WWW Wednesday (185)

To play along just answer these three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What have you recently finished?

What are you reading next?

 

          

01. Currently Reading:
Celluloid by Holly Curtis. Still working on this novel about saving an old neighborhood theatre. I'm really enjoying these characters. They're quirky and a little off their hinges.

02. Recently Finished:
No recently completed novels.

03. Reading Next:
Either rereading Afternoon by Robert Lampros or continuing on with the review list and reading Poisoned Apple by Katherine McIntyre. I need to get both of these done quickly! Don't want to start the new year off more behind than I already am. The life of a book reviewer --- there just isn't enough time.

Teaser Tuesday (193)



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Celluloid  (Kindle 15%)
   - Holly Curtis

"The community needs to become aware of the little goldmine it has in the Crypt. There's nowhere like it, Jimmy. We have to protect it."








Hope everyone had a great holiday last week! Mine was definitely packed, but it's back to reading this week!

WWW Wednesday (184)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Celluloid by Holly Curtis. A film lover discovers that his favorite cinema is being demolished and decides that he must save it.

02. Recently Finished:
Echoes by Laura Tisdall. An elite grey-hat hacker must save her online friends when they start disappearing after looking into a virus that is rumored to have the power to change the world.

03. Reading Next:
Poisoned Apple by Katherine McIntyre. A twisted tale of Snow White. I love retellings of fairy tales and cannot wait for this one!

Teaser Tuesday (192)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers


Celluloid (Kindle 3%)
   - Holly Curtis

When things got bad, really bad, it was the one place I could rely on, the one place I could go where I'd get a crumb of solace - and crumbs were what I relied on these days. It didn't matter if I was sharing it with fifty other people or five - the only time I felt even remotely connected to the human race was when I went to that cinema.

Echoes

“There is truth to be shared. Let us begin…”

Volatile mathematical genius Mallory Park is living two lives. In one, she is balancing senior year with looking after her little brother and troubled ex-Marine father; in the other, she spends her nights glued to her laptop, breaking into some of the world’s most secure systems as the hacker Echo Six.

As part of a corruption-exposing cyber network called the Forum, Mallory is far more at ease among the codes and hidden identities of her online world than she has ever been in the real one, but when other hackers start to go missing, she finds herself caught up in a web of secrets that could have repercussions far beyond both.

When anyone can be a name on a screen, how do you know who to trust?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Meet Mallory Park, better known to the cyber world as Echo Six. An elite teenage hacker who sees computer code as a puzzle waiting to be solved. A teenager who, in the real world, is ostracized at school, a caretaker for her little brother and her father who suffers from PTSD. Echoes by Laura Tisdall is a cataclysmic collision of two separate worlds that will threaten the security of the entire internet. 

Mallory Park is the main character and readers will form an incredibly strong, deep connection with her due to the honest, blunt nature of the writing and the first person point of view. In her real life, outside the internet, Mallory is a very nervous girl who suffers from haphephobia which is the fear of being touched. Her sensory perception is always on overdrive and therefore she struggles with relationships, crowds, and people being close to her. Readers will immediately sympathize with Mallory as they see how difficult everyday functions are to her. The writing style emphasizes these struggles, giving readers an in-depth look and a sense of understanding. Even though she has this difficulty, Mallory is a very caring and loving person. Though sometimes she has no idea how to show it. Mallory takes care of her little brother Jed, making sure he eats healthily, does his homework, and doesn't get bullied at school. She even tries to watch over her father who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

With all of this responsibilty weighing on her shoulders, Mallory tries to escape into the cyber world, where she can be someone who isn't afraid all the time. Hence, Echo Six. As Echo Six, Mallory can be strong, courageous, brave, intelligent. Anything she wants to be. She can make friends, like Warden, and not be afraid that they'll see her weaknesses. As readers make their way through this novel, they'll understand Mallory more and more, trusting her, respecting her, and hoping for her survival as hackers disappear and the cyber world suddenly becomes one with real life. 

The plot of Echoes is simplistic with a focus on emotional reactions, friendship, trust, and betrayal. Mallory is part of an elite grey-hat hacker group that meets on The Forum. They do hacks requested by The Asker and then the information gathered is carefully leaked to bring people to justice. Almost two years before, a genius hacker left a video message, before committing suicide, that he had created a virus called The Reckoning and if a hacker was good enough, they could find all the pieces scattered across the internet, put them together, and change the world. Presently, The Asker is noticing that there are hackers disappearing and all of them have one thing in common: The Reckoning virus. 

When The Asker becomes one of the disappeared, Mallory knows that she can find him and maybe even save him. Though she's terrified of the consequences, she knows that she has to do this to save her friend. This book completely absorbed and entertained me. It was easy to understand even though I don't have a single clue about hacking or coding. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a great entertaining read with a little danger. Though there are curse words throughout the novel, it seems appropriate for the situations, even necessary to make the book more realistic. In all, Laura Tisdall delivers. Echoes is a fantastic book with the perfect balance of strong character connections and an intriguing plot.

Rating: 5/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (183)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Echoes by Laura Tisdall. This book is enthralling! Mallory Park, teenage hacker, is considered an elite. When her fellow online hackers start disappearing, she decides that she has to find out what happened to them.

02. Recently Finished:
Afternoon by Robert Lampros. Interesting novella about a young man in high school and the troubles he is having. Not sure I caught everything the first time through so I'm going to read it again before I review it.

03. Reading Next:
Celluloid by David Jones. Jimmy Clifford has his problems and his medications, but he is still determined to save the Crypt, an old cinema set for destruction.

Teaser Tuesday (191)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers


Echoes (Kindle 10%)
   - Laura Tisdall

Echo is right, The Asker replies. Cyber Sneak is the one who hacked the Pentagon. There's a pause.
Why do you ask about her? Mallory writes.
Because she's disappeared.

The Way We Fall

Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly.

Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date.

Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds.

Maybe we should have never been together.

Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.

Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever.

Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Cassia Leo writes of dark, twisted love and life in her novel, The Way We Fall. When someone's world crashes, those surrounding will feel the blow and experience the chaos. It's just a matter of time until the ripple reaches them. For Rory and Houston, the suicide of a friend and sister destroyed them. And the only way they could move on was to be together, to keep each other from completely falling apart. 

Aurora, aka Rory, and Houston aren't the most likeable characters. They have real flaws, some that are so deep it's hard to see pass them. Rory has loved Houston since she was a little girl but she tried to ignore her feelings because his sister was her best friend. Rory has grown into a self-sufficient woman. She has a decent job with dreams of more, a dog, and her own apartment. She built a life after she and Houston broke up five years before. A life, in which, she is happy, at times. But when Houston comes back into her world unexpectedly, she stands to crumble once again. Rory seems a bit naive when it comes to trusting others. She still considers herself damaged, yet, she sets herself up for more heartache. 

While I grew to like Rory more and more as the story went on, I did not like Houston at all. To me, he's selfish, slightly rude, presumptuous, disloyal, obsessive, and distraught. Though he does have the right to be happy and leave his marriage if he isn't, he's bad news for Aurora. He's toxic to her. A hurricane that destroys everything she builds. Their relationship is an 'easier said than done' situation, but if Rory wants a chance at a truly happy life, she needs to steer clear of Houston. 

Houston raised a lot of questions for me. I understood parts of his character, but other traits and actions I was unable to wrap my head around. Mainly, they have to do with his wife. Yes, Houston is married and he is still going after Rory. I didn't understand why he ever thought Tessa would be enough for him if he was still in love with Aurora? If he always believed he would find his way back to Rory, then why even marry Tessa? Was he trying to feed her mental instability? Or was she supposed to be Houston's chance to save someone since he feels like he should have saved his sister? Sometimes his line of thought comes into view, but I can't make complete sense of it. 

The plot of the story is two-dimensional: the present and the past. In the present, Houston has his sister's suicide note that he never showed Rory and it's been five years since their break-up. Houston wants to leave his wife, but her mental instability creates issues for him. Meanwhile, Rory has never stopped loving Houston, but she meets sweet Liam and wonders if he's her future. But Houston won't let Rory go without telling her the truth of his sister's death and their relationship. In the past, Houston and Rory are slowly moving towards each other, falling in love, dreaming of a future. But as time moves forward so does Houston's sister's plans in ending her life which throws Houston and Rory together in to swirling chaos of loss, love, pain, and the desire to escape it all. Cassia Leo writes a very entertaining, twisted story of two people life has thrown together, fated to tragedy. The idea of a sequel to this madness intrigues me, but, honestly, I don't know if I want to know how this story ends.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Cover Reveal: Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

E. P. Thompson here.

Worst. Year. Ever. First semester in sixth grade, and my best friend Debbie has dropped me because my boobs aren’t big enough. Well, she didn’t say that exactly, but I just know that’s the reason. Then I got paired with Adam Berry, the biggest pencil-protecting geek of the decade, for the never-ending, semester-long math project. And as if that’s not bad enough, Thomas Maxwell, the cutest boy in my grade, only pays attention to me when I’m making a total fool of myself. Ugh.

Weirdest thing of all: it seems Lucas C. Tanner Middle School has a full-on, bona fide thief! Now all the teachers are going crazy and all the students are too, because Mrs. Peule has promised to make this year a living nightmare until the culprit is caught. We have to find out who is ruining sixth grade. Like, now!

Well, at least the criminal activity has taken the focus off my lack of bra ownership. Sigh.

I have to go. I’ll write again soon. Promise.

Meet the Author

Judith Natelli McLaughlin grew up reading a solid diet of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, and Shel Silverstein. Her mom was famous for telling her, "You are never alone if you have a book," and her dad, a lover of words, was always reciting poetry to her.

She went on to write, illustrate, and publish her own poetry book,Poems on Fruits and Odes to Veggies—Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem. Her other works include a women’s fiction novel titled This Moment and a soon to be released children’s chapter book, Mackenzie Goode Makes A Mistake—A Big One.

She lives in New Jersey with her husband Brian; her three daughters Katie, Lindsay, and Maggie; and her faithful writing companion, a Westie named Duke.

Find Judith Online:

GOODREADS / TWITTER / WEBSITE / YOUTUBE

And the big reveal...

WWW Wednesday (182)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Afternoon by Robert Lampros. A novella about faith and courage. Starting this one today if I can get the file to work. I'm not as tech savvy as I would like you to think.

02. Recently Finished:
The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo. An interesting novel about the past and future of a couple who can't seem to let each other go, even though their relationship was and is quite toxic.

03. Reading Next:
Echoes by Laura Tisdall. Hacker novel! So so so looking forward to this. Mallory's online friends/ other hackers start disappearing. Cyber security mystery established.

Seeking the Star

One December night, in the sleepy Cotswold village of Chilton Crosse, a drifter named Ben collapses on George and Mary Cartwright’s snow-covered doorstep. As Christmas cheer spreads throughout the village with a Dickens-themed festival, Mary nurses Ben back to health, but she becomes curious about the secrets he seems to carry.

On Christmas Eve, one of Ben’s secrets accidentally comes to light, forcing him to confront the darkness of his past and to rediscover the faith he once knew.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Looking for a book to help you into the holiday spirit? Traci Borum introduces a new face to the Chilton Crosse community in her latest book, Seeking the Star. A man who has lost everything he ever wanted stumbles into the Chilton Crosse village and collapses on the doorstep of George and Mary Cartwright. They take him in, determined to save a young man's life, but they do so much more than that. 

Ben, George, and Mary are the three main characters of this novel. Ben Granger crawls into Chilton Crosse, barely hanging on to life. He couldn't guess the date or say when he ate his last meal. In fact, it's more like life is hanging on to him. All Ben knows is that there's a chance that if he never stops running, then maybe his memories won't catch up to him. He's wrong of course, but Ben is a man who has been beaten down and you can't blame someone for trying. He's at his lowest point. And for a very understandable reason, though I'll let Ben tell you himself after you get your hands on this book. Readers will be intrigued by the mystery surrounding Ben and it will form the initial connection. Once their curiosity is piqued, readers won't be able to stop until all hidden pasts have been revealed. I read this entire novel in less than a day. The emotional bond I felt with each of the main characters was substantial and I couldn't relax until I knew every detail. 

George and Mary form a different, yet similar connection with the reader. They're an elderly couple who have lived in Chilton Crosse for some time. Though they help and support Ben, they are living with their own tragedy, the loss of their son. Readers will sympathize with George and Mary while also feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and deep respect for them. Their struggle for happiness is a tough one, but they reach for it all the same. I can't imagine putting the pieces back together after the loss of a child, but George and Mary's story is that trial and, at times, that triumph. 

The plot of Seeking the Star is focused on the emotional journey of Ben, George, and Mary. Though it's obvious from the beginning that Ben needs the Cartwright's help, they come to need him too. The good qualities of each character make them all easy to like as readers witness their attempt at living life after tragedy. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (190)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



The Way We Fall (Kindle 72%)
     - Cassia Leo

"Who's that?" Houston asks, glancing at the back of my phone.
"It's a really nice guy who's not married."

Munsrat Lives

Munsrat has a plan. He has reached the point in life when it dawns on him that the next day’s sunrise someday will not come, that he will soon be nothing more than some weed’s nutrient. But rather than embrace and hurtle headlong towards the coming doom and feed the plant with human impatience, Munsrat concocts an elaborate plan. Two words form the end of his massive flow chart: “Munsrat Lives.”

In the novel Munsrat Lives, the mysterious titular figure starts writing graffiti throughout the city—1990s boom-era Seattle.

The graffiti intrigues, divides and confuses Seattleites, including and especially Herman, Jimmy and Esprit, who must find out what Munsrat is up to before it is too late. Herman Stittle, a down on his luck port cop, is the first to come upon the mysterious Munsrat tags. He is pulled irretrievably into the puzzle of spray painted words. The Mayor of Seattle makes it a point to stop the Munsrat graffiti and puts Esprit in charge of the case. She can’t stand her boss, doesn’t care about her job and isn’t even all that fond of Seattle. But she can’t escape Munsrat, and soon begins receiving anonymous emails from someone who claims he knows Munsrat’s plans. Jimmy is full of energy and ideas and embraces the Munsrat mystery with all the freshness and passion of youth. He knows Munsrat is up to something and must find out what it is.

These three lives intersect in a city increasingly obsessed with Munsrat and his graffiti. A statue of a troll, a tale-telling old man in a yellow slicker and the drawbridges of Seattle play crucial roles as the truth is slowly revealed. Munsrat Lives explores the love of mystery, the power of belief and the frustrations of modern life.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Graffiti as a movement is happening in 1990s Seattle. Reaching people. Touching lives. Bringing mystery. Sam Kaplan writes of the effect of carefully chosen words in specifically chosen places in his novel, Munsrat Lives. As the main characters come together, they align to chase down the Munsrat mystery. 

Herman, Jimmy, and Esprit couldn't be more different. Herman is a man who feels his life is over. He works as a port cop and has no direction, no drive. Readers will feel sympathetic for Herman at the beginning of the novel. Though that will evolve into pride and support as Herman escapes his comfort zone and forms unlikely friendships with Jimmy, Esprit, and a few others at a concert that goes awry. He is soon inspired to change his life, be more open, take more chances. Readers will hope for Herman's success as the story evolves. Though what becomes of him isn't thoroughly described in this first installment of Munsrat novels. 

Jimmy is a dreamer in love with dreaming. He loves coincidence, philosophy, and is often excited for a moment of intrigue that could appear at any time. He loves anticipation, the buzz of waiting for something big. He becomes obsessive with Munsrat graffiti and tries to track down the real artist. Which may be harder than he thinks after buildings containing identifying information are destroyed by arson. Readers will enjoy Jimmy's alternate attitude to things, his joy for life and mystery. He's the character that connects everyone else, the hub of the unlikely group. Jimmy's philosophical ramblings allow the author's hypnotic prose to lull the reader into a wonderful, imaginative perspective of life. 

Esprit is the character that reader's will not like at the beginning of the novel. However, after she meets Jimmy and gains a new outlook on Munsrat, and life, her softer side is revealed, allowing readers to connect with her. As a City Security Official, Esprit is tasked with finding and stopping Munsrat so the mayor doesn't get a bad rep. This extends her world of hate. But what Jimmy shows her that Munsrat is a mystery for the enjoyment of the people, Esprit's hatred of life begins to shift. She learns that she can create her own path. Readers will see Esprit's spirit changing as she evolves into a character that they can connect with. 

The plot of Munsrat Lives begins with a detailed plan of a bar patron. Then Herman finds the words 'Munsrat Lives' spray painted on a concrete wall in the port. Soon after, Herman is saved by a man in a yellow rain slicker who has seen the graffiti as well. The messages continue until nearly everyone in the city has read one of the tagger's statements. The graffiti brings Herman, Esprit, and Jimmy together, daring them to solve the mystery. Then the unlikely death of the man in the yellow rain slicker seemingly brings an end to the art. Was he Munsrat? When the words 'Munsrat Lives' appear once again, the end of the story merely becomes the end of the book with an unspoken promise of more for Jimmy, Herman, and Esprit.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (181)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Munsrat Lives by Sam Kaplan. A man is inspired to cover 1990's Seattle with graffiti. Definitely intrigued by this as I, personally, enjoy graffiti art.

02. Recently Finished:
Heroes of Earth by Martin Berman-Gorvine. After the world has been invaded by aliens, a group of teenager learn that they can fight back, but there will be consequences.

03. Reading Next:
Seeking the Star by Traci Borum. Third installment of the Chilton Crosse series. I am so excited to dive into this book. A Christmas love story to get me in the Holiday spirits!