Reading progress update: I've read 45.
Cinta García de la Rosa
I am a bookworm, and as such, I read a lot of books all the time. I really believe that reviews can help both authors and readers. They help authors in giving their books more exposure, and they help readers to discover new books and authors. I mainly review books written by Indie Authors in different genres, but I am open to all kind of review requests.
 - Richard Castle)
Jamie's Great Britain
I was so impressed with this book. One normally think that Great Britain's cuisine is not very good, but if you dig in their roots and take the time of discovering what it really has to show, you can get amazed. If you like learning about food from different countries than yours, this is the book for you.
Jamie Does...
It is a lovely cookery book for all those people who love food and cooking. Especially if you love cooking international dishes. The good thing about this book is that you don't only find the recipes, but the nice stories experienced by Jamie Oliver all over the world and surrounding those recipes. Highly recommendable for those food lovers like myself!!
Jamie's 30-Minute Meals
Lots of quick, delicious, and affordable meals for those days when you are in a hurry. I really recommend it to everyone who don't have a lot of time for cooking.
Sisters In Bloom (Love in Bloom: Snow Sisters #2)
I got an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.After having read the first book in the series, I was hooked and wanted to know more about Danica and Kaylie. When we start reading this book, we see Kaylie, who is about to have a baby, living with Chaz Crew, the hottie organiser of the local film festival. We also see Danica, who has quit her profession as a therapist and has a solid relationship with Blake. We will follow them while they try to figure out their relationships and the several changes in their lives.
I have enjoyed reading this book, but Kaylie was too overdramatic and she annoyed me the whole book. Being pregnant is not an excuse for being so utterly selfish. The character of Danica has changed too, mainly because she is in love and has lost her former stuck-up personality. We see more interaction between the two sisters here while they try to overcome different problems: their mother's new life, teenage love triangles, and lovers from the past that will make an appearance. Will they be able to see beyond the problems and see the love they have inside? Will they be willing to make changes in order to be happier?
The characters are well defined, but some of them are too overdramatic and it is almost impossible to like them. As for the story, it is quite entertaining although somehow predictable. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Idolmaker (Only In Tokyo, #3)
I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Even though it is the third book in a series and I haven't read the previous ones... yet, I have enjoyed this book very much. Since every book deals with a different mystery, they can be read like stand-alone novels. I have always felt some sort of fascination for the Japanese culture and this book is a good example of how to reflect perfectly a different culture to the one the author belongs to. And the author does that in an amazing way.
In the wake of a deadly disaster, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective Kenji Nakamura and English translator Yumi Hata suspect a killer has seized a perfect opportunity to commit the perfect crime. There is an earthquake and a Tsunami in Tokyo, right the day when Yumi was going to get married. However, the wedding gets cancelled when they discover that the priest who was going to officiate the wedding has died in the earthquake. But his death doesn't seem to be an accident. Detective Nakamura starts investigating and discovers that the apparent death of a pop idol can be related to the priest's death. What's going on? Will they solve the mystery? Will Yumy get married after all of this?
The story is good and it has some twists that keep you turning the pages non-stop. The characters are very well developed and each of them has a distinctive voice. For me, that's a big achievement. However, I think that this book could have made good use of the inclusion of a glossary, because it contains a lot of Japanese words and expressions that weren't too clear for me. It shows that the author knows Japan and its language very well, but it can make the reader feel confused. It also had some predictable bits, but overall it is a great story and I highly recommend it to anybody who like reading thrillers set in different cultures. The descriptions are amazing without being overwhelming and it make you feel that you are in Tokyo. A good read.
 - Jonelle Patrick)
Confronting the Demon
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.This high fantasy novella was well written, and it is easy to see that the author put a lot of care in the wording of the sentences. However, sometimes the feeling I got as a reader is that she was trying too hard to make her words sound like high fantasy. We don't need to pack the pages with lots of difficult and old-fashioned words to make the reader know that the book belongs to the fantasy genre. Do those old-fashioned words have to appear? Yes, but in a balanced way. The good thing is that her prose doesn't get to the extreme of being purple prose, as I have found in other fantasy books, unfortunately. Indeed, Ciara Ballintyne's storytelling is quite good.
My problem while reading this book was that the story pace seemed to be very slow at the beginning, and then the end appeared all of a sudden in a blur of action and fight and monsters and demons. The hero was quite passive, leaving all the action to the female character (but I like that; not that the hero is passive, but that the female character is strong). And the story was kind of predictable; I knew what it was going to happen before it happened because there were hints. Intentional? I don't know, but I don't like knowing beforehand what is going to happen next.
Apart from that, it's an enjoyable book that could have been even better if it had been a bit longer, to allow more development of certain parts of the story.
I love reading books by Livia Ellis. I think that her writing style is really good. However, this book was a bit disappointing because it had lots of typos and some editorial mistakes, such as missing text or the brusque ending, which was a huge disappointment and not what I would have expected from Livia. As I said, I know her writing style very well, I also know her, and it seemed impossible that she had committed such a mistake. But I guess that's what happens when the authors don't have 100% control of their books. And we cannot blame them for that.It was great to read a story whose characters were not the typical teenagers who have a crush and then discover they are deeply in love. Mature characters can make great characters in erotica books and their development is more enjoyable. It is easier to relate to Henna and her feelings than to relate to a teenager's feelings, taking into account that this is erotica and the audience tends to be formed by adults. The story was quite entertaining, although it wasn't something that blew my mind. I know that Livia can do better and she will improve a lot in the next book in the series (yes, people, this is the first book in a series, so the ending wasn't brusque, but a cliffhanger; we will see more of Henna and her caballero caliente in upcoming books).
So if you enjoy erotica books with a touch of fairy tale, this is the book for you. I will await to read the next book in the series.
The Unseen Promise (Volume 1)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.When I started reading this book, I got hooked very soon since the premise was very interesting. However, when soon after that the setting and the story and the focus of the events changed, I felt kind of disappointed and started losing my interest in the story. This book contains so many characters, so many different stories within the main one, that you get lost very soon. One thing that kept making me feel confused was the use of different names to mention the same character; it was almost impossible to follow the actions and dialogues because the characters kept on being called different names all the time.
The hero of this book is not the kind of character that you can empathise with, first because it is a weak character, and second because it stops being the focus of the story way before you have read one half of the book. That was another problem too. This book is too long. It's so long that it mixes all kinds of creatures and stories that, honestly, made me wish that the book were shorter. After having read it, I can't even tell what it is about. And it is a pity, because the premise was good, really good. However, I think that the mixing of so many elements deprives the story of the enjoyment that it could have provided if the story were clearer.
I repeat, it is a pity, because the writing was really good, but the story fails. When you create new worlds, you have to make sure that the reader follows you in the journey, and that could have been done in a better way in this book.
My First Time (First-Time-Around Series)
I got this book because it was free and because I thought the title was sweet. Well, the story is not really sweet and is not hot either, although it is an erotica story. Two teenagers discovering their sexuality, with the girl playing innocent when she is the one in control in that relationship. I found the book boring and not very well written.
Steam
I got an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.I have read previous books by Jessica Fortunato and I have to say that I liked them better than this one. This one is fine, but judging by her other books, she can do much better. This story reads like a mixture of YA and Steampunk, with some touches of romance. Charlie is a girl who seems to be normal and ordinary, but once you know that she has a steam-driven heart you discover that she is quite extraordinary. Charlie cannot figure out what she can do with her life, but unexpected things will get in the way. Will she find the answers that she need? Is life worth of being lived?
This short book deals with very profound issues concerning life and humanity. The problem? As I said, the book is short. Too short. So short that I wish it had been longer so all those issues could have been further developed. I needed more. I also found typos and it could have used one more round of edits.
However, the story is enjoyable and good for a quick read.
Black Winter
This was the first scary story that I read from D.e.e.L and I have to say that it disappointed me a bit. Just a bit. I enjoyed reading the story, and it was an original plot, but it was kind of predictable. Quick and scary story to enjoy before bed, written with witty touches and a bit of sarcastic humour.
The Incredible Jaki: Dark Second Sun - Part 1 of 3
The more books I read from this author, the more amazed I am. Such a great talent, so amazing either if he writes poetry, funny stories, scary stories, contemporary stories, or, as in this case, fantasy stories. The Incredible Jaki is the first story in a series of three fantasy stories that follow the adventures of Jaki, who has to go on a quest to save his people. During his journey, he will find different people and creatures. Will he be successful? Will he be able to go on? Are you ready to embark on this adventure with Jaki? Very well written in the very peculiar style of D.e.e.L, you won't be disappointed and you will look impatiently forward to reading the second part.
Red
This collection of poetry will definitely make you want to read more from the same author. Forget about the concept of difficult poetry that is difficult to understand. These poems will touch you and make you think. Poems about love, life, and things that are close to all of us. Don't miss it. You would regret it.
