Spaceway Down by Casey Herzog | A Book Review

I got this through Facebook. The author messaged me and asked if I'd want to review this book. I agreed. It took quite a while for me to read this book. I should have gotten to it sooner because this was a very interesting story. Again, as I have mentioned here several times, I am not really a big fan of sci-fi but I have read a few that had made me open to the genre. This is one of those books that's worth the time spent reading it. Thank you again, Casey Herzog for the copy. 

This is a prequel, I think, for the Johnny Spaceway series entitled Dystopian Child Prodigy SciFi. Again, like other sci-fi stories that came my way, I am a bit hesitant in really diving into this right away. I am bit wary that it may be a let down or my being not so fond of the genre will take over. Fortunately, this story was written really well and very engaging. Not to mention that the main character is a very strong woman bent on not letting anyone control her life or affect her decisions. Even if she had been through a very difficult experience, she didn't let it deter her. She has to move forward and make a life of her own choosing. I adored Marna's character. She's smart and very observant. I really loved the part where she planned her life perfectly after she was released from the hospital. She planned everything thoroughly. I was very impressed, especially when she ordered those special items that would help her settle in her new home. That was the most impressive part of the story. 

This story is short but not too short to leave you hanging. It was complete enough on its own but it also promised a lot more on the next book. I am so looking forward to read the next stories. This has set the tone and introduced the characters and explained enough their circumstances. It hinted that more is coming which made me realize that I should have read this book sooner. 

I give this book 5/5 humanoid robots. This was really enjoyable and engaging. And trust me, I don't find a lot of sci-fi books that are enjoyable. So, this one is really a class on its own. And to think, this is just a prequel, it's not the full story yet. I imagine there's so much more of this on book one. I hope I get my hands on that one too. I can't wait to find out also if the author will be able to maintain the same engagement and interest in the next set of stories. Writing a sci-fi is a challenge in itself, making it as engaging is an added pressure.

...like washing away a layer of filth from the hospital. Like an insect shedding a layer of its skin, leaving behind a shell of what it once was, emerging from the chrysalis as something new. 

- Casey Herzog, Spaceway Down - 

The Ace of Clubs (Red Dog Conspirarcy #3) by Patricia Loofborrow | A Book Review

I got this ARC from the author. I had the first book of this series in my TBR but I haven't read it. I decided to read this first and then go back to it. Honestly, I have no idea what the series is about. Somehow, my thought was this was some kind of story about families and rivalries. I have read a series which also have playing cards on the title and I thought this book would have the same theme or type of characters. True enough, my first impression was correct. This is about rivalries, families, and power.

As I said, I went on blind on this one. I would like to be surprised and I was surprised. I found this book very intriguing. It has its mystery, thrill and a host of various characters that will make you dizzy. The main character, Jacq, a very smart woman is one I really liked. I imagine her to be like Kare Warne, the first ever woman detective/spy. A woman in a world dominated by men, money and power. A world where wealthy families rule the land. She is a very strong character that I found myself rooting for. I want her to succeed and punished those guilty of crimes and treachery committed against Jacq and her friends.

Unexpectedly, I got riveted into this story. The plot and the dynamics of the characters was very intriguing and I just can't help myself wanting to know more. I expected to be confused and lost, knowing I started with the third book instead of the first. But I wasn't. This third installment contained enough information to keep me abreast of the story. It had supplied enough background data to make me understand how the story ended up in this current narrative. It seemed like I did not miss the first two books at all. 

I had a theory as to the true identity of Jacq. I think her father may be the guy in the mask not really Peedro. Hmmmm...As to the perpetrator of the bombings and killings, I am not sure yet. I think I have to read book two.

I give this 4/5 ace of clubs cards. I found myself intrigued and willing to participate in this conspiracy. I wanted as much to be part of the story. I wanted to help Jacq unravel all the secrets and the connections. I can't wait for the next book and I felt bad because I did not have the second installment of this story. I just can't afford to miss it. Thank you, Miss Loofborrow, for the ARC. This is truly an engrossing work.

I think they love you as best as they can, you Daddy especially. But sometimes other things make it so they don't know how to love you very well.

- Patricia Loofborrow, The Ace of Clubs - 

Slip (Slip #1) by David Estes | A Book Review

This is one of those dystopian, sci-fi stories that I really enjoyed. Not too make-believe or too outrageous to be true. 

The story is set in the future where couples who want to have kids need to get a permit from the government. Population is tightly controlled that any unauthorized births should be terminated. Slips are those unauthorized births or any illegals that have managed to survive beyond their second birthday and are viewed to be a threat to national security. In theory, this may seem like a very good solution to control population but then moral questions also arise like the value of human life. 

Like most theories setup to control something, it is good in writing but then when the application and the real situation arises, it is an altogether different scenario. The whole story revolved around the issue of enforcing your duty and protecting your personal interests, specifically, your family. Which is more important, your immediate family or keeping your job? The same question was also answered in this story and I agree with answer. Nothing is more important than life and family. A job can be taken away anytime. No one is irreplaceable. Everyone is as good as his last shift. But family is family. There's no other. They cannot be returned nor exchanged, much less replaceable. This perfectly exemplifies as to how far and what length would a father or a parent will go to protect his son. 

For a dystopian, this was not so grim. In fact, it was hopeful. It has probably more to do with one of the characters, the very influential head of PopCon as a main participant in making the whole you-and-me-against-the-world plot work. In most stories, this influential figure is supposed to be vicious and hell-bent on enforcing the rules, but it was not to be in this story. The fact that the same person entrusted to enforce the law was actually the one breaking it and he had good reasons. His motives were well-founded and if I were in his place, I'd do the exact same thing. Protect my family. Keep my job so I could protect my family better. A very smart move.

I give the story 5/5 superhero wrist watches. This story has a cast of very strong characters. A loving and protective father. Friends who are loyal and very resourceful. The main character Benson Kelly is a smart and lucky boy. Lucky because of his background, where he came from, which contributed to his character formation.  He is lucky to have great friends who stuck with him even if their lives were also in danger. This story doles out a lot of lessons. Aside from the obvious moral lesson and sanctity of life, it also stresses the importance of friendships and family. 

Thank you again, David Estes for the copy.

But that's the thing about memories: The ones you never forget are either the ones you hate or love the most.

- David Estes, Slip -

My Best Reads in 2016 | Year Recap

Yes, I know. I should have done this on the first week of January but I was not able to. I was reminded when I received an email in my mailbox from one of the blogs that I follow posting about her best books of 2016 so I decided that I should still write a post even if January is almost ending. I guess it's still okay as long as the month doesn't end yet.

2016 was the year I started my book blog. My first post was dated January 4. So, Congratulations to me! I actually survived a year of reading and writing reviews. I had 154 posts in 2016 which includes reviews, cover reveals and book blasts. My blog reached about 7,000 views which is already a great thing for me knowing that there are actually people who spend time reading my blog. Thank you so much! I am flattered because I first started this blog so I could have something to keep me busy while looking for a job. I did not expect to be warmly welcomed and accepted into this book community. This has been the best thing that happened to me in 2016. 

2016 was definitely a great year for me in terms of being a certified bookworm. I received free books from various authors in paperbacks, ebooks and audio books. I discovered sites and ways how I could get authorized free books to be reviewed. I even had a few who messaged me on Twitter and through my blog asking if I wanted to review their book. And to me that had been a great honor. I think I accepted all those requests. 

I have met a lot of new authors last year. I was introduced to new books and had the opportunity to read a few science fiction stories which I am not really into. I realized there are a lot of sci-fi books which are really, really good and my mind was opened. I was also introduced to horror books and found I enjoyed them and I have now a few on my TBR. 

I was also initiated into the world of audio books. At first, I found it a bit confusing but then it was actually very fun. Listening to the narrator give voice to the characters and the emotions in the story was an altogether remarkable experience. It was different just picturing how a character's voice would sound than actually hearing it. I received about five free audio books from authors as giveaways.

So, without further ado, here are my best books of 2016 in no particular order. These are all the books I rated 5/5 stars.

Total Books Read: 146 books

Total: 30 

Audio books: 2

Paperbacks: 2

Ebooks: 26

Romance

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover 

Match Made in Wyoming (Wyoming Wildflowers #3) by Patricia McLinn

Miss Match (No Match for Love) by Lindzee Armstrong

Between Hope and the Highway by Charissa Stastny

Life is Like a Parade by L. Henry Smith

The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin

Family Business (Mixing Business with Pleasure #3) by Ace Gray

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Mystery | Suspense | Thriller

Secrets on Sapphire by S. Cole  

Hatshepsut's Collar (Artifact Hunters #2) by A. W. Exley

To One Knight's Heaven by Simon West-Bulford

Humbug (The Unwinding of Ebeneezer Scrooge) by Tony Bertauski

Silks by Dick Francis

The Fireproof Girl (Sophie Shields Mystery #1) Loretta Lost

In the Hands of the Unknown (The Field Researchers #1) by A. E. Hellstorm

Nefertiti's Heart (The Artifact Hunters #1) by A. W. Exley

Paranormal | Fantasy

Two Clubs (War and Suits #1) by J.A. Armitage  

The Last Seeker (The Last Seeker #1) by Fleur Camacho

Raene and the Three Bears (The Alder Tales #2) by RS McCoy

Blossom and the Beast (The Alder Tales #1) by RS McCoy

Don't Wake Me Up by M.E. Rines

Skye (The Dragon Kings #4) by Kimberly Loth

Dystopian | Science Fiction

Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow #1) by Pintip Dunn  

The Lethal Agent (The Extraction Files #2) by RS McCoy

The Killing Jar (The Extraction Files #1) by RS McCoy

Young Adult

Ideal High by Valerie Epson

Persephone (Daughters of Zeus #1) by Kaitlin Bevis

The Meddlers of Moonshine (Moonfall Mayhem #2) by A. E. Decker

Others

The Little Wagons by Crozier Green  

WTF Am I Supposed to Eat? by CJ English

I can't choose which of them is the best but I do have very memorable experiences reading these books. From the top of my head, I can remember crying so hard because of It Ends With Us. It took me two days to calm down and write a review.

The Fireproof Girl was a very engrossing read at the same time it stumped me. I expected it to have a paranormal aspect but it didn't.

The Little Wagons was probably the longest book I have read in 2016 yet I was so into it. It was a mix of historical fiction and suspense, yet it would also appear like a non-fiction. It was supposedly an account of how the Sicilian mafia started.

Both books of The Extraction Files. As I have said, I am not really into sci-fi or futuristic books but these two had me in their grasp and I had totally enjoyed it. I was converted. I realized that there are sci-fi books that are really captivating and not exactly highfalutin or too technical.

Persephone was the first audio book ever that I finished. I was so mesmerized by the author's voice, who was also the one narrating, that I finished the 8-hour story in one go. It was a record and Audible gave me a Mt. Everest badge for it. Totally worth it.

That's all. I am hoping and wishing that I could keep up with all the reading and reviews this 2017. I have organized my TBR by date. I have a scheduled book to be read for each day. I signed up for release blitz and blog tours also with Month9Books, Partners in Crime Tours and the usual blogs that do promos and tours. I have signed up as far as April. A lot of very interesting books are to be released this year and I am happy that I got ARC's for some of them. I will try my best to keep this blog as long as possible though I do wish that I could make money out of this. I am still looking into some ways how, of course taking into account that I am still very new in this game.

That's all folks. You can read the reviews for all the books I have mentioned and see what books you want to read out of the list.

Certified Bookworm, Blogger, Reviewer and Instagrammer:

Gurlay

Genesis Girl (Blank Slate #1) by Jennifer Bardsley | A Book Review

I have been hearing good things about this book. Finally, I was able to get a copy courtesy of Month9Books. I signed up for the blog tour of Damaged Goods, the second book of the Blank Slate series and they generously threw in Genesis Girl. Thank you again, Month9Books, for the review copy.

Genesis Girl is a science fiction story. It is about the dependency of the human race on the internet. Does too much use of the internet corrupt a person? Is the internet useful or would it lead to man's own destruction and downfall?

This is the story of an eighteen-year-old, internet virgin, Blanca. Yes, she grew up without having any taint of the virtual world. She has never gone online nor any traces of her online. People like her are very rare and very valuable. Upon graduation, they are sold to the highest bidder. Most of the time, they become models for soap and other products. In rare cases, they are bought by private individuals --like a geisha.

This was a very riveting story. The start alone already made my heart flutter. In some way, I already knew that the opening incident will play a pivotal role in the whole story. And it did, which lead to a more interesting twist. I think this turn of events made the story. Add more the fact that the other participants in this story, like Cal McNeal, Seth, Miss Lydia, and the famous Barbelo Nemo, appeared to be ambiguous characters. You can't be sure if they are showing their true skin or they are hiding behind a facade.  All in all, the story will hold you tight in its clutches and won't let you go unless you get to the end.

I think, if you try to put the context of this story in the real world, in a way this may make sense. I believe too much of a thing is never good. But I also think that the story also represented some aspects that were exaggerated and been blown out of proportions. By nature, the internet is a helpful tool that had connected the whole world. It had made some of the far-flung places reachable. I also agree that there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Like everything else, it is how the internet is used that would matter. If it's used to destroy and bully people, then it has lost its purpose why it was created in the first place. 

I give the book 5/5 mobile phones. This was a really worthwhile read. I can't help but wonder if some rich lunatic will finally loose a screw and think like Barbelo Nemo and organize a group of people who are not going to be touched by the internet. I think it is a crazy venture but who knows, nothing is so outrageous in this modern world of ours. 

Vestal! A blank slate. An internet virgin.

- Jennifer Bardsley, Genesis Girl - 

Black Bead (Black Bead Chronicles #1) by JD Lakey | Blog Tour and Giveaway | Book Review

Welcome to Black Bead Blog Tour. This is a book review. This is the first book of the Black Bead Chronicles by JD Lakey. 

On a savage, outlying planet an enclave of psionically-trained humans have built a utopian, matriarchal society that lives in harmony with all life. Leaving behind the polluted and corrupt world in which they lived, they colonized a new home far from the eyes of the galactic empire. Shielded from the rest of the galaxy by the dangerous beasts that inhabit their lush, forested world, the village lives a simple life under their Home Dome. But their goal was more than just to live in peace – they wanted to create the perfect human who could bring peace to the galaxy. Rather than merely cloning themselves, they began to manipulate genes in order to create a race of mutants with enhanced telepathic powers.

Under the direction of the ruling witch coven, each child of the Windfall Dome is tested at a young age to assess their abilities – a test which can plot the course for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, Cheobawn – the daughter of the ruling First Mother to the dome – is marked with the Black Bead on her Choosing Day, a symbol of bad luck and shame. It seems the child the mothers had placed so much hope in would not be the future ruler they had hoped for. Yet there is something powerful about her that the elders don’t understand.

Finally of age, Cheobawn is chosen to join a pack to act as the psychic Ear on a foraging mission outside the dome. She knows this is her chance to prove herself. But something sinister stalks them and each member of the pack must draw on their unique strengths and a lifetime of training if they want to survive to see another day.

In her visionary new series The Black Bead Chronicles, author J.D. Lakey invites you to journey along with Cheobawn, Megan, Tam, Connor, and Alain as they use their wits and their Luck to unravel the mysteries of the deceptively bucolic life beneath the dome in this coming of age metaphysical science fiction adventure.

Amazon Kindle Unlimited 

This is one of those books that will melt your heart. If you love rooting for the underdogs like I am, this book will definitely delight you. What is more fascinating is the pint-size heroine. Unsure of herself. An outcast. Sounds like a disaster-in-the-making, right? But this story will remind you to not underestimate a person just because she is young, small, innocent, and inexperienced. There is a famous Filipino idiomatic expression which says, "maliit man ay nakakapuwing din". This is roughly translated as, a mote can blind you, too (from Missosology.info). The heroine in this story, Cheobawn, accomplished a physical and mental feat on her first try. This six-year old, who was tagged unlucky, lead the group out to explore and brought them back safe and whole by just relying on her instincts and supposedly useless gift. She is akin to a product with a factory defect that did not pass the quality inspection. She had proven that whatever people labeled her was not true. She refused to accept her fate and broke through it. She has broken the belief that she is doomed and nothing but bad luck.

This motley group of four kids plus one, ages 6-10, had proven that together they can make things happen. They can defy expectations and rise above them. This book didn't feel like a sci-fiction adventure story to me. It felt more like an all-oxygen-consuming adventure trip which involves a lot or running and hiding. Add in an interesting array of unique and deadly creatures. A ragtag, novice, and very young crew with genetically-enhanced abilities out on their first foray into the real world of wonder and danger. In a way, this felt like Hansel and Gretel picking wild berries and being lost in the woods. Only, instead of just two, there were five of them. They almost got eaten, not just once, but more than a couple of times. And instead of leaving breadcrumbs to find their way back, Cheobawn had the map clearly printed in her head. This was an even more satisfying read than the classic Hansel and Gretel.

I wanted to hold Cheobawn's hands and hug her. I wanted to protect her. I wanted her to know that she is amazing and will gladly join her and the rest of the group in their foraging. Where to next? I can't wait for the next book in the series. I can't wait to know what other adventures await our motley crew. I want to find out what else will our heroines and heroes need to accomplish to make a mark and impact in their coven. 

I give this book 4/5 black beads. These five little kids have the hearts of brave warriors and explorers. I won't mind tagging along and feel safe with them. This group also knows fun. It was an amazing adventure. I have my pack and gear ready for the next one. Just tell me when. I am all set.

I knew it was too good to be true. There is always a barb hidden in the happiness of the world. It sinks into one's heart and when it gets torn out it leaves a gaping and bloody hole.

- JD Lakey, Black Bead - 

J. D. Lakey was born and raised on the high plains of Montana under an endless sky and as far as from civilization as anyone in the twentieth century could get. There she explored the finer nuances of silence and the endless possibilities of the imagination. The stories were always there, The shifting of fortunes finally granted her the time to gather all the stories and give them flesh.

An avid reader of science fiction and comics, she currently lives in San Diego, California where she divides her time between writing, commuting on the I-5, and spending time with her delightful grandchildren.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon Author Page 

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Thank you, The Book Nymph and JD Lakey, for the review copy.