Category Archives: Books

Book review, Books

Shamus Dust: #bookreview

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https://www.amazon.com/Shamus-Dust-Hard-Winter-Murder-ebook/dp/B07VV4SLHP

Shamus Dust by Janet Rogers is set in London during Christmas of 1947. The people of London were still rebuilding after World War II.

The main character’s name is not Shamus Dust. Shamus is a term for a private investigator. Mr. Newman has been hired by Councilor Drake to look into the murder of Raymond Jarrett. It’s not too long before the body count starts to rise. Trust me when I say, it’s all connected. I think that there is even a line in the book about everything in life being connected.

There was a possible witness to the first murder. Nurse Greer was the one who found the first body and called the police. Newman seems to find her intriguing. Maybe that’s why I thought she was interesting. She was hiding at least one secret. Mystery is very often alluring.

Newman has quite a journey to discover the truth. If I had been smarter, I would have written a chart so I could keep track of who was responsible for what crime.

I did enjoy the book but sometimes it was difficult to keep track of the characters. Don’t hold it against the author or the book – it’s probably a personal problem of my own. The problem is probably that I need a nap. Newman hardly ever sleeps so I want to sleep on his behalf.

If you are a fan of mysteries or crime noir, then you will more than likely enjoy Shamus Dust.

If you don’t need more mystery in your life, then shelve this book until you do.

Books

Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag

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Since I may not have a book review ready this week, I’m going to do a Zombie Book Blog Tag. It’s an old book blog tag but it’s still worthy. If you have a chance, visit Beatrice at DreamlandBookBlog. Her zombie book post is pretty awesome.

If you would like to participate, consider yourself tagged. It’s fine if it’s not your cup of tea.

You can find the original video here, and if you want to find out more about how the tag works, I suggest you go watch that. 🙂 In short, though, this is what you need to do:

1. Pick 5 books.

2. Turn to a random page.

3. The first name you see gets to be on your zombie survival team.

4. Apply the characters to the 10 situations and types of people in the order you got them.

The Reader

1. The first person to die:

Hanna.

She may not be chaotic evil but she did let people die needlessly because she was following orders.

2. Person you trip to get away from zombies:

Michael

I’m kind of sorry. He’s probably a decent person. Or he could be a weak link.

If you are interested in Nazis and Zombies, check out this book.

Othello

3. The first person to turn into a zombie:

Desdemona

She probably was set up by Iago.

4. The Person that trips you to get away from the zombies:

Iago

I’m not surprised at all that he would trip me to save himself. Iago is all about self-preservation. At any cost.

There’s a book about Othello and Zombies . . .

How have I missed this jem?

Wicked

5. The idiot of the team:

Frex.

Yeah, he is. Let’s send him on a missionary trip somewhere over the rainbow.

6. The brains of the team:

Elphaba.

She is smart and potential for ruthlessness. We might stand a chance if she focuses her anger on zombies.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

7. The team Medic:

Jack Durbeyfield.

Oh my glob. We’ll never be healed. He’s always drunk. Plus, since he’s drinking all of the alcohol, what will we use to disinfect wounds? Dang it.

8. The weapons expert:

Joan Durbeyfield.

Interesting choice. Maybe she’ll surprise us with her knowledge of weapons?

Their Eyes were Watching God

Here’s a link to an article about Zora Neale Hurston and zombies. https://io9.gizmodo.com/zora-neale-hurston-zombie-hunter-5823671

Don’t let your feelings for somebody turn you into a love zombie https://www.pinterest.com/pin/552042866793891172/

9. The brawler:

Janie

She doesn’t strike me a a fighter – in a physical sense. However, that doesn’t mean she won’t fight. Janie isn’t going to go by anyone’s rules either.

10. The Team Captain:

Pheoby

I’m ok with Pheoby. I think she’ll give underdogs a chance and cut players from the team.

Book review, Books

The Body Double: #bookreview

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The Body Double

The Body Double by Emily Beyda begins in an unnamed small town movie theater but mostly takes place in Hollywood, California.

The narrator doesn’t have a name. She’s been brought to Hollywood in order to be a body double for a famous movie star – both on and off-screen. She spends her time learning everything about Rosanna Feld so that she can become Rosanna. Her only job is to be Rosanna. She’s paid a lot of money to forget her former life.

Max is the man who hires her to be the body double. He’s a sleazeball but the narrator seems to like him. She’s suspicious of him but she overlooks quite a bit to keep him happy.

She does spend some time trying to figure out what happened to the real Rosanna. In the end, her questions are answered. I won’t give away the ending but it was not what I expected.

If you’re interested in stories about Hollywood and movie stars – the glamour and also the seedy parts- then you will probably enjoy “The Body Double.” The book has been compared to the movie “Vertigo.” I cannot believe that I haven’t seen the movie.

If you aren’t a fan of Hollywood or crime fiction, then this book might be too fancy for you.

  • I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
Book review, Books

Venators: #bookreview

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Venators: Magic Unleashed on Amazon

Most of Venators by Devri walls is set in an alternate dimension called Eon. Every supernatural being that you can think of exists in Eon.

Rune, her brother, Ryker, and classmate, Grey, begin their day on Earth as usual. Rune and Grey are saved from supernatural hunters by Tate, who takes them to Eon through a portal.

Some would say that Grey is obsessed with the supernatural. He’s a bit of an outcast on Earth. Ryker has made life even more difficult for Grey but by the end of the book, his reason will make a little more sense.

Rune is usually the mediator between Ryker and Grey. She also has an interest in the supernatural but she keeps it a closely guarded secret.

Tate tells Rune and Grey that they are Venators, which are sentries between Eon and Earth. There’s more to being a Venator than being a gatekeeper.

If you are interested in the supernatural and alternate dimensions, then this could be the book for you. Personally, Venators has been my favorite book so far this year. I would go through the portal to Eon if it was possible.

If you are firm non-believer of vampires, werewolves or shapeshifters, then this book might not be what you’re looking for yet. I would recommend giving the book a chance even if you are not a fan of the supernatural.

  • I received this book as part of The Write Reads book blog tour. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
Book review, Books

The Antique: #bookreview

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The Antique

The book starts out in China approximately two thousand years ago. A tiger has killed a young boy, the son of a warlord. A witch, Zi-Ling, was wrongfully accused of killing the boy. She vowed revenge upon those responsible for her impending death. Her ashes were separated by a monk and sent to different areas of the world in order to keep her from reconstructing herself and avenging her death.

Zi-Lin needs her descendants and the ashes to become powerful again. She uses people and insects to gather her power and find the descendants, also known as the Blood Children. Zi-Ling’s sister, Maylan, turns the monk into a worm and then called Lao Chong. From then on the worm does the bidding of Maylan. They use the worm and spells to control people.

There is also a golden box called Gu, which contain part of Zin-Lin’s ashes. Apparently, Gu has her own power and calls herself The Queen.

At this point, I’m confused. Why does Gu have her own personality? Why isn’t the witch the focus instead of the queen? There are so many characters and it’s still the beginning of the book.

Most of the book takes place during the present time in San Francisco. The Queen and her minions have tracked two of the Blood Children.

There’s at least one chapter devoted to understanding why and how the insects and other creatures run things for the Queen. I could have done without knowing understanding the insects point of view. Maybe it’s just my personal distaste for bugs.

Part of me wants the witch to avenge her death but I think that sympathy for her gets lost in the story. The book needs a bit of streamlining to make it easier to follow. Sometimes I’m not sure if the witch and the Queen are the same entity.

There are some good parts of the book. I like the section about the witch and the tiger. The parts with the current blood children are good. The premise of the book is good but it gets a bit off track in some places.

If you are seeking to avenge your ancestor’s death, then you might appreciate this book.

If you are an exterminator, then you won’t appreciate this book or the treatment of exterminators. Plus, there are so many bugs and spiders with an incredible amount of intelligence.

Will the witch be able to reconstruct herself or will the Blood Children destroy the boxes? Will the Orkin Man or Woman ever be successful against the power of the insects and spiders?

  • I received the ebook from Reedsy in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books

Kingshold: #bookreview

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Kingshold

Kingshold by D.P. Woolliscroft is set in the city of Kingshold, which is on the island of Edland. There’s not a specified year but I would say it probably takes place during medieval times. In this book, magic is a real thing that people accept.

There’s not one main character. It’s told from the point of view of a bard, a sorcerer, the sorcerer’s adopted daughter and a servant at the palace.

The last king and queen have been dispatched by the sorcerer due to their greed and ineptitude at running the kingdom. The sorcerer, Jyuth, has proclaimed that there will not be any other kings and the people must choose a different way of doing things. The privy council decides that there will be an election. Whoever pays the price can have a vote.

Mareth, the bard, has taken a job from a wealthy candidate. His main job is to write songs about what’s happening with the election. The sorcerer’s daughter, Neenahwi, is a powerful sorceress in her own right. When her father retires, she will be taking his place and she isn’t looking forward to it. Alana, the servant girl, is responsible for taking care of Jyuth. He sees that she’s smart and includes her in his plans.

It took until I was at about the 20 % point before things started to click for me. So I would recommend sticking it out because the story really gets pretty good by the 45% mark.

If you are a fan of stories with magic and intrigue, then you will probably enjoy Kingshold.

If you are a troll, orc or a greedy politician, then this book is too complicated for you anyway.

  • I received this book for participating in The Write Reads Blog Tour. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
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Book review, Books, homeless

The Skin of Water: #bookreview

The Skin of Water

The Skin of Water by Cristina Salat is mostly set in San Francisco. Sixteen- year- old Lisel has run away from her home in New Mexico. She spends a few days squatting with a new homeless friend.

Her uncle has moved into her home in a Pueblo community in New Mexico. The house was left to her by her father, who passed away.

He is an abusive creep, which is why Lisel has left. Her aunt and grandmother do not come to her aid like they should.

After a few days, Lisel moves into a homeless shelter for at-risk youth. As part of the program, she has to take a self-defense class. The class really helps to empower Lisel and the other women in the class. Many of the class members believed that they had to accept being assaulted. The class helps the women to become empowered. It’s a beautiful thing to read about those who are weak becoming strong.

The shelter only allows people to stay for a few months before they have to leave. Lisel isn’t sure if she is going to stay in San Francisco with her new friends.

She has to decide if she’s going to confront her uncle and take the house back or build a life somewhere else. Will Lisel realize that she is powerful?

If you enjoy stories of women trying to overcome adversity, then you will like “The Skin of Water.”

Creepy uncles will not like this book. The book is too good for them anyway.

  • I received the book from the author in exchange for doing a review. We were brought together by the Indie Helper Database. All opinions are my own. Obviously.