Tag: reading

Books, fantasy, great reads, indie author, paranormal romance, Romance, scifi, Urban Fantasy

September Releases

Karen

How quickly summer is going by! We have already reached the end of August and are ready for our September releases. Here are a few of the books I can’t wait to read or I am curious enough about to mention.

D5203FDB-4960-4E5B-A6F5-5DE5AE424CFA

Fortunately for me I just read the first book just this year so I didn’t have to wait the whole 5 years for this, never the less I am so excited to read book two of the Villains series. The first book constantly made you question just who the good guys were and I am hopeful this one does the same, I have it pre-ordered and set to download on September 25th.

grace

Grace is one of my indie authors that I just buy and don’t think about. Her world building is always so rich and her characters are never shallow I just couldn’t help myself when I saw a new series from her and had to pre-order this one. Unfortunately this book is also dropping on the 25th of September so it might take me a quick minute to get to it.

wildcross

I really enjoyed the first book but I was worried about a second one as soon as I read the ending. I won’t spoil the first one for you but it’s last pages left a bitter taste in my mouth. I’ll read this one, coming out September 18th,  but I’m going to play it safe and get it from the library.

How about you, anything you are looking forward to next month?

Books, fantasy, funny, indie author, Out of the Box Blogs, rant, Romance, scifi, steampunk, Urban Fantasy

DNF 37%

Karen

I just stopped another book midway because I was bored and didn’t want to read it anymore. It’s a growing trend for me this year, if a book doesn’t hook me right away I just give up.

I remember when I was younger I never picked up a book and didn’t finish it, but the older I get the more impatient I seem to become and I find myself not finishing all the books I pick up. But why? Books have always been my haven and I hate not finishing something I’ve started, so what’s changed? Well I have a few theories…

(1) Kindle Unlimited.

630B23A4-E97B-4E6C-9732-53B2E1D72301

I have never cancelled and then reinstated a program so many times in my life! Honestly I have found some amazing books that I’ve loved on KU but let’s be honest, there is a plethora of books and not all great, this had made me much snappier with my decisions. If I don’t like it in the first 20% I didn’t pay extra for it and I just don’t believe it will get better.

(2) ARC’s

This one is tricky. On websites like netgalley you’ll notice when you get your approval letter (maybe not for all but for most) they basically ask you, if you are not enjoying this book just stop rather than power through and bash it.

EAC9DEAD-208D-4595-BE12-EA6A732E8DE9

Now if I pick your book up from you, if I’m tortured I’ll give you that option as well and most prefer you stop. Though it doesn’t happen often, it can.

(3) Abundance.

26FF33DC-1EE9-4848-A78F-92826A4B071B

Even without KU there is a lot of discounted books out there, even just 10 years ago I remember making a list of the books I would buy for the year. You didn’t get books for under $2 or even $1 so you were very picky about what you got. Now if I spend $1 on it and I don’t like it…well I don’t have time for that.

(4) Libraries.

60E96D54-46C1-4E17-9CF5-ECC021D7DBD5

Libraries will always be a good thing don’t get me wrong but they are getting better and better at getting more people better access to a larger selection. Ebook sections of libraries are becoming bigger and most libraries will order books per your request. What that means? Books I might never have read I’m taking a chance on. But it also means some of those books I’m just not going to like.

So what about you, do you finish everything you read? If not have you found your finishing less books? Comment below!

Books, fantasy, great reads, Reviews, scifi, steampunk

Clockwork Boys T. Kingfisher

Karen

Really this is a review on Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine since they are just one book that has been chopped into two. One really doesn’t work without the other, it’s one of my pet peeves but more on that later.

 

I just recently read these books by T Kingfisher, I have heard of this author before, this is just the first book by her that I happened upon. Yes I am going to refer to it as one book since they are basically a 600 page novel cut in half. Here is the blurb for each:

Clockwork Boys first..

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a scholar), thrown together in an attempt to unravel the secret of the Clockwork Boys, mechanical soldiers from a neighboring kingdom that promise ruin to the Dowager’s city.
If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but that requires a long journey through enemy territory, directly into the capital. It also requires them to refrain from killing each other along the way! At turns darkly comic and touching, Clockwork Boys puts together a broken group of people trying to make the most of the rest of their lives as they drive forward on their suicide mission.

 

The Wonder Engine next.

Pull three people out of prison–a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.
What could possibly go wrong?In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. But the secrets they’re keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance…

Alright the good first. I really liked T Kingfisher as a writer. The style was well done, the characters, though their background wasn’t always explained, always had me engaged and I found the world believable.

ef892d31-6015-4035-aa15-7fb6fd697f20-2

Okay to be honest I was thrown off by the title at first, I thought there would be some boys that would be called the Clockwork Boys (yeah not even close) but she sold me on the whole idea of the world and the villains. The first scene in the prison, I LOVED IT! Sold me on two of the characters for the rest of the book, don’t know why, so that alone help you see that T Kingfisher knows what she is doing.

Which brings me to my next point. Why is this two books? 

E09BEB00-0C0B-4A26-9FAE-149BEC410C52

It is literally one story and together it would make about a 600 page novel. If that seems daunting the last three books I read were 619, 402, and 465. I don’t care if you kept every word just keep them together!

In the end I did enjoy this “book” and am planning on reading T Kingfisher again. So I guess despite all my ranting she still sold me.
Books, fantasy, great reads, paranormal romance, Reviews, Romance, scifi, steampunk, Urban Fantasy

August Releases

Karen

In my first year of blogging I use to put out a list of the books I was looking forward to for the next month and I kinda just stopped..well I miss it! So here is my picks for August, some that I’ve per-ordered already and some that I will wait patiently to get from the library.

Magic_Triumphs.indd

I need this book now!!!!

It’s funny that Les just talked about not reading the end of a series because this is the last book in the Kate Daniels series and I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Ilona Andrews is in my top three for writers and Kate Daniels has consistently been one of my favorite series for years. This book drops on August 28th, but I will be up August 27th to start this. I wish I could take a sick day in advance.

Bec

This book I ordered the second Bec McMaster informed me that I could. I love her steampunk world and her writing and this spinoff of the London Steampunk series is just as amazing. This is an auto read for me and will download onto my kindle on the 14th of August.

rebel

This one is tricky. I’m attracted to the premise of this one but many (I mean quite a few) of my goodread reviewers that read things I like got ARC’s of this and didn’t enjoy it. Hmmm…I’m still curious but I think I will wait patiently for this one from my local library. Gorgeous cover though…

How about you, is there any book you can’t wait for that is coming out in August? I love a great recommendation so let me know!