Book Review: Wired in (Paradise Crime #1) by Toby Neal

Special Agent Sophie Ang has had a hard life. From being kidnapped as a child to having a mentally unstable mother, and even a very abusive ex husband, she’s been on constant guard since she can remember. Now as an FBI Agent, she sleuths around and saves people, never giving herself a break. That is, until her personal trainer finishes up with her training and starts flirting with her. Could this be just the break she needs?

3/5 Stars 282 pages
Published March 11th 2021 by Neal Enterprises

Spoiler alert: It’s not. Everything is always more complicated than it seems at first glance. An action packed story, it doesn’t even really stop to give to time to breathe. A good plot with a very strong female lead, I enjoyed reading it, but I do have a few complaints leading to why this isn’t my new favourite book.

See, a lot of the info really seems to be thrown at you to just remember. Why? Not really any reason. Her parent’s relationship with her, her friends that aren’t really that close with her, and even her job, because I can’t really even explain fully what she does. She lives in Hawaii, has a dog, and never really sees anyone, but that’s all I know. Special Agent? Might as well be a plain old detective.

The other problem that I have is that there’s no warning to even elude that there may be possibly triggering scenes. They come on very suddenly and really scared me to read honestly, just out of the blue like that. Sophie has the occasional flashback to her abusive ex husband, including the horrific time he had non-consensual sex with her. And that’s something that needs to have a warning, I think. Sophie also reminds me of a bad sitcom stereotype, always swearing in another language.

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Pexels.com

That being said, I did like the story, I just didn’t love it. I felt like I had to kind of push myself through the entire book, and that’s not really something I enjoy doing. It’s interesting, and I don’t regret reading it, it’s just not my cup of tea. I think it’s good for any adult reader who doesn’t get triggered easily, and likes a good mystery novel in Hawaii.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on Twitter here!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re having a great night!

Book Review: Radiants by David B. Coe

Dede has a secret that she’s been keeping her whole life. After a traumatizing event, she’s successfully pushed down the part of her that makes her unique, that is, until now. See, Dede can force her own consciousness out of her body and into others, essentially turning them into a puppet. And she’s going to be learning to use it a lot, apparently.

4/5 Stars 325 Pages Published October 15th 2021 by Bell Bridge Books

After using her power at school to protect and get revenge for her her friend Kyle from bullies, she comes home and tells her mom. Little does she know that her family will change forever, from that day on. Hunted down by the government, Dede and her little brother Miles are eventually separated from their mother and forced to work alone to save everyone involved, including themselves. They’re on the run, because if they stop, they’re facing incredible tests from the government to essentially map out every aspect of their unique abilities. At whatever the cost.

A good book, ,they story was more about finding yourself and staying strong in tough situations. From sticking up for your friends, to being blamed for murder and finding out your little brother’s powers, you have to do what you know what’s right, even if it’s scary and hard to achieve.

I enjoyed the book, but it’s not my new favourite. That being said, I would read more from the author in the future. It was written very smoothly, and suitable for readers fourteen an up, due to violence. Check it out if you think it would be something you’d like!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here on Twitter!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well, and staying happy. What power would you want if you could choose?

Book Review: The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners by Grace M. Williamson

4/5 Stars 123 pages Published June 11th 2021

Though I’ve never heard of this diet before, I was intrigued after reading all of the health benefit claims. After all, it’s mostly clean vegan eating but also with fish. Easy enough, right? I couldn’t wait to dive into it.

With tons of great recipes, the book also comes with an easy to follow meal plan. I picked eighteen interesting looking meals, including the banana bread smoothie, the spanikopita, and the ravioli and veggie soup, and I can’t wait to try them out on not only myself, but also share them with my family and friends.

With beautiful pictures, this book says that by following the recipes, cutting out processed food and drinks, working out for thirty minutes a day and buying seasonal produce, you’ll be feeling, and eating, a lot healthier. Check it out if you’re interested in a recipe book full of veggies!

If you’d like to grab a copy for yourself, you can here!

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re doing well, and if you live where there’s snow, that you’re keeping warm!

Book Review: Project Ele (Ele #1) by Rebecca Gober & Courtney Nuckels

5/5 Stars 334 pages
Published December 24th 2013 by Clean Teen Publishing

Imagine you’re standing in line in the hot sun. Now imagine that, but for a week straight. Not only is the sun hot, but everyone is very stressed out. You’re not waiting for a new phone, or to get into the store to get your groceries. You’re waiting for your spot in an underground vault. A massive bunker. And there’s a plague spreading fast. If you didn’t think it could get any worse than that, you’re dead wrong. There’s no actual guarantee that you’ll get in, and the weather is only going to get more extreme. This, and more, is what fifteen year old Willow is facing with her family.

A very unique take on a classic apocalyptic fiction story, as an insane last resort to contain a virus that’s taking over the world, the world leaders are planning on heating the planet hot enough to wipe it, and anyone who’s infected, out. The rich and most important people are ushered into the vaults, leaving the poor people and the infected people scrambling trying to get in, or face to deathly hot conditions outside.

Now if you know me, you’d know I’m a huge fan of the game series, Fallout, as well as almost any book featuring the apocalypse. So of course this was right up my alley. I loved the story, the characters, and the setting. I think it’s perfect for all ages to read, and I can’t wait to read more. Kind of an X-Men meets Fallout 3, but not the entire game. Just the beginning where you’re growing up in the vault. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

If you’d like to grab a copy for yourself, you can here!

And you can follow the authors, Rebecca and Courtney, on Twitter!

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day! Did you play the fallout games? I could talk about them all day.

Book Review: Skin by Donna Jo Napoli

4/5 Stars 352 pages
Published August 6th 2013 by Skyscape

A beautiful and very memorable story of a teen girl who one day wakes up to find that her lips, and then more spots on her body, have turned white. She has vitiligo, and she just has to learn to live with her new skin condition, among everything else going on in her life.

A book about self acceptance over all, Giuseppina lives with a little brother who calls her a slut, and at school her friends and other kids judge her for wearing makeup to cover up her spots. Basically, this book is just a story of life on a day to day basis. She goes to school, she starts dating an old friend, and she struggles with her own body image, while trying to keep it secret. I loved how realistic it was, and I found that to be a really nice change of pace from the other books I’ve been reading lately. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a feel good story without all the bells and whistles, and anyone who’s 16+.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here.

Thanks for reading! And don’t be afraid to show your true self to the world! They’ll love you for it.

Book Review: Parallel Planets by James E Lee

3/5 Stars 180 pages, Published December 27th 2017 by Booksgosocial

This is the story of Tom, a small town sheriff, and Julia, a doctor in the making. They meet later in life, fall in love, and live the rest of their lives together in perfect harmony. That is, until half way through the book, when the aliens are introduced.

And when I say half way, I really mean that my kindle app literally said 50%. Up until then, I wasn’t so sure where the story was headed. It seemed like it was a small town murder mystery kind of vibe, and it morphed into a scifi adventure right when I was wondering if it was for me or not. And I really loved that.

Written in a very straight forward was, I enjoyed how unique it was, but I also felt like it’s written in such a passive way, that I didn’t really even realize when the action was happening at some parts, and had to go back and re-read.

Definitely an interesting and enjoyable read, but it’s not my new favourite. But not every book is going to be exactly what I want, and that’s okay. I think it took too long to get into the scifi parts of the story, and I got a little bored waiting for it to show up. Overall, I think that many people would like this book, but it’s just not for me. If you like scifi and small town mysteries, than check it out for yourself!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re having a great day, and you don’t get abducted by aliens, unless that’s something that you want.

Book Review: Thin Space by Jody Casella

After losing his twin brother in a car accident where he was driving, Marsh has completely lost himself in his grief. Obsessed with an old story from an even older neighbour who’s long gone, he finds himself constantly looking for the perfect spot for a “thin space”, or a place where he can cross over to the other side to talk to someone lost to the world. He just wants to talk to him one last time and make things ight. But after wandering around barefoot for months, it’s starting to get cold, and he’s starting to lost hope.

5/5 Stars 256 pages
Published September 10th 2013 by Beyond Words/Simon Pulse

A wonderful and in depth story about a teenage boy trying to deal with a new world without his best friend, his grief, and also his flashbacks to the accident itself, I was instantly hooked. He feels like the accident was his fault, and he wants to be gone from the world. And I think that those are real things that people have to deal with. The only good thing in Marsh’s life now is his new friend Maddie, who’s running from her own past and home life, and who also wants nothing more than to help him and be around him, no matter what. And that just what he needs.

WHat was really great though, in my opinion, was the ending. Completely hit me out of the blue. It was something that I never expected, and added a new layer to just how amazing and unique of a story it really is. Great characters who grow throughout the story, just a really amazing plot, and perfectly written just how I personally like to read, this book is definitely one of my new favorites, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my collection. No matter what kind of genre of books you like, I think you should check out this book, and you would like it too!

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing well, and your brain is doing well too.

Book Review: Grounded (The Grounded Trilogy #1) by G.P. Ching

An amazing story of finding yourself when you think you’ve found all that there is to find. Lydia is a girl with a power inside her that’s well hidden on an Amish Community. So well hidden in fact, that she doesn’t even know she has it. That is, until she ventures off on her own into the world beyond their little slice of heaven, into a post apocalyptic, futuristic world. I knew immediately that it had potential to be one of my new favourite books.

5/5 Stars 407 pages
Published November 11th 2012 by Carpe Luna Publishing

September 2052, fireman Frank finds a baby in a rain storm. But after seeing who’s left her, he runs straight to an Amish colony and never looks back. There, she grows up Amish, never wondering about anything other than her chores and future husband, until her father suddenly falls ill and is put in a medical facility off colony. Then, her best friend convinces her to go off colony with him in an old tradition. What should be the most exciting part of her young teenage life is turned upside down when she becomes a human lightning rod.

The next thing she knows, the police are there arresting her, claiming she’s a scamper, whatever that is, and haul her in for testing. This book is something that I have never read before. It takes these two completely different world that really don’ seem like they should be able to blend together, like oil and water, and somehow the author is able to mix them seamlessly. I really can’t believe that I haven’t read something like this before, and honestly, I can’t wait to jump right back into the series. If you think you would like it, definitely give it a shot. I won’t forget it anytime soon.

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.com

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day, and pick up a book for a little bit today!

Book Review: Spacevault by G.W. Smith

Although this was an interesting idea, as a book, it wasn’t really for me. Set on world that’s doomed to perish because of an asteroid, Xel, the main character is destined to save it. Unfortunately there is also insta-love, and too little description for me to be able to follow all the different species of characters in the story. Basically, it wasn’t for me.

2/5 Stars 117 pages
Published January 21st 2012

The beginning of the story starts with a mass gathering of scientists. In the next fifty years, asteroid “Black Rock” is going to come and mess up their entire planet’s orbit by coming too close, dooming their home. They’ve been working on a solution, a way to teleport to a safe location, but nothing has really become of it because they would have to move their entire population. After ten years, they’re running out of options. So they’ve come up with a new idea, taking the world’s most intelligent people and children, giving them special schooling so they may go on to save their people. And Xel is one of those children.

Was he a child or was he a teen? Was he fully grown? These are some of the questions I have. How did he change his relationships with the other characters in the story so fast? Why were the children basically test dummies? There are just so many things I didn’t really understand, and I couldn’t really stay invested in the book.

I think that although I thought the book was confusing, not everyone will think that. It does have a great and unique scifi base to build off of. If you think you would enjoy it, check it out!

Thanks for reading. Hope you’re doing well and there’s no asteroids headed for our own planet!

Book Review: A Stranger Magic (Haven #1) by D.C. Akers

Even though I’ve never read anything by D.C. Akers before, I was interested to get this book started. It wasn’t my new favourite, but it was a great book to switch up my reading list with.

3/5 Stars 172 pages
Published March 5th 2013 by Vanquisher Publishing

Sam is just a boy who’s in Junior High, with a single mom, and a bully of an older sister. Beginning with a stress dream, it mostly shows his daily life, but with a magical twist. A very quick and easy read, middle grade fiction is usually out of my comfort zone because of how toned down everything is. That being said, I didn’t feel like there was that vibe from this book, although there wasn’t really anything to tone down in the first place.

His sister Sarah however, turns out to live a more exciting life than we originally think. Things just seem to break around her when she’s upset, and she’s starting to get upset more often. Something I can’t wait to read more of is her side of the story.

A topic that did kind of effect me was the kids dad. How they feel cheated because of his death, and feel like they’re missing out on things that other kids have are they’re supposed to have. That’s exactly how I feel about my mom, the author really hit it on the head.

Overall I enjoyed his book and would check out the next part of the story if I got a chance to. I’ve had this book since 2013 and just finally got around to reading it, and I’m glad I did. If you’re into middle grade paranormal and fantasy, or if you just want a quick book to read, I think you would enjoy it.

Photo by Quenani Leal on Pexels.com

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can here!

And if you’d like to keep up with the Author on Twitter, you can here!

Thanks for reading, and don’t let your bully of a sister get you down!

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