"Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer" Book Review

My Rating: 5 ★★★★★ Stars


A true psychological thriller in which the protagonist takes extreme measures to encourage authors to improve their grammar. Well, if that isn’t a strange plot then I don’t know what is; however, it worked and surprisingly, it was well executed.

I enjoyed the story but there needs to be more in order to be more memorable. A bit of history on the characters as well as knowledge of their present life, motivations and personality would be a delight to read.

Digital Reviewer’s Copy received in exchanged for my honest and unbiased review.

"The Fed-Up Cow" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

What a delightful read! 

This little treasure here, and yes, it is a treasure, was written in fun rhymes that any child could easily read.

It was well-illustrated with such bright colors bursting out on each page.

The fed-up cow, in my opinion, is easily relatable to both children and adults, because at some point in time, we all think things could be better if we could simply become someone else; however, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

I absolutely adored that this book could be read by children and that the lesson is plain as day – just be who you are, stop trying to be someone/something that you are not.

I highly recommend to parents and teachers of toddlers.

Digital copy received from Author in exchange for an unbiased review. 

"One Of Us Is Lying" Book Review

My Rating:   ★★★★★ 5 Stars

I was highly astounded after finding out that this is a debut novel. 
Debut Novel you say? Why yes!

The author seems to be a well-established writer with a few published novels out there already. But I digress; let’s get into the review of the actual book and not how surprised I am by the quality of the writing.

One of Us Is Lying has a brilliant plot with enough twists to make the ride a dizzy journey. 
The “Bayview Four”, as individuals, were the quintessential, most popular cliques found in any given high school, much like we’ve seen in the Breakfast Club. 
We had the jock, the princess, the straight ‘A’ student and the delinquent; and as the author said, One of Us is Lying was initially inspired by The Breakfast Club. 
The characters were, in no way, superficial. They all had depth and dark secrets which influenced their actions. I appreciated how they weren’t one-dimensional and how the author put time into creating solid characters. 
The peripheral characters were also interesting and had me wondering if they were involved in the death of the victim. I found myself taking notes and trying to solve the mystery before the big reveal, which I kind of did. 

The relationship between the characters genuinely grew. It didn’t feel forced even though the characters were, in a sense, forced to gravitate toward each other because of the situation they were in. 
I could feel when things started changing and when they began getting closer, not just because they were all murder suspects, but because they realized that they did have something else in common. 
Naturally, I felt more of a connection toward Bronwyn, it could be because she was the first character’s POV which showed up, or it could be that I identified with her the most. In turn, I also felt a connection toward Nate, and thus, their relationship and POV held my attention more than the others. I ended up looking forward to reading their stories and seeing their relationship grow. 

There was an underlying theme which I won't mention which becomes quite prominent toward the end. The author was brilliant and creative in the way she presented this theme, yet it was heartbreaking in its truth. Social media plays such a great part in our lives these days and can connect us to others who share our interests, all the good, as well as the destructive interests that we may have; and teenagers are so easily influenced by others, especially when they seek acceptance from others. I was angry at a peripheral character in particular, knowing that she could have prevented something from happening if only she had spoken to someone. 

I know this was just a fictional book but it presented us with a sad reality that needs to be addressed. Some teenagers/Young adults around the world do not seem to fully understand the severity of situations and thus consequences occur which cannot be reversed (in many cases). 
My wish is that if this book is read by a high school student, or a college student who is experiencing something similar to what went on in the book that he/she will do something, speak up, get help.


I really did enjoy this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. 

Digital Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

"The Impossible Fortress" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars      

Let me just start by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE.

This was such a cute, coming-of-age, refreshing and stunningly written love story that I had the pleasure and honor of reading. 

Billy Marvin loves computers more than anything in the world, that is until he meets Mary Zelinsky who equally (if not more) shares a love of computers in this 1987 coming-of-age beauty. 

Billy and his friends are shocked and intrigued when Playboy releases their latest issue featuring the beautiful Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune. The boys are eager to feast their eyes upon her pictures but to do so they conjure up a risky plan to secretly get their hands on a copy for each. Everyone gets to play a part in the heist (which isn't stealing) - Billy's task is to seduce Mary Zelinsky, the daughter of the store's owner and to get access to the security code. 
What starts off as the Vanna White mission turns into so much more for young Billy Marvin. 

I loved how well written the book was. Yes, there were a few errors here and there but overall the writing style was so clear with strong, vivid descriptions. The main characters felt well-rounded even though we didn't have a whopping history on them. 

This was an adventure-filled, fun read that I absolutely adore.

A digital copy was received via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.                                        

"The Couple Next Door" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

Many thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This goes into my "I won't forget you" book pile. 

The Couple Next Door is such a simple (in the best way possible), well-written, unpretentious book which gets into the story and does not stray off topic, not even once. 

I was not bombarded with useless similes, or overly descriptive passages, nor annoying inner dialogues which tends to take away from the plot. This was well-written and straight to the point. 

When I say well-written I don't mean lyrical prose to the likes of Alice Hoffman or more recently the epicly written The Summer That Melted Everything (another title in my "I wont Forget you" book pile). In this instance, well-written simply means no preamble, straight to the point, every sentence pushed the plot forward and no wasted words/unnecessary sentences. I loved the writing style so much. 

The premise does not do justice to this immaculate plot. 

It is filled with uncomfortable revelations, brilliant twists, family secrets, manipulation, blackmail, a web of lies - everything which makes for a highly entertaining and gripping read. 

As the plot unwinds you'll be holding on to the edge of your seat, just waiting to get the whole truth.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

"The Summer That Melted Everything" Book Review

My Rating ★★★★★ 5 Stars

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I strongly recommend.

Let it be known by all who read this review and by all wondering if they should read this book that I tried to write a review which would do justice to this masterpiece.

The Summer That Melted Everything was just that- a dark, emotionally-charged masterpiece, as beautifully written as it was beautifully heart-breaking. 

It is the summer of 1984 and an invitation by Autopsy Bliss, posted in the local newspaper, has been extended to the devil. 

“Dear Mr. Devil, Sir Satan, Lord Lucifer, and all other crosses you bear,

I cordially invite you to Breathed, Ohio. Land of hills and hay bales, of sinners and forgivers.

May you come in peace.

With great faith,

Autopsy Bliss”.

The one who answers this invitation is a thirteen year old boy, dressed in dirty, threadbare overalls, accompanied by a raging heat; he is far from the menacing devil that one would expect. Fielding Bliss, the son of Autopsy Bliss, takes him home to his family and introduces him as The Devil. The sheriff believes him to be a runaway from a nearby town and begins his investigation to prove that this is simply a missing person’s case; but when strange things start happening in the small town of Breathed, Ohio, the community believes that the devil, disguised as a thirteen year old boy, truly walks among them. 

Fear, rage and the unbearable heat consume the town’s people and slowly melt away their common sense so much so that Sal is the blame of every mishap that summer and becomes a target.

The writing is of lyrical prose, exquisitely poetic, reminding me of the works of Alice Hoffman with a touch of magic realism in the metaphors used. This is one of those books that almost every line is a memorable quote; it is thought-provoking and is to be savoured because it has such deep meaning. I had to control my highlighting lest I end up highlighting the entire book.

“Gone was the perfect temperature. The breeze. All replaced by an almost violent heat that turned your bones into volcanoes, your blood into the lava that yelled their eruptions.”

“You can tell a lot about a man by what he does with a snake… A snake that could harm you, you don’t have much choice to kill. You wouldn’t be able to leave a cobra in your sock drawer. But a snake that is no threat will greatly define the man who decides to kill it anyways.”

The characters were so strong in their personalities. Each had their unique, necessary stories which would push the plot forward. The Bliss family had an intense, unconditional love for each other that I have not seen in any other book - the love between a husband and wife, especially the one between the two brothers – Grant and Fielding – left me wanting to experience more of their shared loved.

I felt an instant connection to each of the members of the Bliss family, including Sal.

“And I smiled, as in love with my older brother as any young boy would be”

I felt anger when the characters I cared about felt anger; I felt their joy, hope, love. And I cried when they cried, I even cried when there were no sad parts; I simply cried because the writing was just too beautiful to not appreciate, and the only way to truly show appreciation was to shed a tear.

Everyone spoke so philosophical, and while it bothered me for a while that they all spoke the same, my appreciation for the writing style and love for the overall plot and characters overshadowed it. 

I've never liked TFIOS, I still don't, but I hate it a little less because this book reminded me of one quote, "That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt". 

That's what I kept thinking throughout this book - this pain in the book demands to be felt. Hell, the book demands to be felt. I don't know if anyone can read this and not feel that consuming pain and heartache. 

I didn't want the book to end. I had 1 minute left and I let that minute drag out. I took a water break, bathroom break and then I came back. I almost didn't read the last 2 pages, because if I didn't read it, somehow that meant it didn’t have an ending.  

I certainly didn't want it to have an end because how am I supposed to move on from it? How am I supposed to pick up another book without seeing all its flaws because it isn’t nearly as well-written and memorable as this one?

This book will surely be remembered for the rest of this year and I will recommend it to all my reading friends like my life depended on it. I can’t wait to read it again.

"Twisted" Book Review

My Rating ★★★★★ 5 Stars

And that is what I call a psychological thriller, a mind fuck of epic proportions and I loved every second of it!

Twisted was utterly gripping and entertaining. I was unequivocally hooked from the very first line. 

Andrew Kaufman created a solid story centered around a troubled character (as a result of both his past and present) which claimed my full belief in his present life and struggles.

I felt like I had a 3-D experience of the agonizing torment of a man whose world crumbles, a thing he tried so hard to avoid yet to which he inevitably succumbed. This simply means the writing style and overall story had me completely engrossed.

This is one of those books which is a must-read. 

I want to give this 5-stars, it deserves it but I'm giving it 4.5. I wanted more explanations in the ending; I wanted to know what was real and what wasn't. I wanted.. no needed. I needed the author to make everything clear regarding the two worlds. 
He did give an explanation but I just felt it wasn't enough for me. 

Read this book!

"The Girl With All The Gifts" Book Review

My Rating ★★★★★ 5 Stars   

Every now and then I stumble upon a book so riveting and so well-written that the highest rating (5 stars) simply seems beneath it. This is one of those books, in a league of its own, demanding respect from readers ranging from young adults to mature audiences and those who aren't even a fan of this genre.

This genre? It isn't even like the others in its genre, that's what amazes me. The Girl with All The Gifts wasn't a survivalist apocalypse book. Not really. It contained a delicious plethora of themes - ranging from survival to love (but not the traditional cliché love), to acceptance of the worst kind of humans out there and an in-depth look at the science behind a world gone to ruin. It was everything and more.

I loved how the synopsis gave nothing away. The cover first reeled me in. There was something about the stance of the girl on the front cover - power. A little girl wielding power is what I first thought. Then the synopsis confirmed that she, named Melanie, was a special little girl who promises that she won't bite. This of course is the one and only hint we get that this is a Zombie book.

Did I mention that this was so much more?
The characters, so sure of themselves, are each driven by their unique, ingrained ambitions, all remaining consistent throughout the entirety of the book.

Melanie has a love so profound for Ms. J and wishes to protect her. Ms. J in return has a sort of motherly love for her and wishes to protect her even though Melanie is what she is.
Sergeant Parks, a protector, a man ruined, tired and haunted by the things he's had to do for the good of the remaining humans at the base and underneath it all he seeks redemption and acceptance, from whom you may ask? Well, from anyone willing to listen to him long enough to grant him his desire I presume.
Private Gallagher, a young man, sworn to protect but still scared shitless. He does what he can when he can. He thinks himself a coward, but I didn't see it that way. He is simply a survivor who has not made the best decisions.
And Dr. Caldwell. Driven by an intense urge to find a cure, she's ruthless in both her methods and her devotion and will not stop at anything to achieve her goal. I loved how I ended up feeling for her toward the end of the book. This was a character who no one should feel any kind of pity for, yet I felt something. At one point I accepted her justifications, that she did what she had to do in order to achieve her goals. I saw things from her point of view and I wanted her to succeed.

This was by far the most mature, well-written, well-researched book I've read in the past 12 months.

"The Humans" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

The Humans: A fun, witty and insightful read about an extra-terrestrial sent to Earth to destroy information far too advanced for the humans’ own good. I always start with the cover since this is the first thing which captures the reader’s attention. The Cover: The cover I have is the UK released version, not the one featured on Goodreads displaying a monochrome nose. My cover has a gorgeous blue backdrop fading into a washed out green then becomes a more pronounced darker green. It is covered with white dots depicting stars and looks absolutely magical with the dog sitting, looking up at a “falling star”. I loved the cover. Could have been the dog which reeled me in, nonetheless, reeled me in it did! The name also held my interest – The Humans. Just from reading the title I knew I was in for a treat. I knew I’d be reading from the perspective of someone who wasn’t human, entirely human or saw themselves as an outsider and that was enough for me. The Content: So this book is actually about a Vonnadorian extra-terrestrial sent to earth posing as a human named Professor Andrew Martin. His mission is to destroy evidence of the solving of the impossible-to-solve Reimann Hypothesis. This E.T does not have a name of his own, nor does he need one because he inhabits the body of the Professor, and no one suspects a thing. He is thrown into this situation without the proper etiquette for interacting with Humans on planet Earth and there ensues a hilarious account of trying to be human while accomplishing his sole mission- to destroy all evidence which also includes disposing of anyone who has knowledge that the hypothesis was solved. I know not everyone will love this book as much as others did. I sometimes give 1 star to popular books which others absolutely love. But this particular book was funny and it taught me some things about humans that I’ve never even thought about – everyday things which humans do which makes no sense if looking from the outside. A fun, insightful read on humans which will have you laughing out loud like you’re insane and which will make you appreciate/despise (if you’re misanthropic) your fellow homo sapiens even more. Now I'm going to find another Matt Haig book.

"Confessions of a Virgin Sex Columnist (Confessions #1)" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

A short, romantic comedy. Took me a few days but that's because I was sort of busy. 

I gave this 5 stars because it deserves it. I didn't love it but I can appreciate the work the author put into this piece. Of course it was predictable, what romantic comedy isn't? 

The cover is bright, colorful and modern; it reels you in. 

The writing reminds me of a Kinsella novel which means its superb. I didn't see any typos. 

There were funny bits which actually made me laugh out loud. 

I think the stars given to these kinds of novels will depend a lot on the mood the reader is in. I could have given this 3 or a 4, or even a 2 because of predictability but I settled on 5, as I said - it's what it deserves.

"50 SERIAL KILLERS: Bloody Protagonists of History's Worst Murder Sprees" Book Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 5 Stars

Informative. 

I guess it delivered what it said it would. I did "learn" about 50 serial killers.

It was short and to the point, starting with a bit of history and psychology to give the readers an understanding of the inner workings of the average psychopath. 

Then the book provided information about each serial killer - date of birth, date of death (when available), crimes committed, crimes convicted of etc. 

There was no conclusion though which was a bit odd, but hey, this was 77 pages of 'vital' information on serial killers, an introduction was enough I guess. 

By the way, who reads this kind of stuff?! I'm really interested in knowing the target audience that the author had in mind. And might I just add, I only read it because of the bloody awesome cover!