The Haunting of Tinley Hall by Tania Hagan

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating: 5/5

Tinley Hall is a fairly typical 17 year old girl, with two parents who love her, an attitudinal younger sister, a dog, and a best friend with a cute older brother. One day, her life is turned upside down when she has an accident and falls down the stairs. She finds herself alone in her house and things feel awfully strange. She can't pick up objects or leave the house, but she can still interact with her dog. Then she meets Gus. He tells her that he has been dead for over seventy years and that she is probably dead as well. They spend time trying to make sense of this haunting business and Tinley comes to rely on his companionship. But is she really dead? Is this all just a dream? This book will keep you guessing and have you crying your eyes out.

I bought a copy of this book at an event because I just don't get enough ghost lore in my life. It was completely engrossing from the very start. Tinley is full of sarcasm and the other characters were really well written also. I thought that the theories about ghosts were quite fascinating - and totally believable as well. It was easy to imagine what it was like for Tinley and really very interesting to think about all the facets of being a ghost. Tinley's relationship with Gus was just wonderful from the beginning and it became more and more beautiful as the book progressed. Without spoiling anything, I was crying by the end of the book (and despite my last review about the second Outlander book, that is pretty rare for me).

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who finds ghost lore interesting as well as anyone who enjoys sweet romance stories. It is a YA novel, so it can be enjoyed by readers young and old!

Grammar/Editing: Abysmal/Poor/Needs Work/Good/Excellent - There were very few grammatical and punctuation errors in this book - definitely nothing that distracted from the story.

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - As a YA book, there was pretty much NO foul language! 

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There was no real violence per se. Tinley falls down the stairs and Gus talks about being hit by a car. Nothing truly violent happens other than accidents.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - Sex was never mentioned by name, only implied in a few conversations. Tinley's boyfriend planned something at one point but was turned down, and it was referred to in another conversation, but again, never actually done. There are some very mild makeout scenes.

*Spirituality: I'm adding a note in here about the spiritual nature of this book because sometimes this can really bother me. I usually avoid dark spiritual movies and books because they are just too disturbing. This book though, is clearly lighter in nature, and so I decided to give it a shot. It isn't disturbing at all - only interesting.
There is one section of the book where some kids are using a Ouija board and that could be a little too much for some people. I will note that the dire and dark consequences of using the board were mentioned in the book. It wasn't presented as a fun game - it was definitely a serious thing that caused something bad to happen.

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Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy/Time Travel (This series is kind of a genre of its own)
Rating: 5/5

Claire is back in modern times with her daughter Brianna. They go to revisit the house of her historian friend, who has died, in Scotland. Claire begins some research into the history of the clans, particularly what happened at Culloden. She is finally ready to find out what happened to Jamie. She had to return to the present time and leave him behind. She reminisces about how she and Jamie travelled to France in an attempt to stop the Jacobite uprising. They hoped to succeed in stopping Bonnie Prince Charles from leading the Scottish clans into a death trap at Culloden. There was quite a lot of action, as well as politics, murder, and intrigue along the way. If she and Jamie could not succeed in stopping the uprising completely, could they at least save the ones they love?

This review will most definitely contain spoilers, especially if you have not read the first book.

In the beginning of this book, I was devastated to find out that Claire had returned to the present without Jamie and that she had lived without him for 20 years with Frank while raising Brianna (clearly Jamie's daughter). I kept thinking it was surely some kind of mistake. The first part of the book is set in 1968 and Rodger, Brianna, and Claire discuss the history of the clans while Claire remembers the events that lead her back to the modern time. She and Jamie did all they could to stop Charles from attempting an uprising, going to France and meeting the King himself. They were involved in a lot of complicated political drama. The look into French society at this period in time was quite fascinating. We get to see more of Jack Randall (unfortunately) and we also meet his brother Alex. This book paints a beautiful picture of several different types of settings. Not only did Claire and Jamie spend a few years in France, they also returned to Scotland and became involved in the uprising. We get to see the spirited highland armies and experience the death, hunger, and desperation as the uprising comes to it's conclusion. There emerges a bigger villain than Jack Randall.
This series is so successful because Diana Abandon is able to weave together an amazing story full of action, sorrow, joy, and mystery. The pace can be slow, but this makes the story seem even more real. Claire and Jamie become like loved ones to the reader. You can imagine yourself there with them and even begin to predict how they will respond to certain situations.

I have this enjoyed this series solely though audiobook. I started Outlander three years ago and just finished Dragonfly in Amber today. I have loved savoring these books. It is a true journey.

I think this is one of my favorite series of all time. It comes down to the way the books make me feel. Yes, the story is interesting, but I just feel so happy and immersed when I listen to these books. The narrator, Davina Porter, is amazing!

If you have not already read this series, do so as soon as you can! You won't regret it!

Onto my other ratings -
The grammar and editing was fantastic.

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme -  There is a bit of swearing in this book. Of course, it's mostly old slang and the use of the Lord's name in vain but it's quite frequent. I think the author did a good job of keeping it fairly clean, it could have been a lot worse.

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - Lots and lots of different types of violence. Stabbings, beatings, hangings, rape. People getting shot, people getting burned, people bleeding and dying.  But although it was a lot and fairly constant, it wasn't too graphic. There are many things in this series that are quite disturbing, though.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There are many sex scenes in this series. I feel that they are done beautifully, but they can be a little explicit.

As mentioned, I listened to these on Audible. If you don't have an audible account, you can get your first book FREE when you sign up! (Outlander is a great choice). It's around $15 a month after that and you can pick any of the books that you want with your credit that you get each month. You can also cancel at any time.

You can also get the books on Amazon using the affiliate links below:
1. Outlander
2. Dragonfly in Amber
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
7. An Echo in the Bone
8. Written in My Own Heart's Blood



  

The Sixth Domicile by Courtney Ruggles

Genre: Dystopian/Coming of Age
Rating: 5/5

Q (Formally known as Q467B) is a member of the sixth domicile, located somewhere in what used to be known as the United States of America. She, and the other thousand members of the domicile are all equally submissive to the Elders by wearing white masks and all black clothing. Their mates, jobs, and meals are all chosen for them. The Elders keep control by telling everyone that the earth is barren and toxic outside the Domicile walls and that murderous transients roam the landscape. They have limited choices, but at least they are alive and safe. However, Q and her friend B1116A know differently. The sky is clean and the sun shines brightly. The grass and trees are healthy and beautiful. They know this truth but must act like they do not. They don't have the means to leave the domicile and so they stay, controlled and oppressed by the lying Elders. But they are soon to be married - to other people. They will not be allowed to remain friends. Will Q and B be able to adjust to their new lives? Will they continue to break the rules to spend time together? How much do the Elders actually watch them? How much will be enough to get them sent to the Muerte?

This book was absolutely riveting! After suspending my disbelief in the impracticality of everyone wearing masks and gloves ALL the time, this book really came together well. The story and the world were really well crafted. It's really very disturbing how the domicile inhabitant's identities were squelched by the wearing of masks. This would make quite a beautiful and chilling movie. It isn't a typical "chosen one" dynamic, either, which I appreciated. The main character, Q, is different because of her grandmother's influence (one of the only people to have lived outside the domicile). But the others don't blindly follow, as we see on several occasions throughout the book. Instead of a savior, we see Q as a spark that ignites a new rebellion. It was very thrilling and inspirational!
Q's character growth was fantastic as well. She initially wanted freedom simply to be with the man she loved. But she soon realized that there WAS more to life and her influence was worth a lot. She began to realize that she needed freedom in genera,l and she became bolder and bolder about trying to achieve that.

This book ended in a MONSTEROUS cliffhanger, so I will be heading off to the kindle store to get the next one.
Awesome book! With better editing, I think this book could be just phenomenal.

Grammar/Editing: Abysmal/Poor/Needs Work/Good/Excellent - There were few misspellings or punctuation errors. The grammatical errors were strange -almost like this book had been translated from another language. Words were sometimes missing entirely and the sentence structure was odd. Several times, the verb tenses got mixed up. The errors did lessen as the book progressed, however. *I was originally going to rate 4/5 stars for poor editing but it did get much better.

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - No curse words to speak of. The society was highly controlled so this makes some sense.

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There was quite a lot of violence in this book - different types as well as frequent violent scenes. Citizens who disobey are gotten rid of and never seen again by going to the Muerte. Citizens are beaten with whips. Q is beaten by her husband and assaulted on more than one occasion and the worst part is that this domestic abuse is allowed by the domicile. It is mentioned that patients are intentionally killed while in the hospital, and (Spoilers) the entire domicile comes under attack. Many citizens are shot and killed mercilessly.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There are multiple scenes throughout the book of Q and B together. They are moderately explicit.


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The Separation by Stormy Russell

Genre: Dystopian/Coming of Age

Rating: 5/5

Less than a century ago, the differences between men and women grew so great that a war was fought, and they began living apart. Now actual walls separate them and there is no contact between regular citizens. Communication between men and women is restricted to the leadership and even then, only the most necessary and important issues require interaction. Eroyn lives with her elder, Grace, and has no major ambitions other than to have a happy life, make Grace comfortable, and do her job as a security officer well. She has been taught to despise men. One day she captures one. She drags him home to interrogate him and plans to turn him over. But then, she meets several more, including someone she never thought she would see. Her interactions with them cause her to question her whole society.

I found this book very interesting, especially in light of the extreme feminism that we see today. It was an interesting exploration of what our lives might be like if we lived in a female-only culture. I really LOVED the setup where a girl would be chosen by an older woman to be her companion, and then the younger girl would go on to inherit what the older woman had. The elders were taken care of and respected in such an amazing way and Eroyn loved Grace as a mother. I am eager to hear more about the rest of the world in books to come, since they were very isolated in this book. Everything was quite controlled (as it is in most dystopian novels) so we got just a small glimpse of the world.

Overall, a great read that definitely stirs some questions! It was quite creative and enjoyable!

Grammar/Editing: Abysmal/Poor/Needs Work/Good/Excellent - There were some grammatical and punctuation errors here and there but nothing excessive. There was nothing that detracted from the story too much.

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - Almost no curse words.

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme -  A man implies rape at one point. SPOILERS: A town is bombed at one point and there is quite a lot of bloodshed and death. This is really quite traumatic.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - Rape is implied at one point, but other than that, there isn't any sexuality.

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The Silver Chains by LJ Clarkson

Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Isabelle is finally starting her first term at Mastermind Academy. Esme and Boldrick return to escort her to the Academy but get sidetracked when they stop to investigate some suspicious Terran activity. After barely escaping with their lives, the trio makes it to Agartha. When Isabelle is placed into a class and begins her studies of magic, she is disappointed and frustrated with how difficult things are for her. She struggles to control her magic and she has to deal with Namaya, the daughter of a woman Isabelle helped to imprison. To top that off, she starts receiving horrible threatening A-Mails. She makes a few new friends and gets mixed up in more Esme/Boldrick mischief. Can she learn to control her magic, save her family, and stay out of trouble?

I thought that the pace and the style of this book was a little different than the first book, but I loved it! There was plenty of action and excitement. The technology is pretty awesome - there are replicators with the ability to project holographic programs, bracelets with the ability to turn into flying crafts, suits that can meld to your body seamlessly and cool/heat as needed, hovering beds, and more! I just LOVE the Esme/Boldrick parts. They are such a great duo.

This book ended on a little bit of a cliffhanger and so I am eager to read the next one. I still have a few questions that I would like answered (for example, what was up with the holographic simulation with her friend? Was it real? Was it not?) The time difference (Agarthan time runs 6x faster than Terran time) was getting a little confusing. I was also just a little distressed at the treatment of Isabelle by the authorities at the end. She definitely broke some rules but I felt like their punishment was too harsh.

Overall, another great book by LJ Clarkson. I really am looking forward to the next one (waiting for me on my Kindle!) as well as the prequel about Boldrick.


Grammar/Editing: Abysmal/Poor/Needs Work/Good/Excellent- The grammar was a little rough at times. There were not too many misspellings or word usage errors, it was mostly odd wordings and fragments that didn't get caught. There were things that could have been worded better. It was not too bad overall.

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There was very little real violence in this book. There were a few times that energy weapons were shot. People were put in dangerous situations, abducted, and told that they would be killed. The most distressing thing in this book is that someone threatens to kill Isabelle's family if she does not do what they want.

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - Apart from a few made up curse words, this book was clean as a whistle.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - No sexuality whatsoever.

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Book 1: The Silver Strand
Book 2: The Silver Chains
Book 3: The Silver Skull

Kepler: Humanity's Ark by Kyle Perkins and Virginia Johnson

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Humanity's last hope has arrived at the planet dubbed "Kepler." Their mission is to colonize the planet and keep the human species alive. This is to be done at any cost, including wiping out any existing population. Orrin and his crew of soldiers, botanists, and scientists are all clear about what is at stake and what needs to be done. However, when they finally arrive on Kepler, things become less clear for Orrin. He sees the human-esque population of the planet and begins to think that genocide is not the answer. Aya, the daughter of the ruler of the Vaklaran (native) people, wants to escape her fate of marrying Garret. He was chosen to be her betrothed by her father but she wants a different life. She sees the human ships fall to the planet and sees the immediate effect that they have on the flora and fauna. She soon meets these humans and her beliefs are also challenged. Will the humans and the natives be able to live in peace?

What I liked about this book was that there were some really thought provoking issues brought up and everyone's ideas about their world and their existence were constantly being challenged. What at first seemed like a clear cut case of alien invaders coming to a planet to exterminate all sentient life became more complicated as it became clear that there were other powers at play. It really makes one question something very basic that is engrained in the very fiber of humanity - could there come a point where humans simply don't deserve to survive? Humans spend a lot of time and energy working to preserve our existence. But should it be preserved?

There were a lot of twists and turns in this book that made it really interesting and engaging. It did feel ultimately like a retelling of the Pocahontas story, but I think it was done well. There were some things that I was still a little confused about at the end of the book that I wish were more thoroughly explained but it was still quite enjoyable.

Grammar/Editing: Abysmal/Poor/Needs Work/Good/Excellent - There were almost no issues of word misuse or misspellings. There were very few punctuation issues. There were minor grammatical issues here and there (at some points this may have been done on purpose since there were language and cultural differences between the humans and the natives).

Profanity: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There were a few f-bombs and uses of the word "shit." Overall, there was nothing too excessive.

Violence: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There was quite a lot of explicit violence in this book with guns, spears, and blades. The descriptions are quite thorough and could be very disturbing to some people. At one point there is a battle where multiple people are tossed around, squished, and cut up so badly that organs start making appearances.

Sexuality: None/Mild/Medium/Heavy/Extreme - There were two kisses in this book and that is it. No sexual content whatsoever.

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