Tag: reading

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Has Anyone Read…?

Don’t you just hate when you have read a great book and the ending was so controversial or confusingand you just want to talk about it with someone and NO ONE HAS READ IT? I know, it’s happened to all of us. In fact, this is one of the reasons I became a blogger! However, in my reviews I rarely give away the ending or talk about a twist. So, how do we talk about anything and everything in a book?

 In the comments section of a book discussion post. 

I will occassionally write a post that is intended to be a discussion about a book that I hope someone else has read and had the same questions, or has had different questions and has been dying to discuss with someone! These will fall on Sundays and I’ll title them Has Anyone Read… because I just need to discuss this book! 

Has anyone read A Gentleman from Moscow? I loved this book and will also be posting a review but wanted to talk about it with people. There were so many things that made me think! FYI- I will be talking about the ending of this book so if you haven’t read this wonderful novel please don’t spoil it for yourself. STOP HERE!

  1. Alexander Rostov- a Count by birth and up to the start of this book had a privileged upbringing, wrote a poem that was political in nature, and was put under house arrest in a hotel in Moscow for the rest of his life. Harsh!  Here’s my first question. Alexander seemed to accept this punishment as his due. He never fought it or tried to just wander out the door for an adventure. If you were imprisoned in a hotel would you react as he did? 
  2. He befriends a female child while she and her father were living in the hotel. Nina appears briefly as a teenager then a young adult. Suddenly, she appears and drops off her daughter Sophia at the hotel to live with Alexander. Then she drops off the face of the earth. We never hear what happened to her? Did I miss something? Did she die? Did she just abandon her daughter? 
  3. I loved how Anna came into Alexander’s life again and again. Why did he never reveal his relationship with her? He was a gentleman so did he think he was protecting her? After all, in that age (1920-late1940’s) society probably wouldn’t look very favorably on her for involving herself with an unmarried man confined to a hotel. 
  4. I loved the ending of this book. I loved the comparisons to Casablanca and how the Count outmaneuvered everyone so that Sophia could ask for asylum from the US embassy while in Paris. But then what happened to her? Are we to assume that she never saw the Count again? That she would give up her papa? I didn’t see that one coming! What do you think happened to her?
  5. Who was the woman at the end of the book? I’m assuming it was Anna who stood up from the chair, but it also could’ve been Sophia? It could have been the very absent Nina too. But I think it was Anna. Oh, what a great ending, I just wish it had been more definitive!

Has anyone else read this book? Do you have any thoughts about what I wrote above? Do you have any topics that you’d like to discuss about A Gentleman From Moscow? Speak up! Let’s discuss this fabulous book! 

Until next Sunday,

Deb


 Click this link to purchase!  A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads6 Comments

This Chick Read: City of the Lost (Casey Duncan #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong’s novels center around a mystery but usually take place in an Urban Fantasy setting. City of the Lost also has a mystery as the center of its story, but seems to be pretty straightforward without any hints of a fantasy world. However, the city Casey Duncan and her friend move to to escape their pasts sounds too good to be true. A city filled with other people who are trying to leave their pasts behind. A city thats off the grid and where no one can find you. A city with hints of the old west, where men outnumber the women and is policed by a sheriff, the favorite hangout is a saloon/brothel, and hints of danger in the forest that surrounds them. City of the Lost is a mystery with hints of horror, typically not my thing, but I loved it.

Casey Duncan, our heroine, was allowed to live in Rockton because of her skills as a detective. Someone has started murdering the citizens of Rockton. When Casey arrives, she butts heads with the sheriff who has absolute rule, but soon learns how to work with him. Is there eventually an attraction between them? Yes, and it’s filled with emotional upheaval, passion, and grit, however, this is not a love story, though that bit was really enjoyable. This is a mystery and it’s intricately planned and the characters involved were fascinating. Imagine living in a city where every person there is escaping something. They could be victims, but they also may be the perpetrators of horrible crimes, yet no one knows each others past. Its a fresh slate, but sometimes a persons nature just can’t be changed.

If you love mysteries, I highly recommend this excellent book. It’s the first in the series and I am not going to take too much time before starting the second! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️


Click link to purchase! City of the Lost: A Rockton Novel (Casey Duncan Novels)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: By Your Side by Kasie West

By Your Side surprised me by the depth hidden behind what I thought would be cotton candy fluff. A last minute potty break as the library is closing and Autumn Collins finds herself on the wrong side of the locked doors. Having put her bag in a friends car she is without a phone and has no way of letting anyone know where she is. She thought she was alone but is surprised to discover that Dax Miller, mysterious boy from the wrong side of the tracks is locked in the library with her. Autumn, not used to indifference tries really hard to break down Dax’s walls and succeeds. Up to a point.

Autumn, who seemed to be your average teenage girl, was hiding a secret from her friends. She has a severe anxiety disorder and takes medication to control her panic attacks. I thought these panic attacks were an interesting way to spotlight what would be pretty normal high school drama. Semi popular girl has a crush on a popular guy that is just starting to like her back. The panic attacks put more emphasis on if he was the right guy for her. Her working through those thoughts while holding panic at bay added tension to what would have been a banal plotline.

Dax was your typical misunderstood teen. His being locked in the library wasn’t an accident, he was actually “taking a break” from his foster family. His character didn’t seem to be so unusual. What was unusual was his self sacrifice for Autumn. That sacrifice and his willingly becoming her safe harbor placed me firmly on his side.

This type of novel is not my usual choice but I really enjoyed the surprise of liking these characters and enjoying their love story. For those of you much younger than myself, I think you’ll identify with these characters even more than I. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click link to purchase! By Your Side

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chick Read: Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata

I have read only a couple of Mariana Zapata novels and I loved them both. When Dear Aaron was released not too long ago I scooped it up hoping for that awesome slow burn romance I’d come to expect. The premise of the story guaranteed that this couple, like most of her others, were going to follow the friends to lovers plotline. Ruby Santos is paired with Aaron Hall through a military organization that organizes pen pals for overseas military. After getting off to a rough start with Aaron not responding to Ruby’s initial emails, they start penning notes to each other and as time goes on, discovering tidbits about each others lives. I actually enjoyed the flow of the book, learning about both Ruby and Aarons lives, however, the depth of emotion was missing, as it would when you are learning about someone through a letter. You learn only what they choose to tell you. This point of view separated the reader and kept me from developing any strong emotional attachment to either Ruby or Aaron for the first half of the book.

When the story advances, Aaron is on leave in the US, and their communication advances to texting and then finally a phone call. Its at this point that the author starts writing in conventional narrative and we get to read from an actual point of view. The Ruby that we saw in email form was only a little different than the Ruby we now know from hearing her thoughts. My problem was that I liked Ruby better in email form. Aaron was solid both in email and in person. I was given a good grasp of his character and it stayed consistent for the entire book. Actually, through Ruby’s eyes he got even more attractive! I think I just found it harder to connect with Ruby because of the email format at the start. I did still enjoy the book, but in comparison with The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Kulti it paled. ❤️❤️❤️❣️


Click link to purchase! Dear Aaron

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: To LOVE or Not to Love..Audio Books

If you have a book blog then your love of all things books is a given. Or is it? Some bloggers hash out their feelings on ebooks versus physical copies of books and usually the physical copy wins. (Although my guess is that many of you have hundreds of ebooks lined up on a kindle or nook!) So, the natural next question would be, how do you, as a blogger, like audiobooks?

 Here are my thoughts!

PROS

  • Re-reading series: If you are anything like me, you are trying to balance your ARC commitments with just picking up a book and reading it for pleasure. But what about re-reading? There is nothing better than getting back to that series that you fell in love with while reading it for the first time! Now, years later, you have memories of having loved the series, but there are 20 books and it’s probably not realistic that you’ll ever read them again. But, wait! Do you have a long commute to work? Do you go to the gym or walk in the mornings? If so, then you have found the time to re-read! Kind of. You can now enjoy that morning walk while listening to an old favorite. Believe me, you will get that chance to listen to all 20 in the series.
  • Narrators– When you have found a great narrator, you will follow that narrator to their other books. A great narrator makes you forget that you are listening to a woman speak in your male heroes voice, or a man in a womans voice. But what about if your book has many voices? A great narrator will capture that personality of EACH character. Here are my recommendations on a few. Sample one by clicking the link. 

                Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School) narrated  by Emily Gray! 

              A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith 
                Outlander narrated by Davina Gray 

      • Inspiration! – Ok, that may be taking this a little far, but if I am in the middle of a really good book I would do anything to keep listening to it! ( and save my marriage by not ignoring my husband on purpose.☺️) Take another walk! Listening to an audiobook while excercising has inspired me to, well, excercise! Lol. 
      • Car Rides– Listening to an audiobook makes my drive go so much quicker! To be honest, I don’t have a very long drive to work and will sometimes sit in the parking lot for five or ten minutes until the scene concludes. However, I am in outside sales and spend a good bit of time driving, so my drive has now become fun!
      • Subscription services– I can support my local bookstore! Yes, you can also get Audiobooks on Amazon’s Audible or even at your local library, but I found Librofm.com, which is a monthly subscription service, just like audible, but it is connected to my local bookstore.  I love supporting my local bookstore and the dollars for the subscription at least in part, goes to them. Yeah!


      CONS

      • Narrators– I don’t want to say anything bad, but when the narration doesn’t click for me I have to dump the book and choose another. What makes a narrator bad? It could be an annoying voice on the main character, or it could be the actual writing of the book didn’t make for a good audiobook. If an audiobook doesn’t grab me, its just like reading a book myself. I struggle, and really, you have to devote A LOT of time to one! I will not spend 12 hours with a narrator I don’t click with.
      • Reviews– This is a great way to spend time reading another book to review. A Gentleman in Moscow (pictured above) is a book that I am currently listening to on my walks. Nicholas Guy Smith’s aristocratic voice is perfectly matched to the main character. I am listening to it in real time, and do NOT speed the audiobook up. I have heard that some bloggers do this, and I think that you can’t get emotionally involved with a narrator that sounds like a chipmunk! That would hurt my enjoyment of the story as well and therefore my review of that book. Bad Bloggers!
      • Time Spent– I am a very quick reader, so its a little frustrating when a narration drags. That is not the narrators fault it’s the writer who wrote all that prose! However, when someone reads it aloud it makes that paragraph seem even longer. Pick your book to your mood. If you are in a descriptive prose kind of mood, great! If you want a lot of dialog or action, be smart and pick that kind of book!
      • Romance– I love to read romance novels. That’s my go to genre when I am feeling down because an HEA picks my mood right back up. However, listening to a 30 page sex scene? NOT MY THING. Especially in a car when the audio all of a sudden seems so loud. I’ll find myself looking at the person on the bus bench next to me to see if they can hear what I’m hearing. Embarassing!  I guess I like my sex scenes to be a little more private.  Lol.  Years ago I was on a road trip with my mom and we had picked an audiobook to listen to. Oh my gosh, when a sex scene came up, we both looked at each other and laughed hysterically! I fast forwarded through the scene! There’s just something about hearing it outloud.  That is still a funny memory that she and I share with people. It makes for a great story, but I NEVER want to do that again. Lol.

      What is your opinion of Audiobooks? Do you have any funny stories to share? Any favorite narrators or books?  Please comment!

      Until next Sunday,

      Deb

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads14 Comments

      This Chick Read: All The Light There Is (The Healing Edge #3) by Anise Eden

      The Healing Edge Series is about Cate Duncan’s journey of self discovery, both with her empathic talent, her familial psychic talents, and her feelings for her new boyfriend Ben. All The Light There Is starts up where the previous novel leaves off, with Ben and Cate enjoying their new relationship while on a trip to Washington DC to show off her groups talents in an ancient power circle.  This double kheir enhances each of their talents enabling them to extend their psychic reach. With this power they will be able to increase their healing efforts in those who come to them for help. Unfortunately, evil finds Cate and her friends, wanting to use their talents for commercial gain, and she must “bite the head off the snake”to put an end to this other organization.

      This was, by far, my favorite book in the series. Cate and Ben’s love for each other was not physical, because of rules of celibacy during her training, which really put the focus on their emotions. As an Empath therapist, Cate has helped heal clients by creating portals which allows her to sift through their emotions. With Ben, the portal is shared and when open, their feelings are deeply felt. I have never run across these types of descriptions in a romance novel and really enjoyed how that gave the characters added depth and allowed the reader to share in that connection rather than be a voyeur in the bedroom.

      The other cast of characters in these novels are unusual and likeable. I’ve mentioned before that my mother is a hypnotherapist and some of the techniques described in these books were familiar to me, which made it fun to read. I think that even if you’ve never gone to a psychic for a reading , had Raiki, or your aura cleansed, you will enjoy all of these characters for their lively interaction with each other and their diversity. Cate and Ben’s love story is at the center of these books but the main attraction is the exploration of the psychic arts. Anise Edens talent lies in the intermingling of the two.

      ❤️❤️❤️❤️

      I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest review, and it was honest.


      Click on this link to purchase! All the Light There Is: The Healing Edge – Book Three

      Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

      I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads1 Comment

      This Chick Read: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

      This second installment of the Red Queen series starts quick and never fades. Mare and Cal find themselves in the company of the Red Guard. Cal exchanging one prison for another and Mare discovering her interests may not align exactly with the Red Guards. Going rogue, they set out to find the New Bloods so that they can build their own army to fight Maven, knowing Maven will also be looking for them to kill before they can unite against him.

      The pace of this novel was so much faster than in Red Queen, probably because the scene is set for Mare and Cal to put their plan in motion. The book isn’t as political, although some politics certainly come into play. The thing that struck me the most about Glass Sword was how it was an emotionally charged novel. You see some depths to Mare’s feelings for Maven, Cal and Killorn and are given insight into why she makes some of the choices she makes in this novel. The reader discovers more to her relationships with her siblings that also give power to a couple of plot points in the book tyat I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t read the book.

      My only fault with this book was that it was so dark! Mare was inside her head, pushing away everyone she loved and that was really frustrating for me. However, that being said, I do realize this is the second book and you need to go through angst and pain to hopefully bring this story to a conclusion. I just hope that the next book has a few happy moments and isn’t quite as dreary. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

      Click link to purchase! Glass Sword (Red Queen)

      Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

      I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

      This Chick Read: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

      When I challenged myself to read The Hating Game in the next 30 days on my blog I pretty much put the kiss of death on the book. I’d glance over at it and think, I have time! If it wasn’t for the fact that I actually gave the book away on that same blog post I probably would’ve procrastinated as I’ve done with other books. At long last I picked it up and read the first chapter. Hmmm, I checked out the cover again. This book seemed to have it all; a catchy title, cute cover and the synopsis was interesting. I read another chapter and the next time I looked up it was 12:30am. Wait, what? I started to read the first paragraph of the next chapter and then slammed the book shut. I must go to bed because I have to go to work tomorrow! The next day, I could not stop thinking about this book and couldn’t wait to get back into it. Needless to say, it was absolutely FABULOUS! Sally Thorne, you wrote one fine book!

      Lucy and Josh are both executive assistants to two co-owners of a publishing company. They sit across a glass and chrome room from each other and snark and stare at each other every day. True competitors they try to out perform each other while maintaining an icy glare. When they both apply for a promotion the game is stepped up. At least Lucy thought so until one evening when Josh pushed her up against the wall of the elevator as they were leaving work and gave her the kiss of her life. Lucy gave back as much as she got and that game of hate became an uncertainty. Was this not hate she felt? Did Josh feel the same way?

      This book is so much more intricate than the premise leads you to believe. The tension is unbelievable and Josh is just YUM. To think that this is Sally Thorne’s first novel is pretty surprising. This book may not have been on your radar and I certainly never heard of it before, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a new release from this author. If you love enemies to friend stories-read this book, it is great! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️


      Click Link to purchase! The Hating Game: A Novel

      Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

      I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

      This Chick Read: Storm Gathering (The Scorpius Syndrome #4) by Rebecca Zanetti

      Storm Gathering starts off with our crew of Mercs in post apocalyptic Southern California where we catch up with Greyson and Maureen’s storyline. Their beginning took place in the third novel about Raze and Vinnie. Raze is Maureen’s brother and had been hunting for his sister throughout that novel and he ends up finding her in Grey’s hands Because I’ve read all of the novels in this series, the recap of Greyson and Maureen’s origin story was superfluous, but I know the author included it so that the novel could stand alone. However, there is a lot of back story that would be missing for the other characters who do actually play a large role in the storyline that has been continued from book to book.

      Greyson, as the leader of the mercenaries, or Mercs, is a hard ex soldier. He had captured Maureen because her background in biology was needed by his group. Their attraction for each other was immediate, though they both fought hard against it. Maureen, although a scientist, and uber smart, was one of the less physical heroines in this series. I only point out that fact because Greyson seems to be the most unemotional and physical of them all. Maybe they were attracted to each other because their traits balanced the other half? I don’t know but because he was so stoic, I had a hard time liking him as much as I did some of the other male characters in the series. At times I wanted Moe to just write him off and let her brother Raze take her back to the Vanguard compound. Of course in a post apocalyptic world where the Scorpius virus seems to have created super soldiers, I guess a sensitive man wouldn’t survive for very long.

      This was a good novel, but my least favorite in the series so far. However, I am invested in the overall plot. Will they find the cure to the Scorpius virus? Will the human race die out because pregnancies don’t survive the virus? Will this evil president ever die? There are so many questions unanswered! I’ll just have to read the next book to find out! ❤️❤️❤️

      I was given an ARC of this book for my honest review, and it was honest.


      Click on the link to purchase! Storm Gathering (The Scorpius Syndrome Book 4)

      Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

      I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

      This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Five Most Memorable Reads

      I think we can all admit that we read to escape reality. Whether we want an hour’s break from our kids, a small break from poor health, or a story to help forget about our every day problems at work or home.  When we pick up that perfect book, you know, the one that immediately grips you, immersing you in another world and other peoples lives, you savor that world and don’t want that story to end. Now, I am no spring chicken and have read thousands of books in my lifetime. I’ll admit that most I don’t remember, but the books below are books that stuck with me no matter the age I read them. I’d like to share these books with you.

      1) The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien

      I have read this book several times in my teen and young adult years and it is superb. However, this book makes my most memorable list because it was the book my mom chose to read to me when I was a toddler before going to bed. I’ll admit, as an adult I wonder what my mom was thinking because this book is kind of scary for a young kid! But, I can still hear her reading it to me and I hope I always will. This is also where my love of fantasy novels stems from.


      Click this link to purchase this book! The Hobbit

      2) Watchers -Dean Koontz

      I read this novel when I was a teenager and a little more brave in my reading choices. Dean Koontz writes semi-scary fantasy/horror/mystery novels. Truly, each of his novels is in a different genre. Watchers is about a man who finds a golden retriever while taking a hike. This golden retriever is super intelligent and with his help a mystery is solved. I remember LOVING this dog! I don’t remember a lot of the plot but do remember how awesome this book was and how much I like it. In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, I think I need to re-read this one! Have you read this book? What did you think?

      Click this link to purchase! Watchers

      3) Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone- J.K. Rowling

      When I read the first Harry Potter book I was completely blown away by the fact that this was a young adult book. It was my first young adult book read while being an actual adult who wasn’t young. The world building was amazing, the relationships real, and the problems, even if filled with magical adventures, rang true to life. I totally wanted to write after reading this book and kept reading the series as it came out.


      Click the link to purchase! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

      4) Guilty Pleasures – Laurell K. Hamilton

      This is the first novel in the Anita Blake series. My aunt lent them to my sister and I and I read books 1-5 while on a vacation touring plantations in Virginia and Maryland with my sister and mom. Talk about immersing yourself in a book! I can remember staying up until 2am to finish those novels. Vampires by night, plantations by day. It was hard to keep straight at time! LOL. However, I was addicted. Anita was one kick ass heroine and I still like that character, although the more recent books have become too much about how much sex she has and less about the bad guys she’s fighting. Those first books in the series are great though, and I’d really recommend them to anyone.


      Click the link to purchase! Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)

      5) A Promise of Fire -Amanda Bouchet (The Kingmaker series)

      This is the most recent book I’ve read on the list. It is a totally original historical fantasy/romance novel. I took a greek mythology class in college and have remained fascinated with those gods and their progeny. This series is set in a world where those gods are real and our heroine is fighting against her fate, and finds true love while doing it. This book captured my attention and became my whole world while reading it. I reviewed it and the second book in the series Breath of Fire and gave them both five stars. They are original, have swashbuckling action, and swoonworthy characters. Read them, I promise they will not disappoint! I loved them so much I had the author sign the books and I have them in my library. No, you can’t borrow them!


      Click this link to purchase! A Promise of Fire (The Kingmaker Chronicles)

      There are so many books that have helped me escape the realities of life or that have created amazing memories for me. I haven’t even touched on Outlander by Diana Gabaldon or the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs! Oh, and my most recent discovery, Written in Red by Anne Bishop! See, I could go on and on, but for the sake of time, both yours and mine, I’ll hold it to five.

      What are the books you’ve read that have helped you create a great memory or helped you escape from your life? I’d love to hear about them!

      Until next Sunday!

      Deb

      On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads10 Comments