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Iscariot
Tosca Lee
Seduced in the Dark (The Dark Duet, #2)
C.J. Roberts

Deck Z

Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. - Matt Solomon, Chris Pauls In 1912, Weiss discovered a zombie virus. He escapes on board of the Titanic taking the only vial of the virus with him to prevent Germany from using it as a weapon.On the ship, however, the authenticity of the vial is on doubt. To attest its legitimacy, a little of its content is released…. Three people are infected… We all know that, when it comes to zombie stories, 2+1 does NOT equal 3. So the ship became infected… and then it sank.That would had been the end of the vial and zombies if 100 years later, a man “studying” what was left of the Titanic hadn’t found the vial. Yes, you are rightly guessing what is going to happen if Pauls writes another zombie book. Unless we are talking Brad Pitt’s zombies with super speed in the movie WWZ, all zombie books are pretty much same. They bite, people get infected, more biting, more infection… and those yet to be infected go around running….There is nothing new in Deck Z. But if you are new to zombies, this book will entertain you. Those who have already mastered the subject will need a better plot.

League of Somebodies

League of Somebodies - Samuel Sattin Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/07/league-of-somebodies-by-samuel-sattin.htmlWhat an agglomeration of pompous diatribe. So numerous bound rectos and leafs filled with coded and highly superfluous parlance ostensibly designed to exhibit the author’s knowledge of such non-lexical vocables rather than to convey any real meaning or carry any meaningful augmentation to the chronicle narrative.Did you understand, but most importantly, did you like what I wrote above? Did it grip your attention and make you want to read 400 pages of the same type of writing? Then congratulations, you will enjoy reading League of Somebodies because Sattin's writing is just like that.I on the other hand, am of the belief that you don’t need to embed a science fiction book in a million-plus-one (and then some) sci fi references and jargon.I tried to like this book because the premise was such a cool one; really interesting and promising elements that should make this a raw and fresh take into the superhero genre.But the language really turned me off from the story. I don’t consider myself an idiot, but I felt like I needed a companion translation encyclopedia to read this thing. Couldn't Sattin have substituted at least some of the words from technical words to laymen’s terms? I didn’t know what exactly to focus on, I found the flow forced and… well, I guess it just wasn’t my style.About the book:The story opens with Lenard, 13, is standing in the middle of a railway bridge with his father because his father is convinced that his son was born to be… well, a super hero kind of boy. So his father is asking Lenard to run from an oncoming train to … help Lenard’s powers to manifest?? I guess. Through his life, Lenard manages some hero stunts and that is that. The second half of the book is about Lenard’s son, Nemo. Unfortunately or luckily, Lenard follows his father’s footsteps and is determine to make a true out of Nemo. Will he feed Nemo plutonium too? Will he test his son as his father tested him?There’s the mysterious Sikophsky men, a compulsively suicidal love interest (for drama), a rulebook, a violent entity called THEY… and Leonard has to defend everything he loves.

Godiva: A Novel

Godiva: A Novel - Nicole Galland Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/07/godiva-by-nicole-galland.htmlWe all have heard the story of legendary Lady Godiva, the noblewoman who rode naked on the streets of Coventry in exchange for the reduction of the high taxation imposed on the land. But who was she? What happened after? In this story, Galland portrays Godiva as a beauty who uses flirtation to further her husband’s goals. Luckily for her, her husband is aware of this manipulation and even enjoys it (which I found to be unrealistic). Godiva is aware of her beauty and the effect it has on men; she doesn’t pretend to be a damsel in distressed.Set in the XI century, I found Godiva to be too outspoken for the time period. In fact, I expected her to be less obvious and more modest. The dialogue is very spicy and lively. For example, on page 29 Godiva says “the spirits of the unborn babes who want you as their parents are shrieking at you to disrobe.” I found this and other comments quite funny.I liked that the story contained little narration and a lot of dialogue.In this story I can’t help to wonder, would Godiva had ridden naked if she wasn’t beautiful; if she’d weighted 300 pounds? At one point, on page 269, Godiva shows some concern about the way she looks (skinny knees and ankles) but still.Through the story, I didn’t get the feeling of Godiva’s concern for the oppressive condition of the poor. Actually, I felt that she chose to ride naked out of pride and a rebellious spirit. And what happened after Godiva rode naked? I never thought about that! Gallard covers this part in a few pages at the end of the story. I liked the possible consequences of Godiva’s defiance a lot more of the entire story leading to her riding naked. Thus, I found the last 10 pages to be more interesting than the entire book.Don’t expect to find Peeping Tom in the story. I think his for another story altogether:-)If you like English history, by all means read Godiva as other prominent English figures are present in the narration.

Touch (Lorimer SideStreets)

Touch (Lorimer SideStreets) - Kim Firmston Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/06/touch-lorimer-sidestreets-by-kim.htmlThe book is fast paced and Ethan, the main character is very unlikeable. Thank god I “discovered” that Lorimer Sidetreets is like chapter books. Once I came to that conclusion, I was able to get into the book.Ethan idolizes his dad and wants to be just like him. Touch opens with Ethan trying to make his father proud by hacking the school computer system with a funny virus that doesn’t lead to serious consequences. Later, Ethan is advised by her father to cheat on a project for a robot competition at school. Here I was like “seriously? What kind of book is this?” Don’t despair my people, it all makes sense! As I said before, ,i>Touch is a quick read that deals with issues of dishonesty, trust, doing what is right, arrogance and even humbleness. I think this is a fantastic read for middle school students.Given, at the beginning the story is a little slow, but once you are past that, it goes fast. Haley, Ethan’s sister, accused their father of sexually molesting her. And what does Ethan do? He doesn’t believe her and sides with his father!I think this is the part where many bloggers have issues with the story. In cases like this, we assume that everybody is going to be on the victim’s side. But remember, Ethan adores his father and he has no reason to believe Haley. I found this to be very realistic. How many times have you read about kids telling their mother that they are being sexually abused but their moms refused to believe them? I have read that a lot. So I was not surprised to see that Ethan, merely a teen, is in denial too. What follows up after this revelation is what makes the book so appropriate for teens. Without going into gore details, we learn how Ethan deals with his father not being quite the role model he thought him to be. The story is simple and quite to the point. If you are expecting something deep, profound, or heart breaking, you’ll be disappointed. Once again, the story is a fast, uncomplicated read perfect for teens.

Alex

Alex - Pierre Lemaitre Viahttp://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/06/alex-by-pierre-lemaitre.htmlI'm giving it 5-Stars because there's no more stars to give... I'll be damned! This is one of the best thrillers I've read. Alex is the first Pierre Lemaitre's novel translated into English. Oh! How I wish I could read French.For all crime and thriller readers out there: YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! Since you can read the summary here, I won't get into the plot because it would be complicated. I don't know how to talk about Alex without spoiling it.Instead, I'm going to tell you that Lemaitre has created two master characters that will live with me forever. I absolutely loved Inspector Camille. He is not your usual crime scene leader because he is almost a midget. However, that would be a midget just on the outside :-)In Alex, a woman is kidnapped. Obviously you are going to find out the whys later. What I want to point out is that the kidnapping reminded me of The keeper of lost causes. Both kidnaps are very unusual and kept me thinking "what's next?" "could that be even possible?" Damn, apparently, the best thrillers come from another language! Think of Jussi Adler-Olsen, Camilla Läckberg and Stieg Larsson.I think I am going to develop an OCD with Lemaitre.

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing: A Novel

The Last Winter of Dani Lancing: A Novel (Audio) - Phil Viner The story is masterfully told out of sequence. We travel back 20 years when Dani was alive and then to 2010, present time. We learn and know about Dani through memory flashes. And Dani, what a surprise she is. Dani’s mother, Patty, obsessed with finding Dani’s killer, does the unthinkable. How far would a mother go for revenge? Patty sucks you in from the beginning. I could actually feel her pain and despair. The story is told from different points of view (Dani’s parents and Tom, Dani’s friend/boyfriend). We also encounter the ghost of Dani in the story, but she is not there to solve the murder or make the story paranormal. Her presence is actually a powerful touch to the story. The end was a surprise. There was a moment when Viner pointed to an obvious killer and I felt let down. However, the suspect didn’t quite fit for me and, as I kept reading, I discovered why. It turned out to be not what I thought. A series of apparently unlinked events turn out to be very related at the end. This is a totally engaging book! I hope it makes it to the best selling list of the New York Times because it deserves to be there. I can’t wait for the book to come out in Spanish to give it to my mom.

Pretty Dark Nothing

Pretty Dark Nothing - Heather L. Reid Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/07/pretty-dark-nothing-by-heather-l-reid.htmlDo you like stories where:1.- the guy (Jeff) dumps his girlfriend of four years (Quinn) without explanation (by text message)? 2.- dumped girl (Quinn) has no personality, is annoying, ridiculously in love with ex (Jeff), and hopes ex comes back to his senses and asks her out again? 3.- Quinn's friend (Aaron) is in love with her. He does nothing but defend her from anyone who finds her ridiculous and mental because she's still in love with ex (and at one point, talking to self)?4.- Quinn has demonic visions that she is having trouble separating from her mind and reality. Thus, Quinn spends good part of the book saying to herself "this is not real. You are not there..."?5.- the rest of the characters are background noise to fill the pages? They amount to nothing, mean nothing, and convey nothing.Then you will definitely enjoy Pretty Dark Nothing! In total honesty, the story is superficial, boring, and the characters annoying. Oh! almost forgot :-) Yes, I too have been dumped (by email, mind you). Cried for weeks. Wished ex back. Dated some other guy to get over ex. Almost got back with ex...My point is that what Quinn is going through is perfectly real and normal. Unfortunately, the delivery was bad. It is one thing to know that guys cheat, dump you, you want them back, etc., etc., etc., and another one to read about it.Without enough explanations, world building, character development and the sort, characters like Quinn, Jeff and Aaron come across as selfish, self absorbed, cowards, annoying, and boring literary beings. And this is just book #1? God helps us all!P.S.: Awesome cover, though!

Call Me Tuesday

Call Me Tuesday - Leigh Byrne Why do I pick this kind of books! God! So depressing.

A Shade Of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire (A Shade Of Vampire, #1) - Bella Forrest Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-shade-of-vampire-by-bella-forrest.htmlFirst, this book is self-published; from the cover, I wouldn’t have thought so. Great work!Sorry Brandee, you recommended the book but… *coughing* well, you know I’m evil.#1.- The first warning that story was going to be lame was that Sofia said at the beginning that she wasn’t really pretty. She is in love with her best friend, Ben; but Ben goes for ‘beautiful’ girls which Sofia (according to her) is not.I totally hate when authors make characters like this: “oh, I’m not pretty;” but then every single vampire is drooling over her.#2.- Without much ado, Sofia is kidnapped. Fine, we don’t need to know what her friends and family think of her disappearance because the story is really about Sofia and vampires. #3.- Why was Sofia taken? Aha, you guessed that right, because she is freaking BEAUTIFUL. Didn’t she say she wasn’t? #4.- Is Sofia freaking out that she’s been taken? No… she is intrigued that her captor can be so physically perfect. Okay, I guess that if I am kidnapped by Channing Tatum freaking out would be out of the question because I would be literally drooling all over the place.#5.- When Derek sees Sofia he is instantly drawn to her beauty. Seriously? Is this Sofia the product of a milkshake of Hollywood’s starlets? So… Derek dismisses all the other girls that were taken for him and keeps Sofia. Three clicks later, they are in the kitchen and Derek can take his eyes off of Sofia “in a light yellow dress clinging to her curves at just the right places” (45% Kindle). #6.- Beauty... Beauty seems to be the main theme of the story. Everybody is beautiful but Sofia is THE most beautiful one. So beautiful that all male vampires crave her and the females envy her. #7.- Oh! But Sofia is not only BEAUTIFUL, she is also fragile and virginal. Does Sofia sleep with Derek? Of course not! That would deviate from the Twilight outline. “No… I’m not that kind of girl” said beautiful, chaste, innocent Sofia. Can you explain to me what kind of girls are those?Excuse me! Going back to my own personal fantasy: if Channing Tatum kidnapped me, I would definitely sleep with him… because I am that kind of girl. I’m kidding you – not. So, Derek is totally in love with Sofia just because she is beautiful. Rolling my eyes and moving forward.#8.- Although Derek and Sofia haven’t exchanged any bodily fluids, by 61% Derek had already taken Sofia’s breath away (Hello! Bella calling Edward!). So much for loving Ben in the first three pages of the book. #9.- Derek, our prince in charge of a kingdom is totally insipid. Gorgeous? 100% yes! #10.- Derek hates being a vampire; he doesn’t want to hurt people; he really has feelings; he didn’t ask for any of this… arggg… I already read ,Twilight, thank you very much. #11.- When Derek and Sofia get married (because, since the story seems to follow Twilight, that is what’s coming next…; also, since Sofia is not “that kind of girl” she will require a wedding before mating the prince) they will have beautiful insipid babies that the entire kingdom would die to protect! Questions:What the fuck is with all these beautiful people? Couldn’t a normal 6 foot – 250 lbs girl shake Derek too? Do guys, vampires, or werewolves only fight for perfectly beautiful, skinny girls? When will vampires go for an average girl?Hello! A pimple here and there won’t hurt!!!!Why is it that the girl who thinks that she is not pretty turns out to be THE most beautiful one? And this vampire world with knights and all that shit… I already see an illustrated guide to explain all the vamp’s ranks and Sofia’s journal coming out. Yes, just like Twilight. But besides all that, I am really glad that this independent author has had such a huge success with such a simple duplicate. Hey, we all have to start somewhere!

The Sea of Tranquility

The Sea of Tranquility - Katja Millay Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-sea-of-tranquility-by-katja-millay.htmlWhat a romantic master piece! Love in the times of pain. As I read, I couldn't stop thinking back to when I was 15 :-)The story doesn't really have a plot that I can discuss without giving it away. From my perspective, the book is about two broken people that find love. How they found love is different from other love stories out there.The book reminded of me of The Fault in Our Stars because of the language/conversations. Well, I don't remember taking so... smartly when I went to high school... but then, I didn't have internet or cell phones. All I had was a cassette walkman! Yes, I am that old :-)Little by little, we learn why Nastya is trying to destroy herself... but why take Josh with her?I didn't give the book the whole 5-stars because I couldn't grasp the purpose of what Nastya did with/to Josh. I'm not going to say more because I really don't want to give anything away. But that little part there was a no-no for me.Is there really something like a sugar rush? I eat ice-cream and sweets like crazy... but I never have experienced anything of the sort...Besides that, I was completely in love with the story. I hope the book is picked for a movie :-) because it will make a very powerful one.

Gated

Gated - Amy Christine Parker Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/06/gated-by-amy-christine-parker.htmlWhy do people join “communities” (cults)? I would say that the psychological reasons vary but in general, it is because they are looking for a sense of belonging and to escape from some troublesome reality. Hum, yes, I have actually read a couple of non-fiction books about this.In Gated, Lyla’s parents join Pioneer’s community because they want to escape their damaged lives, so Lyla grows up learning to worship Pioneer. Pioneer… is he your usual cult leader? He is controlling and even cruel at times, all in the name of the love he has for his flock. We never learn for sure if what he felt was really love or a plain combination of paranoia and schizophrenia. I wish Parker had elaborated on that.Anyways, the story starts three months before the end of the world... because visions have revealed to Pioneer when this is going to happen. He prepares the community to take shelter in a silo they build; they will go inside when the end is near and will stay there for five years.Meanwhile, Lyla has just a little healthy amount of doubt about going into this Silo, however, it is not enough to doubt Pioneer’s visions and love. But just in case, Pioneer gives them a good scare of what would happen if the end comes and they are not ready. Through the story, we see how, when one of the lambs questions the shepherd, they are “brought back” into line. If you have never read anything about cults, Gated is nice start. Once I passed the annoying part, I couldn’t stop reading it! Annoying part: Lyla can’t “kill” the practice targets used for them to learn to shoot. This was at the beginning of the book, and I felt that Parker made a big deal out of it. Well, at the end there is a connection between Layla and her inability to kill but as I read this part in the beginning I felt it was dragging too much. Once you pass the beginning you will be immersed in a world of innocence and manipulation. Throughout the book, I was, “come on! How can you believe the world is going to end in three months?” I had to remind myself that Lyla wasn’t exposed to the outside world and all she knew was what she was taught, shown and told.The romance is so sweet! No insta love, thank god. Why is this book catalogued under dystopia? I don’t think this is a dystopia at all! On the contrary, the story is very contemporary and realistic.

A Black Deeper Than Death (Miki Radicci Book 1)

A Black Deeper Than Death - M.E. Purfield Used to stories where the love interests first hate each other; like each other but won't say so; or it takes forever for them to get together, A black deeper than death was a nice change. Mikki meets Chris and they instantly hit it off as in 'I like you. You kiss good. Let's go to your place.' Nothing overly romantic looking at the stars, nor deep thinking about how mysterious she/he is. Nope, just realistic I like you, let's hang out together. At some point the L love is dropped without having to read pages and pages of doubts and "he loves, he loves me not."Mikki has the ability of feeling other people's pain. One night, a girl is killed nearby and Mikki felt the girl's death as if it was happening to her, which was weird because Mikki had never felt that deeply before.Obviously, Mikki goes all CIS to find out who the killer is and she gets into a messy situation in the process.Thank god the book is not about Mikki trying to figure out why/how she's got that ability.What I most liked was that Mikki was very foul-mouthed. At 16, she lives by herself, makes mad money, smokes, gets drunk all the time, and has sex without giving us chaste thoughts about it. She's not a slut, but Purfield doesn't justify Mikki's behavior like other authors do. Mikki is Mikki. Period. Okay, maybe the drinking was a little overdone and the smoking part is a bad example. Some parents will definitely get offended that the book is YA because... you know, since we live in a world where teenagers are saints... a book like this might turn your virginal daughter (who doesn't know what sex is and has never seen a teen smoke) into a Mikki. Mikki is so real that , in one part, she looks at the detective and despite him being twice her age, she recognizes that he is very cute; he's starting to show a belly... but still she flirts... and wonders...The story is very fast paced. No Useless, profound details trying to convey the meaning of life. Well, this is just book 1 :-) Maybe that will come later.Sometimes Mikki over did her rebellious self but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the book.

Trial by Fury: Internet Savagery and the Amanda Knox Case

Trial by Fury: Internet Savagery and the Amanda Knox Case - Douglas Preston Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/05/trial-by-fury-internet-savagery-and.htmlThis book is a Kindle single (100 pages). Based on the case of Amanda Knox, Preston discusses Internet viciousness. He talks about people going to the extreme to get Knox punished for a murder she might or might have not committed.The questions Preston covers are:- Why do people post vicious messages online?- Why do people who have nothing to do with this case, or any other case for that matter, devote time to attacking the offender? - Are you morally accountable online?Anti-Amanda groups have gone to the extreme of stalking pro-Amanda people and exposing their personal lives. Why? What do they gain with that?The book is very interesting as at one time or another, I too have posted an angry message against someone. Definitely worth the $0.99 I paid for it. I think it is free if you have Amazon Prime.

Shades of Earth: An Across the Universe Novel

Shades of Earth - Beth Revis I loved the first book so much....The second one was like... okay. But I really couldn't connect with Shades of Earth! What is wrong with me?

Island 731

Island 731 - Jeremy Robinson Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/05/island-731-by-jeremy-robinson.htmlIt started really good but, as always, something went wrong in between. Well, given that Robinson publishes about six books a year... no wonder this one sounded generic.So Mark and friends got stuck on this island that used to be home to experimental programs by Japanese. The experimental programs turned out to be Dr. Monreau-like so what is still loosed on the island are "animal-humans" made because.Mark and friends discovered this horrible truth that was hidden in plain XXI century. They miraculously get rescued... but Mark and love interest take Lilly with them. Lilly is an animal-human who saved them and turned out to be just animal on the outside but very human on the inside.So they take Lilly with them but keep her hidden because, what would happen if people knew that such hybrid combination was possible? She'd be taken as an experiment! - again.At the end, Lily laid eggs... which suggests that she wasn't only changed on the outside but inside too.Very morbid and interesting end. Actually, Lilly laying eggs would be a much more interesting story... if Robinson and team had time to write it.

A Million Suns: An Across the Universe Novel

A Million Suns - Beth Revis I find it to be okay. I kind of got bored with the clues-hunting but I was totally surprised to find out the truth about the ship.