I wanted to like this story more
595759
The Fiction of Forever by Brinda Berry was such a difficult read for me. Honestly I had to put this one down several times and really work to get into the story. I wanted to like this story more, the blurb sounded great, but the book just disappointed me several times. There really wasn't any character development, the storyline would jump all over without explanation, and overall I was just let down with the story. I do plan to try this series, and author again, but it just wasn't as great as I had hoped.
2796019
I really wanted to like this one more as I am a Cyborg Fan, but I had a hard time getting through this story.  It's not a bad story and I am sure it was well researched and probably very technically authentic.  However for my taste is was to techy and not enough of the hot, sexy man/cyborg woman interaction.

So, while I think it a good story I was really bored for the most part while I read it.  Do I think that mean you should try?  NO! It means for me it was not quite up to my standards but by no means would I discourage you from giving it a try.  Especially if you have an amount of techy knowledge and the foresight to understand much of the things that the author put forth so eloquently.

My advise if you have any interest in this type of story at all to give it a try.
4181873
Wish it could've been a little better (less focus on throwing out so many characters and more development and storyline)
3356793
I really wanted to like this book.  However, reading a book becomes a lot less fun for me when I have to stop and re-read every section where a character speaks in an accent and then try to figure out what it's supposed to mean in English.  It's a varation of English, sure, but if you're not familiar with that dialect's slang or flow it becomes much harder to read.  Almost all of the human characters, and one of the animals spoke in that manner and it became more of a challenge to get through than was worth it for the story.

I know this book is loved by many, and I don't mean to say that the story wasn't interesting.  It was very interesting and heartbreaking at times, but overall I can't say that I liked it all that much because the translation factor wasn't fun for me.  Some people do enjoy that sort of thing in their literature, and if you like that then you will probably love this book!  I like to read quickly, and having to slow down to figure out what the characters are saying made this book more frustrating than fun for me.
756610
3.0 of 5 stars 
This was an interesting story capturing a few different themes: the graphic novel industry, the Jewish culture, two boys/men (cousins), one gay, as they grow up and age. So I saw potential in this and wanted to like it more, especially since this was recommended to me by a close friend who ranks it as one of his favorites. Alas, it was not to be for me.

This had a lot of potential for me, partly because I like historicals and graphic novels, so I got into that part of the storyline. I also like stories that include a gay MC, and like this one it doesnt have to be just or the main focus. But in this one I thought the gay part was superficial, the struggles of the MC not fully, emotionally understood and depicted, told from, if you will, how a straight person might see it (although I have to say from my reading experience that has not limited other such authors). And while I was sympathetic and found it initially interesting, I just could not identify with the Jewish culture; so that part was not as meaningful to me as it might be to others, and thus the long story lost some of its luster as I read on.

I can see why it won the Pulitzer  which is not necessarily a compliment. It is, if you like what I call high lit. Michael Chabons style and language was prosaic, but sometimes it didn't seem to fit (maybe trying too hard?). It was not an easy, but a heavy, read  laden with intelligent yet complex language, methodical pace, much detail even minutia, to the point where I could only take it in small chunks at a time. I got the symbolisms and themes (ok, maybe not all), and that did sustain my interest to some extent. And I liked how the characterization changed with the characters, such as capturing the suave sophisticated banter of Hollywood types as well as the dialogue and lives of the working class.

I thought the first half was much better, because of the depiction of the Jewish struggle during WWII and of the early, golden years of comic books (both the business side and how they creatively evolved at the time). There were specific scenes I found engaging, such as the creation of the Escapist, the depiction of the young mens passion for comic books, and later, even the scene out on Fire Island. But when it started to focus on just the aging of two Jewish cousins, I lost some of my interest. That along with all the extra details and heaviness started bogging it down for me, making it just an okay read with some interesting parts.
2052197
As much as I tried to really love this book, I just couldn't.  It started out great; the steady flow and the wonderful buildup had all of my attention.  I loved the characters and their quirks, but I also loved how they felt real to me.  But somewhere in the middle to end of the book, the story lost its luster (for me).  This book was layered with so many different emotions, and this was something that drew me to the characters.  They were strong and bold.  However, as mentioned before, something just didn't sit right with me.

Quinn was a pretty complex character, as is Malcolm.  She has PTSD, and struggles with what is in front of her.  She has been dealt a crap hand in life, and has yet to recover.  She succumbed to the numbness and is trying to claw her way out of that.  We see many sides that are Quinn; gentle, sad, lonely, frightened, lovable, friendly, but also skittish.  She has built a wall around her heart and life, so nobody can penetrate the hurt she has endured.  She doesn't want to pass that along.  She has a lot of self loathing.  As the story builds, we see her start to peck away at her wall.  Little by little she shines again.  And then Malcolm comes into her life.  And well, that sort of pushes her to remove those bricks around her heart.

Malcolm was a bit of a mischievous and surprising character. But I think that is why I liked Malcolm so much.  He is flawed and wasn't afraid to admit to it.  He had many demons; ones that were similar to the demons Quinn had.  I think this is why they connected so well.  They understood one another.  They had similar thoughts and feelings.  I loved that they were two lost souls dealing with heavy topics, in their short span of their lives.

 I was quite intrigued that addiction was brought into this story.  In today's world, that is all you hear or read about.  Or at least know someone who is an addict or a recovering addict.  Unfortunately, as the story grew to be something bigger, with the love aspect of the story, the actual addiction aspect got lost in the mix.  Now, don't get me wrong, I see why it did.  But I wish that it wasn't something that was easily swept under the rug.  Addiction is an in your face problem, and not something to easily forget about.

This book was like tug of war for me.  I absolutely loved the first half of this book, but as the book started winding down, I started to dislike the pace and how it ended.  I can say that I get why it ended the way it did, but wished there was more.  Overall, this was a cute story with wonderful characters.  I rate this book 3.5 Stars.
4040720
This story has so much potential. The voice and the storyline were captivating. The author has talent that's apparent. But for me this story started to fall apart about midway through.  I wanted to love this story. I really did.  I just couldn't stay with it. I gave it four stars for the voice and storyline.
Barbara A. Whittington, author
Vada Faith
Ezra and Other Stories
463835
I felt like the story spent a bit too much time in the main character's head and that the story's development would have been aided and have more depth if more time was spent either in other characters' heads, or just less time listening to the main character's thoughts and inner dialogue. I spent much of the story hoping that Alex would take some initiative in her life and be a stronger female character. I know that not every character is perfect and devoid of flaws, but I was hoping to see more progression in this character throughout the course of the book. (Maybe this will happen in later books?).  I must say that I fell in love with Jack. He's a wonderful guy and deserves happiness in his life. Nathan has a heart of gold but I didn't agree with how he treated Alex on most days not that she really stood up for herself as much as she should have. I would have liked to have seen her learn what abilities she has instead of feeling sorry for herself and not be so dependent on Nathan's family. With that being said, this is what the story is about.
Alex is leaving an unhealthy relationship with Eddie after 3 years. She's out on the town one night with her best friend Carrie when she gets another call from Eddie and decides in her drunken state to toss the phone in the woods. Realizing she needs her phone, they go on a search for it. While in the woods her friend and she are attacked. Nathan hears the screams and is only able to save Alex. Her life is about to change but not for her benefit as she sees it. He takes her to his home where his father, Jack and brother, Sol and himself nurse her back to health. He has a secret as well. He's trying to teach her what she has inherited from the bite she has received. But there are others that will be out looking for her as she is the only female Varcolac that has ever survived and would be able to carry on the lineage. She'll have to stay in hiding to keep everyone safe around her .Can Alex ever find love or is she destined to solitude forever? What will become of her? What is in store for Nathan? Will he be able to love someone and have a happy life where he isn't always saving someone but himself? I'd be interested to see where this story goes.
3262212
I really wanted to like this book, but I could not connect with the main character. I wasn't drawn into the story, I was told a story. It had a good solid foundation, I just wanted more details more in depth action. There were also a few small details that bothered me towards the end of the book. WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!

When Claire moves in with Zeke she has a family picture and her mother's locket, which is great, however, when she ran she only had the clothes and jewelry on her body. Her mother's locket would not have been acceptable to Brent and I just wonder how she came to have these sparse possesions when she never went back to her former home.  The next is that Claire confessed to hated PE class and had never even ran a like at Greta's grave. In the beginning of the book she worked out 4 times a week at the gym and sometimes went for a run to stay in shape. Just a few character inconsistencies. I also wonder why Brent didn't pursue her return harder or more actively. He is a man who is used to getting what he wants, and Claire slipped away relatively easily. This book was so-so for me, I had high hopes but ultimately couldn't get attached to the characters.
592720
I really wanted to like this book. It was heartwarming, touching, the setting was nice, and the characters were believeable. But I just could not care about their problems. There just seemed to be too many problems, and they seemed too ordinary. In the end, the writing style and the plot, while nice, could not generate in me enough interest to get me to want to keep reading. It's a nice book for somebody, but the pace was just too slow for me.
3812431
I want to like this more than I actually do, especially considering there's a large portion of our population (including our president) who'd be content with society heading this direction.  Part of it is probably that volume 1 came out over a year ago, but when I was reading this, I frequently wondered WTF was going on.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of and they sometimes don't pop up for several issues.  The art isn't really detailed enough to let the art tell the story.  I didn't pick up that the other dome was full of transgenders until several issues after they were depicted in the story.  Then the story seems to head in a completely unrelated direction by the end of the book.  This book is starting to feel a lot like Morning Glories in that I'm not going to be able to keep this thing coherent in my head until it's all over when I can sit down and read this story from beginning to end.

Received an advanced copy from Image and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
2510749
I feel the synopsis of what the book is about makes it sound a lot better than what it is.  I wanted to like this book, I really did. I had high hopes for it.  Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me.  I was expecting more of a ghost story. Instead I got more of a sci-fi story, and one that wasn't very good.

Jacob's grandfather tells him of a magical island of which he spent his childhood. He shows him photos and tells him stories about the peculiar children he grew up with. As Jacob becomes a teenager, he stops believing in his grandfather's ridiculous stories until something awful happens. Jacob travels to the mysterious island to find out about his grandfather.  Little does he know that by going to that island he's put himself and many others in danger.

First off, I thought the word building/setting were fantastic.  The author made me feel as if I was on the island. I'll give him props there.  The description of the world was beautifully described.

I couldn't relate very much to the characters. I can't really place why that is.  I just couldn't connect.  I found myself not caring what happened to any of them.  Perhaps the author should've spent a bit more time character building to make me relate to at least one the characters.  The characters just felt a bit one dimensional.  There wasn't even one that I could remotely say that I favourited. Okay, that's a lie. I liked Fiona, the Irish girl, but I only liked her because she was Irish, and I love all things Irish. That's it.

I found the pacing to be a bit slow. I'd read a chapter, then I'd get bored with it and go off to do something else. I really struggled with this book.  There are a couple of chapters that the pacing is great in, but it's not until the last two chapters that the pacing definitely picks up.

The dialogue was easy to understand although some Americans may not get all the slang British terms.  There was one scene where a character says "I was taking a piss" where he meant that he was joking around. The phrase he meant was "taking the piss" which is a British slang phrase for joking.  "Taking a piss" isn't a typo either as it's mentioned a few more times.  This annoyed me because taking a piss, is just that, it means urinating. "Taking the piss" means to be joking around.  Other than that, the dialogue was good.

The best part of the book was the photographs found within the book. I loved that little touch! I found myself studying the photos and enjoying them a million times better than the actual book.

The cover is also something I loved about the book.  How freaky does that little girl look??? The German cover looks even better.  It's the same photo, just with a green hue.  If I was marking the book based on the cover alone, it'd get 5 out of 5 for me.

The title of the book doesn't really leave anything to make you wonder what the books about. It says exactly what the book is about - a home for peculiar children.

All in all, this book left me feeling empty. I didn't really feel much of anything reading it until I got to the last two chapters where it got exciting.  However, I will not put myself through the torture of reading the second book in the series especially as I don't care about the characters or what happens to them.  I'm just glad I won this book in a competition and didn't buy it.

I was going to give this book a 2 - 2.5 star rating but the ending saved it a bit.

My overall score of this book would be 3 stars out of 5 at the best. It's okay, but not great.

(This review can be found on my blog).
1999859
I'm having a tough time rating this book. I really really wanted to like it more, but I just couldn't connect with Lucy. I tried to put myself in her shoes, try to connect on an emotional level with her throughout the book, but even though at times I was sorry for the treatment she received from other people and from her father, I just couldn't sympathize and that made it a big obstacle for me to really get hooked, since the story is mostly in Lucy's POV.
However, Richard is a beautiful character, and I really liked the parts when he was around. I guess Lucy's behavior toward him in the past was another reason why I couldn't seem to be able to like Lucy. Nobody deserves what she put him through, especially not a good person like him.
The story has a little slow pace, at times it dragged a bit, so it's been really hard for me to rate it, because some parts didn't work well for me, while others were nice and sweet.
Don't be discouraged by my opinion, though. It is a beautiful story of redemption and second chances, so if you like that kind of stories, you should definitely pick up a copy.

***I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review***
4675134
I really really really wanted to like this book. I love Jane Austen so much, and I know several of the authors who wrote for this are amazing. But I'm not a huge fan of short stories, and there's only so much you can do with a Regency romance, it seems. After the fourth "Jane Austen or one of her characters visits the modern world from beyond the grave" story, I started getting a little impatient.

There were two or three notable stories that did an excellent job of being either unique period pieces or being modern pieces with a subtle Austen-esque flair. I expect that someone who is slightly more enamored of Regency romance might enjoy it more than I do, especially fans of supernatural romance, and Persuasion (I admit it- it's everyone's favorite, and my second-least favorite).
3715337
The story did not really flow well to me and there are a few grammar errors and parts of the book lost me.
4343247
I really wanted to like this book more. The beginning was okay and writing was pretty good, but it was the story line and discrepancies that in the end annoyed me too much and took me out if the story. It read like a few scenes were added in the middle but later scenes were not updated to include what happened in them (thus huge discrepancies) and then maybe vice versa - scenes were removed but there are conversations that still seem to reference them. It actually made me think maybe I had imagined a few scenes, but no, I went back and they are there. It also seemed a bit choppy and rushed in parts.
3750085
Grace Burrowess No Other Duke Will Do is book three in the Windham Brides series. I really wanted to like this story, and for the most part, I really did.

Elizabeth Windham finds herself at a house party for Julian, the Duke of Haverford. She has come along as her little sisters companion, but over the course of a few days, she forms an attachment to the duke. But Julian doesnt a need a wife yet, and there are a few other things to take care of first.

So, let me start by saying that theres a lot going on in this book. I read it as a standalone, but there are a lot of characters at play. I think it would have been better to start at the beginning of the series. As it was, it took me a while to match names with faces.

Julian is a bit of an odd duck, and I loved him for it. Hes got such a unique sense of humor, and I did the snort-laugh through most of it. He's also got TWO awesome libraries (be still my heart!) Elizabeth comes in and shakes up Julians determination to side-step matrimony. Elizabeth has a forward nature, and Julian just doesn't see her coming.

I love witty dialogue, and theres so much of it here! Almost too much. I felt a lot of time was focused on discussion such as thisa repartee back and forththat I was so focused on the words and less on the feeling evoked from them. I just wasn't feeling it, and as such, my mind started drifting, and the pacing began to drag. That, and theres a bunch of storylines going on. I just wanted to focus on Julian and Elizabeth.

I did greatly enjoy Julians brother, Griffin, however. I also liked that the story really gets into the nitty-gritty of the time period. The limitations on the sexes and the limitations of their positions in society.

Those pluses couldn't outweigh the many side plots for me. But if you like more than one romance going on and like digging into the lives of a well-rounded cast (think Jan Karon), then I think you should definitely give this a try. Theres a lot here to give satisfaction.

3 stars.