Tag: books

Impostors
jacqui_monet
March 22, 2019

Title: Impostors

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Series: Uglies: Imposters Saga Book 1

Genre: YA/ Science Fiction

Pages: 405

Being completely honest, while I am a fan of Scott Westerfeld and most of his work, I was a little apprehensive when I heard the he would continue the Uglies series. I LOVED the original 3 but found the fourth, Extras, to be “fine”. Impostors, though, did not disappoint me at all!

I enjoyed the story and it moved very well. I don’t find the new cast of characters in this story to be as dynamic as the those from the original books, but the may be because I’m not as attached to them yet. This new series takes place about 16 years or so after the end of the Extras and only one character remains, literally showing up for one scene. I’m not going to get into the story because doing so could spoil the original four books. Yes (!) you need to read the original four or else you will be terribly confused.

Ratings

Plot: 4/5          Characters: 4/5          Ease of Reading: 5/5

Healing Stone
jacqui_monet
August 22, 2017

Title: Healing Stone

Author: Brock Booher

Series: N/A

Genre: YA/ Coming of Age/ Paranormal

Pages: 336

Check out my Two Minute Review of Healing Stone on my ‘booktube’ channel:

Author Q&A ~ Paige Parsons
jacqui_monet
December 28, 2016

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Hey, Paige, thanks for joining me for today’s Author Q and A. Okay, Let’s jump right into it!

Hi Jacqui! Thank you so much for inviting me.

I read your first book Taking the Stage and as a theatre geek myself I loved reading about the backstage drama. What inspired you to write in this setting?

Well, I’ve been involved in and working in theatre since I was 2 years old. The last 20 years have been spent as a stage manager and I can tell you the stories I’ve collected could keep me in material for years??‼

And what about the spanking? I’ve never read a book that included an element like that. Where did that come from?

I honestly read my first discipline novel at about 13, but didn’t know it was a “thing”. I never heard of the term Spanko. I just knew I liked it. Years later I discovered something called fan fiction and read a bunch of spanking stories. I fell in love with the genre all over again.

What was the first book, that you can remember, that dealt those little love taps?

I can’t remember the name, but it was a Victorian story I found on my Nana’s bookshelf. She probably never realized it was on her open shelf and when I started reading I just knew I shouldn’t mention it???‼

This is your first novel. Can you share briefly what was that process like?

I got hit with an idea years ago and started working on it in bits and pieces. While I worked full time and stage managed I plowed away at the story page by page. I finally marshaled my courage and decided to submit my work to Blushing Books. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Do you have any advice for fellow first time novelists?

Sit down and do it! Write, write, write. Study your craft and practice by writing. When you get it all out, take a deep breath and share it.

Ok, ok enough of all the serious stuff. What’s your favorite color?

Purple

Outside of romance, what is your favorite genre to read?

Mystery

If Taking the Stage was an ice cream flavor which would it be?

Jamoca Almond Fudge

What was your proudest moment when you were 5 years old?

Reading a 2nd grade book to my class

If you had a super power, what would it be?

Orbing… Just popping in and out of places.

I know that you are well traveled but, where would you visit that you haven’t already gone?

South Africa

What pizza topping do you hate?

Pineapple! Just why???

Alright now, one last question before we wrap it up. Are you working on anything that my friends and I can look forward to?

Yes, I have a new novella coming out in a Blushing anthology, for Valentines Day and another full length that’s almost done.

 

Thanks so much, Paige, for taking the time to answer a few of my questions! And to all of my friends out there, be sure to check back for more Author Q and A sessions in the coming months!

November Book Haul!!
jacqui_monet
November 18, 2016

 

So, I absolutely love to read as you all know. This has lead to some interesting opportunities for me lately. I have been asked by up and coming authors to beta read their manuscripts, sent ARCs to read and I’ve been asked to make videos reviewing books by the authors who wrote them. What?! Starting this blog and actually starting to do what I love has been amazing. So amazing, that I’ve decided to start a Booktube channel!

For some people I’m sure that could have seen it coming, but I didn’t. I had no idea that I would end up here! Anyway, I want to say thank you for supporting my blog and interacting with me on social media. You all are amazing.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do for my first video and after doing some brainstorming I decided on a book haul video! I went to Barnes and Noble and accidentally spent more that I planned and didn’t even buy what I went in for. Ah, such is the life of a bookaholic.

Check out my first video below:

The Porcupine of Truth
jacqui_monet
November 7, 2016

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Title: The Porcupine of Truth

Author: Bill Konigsberg

Series: N/A

Genre: YA/ Coming of Age

Pages: 336

Review:

Okay, I’m just going to start this off by saying that I absolutely loved The Porcupine of Truth. I like, jump-up-and-down-cried-in-the-middle-recommend-it-to-everyone loved this book! I connected to this book in a way that I haven’t experienced in a really long time. Seriously, I haven’t sobbed while reading since Shadows in Flight, the final book in the ‘Bean Saga’ of the Enders Game series.

So what’s the book about in a nutshell? The Porcupine of Truth follows teenagers Carson and Aisha and they search for his grandfather. See, Carson’s dad is dying and he wants to reconnect the two before it’s too late. What starts out as an hours long trip ends up being and epic journey across the western United States. During their trek, the friends learn a lot about each other and even more about themselves. This book is about growing up and coming into your own; discovering what makes you you.

I don’t want to say anything about the plot. So much happens that I feel the slightest  detail will give something away. I will say that I think everyone should read it. I gave it to my brother to read and if they made a movie I’d watch it. Heck, if they made a miniseries I’d watch it. This book made me laugh out loud one moment and cry the next. Mr. Konigsberg wrote an incredible and I found myself very deeply moved. That’s it, that’s all I can say.

 

Check out the links below to get the book yourself:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Witches of East End Book Review
jacqui_monet
October 25, 2016

witches

Title: Witches of East End

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Series: Witches of East End (book 1)

Genre: SciFi, Fantasy,

Pages: 288

Ok, so my favorite writer for the past few years has been Melissa de la Cruz of the Blue Bloods and the Ashleys series. I have loved almost every book that she has written. I mean, there was one that I got less than a chapter into and pitched it. But this book was great! In keeping with the Halloween theme I read The Witches of East End.

The Witches of East End is the first in her series about a pair of sisters and their mother who try to live quiet lives without magic in a simple cottage in the Hamptons. Now, I feel that I must add that this is not a “pretty, rich, white girls with problems they created” type of book. In fact, not all the problems that come their way are their fault. Trouble tends to come to them because they are a little too generous. You see, they have been banned from using their powers but then one of them does so to help a friend who’s been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant. Then they all start helping people. THEN they get accused of being witches. So much for laying low. The story is really interesting and has since become a series on Lifetime which is also pretty good.

Speaking of series: if you have read the Blue Bloods series of the same author (which you should in order to be able to laugh at certain jokes) you will recognize characters that have cameos. I’m not saying that you should read all of those to be able to understand this book, but I am saying that you should read this between Blue Blood books 7 and 8. Mimi talks about some of the action that takes place in this book, therefore it’s crucial for BB fans to read this.

 

Check out the links below to get the book yourself:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Monster High Book Review
jacqui_monet
October 8, 2016

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Title: Monster High

Author: Lisi Harrison

Series: Monster High (book 1)

Genre: YA/ SciFi

Pages: 246

Review:

So I started reading Monster High by Lisi Harrison, and when I say “started” I mean that I’ve inhaled all four of the original books. Ms. Harrison is the woman who brought us The Clique and Alphas. That being said, although I initially loved the idea of famous monsters’ children (or grandchildren) attending a normal high school while reluctantly “hiding with pride” I was afraid that the story would be well, shallow.

Ms. Harrison’s characters in her previous stories have tended to be incredibly one dimensional. I am glad to share that this series has been great. Heck, she even has a mean girl learn her lesson. Unlike Sharpay from High School Musical who has to relearn her lesson over and over and… Done with the rant. Anyway…

I love her decision to use nearly all of the different characters that Universal Studios explored in the 1930s. The books have everything from swamp monsters to mummies and Hyde to the son of Medusa. All of the characters are very different from each other and even though some of them are popular kids at the school, Lisi Harrison does a great job at making sure that they all have different goals and anxieties. Not all of them are popular by the way, some of them are practically invisible to those around them especially Billy (but he actual is invisible).

There is also a good mix of “normies” or normal kids like Melody and her sister Candace who move to Oregon from Beverly Hills at the beginning of the first book.

I say read the books or buy them for a teen girl you know. It’s a great way to introduce SciFi to younger people without being too out there. Another plus is that it’s a series and introducing a series to a young reader is the best way to ensure that they continue reading. Simply put: if they love the characters, they will want to know what happens to them.

Remember, if this book interests you, check out the links below to experience Monster High for yourself.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Audio Books

*Side note: my brother Josh and I plan to be dressing up as Clawd and Clawdeen Wolf, the werewolf siblings at the high school, for Phoenix ComiCon next year. There is also a cartoon for Monster High on youtube, but be aware that it doesn’t follow the story line of the books AT ALL. Think of cartoon as more of an extended epilogue. I still think it’s kinda cute though. They have also released some full length animated features and a live action film is in the works (supposedly).

Taking The Stage Book Review
jacqui_monet
September 5, 2016

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Title: Taking The Stage

Author: Paige Parsons

Series: n/a (well, not yet anyway)

Genre: Romance, Interracial Romance (BWWM)

Pages: 134

Taking the Stage is the debut novel of Paige Parsons and I have to say I loved every second of it. I’ve never read a romance novel with the intention of  sharing my experience with the public, but I’ve decided to go for it anyway. You know, why not?! That being said, let’s jump right in to it.

This book centers around the working and personal relationships of stage manager Robyn (Roby) Rose and her director Joseph (don’t-call-him-Joey) Davis. Roby has moved back to her home state of Arizona because she suffered a massive personal blow; she caught her husband with his head between the legs of a hot young teacher. Considering that he was the principle of the school that both women worked at, he’s lucky there wasn’t a messy lawsuit along with professional embarrassment. Roby, however, stuck it out for the rest of the school year and then bounced which is more than I can say for myself, I honestly would have walked right out of his office never to be seen or heard from again.

Anyway, after a few weeks or so in good old AZ, Roby is settling into a new apartment and is handed a job at a theatre in town. Roby is chronically late to everything which drives Joseph crazy. He wants to resolve the problem and gives her a choice: 1) every minute late will be docked from her pay or 2) each minute results in a swat. A SWAT!! As in, spanking. There is spanking in this book! At first I thought, “Mm sounds like a sexual harassment lawsuit to me,” because well, he is her boss. But as the book went on I became okay with it  because the spanking wasn’t sexualized. What was sexy though, was the dialogue and their inner monologues about each other. I could feel the sexual tension between them as the story progressed. Throughout the novel, our potential lovers deal with family, meddling mentors and an old flame come back to town in the form of a desperately needed leading actress.

Now, I know I listed above that Taking the Stage is an interracial romance novel but I didn’t really touch on it. In all honesty, the book doesn’t either. The most we get is the occasional description of her skin comparing her to chocolate, which I hate! Why are black characters always described in conjunction with food? Ugh. We don’t describe white characters as mashed potato colored. Anyway, I did like that race never came up. Roby’s blackness is never used against her nor is Joseph’s whiteness used against him. Seriously, I loved that this is a modern story and that race just isn’t an issue.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Once I got past the um “original” spellings of Roby’s sisters’ names, Taking the Stage ended up being a very quick read. In fact, I wish the book had been a little bit longer; I could stand to know a little bit more about what happened between Joseph and his ex. But when all is said and done, this novel was fun and sexy and full of accurate theatre lingo. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, especially my theatre friends.

Check the links below to get this e-book for yourself!

https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Stage-Paige-Parsons-ebook/dp/B01IWQEP3G#nav-subnav

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taking-the-stage-paige-parsons/1124141693?type=eBook

The Invisible Library Book Review
jacqui_monet
July 15, 2016

Cogman_The-Invisible-Library

Title: The Invisible Library

Author: Genevieve Cogman

Series: The Invisible Library (book 1)

Genre: Sci-Fi; Steampunk; Fantasy

Pages: 351

Review:

I obtained this book as a part of some swag that I received at Phoenix Comiccon this year. I was totally drawn to this book and it was the first one that, based on the blurb on the on the back, I just had to read. The book is about a Librarian named Irene and her new trainee Kai. The pair must locate a book that was owned by a vampire and then stolen when he was beheaded. Unfortunately for them, they aren’t the only ones trying to recover the book. To make matters worse an evil Former-Librarian is on the loose and in the area.

This book contains elements of steampunk, Fae and magic and some supernatural stuff thrown in for good measure. The writing is decent if not a little dry but there is some excellent world building going on and considering that this is a series, it will be exciting to see what comes next for the Librarians.

Ok. So, if you have been following me on social media you know that I’ve been reading this book for what feels like years. Okay, it’s only been a couple of weeks but it feels like forever. I normally read books in days despite their high page count. This book though, was a struggle. It dragged. There would some interesting action going on and then it would drag… again. Getting through it was rough. I’m sure it won’t be that way for everyone. This book and I just didn’t click. Maybe I’ll reread it again in a few years or maybe I’ll just give it way for someone else to enjoy. Oh, well, there are other books out there for me to love.

 

Check out the first few pages of audio below:

Judy’s Trifle Cake
jacqui_monet
June 19, 2016

In Daddy-Long-Legs, Judy goes to to a girl’s college and meets many new types of people, makes life-long friends, travels to places she’d never thought she’d go and experiences incredible new things. Segue! I think that a poor orphaned girl (whose name was literally chosen from a gravestone and the phone book) would love any chocolate dessert that was presented to her while away at her fancy new college. This recipe is recreation of something that my mother used to make for my siblings and I as kids. This version though is very quick and inexpensive. It’s light and airy and oddly refreshing. Judy’s Trifle Cake will leave a great impression on your dinner guests and not just the poor college students.

You will need:

Chocolate Cake ( I used a boxed cake baked in a 13 x 9in pan)

Chocolate Pudding (seriously, I’m not against the boxed stuff you guys)

 

Whipped topping (you can make it from scratch OR Cool Whip)

Vanilla extract.

Fresh Fruit (think berries)

chocolate shavings or mint

Directions:

Prepare the Pudding as the box says and chill in the fridge.

Prepare the chocolate cake but make a few substitutions. Butter for Oil and Milk for Water. Add a cap full of the vanilla extract. Place the baked cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board or tray (upside down) and return to the freezer for another ten. Once completely cool, slice off the top to make it level and all four sides. Next, cut into cubes.

There are a few different ways that you can plate this.

  1. If you have a trifle dish  you can layer everything together. Cake, pudding, fruit, whipped topping until the dish is filled. At the top, garnish with fruit and a sprig of mint.
  2. In a mason jar you can do the same thing treating it like a tiny trifle dish.
  3. On a dessert plate you can  make a square with four cubes, cover with pudding and you can either spoon or pipe the whipped topping. Lastly, garnish!

Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoy this super simple dessert!

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