11/30/2016

Waiting On Wednesday #29 – The Ends Of The World by Maggie Hall

is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

The first two books of this trilogy I wanted because I fell in love with the cover. Later, when I read them, I fell in love with the story as well. So when I got a personal message from Maggie Hall on Instagram, where she responded to a question I had asked, and heard, that in 2017 would come out another book in this series, I was happy and couldn´t wait to see the cover.

To be honest, I am not very thrilled about it. I can´t really name it, but I am missing here something. Something the other two had. Maybe it is a different perspective. I am not looking from above and from a certain distance onto the main figure. And her hairstyle has changed.

But well, as long as I can read it, and hopefully like the story, the cover is something I can ignore *smile*

The Ends Of The World

Author Maggie Hall
The Conspiracy Of Us Trilogy #3
Publishing Date July 19, 2017
Publisher G.P. Putnam´s Sons Books For Young Readers
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

The Circle of Twelve is not who Avery thought they were. Neither is Avery. Her mother is dead. Betrayal and attraction and history tangled the strings that bind her, Jack, and Stellan. And now, Avery and her friends must put aside their own problems and focus on putting a stop to the most dangerous conspiracy of all … From London to Russia to Egypt, from the chill of underground crypts to the flash of paparazzi cameras, Avery West will finally have to confront whether her fate means salvation – or destruction.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/30/2016

Himmelstiefe by Daphne Unruh

Daphne Unruh is a German author who started this series originally as eBook and as self-publisher. It was the original cover with the white frame around the blue flowers that caught my eye and made me curious. So it is kind of sad, that Loewe changed that.

Himmelstiefe by Daphne Unruh

Zauber Der Elemente #1

Published by Loewe on September 19, 2016

ISBN 978-3-7855-8565-8

Pages 495

Format Softcover

Source Publisher

Goodreads

Kira counts the last days of school. Soon she will be done! But then her life gets turned upside down: the new classmate Tim exerts an irresistible attraction on her and again she gets invested by fevers and eerie visions of dangerous shadow beings. Almost too late Kira recognizes that she has special powers and belongs into the magical world of the Academy of the Elements. Only there she is safe – so she thinks!

My Review

If you like a very opulent writing style in combination with a bit of a dry tone and a sometimes awkward to read language, especially out of the mouth of a teenage girl, then this is definitely your book.

11/26/2016

Stacking The Shelves #32 - Bought, Borrowed & Bagged #16

I am also connecting with Bought Borrowed & Bagged in homage of Barron´s Books & Baubles from Karen Marie Moning´s smash hit series, Fever, hosted by Braine at Talk Supe.

Lots of books have arrived over the past week at my place. Some of them I can display, others I have to wait until next week. Don´t ask; the reason behind that is as stupid as needless …

Since quite some time now I had the Shatter Me books on my wishlist. I LOVE those covers and since a few days, I am totally happy to call them my own now. The rough cut looks great, and the colors and motive they used on the cover are fantastic. And finally, I´ve got my own Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen. I already read it some weeks back when I found it at my library, but know I have it brand new in my shelf. And I just noticed that except for one author, they are all new to me.

Bought Books

Reviewer Copy

Happy reading

11/26/2016

Crown Of Three by J. D. Rinehart

About two times a year I get asked what books I want to review that is published by a certain German publisher. Crown of Three was one of the books I picked. The cover, the colors, and the promise, this would be like Game of Thrones only for young children, convinced me.

Crown Of Three*
Author J. D. Rinehart
Crown Of Three Trilogy #1
Publisher Aladdin on June 2, 2015
Genre Fantasy
Pages 416
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

Toronia, a kingdom composed of three realms, is wracked with civil war. King Brutan rules with an iron fist. Cruelty and suffering abound. The kingdom´s only hope comes in the form of Brutan´s illegitimate triplets, prophesied to kill the king and rule together in peace. But the road to the throne is long and bloody. Separated at birth and scattered throughout the realms, the triplets face a desperate fight to secure their destiny. Will they survive long enough to rule?

Thoughts

Well, it was a nice read, but I wasn´t blown away by it.

11/25/2016

Helix – Sie Werden Uns Ersetzen by Marc Elsberg

The author is known for his reality-based plots where he mixes facts of all kinds with pure fiction. Sometimes it is really frightening about what could be possible and you have inevitable the question swirling around your mind if it couldn´t be already a reality. So what if there are already living children like Jill and Eugene among us? I had enjoyed another book by the author so much, that I knew when I got the letter about Helix, I had to read it. Lucky me, I won it for a special challenge at a forum and could jump into it. Nonetheless, this review expresses my honest and unbiased opinion.

Helix-Sie Werden Uns Ersetzen*

by Marc Elsberg
Publisher Blanvalet on October 31, 2016
Genre Thriller
Pages 646
Format Hardcover
Source Lovelybooks

Goodreads

✶✶✶½

The US Secretary of State dies at a State visit in Munich. During the autopsy a strange sign is found on his heart – caused by bacteria? In Brasil, Tanzania, and India, employees of an international chemical company discover crop plants and animals that can not be found. At the same time, Helen and Greg, a couple in their late thirties, who cannot produce children by natural means, turn to a children´s nursing clinic in California. The doctor gives them hope. He tells them about a – yet unofficial – private research program, which has already produced over a hundred special children. And do not Helen and Greg want to give their offspring the best prerequisites? But then one of these children disappears and everything points to a connection with strange events – not only in Munich but all over the world … (a personal translation of the blurb on the dust cover/German edition by © Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Helen and Greg are trying to become children. Since they can´t get what they want the natural way, they find themselves one day at a clinic in California where they get an incredible offer. Jessica is on her way back to the US after she had to witness the sudden breakdown of the Secretary of State. And Jegor finds in Tanzania a cornfield that shouldn´t exist and starts to look for the reasons why it does. And Jill vanishes from the earth after she heard the disturbing news about the sudden death of the Secretary of State. All of them are connected in a strange way through a Doctor who is able to make his dream come true: stronger, healthier and smarter children.

Style

Helix-Sie werden uns ersetzen (in English it would be Helix-They will replace us) is told by an auctorial narrator and the reader is from the first line right in the middle of the plot. The Secretary of State lies unconscious on the ground and with his death, the US discover a virus that is beyond anything they ever imagined or thought could be possible.

The author builds a story in which facts and pure fiction are combined so easily that you can´t get rid of the feeling of what if something of this is already a reality? Or would it really be so frightening to have children like described in the story? At some point, I found myself in a weird situation. I couldn´t take some figures of the plot seriously anymore. The way they behaved, how they acted was something I couldn´t really understand. Yes, there are some kids who have very special abilities, yes they are smarter than anyone else in the world, but they didn´t ask for it. They were made that way and now some grownups react as if they were dangerous weapons?

Marc Elsberg draws a picture with sometimes hilarious scenes, an ironic tone and some characters that show their helplessness and their fear for the unknown. He explains difficult medical things in an easy to understand language, makes it very clear that what he describes is fiction but could actually already be happening and yet the message is clear: This is a book. A story that should entertain, not scare.

And yet I was not the way entertained as I was with his other book. With Helix you go on a journey around the globe. Dive into fields in Tanzania, be a part of a conference in Europe, get inside in a chemical concern somewhere in Scandinavia, and back. Well, kind of.

No doubt, Marc Elsberg shows what could be, and no doubt that you will find some great scenes in this book. But after a great start, the story went more and more downwards and the end was lame. An open-end, which can be really very inspiring and lets you think your own thoughts about it, but I expected after all I read by him already, a lot more.

Characters

That the human species is frightened or feels threatened by everything that is not what we think is normal, that isn´t controllable the way we are used to, is no news. We see it every day in our real lives. But what some characters do in this story, and how some handle the situation, in the end, that was something I didn´t find ok at all. The hypocrisy that is shown here makes you speechless – not in a good way. Money rules everything, no news either.

Jill is a young girl that made me speechless – in a good way. She is smart as hell, no average at all and what she wants for the world is the best I´ve ever seen in a book like this. She does everything to help others, to undo the disadvantage some folks on this planet have. And she succeeds in a way that looks so easy and simple, that others feel threatened by her. I was not happy at all how the author treated her in the end.

Conclusion

After I had enjoyed his other thriller so much, I have sadly to admit that this newest wasn´t really my thing. His style hasn´t changed, but in the end, I was a bit disappointed. I missed his brilliance he is famous for when it comes to connecting fiction with reality.

Happy reading

*This title was at the time of review only available in the German language.

Marc Elsberg

Marc Elsberg was born 1967 in Vienna, Austria. He was a strategy consultant and creative director for advertising in Vienna and Hamburg as well as columnist of the Austrian daily newspaper “Der Standard”. With his international bestsellers BLACKOUT and ZERO, he also established himself as a master of the science thriller. Today he lives and works in Vienna.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/23/2016

Waiting On Wednesday #28 – Now I Rise by Kiersten White

is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

Actually, it is kind of funny. I have since months the prequel And I Darken lying on my TBR, but not read it yet – so I have no clue how this author writes.

11/23/2016

Hunt The Dawn by Abbie Roads

Abbie, you got me again! This novel has IT ALL - and a lot more. Sounds confusing? Maybe it does, but after you´ve read it, you´ll understand what I mean. Dark, bloody and cruel scenes as well as some very hot ones – be prepared for everything. This book is the perfect combination of the darkest of humankind with a romantic touch. And when you thought that Race The Darkness was already shocking in some ways then think again – because this one tops it all!

Hunt The Dawn*
Author Abbie Roads
Fatal Dreams Trilogy #2

Publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca on December 6, 2016

Genre Dark Contemporary Romance

Pages 352

Format Paperback

Source ARC by Author

Goodreads

You can´t hide your secrets from Lathan Montgomery – he can read your darkest memories. And while his special abilities are invaluable in the FBI´s hunt for a serial killer, he has no way to avoid the pain that brings him. Until he is drawn to courageous, down-on-her-luck Evanee Brown and finds himself able to offer something he´s never offered another human being: himself.
Nightmares are nothing new to Evanee Brown. But once she meets Lathan, they plummet into the realm of the macabre. Murder victims are reaching from beyond the grave to give Evanee evidence that could help Lathan bring terrifying killer to justice. Together, they could forge an indomitable partnership to thwart violence, abuse, and death – if they survive the forces that seek to tear them apart.

Thoughts

After I´ve read the first book of this trilogy, I expected something dark, beautifully written and with scenes that go beyond everything you can imagine.

11/20/2016

Stacking The Shelves #31 - Bought, Borrowed & Bagged #15

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga´s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I am also connecting with Bought Borrowed & Bagged in homage of Barron´s Books & Baubles from Karen Marie Moning´s smash hit series, Fever, hosted by Braine at Talk Supe.

11/20/2016

Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Finally, I had the time to read and enjoy it. Diving into the fantasy world of Jeaniene Frost is most of the time a wonderful thing and was it with this third installment of her Night Prince books for sure. After all the other books in this series, which started actually like one big Night Huntress series, I for sure had to read this latest in her now so-called Night Prince series. Going back to Leila and Vlad was great and after all the other genres I´ve read a welcome change in my reading schedule.

Bound By Flames*

by Jeaniene Frost
Night Prince #3
Publisher Avon on January 27, 2015
Genre Vampire
Pages 342
Format Softcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Leila´s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn´t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife-edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin … Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn´t Vlad to feel fear, but he does … for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad´s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him – and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away – Vlad´s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both.

Story

Leila is desperate to find out who betrayed her and her husband and ripped her off of all her former abilities. So she wants to do it her way, but Vlad won´t let her. The risk of losing her is too big for him and way too dangerous. But who is the traitor among them, who is giving his arch-enemy all the information about where Leila is?

Style

From Leila´s point of view, the reader is thrown right into the middle of a very entertaining story where Leila has to find her place in the world of the vampires. As a new one, she is forced to obey all the new things that come along with it and that is sometimes not very funny At least not from her sight. Jeaniene Frost wrote this last book of her Night Prince series in a very ironic, sometimes wonderful sarcastic and even cynical way. The language is simple, to the point, and shows the main figure with a lot of wit, irony, and strength, and confidence. And oh yes, there are some very graphic and hot, very hot, scenes. And believe me, there are really hot – hot ears are granted here.

Characters

Well, well, don´t expect too profound characters. Okay, they all have their burden; their dark pasts and things that lay heavy on their hearts, no question here, but you can´t compare them with other books characters. This is fantasyland. Well written fantasy, yes, and very entertaining, but nothing more.

Leila loves Vlad, but the way he treats her sometimes is putting her in rage. And rage combined with her new abilities is no good combination. At least not for her enemies. She is smart, sees things Vlad doesn´t always see the same way and during the ongoing plot, she starts to figure some things out that don´t make her life any easier. But her love for her husband, her devotion to him is unconditionally strong.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed reading this book. Jeaniene Frost is, in my eyes, always good for a great read with fun, irony, and sarcasm and fantastic scenes. And this book is no exception. For all fans of Leila and Vlad a must-read, for her Cat & Bones fans a wonderful addition to the Night Huntress series.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by Penhaligon on July 25, 2016.

Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author whose works include the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, and the Broken Destiny series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking, and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/16/2016

Babylon by Thomas Thiemeyer

The story goes from the sunny hill in Greece to the deadly desert and an ancient subterranean tower where Hannah´s belief, her strength and her will to survive are tested beyond anything.

Babylon*
Author Thomas Thiemeyer

Hannah Peters #4

Publisher Knaur on March 1, 2016

Genre Thriller

Pages 523

Format Softcover

Source Publisher

Goodreads

THE PLACE: Mesopotamia, Cradle of Civilization. Today one of the most dangerous crisis region on earth.
THE ORDER: the investigation of the baffling construction of human history.
THE PLAYER: Archeologist Hannah Peters and her team. A billionaire art collector who wants to experience his last adventure. And a four year old child. Together they have to face the biggest challenge of their life.

Thought

With this book came a change in the cover design of the entire series, and, though it is for the first three books a real change for the better, I am not really satisfied with the look of this one.

11/15/2016

Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys

And again the author brings with her second McGuire book a great to read a novel on the book market. If you don´t know Sara Humphreys yet, grab her books and start reading – her books are absolutely worth your time! I don´t know how she does it, but with this book, the author proofed again that she knows how to keep a reader have his nose stuck in a book. Trouble Walks In is not only the perfect contemporary novel but the perfect fit for a cozy afternoon with the warmth of a burning chimney fire.

Trouble Walks In

by Sara Humphreys
McGuire Brothers #2
Publisher Sourcebooks on August 2, 2016
Genre Romance
Pages 309
Format Paperback
Source Purchased

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶

Ronan McGuire loves women, loves his dog, loves his job – but when old flame Maddy Morgan moves into his jurisdiction, he can´t think about anything else. Ronan knows she´s way out of his league, but he´s determined to help Maddy live life to the fullest. With tragedy in her past, Maddy has immersed herself in work and swiftly made a name for herself in the hot New York City real estate market. She´s looking for safety, not love, but Ronan McGuire is as persistent as he is sexy, and his crooked smile is hard to resist. But all other concerns are wiped away when Maddy goes missing and Ronan and his bloodhound K-9 partner are tasked with finding her and bringing her home.

Story

Successful in being a real estate person Maddy is used to working long hours and to have almost no free time. Why bother going out when she is not interested in any man at all? And besides, it´s barely twelve months that her boyfriend died and that doesn´t seem long enough to start over again - At least not with another man. But Ronan thinks otherwise and he is no longer willing to give her the time or space to bury herself in her self-chosen solitude.

Style

This novel is written from the personal perspective of Maddy and Ronan. From the very beginning, the reader knows exactly what Ronan wants and to watch him together with Maddy is somehow emotional and haunting. The dark part of this novel is given to a figure you start to think about after a few very awkward scenes and in the end, I was very pleased to see that I was right.

The author writes clear, her style is modern and she gets to the point. The tension starts to build with every page you turn and with that, I don´t only mean the tension who the killer is. Oh yes, there is a lot going on between the pages and you won´t miss a single line of it – believe me.

But the tone is a bit different. There is a lot of dark in here, sadness and Maddy seem to be lifeless. She is working yes, talks with people, but she doesn´t show any sign of being really there.

Characters

Sara Humphreys creates figures with charm, humor and some kind of dark in them as well. All of them have - at some point during their life - experienced something bad or at least something that hurt them deeply.

Maddy hides from life, from herself and from others. Her work is everything and her apartment shows exactly how she feels inside: lonely. She spent many years with a man she thought she loved and when she discovers what real love means and how it feels, she is frightened and confused. She cuts herself from everything that means home, warmth and being one of them. At some point I pitied her, at some, I got angry with her.

Ronan grew up as one of the McGuire´s but his family being rich doesn´t mean he is too. Used to the fact that women can´t resist him, Maddy is a refreshing exception in her behavior towards him. He knows how to read signs, no matter what kind, and he is determined to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. But not at all costs.

Conclusion

I feel touched, deeply moved and had to take a deep breath after I put it down. This was a moving novel and an absolutely great sequel to the first book. Though you can read this easy as a standalone I would advise you to read this series chronologically. Highly recommended.

Happy reading

Sara Humphreys

Sara Humphreys is the award-winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, UNTAMED, won two PRISM awards-Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me. She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/12/2016

Stacking The Shelves #30 - Bought, Borrowed & Bagged #14

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga´s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I am also connecting with Bought Borrowed & Bagged in homage of Barron´s Books & Baubles from Karen Marie Moning´s smash hit series, Fever, hosted by Braine at Talk Supe.

11/12/2016

The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft

The mix of wintry looking cover and promising summary were the reasons why I wanted this book.

The Christmas Promise*
Author Sue Moorcroft

Publisher Harper Collins UK on December 1, 2016

Genre Novel

Pages 368

Format Paperback

Source Publisher

Goodreads

For Ava Bliss, it´s going to be a Christmas to remember ... On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones. Times are tough for Ava – she´s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it´s nearly Christmas. So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn´t know it yet.

Thoughts

No doubt, this was a nice read and at some point a bit touching.

11/11/2016

All You Need Is Love by Marie Force

OMG, this novel was such a great read! This was the very first time, that I had the pleasure to read a novel by the author, and it wasn´t the last time, that´s for sure. Until a few months ago I didn´t even know that this author exists. Turns out it was a good pick and a very pleasant read. I read the summary of this novel - and some wonderful memories of Vermont came up.

All You Need Is Love*

by Marie Force
Green Mountain Series #1
Publisher Berkley on February 14, 2014
Genre Novel
Pages 368
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶

The family-run Green Mountain Country Store is cherished by locals as a reminder of simpler times. The Abbott children are determined to keep it that way – but their father has different plans … When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets. After wrecking her car by colliding with the town moose, she meets the most handsome hero she´s ever seen. Unfortunately, her savior, Will Abbott, is also the son of her client – and he wants nothing to do with the new website of the city girl creating it. For all Will cares, Cameron can march her fancy boots right out of town and out of his family´s business. But he can´t seem to get her out of his head. As his family´s dispute heats up, so does the chemistry between the two, leaving them wondering if simple is better after all – especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Story

Cameron couldn´t be any more frustrated. She is in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night and has no clue what to do. And when she hits something big, her brand new car gets so broken, she can´t even drive to the next motel. And not to mention her brand new boots! So with a laughing eye and one filled with tears over her ruined boots, she takes the offer of the gorgeous looking, but grumpy stranger to take her to her hotel for the night. A night she will neither forget nor ever regret.

Style

Marie Force has a beautiful way to describe the fantastic landscape of Vermont or the scenes in this novel. Her writing style is easy to read, full of heart and emotions and very well written. You can actually see the snowy mountains; smell the maple syrup and all the cooking that´s done in this beautiful story.

Written in the personal narrative perspective from Cameron and Will, the reader is able to see what they think of each other and all the things that happen in this story. Besides that, you get a great feeling of family values, what loyalty means, the power of love and that friendship can be a big help but on the other hand a little cage.

Characters

The author has created some great and very convincing figures. Not only, Cameron and Will, but the main characters give you also the feeling to be one of them and right in the middle of their lives, no, the others are well done as well.

Cameron is the typical town girl. She has no clue what to expect from Vermont, except for (hopefully) a new client. She is totally addicted to her cell phone, her laptop and all the other things that come with modern society. But she doesn´t think for one second to use all those devices to look online on how the weather in Vermont could be or what conditions the streets could be in. She has a great sense of humor, is able to laugh about herself and always looks for a solution to make her customers happy. And she knows how to fight. For her business, for herself and others in a very charming way.

Conclusion

Marie Force is definitely a great author. She writes with heart and makes you want more; more of everything. If you want to lose yourself in a great story with beautifully created characters and a fantastic landscape - this is definitely your book. Highly recommended.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release September 22, 2016, by Fischer TB

Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary romance. She writes series as well as stand-alone novels. While her husband was in the U.S. Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland, and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/09/2016

Waiting On Wednesday #27 – Come Sundown by Nora Roberts

is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

It is no secret that Nora Roberts has changed the publisher for whatever reason and went to St. Martin´s Press.

Come Sundown is the first book under the new roof and already the cover shows it – in an absolutely positive way.

11/09/2016

Playing With Fire by Tess Gerritsen

I know the author from her Rizzoli & Isles series and some of her earlier novels she wrote. Playing with Fire is a standalone thriller and not at all as all her other books. In a good way. I love the cover, the original as well as the German one. Both have a great motive, both give you the feeling that they show exactly what the summary promises you. And both deliver. As soon as I was able to get my hands on it, I was reading this thriller and finished it frankly said overnight. Yes, this story got me, spoke to my emotions, showed me another side of Germany´s very dark past and with the writing style Tess Gerritsen has, it turned out to be a fantastic read.

Playing With Fire*

by Tess Gerritsen
Publisher Ballantine Books on October 27, 2015
Genre Thriller
Pages 272
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶

In a shadowy antiques shop in Rome, violinist Julia Ansdell happens upon a curious piece of music – the Incendio waltz – and is immediately entranced by its unusual composition. Full of passion, torment, and chilling beauty, and seemingly unknown to the world, the waltz, its mournful minor key, its feverish arpeggios, appear to dance with a strange life of their own. Julia is determined to master the complex work and make its melody heard. Back home in Boston, from the moment Julia´s bow moves across the strings, drawing the waltz´s fiery notes into the air, something strange is stirred – and Julia´s world comes under threat. The music has a terrifying and inexplicable effect on her young daughter, who seems violently transformed. Convinced that the hypnotic strains of Incendio are weaving a malevolent spell, Julia sets out to discover the man and the meaning behind the score. Her quest beckons Julia to the ancient city of Venice, where she uncovers a dark, decades-old secret involving a dangerously powerful family that will stop at nothing to keep Julia from bringing the truth to light.

Story

Julia is scared. The waltz she brought home seems to change her daughter, and her marriage as well. And when she hears from her aunt, that there are some dark secrets in her own family, that the mother she never knew was not what she got told all her life and what really happened to her dead brother – she is convinced that this and the waltz is no good combination. But when she is asked to go and talk to a psychologist, she refuses because all her instincts are telling her that this way is wrong. Instead, she is determined to find out the real story behind that waltz. And what she discovers is as frightening as it is deadly.

Style

Tess Gerritsen´s writing style is fantastic. She brings the atmosphere of the time when the Jewish were haunted before and during World War One in a breathtaking way to the reader and shows how a family deals with everything during this scary time.

Playing with Fire has two lines of action. One that plays in the present of the story in America and Italy and which shows what Julia goes through, the other plays in Italy around the 1940s and shows the reader the life of Lorenzo. He is the key figure and his story is so heartbreaking and full of emotions, pain, passion, and loyalty that in the end, you can do nothing but cry tears.

The author doesn´t use long descriptions or a lot of words to tell this story. She is more to the point is clear and very sensitive sentences, gives only those details that are necessary for the story and the way she writes you get haunted and completely thrilled.

And in the end, she presents you with an unexpected turn and a solution to all the mysterious things that happened that you can see the connection between the author’s former work as a doctor and her passion for music. Well done!

Characters

Tess Gerritsen created some very convincing figures and what the passion for something can achieve. During some scenes I could literally see how a violin is made, could smell the wood, the varnish and all the other things the author let her figures use to take care of their instruments or to build them.

Julia is a normal woman. She knows how to play the violin, practices with passion and wants to be as perfect as possible. That her daughter is there when she practices at home is no reason for her to stop it. She is a devoted mother, wife, and musician and loves to show her little girl the magic music has.

Lorenzo grew up in a family that builds violins among other instruments made of wood. He shares the same passion as his grandfather does and in his hands the violin does magic. He has a very rare gift because he can speak through music. In his hands, the violin becomes alive. As a young man, he is a bit shy, very polite and rather adores the woman he loves from a distance than telling her about his feelings.

Conclusion

I am thrilled and speechless at the same time. This thriller is, as shocking as the plot is, very emotional, haunting and brings time back to life, that should not be forgotten. For Tess Gerritsen fans a must-read, for all the others worth being discovered. Highly recommended.

Happy reading

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Der Thriller wird erzählt in der Gegenwart durch Julia und in der Vergangenheit erzählt durch Lorenzo was in Italien kurz vor dem Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkrieges und während des Krieges passiert. Dabei wird eine Seite gezeigt, die nicht nur diese dunkle Zeit in den Fokus rückt, sondern vor allem all diejenigen, die versucht haben den Juden zu helfen. Auf welche Art und Weise auch immer.

Tess Gerritsens Stil ist einfach, eindringlich und erschafft eine unglaublich emotionale Spannung. Nicht nur bei den Figuren und dem, was diese erleben, auch der Leser bleibt davon nicht verschont. Sie schreibt einfühlsam, feinfühlig und bringt die Dinge mit Stil und Niveau auf den Punkt. Kein Wort zu wenig, keines zu viel. Umso überraschender ist der Schluss. Hier bringt die Autorin die Magie der Musik mit ihrem Beruf zusammen und gibt dem Thriller ein logisches und äußerst gelungenes Ende.

Charaktere

Starke Frauen die einem grausamen Schicksal trotzen, sich wehren und alles tun, um es sich selbst und ihren Lieben so angenehm wie nur möglich zu machen. Dabei stets ihre schützende Hand über die Menschen haltend, die ihnen nahe stehen. Überzeugender und realistischer können Figuren nicht ausgearbeitet sein.

Julia wird von dem bedrohlichen Gefühl nicht mehr los gelassen, dass ihre eigene Tochter womöglich eine dunkle Seite haben könnte. Eine Seite, die sie, falls ja, von ihrer Mutter geerbt hat. Denn diese hat ein schreckliches Geheimnis in ihrer eigenen familiären Vergangenheit. Für Julia bedeutet dies, sie muss unbedingt den Grund finden, warum plötzlich all diese schrecklichen Dinge geschehen. Mit Mut, Ideenreichtum und unerschrocken geht sie Stück für Stück den Dingen auf den Grund und offenbart eine tödliche als auch bedrohliche Geschichte.

Resultat

Hochemotional, absolut packend und spannend. Die äußerst dunkle Vergangenheit der Nazizeit hat den bedrohlichen Unterton noch deutlich verstärkt und wurde gekonnt von Tess Gerritsen von einer etwas anderen Seite beleuchtet. Höchst empfehlenswert.

*I read the German edition new release by Limes on July 25, 2016

Tess Gerritsen

New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen earned international acclaim for her first novel of suspense, Harvest. She introduced Detective Jane Rizzoli in The Surgeon (2001) and Dr. Maura Isles in The Apprentice (2002) and has gone on to write numerous other titles in the celebrated Rizzoli & Isles series. A physician, Tess Gerritsen lives in Maine.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/09/2016

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Oh my gosh! This was one hell of a fantastic read! Don´t expect the normal Cecelia Ahern here, oh no. Flawed is far from that and even better! Can´t wait to read the second book of this duology.

Flawed*
Author Cecelia Ahern

Flawed Duology #1

Publisher Harper Collins Children´s Books on March 24, 2016

Genre Dystopia

Pages 416

Format Hardcover

Source Library
Goodreads

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She´s a model daughter and sister, she´s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she´s dating the impossible charming Art Crevan. But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

Thoughts

I didn´t call myself a big Ahern fan - until now that is. Yes, I read some of her books and one or the other I actually loved, but not more.

11/08/2016

Follow Friday #8 – Library Card

This is a Friday meme now hosted by Patricia of FiktiveWelten. Every week she asks a question that you can answer. Everyone who would like to participate, just answer her question, link to her blog, and write a comment under her post to let the others know that you are participating. The entire rules you can find here.

This week the topic is all about having a library card (or more) and if I use my card. I am a bit late with the FF. Last week when I should have done it, I was actually not disciplined enough to write posts for my blog not to talk about an FF one. The clock change we had recently is still having its impact on me and I get hardly anything done.

But despite that, yes, I do have a library card and I use her a lot.

My library here in town opens the doors on three days during the week. Two days a week I can go during the afternoon, on one day she is open during the morning.

The library is run by two great ladies, Mrs. B & Mrs. B (no joke, they really have both last names that start with a “b”), who handle everything library-related and I know them since the moment I moved into town to live here. They have both a great sense of humor, know that I am writing reviews since many, many years and since they know that I am running this blog, they even look from time to time what I am doing here. Isn´t that nice, or what?

Until a few weeks ago, I only had to step out of the house, walk a few steps across a huge open place, and was right there at my personal book paradise. Now I have to walk a few steps more to our Town Hall building where she is located now, but that is still within a good walking distance – at least for me *smile*

I actually love that place. Every time I go in to bring back some books, I end up bringing home some new ones. Every book I don´t want to buy or where I am not sure if I should look at the library if they have it. If they don´t the ladies there do everything they can to get it and it happens quite often, that as soon as I step through the door they hold up a book I had asked for some time ago. They do one hell of a great job and it is always a pleasure to have a little chat with them.

Every year they organize a literature breakfast around November where they show the new editions of the year and where you can have a chat with other book lovers, people who work at publishing houses or directly in a bookstore.

And if you are curious how my card looks like, I will tell you this: My card has the size of a credit card, is set up in white, blue, and yellow and shows on its front side a house in form of a huge upright standing drawn book with an open door in the book cover. The backside is the usual stuff: A bar code and a field where I had to sign her.

How is it about you. Do you have a library card?

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/05/2016

Stacking The Shelves #29 - Bought, Borrowed & Bagged #13

11/05/2016

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

I heard many different things and often negative ones, about this book. The latter I cannot share. Yes, at the beginning I had my difficulties getting involved in the plot and to see where the story was now. But within a few pages, I was back in the picture. Glass Sword is the second novel in the authors Red Queen Trilogy. Victoria Aveyard is maybe not for everyone a good read. Especially not after she told in an Interview why she wanted to become a writer and why she invented the world of Mare Barrow and the figure itself. If you are not a fan of her style or how she writes in general, then you better keep your hands off.

Glass Sword*

by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen #2
Publisher Harper Teen on February 9, 2016
Genre Children 14+
Pages 464
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶½

Mare Barrow´s blood is red – the color of common folk – but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince – the friend – who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind. Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

Story

Mare somehow escaped from the royal palace. But her fleeing has cost many lives. Among the dead: the former king. Now rules Maven, Cal´s half brother, and he is as cruel and cold-blooded as never before. He wants Mare back in his life, at his side and her ability as a weapon to use. But Mare doesn´t obey. Instead, she fights with everything she has and can get to free her folk. A folk, that is now divided in those with the mysterious red-silver ability and those who are just like anybody else. But that fight costs her a lot. Many innocent lives are at stake, many innocent get killed and she has to learn that she can´t save everyone she wants to.

Style

Glass Sword is written from Mares point of view. She shows the reader what she thinks how she feels and that being her isn´t a piece of cake. Her inner conflict, her struggle with her power her old me and the new one is shown by the author in a sensitive and very intense way. There is not one page where you think she has to do things she never wanted and to take responsibility for human beings as well as for the plan everyone believes she has. But hasn´t. She goes from day to day, tries to make the best out of her situation and to deal with every loss she has to endure.

Victoria writes decent, her tone is often ironic and she shows the reader a world full of cruelty, blood and at the beginning of another war. Okay, there aren´t as many unexpected twists and turns as in the first book of this trilogy, but some things shake you really. And in the end, you stay left behind with a sad and unbelievingly empty feeling.

Characters

Why had that specific figure to die? Was that really necessary? And no, I won´t tell you whom I am talking about. Otherwise, I would steal a great deal of tension from your reading experience and that wouldn´t be fair, right?

Her characters are very different. There are some who love to misuse their power, their abilities to threaten and torture others. The new king is a murder without a conscience and he gives Mare a really hard time. But don´t expect Mare to be the girl you met in Red Queen. Because she isn´t anymore. She has to lead her folk, has to make decisions she never wanted and she has to keep all her real feelings and the real Mare locked up deep inside her. Otherwise, she wouldn´t survive all this or be able to do what she believes she has to do.

Her inner conflict and her struggle with herself is shown by the author in a very intriguing and intense way.

Conclusion

At the end, I was shocked, didn´t really know what to think of or how many stars this would get. I am not happy with some scenes, and for sure not with the death of that single figure, but I can guess how this story will continue. And with the title of the third book in mind, King´s Cage, I guess I might know what to expect from that. Looking forward to it.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release July 1, 2016, by Carlsen

Victoria Aveyard

Victoria Aveyard was born and raised in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a small town known only for the worst traffic rotary in the continental United States. She moved to Los Angeles to earn a BFA in screenwriting at the University of Southern California. She currently splits her time between the East and West coasts. As an author and screenwriter, she uses her career as an excuse to read too many books and watch too many movies.

Twitter ❀ Instagram ❀ Goodreads ❀ Facebook ❀ Bloglovin ❀ Tumblr ❀ Pinterest

11/05/2016

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

This cover is awesome! I love the colors, the mixture of warm and cold and the motive in the form of the laurel wreath. And after knowing the story, I can say that this cover sums it up perfectly.

Golden Son*
Author Pierce Brown

Red Rising Trilogy #2

Publisher Random House on January 6, 2015

Genre Dystopia

Pages 464

Format Hardcover

Source Publisher

Goodreads

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow´s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds – and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true live and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within. A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love – but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind´s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution – and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo´s principles of love and justice to free his people.

Thoughts

I was hooked after reading the first novel of Pierce Brown´s Red Rising Trilogy. And despite the fact that I gave this a half star less in my rating, I enjoyed it very much and had my fun reading it.

Challenges 2020

11/30/2016

11/30/2016

My Review

11/26/2016

11/26/2016

Thoughts

11/25/2016

11/23/2016

11/23/2016

Thoughts

11/20/2016

11/20/2016

11/16/2016

Thought

11/15/2016

11/12/2016

11/12/2016

Thoughts

11/11/2016

11/09/2016

11/09/2016

11/09/2016

Thoughts

11/08/2016

11/05/2016

11/05/2016

11/05/2016

Thoughts