Bitty Book Nook

Introduction Croatian author Bernard Jan approached me on Twitter and offered me a copy of his memoir, A World Without Color , as a free .mobi file in exchange for an honest review. This story is a heartwarming and emotional ode to the last three days that the author spent with his cat, Marcel. Although I read far more fiction than nonfiction, I enjoyed the book and was honored that Mr. Jan would offer to share such a personal memoir with me and the rest of the world. Mr. Jan also generously allowed me an extension for the publication date of this review, which I am very grateful for! However, I must insist that this in no way affects my honesty in writing this review.   My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "What do you say to someone who is dying? And what do you say when that someone can't understand a word you are saying? How do you comfort each other throughout...and beyond? 'My love, if you go away in a few days, the world will lose its colors an...

Introduction This supernatural double-POV mystery novel, Seven Sisters , is written by author M.L. Bullock, and serves as the first in a series of six. I have to admit this--because Seven Sisters is very similar to my second novel, which I'm working on currently, it was extremely appealing to me as a concept whenever I read through the description. I'm glad I invested in it, because it turned out to be a pretty good read! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Carrie Jo has a secret--she dreams about the past. The wealthy and handsome Ashland Stuart has hired her to uncover the history and the secrets of Seven Sisters, an aging antebellum mansion in sultry downtown Mobile, Alabama. A series of dreams, an untimely death and the betrayal of someone she loves lead her back in time to uncover a truth about a missing young heiress and a web of secrets. Will Carrie Jo slip into the shadows of Seven Sisters, following in the ghostly footsteps of the lost young woman, o...

Introduction Author Chris Pridmore contacted me mid-April and offered me a free copy of his novel, The Last Child of Leif , in exchange for an honest review, and I am so glad that he did!  Primarily, I want to take this chance before we dive into the novel to say how much I appreciate Mr. Pridmore's patience with this review. I was initially supposed to have it written last Saturday, on June 2nd, but as I started a new internship last week, life became a bit hectic. Thankfully, Mr. Pridmore graciously permitted me to extend the deadline to this Wednesday, so here we all are! I should note: this act of kindness in no way affected my review for The Last Child of Leif. It is a simple matter of expressing my thanks to the author. That all being said, let's get into it, shall we? My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Forced from my home, I find myself fleeing from the evil forces that killed my father. My mother and Sebastian, our protector, are by my side--...

Introduction Author J.K. Imathiu (known on Goodreads as J Imathiu) contacted me on Twitter towards the end of April and offered me a free ebook copy of The Other Side of Me in exchange for an honest review, and I have to say, it was nice to have a change of pace in my reading selections! I've been trying to do that a bit more with my Novel Subgenre Checklist for the year, but I hadn't yet read a drama until now. The book takes place in Kenya as well, which contributed to the uniqueness of the novel and how it strayed from the usual type of books I read. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "How well do you know the person you think you know the most? I turned into someone I didn't recognize and I found out I didn't know myself. Before that, I was part of the hustle and bustle of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. I was up at the crack of dawn to get to work to earn a living and make my dreams come true. I walked a straight path and gave my work my all. I expected th...

Introduction Mr. Darran M. Handshaw contacted me mid-April and requested that I review his novel, and I am extremely pleased that he did! Readers, I really enjoyed this book! It was interesting and held my attention the entire time I was reading it. Additionally, the inspiration for the story is really unique and SUPER cute! But I'll let y'all read the prologue to see for yourselves--I won't spoil the origin story! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "'We are born in the shadow of fading memories and fallen dreams, living our days within the decaying bones of an age long gone.' When The Engineer, Actaeon, arrives at Pyramid in the heart of Redemption, nothing goes according to plan. Mysterious raiders pursue him relentlessly across the shattered remains of the ancient metropolis, and the leaders of his homeland pay no heed to his ambitious ideas. Meanwhile, deep beneath the Pyramid, a deadly creature stirs. And, when Actaeon meets a skilled young Knig...

Introduction Unfortunately, readers, this is the first book that I've reviewed that I simply couldn't end up finishing. While Anchor Leg by Jack Croxall had an interesting plot, the rest of the novel wasn't enough to keep my attention. The synopsis sounded exciting, and the first few chapters were inviting, but the story slowed as it went on, and I only ended up reading to 48%. My Rating:  ★ ★ Synopsis: " Humanity has spilled out into the Solar System, into a succession of giant space stations known as the Relay. Seren Temples is a security apprentice running the Relay’s remote Anchor Leg. When sabotage strands her vessel near another damaged ship, Seren and her team are sent across to investigate. The second ship is a zero-G graveyard. Inside its vast hold, nothing but a single vial of frozen blood.  " (via Goodreads) Thoughts and Comments Pros There were many creative ideas about space exploration and gathering resources--for instance, b...

Introduction Wow, wow, wow. I am absolutely shocked. Readers, I can't tell you how much I loved this book! Usually, I'm not so much a fan of the fantasy genre unless it's urban fantasy or magical realism, but I'll be darned if The Jack of Souls by author Stephen C. Merlino didn't blow me away! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Harric is an outcast rogue that must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. As the day approaches, nightmares from the spirit world stalk him and tear at his sanity; sorcery eats at his soul. To survive, he'll need more than his usual tricks. He'll need help--and a lot of it--but on the kingdom's lawless frontier, his only allies are other outcasts. One of these outcasts is Caris, a mysterious, horse-whispering runaway, intent upon becoming the Queen's first female knight. The other is Sir Willard--ex-immortal, ex-champion, now addicted to pain-killing herbs and banished from th...