Bitty Book Nook

Introduction Mid-October is, arguably, the most stressful time of year for a college student, and I am certainly not the exception of that idea. That being said, in the midst of all of my midterm exams, I was absolutely delighted to have such an amazing book to read during study breaks. Mr. Jackson Ellis sent me Lords of St. Thomas as an .epub file in exchange for an honest review, and I was pleased to find out what a touching and heartbreaking tale Mr. Ellis' debut novel posed for me. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "In the Mojave Desert, at the southern end of the isolated Moapa Valley, sat the town of St. Thomas, Nevada. A small community that thrived despite scorching temperatures and scarce water, St. Thomas was home to hardy railroad workers, farmers, shopkeepers, teachers, and a lone auto mechanic named Henry Lord. Born and raised in St. Thomas, Lord lived in a small home beside his garage with his son, Thomas, his daughter-in-law, Ellen, and his gra...

Introduction Quick Fix is an exciting, blood-pumping heist novel with a variety of twists and turns, and I happily absorbed every page. Author J. Gregory Smith displays his thrilling creativity and his knack for spinning a story in the first novel of the "The Reluctant Hustler" series. When I received Quick Fix as a free .mobi file in exchange for an honest review, I was pleased to discover that I couldn't keep my eyes off of it! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Military contractor Kyle Logan's luck has gone from bad to worse ever since he returned home to Philadelphia following an injury by an IED in Iraq. First, his marriage crumbles, then his career after he's pushed to the brink and assaults his wife's lover, who is also her divorce attorney. When Kyle's shady best friend turns up and offers him a "once in a lifetime chance" to regain his job and life, all for just a couple night's work, Kyle figures he's got ...

Introduction Crooked Gold by author Carl Knauf is a fast-paced adventure novel with heavy Hispanic influences and history. As a traditional treasure hunt story with a modern criminalistic twist, I was intrigued by the summary when Mr. Knauf asked for an honest review in exchange for a free .mobi file. Although I ultimately enjoyed the novel, there were too many issues that distracted me from the plot and ended up affecting my overall rating. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Veteran NYPD detective Jim Beckett has started his second career at Interpol. He lost his wife, he left his job, and is now stuck between tedious paperwork and a new generation of police personnel. He is dissatisfied, and his escape each night is a corner bar stool shared only by a few fingers of whiskey. Beckett misses the degenerates, the action, the chase. Fortunately, his passion is revitalized when he is contacted by his white whale, career criminal Jack Swift. Swift baits the detective, tr...

Introduction Author Robert Tomoguchi sent me a .mobi file of The Scribbled Victims in exchange for an honest review, and because it's the first of its kind that I've reviewed on Bitty Book Nook, I'm excited to say that I enjoyed it! The novel was a twisted tale of empathy, comedy, and self-discovery, and I was extremely pleased with it, particularly because I think it's hard to nail vampire novels. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "Living the immortal life of a vampire hasn't been easy for Yelena Solodnikova. With all her heart, she loved the ancient vampire Marcel who made her, and expected to spend eternity with him. But after over a century together, Marcel disappeared without a word, leaving Yelena brokenhearted. To make things more difficult, Yelena goes completely against the nature of her vampiric race by developing a conscience and begins to feel guilt for all the mortals she kills each night in Los Angeles. A chance encounter with twelv...

Introduction The Liars' Asylum (also known as  The Liars' Asylum: Stories ) was sent to me by author Jacob M. Appel in exchange for an honest review. It is a collection of eccentric short stories that focus on different plots and characters. Additionally, it would seem that the stories aren't even set in the same time period, which struck me as interesting and most enjoyable! I believe that the book offered a variety of written worlds to dive into--much like an ice cream shop, there's something in it for everyone. My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "SHORT STORIES: The frustrations of romantic love in its various guises--a domineering kindergarten teacher for a dashing artificial foliage designer, a suicidal physicist for his star student, a dialysis patient at a sleep-away camp for the camp owner's daughter--provide the common theme for the stories in Jacob M. Appel's seventh collection. We meet a psychiatrist dabbling with infidelity during a cri...

Introduction 47 Hours: The Coup That Shook the Americas  is one of the first books of its kind that I've reviewed on Bitty Book Nook because the novel is based out of history! It focuses on Hugo Chávez and a coup that plots to overthrow him, with United States intelligence officer James Mitchel as the main character. This book is the second in a series that features James Mitchel, and both books are based around historical events and figures. It was a very interesting read that I truly enjoyed, and it inspires me to read more books in the same vein! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "As James Mitchel struggles to comes to terms with the Kursk tragedy that claimed 118 Russian lives, he and his family relocate to Venezuela where he takes up a new role as military attaché to the US Embassy in Caracas. The move was supposed to be a new start for Mitchel, his wife Nathalie and their teenage daughter, Catherine -- an escape from the horror of his last mission and the nigh...

Introduction When author Susan Mary Malone contacted me about this book and told me that she was a native Texan, I was delighted! I don't get too many opportunities to meet Texan authors outside of writers' conferences, and I don't recall ever reviewing a book by a Texan author before. She kindly gave me a .mobi file of Over the Pass, and Other Stories in exchange for an honest review, and I'm certainly glad that she did, because I loved this book! My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Synopsis: "From the expansive openness of Texas to the steep peaks of Montana, this collection of stories mines iconic landscapes--the internal mirroring the outer realms. Many previously published in Literary journals and anthologies, some, original here, all explore what it means to be human. They are stories of the heart."  (via Goodreads) Thoughts and Comments Pros Let me start by saying that I think this book is extremely well-written. I was impressed by the syn...