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Becausereading

Because reading :)

Because reading is better than real life...

Book Reader, Blogger, Reviewer, Lover of Fairytale Re-tellings, Middle Grade & Young Adult. I am also a huge fan of all things make believe ;)

Review ~ What the Heart Wants by Staci Hart

Review ~ What the Heart Wants by Staci Hart
I swear when I was finished, I could have said this book was easily 300 pages. She packed so much in 66, yes 66, pages.

Review ~ The Final Decent (The Monstrumologist #4) by Rick Yancey

I will miss them and the end was the end..... that just made me cry even harder! NEW On the Blog: Review ~ The Final Decent (The Monstrumologist #4) by Rick Yancey

Ghost Leopard - The AUDIOBOOK

Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard - Lars Guignard

Zoe & Zak & the Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard is a Middle grade book that is full of action, adventure, mystery and fun. I had the honor of being able to listen to the Audiobook. I never listened to an Audiobook before. This was a FANTASTIC book to be my first Audiobook. Zoe & Zak is narrated by Baily S. Carlson, I loved her voice, she was terrific giving all these characters a voice of their own.

I absolutely loved Zoe even though she is the main character I think she was my favorite even thought she was a bit of a panicky pete but Zak is extremely laid back. They are complete opposites which is what I think made the adventure they were on together work so well. The good guys were awesome and the bad guys were such great villains. This book had so much action half the time I was sitting in my car waiting for a stopping point but you just don't want to stop :) I loved the descriptions in the book of India it really gave you that "I was there feel" and Lars Guignard gave so much information about India you really get a good sense of the background of the story. Zoe and Zak & the Ghost Leopard is so well written, it is a fantastic story. I wouldn't say this was a problem but you really have to listen and make sure you don't have a lot of distractions, it is really fast paced and with all the info you have to listen to you need to make sure you don't miss any important information that is critical to the story. The ending was so amazing with so much action I loved every detail of this audiobook.

I gave Zoe & Zak and The Ghost Leopard 4/5 stars. I would highly recommend this audiobook. This is great for kids & adults that enjoy a great story with a lot of strong descriptions and is so much fun. The narrator is so fantastic as well and really gives a great voice to this book and all the characters. I will definitely be listening to the next audiobook in the series and I have fingers crossed it's the same narrator she really was great.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas

I'm not even sure where to start with this book. It took 10 pages, yes, 10 pages for me to realize this was going to surpass the first book. More amazing? I called the first book EPIC is there a word better than EPIC? I don't know, I am just going to say it's beyond EPIC!!!

This one starts off pretty much were the last one left off (give or take a month or two).
So now that Celaena is the Kings Champion, her mission is to find out what groups of people are trying to get the king removed from the throne. The king will give her one name at a time for her to find and kill. Celaena knows she must do what the kings asks, her friends lives are in danger.

The first person she is asked to kill is someone she has history with, Archer Finn. They have known each other since she first started with Arobynn Hamel but he hold secrets and know things that could destroy everything Celaena knew and hoped for.

She spends a lot of time with her BFF Princess Nehemia and they really get a lot closer.
She meets a doorknocker named Mort in Elena's Tomb. He is hilarious and just a great addition to the character.

The chemistry between her and her two love interests are more intense and emotional in this book. At the end of the last book she tells Dorian (the Crown Prince) that nothing can happen between them and she only wants to be friends. At some point in this book she starts to realize she has feeling for Chaol, who I adore by the way he is the perfect guy. I seriously just love him. I am 100% team CHAOL!!!! The interactions between them grow more and you really get a sense of how much they care about each other.

Love, loss, betrayal, mystery, heartbreak (I was in TEARS), secrets revealed and a shocking end that will make you desperate to read the next one.

OMG there is so much going on in this book. So fast paced and super exciting.
The writing was amazing. The chemistry between ALL the characters was intense. I found myself laughing, rooting for them and at some point in tears.

I believe I loved this one more than the first and I LOVED the first one. 5 starts are not enough for this book. I haven't been this excited for a third book since Harry Potter. Sarah J. Maas has written something really amazing and I will recommend it to anyone, ANYONE, looking for an amazing book with action, mystery, fantastic romance and pure emotion.

I will say it again I completely and totally recommend this book for anyone wanting to read the most amazing book they ever read in their entire life...Seriously :)

Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty

Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty - Nick Bruel Such a great story with wonderful facts about cats. Very funny! My 5 year old daughter has never sat that long listening to me read a book. She loved it :) story was cute and illustrations are adorable. Fun book to read with your kids.

Dead Letter Office, Parish Mail 1

Dead Letter Office - Kira Snyder I received this book from Netgalley. I have never heard of an Active Fiction Title so I wanted to try it out and see if it was something I like.I’m still not 100% sure what it is but it’s been such a long time since I was able to read a Choose your own adventure book. I was very excited, when I was a kid they use to be my favorite and my son who is 8 is starting to read them in school. I do wish they had more choices throughout the book. I think you had to do it about 3 or 4 time.Celia is a young girl who moves from her home in San Diego to New Orleans after her father is killed in Afghanistan. Her mom thought it would be good for her to finally setting down in New Orleans where her dad was from and to meet his family since they had a very strained relationship. She finds a mailbox in a tree and a letter about a murder in the past. So Celia and her new friends (is one a ghost?) try to find out whom the murderer is with a murder that takes place in the present.The characters were very interested in really enjoyed reading though the adventure with Celia, Luc, Tilly and Donovan. I loved choosing the link that went against what she was suppose to do. Just made it a lot more fun. I liked the love triangle that was hinted in the book. I wish it was a little bit more but it was enough to make you wonder whom she will pick. One is a little harder to be in a relationship with then the otherThe story was really interesting. It’s hard to explain the entire story since I only read through the book with the options I chose I’m not sure if the story changes at all if you chose to go a different way. I actually enjoyed the story. I was a little confused how the story from 1870 had anything to do with the murder that happened in the present. I almost would have rather have made it about the murder in 1870 I think it would have been more interesting and a lot spookier going back in history. Don’t get me wrong I did think the story was interesting. I did have a lot of question left by the end. Like why her? What is the mailbox in the tree? Why can she see dead people?I’m hoping the next book Post Mortem will have answers to my questions. I also received that book from Netgalley…YAY!!!I would recommend this book if you are looking for a fun and adventurous read. Also if you loved Choose your own adventures as a kid you will really like this book :)

Sweet Thing

Sweet Thing - Renée Carlino I was asked to give an honest review.I honestly loved it. I wasn’t sure about it when I was first asked because I read contemporary romance, but not a lot. Reading the synopsis I thought it was a cute story.Holy crap this story flipped me all around and by the time I was finished reading I was emotionally drained. I was on the verge of tears and didn’t think I could ever read another book again LOL.It was like first they were, then they didn’t, then I wanted to smack her, then I wanted to tell him to stop being so nice, then it almost happened, then it didn’t, then he was gone, then she was acting like a bitch, then it was ok, then I thought it was over, then the bathtub (where the hell did that come from) then they didn’t, then they almost, then it was like WHAT, then it seemed like forever and I wanted to smack her again, then etc.………See why I was screaming just typing that was making me exhausted again :)Mia was such a great character I really adored her. Having just lost her father she moves to New York to take over his apartment and café to try find herself an figure out what she wants in life. At times I want to shake her silly and smack her around – but I really liked her.Will Ryan was a handsome, funny, very kind hearted and WAY to understanding of a man. At times he seems unbelievable. I really felt bad for him how Mia was treating him hence the smacking and shaking of her. He broke my heart a few times but I loved his determination and how he kept fighting for her even when she pushed him away. Also didn’t hurt that he was a sexy musician with an amazing voice.Will and Mia had amazing sexual tension. I got butterflies in my stomach when they almost would kiss. When they would fight it really broke my heart. I really wanted everything to work out for them. The other characters in the book were awesome I loved reading about them and also seeing their reactions to what was going on with Will and Mia.I really enjoyed the story. I admire authors who can make you feel when reading a book. I laughed, cried, screamed and felt the loss along with each character in the book. It was written so well. I can honestly say I can’t wait to read more from Renee Carlino she is a fantastic writer!!Totally recommend this book. It really pulls at your heartstrings and you will totally fall in love with Will and Mia’s story. A really great read. Loved It.

Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness)

Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness) - Kellie Sheridan First let me say when you get ready to read this book it is the first in a series so it is rather short. The build up of what to expect in the next book and I can’t wait to read more.The book starts sort of haunting with an unknown person driving trying to reach Chicago. After seeing a ghost girl the driver is in an accident….Wonderland is pretty much a normal place, sort of, it still is considered a place ruled by both a Red Queen and a White Queen but things are not like they use to be. Wonderland doesn’t have giant talking flowers or talking animals. It’s lacking a lot of madness.The story follows three girls all who have a part to play in the story. Rose is the NEW white queen who has seen the coming of something huge. Gwen knows something is coming and believes wonderland will make it happen. Everything seems to be aligning just right. Lucky is a little shy but for some reason she keeps passing out and goes someplace else for a while before returning back to her body. You meet a few more people and it’s is pretty much a build up to the next book.I have to tell you just with the information that was given in this book. I am all in. I cannot wait to see what happens and were the story goes. I loved the writing, I loved the story and I really loved the characters. It is officially a favorite for me even without reading the next book. Since the book is so short I really can’t give that much away. I really don’t want to spoil it. It's a great new twist on the wonderland story. Really look forward to reading more and reading more from this author4/5 ~ TOTALLY recommend this book. check out a full review and more like this at love2readalways.blogspot.com

The Trouble With Toads (The Secret Stepsister Society, #1)

The Trouble With Toads - Danyelle Leafty

Who hasn’t wanted to change their sister into a toad? Well Bettony didn’t mean too. All she wanted to do was change her entire appearance so she was no longer an ugly stepsister. She wanted to be beautiful so she could sing for the king because no one wants someone who is ugly to sing to them. The adventure begins with Bettony going to see her estranged grandmother who just so happens to be a witch and ask her to help her be beautiful. Once she gets her grandmother to agree to make the potion she goes home to become beautiful but everything takes a turn for the worse when her sister Cadmilla accidentally drinks one of the potions and turns into a Toad. Now Bettony has to scramble to get her changed back before their mom finds out but things just keep getting worse. She has to visit an old witch to get the family magic back and could the fairy godmother in the mirror really not be who she seems? This is a great story I really thought Bettony was a cute character she is trying so hard to be better than Desire (her stepsister) and prove she's just as awesome but in truth she is trying to be something she is not. Bettony has too much pride and feels everyone is judging her. She refuses to ask for help and believes she just can't do what we the readers know she can do. Really enjoyed this story. My only issue was how abruptly it ended. I am really excited to read the next one but I was actually surprised with how it ended. This is a great story and I plan on reading the next one and I have no doubt that I will be reading more books from Danyelle Leafty. I loved her writing and she is a really great storyteller. Great story, completely original and totally worth the read.

Portrait of A Dead Guy

Portrait of a Dead Guy: A Cherry Tucker Mystery - Larissa Reinhart The cover of this book is great. The name of the book cracks me up and after reading the book makes me laugh even harder. I absolutely love the fonts for this cover too I think that’s the graphic designer in me :)The character of Cherry Tucker is fantastic. I absolutely love her. The entire cast is written so well. I loved how when something would happen it was like a game of telephone, by the time it got back to Cherry it was nothing like what really happened. This made it hilarious as she tried to explain what really happed but no one would listen to her or really cared they pretty much liked their version better. The chemistry she had with the handsome Luke was just enough to make me love him. I can just picture how handsome he is. **sigh** Todd wasn’t to bad either I think he is a complete sweet potato :) (that’s me channeling my inner southern lingo or watching to much of the movie Shag)This is just an amazing read by the time you find out who did it I was like WHAT!!! LOVED this book. Such a great story I really enjoyed reading about Cherry and her entire family and the town of Halo. They are a hoot to read about.Since this is a mystery book and I really never reviewed one of these we can assume that I really can’t say too much since I don’t want to give anything away. I want you to be able to enjoy the book as much as I did with all the twist and turns, shifty characters and totally craziness that it had.But I will say BEST. FUNERAL. EVER. I snort laughed and actually read it three times. After writing this I might have to read it again. Hilarious. I had to stop reading so I could stop crying LOL. SNORT LAUGH!!!!From the Grandfather, her siblings, Her 5 minute husband Todd, Shawna, the entire Branson clan, Crazy ass goat and of course the dead guy this is a great book to sit back and enjoy, you will not be disappointed. Since this is a series I can’t wait to jump back in and hang out with everyone from Halo, Georgia again. Larissa Reinhart is a wonderful mystery writer that tells an amazing story and I cannot wait to read more from her. Can I officially say one of my favorite humorous mystery writers? I think I can :)I can’t recommend this book enough to you. I really think this is a series that could become one of my favorites.

The Alchemist War (Time-Tripping Faradays)

The Alchemist War - John Seven, Craig Phillips I hate writing reviews like this so this is going to be short.Maybe it was just me, I am not saying if you read it you will not like it, but when I started the book I actually thought the book was missing the first 5 chapters like it started in the middle. The terminology was so confusing and I feel like I missed an entire back story. Have you ever told a story to someone and they kind of looked at you like what the hell are you talking about but you understood since you know the whole story. Well this was sort of like the Author knew what was going on and just figured you did too.The characters were just there and the actually story had good potential if it didn't have so many wholes in it. When it came to the end I was like WHAT!!!! It just endedBut please believe me when I say it might be me, maybe Time Travel books just aren’t my thing. Maybe if I read a lot more I would have understood this a lot better.It upsets me when I read something that sounds awesome but just isn’t for me. Why did I give it 2 stars and not 1? because I really feel it wouldn’t be fair since this is my first Time Travel book I have ever read and it could possibly just not be my kind of read.Recommendation? Try it and see. I may just not have connected with the story/characters but you might.

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle - Christopher Healy 5/5 Stars ~ if ratings let me I would have given it 6 stars even 10 stars…infinity.This book was just as amazing if not more so than the first one. It was like chatting with friends you haven’t seen in a while catching up on stuff they have been doing since we last talked. Last we left the 4 Prince Charmings they were planning on writing a book about Saving a kingdom because trying to be famous came and went faster then they could blink their eyes.Having pulled one over on the Princes The Bandit King (Deeb Raubers) became very popular by the Bards. Much to the dislike of the Princes many songs were made about them too. I’m sure no one was happy with the song Elle and the four princes. (maybe Elle).This time around the princes are asked to find the Sword that belonged to Liam’s Family by Briar Rose (the unfriendly sleeping beauty...or is she?) only problem is the sword was stolen by the Bandit King and his new home is the witches old castle (new and improved) which is pretty much inaccessible.If only the circus was in town maybe they could come up with a plan to get in the castle and steal the sword without being notice. But what if the circus was the same one that scared the crap out of Frederick with the toothless lion. What a mess that would be. It would be worse if there was a Troll/Giant Fight, a Huge Snake, the Gray Phantom and an Epic battle that causes great chaos and almost kills someone. That would be terrible and make an awesome story.The characters are still amazing, written so well. I couldn’t pick just one prince in the last book but I realized after reading this one Duncan IS HILARIOUS and Totally my favorite….Snort Laugh Hilarious. His entire family is a bunch of crazy people and I LOVED THEM. I want to be part of his family. You meet a few new characters and you learn a lot more about our “Heros.” Plus I think some of romance from the original stories aren't what they seems. I seriously try not to give to much away and this book has so much going on its hard to say to much without ruining and I don't want to ruin it for you.This book was amazing. Added it to my favorites, just a fresh re-telling of a few classic stories and I loved that the story is so original. You never know what to expect. You really come to care about the princes and I have a whole new respect for the “Prince” in fairytales they really don’t get the attention they deserve (considering they do most of the work). Can’t wait to see how this series ends.Do I even have to write if I think you should read this book? I think you know the answer :)

Deer in Headlights

Deer in Headlights - Staci Hart **This review my contain some minor spoilers but the end will never be given away**When I read a series the first thing I have to do is totally love the characters, ALL of them, since in a series the next couple of book might be about them. Now you’re thinking DUH of course otherwise you wouldn’t want to read the book. Exactly my point. I have read a series (I don’t want to say which one) were characters in the book I didn’t connect with, so when the book came out for them I wasn’t interested in reading it. Sort of ruins the entire series. In Deer in headlights I wanted to invite them all over for Sunday Dinner. I LOVED them. They were written amazingly, each has their own back story and she did a great job building each character (flashbacks and all). Have you ever seen Hercules the Legendary Journey the one that use to be on TV? The characters were so witty and quirky. Even thought it was meant to be in ancient times they acted like spoiled brats, fashionista and complete divas. This is exactly how they were written in the book they totally reminded me of the show. Which made me love them more cause I LOVED THAT SHOW!!!!!Aphrodite (Dita) is chosen in a competition to play against Apollo.The Competition is an ongoing game the gods play to win tokens. Each token they win can be exchanged for a favor from the owner of the token. They use a human champion to be their player in the game. Dita picks a young girl who has commitment issues name Lex who is in a “going no place” kind of relationship with Travis and she spends a lot of her time with her friend Kara. Apollo picks a bad boy musician with some issues named Dean who has a tendency to sleep with a lot of girls even his band mate’s girl. The only way Dita can win is if she can get Lex and Dean together. Apollo’s goal is to keep them apart.The story switches between the gods and the morals with lots of flashbacks to give more details on Greek history. Some of the history I wasn’t aware of and it really adds a lot to the story. Ok so I actually had to look a lot of stuff up cause I was like “No that’s not right” but yup it was. Example I had no idea Aphrodite wasn’t Zeus’ daughter. Dita gave a smug grin, a mouthful of bacon in her cheek. “That’s right, bitches.”Dita and Apollo both have emotional background stories and they both have lost someone they really care about. Apollo is hoping to win the competition to get back his true love Daphne who was cursed by Eros (Dita’s Son Cupid) The curse made her fear Apollo only to have her father turn her into a tree to keep them apart. He has been waiting for a chance to beat her so he can have the curse undone and get her father turn her back to normal. Dita is angry at Apollo for killing her love Adonis. (or did he).All of the Greek god characters were great. I loved the humor in it. Ares is a complete ass (but I love me a bad boy and he WAS a bad boy) and Persephone (Perry) is a great BFF for Dita I love the friend connection they have (Also love the back story). They were all like a dysfunctional family you would want to at least hang with often. Or maybe a fly on a wall when they were all together.Dita and Apollo each play a part in how the story for Lex and Dean will go. The chemistry between them (Lex and Dean) is great. I love reading sexual tension, it always sends butterflies in my stomach waiting for that moment that leads up to the first kiss. The other characters in the book especially Kara and Roe they are HILARIOUS. They were great in helping move the relationship along with a little push from Dita. “I was scared shitless – I almost took you to the hospital. Spent half the night googling spontaneous amnesia. It doesn’t exist, by the way”I will say this is for sure an adult book the sex scenes in the book aren’t hardcore or raw but very sensual and intense. I loved the smoothness of it. Well written for this book. I don’t think I would have like as much if it was too hardcore. (seriously, I can’t believe I said that either)I have been trying to find any fault in the book. I’m not even sure if this was a fault sometime I got confused who was talking but a quick look back and it was easy to figure out (could have been just me).I really enjoyed this book. I thought it has a great cast of characters that stick with you for a while (even now I want to read more I miss them) and an original story. I’m not sure if I would call this a fairytale re-telling but it is a re-telling of Greek Myth and I think that is what drew me in to enter to win it. I am soooo very glad I did.I am really rather excited to read the next one in the series. From what I read on her website it’s about Ares. **swoon** I can’t wait.So do I recommend this book. Well yes, I’m surprised your still here reading this and haven’t jumped off my blog to go get it!!!! Totally a must read. A great mix of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance with just the right amount of loving ;) Trust me!!!

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin - It's completely original, I have never read a book that takes the story of Rumplestilskin and gives you a fresh "True" story . It starts with Rump as a young boy who lives with his grandmother because both of his parents have passed. At a young age they work in the mines looking for gold to trade with the Miller for food rations. The Miller wasn’t a far man so it could take a lot of gold to get any good food. Nothing had a name only people because “in the Kingdom your name isn’t just what people call you. Your name is full of meaning and power. Your name is your destiny”.So Rump wasn’t very happy with his name cause he felt it was half a name not a full name. Since his mom died before she can tell him the whole name he was known as Rump.“My mother named me after a cow’s rear end”He finds his mother’s spinning wheel and is drawn to start spinning straw into gold. This causes him a lot of problems besides trading for rations word gets out someone can spin straw to gold and chaos ensues.Rump is in search of fixing the problems he had created and finding his full name. You get a behind the scenes look at his life and the journey he goes on to find his destiny.The journey is fun and whimsical where he meets a family of trolls (that may or may not eat you), witches (of Wool), is beaten up by a bunch of pixies (never wake a pixie) As much as I had a hard time connecting with the characters by the end of it I was very happy for them and was very pleased how it had ended. Its really not what you think :) The Story was easy to read and very funny, such a wonderful story. I loved all the rhymes in the book. They were so witty and so much fun (I kept stopping to read them to my kids who laughed and made me read them over and over again) :)“Wash your hands, wipe your feet, give me a kiss, sit down and eat”Rump learns a lot about himself and what a name and destiny really is. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys a Fairy tale re-telling. Regardless of my issues with the characters this is really a good book not to pass up. It is totally worth the read.“Maybe destiny isn’t something that just happens.Maybe destiny is something you do”

Delilah Dusticle

Delilah Dusticle - A.J. York I was asked to read this book to give an honest review.For a book with only 33 pages it packs quite a lot of heart and is an extremely heartwarming story. It’s about a young woman names Delilah Dusticle who has a way with eradicating dust. She has worked with the Fenchurch-Whitington Family for quite some time and was very fond of them especially their son Charles. One day something happened that made Delilah very sad and heartbroken, she was no longer able to eradicate dust. She was let go of her duties at the house because she caused more dust then eradicated it. My heart broke for Delilah I felt so bad for her and I knew exactly what she was feeling. We all have been through heartbreak. After going through a series of ups and downs Delilah meets a friend who helps her get over her sadness and becomes an eradicator of dust again and is able to turn her life aroundThe message in this book is refreshing and so enlightening. This book would be so wonderful for young girls to read so they can realize that sometimes life can be tough but if you stay true to yourself and a little help from your friends you can overcome anything. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who need an uplifting story when we forget that sometimes we take ourselves for granted and don't realize our full potential.“The ordinary can be extraordinarily overlooked”

Paranormal Properties

Paranormal Properties - Tracy Lane It follows Jake Weir as he helps his parents who host a TV show called Paranormal Properties. While he is helping his parents he befriend a ghost named Frank Barrone a lounge singer that was murdered in the 50's. Together Jake and Frank with the help of Jakes friend Tank try to gather information to find out who murdered Frank. The search for Franks killer leads them to meet a cast of colorful characters and a very fun adventure. With the help of Frank, Jake is also trying to help his parents get out of local TV and onto bigger and better things.I loved the name of the show. It reminded me of the show Ghost Hunters (and I LOVE Ghost Hunters) I thinks its what drew me to this book in the beginning. I had seen it on Goodreads and was so excited when I received an email requesting to sign up for the tour. Totally could not pass this up. I was happy to say I wasn't disappointed. The characters were great. I loved following Jake along in this adventure. Reading about his frustrations in having to help his parents and not having a permanent place to live. He hated having to move around so much so his parents could do the TV Show. He didn't have many friends and the ones he had he always had to leave because he moved to much until his meets Tank a chubby girl who is dealing with a lot of issues of her own (really felt bad for her) and Frank a ghost looking for the person who killed him. Frank is quite a handsome fella and the story about his death is rather interesting. The back story about him was great. I really felt the entire story really keeps your interest. Its very interesting. Its a young adult version of a ghost story murder mystery. I really can see this being a very cute series that I would be happy to continue reading. It's also something I would recommend for my son or nephew to read. I strongly recommend for anyone (adults included) that enjoys the Paranormal and are looking for a fun and completely original story.