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mycozybooknest's reviews
353 reviews
Arcana by Paul Kane
4.0
---ARC provided by the publishers WordFire Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion---
4*
This is my first Paul Kane book and I am very happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. I was mainly interested because of the cover with its tarot cards and and the pretty blue light between the hands so I knew this story would contain magic. I love me a good fantasy book. Then I read the summary of it and I liked what I read and the idea of mixed a cop mystery thriller with fantasy as I don't think this happens often. Mr. Kane does a fine job at mixing both.
The world building in this book has enough details to ease you into this universe and understand how the system works but it took me a few chapters before I started getting comfortable in it as there were a few jumps back and forth from the present to the past but once i really understood what happened, I was good. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep going, to know what was gonna happen next. So much so that I left all my other reads aside to continue on this story instead.
There were a lot of characters in this story, some really good, some not so good and some very questionable ones. Callum is a character that is confusing and infuriating at times but you end up on his side by the end of the book as he gets more comfortable in himself and who is is.
I definitely wasn't expecting how far the system of the law was working in this world. It's as if we're still back in the times of the Salem witch trials (to name only that) and we never changed or way to this day and we still deal with everything different in a radical matter. No matter if you're right or wrong, as soon as you suspect something, you deal with it right away. Don't ask questions as questions lead to doubts and doubts are never a good thing in this world. You're "tainted", if you do and have to be taken care of as well.
There were a few things happening in this book that were supposed to be a surprise but at least one of them I figured out really early on and another I could figure certain hints put here and there but I was still surprised at how deep it was, which was pretty cool anyway. I'm not sure this book requires as many chapters as this copy has considering many chapters are really short and others pretty long. There were a few chapters that maybe could have been left out as I felt they were not that needed as there was nothing in them to help advance the plot at all. Sometimes, too many characters and too much details is not useful and a waste of time and I feel like I could have just skipped those parts and removed the mentions of those later on and the plot would have advanced better and faster.
This story starts as a thriller/mystery cop story which mixes into fantasy with magic people and tarot reading. It is filled with dark events that are extreme but really good as you get an real idea as to how the system works in this universe. Questionable events and characters. and also very lovable ones. This book is filled with action almost starting from the beginning until the climax at the end and there's a little romance in there as well. I believe this would reach a lot of people that love every one of these types of stories.
4*
This is my first Paul Kane book and I am very happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. I was mainly interested because of the cover with its tarot cards and and the pretty blue light between the hands so I knew this story would contain magic. I love me a good fantasy book. Then I read the summary of it and I liked what I read and the idea of mixed a cop mystery thriller with fantasy as I don't think this happens often. Mr. Kane does a fine job at mixing both.
The world building in this book has enough details to ease you into this universe and understand how the system works but it took me a few chapters before I started getting comfortable in it as there were a few jumps back and forth from the present to the past but once i really understood what happened, I was good. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep going, to know what was gonna happen next. So much so that I left all my other reads aside to continue on this story instead.
There were a lot of characters in this story, some really good, some not so good and some very questionable ones. Callum is a character that is confusing and infuriating at times but you end up on his side by the end of the book as he gets more comfortable in himself and who is is.
I definitely wasn't expecting how far the system of the law was working in this world. It's as if we're still back in the times of the Salem witch trials (to name only that) and we never changed or way to this day and we still deal with everything different in a radical matter. No matter if you're right or wrong, as soon as you suspect something, you deal with it right away. Don't ask questions as questions lead to doubts and doubts are never a good thing in this world. You're "tainted", if you do and have to be taken care of as well.
There were a few things happening in this book that were supposed to be a surprise but at least one of them I figured out really early on and another I could figure certain hints put here and there but I was still surprised at how deep it was, which was pretty cool anyway. I'm not sure this book requires as many chapters as this copy has considering many chapters are really short and others pretty long. There were a few chapters that maybe could have been left out as I felt they were not that needed as there was nothing in them to help advance the plot at all. Sometimes, too many characters and too much details is not useful and a waste of time and I feel like I could have just skipped those parts and removed the mentions of those later on and the plot would have advanced better and faster.
This story starts as a thriller/mystery cop story which mixes into fantasy with magic people and tarot reading. It is filled with dark events that are extreme but really good as you get an real idea as to how the system works in this universe. Questionable events and characters. and also very lovable ones. This book is filled with action almost starting from the beginning until the climax at the end and there's a little romance in there as well. I believe this would reach a lot of people that love every one of these types of stories.
Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook, Marilyn Levinson
4.0
***ARC provided by Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review***
Okay, so this is the third book in The haunted Library series. I haven't read the first 2 books so my review of this one might be lacking but I have to say that there was enough backstory for me to understand basically everything that happened before. Who the characters are and what they do. How carrie has been a big help in solving murders and mysteires in the past and everything.
I was first drawn to this book because of the cover: the part of the library being represented is really nice. I love libraries though I don't go nearly enough. And the synopsis had me hooked. Quite a change from fantasy reads for sure.
After reading this, I found that the writing was really well done and the pacing was pretty consistent. It is a fast read but coonsidering i read this in down times, it took me a few days but every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up to keep reading.
Most of the characters were pretty cool and likeable. I definitely would like to read the first 2 books and am looking forward to the next one in the series for sure.
Okay, so this is the third book in The haunted Library series. I haven't read the first 2 books so my review of this one might be lacking but I have to say that there was enough backstory for me to understand basically everything that happened before. Who the characters are and what they do. How carrie has been a big help in solving murders and mysteires in the past and everything.
I was first drawn to this book because of the cover: the part of the library being represented is really nice. I love libraries though I don't go nearly enough. And the synopsis had me hooked. Quite a change from fantasy reads for sure.
After reading this, I found that the writing was really well done and the pacing was pretty consistent. It is a fast read but coonsidering i read this in down times, it took me a few days but every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up to keep reading.
Most of the characters were pretty cool and likeable. I definitely would like to read the first 2 books and am looking forward to the next one in the series for sure.
The Soulstealers by Jacqueline Rohrbach
3.0
3.5*
*** copy provided by BookSirens and NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review***
This was my first book by Jacqueline Rohrbach. When I saw the synopsis and the beautiful cover, I knew I had to read this but I'm not sure exactly what happened while i was reading but it wasn't as good as i expected it to be and I had quite a hard time connecting with any of the characters.
Arnaka is more annoying than anything though I do understand rebelling against the ways of the druids and her mother. However, I did appreciate her growth through the book and she got better by the end. I definitely liked to read about Hannah's (Promise) past. I do have to say that even though the chapters were well titled and fitted with the content of each, I felt a little bit confused as to exactly when we were in the story. That's mostly a me thing though.
I did like the writing throughout the book. One thing I didn't like is how Mother was called that way all the time, even though the book is written in 3rd person... Again, a me thing.
I loved that this book wasn't centered on a straight white girl but rather a black bisexual woman. It is definitely a nice changing from everything else.
I definitely liked the idea of this magic system and I would most likely go back to this book one day to see if my enjoyement of it would improve but, at this time, I cannot rate it higher than this.
*** copy provided by BookSirens and NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review***
This was my first book by Jacqueline Rohrbach. When I saw the synopsis and the beautiful cover, I knew I had to read this but I'm not sure exactly what happened while i was reading but it wasn't as good as i expected it to be and I had quite a hard time connecting with any of the characters.
Arnaka is more annoying than anything though I do understand rebelling against the ways of the druids and her mother. However, I did appreciate her growth through the book and she got better by the end. I definitely liked to read about Hannah's (Promise) past. I do have to say that even though the chapters were well titled and fitted with the content of each, I felt a little bit confused as to exactly when we were in the story. That's mostly a me thing though.
I did like the writing throughout the book. One thing I didn't like is how Mother was called that way all the time, even though the book is written in 3rd person... Again, a me thing.
I loved that this book wasn't centered on a straight white girl but rather a black bisexual woman. It is definitely a nice changing from everything else.
I definitely liked the idea of this magic system and I would most likely go back to this book one day to see if my enjoyement of it would improve but, at this time, I cannot rate it higher than this.
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
4.0
***ARC provided by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review***
3.75*
I'll start by saying this... when you get to chapter 19 and goodreads tells you you don't even have 40% of the book read, you're definitely in for a the long ride and, man, was it a very long one. I started reading late after getting it and I put it down for a while and picked it back up in middle August.
This book is hard to rate for me because although it contains really fun things, I also felt confused in parts and I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the references made through for 2011, like The Mortal Instruments series, Deathly hallows, Spotify and music. I don,t believe this was required at all for the story.
I had heard of Christine before and had seen a few videos from her but I'm not a subscriber because I cannot connect with her but it's alright. When I saw this book, I requested it without second guessing myself on it because it's nice to support Youtubers, I find and I definitely thought the synopsis was really fun.
Right away, I could relate with Shane as she's an introvert who didn't have many friends back in high school, found it really difficult to make any and she didn't date much or at all and was overall unsatisifed with her social life and college. This is where I drew the line however as I'm not as organized as she is, I don't have a blog and I don't obsess over boys and have internal monologue about them like she does this boy Pilot.
I did really enjoy the idea of travellking abroad for studying, it would definitely have been interesting and fun to have had that opportunity and to be able to visit surrounded places as well during weekends and all. Only thing is, how much money do they all have to be going out for whole weekends like that?
The writing was nice, the way someone would actually speak so i don't quite mind it but there were places where the author used things like "I chuckled" or "I snorted" and you wonder why that is. She tends to use those while adding a reference to a book she read or a movie she watched but it makes no sense so that left me wondering about the sanity of the character in many places throughout the book.
Part two of the book is kinda of feeling like a rewrite, in a way, of part one. Only, it happens 5 years later.
Then again, by this point, I was getting tired of this story and I wanted to move on so I probably didn't quite catch this part as much and as best as I could of and I probably would give it another chance another time. It does have things that i really enjoy like travels and romance and little bits of magic and overall friendship between people.
It is a pretty fun read and interesting as well. I just hadn,t expected it to be this long, especially for a first novel. Most characters are fun and I would have liked to have met them.
3.75*
I'll start by saying this... when you get to chapter 19 and goodreads tells you you don't even have 40% of the book read, you're definitely in for a the long ride and, man, was it a very long one. I started reading late after getting it and I put it down for a while and picked it back up in middle August.
This book is hard to rate for me because although it contains really fun things, I also felt confused in parts and I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the references made through for 2011, like The Mortal Instruments series, Deathly hallows, Spotify and music. I don,t believe this was required at all for the story.
I had heard of Christine before and had seen a few videos from her but I'm not a subscriber because I cannot connect with her but it's alright. When I saw this book, I requested it without second guessing myself on it because it's nice to support Youtubers, I find and I definitely thought the synopsis was really fun.
Right away, I could relate with Shane as she's an introvert who didn't have many friends back in high school, found it really difficult to make any and she didn't date much or at all and was overall unsatisifed with her social life and college. This is where I drew the line however as I'm not as organized as she is, I don't have a blog and I don't obsess over boys and have internal monologue about them like she does this boy Pilot.
I did really enjoy the idea of travellking abroad for studying, it would definitely have been interesting and fun to have had that opportunity and to be able to visit surrounded places as well during weekends and all. Only thing is, how much money do they all have to be going out for whole weekends like that?
The writing was nice, the way someone would actually speak so i don't quite mind it but there were places where the author used things like "I chuckled" or "I snorted" and you wonder why that is. She tends to use those while adding a reference to a book she read or a movie she watched but it makes no sense so that left me wondering about the sanity of the character in many places throughout the book.
Part two of the book is kinda of feeling like a rewrite, in a way, of part one. Only, it happens 5 years later.
Then again, by this point, I was getting tired of this story and I wanted to move on so I probably didn't quite catch this part as much and as best as I could of and I probably would give it another chance another time. It does have things that i really enjoy like travels and romance and little bits of magic and overall friendship between people.
It is a pretty fun read and interesting as well. I just hadn,t expected it to be this long, especially for a first novel. Most characters are fun and I would have liked to have met them.
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
2.0
2*
For the quarter book I read before getting an overdose of porn and, at that point, I had seen basically all 3 movies (except the ending of the third one) and I definitely prefer the movies.
I had set this book aside to pay attention to other books in "hopes" of getting back to it at some point but I never did and than I unhauled about 20 books at one point and that series was part of it, as well as Darker.
Anyway. Like I said, I got somewhat of an overdose of the fanfiction that is this book series and I just wanted to move on. Am I glad I tried it out? Sure. My curiosity was piqued and I had to try it out. I did. Again, I was as curious about the books as i was the movies and I basically binge watched the movies, funny enough, and had my share. It's over... Moving on...
For the quarter book I read before getting an overdose of porn and, at that point, I had seen basically all 3 movies (except the ending of the third one) and I definitely prefer the movies.
I had set this book aside to pay attention to other books in "hopes" of getting back to it at some point but I never did and than I unhauled about 20 books at one point and that series was part of it, as well as Darker.
Anyway. Like I said, I got somewhat of an overdose of the fanfiction that is this book series and I just wanted to move on. Am I glad I tried it out? Sure. My curiosity was piqued and I had to try it out. I did. Again, I was as curious about the books as i was the movies and I basically binge watched the movies, funny enough, and had my share. It's over... Moving on...
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
5.0
5*
I'm a huge fan of the Shadowhunter world. And I've only read the TMI series once, enjoyed the movie a few times and adored the Shadowhunter series (am I alone for this one?). With that in mind, I wasn't sure if I would like this book the same way and, I admit to being confused at first but that disappeared fast enough and I was getting more into it the further into the story I was getting.
Clockwork Angel is set in 1878 victorian London, filled with mundanes (humans) that are clueless when it comes to supernatural beings that fill the streets on a regular basis. The Shadowhunters are basically the police and the government in this world. It feels like it anyway. Also, let's talk about these steampunk killing machines for a second. My heart goes pitter patter when it comes to steampunk. I love it to bits and pieces.
The Infernal Devices is a TMI prequel set 100 years+ earlier. This is really cool when you think about it. Cassandra Clare, the author, is very imaginative in her world and I applaud her because, so far, nothing feels reheated in her series. I'm still very early in TID but the settings are different and you cannot confused any of the characters for another one. Except for Will, which sounds exactly like Jace (TMI). I should really say Jace is a dupe of Will, should I? Oh, and tessa might just be a more mature version of Clary. Other than that, everyone's different. All of them were great but my favorites have to be Tessa, Will, Charlotte and Jem/James. I cannot wait to know more about them for sure.
Anyway, this isn't about comparing book series so, let's talk about Clockwork Angel more.
Tessa Gray didn't know that her world would be turned upside down when she moved to England. It should have been easy... simple. Move to a new country, move in with her brother and live her life. Instead, as soon a she arrives, she thrown into this world, this weird supernatural world where she's supposed to marry this man that she's never seen or heard of before and her brother is missing. In comes Will, to the rescue and Tessa's world is changed even more and she gets to learn more about herself and this unknown but action/adventure filled world. Did I mention the killing machines?
I'm a huge fan of the Shadowhunter world. And I've only read the TMI series once, enjoyed the movie a few times and adored the Shadowhunter series (am I alone for this one?). With that in mind, I wasn't sure if I would like this book the same way and, I admit to being confused at first but that disappeared fast enough and I was getting more into it the further into the story I was getting.
Clockwork Angel is set in 1878 victorian London, filled with mundanes (humans) that are clueless when it comes to supernatural beings that fill the streets on a regular basis. The Shadowhunters are basically the police and the government in this world. It feels like it anyway. Also, let's talk about these steampunk killing machines for a second. My heart goes pitter patter when it comes to steampunk. I love it to bits and pieces.
The Infernal Devices is a TMI prequel set 100 years+ earlier. This is really cool when you think about it. Cassandra Clare, the author, is very imaginative in her world and I applaud her because, so far, nothing feels reheated in her series. I'm still very early in TID but the settings are different and you cannot confused any of the characters for another one. Except for Will, which sounds exactly like Jace (TMI). I should really say Jace is a dupe of Will, should I? Oh, and tessa might just be a more mature version of Clary. Other than that, everyone's different. All of them were great but my favorites have to be Tessa, Will, Charlotte and Jem/James. I cannot wait to know more about them for sure.
Anyway, this isn't about comparing book series so, let's talk about Clockwork Angel more.
Tessa Gray didn't know that her world would be turned upside down when she moved to England. It should have been easy... simple. Move to a new country, move in with her brother and live her life. Instead, as soon a she arrives, she thrown into this world, this weird supernatural world where she's supposed to marry this man that she's never seen or heard of before and her brother is missing. In comes Will, to the rescue and Tessa's world is changed even more and she gets to learn more about herself and this unknown but action/adventure filled world. Did I mention the killing machines?
The Neighbour's Cat: A Short Story by J.S. Ellis, J.S. Ellis
4.0
**Advanced copy received from Booksirens**
4*
This was a pretty fun short story told in the point of view of a cat. What makes it even funnier, for me, is that it is a tuxedo cat and I live with one in real life so I could totally picture him while reading this story.
I thought the idea of a thriller story told from an animal's point of view was really neat. If you ever wonder what's up in your pet's head... this is a nice touch. I mean, aren't pets smarter than we believe?
I love how this cat was totally thankful to his owner's love and care and absolutely aware of his owner's... different business in life and the struggle he's got to deal living with both situations. My owner saved my life but, at the same time, he's doing something totally terrible and I know it and can't do much. Oh wait, let me see if I can try this.
There were a bunch of typos and possibly missing a couple words but that's a part of reading arcs, right?
Anyway, it was really short but as soon as i requested it, I started reading it and didn't put it down until the end. Food? What is that? lol
4*
This was a pretty fun short story told in the point of view of a cat. What makes it even funnier, for me, is that it is a tuxedo cat and I live with one in real life so I could totally picture him while reading this story.
I thought the idea of a thriller story told from an animal's point of view was really neat. If you ever wonder what's up in your pet's head... this is a nice touch. I mean, aren't pets smarter than we believe?
I love how this cat was totally thankful to his owner's love and care and absolutely aware of his owner's... different business in life and the struggle he's got to deal living with both situations. My owner saved my life but, at the same time, he's doing something totally terrible and I know it and can't do much. Oh wait, let me see if I can try this.
There were a bunch of typos and possibly missing a couple words but that's a part of reading arcs, right?
Anyway, it was really short but as soon as i requested it, I started reading it and didn't put it down until the end. Food? What is that? lol
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
4.0
To be honest, before the Netflix series, I bad no idea this was a book so thanks to the show, I picked up the book.
I love the series and I enjoyed the book. So many different things in between yet a lot of the same too.
I suck at reviews. I would recommend this to people that are curious about it but toi have to be aware it can be triggering and since it is not an easy subject, this shouldn't be read by everyone. At least have someone know and check with you for discussion if needs be. It's important.
Suicide shouldn't be an option. Ever. And maybe this book makes it really easy to say that it is but no.
I love the series and I enjoyed the book. So many different things in between yet a lot of the same too.
I suck at reviews. I would recommend this to people that are curious about it but toi have to be aware it can be triggering and since it is not an easy subject, this shouldn't be read by everyone. At least have someone know and check with you for discussion if needs be. It's important.
Suicide shouldn't be an option. Ever. And maybe this book makes it really easy to say that it is but no.