Gold Rush Wedding: A Short Story in The California Argonauts series by Suzanne LillyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I have been hoping the author will continue the story of Lucinda and was disappointed that I could not find a third installment of Gold Rush Girl; however, this little short story is a nice treat and tease for all, who adored Gold Rush Girl. Of course, it will keep the reader wanting for more at the end, but it provides a glimpse of the direction the overall story could take, either leaving Lucinda’s path in the hands of the reader’s imagination or the author will treat us with more installments…

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. CareyMy rating: 1 of 5 stars I am angry I paid money for this book.I found the synopsis very misleading and made the book far more interesting than it actually was. Even the first two chapters held some hope for an engaging read that would justify the many positive and praising quotes that are plastered all over the front and back cover of the book until I realized that this was the highlight of the book.It is very tiring when an author beats around the bush in an attempt to create suspense.The plot is unoriginal and a bit boring, especially since the…

Oasis by Dima ZalesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Oasis (The Last Humans #1)I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.What an adventure of a story! I was not quite sure what to expect to find when I began reading this story, since the synopsis was intriguing enough, but did not really give a good idea of what the reader could expect. Many a times I was almost too distracted wondering where the story would head to pay attention to the many nuances and references to the popular culture and cult classics. As well, throughout most the story I was convinced this first book in…

Strange Sweet Song by Adi RuleMy rating: 5 of 5 stars As an avid reader, I am always searching for new books to read with unique story lines and interesting characters. For quite a few months Goodreads kept recommending Strange Sweet Song and after reading the synopsis multiple times over these few months, I finally decided to purchase the book and give it a try. My hesitation stemmed from the fact that it involved music. I appreciate music just like any other person and my piano lessons are going splendidly; however, my last experience with voice lessons and specifically singing in front of other people really wasn’t worth an entry…

Such Is My Beloved by Morley CallaghanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I was on the fence about this story before I began reading it, since I assumed it would mostly focus on the priest and his church duties, a topic which always makes me a bit nervous. But as the saying goes, do not judge a book by its cover, so must a reader not judge the book too much on the little synopsis provided. The character of the priest was an intriguing representation of human nature and the duties we adopt in our lifetime. The secondary characters challenge and enrich the the main character’s personality and internal conflict,…

The Outsiders by S.E. HintonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I watched the movie at least ten years ago and the story had such a great impact on me that it was impossible for me to read the book without comparing it scene for scene to the movie version for just as long. However, as I was waiting in the bookstore to meet someone, I picked up this book and began reading. Within the first three pages I was hooked.Narrated from the point of view of the main character, the story has a very honest and gritty voice that brings the reality of the lives of these boys and young…

Red Sonja, Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues by Gail SimoneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars To set the scene imagine me waking up at 5 in the morning still suffering from the lovely jet lag that has been annoying me for almost a week. A few chores already done and breakfast had, sitting comfortable on my couch, my year-long Christmas lights giving the only illumination in the room as the night slowly turns to day.This volume was a birthday present given to me just yesterday by my good friend, saying that might as well give a story about a bad ass red-head to his bad ass red-head friend. And bad…

Arcana by Jessica LeakeMy rating: 1 of 5 stars The genres under which this book is listed are as follows: historical fiction, magic, young adult and young adult romance. Then I had to ask myself what very explicit love scenes were doing getting more attention than the historical fiction or the magic, which is what the book promised to focus on in the first place. I was excited and intrigued to read a story that potentially combined all of my favourite genres into one, but I was greatly disappointed and even grossed out by the very detailed make-out scenes that began to occur early on in a story that is…

Homeground by Caterina EdwardsMy rating: 1 of 5 stars This relatively short play was meant to address various issues with regards to immigrants in Canada; however, it fails to connect with the reader/audience, since the dialogue is inconsistent. The entire play is in English with directions given that these character are Italian and are actually speaking in Italian – in that sense a built in translator for the English speaking audience – but in order to convey a sense of “foreignness” the written English is heavily infused with a written accent, bad grammar, making this reading experience very difficult and unpleasant. The conflicts are mediocre at best, nothing is resolved…

World After by Susan EeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars The, for me, long anticipated sequel to Angelfall had me looking at this book in slight hesitation, since I have read a few reviews that pointed out the resemblance to Angelfall, a sort of recycling of the first book’s plot. But considering that Angelfall stopped in the middle of the main plot, World After is in fact a continuation. Since the reader is right in the middle of the story that was designed by the author to span three books in total, I cannot really comment on any one part of the book in detail without giving something crucial away…