Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club Review

Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club

By Liz Stauffer

Published June 28th 2013 by Sartoris Literary Group

246 pages

4 stars - Fantastic Mystery!

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review!*

When Clare Ballard sports a new bruise on her right cheek the day after a contentious town meeting, the ladies of the Thursday Morning Breakfast Club suspect her husband Roger of abusing her. That same day Hester Franklin, another breakfast club lady, is called to rescue her grandson Patrick after he is arrested for transporting drugs. Proclaiming his innocence, Patrick threatens that those who set him up will pay. Roger Ballard is high on his list. But it's when Lillie Mae Harris, the club's leader, discovers the body of the local drug dealer on the nearby hiking trail, that the community is upended. Roger Ballard, the primary suspect, goes missing, and when his body turns up in his own back yard, Clare Ballard confesses to his murder. No one believes she did it, but Clare insists she's guilty and mysteriously refuses to talk to her lawyer, the police, or her family and friends. The Thursday Morning Breakfast Club ladies believe she's protecting someone, and they vow to find out who it is. Charlie Warren, the town's homegrown policeman, using unconventional means, collaborates with the breakfast club ladies to draw out the real criminal. But danger lurks. Alice Portman, the matriarch of the breakfast club, is struck down in her own yard and is sent to the hospital. Then others in the small community start to disappear-one after the other. As the ladies get closer to the truth, they get closer to the danger. With no time to cry over spilled coffee, they form a plan to capture the true culprits before someone else is murdered.

Review:

It's been quite a long time since I've read a mystery novel but I'm glad that I got to start again by reading this particular one. Although the title, Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club, is long, the novel is actually a quick read. It's interesting, suspenseful and full of drama. It really is a great murder mystery.

In the small village of Mount Penn, not much violence or drama goes on. So when murders and disappearances start becoming a recurring thing, the citizens are definitely worried. Lillie Mae is the main character and very invested in the lives of the people of Mount Penn. Throughout the book she helps those in need and eventually figuring out the murder mystery. The characters in this novel were interesting and unique in their own ways. I could picture them just from the way Stauffer described them and had them act out. And I enjoyed the way they all got together to help out their friends and the police. 

One of the aspects of this novel that I enjoyed the most was probably the detail. Sometimes too much detail takes away from the book but sometimes it really sets the mood for you. Now, yes, at times I felt like the characters had unnecessary conversations or too much detail was involved, but all in all the book was written well. I could picture the early morning breakfasts and the neighbors running around learning gossip or helping out. So i did enjoy that. I also loved how, as the reader, I didn't know who the murderer was. There were small twists that would prove me to be wrong and lead me in other directions. 

All in all, this novel was a great murder mystery and really kept me intrigued. It's a quick read because you want to know the outcome and great for any fans of mystery. And if you haven't read a mystery book in awhile then this is definitely a good starting point. So if playing Clue just isn't doing it for you, make sure to check out this perfectly good mystery!

Vanessa

Wishlist Wednesday #5

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. This is hosted by Pen to Paper ! 

This week I'm wishing for Sweet Evil. Honestly, the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. Is her dress not amazing? So anyways, I also read a sample and was hooked at that point. Now I just need to get it... So what's on your wishlist this week?

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)

By Wendy Higgins

453 pages

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Vanessa

Jordyn Review

Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter #1)
By Tiffany King
Published February 9th, 2013  A.T. PUBLISHING LLC
280 pages

4 stars - Amazing!



Hand to hand combat training: Check
Cardio and strength training: Check
Daemon hunting: Check
Anomaly: Check

Check, check, check, check...That's all my life is. There's nothing ordinary about me. I'm "special." I know this because I'm reminded of it every stinking day. I can kick a Daemon's ass with both hands tied behind my back. I can run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Know what I can't do? Get guys to notice me, or hang out with friends like normal people do. I can't just be ordinary because I have an Arch Angel for a mentor who is always breathing down my neck, and a family of angelic Guides and Protectors who scrutinize every little thing I do. Just for a day I want a life where I'm no longer some anomaly, where I don't have to feel like a lab rat. 

And then I met Emrys. Okay, so my mentor and family hate him, but probably for good reason. After-all, he is a Soul Trader, and they aren't the most trust worthy beings. But, he is sooo hot with his green eyes, leather jacket and the sexiest tattoo you've ever seen running down his back. And-he doesn't treat me like a project.

I've got myself in quite a little quandary here. Choosing between my responsibilities and the Trader that holds my heart is something I didn't sign up for. Torn between two different worlds, I must now decide who to trust and who to walk away from. What's a girl to do? See what I mean? I am an anomaly. I am Jordyn.

Review:

Jordyn was definitely a great find and I'm excited that I was able to read it. Tiffany King did a fantastic job with this book and I can't wait for the next book! 

Jordyn is different, actually she's special. She can kick Daemon ass and is incredibly strong. She's not human but what she is exactly, she doesn't know. Here real parents aren't alive and she can't remember anything from her childhood. She has an Arch Angel as a mentor and a family full of angelic guides and Protectors. So, no, she hasn't known what it feels like to just be Jordyn, until Emrys.

I loved Jordyn. She had so many funny lines and just didn't care about what she sounded like. She was a great heroin and was able to kick ass exceptionally well. She really was a great character and just wanted to know who she really was. I mean, wouldn't you? She didn't know who her parents were and she has all this strength and power that no one else has, she's different in a group full of different people. Emrys, despite the fact that he was the "bad guy, was awesome. I loved him as well. He was a great guy and was funny, he really fit Jordyn. Plus, he's hot. :) Oh, and Jordyn's Arch Angel mentor, Haniel, was funny in his own way. He was so non-human that whenever Jordyn was being sarcastic, his reaction had me laughing.

The book was interesting, comical, and at times, romantic. It had me laughing and wanting to read more, especially at the end. I can't wait to read the next book and find out the outcome of Jordyn and all the other characters. So definitely check this one out!

Vanessa

A Beautiful Dark Review

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1)

By Jocelyn Davies

Published September 27th, 2011 by HarperTeen

390 pages

4 stars - Amazing!

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

Review:

After being on my wishlist for some time, I was finally able to read A Beautiful Dark. The beginning of the book actually drew me in and made me interested to see what would come. 

Picking up this book and only reading the synopsis, I didn't know what it would be about. The beginning, although intriguing, didn't clue me in either, and I liked that. I was able to wonder what would happen and who, or what, the two new guys where. I liked the pacing of the book, though at times it did seem a little slow. I thought it was intriguing, suspenseful, and at times, funny. For a first book in a series, A Beautiful Dark, was a good start. I'm excited to see what is to come in the next book. I feel a lot more could be explained in the next book and I hope that we get to see it. 

The characters in this book were likable as well. I liked Skye and her friends, though as you get farther along in the book you notice that there isn't that much of them. Asher and Devin were also interesting characters, but I wish that we could have learned a little more about them. Like, maybe more about their pasts? But aside from that, I felt for them and was even confused as to who was the best to choose. The guys are definitely not normal or human, and belong to two different sides, the Rebels and the Order. Asher is the rebel, cocky and charming, but is he the danger or is it someone else. Devin is part of the order, the supposed good guy. He is aloof, controlled, and kind, but is he all that he seems? Skye doesn't know who to trust or which side to trust and, honestly, neither do I. At times I fell for Asher but then at times I felt for Devin and his role with the Order. I didn't really like Raven and felt like she was, in ways, like Dabria from Hush, Hush. 

Anyways, the book was enjoyable and it kept me reading. I liked the legends told and the characters but at the same time felt like they all could have been filled out more. Hopefully we'll learn more about Skye, her parents, Asher, Devin and everyone else. I think it has potential and that this series could end up being an awesome one. Check it out for yourself!

Vanessa

Wishlist Wednesday #4

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. This is hosted by Pen to Paper !   

This week's wishlist item is A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies! I love the way the cover looks and the synopsis sounds really interesting. I've also read a small sample and was intrigued enough that I wanted to read more. And I saw that this one is actually available and my school library! So I'll actually be able to read it as soon as I check it out. I'll let you know when I find it! Now...what's on your wishlist this week?

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1)

By Jocelyn Davies

390 pages

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

Vanessa

Towering Review

Towering 

By Alex Flinn

Published May 14th, 2013 by HarperTeen

293 pages

3.5 stars - Interesting Retelling!

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now. 

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Alex Flinn knows her fairy tales, and Towering is her most mind-bending interpretation yet. Dark and mysterious, this reimagining of Rapunzel will have readers on the edge of their seats wondering where Alex will take them next!

Let me start off by saying that I have read quite a few of Alex Flinn's books and have really enjoyed them. I'm a fan of retellings and am always excited when I find ones that are different yet enjoyable. Well when I found Towering at the library I became excited. So far this is the first retelling of Rapunzel that I have read and in my opinion it wasn't that bad. Though I do feel like it wasn't one of Flinn's best. 

The "Rapunzel" of this book was Rachel and she was similar to the original yet different as well. Her hair grows and she lives in a tower but Rachel also becomes the heroin not once but twice. There is also Wyatt who isn't stuck in a tower but has problems of his own as well. His problems and "demons" cause him to leave his home for a place in the middle of nowhere with an older woman he barely knows. There aren't many characters in this book because the setting is kind of in the middle of nowhere. 

Well... I liked Rachel and Wyatt but at times I felt like we didn't really know them. The book is told in both of their perspectives but for some reason I feel like I didn't click too much with them. Wyatt had issues back home that he was getting away from and I think those gave him a little more depth once they were told but other than that I felt like I couldn't really connect with him. Rachel didn't have too much from her past to share since she had been stuck in a tower but it was interesting to see how little she knew of the current world. I really loved reading Dani's journal entries and wish that there would have been more of them because I think they really added to the suspense and mystery of the story. Overall Towering was interesting enough for me to want to keep reading but I don't think it's one of my favorites. I liked the fact that there were twists and surprises in the book because it definitely did make it different and interesting. So if your into retellings then I think you should try this one out and hopefully it'll speak to you more than it did to me! :)

Vanessa

Wishlist Wednesday #3

 Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. 

This is hosted by Pen to Paper !

This week I am wishing for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It sounds like a really interesting book and I have been waiting a while to get it. It looks like its gotten good ratings and reviews and the samples that I have read already draw me in. So what's on your wishlist this week?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
By Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

Vanessa