{Review} ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes

I didn't see the movie. I wanted to read the book first. And Social Book Co gave me my chance to read it when they sent me a copy to read!

I think most of you may already have seen the movie or read the book. Unputdownable. Page-turner. I couldn't stop reading. All those phrases have been used to describe this book...

Buy the book! Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

And you know what? THEY WERE NOT WRONG. I was immediately engrossed with Louisa and her unemployment troubles. Her family annoyed me with how they treated her. Her sister seems like a spoiled little shit. And yet there is this glue that clearly states they're family.

Will...so dynamic in the beginning and what is described makes him vibrant and lifelike. And I actually gasped at the moment of his accident in the very beginning.

What follows is a mother's desperate attempt to keep her son, a son she doesn't recognize, a shell of who he was previously. Louisa, highly unqualified, and yet perfectly qualified for the mother's idea. And it's so real. All the emotions, the misgivings, the doubts, the growth, are just perfect. I kept reading and reading and in the end, sobbing. I see why this book was popular. I see why it was termed a romance. I see why they made a movie. I glimpsed a peek of the next book and I don't know if I want to read it because this ending...this ending leaves me wanting and I can fill in the future myself as we often do with books we read.

If you would like to buy it, click this link and it will bring up a bunch of retailers and pricing. Should you read it? If you like books that stir your emotions, then yes, most definitely. Thanks to Social Book Co for the read. They can help you find books at the lowest prices!

Buy the book! Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

And my blogging days are at an end...or at least few and far between *edited*

Hi all!
Thanks for following me and reading my blatherings the last few years. As you can see, I really slowed down with blog posts, I stopped doing tours, I stopped down promotions, etc. I was burnt out and then I got sick.

If you didn't already know it, I have stage IV colon cancer. This staging used to be called "terminal" cancer. Now it is referred to as "incurable but treatable." I'm treating it like any lifelong disease, as if it is high blood pressure (which I have!) or diabetes (which I have!), but the side effects of fighting it are numerous and fatiguing. And so my burnout turned into something longer.

Blogging just is an energy expenditure I don't want to do any more. I love reading you all and admire all your dedication and passion that you put into your blogs, but I just don't have it for blogging the way I used to anymore.

I'm still reading books and reviewing, just no longer posting to my blog as often. If you're interested in what I'm reading, you can find my reviews at Goodreads and on Amazon (amazon link will take you directly to my profile).

Edit: After I posted this, my heart ached. So I'm keeping the blog open. I just won't be doing it daily like I did before. This whole year has shown I've barely blogged this year. But maybe I'll ratch it up again. ;)

I'm working full time, product testing when I can, reading, visiting my niecelette as often as possible (she's a year and a half old and just the best thing ever in my life!), hanging with friends, trying to live my life as normally as possible. I have a ton of knitting projects that are all works in progress and can sit for months at a time in my bag. I have started writing a novel. I have the bare bones outline and now just need to write it all out! And now I'm on the warpath to FINISH ALL THE THINGS.

Life is short. Grab onto it with both hands, get out there, and LIVE. You are made of stardust and fire and light and passion. Find the things that make you happy, get rid of the things that do not make you happy, and love all the things.

Love,
Tiffy

{Book Review} Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

I was offered a few of Amalie Howard's books to read and review!

I don't know if you remember or had a chance to pick up THE ALMOST GIRL, but you can read my review from when I first read that here.

I enjoyed Amalie Howard's writing when I read THE ALMOST GIRL, so I was looking forward to reading BLOODSPELL. Little did I know that I had it on my kindle this whole time from NetGalley. Oops. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Thanks to NetGalley for the read and review copy.

I've had this on my kindle for a while from NetGalley. I'm a bad NetGalley reviewer. Basically, I requested a TON of things in rapid succession, expecting to be told NO, and yet I was told YES, and suddenly I have the delicious problem of drowning in ebooks. Then life happened and I got more behind. My profuse apologies to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for being so behind.

Okay, now that my apologies are out of the way, I have to say that paranormal is one of my favorite genres. So I'm already pre-disposed to liking this book. With that said, angsty teens are NOT my favorite genre. So I could've been pre-disposed to not liking this book.

I'm impressed that this was Amalie Howard's debut novel. It's really well wrought with a complex back history that bleeds throughout the story and unfolds bit by bit. Very nicely done. The angsty teenage girl nonsense was necessary given her age, but it kinda just reminds me as to why I do not like teen books.

Christian and Tori are an interesting mix, vampire and witch, old old old royal family and prophesied witch girl, this is power upon power and of course this will cause problems. Not just from Christian's family, but both halves of both worlds, because as we all know...people are greedy bastards.

I'm eager to dive into Bloodcraft, book 2, and see what has happened with Christian and Tori. I'm hoping that Leto has made a full recovery, Aunt Holly is protected, and that Angie & Tori are tight, close friends and bonded together, thereby protecting Angie and giving Tori another help.




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{Book Review} Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani

Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read Sunbolt which had been sitting on my kindle for a while; I knew that this was releasing soon and preferred to wait so I could read them back to back.
I was definitely not disappointed.
Picking up shortly after the ending of the SUNBOLT, Hitomi and her mage teacher Stormwind are visited by an old friend of Stormwind. A rogue mage hunter. Stormwind is escorted off to stand trial, leaving Hitomi behind. Still missing a large part of her memories, Hitomi is still Hitomi and sets off to rescue her teacher and friend.
This series is adventurous and magical. I love who Hitomi is and I love how she puts others before her self. I was delighted that we were reunited with a few characters from SUNBOLT, although her old enemy is alive and well and at the heart of the evil building up tensions, etc.
I cannot wait to read more and see what becomes of Hitomi and Val and Stormwind and the Phoenix and the council and and and...
In some ways, I wish I hadn't discovered this series until several years from now so that I don't have to wait for the next book. LOL
Enjoyable reads with plenty of adventure and a nice blend of cultures.



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{Review} Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Way too short. Luckily, today is release day for book 2, so I'm not wholly disappointed.

I bought this book last year or so after hearing about the author's ability to weave a story. And...like it so often happens, it got lost in my kindle. Notification that my pre-order went through from amazon and I said OH YEAH! And quickly started reading SUNBOLT so I could smoothly transition into Memories of Ash.

All those rumors I heard about the author's ability to weave a tale were true. Very well wrought, kept my attention, but way too short. Short as in...I wanted more time spent with Val, more time and discovery of her lost memories, more more more!

Good thing I have book 2. But if it ends anything like book 1, I'm going to be whiny. And stamping my foot. And impatiently waiting for the next one. ;)



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