Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

About the book:
Format: Nookbook
Published by: Quirk Publishing
Published date: June 2011
Genre: Young Adult


Synopsis
A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

About the Author:
Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children—Los Angeles. Along the way he earned degrees from Kenyon College and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, got married, and made some award-winning short films. He moonlights as a blogger and travel writer, and his series of travel essays,Strange Geographies, can be found at mentalfloss.com or via ransomriggs.com. This is his first novel.


My thoughts:
I don't remember stories that my grandparents told me as a child. I do remember hearing my grandmother talk about people in the neighborhood and such but they weren't stories that I held in my memory. Jake on the other hand were told stories of "monsters" by his grandfather as a kid. He was told stories of where he grew up with peculiar children and even had pictures to prove it. Jake didn't believe his grandfather until the day he saw one of the "monsters" his grandfather mentioned to him as a child.
Although Jake had decided that his grandfather was telling him fairy tales, the day he saw the monster he knew his grandfather had been telling the truth all along. Unfortunately, it was too late. Grandpa is now dead. However, Jake needs t face the demons in his dreams by finding closure from his grandpa's stories. 
He and his dad travels to Wales where his grandfather grew up. This is where the story begins to take a turn and a turn it did take to say the least.
The story is built around a fantastic collection of original yet unique photographs. The way the children and their peculiarities were described reminded me of a circus with the freak show acts. But I actually liked these children and didn't find them creepy. The story included quite a bit of history and time travel which I never knew I would find interest in. However, the way this book was written kept my interest and kept me wanting more. 
Ransom Riggs has written a thrillingly fantastic book. This is a new author that I plan to keep on my favorite authors list.

I GIVE THIS BOOK

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Delirious by Daniel Palmer

About the Book: Charlie Giles is at the top of his game. An electronics superstar, he’s sold his startup company to a giant Boston firm, where he’s now a senior director. With his dog, Monte, at his side, Charlie is treated like a VIP everywhere he goes.

Then one day, everything in Charlie’s neatly ordered world starts to go terrifyingly wrong. His prestigious job and his inventions are wrenched away from him. His family is targeted, and his former employers are dying gruesomely, picked off one by one. Every sign, every shred of evidence, points to Charlie as a cold-blooded killer. And soon Charlie is unable to tell whether he’s succumbed to the pressures of work and become the architect of his own destruction, or whether he’s the victim of a relentless, diabolical attack. In a desperate struggle to save his life, Charlie races to uncover the truth, all the while realizing that nothing can be trusted — least of all his own fractured mind…

About the Author: Daniel Palmer spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer, helping to build first generation websites for Barnes & Noble and other popular brands. An experienced musician and songwriter, Daniel has recorded two CDs and licensed his songs for commercial use. A graduate of Boston University, Daniel lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.


My Thoughts: Reading a book by a new author can sometimes be scary, but it can also open up new doors for me when it comes to what I read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Delirious by Daniel Palmer. I'm not sure if it's because it includes a lot of technology and also mental health, which are big interests of mine. Whatever the reason, Daniel Palmer's Delirious was able to capture my attention and hold it.  Delirious takes you into the world of high tech corporate America and a family that has some serious mental health problems. Charlie, who was able to escape the illness that has scarred his family, comes to a breaking point when he loses his job, his mother has a stroke and he has to move in with his brother who suffers from the same illness he thought he escaped, schizophrenia. Charlie then begins wondering if he really did escape the illness. The story line and it's twists are very intriguing and captivating. When reading this novel there were some parts of it that made me think of James Patterson's novels. I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to review this books. I look forward to reading another book by this author.

Delirious will be available in stores and online in both book and eBook format on January 25th.


The author has provided copies of the Prologue and the first three chapters here: http://bit.ly/hmMBT8 and also on his Facebook Fan Page 


You can also download some free music by Daniel Palmer entitled “Home Sweet Home” at http://bit.ly/fW6SN3

I GIVE THIS BOOK

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I agreed to review for the author himself.

Night of the Vampire - Heather Graham

About the book: As a soldier, Cole Granger fights to restore peace to a world divided by war and evil. His extraordinary talents are enlisted to prevent the president's horrific premonition from becoming reality. Nothing—and no one—will stop him from fulfilling his duty. Especially the mysterious young woman who claims to be his comrade's sister. Enemy or ally, he can't yet determine. But one thing he knows for certain is that he must keep her close. Very close.
Megan Fox's quest to uncover a family secret leads her to the center of vampire riots in West Virginia. To find the answers she needs—and clear herself of suspicion—she must join forces with Cole. They work undercover to bring justice, but they can't disguise the potent attraction and need that draw them together. Yet trust doesn't come easily for Cole…and when Megan unearths the grim, dark truth, can she trust him to believe her?


About the author: New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels, many of which have been featured by the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and mother of five, she still enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well.


My Thoughts: This is my very first time reading Heather Graham although I do have a couple of her books sitting in my TBR pile. I found this story to be full of action and a very easy read. I also found that with the setting being during the Civil War, it was interesting to read how she combined history, mystery/thriller, romance and paranormal all in one to make a captivating story of a sheriff, an ex-military, a half-breed vampire fighting the war, not the war of the North v. South, but a war against the spread of the blood disease that humans are being infected with. Then we meet the sister of the half-breed vampire who tries to gain the trust of these men and help them fight the war.
Although there were a few times where the incorrect name was being used in a scene, the story flowed very well. The characters were well developed and the historical pieces of the story seemed to be well researched. What I enjoyed much about the book was that it was not predictable and although I'm known to read the end of a book before I get to the end, I did not do that with this books. The story moved quick enough that I didn't have time to think about who was changing people into vampires. At the end, I did not expect it to have been the person it was.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I from Harlequin through NetGalley.

While The Savage Sleeps by Andrew E. Kaufman

About the book: Strange things are happening in Faith, New Mexico. People are disappearing and for others it's far worse. The body count is rising, the pressure is mounting, and the clock is ticking as they rush to uncover a dangerous secret hiding just below the surface of this all-American town one that's threatening to destroy Faith and everyone in it. One they must hunt down quickly. 

About the author: Andrew E. Kaufman is a freelance writer and author living in Southern California, along with his Labrador Retrievers, a horse, and a very bossy Jack Russell Terrier (who, incidentally, thinks she owns the place). His new novel, While the Savage Sleeps, a forensic paranormal mystery, takes place in the fictional town of Faith, New Mexico. It is currently available on Kindle, where it has remained in the top ten of Amazon's Bestseller's List.After receiving his journalism and political science degrees at San Diego State University, Andrew began his writing career as an Emmy-nominated writer/producer, working at KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego, then at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, he produced special series and covered many nationally known cases, including the O.J. Simpson Trial. He also has written stories for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the most recent of which is due out later this year.
For more information about Andrew and his work, please visit: andrewekaufman.com 

My Thoughts: It's been a while since I've actually shed a tear in a book. This book isn't one of those tear jerkers but the ending was so complete and emotional, I had to cry a little. I really enjoyed reading While the Savage Sleeps. It was suspenseful, thrilling and I was glad that the love interest wasn't over the top. The story had a very interesting plot and from the first chapter you are pulled in. It also didn't give any time to predict and speculate how the ending would be because it moved so fast. There were times where I went over and over in my mind how I thought the book would end and the cause of all the murders, but by the end of the book I Knew I would have never guessed it right. The author made me want to do some research because the cause of the murders seemed so believable. I really liked this book and would encourage readers to take a stab at it.

I GIVE THIS:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Last To Die - Kate Brady

About the book: A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

About the Author: Kate Brady has won or been a finalist in many writing contests, including the Golden Heart, the Maggies, and the Suzannah.

My Thoughts: Last to Die was a good mix of suspense, mystery and romance. Although Dani seemed like such an independent, stone-faced cop, seeming to not "need" anyone, she was very quick to lend a helping hand to others. The book was a fast and easy read. While reading the story, I felt like I was a fly on the wall in each scene and could visually experience what was happening. This is the first time I'm reading a book by Kate Brady. I was very impressed with the writing and the story. The flow was very smooth, even with the memories the characters had, it didn't feel like I was ever lost between past memories, conversations people had in their heads or the present. Kate Brady will be a new author added to my list.

I GIVE THIS:

 

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book given to me by Hachette Group. These opinions are my own without any influences.

Review: Come Closer by Sara Gran

About the book:

From the author of Saturn’s Return to New York comes this dark psychological thriller.

"‘What we think is impos-sible happens all the time.’ So claims the beguiling narrator of Come Closer, and after reading this spare and menacing tale, the reader has to agree. Sara Gran has created a sly, satisfying (fast!) novel of one young woman possessed not only by a demon but also by her own secret desires.

About the Author:

Sara Gran grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she now lives. She is a graduate of Tufts University. Her short fiction has appeared in Atlantic Unbound, the on-line home of The Atlantic Monthly, and in The Land-Grant College Review. She has worked in area bookstores and participates regularly in readings and literary events in New York City.

My Thoughts:

Although Come Closer was a little short, it was a pretty quick and entertaining read. I hoped it would have been a little more scary but it wasn't. I kept waiting for the scary parts to come but it didn't for me. I know it sounds like I didn't like the book but that's not it, I just wanted scary, instead it was just okay. 

The premise of the story was that Amanda, was taken over by a demon who at first she didn't realize was a demon. She instead thought she was imagining a childhood imaginary friend. The demon pretty much took over and did and said all the things Amanda wanted to say and do but didn't. She tried a few times to expel the demon but in the end, she wasn't strong enough and the demon eventually had full hold of her.

I GIVE THIS

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Best Wedding Gift Ever…Or is it?

About Book: 17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed, and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift - a house haunted by the family's most violent ghost.

About Author: Kathleen Mckenna is a transplanted Alaskan who spent twelve years on her first paragraph and now lives and writes prolifically in the opposite kind of desert in New Mexico. 

She has written eight novels to date and recently nearly lost all eight when her laptop and her back-up drive failed simultaneously. At the last count, seven had been recovered.

'The Wedding Gift' is Kathleen's third novel, the first of a supernatural trilogy. The second in the series, 'The Comeback', will be published by Night Publishing in late 2010.

My Thoughts:

First I have to say, I wish I received a mansion for my wedding gift for FREE :-).

However, nothing in life is ‘free’ is it?

The Wedding Gift is a story of a young girl who marries into a wealthy family, receives a mansion as her wedding gift from her groom’s father, but, well, some gifts are not made to be cherished. Throughout the story, I asked myself many times if 17 year old Leeann Worthier who marries 26 year old, filthy rich George Willet, is truly a gold digger, a gold digger by circumstance or as her best friend says, dumber than a box of hair.

Leeann, who is said to be the most beautiful female in all of Dalton, maybe even Oklahoma, was courted by the only son of the wealthiest family in Oklahoma. She ends up pregnant and George being a ‘gentleman’ and in love with Leeann, decides he will be responsible and marry her the week after she graduates high school. Leeann of course is swept up by the things that George has bought her and the promise of the things he will buy her. For their wedding gift, they are given the title to the family owned mansion, Willet House. Isn’t that just the grandest gift ever? Well, not so much. Willet House is haunted and has been the town haunted house since the mid 70’s when George’s uncle and his family (wife and five children) were murdered there; supposedly, by the wife. Guess who she decides to show herself to, yes Leeann. Did she or did she not kill her children? Why is she still in the house? It all unravels when George turns up dead and Leeann is the accused.

I don’t necessarily believe in ghosts, but the story was written with such vivid descriptions that I could see, hear and smell everything the author described. Kathleen McKenna has written a great ghost story that captures the readers and places them in the town of Dalton where everything is happening.

After reading the story, the answer has become more clear to me whether Leeann was a true gold digger, a gold digger by circumstance or dumber than a box of hair. Thing is, she doesn’t have a lot to fall back on besides being the most beautiful girl in Dalton, maybe even Oklahoma, so it was easy to fall for a lavish lifestyle. And for those of us who loves a hero at the end, there is one and again, the description is so vivid, I want to look into those beautiful green eyes…:-)

I give this story: 

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I was given by Night Publishing. 

Flyers...I'm finished

The Passage - Justin Cronin

Synopsis:

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” 

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

About the Author:
Born and raised in New England, Justin Cronin is a graduate of Harvard University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Awards for his fiction include the Stephen Crane Prize, a Whiting Writers’ Award, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. He is a professor of English at Rice University and lives with his wife and children in Houston, Texas.


My Thoughts:
So I finally finished The Passage and I must say, although it felt like it took way too long to finish, I'm glad it did. I know it may not sound like I'm making sense but the details in the story are just that, detailed and although it didn't seem like it would have come back around it did somehow. The end of the story left me hanging and as much as I hate that, I love it all at the same time. Basically, I WANT MORE NOW...LOL. However, I must wait until 2012 I think...FLYERS!!!!!! 


Although I thought the middle of the book did drag a bit, it seemed to have been an essential part of the story as far as the characters go. The beginning was very strong and the ending was even more intense. There were points where I feared for the group, there were times when I cried for the group and there were times when I wanted to yell 'RUN'. As much as I tried to predict the ending of the story or even the ending of sections, I found that I was not able to predict at all. 

I Give This: 

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.