Stalked by Flames by Susan Illene - DNF

Stalked by Flames by Susan Illene
1 star - Did Not Finish

I really could not get into this book. I ended up with a DNF. I was really hoping to find a good dragon book but those are hard to come by.

On a positive note, the cover is pretty cool. It definitely is what drew my attention.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Can't Forget by Colleen Myers - 4 stars

Book 2 in the Solum series

Can't Forget by Colleen Myers
4 stars

I loved this book. I really enjoyed the first one and this was a great addition. Beta has to go through a lot of emotional pain that really sucks you in. The loss of a loved one is extremely difficult and It was captured so well.

Beta's relationship with Marin is great. I was always a fan of him over Finn. I always felt that the relationship between Beta and Finn was too rushed in Must Remember and that Marin is the better choice for Beta. I am not a fan of the love triangle though. That feels like more a YA trope that really should be avoided in this kind of book.

I also felt the ending was a bit rushed. We didn't get to learn too much about Beta's friends that she found and the overall battle seemed to come out of no where. I was very confused during the battle as it wasn't drawn out. It just seemed like we could have had more details and not have had everything so rushed when the rest of the book was so well fleshed out. It's a major reason why I docked a star.

The difficulties the Fost face and the choices Beta makes are definitely well worth the read. It's so engaging. We get so a sort of cliff hanger and I can't wait until the next one!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Awesome Words About Reading

I have some quotes and a poem about the joys of books and reading. I always enjoy running across these because I can relate so much to them. So here we go. 


I was raised among books, making invisible friends in pages that seemed cast from dust and whose smell i carry on my hands to this day.
- Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.
- W. Somerset Maugham

Novels aren't just happy escapes; they are slivers of people's souls, nailed to the pages, dripping ink from veins of wood pulp. Reading the right one at the right time can make all the difference.
- Brandon Sanderson

Some books are so familiar that reading this is like being home again.
- Louisa May Alcott

Books are the quietest and most constant friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teacher.
- Charles William Eliot

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on Earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world; worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.
- Ann Lamott

A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames.
- Lloyd Jones, Mister Pip

Some books you read. Some books you enjoy. But some books just swallow you up, heart and soul.
- Joanna Harris


Books are many things: lullabies for the weary, armor for the fearful, and nests for those in need of a home.
- Glenda Millard, The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk

I am part of everything I have read.
- Theodore Roosevelt

Books fall open, you fall in,
delighted where you've never been;
hear voices not once heard before,
reach world on world through door on door;
fin unexpected keys to things locked up beyond imaginings

What might you be, perhaps become,
because one book is somewhere?

Some wise delver into wisdom, wit,
and wherewithal has written it.
True books will venture, dare you out,
whisper secrets, maybe shout
across the gloom to you in need,
who hanker for a book to read.
- Books Fall open by David McCord

Young Adult Books

Bibliophile
skia.deviantart.com

I've noticed something about myself recently. I've read YA books for a very long time and have rated them on Goodreads. Looking back at these ratings, I find that my feelings towards them have changed as my interests turn more towards the Adult genre. YA books are no longer as entertaining as they used to be and the content seems like it never changes. It's just that there are so many cliches that most authors can't seem to get away from.

The Immortals - Wild Magic
rozefire.deviantart

There are some books that will always be amazing. I still love the Tortall Realm created by Tamora Pierce. I still love The Hunger Games along with several other YA books. Some of them I love because of the memories they hold. Others I love because of the writing. But as I was looking through my previously read books on Goodreads, I've realized that the ratings I gave no longer reflect my opinions. The trouble is, do I give them a different rating now that my feelings have changed? I used to like Twilight. That's gone and done with. It's almost embarrassing that I enjoyed those books at one point in my life. There are several others that I can't believe I enjoyed. There is a part of me that really wants to change the rating. Then there's the other part that says to keep it where it's at. That was a different point in my life and my preferences have changed. I remember a time when I would force myself to read books even if I didn't like them. Now I have no problem with doing a DNF (did not finish).

Howl_Sophie
maramiranda.deviantart

I don't pass any judgement on anyone who reads YA books. If they enjoy it, more power to them. Anyone who reads any kind of book makes me happy. Hell, even reading comic books or mangas count. Reading is the best thing you can do. It keeps your mind sharp. It expands your vocabulary. It can take you away from reality for a time. It can produce emotions within you. Books are powerful and it saddens me when someone says they don't read.

So this is my dilemma. To change or not to change, that is the question. It's amazing the changes a person goes through as they age. Looking back, I sometimes can't understand my actions but I was much younger and much less mature than I am now. I'm almost thankful for the required readings in school. Almost. Some of those books will be forever dull and something I never want to pick up again.

I'm so thankful that books exist. I can't imagine a life without them. I'm thankful for my mom for reading to me and getting me interested in books. I don't know where I'd be without them.

Darling
samanthadoodles.deviantart

Saven Denial by Siobhan Davis - 4 stars

A novella of the Saven Series

Previous Saven Series Review:

Saven Deception (#1) | Saven Disclosure (#2)

Saven Denial by Siobhan Davis
4 stars

Once again you just don't know what you're going to get with the Saven series. Saven Disclosure ended on a cliffhanger and Saven Denial picks up right where it left off. We are finally learning who Sadie is and where she comes from. She's always been different from her family this novella expands on that. New characters are introduced and Sadie is thrown into another whirlwind of emotions.

I think the new characters add an interesting spin but I'm not sure how I feel about Axton as a love interest. I'm not really into the whole love triangle thing. I do like how Davis handled the whole situation. Sadie has had her memories wiped and now the Tor, especially Axton, are filling her in. But, being Sadie, she didn't simply accept what she was being told and she fought everything. The Tor, especially Griselda, may have plans for Sadie but she refuses to go along with it. She's willing to sacrifice herself to save the Logan's life.

There time travel but it's an odd type. The reader has to keep an open mind and not think too hard about the workings of the universe and just go with it. I had no problem with this but anyone who is a stickler for such things won't find it easy to read.

We've seen a lot of growth in Sadie's character in the first two books and she continues to grow through Saven Denial. This may be a novella but it's definitely action packed. Unfortunately it ended on another cliffhanger.  Next is Saven Defiance and I can't wait.

*Note from the author: This continues the story from where it left off in Saven Disclosure. This is not an optional novella but an essential read if you don't want to miss out on important plot developments.

Saven Disclosure by Siobhan Davis - 4.5 stars

Book 2 in the Saven series

Previous Saven Series Review:

Saven Deception (#1)

Saven Disclosure by Siobhan Davis
4.5 stars

First off, holy cliffhanger Batman! Oh boy, this book took me for a ride. I guess I should have been expecting a lot of twists and turns because there were many in Saven Deception but I wasn't prepared for all of the ones that were thrown at us. Yet another unpredictable installment in the series. I honestly have no idea where everything is going.

Poor Sadie. She's in love with an alien who also happens to be the Crown Prince of an alien race that has infiltrated Earth. She receives a lot of hate from all sides and it doesn't help that Logan is mostly out of the picture. He's off trying to make sure another alien race doesn't invade Earth. Sadie is stuck with Haydn, Logan's bodyguard and she's basically living in a gilded cage. Logan wants her safe which means he must treat her like a little porcelain doll. I'm so glad when Sadie grows a backbone and finally rebels against her restricted lifestyle.

Sadie is forced into keeping many secrets. She's keeping secrets from Logan, from the rebels, from Jared, from everyone. She never thought of herself as a very good liar but lying was something she had to do to keep everyone safe. She's being tasked with impossible things and the strain is starting to show. When she finds out her brother and sister have been taken to sector 20, she refuses to leave her siblings to their possible fate of becoming mindless drones. Then all hell starts to break loose.

We are introduced to new alien races and we actually get to see Sadie leave Earth all together. It was very exciting to see the Saven universe expand. We are introduced to interesting new characters while many others fall into the background. Some of the characters I was sad to see go while others, like Dante, I was very happy with. The Dante interactions in Deception left me feeling slimy. Such brilliant writing.

I like that Sadie becomes stronger physically as well as emotionally. She's not a brilliant fighter but Haydn's self defense lessons definitely made a difference. It added a little more excitement to things. She doesn't want to be a damsel in distress but when Haydn tries to train her with guns and knives, she flat out refuses. Having a weapon certainly would have helped out at one point in the book but, oh well.

There is a minor love triangle. It's an annoying thing and I hate that it's causing friction between a friendship. It's such a small one that happens towards the last third of the book so it wasn't overwhelming present. I just hope it isn't dragged out into book 3. I also would like Logan's over-protectiveness to be toned down a little. It's grating on Sadie's nerves as well as mine.

Warning: there is a cliffhanger but we do get an author's note at the end stating that there is a novella that picks up right where Disclosure ends. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers but I think this was well done. Some authors seem to do it on purpose but this was a natural ending. I applaud Davis on that. She's a great writer and I definitely liked this book. Anyone who enjoyed Deception will definitely enjoy Disclosure.

Up next in the series: Saven Denial (#2.5)

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

In The Blood by Robin L. Martinez - DNF

Book 1 in the Witchbreed Series

In The Blood by Robin L. Martinez

Did Not Finish

I tried reading this book. It has great reviews and I wanted to read it but for some reason I couldn't get into it. The concept is interesting but I just couldn't get attached to the plot line or the characters. The writing is good but it just couldn't hold my attention. 

There isn't anything terribly wrong. There's blood magic and shapeshifter magic and warriors. You would think that would be exciting and make me want to read it. Not so much. Maybe it will one day. For now it will stay on my to-read shelf and maybe some day I'll give it another try. 

I don't give ratings to books I haven't read through so this is a no-rating review.