Started "Forsaken"

I just finished chapter 6 of Forsaken by Keary Taylor. It takes place about 4 months after the ending of Branded. It's not a terrible start to the book. Just kind of going over things that passed by the 4 months and some of the challenges that are happening now after what happened to Alex. And now Jessica and Alex are having troubles figuring out how to handle the rest of their lives; like when/if Alex will pop the question that Jessica wants him to ask. And things with her friend Emily are getting interesting as well. I think something big is going to happen with her since she has been acting strange and has admitted to Jessica that she is jealous of what her and Alex have because Emily can't seem to find a man to treat her the way Alex treats Jessica. But so far I don't have any complaints about the book. Maybe that it's a little slow of a start to a second book, but that could change.

And just a heads up, I don't know how much reading I will be doing this next month because National Novel Writing Month starts tomorrow so I have a lot of writing to do. This is my first year participating so I hope it goes well. I will still be reading but I just don't know how much I will be reading. So it might take me a little longer to finish the book. Happy reading everyone :)

"Branded" by Keary Taylor; my final thoughts

I have finished Branded by Keary Taylor, the first book of her Fallen Angels series. I really enjoyed this book. Lots of great imagery and character development. The book is about the life of a girl named Jessica who has these nightmares ever since she was a young child. Every time she sleeps she stands trial for people who have passed away and is branded on her neck and her shoulders no matter what. She always wakes up screaming. Because of this she avoids sleep as much as possible; she will go days without sleeping because of this.

Jessica is in her 20's and is home caretaker for an older couple who owns several homes. One night their grandson shows up, without realizing that she would be there, and reports that they passed away and everything had been left to him and a set amount of money set aside to provide for the caretaker, Jessica. And of course the two of them spend a lot of time together and fall in love. Alex, the grandson, is the perfect guy, the guy any girl dreams of. He's charming, funny, polite, and understanding. He will do anything for Jessica, which becomes evident at the end of the book, which I will not spoil because it is quite the ending!

But there is one man who makes an appearance that causes all sorts of trouble. His name is Cole, and he moves in two houses down from Jessica. Jessica feels that something is wrong about him but she cannot place it until it is almost too late. I don't want to reveal to much about Cole's character because it is much more fun to discover it in the book.

I am going to be rating this book a 5/5 on goodreads.com. I absolutely love this book and can't wait to continue the series. The detail and characters where absolutely wonderfully written. I will admit I wish there were a few more action scenes, but I have a feeling things will intensify in the next book. I would highly recommend this book for someone who wants to start a new series. I was able to get the first book for free on my kindle, but I do not know how long that offer will be available.

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I will be reading the next book in the Fallen Angels series Forsaken by Keary Taylor. I'm really excited. Happy reading everyone :)

About half way through "Branded"

This book is actually a pretty fast read, which is why I'm already at about the half way mark. Things are starting to get interesting. Jessica's strange dreams are now starting to change, and she has discovered that she is not the only one with this strange occurrence. I stopped at the part where she is about to talk to this girl, Emily, who is also her yoga instructor, about the dreams that they both have.

Things between Jessica and Alex are starting to get really serious, and I must say, I love Alex. He is perfect and charming and romantic and understanding about Jessica's nightmares. However, the author has introduced another mane, Cole, that I'm not to fond of. If Jessica ends up getting caught in a love circle, I'm gonna me really mad. There are too many books with love triangles that I think that would ruin this book for me. But I would still finish the series since I am enjoying this book. But it Jessica ends up in a love triangle.....I am going to be disappointed. Right now it doesn't seem like it will happen, but who knows.

But like I said, so far I am really enjoying this book. I can't wait to see how it goes and eventually continue on to book 2. Happy reading everyone :)

Started "Branded"

I got through the first 4 chapters of Branded by Keary Taylor. It's not a bad start so far. Lots of background and set up for whats to come. We follow the life of a girl named Jessica that has strange dreams. Ever since she was young, when she falls asleep she goes to what I am calling "judgement" where she stands before angels who are deciding whether a person goes to heaven or hell for the things they have done in their life. She does not know why it happens, but it always happens in her sleep. I'm sure we will find out more about this strange occurrence since I'm only in the first 4 chapters, but it is very interesting.

Other than that, Jessica's life seems to be pretty normal so far. She is a caretaker for an old couples home, since they seem to own several properties. But in the middle of the night, their grandson Alex comes to inform her that they passed away in a car accident and that they left everything to him, including the property. Jessica doesn't know what will happen, and she is starting to sense some romantic feelings towards him, even though she doesn't want to because she has been hurt before.

So far I am enjoying the start of this book. It's a little slow but I'm sure things will pick up. I'm excited to see where this goes. Happy reading everyone :)

"Beloved Purgatory" by Katherine Pine; my final thoughts

I have finished reading the second book of Katherine Pine's Fallen Angels series, Beloved Purgatory. It was very similar to the first book; same style of writing and an easy read. Fast paced like the first one, but not as fast, there were a lot more slower moments in this book, but it didn't drag on or anything.

I really enjoyed this sequel to After Eden. It picked up right where After Eden left off, which I like. I don't really like sequels that skip a lot of time. It's probably strange, but it's a small, picky thing of mine. But there were very interesting turns of events in this one. Many more than in the first book. I don't want to give too much away though. That's the only thing I don't like about reviewing sequels because I don't want to give to many spoilers, but I don't want to give a very plain review either.

The images Katherine Pine creates are very strong and beautifully written. I can picture every scene and character she describes. I really enjoyed her writing.

I don't have a whole lot to talk about character wise. Devi is still figuring things out about her and her brother, and Oz. The character that I feel developed the most was Devi's angel, Cameal. He seems to be on the verge of wanting to experience human things, like Oz did before he fell. I really hope Cameal doesn't fall but he definitely has shown that he has almost considered it. And I think that has a lot to do with the way Devi talks to him. She consistently tells him that he is so cold and emotionless, even though it is not his fault. And I think some of the things she says is starting to get to him. I think he wants to be more caring and show more empathy, even if it is against God's will.

And Devi has discovered that she is much more powerful than she had ever realized, and Oz was blind to it as well. I really want to see what she does, or doesn't, do with this power that she has. I know I would be scared beyond belief if I had that kind of power her and her brother have.

However, I am very sad that the third book has not yet been released. From what I have seen online, it looks like it was supposed to come out a while ago and still hasn't been published. I really hope that it comes out so that we can finish the trilogy, but as of now, I have seen no news regarding the release of the third book.

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The next book that I will be reading is Branded (Fall of Angels book 1) by Keary Taylor.

Continueing "Beloved Purgatory"

I've about about 5 or 6 chapters left in Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine and I'm really interested to see what happens. I don't want to give to much away but Devi has made a deal with a devil that I am sure she will regret soon.
Her relationship with her angel is also becoming interesting. He almost seems to be showing emotions, like he is becoming attached to Devi in a new way. I'm really curious to see how that plays out in the end of this book. His character has made the most change so far I think, and I really like it. Hopefully tomorrow I will finish the book and post my final thoughts. Happy reading :)

Started "Beloved Purgatory" by Katherine Pine

Today I read the first 4 chapters of Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine. It starts right where the last book ended, which I like. I enjoy books that do that more than books that skip time in between books, but anyways...Devi has to try and explain why she has been gone for several days to her mother and ends up not telling her anything. She is still struggling with her angel that is everywhere with her at all times, and she is now discovering that Oz has an interesting secret of his own. I have not gotten to the part where she knows what the secret is, but she now knows that there is something important he is not telling her. I'm sure we will find out soon enough but where I stopped reading he has not told her yet.

Things are really getting interesting with Devi and her angel. She is constantly trying to keep in away and not wanting any help from him, but she is beginning to realize that she needs him more than she wants. It will be interesting to see how that relationship will develop. Happy reading everyone :)

Final thoughts of "After Eden" by Katherine Pine

After Eden by Katherine Pine is a fantasy/YA (Young Adult) book that is an easy and faced paced story. The story is about a girl named Devi, who has lost her brother when she was young. She will do anything to find out what had happened to him and where he went. She also suffers from horrific pain and seizure like symptoms often. But she soon learns what these "seizures" are and what is causing them. I won't explain too much because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but she ends up having one of theses "seizures" in her favorite book store and the man who owns it stays with her to help her through it. But she soon finds out that he is not what he appears to be.

The man she meets is called Oz, who is tall, dark, and handsome. He is a demon stuck in a world that he does not feel a part of. However, like any YA novel, he falls in love with Devi almost immediately, and the same goes for her too. Oz is almost that typical "bad" guy who is trying to do good but is judged kind of by his looks. He has been hurt in the past but wants to move past them finally. He wants to have a relationship with Devi, but he knows that if he does that things could end badly because of a curse that God put on devils and demons when they chose to love the Earth and humanity more than God himself. Oz has fallen for Devi hard, no matter how much he tried to avoid it. He knew the consequences but he couldn't stop his feelings for her. He longs to feel connected to the world that he chose to be in instead of loving God, and he begins to feel that connection with Devi.


But Devi is a girl with very few friends and little to no experience/luck with guys, so it was inevitable that she was going to fall head-over-heals for the first guy that took a genuine interest in her. She is very emotional as well; probably one of the most emotional characters that I have read, but it did not make me dislike the book. I think it was because her emotions where not a typical winy, young high school drama emotions, but they were genuine feelings that are hard to deal with. She has had countless tragedies happen to her and her mother and it only makes sense that she is so emotional when difficult things happen in the book. Granted, I would have liked it if she was slightly less cry-y but I can live with it. Maybe in the second book she won't be as cry-y and emotional, but we'll see. I could see that being a character progress if she did learn to control her crying and emotions better. But I do think that Devi is a very believable character and is developed well. I think the author did very well making her character. I could picture her perfectly and could believe her motives and reactions to most things in the book.

I am rating this novel a 4/5 on goodreads.com. I really enjoyed this book. It had great imagery and well developed and unique characters. There were also interesting twists and turns that I did not expect. I would recommend this book to anyone one who enjoys YA novels or fantasy or books about fallen angels. I hope my review was helpful. Happy reading everyone! :)

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My next novel I am going to be reading is the sequel, Beloved Purgatory by Katherine Pine. I'm super excited to see what happens :)

Continuing "After Eden" by Katherine Pine

I'm at 72% in the book according to my kindle :) and I am super excited. I have a feeling that I may be able to finish it tomorrow, and if not I will for sure have it finished Monday. But I'm pretty confident that I'll have it done tomorrow. It's a pretty easy read so I should be able to breeze past it. I think the ending is going to be interesting and I'm going to start book 2 right after I finish this one. I can't wait to find out what happens next, but I'm not going to give any spoilers :) Happy reading

Half way with "After Eden"

Made it to the half way point of After Eden and things are getting interesting. I really don't want to spoil anything because things are so good in this book. But do far in this book all of the characters are greatly developed and interesting. All of them are different and unique and believable. I really think that makes this book that much better. The story is interesting as well and it's developments are surprising as they come along and that is why I'm refraining from saying much. At least for now. Depending on how it ends I might say more in my final review of the book. Happy reading everyone :)

Started "After Eden"

I read the first 5 chapters of After Eden and I must say it was difficult for me to put it down so far. It is very interesting and action packed almost from the start. The story is about a girl named Devi, who has lost her brother when she was young. She will do anything to find out what had happened to him and where he went. She also suffers from horrific pain and seizure like symptoms often. But she soon learns what these "seizures" are and what is causing them. I won't explain too much because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but she ends up having one of theses "seizures" in her favorite book store and the man who owns it stays with her to help her through it. But she soon finds out that he is not what he appears to be.

I am really enjoying this book so far. I can't believe I never got to it until now. I've had in on my kindle for what seems forever and I am now finally getting to it. Even after only the first 5 chapters I already would recommend it to someone who enjoys fantasy or wants something new that isn't in their usual genre of reading. I'm really liking this novel so far. I can't wait to continue it tomorrow. Happy reading everyone :)

"The Bubble Gum Thief" by Jeff Miller, My final thoughts

So I lied earlier, I managed to finish the book :) And it was interesting to say the least. I'll try to give a quick summary and then go into more detail. The story is about detective Dangy who is an average agent, but she also suffers from anorexia (I will touch on this later).  The BGT (Bubble Gum Thief) is a criminal who's crimes escalate and he leaves a small card with a stick of bubble gum on the back as a "calling card" if you will. Now I don't want to give to much away, but I think now I will go into a few specific things about the characters and some of the plot....

I really wanted to feel sorry for Dangy when things in her personal life get bad (I won't specify because I don't want to reveal a spoiler) but I can't feel bad because the way she reacts to it and talks about it isn't all that believable....I don't know, it was just really hard to connect with her because she so distant with everyone, including the reader, and when things do go bad I wanted to feel it but there was nothing to feel, which I think is what is making this book difficult to really get into and be memorable. Like I said before, Dangy just seems to distant and it's hard to feel anything for her, and I honestly feel closer to everyone she meets than her and I feel that shouldn't be the case since she is the protagonist. I honestly feel closer to her partner, Victor, during the investigation because he is such a "dork" and is probably used as the "comic relief" of the story, but he is much more relate-able and sincere and the reader can easily pick that up. But honestly I can't even pick a trait that covers Dangy's personality other than "distant" because that is all she really is. I just can't connect to her and I wish I could. I feel we don't know a lot about her except that he suffers from anorexia but even that doesn't seem realistic. I feel that the author just kind of made her anorexic to make her a more complex character but it doesn't really seem to be affecting her much...it just seems strange... The other characters I really enjoy though, they seem unique and realistic and make me laugh at times, but Dangy still seems flat and shes the protagonist....

The BGT (Bubble Gum Thief) seems too stereotypical. He's creepy and stalker-ish like you see in movies or a TV show....I was hoping for more originality because I find the concept of his crimes very interesting by leaving a card with a stick of bubble gum at each scene. And his crimes escalate each time. But I feel the character does not fit the crime....I don't know, he just didn't really stand out and didn't give me that "OMG NO WAY" or "THAT MAKES SENSE NOW!" moment that I like to get with these kinds of books when we finally get a look at the criminal. I found Victor, Dangy's partner in the investigation, more interesting than BGT...which I don't think is very good. Even at the end of the book the reader does not learn much about BGT. It was kind of unsatisfying, spending all that time reading the book and really not learning much about the criminal himself. The crimes where interesting but I also wanted more about him.

The ending did have a nice little spin at the end, but it was nothing that I expected and it did not really give any insight to BGT, but I did enjoy the ending.

I'm going to be giving this novel a 3.5/5 on goodreads.com. I don't feel this book quite deserved a 4 because of the lack of character building of the criminal. I think if there was more on the criminal I could have given it a 4, maybe even a 5.

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The next book I will be starting, which I probably won't start till Monday, is After Eden (Fallen Angels book 1) by  Katherine Pine. I've had it on my kindle for a while so I'm excited to finally read it :) Happy Reading everyone

Didn't read much last few days

Yesterday I did not read because I wasn't feeling well and today I haven't read much because I had my brother stop by and spent time with him. But I am planning on having the book done by Monday. I"m pretty confident I should be able to have it done Monday. And I've already started a basic review so it shouldn't take me long to update it once I finish and post my review. It's probably my longest review yet! Happy reading everyone :)

Almost there

I have just under a hundred pages to go and things are finally starting to come together a little bit. We have seen some interactions between Dangy and The Bubble Gum Thief. Their encounter was interesting (I won't specify because I don't want to give away anything) but I felt it was almost too brief. It was also not that original; it was strange and almost too stereotypical of a "mad-man." I don't know, maybe it was just me, but from what we saw of BGT (Bubble Gum Thief, abbreviation used in the book) he was unoriginal. But maybe it will change by the end, there is still about 100 pages left so a lot can happen. But it was nice to finally see something between Dangy and BGT. I hope the ending is worth it :) Happy reading everyone

Half way

Reached the half way point of The Bubble Gum Thief and it's still not really going anywhere. The bubble gum thief has now committed their 7th crime. It's interesting how the crimes are escalating but I want more about the crimes and the criminal. I think there is almost too much focus on the other stuff. Yeah, it's important, but with this kind of book I feel the crime and criminal should have a little more focus than what there is so far in the book. But as of now I would give the book a 3.5/5. We'll see if the second half can impress me a little more, but I am determined to finish it. I hate not finishing a book, even if I end up not liking, I still want to finish it. Happy reading :)

Reached Chapter 24

Today I got to chapter 24 of The Bubble Gum Thief and it is still kind of developing. There still isn't much known about the criminal but that he is on his 6th crime I believe, if I remember correctly. But I feel that the main character, Dangy, is still kind of flat. I feel we still don't know a lot about her except that he suffers from anorexia but even that doesn't seem realistic. I feel that the author just kind of made her anorexic to make her a more complex character but it doesn't really seem to be affecting her much...it just seems strange...maybe it will get better. The other characters I really enjoy though, they seem unique and realistic and make me laugh at times, but Dangy still seems flat and shes the protagonist....which I think she should be more developed. But there is still a lot to go so hopefully she will develop more. Happy reading everyone :)

Started The Bubble Gum Thief

Today I started The Bubble Gum Thief. I read nearly 50 pages, I think up to chapter 7. It's an ok start. I thought there would be more going on by now after 50 pages but it is over 400 pages so it's probably taking longer to set up the characters and what not. So far the Bubble Gum thief has committed 2 crimes: stealing a pack of gum and sell cocaine. It will be interesting to see how his crimes progress. Happy Reading :)