Chaotic Ninja

Been playing catch up with reading and reviewing. I’m 33 books behind schedule. Goodreads said so.  Why should I care about what Goodreads say? You see, I joined the 2015 Reading Challenge and pledged to read 80 books, which translates to 6.66 books per month (I’m glad I’m not superstitious).   Easy peasy, right?  No.  It’s September and I’m still struggling to get halfway through the challenge. I’m still convinced I could do it, but I’m going to need a strategy of some sort.   I realised that I could probably pull this one off by reading all the short stories and novellas on my TBR list. It’s not cheating. Just slightly devious planning. The Memory Man by Helen Smith Two women, memory loss, a dead man, and a psychic. Everything else are fragments. This is a bizarre story that I quite frankly did not get the first time I read it. So I had to read it again. I like to believe I got it the second time around. Or probably not. It’s like the movie...

      DEMONS & PEARLS by PS Bartlett A fearless female pirate fueled by adrenaline rush, stakes her claim to the Captain-less ship filled with grubby buccaneers out to get her and her cousins. It’s chaos! It’s madness! It’s freakin’ awesome! And that’s just the beginning! There’s no situation too precarious and no man too dangerous for Ivory Shepard. She’s just one hell of a character. She’s a total firecracker! This prequel to “ The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge ” is a pulse-pounding, beard-curling, action-packed story that has enough voltage to power up a Kindle device. It’s more than just a frenzied pirate tale. It brings to the fore controversial issues with tremendous passion, evident in the narrative style and tenor. This is such a thrilling read; not encumbered by lengthy expositions and sappy romance talk. It just tells an electrifying story of love, murder, revenge, and survival – not necessarily in that order. ★★★ ★ ★ 5/5 ...

My TBR pile for 2014 is down to 6. It will be cleared in no time! I already have my Top 10 books in place and ready for the 'year-ender' post (subject to change, depending on how mind-blowing the remaining 6 books are). In the meantime, check out my latest reviews. (Alternatively, you can click on the thumbnails to redirect you to Goodreads) THE BLUE DIAMOND  by P.S. Bartlett  5 / 5 ★★★★ ★ This book should come with a warning label that says “you may develop a temporary pirate accent”. This is just one of the many side effects of reading ‘The Blue Diamond’. The other is the sleepless nights tearing through the pages, many many pages. There’s a feisty pirate at sea and she’s not to be messed with. Swashbuckling Ivory “Razor” Shepard, with three of her equally fearless female cousins, set sail to escape the manhunt, err femalehunt. Forget damsels in distress, you won’t find them in here. Instead, you’re treated to a rampaging story...

It's race against time as I attempt to read and review all the books I've purchased this year before 2014 ends! TBR pile is down to a very manageable level so book-purchase moratorium is lifted.  For October, the books are about accidental goddesses, warring gods and the mortals caught in between, comet-themed stories, Jazz in the roaring twenties, and a steampunk rat!  Click on thumbnails to read the full review. Available in Amazon The Necklace of Goddess Athena by Effosyni Moschoudi Jazz Baby by Beem Weeks American Goddesses by Gary Henry Steampunk Rat by Madeleine Holly-Rosing Celestial by Katie Hayoz, Jamie Campbell, Sarah Dalton, Zoe Cannon, Susan Fodor, Sutton Shields, Anya Allyn, Ariele Sieling, Marijon Braden, H.S. Stone

My TBR pile is down to 20 books - but that's only because I am on self-imposed book purchase  moratorium. Here are some of my reviews this week. All good reads.  Click on the thumbnails to read the reviews.   You can read my other reviews here. Amazon Links The Lady of the Pier (The Ebb) by Effrosyni Moschoudi Secret (Wexkia Trilogy Book 2) by Dale Furse Gossip by Clara Grace Walker Just Stay by Michelle Abbott The House on Persimmon Road by Jackie Weger

“In my reviews, I feel it's good to make it clear that I'm not proposing objective truth, but subjective reactions..."  ― Roger Ebert Roger Ebert was a great American film critic who, along with the equally great Gene Siskel, awarded “Two Thumbs Up” to deserving films. Ebert was considered the most influential and powerful film pundit in America. Though I don’t review films, I follow Ebert’s “relative, not absolute" approach when reviewing indie books. But sometimes, authors react as if reviews are absolute truths. The way I see it, a review is really an exercise in reaction and counter-reaction: When a book gets a glowing 5-star review... When a book gets a 4-star review... When a book gets a 3-star review...  When a book gets a 2-star review...      When a book gets a 1-star review  And the ultimate reaction when a book is marked 'DID NOT FINISH' (or DNF) ...

I enjoy doing the Conversations over Milk & Cookies segment so much that  I forget this blog is primarily a review blog (the name says so!). Here are some of my reviews for August. Click on the thumbnails to read the reviews. You can read my other reviews here.  

Welcome to TWO REVIEWERS, ONE BOOK.  When time allows, I invite a reviewer, blogger, author, or random character to sit with me in this very comfortable couch and share our views (opposing or otherwise) on a book we've chosen. My review partner for today is Wendy Storer . She’s the author of ‘ Bring Me Sunshine ’ and ‘ Where Bluebirds Fly '. The book that intrigued us is 'Between Octobers' by A.R.Rivera. Book Description (via Amazon)  Grace Zuniga, a yearling widow, is convinced she can never fall in love again. She has surrendered to a quiet life on a quiet street, existing in a world that revolves around her two young sons—until the moment she steps into an elevator. Evan, also known as Rhys Matthews, is a typical Hollywood playboy. He’s used to women falling all over him, but Grace is different. She makes him believe in love at first sight, and in himself. She’s thoughtful, beautiful, and intelligent—the opposite of his usual typ...