For me, it was more the friendships, the loyalties that develop as these characters are basically pitted against the most evil forces in the universe; it was just a gorgeous, gorgeous thing.

Lysandra – my new love. Her story arc is just astounding – to see her strength, which obviously has always been there, but to see it come out and her assert herself and kick some serious ass was just so great to me. I loved hearing her backstory, learning her motivations, discovering her secrets – I can’t wait to see where her story goes in the next book. And of course, Manon, my book-BFF, so fierce and such a powerful bringer of change -I just adore her and pretty much every scene where she was even remotely involved in gave me LIFE!

I am very excited to get to Empire of Storms but I am going to take a one book hiatus before I start it because I do not think I am emotionally ready to move on yet. Still so much to process. I am beyond happy that I gave in and read this series; probably one of the best book choices I have ever made. Highly, highly recommend to all the world!

Original review: Chills. That was incredible! Full review to come. . . Stay tuned!

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Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner

~ megs14malloy

HuntedHunted by Meagan Spooner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, it has now been close to a week since I finished this book and I finally feel like I can put my thoughts down into actual words. Let’s get the main grit out of the way = Hunted is the BEST Beauty and the Beast retelling I have EVER read. Guys, I know I am super late to the party on this one. I think I am probs the only B&B superfan left to read this. Why did I wait this long, you ask? Because I am horrible at life obviously.

I listened to the audiobook of this and I will definitely be buying a hard copy because I absolutely plan to reread this someday. The most impactful aspect of this for me was the atmosphere. It was so well written. Dark, gothic, dangerous – I felt cold, I felt alone, I felt hunted. It was spectacular. The setting is Russia and I definitely felt like it was a nice blend of the classic Beauty and the Beast with Peter and the Wolf. I used to have the record version of the Peter and the Wolf symphony as a child and I listened to it all the time. (I played classic violin, perhaps that makes that fact make more sense…) This book brought back strong memories of listening to that. It is such a feeling.

I loved the twists to Beauty’s character in this as well. That was another really strong aspect for me. I loved how independent, strong, willful and brave she was. She was not a damsel in distress. Nope, not our girl – she was a badass, who though scared, did whatever she had to do for vengeance and that’s the kind of heroine I live for!

Then, of course, we have the Beast. We get his perspective in small parts throughout the book and I found them very interesting. He was absolutely darker than the Beast of the Disney version but no less compelling in my opinion. Along with him, of course, comes the castle fallen into ruin and the hostage situation and the Stockholm Syndrome love trope…and it was so good. I just ate it right up.

I suppose for some this book may seem slow, it is not nonstop action, but for me the flow was absolutely perfect. The pace helped to set up the atmosphere – it contributed to the feeling and I felt it was flawless.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves retellings – particularly if you are into dark, gothic or stabby things. More stabby than lovie…than this book is for you!

Original Review: A classic tale of love via Stockholm Syndrome…

Seriously though – this book – my favorite retelling of all time. I was shocked by how much I truly enjoyed it…

Dark, dangerous, replete with myth/folklore – full review to come…stay tuned!

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