2011 Book Reviews

 

The Book Depository

I’ve tried to set a routine for myself. I’ve reserved Mondays for book reviews. Hopefully, I keep up with my goal of reading one book a week between writing so I’ll have something for my lovely readers.

Reena’s bookshelf: 2011-reads

Ultraviolet
5 of 5 stars
I can’t believe how apprehensive I was about starting this book. Boy was I surprised at how wonderful it was. Ultraviolet was nothing like I expected, and I loved it all the more because of it.

Expect my full review on Ramblings of…

Reunion
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review Monday, March 28, 2011 (or sooner) on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/03/nove…

Heroes 'Til Curfew
4 of 5 stars
A worthy sequel to Hush Money.

My complete review available September 26, 2011 at Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1MO

The Iron Duke
0 of 5 stars
I’m going to be a day late on this review. Okay. A week and a day since I didn’t finish reading it last week like I was supposed. Expect it tomorrow on my website at: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/02/nove…

The Goblin Brothers Adventures
5 of 5 stars
Middle grade books typically aren’t my thing, but I found this read quite amusing. Goblin Brothers was also a joy to read to my preschooler. I admit some of the words were out of his league, especially with his communication delay. However,…

Flash Gold
0 of 5 stars
Lindsay Buroker really knows how to make science fun. Expect my full review May 28, 2011 on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/05/nove…

Hunted
0 of 5 stars
I’m starting to to think of this as the Adventures of Kali and Cedar

Expect my review September 19, 2011 at Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1Lu

Dark Eden
3 of 5 stars
This book started off quite slow. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was it a paranormal book or just a book following a boy with a phobia? The further I progressed, it seemed like the latter. I was rather disappointed as I expected more tha…

The Goddess Test
3 of 5 stars
I liked the premises and the story was decent. Actually, the story line itself was quite enjoyable. I had a difficult time getting into the characters though. They were a bit lacking in depth. This work floats between 3 and 3 1/2 stars.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior
0 of 5 stars
So once again, I highly recommend the IAD series. Not just Dreams of a Dark Warrior but ALL OF THEM. If you’re looking for a series that’s not going to disappoint, this is it!

Read complete review on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/03/nove…

Double Cross
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review on my blog Monday, February 14, 2011: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/02/nove…

Tell Me a Secret
0 of 5 stars
Listened to the free audio podcast via iTunes.

A Beautiful Dark
4 of 5 stars
I got to the 98% mark and realized there’d be no way the author would be able to end the book properly. I expected a sloppy ending with a crappy happily ever after against all odds. What I got was a freakin’ cliffhanger! I am not happy. Was…

The Art of Steampunk: Extraordinary Devices and Ingenious Contraptions from the Leading Artists of the Steampunk Movement
0 of 5 stars
Rich in pictures and didn’t look well on the Kindle. Since it was a NetGalley copy, I was able to view it in Adobe Digital Edition which wasn’t bad other than being stuck in one place staring at the computer. I actually didn’t read much of …

Dark Life
4 of 5 stars
For parents looking for a safe book for your tween or teenager, I’d recommend this one. It had romantic elements which were sweet, and age appropriate behavior for youngsters. I certainly plan on passing this one on to my 13-year-old. There…

Halfway to the Grave
3 of 5 stars
Hmm… Well the first third of this book was not so good. Rather lacking in plot, to be honest. The second third was decent and driven by Bone’s mission. The last third freakin’ rocked. ROCKED! I’m willing to try another one of Ms. Frost’s …

Treasuring Emma
5 of 5 stars
Wonderful read which kept me thoroughly entertained. I remember thinking at one time, the only thing which could keep this from being a 5 star read is if Mark didn’t pan out. He did well and had sufficient motivation for his villainous ways…

Along Wooded Paths
4 of 5 stars
Another incomplete story. Well, less so than others. The epilogue was actually just the next day with a lot of issues left unresolved.

Expect my full review October 1, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1No

Unearthly
5 of 5 stars
If this novel had a stronger start and a more likable character, it might have made it to my 2011 favorites. Still a great read though. Once my daughter finishes The Hunger Games, I’m pushing Unearthly next.

read the rest of my r…

Shadow Cat
5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. It’s erotic, exotic, and full of suspense. Don’t let me spoil it for you, try it out yourself! Okay, okay. I’m a bit bias on this one. I wrote. I admit it. But don’t let that hold you back.

Hunger
3 of 5 stars
The book started out well but I wasn’t at all fond of the ending. It seemed a bit rushed but at the same time full of filler. I don’t know. Too much in some areas, not enough in others–like the message got lost along the way. This one push…

Rage
3 of 5 stars
Whereas Hunger was about balance, Rage was about control. I went into this book with a different attitude. I understood that the name of the book wouldn’t necessarily reflect the inner pages. As such, I enjoyed this a wee more than Hunger a…

Burning Up
0 of 5 stars
There Be Monsters By Meljean Brook finished 11/25/2010 ~ The first thing which stood out about Here There Be Monsters was the writing. The smallest name and at the bottom of the list. I’d expect it to be the worst story of the bunch, but th…

Werewolf Descent
4 of 5 stars
Werewolf Descent was full of unexpected turns, leaving me with the thought, I didn’t see that coming, on more than one occasion.

My only complaint, because I can’t leave well enough alone, is I think the writing could have been tig…

Soul Deep
4 of 5 stars
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this piece. I’ll have to see what other goodies Lora Leigh has.

Expect my full review October 8, 2011 at Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1Nf

Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong
3 of 5 stars
This was really a story within a story. I got the feeling the author wanted to tell a historical but also wanted to appeal to the YA crowd. I don’t think it hit either mark (historical or YA). For me, this was a 2.5 read.

Expect my…

All Different Kinds of Free
5 of 5 stars
This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read all year. The book was like a yo-yo with all the ups and downs. At times, hope was so close it wrapped the characters in a blanket of warmth, only to snatched away moments later to abandon …

Am I Really a Christian?
5 of 5 stars
Wonderful book which laid out the facts without beating around the bush. Highly recommended for anyone who professes to be a Christian.

Expect my full review August 22, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1C7

Darkfever
0 of 5 stars
Tastes are so subjective, the value of them can be questionable. That’s the dilemma I faced with Darkfever. Okay… let’s just get to it. Darkfever wasn’t my kind of read. What’s interesting is I can see why a lot of other people would like…

Ashfall
4 of 5 stars
I’ve never been into post-apocalyptic search and find missions. However, I quite enjoyed this one. I hope Mike Mullin writes a follow up book to this. I’d like to see what happens to the characters now that they’ve reached their destination…

Forsaken By Shadow
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review Monday, January 31, 2011 on my blog: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/01/nove…

The Angel Experiment
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review on April 25, 2011 on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/04/nove…

School's Out - Forever
0 of 5 stars
I have the next two books of the series in my possession. This one ended in another "what happens now?" Please, please don’t let book 4 end in a cliffhanger. I like this series, but I kind of like my books to have a definite endin…

The Final Warning
0 of 5 stars
This book had enough of an ending that I feel comfortable ending the series here. Expect my review May 7, 2011 on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/?p=4577

The Promise of an Angel
5 of 5 stars
This was my first Amish read. It was absolutely wonderful and uplifting. It’s been a long while since I’ve had a spiritual read. It was so good, I had a hard time setting it aside and cruised through it in a 24 hour period. 4.5 – 5.0 star r…

Space Junque
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review Friday, January 14 2011 on my blog: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/01/nove…

Spiderwork
0 of 5 stars
Expect my review on April 18, 2011 on my website: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/04/nove…

Bleeder
5 of 5 stars
I don’t rate books very often, but I have to say, this was a wonderful read… very thought provoking while touching on tough subjects. 4.5 – 5 out of 5 stars. Expect my review May 9, 2011 on my blog: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/05/nove…

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything
4 of 5 stars
Ms. Roth addresses so many issues in this short book, one might be hard pressed to find everything applies to them. I didn’t jive with all she said 100%, but quite a bit of it hit home.

One item I disliked about this book, but at t…

Divergent
4 of 5 stars
I devoured this book and paid the price of exhaustion from staying up way too late reading it. If you were a fan of the Hunger Games, you might enjoy this book also. I rate this somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars out of 5. Expect my full rev…

Spellbound
3 of 5 stars
An enjoyable read which pulled me along. A little on the cliche side though.

Expect my full review July 4, 2011: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/07/nove…

The Story of Beautiful Girl
3 of 5 stars
Okay. I haven’t finished reading this… yet. But I totally have to get this off my plate, like today! So I’m going to mark it as finished in anticipation.

So far it’s an OK read. I only have about 10% left. Even if the ending kn…

Guilty Pleasures
0 of 5 stars
So, Guilty Pleasures wasn’t for me. Does this mean I won’t be on the look out from Ms. Thomas’ next work? Not by a long shot. Straight BDSM isn’t my type of genre, but the story was well-written. It’s kind of like me being a fan of J.R. War…

Tender Mercies
4 of 5 stars
This one has left me in quite a reflective state. Expect my review May 30, 2011 on my blog: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2011/05/nove…

The Auction
0 of 5 stars
Short and captivating enough to finish in a single read.

Catch my full review on August 8, 2011 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://wp.me/pPz8s-1Bg

Awakening
0 of 5 stars
A quick read, which I totally need after all the longer works I’ve been sitting through these days. Awakening had a unique take on mermaids, which seemed much more realistic than some versions I’ve read. I received my review copy from the a…

Uglies
3 of 5 stars
The story line was intriguing, but the main character was annoy all the way until I reached the last 20 pages when she finally decided to "man up." I’m also not fond that it ends on a cliffhanger. I’m just thankful the series is c…

Pretties
3 of 5 stars
The trilogy is starting to grow on me. I’m not sure if I liked it more than Uglies, but I know for sure, it wasn’t worse. 🙂 I’m pretty excited the next book is the end of the trilogy (though I know I’ll have one "Extra" book to g…

An Amish Love: Healing Hearts/What the Heart Sees/A Marriage of the Heart (Inspirational Amish Anthology
4 of 5 stars
Overall, this was an entertaining read.

I particularly liked the first story, A Marriage of the Heart. An Amish man returning to the community after a bann. A bit of deceit. A forced marriage. What’s not to love. 🙂 4.5 – 5 out of …

A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
3 of 5 stars
Despite Esther being one of my favorite biblical stories, I wasn’t sure about this work when I first started. The writing focused on quite a few mundane descriptions, and I feared the entire book would be muddled with them. Even so, The Rel…

The Last Archangel
3 of 5 stars
Such mixed feelings with this work. The author created an intricate world. At times it seemed like parts were well researched, other times the liberties he took with religion and mythology gave me the impression he didn’t research at all. I…




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