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Nicole A. (nastell) - , - Reviews

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The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, Bk 1)
The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, Bk 1)
Author: Caleb Carr
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 551
Review Date: 12/27/2016


I felt like the book got off to a very slow start, and I almost didn't finish it. However, it was one of my best friend's favorite books, so I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did! The late 19th century criminal profiling was fascinating to see unfold. It's a great psychological thriller! Definitely give it read if you like history and/or thrillers & suspense!


Asylum (Asylum, Bk 1)
Asylum (Asylum, Bk 1)
Author: Madeleine Roux
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 36
Review Date: 8/21/2017


The premise is really interesting, but Asylum would work much better as a film because the suspense and scare value is lost since it's written and not visual. Yeah, the pictures added throughout the book are cool and add a nice creepy element to the book, but the scare factor that I think Roux was going for just didn't translate well in a book.


Beta (Beta, Bk 1)
Beta (Beta, Bk 1)
Author: Rachel Cohn
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 1/15/2018


The concept is very intriguing! The idea of soulless clones being created to be slaves, or âcompanionsâ as they are called, is not only disturbing but strangely fascinating as well. The people of Demesne don't see anything wrong with having compliant âcompanionsâ because they aren't suppose to feel; which made me wonder - if cloning soulless people really could happen, would people enslave them since they aren't considered real people?


Black Ice
Black Ice
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 12
Review Date: 1/15/2018


I love this book! It's one of my favorites! I've already read it twice in the past 6 months, and would read again, it I didn't have so many books left to read on my book shelf!

It's a thrilling, action-packed mystery that keeps you guessing, and hits you right in the feels!

This book needs to become a movie ASAP!!


Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Bk 4)
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Bk 4)
Author: Richelle Mead
  • Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
 257
Review Date: 12/20/2014


I love this series! Richelle Mead is such an amazing story teller! Vampire Academy sucked me from the first book and I've been in love ever since. (I read this series about 4 years ago, and I STILL rave about it.) I think it's the YA series out there.


Bloodrose (Nightshade, Bk 3)
Bloodrose (Nightshade, Bk 3)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 10
Review Date: 2/18/2014


This book wraps up the series nicely. There is tons of action, a complicated love triangle, heartbreak, good vs evil, and lots of justifying death. I loved it!


The Boogie Trapp
The Boogie Trapp
Author: Kerry Copeland Smith
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 8/31/2014


The Boogie Trapp could have been half as long. There was SO MUCH EXPOSITION! I understand that Kerry Copeland Smith wanted to give the reader a feel for the time and the place that story took place, but Jesus! For instance, I didn't need to know on page 226, paragraph 3:

The first bend in the road is to the right towards the northeast, then after about 100 yards, the road snakes back to the general direction that it's now heading. The slope of the creek valley off to the right is extremely steep and heavily covered with trees and large boulders. The opposite side of the road is thinly covered with a growth of small pines and baby oaks along with heavy growth of bushes. At some time in the past, it has been cleared and farmed...

That paragraph didn't add to the story in the SLIGHTEST, and there were plenty more just like it all throughout the book. There was so much unnecessary description that it got in the way of the actual story. I actually put the book down several times out of the frustration because I was so bored, I couldn't focus on what I was reading anymore because my mind started to wonder. The story doesn't really get going until page 184, which is over halfway into the book!

Also, the author kept getting sidetracked with telling other stories, that didn't actually contribute to the main story he was telling. This happened several times in the book. If felt like filler - like a kid who has to write a paper and make it 10 pages long, so they tell a 4 page antidote that has a very thin connection to the real assignment, just to fluff it up. But none of the stories were needed!

But my BIGGEST pet peeve - the person who was supposed to edit/proof read the manuscript. They didn't do their fucking job!! One of biggest annoyances, when reading, is when quotation marks are missing. Like, you know the character is still speaking, but they forgot to put the quotation mark back in after "he said". This book was FULL of them! There were SO MANY missing quotation marks and correctly spaced speech patterns. For instance, as I randomly flip through and pick page 253:

"He's up on the hill behind us! I scream to Trapper, as I throw myself face down to the rock.

It drove me freaking NUTS! Whoever was supposed to proof read The Boogie Trapp didn't do it and I want to send them back the book with all the corrections in red marker and tell them that they suck.


Born Wild (Black Knights Inc., Bk 5)
Born Wild (Black Knights Inc., Bk 5)
Author: Julie Ann Walker
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 43
Review Date: 1/15/2018


Born Wild was full of action, which I really liked! There was enough action and suspense, that I think even a GUY would enjoy reading this book! It wasn't all sex, sex, romance, sex. In fact, for a romance novel, there was very little sex! There was a lot of tense, teasing, just-do-it-already build up⦠but the action and mystery of Born Wild really propelled the story forward. There were shoot outs, car crashes, sexual tension, and father-daughter drama⦠it was the complete package! Honestly, I enjoyed trying to figure out - who is actually trying to kill her.


Charming (Pax Arcana, Bk 1)
Charming (Pax Arcana, Bk 1)
Author: Elliott James
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 33
Review Date: 1/15/2018


The story had a fairly predictable twist that I would easily see coming. Charming's inner monologue were entertaining and funny. I definitely rooted for him and found him easily likable. He's like that smart-ass, sarcastic friend that knows when to deliver a great snarky remark. Sig was a little harder to like. I felt for her occasionally, but she was so guarded and bitchy, that at times, I didn't really care if Charming and her get together. I found myself liking the smaller characters - Choo and Molly - because they were more relatable and entertaining than Sig.


Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices, Bk 3)
Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices, Bk 3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 56
Review Date: 1/15/2018


Clockwork Princess is the perfect ending to the Infernal Devices series. It wraps up everything I wanted wrapped up. It broke my heart, kept me on my toes, then broke my heart all over again. If you want a heartbreaking, yet satisfying conclusion to the best love triangle of all time - this is the book for you.


Covet
Covet
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 14
Review Date: 1/15/2018


As I was reading the book, I still kept thinking - maybe it is a romance novel, I just have to wait⦠But it's not!! I feel like the story didn't go anywhere. The marriage was in trouble, Claire sought out the hot cop for company, flirting occurred, and then the marriage between Claire and Chris is fixed while Daniel is left out in the cold because Claire is a giant tease. I kept feeling like SOMETHING was going to happen, but nothing ever did. I had to force myself to keep reading, because I kept thinking - It will pick up any minute⦠any minute now⦠But no.


Doing Harm
Doing Harm
Author: Kelly Parsons
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 1/15/2018


I don't usually read âadult suspenseâ books, but I really enjoyed it! Kelly Parsons is a doctor himself, so when he writes about hospital life in Doing Harm, i didn't have to question the validity of the situations. It was also helpful that Parsons puts things in layman terms for the reader as well. There were a few times I felt a little confused about what was going on, but I don't feel like I missed anything important.

There were so many twists in the book that I didn't see coming! I really enjoyed not being able to guess the ending!


Dust & Decay (Rot & Ruin, Bk 2)
Dust & Decay (Rot & Ruin, Bk 2)
Author: Jonathan Maberry
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 15
Review Date: 1/15/2018


I love the series. I love the characters that Jonathan Maberry creates and I love/hate how attached I become to the characters. Each character feels like a real person, not just a fictional character in a book, so when tragedy happens to them, I get emotional. I was bawling from heartbreak by the end of the book yet I still couldn't put it down.

It's so well written that I'm able to see the story play out like a movie in my head. That's when I know I'm reading something amazing, when I can visualize it. When a book calls to the director in me, I know I'm reading something that will stick with me forever. And this series is one of them. (A few of the other series that I have felt this away about are: Vampire Academy, Arcana Chronicles, and Hush Hush)

Read this over the weekend, otherwise you're gonna have to call in sick because you won't be able to put it down. Even though I feel like this book is probably geared more towards a male audience, females who love âThe Walking Deadâ will love this book too. Just remember to grab some kleenex when you get to the end.


Edge of Oblivion (A Night Prowler Novel)
Edge of Oblivion (A Night Prowler Novel)
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
 5
Review Date: 1/15/2018


If you like action and sex, read Edge of Oblivion. You don't have to read Shadow's Edge first in order to understand Edge of Oblivion since the focus is on different characters. Edge of Oblivion was a page turner and hard for me to put down. Once I finished, I still thought about the story for several days later.


Endless Knight (Arcana Chronicles, Bk 2)
Endless Knight (Arcana Chronicles, Bk 2)
Author: Kresley Cole
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 20
Review Date: 1/15/2018


Endless Knight - I can't find the right adjective to describe how much I loved this book. There is a lot of action and sexiness and emotional heartbreak. It keeps you on your toes. It does slow down, a little too much, when Evie is in Death's castle. I know what Cole was going for, but after ACTION-ACTION-ACTION-ACTION, there's a slight lull that is a little irritating. I understand that Cole wanted to convey that Death wouldn't be convinced quickly or easily that Evie isn't like the old Empress but it felt like the brakes were put on, when I wanted to continue the ride at 90 miles an hour. But Endless Knight finishes strong and makes me impatient for the third installment.


Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings
Review Date: 1/16/2018


When I first started reading Finding Me, I had to put the book down several times and walk away because it was too much. But after Amanda Berry, the second girl got kidnapped, I didn't stop reading until I finished⦠6 hours later at five o'clock in the morning.

Finding Me is the most depressing book I've ever read. It made me so incredibly thankful for the life I have!!! But also so angry that God could allow this to happen. Especially after everything Knight had already been through. I know Finding Me is supposed to be a story of triumphant, but it just made me feel so depressed.


Generation Dead (Generation Dead, Bk 1)
Generation Dead (Generation Dead, Bk 1)
Author: Daniel Waters
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 54
Review Date: 4/6/2014


Loved it. It was funny, cute, and kept a great pace. I didn't want to put it down, but I also didn't have "withdrawal" if I didn't read it as soon as I got home. (Endless Knight anyone??) It had a Twilight forbidden love feel to it (only much better written), yet it's easily able to stand on its own as not to be thought of as "another Twilight book".

Phoebe and Adam are very likable characters. Their friendship seems a little odd since he's the football star and she's the "goth girl", but since they have been neighbors for years and Adam has a crush on Phoebe, I bought into it. Tommy is... mysterious. I wanted to like him, but at the same time he was a huge question mark for me because there is so much that you don't know about him. Meanwhile, Margi is written as a realistically, annoying best friend that most people don't like, but for some reason you're friends with. The other supporting characters - Karen (who I'm pretty sure is supposed to be the girl on the book cover), Pete, Thorny, Colette, etc - are nicely developed and definitely add welcomed layers to the story.


The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
Author: Amy Schumer
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 32
Review Date: 7/9/2018


I love this book. It was so honest and really spoke to me. A lot of what Amy said hit home and was VERY relatable, especially for a bigger girl like myself. I found the book to be a great balance of humor and a look at serious topics woman face - from weight issues, abusive relationships, divorce, and even gun control.
I love Amy Schumer and I love her book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much it hit home.


Girls That Growl (Blood Coven, Bk 3)
Girls That Growl (Blood Coven, Bk 3)
Author: Mari Mancusi
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 35
Review Date: 1/15/2018


The âBlood Covenâ books are quick and easy reads with the perfect mixture of wit, romance, and adventure. Rayne's snarky attitude and her romantic turbulence with Jareth definitely will hit home to a teenage audience. While most teenage girls feel like they've found their soulmate in their first boyfriend/love, the reality of choosing your eternal mate at sixteen? Well⦠people change, so there's bound to be some issues, which Rayne comes to discover

Mari Mancusi writes Rayne in such a way that her quips are hilarious, yet it's still believable that it's a real teenage girl talking. I enjoy how Rayne is the narrator and is conscious of the audience she is telling the story to. In Stake That, it was written as if Rayne was writing a blog and the reader was one of her followers. In Girls That Growl, she just addresses us as if she's actually siting down and telling us the story. I like that we get to see inside her mind and listen to her inner monologue.


Gone Girl
Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 196
Review Date: 1/3/2015
Helpful Score: 3


Holy Hell. What a great book! It totally lived up to the hype! I didnt see the movie and I didnt really hear too much about what the book was about so I didnt know what to expect - and that made it even better.

It definitely reminded me of the Scott Peterson story with the cheating husband getting rid of this pregnant wife, but Amy what a twist! I went from being on Amys side to hating her in a matter of 5 minutes! Yet, just like Nick, I couldnt help but admire her for all the patience and planning that went into her disappearance! Thats dedication! I think most people have thought could I get away with the perfect murder in passing, but Amy actually REALLY thought about and planned it out. As much I hate Amy and think shes crazy - shes smart and dedicated.


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