Marooned: Can YOU Endure Treachery and Survival on the High Seas? James Schannep

This book!  This book was a first for me.  I have never read a "click your poison" or a "choose your own adventure" book before so it was interesting. 
I was the main character.  I was able to choose which direction and path I wanted the character to go down and explore.  Would I survive the adventure?  Or would I meet my demise at any given moment?  The choice was mine.

What I liked about this was that up to a point I was able to decide myself how the storyline went.  Do I want to stay and have a beer?  Or because I know it's taboo, I simply leave the brothel?  Which ship did I want to take?  Which fate would be mine?  It was a great story of pirates, braving the sea, and being underclass in a port city. 

HOWEVER, there was no way to go back to the previous page unless I knew what page I was on, or what chapter.  So if I died (which I did, embarrassingly early in the book) I had to go back and either try to remember the previous chapter and choose a different path, OR I had to start all over again. I could read the book 2-3 times and have it be different every time.  Which I guess is the point, but for me it was a first. 

For me, it was interesting to see how Schannep tied the whole thing together.  No matter what I clicked the story still flowed.  There was no gaps for me.  He wrote in a manner that made the novel an easy read, fun and exciting to follow and leaving me wanting to know all the directions I could take to decide my fate. 

Though I've never read to CYOA novel or anything from Schannep, I would totally recommend it. 

Literature (R), Guillermo Stitch

This novella is perfect!  For us readers who cannot imagine a world without literature, books, novellas, or anything to do with well written words, this is a perfect idea. 
The author creates this theme of a world where literature is banned.  Those who are caught indulging in the thing we love are not just fined or slapped on the hand, they are executed.  But for the main character, Billy, it is life. 
The way the beginning and middle were written I was having a hard time imagining how the ending was going to play out.  I thought that I wasn't going to like it.  However, Stitch did a great job tying everything together in a little amount of pages. 
The only thing I would have liked a little more information about is the time frame and a little detail about when the novella is taking place.  For me a world without Lit is just unbelievable, so I assumed based on little pieces of information that was dropped, but it wasn't really mentioned.
The novel was short and sweet and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Rowan and Eris- Campbell Jefferys

Urged by a series of postcards, Rowan travels across the world in search of a woman he once had a fling with in New Zealand whom he believes has his child he's never known about.  Uncertain the child exists, or is even his, or where to find this elusive woman of chaos he met over five years ago he packs his bags and with the help of his best friend he goes on his hunt.  While searching for the woman he once knew as Nola, he begins to find himself in pieces along the way.  He has some great adventures, meets some wonderful people and is able to come home with stories some can only dream of. 

My thoughts on the book:
-I get why it's titled Rowan and Eris but at the same time... I question it too.  Rowan is going across the country to find Nola and Eris to make sure she's his and that she's safe, but at the same time the child plays a backseat in most of the novel.  It's not about their journey together, or each of their journeys separately.  It's mostly Rowans story.  When it's not Rowan's its Nola's. 
-Nola.  I hated her character.  She is the exact opposite of the caring and kind man that Rowan is.  Causing chaos in parts of the world she decides to be in, not caring about whether or not people get hurt or where she leaves her child seems to be here drive.  She's a dynamic character, but one that could be easily hated.
-I loved the dynamic between Rowan and his best friend Churchill.  They both seem to lift each other up in so many ways.  Which is contrasting to that of Rowan and Nola.  It was a good relationship to follow. 

Overall, I liked the story line and the idea behind it.  If the characters were any different it wouldn't have worked the way it did.  The way Jefferys was able to weave in a out of characters but still remain in the first person was flawless.  I would recommend it to others.  It's definitely a novel that can build courage and good feelings within the readers. 

The Secrets We Keep-Mia Hayes

This book is so chic-lit.  It's a fun, quick, bitchy, Mean girls meets Desperate Housewives read.  It was perfect for my mood, but I can appreciate how it wouldn't be a read for everyone.

Elizabeth is a wife and mom running from her husbands past infidelity and not so slight nervous breakdown when she moves into the rich suburb of Waterford.  She just barely resonates with the popular country club women, and just barely blends in with the "normal" moms.  But Waterford is a town where gossip runs in the veins of women and money seeps out their pores so "normal" is not exactly acceptable.  Rumors are flying about infidelity, finances, cosmetic surgery and more.  What's true and what's not?  When Elizabeth starts to question her own life and the people in it, the people who are supposed to care, she comes up with answers she didn't think she'd find.

My thoughts:
*What I liked about this novel was Hayes read on bipolar disorder.  I often wondered myself if Elizabeth was really crazy, or if her husband was manipulating her to think she was.  I'm sure it's a fine line.
*At some point in the novel I hated every single character.  The ones I thought were catty bitches turned out to actually have a heart, and the ones I thought were endearing turned out to be scum.  But I guess it was easier to relate to some of the characters that way.
*It was a quick and fun read.  I was enthralled with the first page and couldn't put it down. 


This is my first read from Mia Hayes.  I think I'll check out some of her other material.

Secrets In Death

Secrets In Death is J.D. Robbs' 45th murder mystery novel in her In Death series. 

I'm no stranger to the authors In Death series.  I often wonder how Robb is able to come up with a different story line so often, but I am never disappointed.

NYSPD Detective Eve Dallas catches a murder right at her feet while at a dinner meeting with a colleague.  Wanting to get justice for the Gossip Guru victim as well as being pissed off it happened in her vicinity just drives her harder to catch the killer before there's another body on her hands.  She and her posse of detectives and her civilian consultant, super hot husband discover details about the victim that are not exactly public friendly for any of them so the need to keep quiet is strong.  Is someone protecting one of the gossip guru's targets?  Does she have a scandalous past?  What was she hiding?  Dallas finds it all.

Robb does an excellent job leaving the identity of the killer until the very last pages of the novel.  The character dynamics are, as always,  perfect.  They relate to the reader in so many different ways.  Dallas is both kick ass and funny, but still has a softer side.  Peabody is her perfect sidekick in so many ways.  And who doesn't like a super hot rich husband? 

The mystery comes together so well, leaving me wanting for more and more from Robb.

Bookshelves, reviews and ratings

Guyssssss!

I've been gone.  I needed a hiatus of sorts.  From life, love and the pursuit of happiness.  BUT now, I'm back down on earth, a little bit fonder of love and definitely living life. 

I've been reading like crazy.  Playing games, binge watching and all that, but reading like crazy.  That  means I'll get back to my reviewing while I'm adding more to my bookshelves.  Stay tuned!

Say Goodbye

"Go back to being friends

But tonight let's be lovers,

We kiss and sweat

We'll turn this better thing

To the best

Of all we can offer, Just a rogue kiss

Tangled tongues and lips,

See me this way

I'm turning and turning for you

Girl just tonight"

I wish someone, some times, could psycho analyze me and tell me why I do certain things.  Or put myself in certain situations.  I'm pretty sure I already know.  But reinforcements and affirmation would be great.  So I could cut that shit out.