Book Review: Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published April 7th, 2020
432 Pages

A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.

Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended. – Goodreads

Sigh.  There is a spoiler ahead by the way.

This book had me in a fit of rage and it was all because of Sloane.

She is a selfish, self-centered, rude, ungrateful, entitled, does not acknowledge anyone’s pain but her own, does not care about the lives she ruins or the consequences, AND is in a “relationship” with a Black male that she does not care to understand OR even empathize with.

Sloane is the definition of a Becky and she made me literally upset. But I am not done yet. Going to her “relationship” with her Black boyfriend, Matt. She acknowledges that he, even after defeating the Dark One with her, experiences racism. She acknowledges the fact that he uses positivity and kindness to deal with the racism. However! She can’t stand him for it. She gets upset when he goes talks to teenage Black girls at an event. She starts a fight and uses the racism towards him (that came after HE came to stop her) as a reason why she reacts the way she does sometimes.

AND she isn’t even in love him. They are together 10 years. She is in love with another member of the group (like just call it what it is) but he does not have any sexual advances towards her.  Matt has both but she uses Matt for sex even while she talks about how he doesn’t really know her or understand her like the other dude does.

Sloane is trash. It is rare for me to hate a character but I hate her.

I understand PTSD. I understand not wanting to fight again. I understand trying to carve a piece of privacy when you are known for something you don’t actually want to remember. BUT NONE OF THIS IS GROUNDS FOR YOU TO BE A SHITTY PERSON.  She isn’t even a good friend. She resents her “friends” for not sitting in a dark hole with her and trying to move on with their lives the best way they can.

There is no getting past her. There is no “yeah the main character is horrible but the world building yadda yadda yadda.” There is none of that.  What makes this book “different” is the fact that it tells a story of what if the chosen ones had to do it all over again. But if you really think about it is not much different then reading a book two to a series that has another battle to go through. Because that is what this book feels like is a book two in which the main character turned out to be evil.

Overall, I tired to finish this book but when I put it down and picked it back up, I would get upset. It is a interesting read and I completely get that characters take a life of their own but Sloane made me uncomfortable and it made me think how much of this character is like the author or someone she knows.

For the sake of Goodreads, I have this listed as a 1. But for the sake of my site, this book gets no rating.

Book Review: Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

Avon
Published April 1st, 2020
400 Pages

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for…

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…– Goodreads

This is my first book by Alisha Rai. I would like to note that this is the second book to her Modern Love series. Although they are separate stories with references to the first book, I did feel like I should have read the first book. When I was reading, I felt like I was missing something and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. With that being said, I probably would have found this more enjoyable if I would have read the first book.

But moving forward this book was cute. Although at times seeing Jas and Katrina act like middle school kids was frustrating, I enjoyed the slow build. If you aren’t interested in slow builds, you will not like this book because it is slow.

I liked Jas way more than I liked Katrina and it is not because she has so much going on. She is just boring. Adorable but boring. Jas was not only attractive, he was talented, spoke three different languages, had depth but was comfortably simple. I adored him and loved the fact that I was able to read from his point of view.

Beyond Katrina being stale, I am just going to say reading about her or Jas having sex was extremely uncomfortable for me. Not because I don’t read sexual activity in books but because it felt forced and it felt like the author just put it in there to appease the masses. It didn’t feel genuine at all. It read like the author was uncomfortable writing it.

*sigh*

But overall, this wasn’t a bad read. It was okay, cute (ish). It would have been nice if Katrina had more personality and if there was more chemistry.

2 Pickles

 

book overview 2019: The Disappointments

Part two of the four part book overview of 2019. If you haven’t taken the chance the look at the first post, which I display my favorite books and honorable mentions of the 2019, check it out here.

In this post, I listed some of my disappointed read of 2019. Oddly enough there was a lot and that could be due to me following the hype because one of my personal goals was to read more newer releases to keep up with the trends and hot topics. This caused expectations to be through the roof, which sucked.

But here is my list. What did your year look like?

Inkyard Press TBP Jan. 7th 2020 448 Pages

Mary HK Choi new book cover reveal Credit: ohgigue

Book Review: A Jewel Bright Sea (Mage and Empire #1) by Claire O’Dell

Rebel Base Books
TBP: Sept 3rd, 2019

It was her talent for tracking magic that got Anna Zhdanov sent to catch a thief. A scholar’s daughter sold as a bond servant, she has no desire to recover the Emperor’s jewel for herself. But a chance to earn her freedom has driven her to the untamed Eddalyon province, awash with warm breezes, lapping waves, and more danger than she could possibly guess.
 
Within days her cover as an indolent noblewoman is in question, and it’s clear there’s more to Anna’s task than she knows. Soon she’s the captive of the unpredictable pirate captain Andreas Koszenmarc, hunted by the Emperor’s guard, besieged by a brigand queen, and at odds with her only friend. She must trust someone if she is to survive. But when all that’s certain is that everyone is hiding something, it’s no simple thing to choose …- Goodreads

This is one of those reads that I reluctantly enjoyed. Nothing really happens until you are about 70% into the book which is a lot of time. Why I pulled through for so long? Because I knew it was coming. The author gives you a (very) slow build not in regards to the romance of the novel but the whole pirate adventure theme. I actually really enjoyed it and wished the author added much more of that excitement and magic way more in the beginning of the book.

In regards to the romance, it was unexpected because nothing gives way for anything to happen. It made sense but it was forced. There wasn’t any form of lust or want from Andreas or Anna at any point before the big explosion happened. I understand that maybe the author was putting a lot on them as characters so when they had downtime they could see each other but that method didn’t really do anything for me.

However, I did like their romance once it started and I did like the book right after it hit the 70%.

Overall, its one of those books that isn’t exactly good but you get drawn into it and start feeling yourself enjoying it. There is a book two and I hope that the author chooses other characters to focus on that are part of Andreas and Anna’s story as opposed to talking about them. I plan on reading book two.

3 Pickles

Author Interview: Johanna Nield

Hey Guys!

I have had the most amazing pleasure to conduct an extended Quick Five interview with author Johanna Nield.

Author of the New Beginnings series, Ms. Nield is excited to share the re-release of her series, after self-publishing, with the UK publising company Cranthorpe Miller.

Y’all I cannot tell you how great this interview was. To be able to dig deep wth Ms. Nield about changing from self-publishing to sponsored publishing, to find out more about her as a writer and what she views as sucess was extremely exciting.

I hope you enjoy this very open interview.

You can find Johanna Nield on her website at http://www.johannanield.co.uk/ Facebook and Goodreads.

___________________________________

Your book New Beginnings was originally published in 2010 but it looks like it is getting its own “new beginning” now. 😊 How do you feel about where your book is going, nine years later?

I’m delighted with its magnificent make-over! I self-published New Beginnings to please family and friends who wanted to read more than the extracts I’d been sharing, but I knew it needed a professional touch. The Cranthorpe Miller team have helped me improve and update my novel and I love the way it’s turned out.

Since the book was published nine years ago, how has the book and your writing changed since its original release?

The plot remains unchanged, but it has been updated to reflect current times, to clarify some events and references, and to shed some unnecessary passages. My writing has developed significantly over the years, particularly in terms of achieving more concise descriptions. The writing challenges presented by my university course helped me to cultivate my narrative voice and to identify my strengths and weaknesses as a writer but I view my development as a writer as an ongoing process because there’s always something new to learn.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a series?

For me, the most difficult thing is knowing when to stop! The second and third books in my series continue on from New Beginnings but I haven’t yet reached the end: books four and five are bubbling away on the mental backburner. It’s often difficult to remember who did what and when, so my character notes and plot timetable are extremely important for keeping me on track.

How do you balance being a reader and a writer when writing a book?

As a reader, I know what I like and dislike in a book and I bring that to my writing. If I don’t want to read something, then I’m less likely to write it. For example, a turn-off for me is stuttering dialogue, littered with “Um” and “Ah …” and long pauses. Yes, people do talk that way but for me it’s not an engaging way to present a conversation. Reading also lets me see how other tales are crafted, the best of which give me something to strive towards. I once put down a book and cried because the writing was so exquisite, and I almost gave up as a writer because I felt I couldn’t emulate that level of expertise. Thankfully, as many best-sellers have shown, writers are as different as the readers who enjoy their work.

Do you do any research for your books? If so, how does your research look like?

I needed to update my knowledge of NVQ modules for New Beginnings, and to ensure I used correct medical terms. Our local reference library is always my first option and I then supplement the information gained there with internet searches. I’m careful to only use reliable and certified sites to ensure the material I use is up-to-date and correct.

To change the subject slightly, what is it about literature or the overall the written word that drew you to becoming a writer?

Words have always fascinated me. I have loved reading from an early age and writing quickly became a joy. Words can be immeasurably powerful and the ability to express oneself with carefully chosen phrases is a gift of genius in some, in the same way as those who create beautiful artwork. I consider myself an eager apprentice, frequently enthralled by perfect prose.

How has the publishing world been for you? Is there any advice you would give a new author?

The publishing world has been instructive, challenging, supportive and developmental. Most of the rejections I’ve received over the years have been constructive and encouraging, and feedback from all quarters is always invaluable. I’m under no illusion that my life will change but I’m delighted that my life-long dream has come true. My advice to new authors is “Write. Don’t worry about how good it is, just write. Then read it, think about it, and write again. And never even think about giving up.”

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

Writing has always been a spare time activity as I work full-time and have family commitments. If writing didn’t captivate me, I think I’d be an artist because I love to paint and draw. Creativity is extremely important to me: it’s my way of relaxing and switching off from the demands of the day.

Is there anything that you dislike about the process of becoming either a published author or writing?

No! Writing is an exciting, exhilarating, wonderful experience! There is always something to learn and there will always be opportunities to improve, to try new genres and styles, to experiment with different subjects and eras – there are worlds waiting to be written about. The process of becoming a published author is also exciting, exhilarating, wonderful … and a very steep learning curve! If I could change anything about that process, I would make myself better at self-promotion as that is a skill I lack.

Finally, what is your definition of success as a writer?

For me, success as a writer comes when a reader enjoys what I’ve written and understands what I’m trying to say. It’s not about sales or best-seller lists; for me, hearing that someone likes my work is far more important and rewarding than knowing I’ve sold a certain number of books. The opportunity to engage with readers – to hear their feedback (good and bad) and to learn from them what works and what doesn’t – is far more valuable than potential fame for out-selling another author.

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Fall Cover Love

If you are a new follower, I do a cover love post throughout the year. Here I display different books that will be released between 1-3 months. You can check out January here and June here.

Crown Books for Young Readers Published Sept. 17th, 2019 384 Pages

Mary HK Choi new book cover reveal Credit: ohgigue

The Parliament House TBP Oct. 1, 2019

Which are your favorites? And what books coming out this year that I should be looking for?

Orbit
April 3rd 2018
465 Pages

The Anakim dwell in the desolate forests and mountains beyond the black river, the land under the Northern Sky.

Their ancient ways are forged in Unthank silver and carved in the grey stone of their heartland, their lives measured out in the turning of centuries, not years.
By contrast, the Sutherners live in the moment, their vitality much more immediate and ephemeral than their Anakim neighbors.

Fragile is the peace that has existed between these very different races – and that peace is shattered when the Suthern armies flood the lands to the north.
These two races revive their age-old hatred and fear of each other. Within the maelstrom of war, two leaders will rise to lead their people to victory.
Only one will succeed. – Goodreads

I read this book with Nora over at Paper Tea and Books. And if I did not have her to read it with, then I would have DNF this book 20% in.

Throughout the entire book, it felt as the author is describing to you what the book is about as opposed to telling a story. It felt like the author was trying to convenience you that this is a book was depth, war, betrayal and some form of redemption. But the only thing this book had was a lot of world building, a lot of politics and a grown man being babied.

Roper gets into the leadership position because of his father’s death at battle. Although he is very intelligent when it comes to war, he is soft. He is one of those leaders that need other people to do the dirty work because it isn’t cut out for him. He comes off as a 12 year old and when people don’t do what he wants, how he wants he pouts and stomps his feet until they say Okay.

But that isn’t even the worst. In one case, he is to go hunting and he stuns the animal and keeps thrown across the other side of the forest. His father in law comes and praises him and is like well you didn’t kill it, I did but you did a good job -_- I was ready to throw my phone because Roper doesn’t do anything on his own and somehow every battle always wins.

Another issue with this book is there is no thrill. The author downplays the entire thing. Like no one is fearing for their life at the intensity it should. No one is stabbing people in the back. Everyone is being civil. Which is crazy to me because this is suppose to be war; a external and internal war.

Also regards the other characters, SO MUCH POTENTIAL! The author dropped the ball on developing the surrounding characters who play a huge role in the story. It felt like he was so focused on simply introducing the characters that he forgot to actually develop them into a well thought out story.

This book was a DNF for me but I enjoyed talking to Nora about it that I finished it. The plan was to give book two a try because there is potential in this book. But those last few chapters killed it for me.

Overall,

1 Pickle

The Minis

Doubleday Books
Published July 11th 2017
322 Pages

The Blyton Summer Detective Club aka teen detectives haven’t seen each other in years since their last traumatizing case.

Now 3 out of the four members, with their massive baggage, come together to figure out what really happened on that case and maybe finally they can actually close it.

This book had a good foundation but wasn’t executed right. Between what seemed like a force relationship, slow plot and lack of in depth world building, this Scobby Doo knock off (sorry couldn’t think of a better phrase) was a hard read.

1 Pickle

Growing your Own Tea Garden is much more than

CompanionHouse Books
TBP: May 14th 2019

giving you steps to well grow your tea garden. There is history behind each tea, each leaf and there is a care the author gives when explaining why this is something you should know/do.

As someone who wants to rely on my own means to take care of my household as opposed to running to the store for everything, this is a great resource to have.

5 Pickles

Madam’s Books
Published Nov. 8th 2018
123 Pages

I have read the first two books of this series. To Claim a King is by far the strongest book of this series. My issue with To Tame a Rogue is it felt like there was less story and more how can I make this book dripping in sex.is The author didn’t take as much care to build a plot as she did with the sex.

1 Pickle

I am just going to start out by saying that this comic

Berger Books
Published July 30th, 2018
128 Pages

is okay. There is creativity in the aliens and how Dr. Future interacts with them.

But it is an overall situation we see in real life. People fighting for the right and enter and live within this country.

The protests, the anger, the fear all of this is portrayed within this comic and although I feel the author did well putting a spin on current politics but there was nothing really grabbing me to continue reading other than Dr. Future’s relationship with Letme.

End of an Reading Era

it’s the end of an expensive and beautiful relationship.

Its truly a sad time for me.

And its completely you and just a slight bit of me.

So, I have decided to stop reading Sandra Brown books and to be honest it kind of hurts that I have made this decision because we have a long relationship. When I was, I would say 14 and reading Cosmopolitan magazines, behind my parents back, I came across my first Sandra Brown book.

It was called Crush.

If you have ever read anything book previews from Cosmopolitan magazine, you know It’s the juicy part. That was my first taste of Sandra Brown. From there, I read the following (not in particular order):

I was a die hard fan. Every time she came out with a new book, I was buying it hardcover during release week. I loved and (still do) her writing. Sandra Brown has a way of keeping your attention throughout the book and bringing you into the romance. But most importantly, she keeps you there. I loved it for years.

About 5 years ago, I hit a wall. Her books were starting to read the same. Successful woman or woman down on her luck gets caught up in something less favorable and meets the hard man with a rough pass, who is either some form of law enforcement, private eye, the ex military or the man who is just too good to be true and has no secrets.

I tried to push through because in my mind, you can’t keep writing the same book over and over right? I mean reading her past books, you see the differences and creativity in them but these recent books, can’t always be the same right? I was wrong. So very wrong.

So I took a break and with the recent novel Tailspin, I decided to take a stab at it. Finished the book but struggled from chapter three and on. I couldn’t get into it and I most certainly couldn’t love it. There were a lot of moments where I was cringing and just rolling my eyes and completely realized that nothing has changed from when the last time I read her books.

Her older titles such as The Rana Look, Slow Heat in Heaven and Mirror Image provide something different in the characters and the overall setting. They are some of my favorite reads that I enjoy going back to.

But as of late, I haven’t been able to get into her books and I think an era is over for me. For the past, 15 years, I have purchased hardcover copies, more than one to share, of Sandra Brown’s books and I think that was a good run. I read her books now knowing what is going to happen and in some form of way how it is going to happen and opposed to giving a crap rating over and over again, it is best if I just stop putting time into her books.

Will I always recommend someone to read Sandra Brown? Most definitely! She is a fantastic writer. However, I will always recommend her older books over the newer one. If you have never read a Sandra Brown book, like never even thought to pick up one, go ahead and read her latest works but you will find the passion for the story in the older titles.

Overall, I have to let this go. To save myself time and to save Ms. Brown from receiving low ratings on her books.

On to the next one!

<3

Book Review: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Doubleday Books
Published Nov. 20, 2018
240 Pages

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her “missing” boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.

A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works, is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they’re perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola’s phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it.- Goodreads 

I was surprised at how fast I read through this book. I didn’t realize it was a short novel until about half way though it. This wasn’t an issue as this book was a strong read that packed a lot of punch within a short amount of time.

Would I call this a mystery or thriller? No. You know who done it. You see a huge turning point early in the book and you kind of have an idea of how it is going to end. There was nothing thrilling per say about this book but it was a good read.

Korede is relatable. As the less desirable sister, she lives in Ayoola’s shadow and proves to be the more responsible, level-headed family member out the bunch. She doesn’t have the confidence or love of herself to stand on her own and that is very clear from the 6th chapter of the book. Therefore, everything that comes afterwards has a line of predictably, except the ending. Kind of.

Two things happen and at those moments you regret that the book was so short. There is no saving Ayoola but Korede. . .  the author can add so much to her story and hope and wish she will.

But beyond this, fast read that is very descriptive and keeps you wanting more. Due to the short nature of this book, you jump right into the thick of things and although the author does go back and forth between the past and present, it isn’t messy nor overly complicated. The transitions are perfect and the past makes sense with the present. Downtime feels nonexistent within this book; everything is building up to the climax. There is no fluff and I greatly appreciate that.

Overall, this didn’t have me at the edge of my seat but I was heavily invested in the plot. I want more about Korede and I want more from this author.

3 Pickles