Royal Bastards (Royal Bastards #1) by Andrew Shvarts

This is an ok read. It’s like a lot of other YA novels about young, strong women. While set in some undisclosed medieval-like period, the main characters talk like teenagers from 2017. This yanks the reader out of the setting of the story each time a character talks like a valley girl. The main characters are all bastards that are thrown together by circumstance and learn to like and trust one another as they run for their lives against adults hell-bent on starting a war. The book has the obligatory misunderstood person, love triangle, crazy villain, magic, swords, weird creatures, betrayals, castles and warring factions. This is book one in the series. The book was a quick read and good enough that I will probably check out the next book in the series if I have time.

Advertisements

The Fourth Monkey (A 4MK Thriller #1) by J.D. Barker

4 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Generally I get a bit skeptical when I see so much hype about a book, but I have to admit, this is a really good book. The Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the citizens of Chicago for five years. Det. Sam Porter has been on the case since day one. When the killer’s body is found it’s discovered that he has taken another victim. He also left behind a diary which gives Det. Porter a glimpse into the depraved mind of the killer. With the help of the diary, Det. Porter races the clock to find the kidnapped girl before it’s too late.

Assassin’s Fate (The Fitz and the Fool #3) by Robin Hobb

4.5 stars

A very fitting ending to a great series of books. I have loved these characters and books for years. It was very bittersweet to say goodbye to some of the characters in the book, but at least the author gave them a worthy finale.

Knight of Light (The Watchers #1) by Dierdra Eden

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, fluffy, quick read. It’s definitely written for a younger audience. It’s not a long book, has short chapters and the writing is fairly simply. That’s not to say that the subject matter and story falls short. Quite the contrary.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

3.5 stars

This was our July book club book. The author grew up in a poor family from Kentucky and through hard work and a fierce grandmother was able to earn his way into Yale law school and change the course of life for his immediate family. The book tells the story of his life and family and is interspersed with facts and statistics about rural Americans and low income families living in the Rust Belt.

Take it to the Grave Part 1 of 6 by Zoe Carter

3.5 Stars

I received a free copy of this story on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is being released in 6 parts. This is part 1 of the installment. The story introduces us to Sarah. She is a young mother of 4 month old Elliot. She is married to Warwick, who comes from “old” money. Warwick is a classical handsome man that Sarah feels lucky to be with, but Warwick isn’t quite as All-American as he seems.

Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark #1) by Veronica Roth

2.5 stars

So I must have been living under a rock the last few months because I had no idea this book was so controversial. I’m glad that I didn’t know about all of it so I could read it without any preconceptions. That said, it’s an ok book. Not great, and not horrible.

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan

4 stars

This was a very sweet book that I enjoyed reading. The story centers on a small town, Chilbury, near the coast of England in the early part of WWII. Most of the men are gone to fight the war, leaving no men for the church choir. When the vicar announces that the choir will be shut down due to a lack of male voices, a new resident convinces the vicar to let her lead the choir. At first skeptical, the ladies eventually embrace the new choir director, whose wisdom helps each woman find strength within themselves they didn’t know they had. Each lady faces her own obstacles and struggles, and the story unfolds through a series of letters, diary entries and personal journals.

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Aime Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

4.5

This is the second book in the series and it is just as unique and good as the first book. The story is also told in a series of diary entries, emails, instant messages, surveillance footage summaries, and amazing illustrations. This book is just as large as the first book, but it’s a very quick, engrossing read.