31 March 2015

Review #178: The Crooked Maid by Dan Vyleta




My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them.” 

----J.R.R. Tolkien



Dan Vyleta, a Czech author, has penned a thrilling and compelling novel called, The Crooked Maid which is set across Vienna and traces two unraveling mysteries that somehow shook up almost the entire nation with it's outcome.



30 March 2015

Giveaway of Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman



Good morning and good afternoon every one,
Let's begin this blog post with a beautiful quote:



I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles.
                         
                                                      ----Audrey Hepburn 


We don't need a special day to celebrate Audrey's grace, beauty and talent. The name Audrey and anything to with Audrey always makes my heart flutter with happiness. And with each passing day, after that era of Little Black Dress that Audrey rocked in the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's, she has managed to become a household name, and still to this day, we compare anybody's charm and grace with that of Audrey's.

Review #175: The Prophecy of Bees by R.S. Pateman



My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear.”

----Edgar Allan Poe


R.S. Pateman, an English author, has penned a spine-chilling and intriguing tale about old manors, small English countrysides, folklore, trumpets and bees in his latest thriller-cum-horror novel, The Prophecy of Bees.


29 March 2015

Review #174: Under a Painted Sky by Stacy Lee




My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”

----C.S. Lewis


Stacey Lee, a Chinese-American author, has woven a heart-touching and thoroughly engrossing tale of friendship and shifting backdrop through the infamous Oregon Trail, in her debut book, Under a Painted Sky .


27 March 2015

Feature & Follow #6: Let's Talk About Our Local Book Fair


Good morning folks,



It's Friday and it's time to have a new feature and follow blog post, which is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View.




What is Feature and Follow Friday?
In simple words- to gain more followers either via GFC or Bloglovin'. So the very idea of having this feature and follow meme is to collect more new bloggers on the block and to make new blogger friends as well as followers. It is a great idea which was started out by Alison and  Rachel. Three Cheers for those two masterminds!

26 March 2015

Review #173: Family Secrets by Donna M. Zadunajsky and Blog Tour



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It's knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.”

---- Mitch Albom, an author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician


Donna M. Zadunajsky's, an American author, new book, Family Secrets delves deep into the puddles of secrets that shatters the lives of a family.



Review #172: Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle



My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“I love this place, too, it’s imprinted on me as much as you are. But in the end, it’s still for you. I love you. I’m in love with you. I’m not going home. You are my home. I’m staying with you.”

----Karina Halle


Karina Halle, a Canadian USA TODAY bestselling author, pens her new novel, Where Sea Meets Sky that revolves around a young man and his wild infatuated trip through New Zealand to win over the heart of a girl whom he met in his town.


25 March 2015

Review #171: The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma



My rating: 3 of 5 stars


“Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.”


----J.R. Ward, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels


Nova Ren Suma, an American YA author, pens her latest paranormal thriller called, The Walls Around Us that spins around the lives of two girls one dead and one alive whose voices channel the story of the primary character who was convicted of murder.


24 March 2015

Review #170: Twisted by Lola Smirnova and Excerpt, Author Interview and a Giveaway



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“They may use my body but my mind is free. In my mind I escape.” 

----Gladys Lawson, an author, a microbiologist in pathology management and also volunteers as an inspirational mentor.


Lola Smirnova, an Ukrainian author, pens her debut book, Twisted that revolves around the horrifying truth and pain behind flesh trade. Written from her own experience, Smirnova spins her story in such a way that it'll grip you with the vivid and raw details about the sex trade.

23 March 2015

Review #169: The Other End of the Corridor by Sujata Rajpal



My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“I am living in hell from one day to the next. But there is nothing I can do to escape. I don't know where I would go if I did. I feel utterly powerless, and that feeling is my prison. I entered of my own free will, I locked the door, and I threw away the key.” 

----Haruki Murakami


Sujata Rajpal, an Indian author, pens an unexceptionally heart-touching and gripping story called, The Other End of the Corridor that reflects light upon the effects of marital violence in an Indian society. It is the journey of one young woman and her mistakes of getting married to a good prospect.


22 March 2015

Review #168: Dead Meat by Ankush Saikia




My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."

----Agatha Christie


Ankush Saikia, a well-known Indian author, pens his new thriller, Dead Meat that revolves around a lonely-and-alcoholic PI going in and around the capital to solve the case of a heinous murder that shakes up the people of the city amidst of the T20 fever.


20 March 2015

Feature & Follow #5: Favorite Inspiring Characters



Good morning dearest people,



It's Friday and it's time to have a new feature and follow blog post, which is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View.




What is Feature and Follow Friday?
In simple words- to gain more followers either via GFC or Bloglovin'. So the very idea of having this feature and follow meme is to collect more new bloggers on the block and to make new blogger friends as well as followers. It is a great idea which was started out by Alison and  Rachel. Three Cheers for those two masterminds!

17 March 2015

Review #167: The Book of Stone by Jonathan Papernick



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“The Jewish people and their fate are the living witness for the absence of redemption. This, one could say, is the meaning of the chosen people; the Jews are chosen to prove the absence of redemption.”
---- Leo Strauss, a German-American philosopher and philologist of ancient Greek text

Jonathan Papernick, a Canadian author, penned his debut novel called, The Book of Stone after so many successful short stories, that revolves around a man whose fate drastically changes after his father's death leading to religious as well as social extremism not only in his country but also within himself.

Review #166: Haunted Love by Jessica Frances and Blog Tour with Giveaway








                                                                               

Review:

My rating: 4 of 5 stars                                                                               


“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”
-----Gena Showalter, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels

Jessica Frances, an Australian author, penned her new adult paranormal romance book, Haunted Love that captures the love of two souls in death and life.

13 March 2015

12 March 2015

Review #165: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“It's so hard for anyone to show us how we look, and so hard for us to show anyone how we feel” 

----John Green

Rainbow Rowell, an American author, penned an incredibly heart-touching, funny and charming story in her book, Fangirl that revolves around a young girl who is obsessed with a boy wizard series and writes fan fiction.


11 March 2015

Review #164: The Maverick Who Ruled Her Heart by Susan Carlisle



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"


Susan Carlisle, an American author, who is a medical romance writer, have spun a passionate series, Heart of Mississippi. The Doctor Who Made Her Love Again is the first book in this series, followed by The Maverick Who Ruled Her Heart that revolves around a nutritionist who is planning to leave her small town and her past and a dashing new doctor who is back to his hometown for real and good.

Review #163: The Doctor Who Made Her Love Again by Susan Carlisle



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"


Susan Carlisle, an American author, who is a medical romance writer, have spun yet another passionate series, Heart of Mississippi. The Doctor Who Made Her Love Again is the first book in this series, that revolves around an up-tight nurse and a dashing doctor.

10 March 2015

Review #162: The Whispering Wind: Two Lives, One Heartbreaking Story by Lexa Dudley



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” 

----Anaïs Nin, a French-born novelist, passionate eroticist and short story writer

Lexa Dudley, an English author, penned her debut book, The Whispering Wind: Two Lives, One Heartbreaking Story , that revolves around a small Italian island, Sardinia.


9 March 2015

Review #161: His Lover's Little Secret by Andrea Laurence



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” 

----Antoine François Prévost, a French author and novelist

Andrea Laurence, an American author, crafted a heart-touching love-story about a single mother and her life's choices and priorities, in her latest book, His Lover's Little Secret .

8 March 2015

The Bookshelfie #4: With Pearl





Good evening and good afternoon folks,
Happy Women's Day,
It's time for a bookshelfie blog post, and today we have Jennifer Pearl Mancuso from Asterisk Pearl's Book Blog, who happens to be a remarkable blogger.Do check out her cute blog which features book reviews to  discussions to some weekly memes to some fun blog posts.

7 March 2015

Review #160: Holiday with a Stranger by Christy McKellen



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"

Christy McKellen, an English author, have spun an enchanting love story, in her latest book, Holiday with a Stranger that revolves around a workaholic and bossy woman taking a break from her office hum-drum to make peace with her arrogant attitude, little did she knew orgasms were the best remedy to soften her soul.


To be fair: I'm not that judgmental when it comes to reading Mills & Boons or Harlequin books. I believe we all need to read a little bit of fairytale romance sometime to lose oneself in the beauty of it.


Review #159: Bridesmaid with Attitude by Christy McKellen



My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"

Christy McKellen, an English author, have spun a bewitching romantic story, in her latest book, Bridesmaid with Attitude that involves a feisty woman fighting for her best friend's wedding venue, even if it requires to be somebody's fake girlfriend for a few days.


To be fair: I'm not that judgmental when it comes to reading Mills & Boons or Harlequin books. I believe we all need to read a little bit of fairytale romance sometime to lose oneself in the beauty of it.


Review #158: For His Eyes Only by Liz Fielding



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"


Liz Fielding, a best-selling English author, have spun a passionate and enchanting love story, in her latest book, For His Eyes Only . The story is about a sculptor living in a castle like estate and an ambitious real-estate agent.


To be fair: I'm not that judgmental when it comes to reading Mills & Boons or Harlequin books. I believe we all need to read a little bit of fairytale romance sometime to lose oneself in the beauty of it.

Review #157: The Italian's Deal for I Do by Jennfier Hayward




My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life- love should not be one of them"



Jennifer Hayward, a Canadian romantic author, crafted a light-hearted yet a passionate romantic story in her new book, The Italian's Deal for I Do and this book happens to be the first book in the Society Weddings series.


To be fair: I'm not that judgmental when it comes to reading Mills & Boons or Harlequin books. I believe we all need to read a little bit of fairytale romance sometime to lose oneself in the beauty of it.


6 March 2015

5 March 2015

World Book Day: My Story about How Reading Changed My Life

    


You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
                                                                                                                                       ----Jack London, an American novelist, journalist, social-activist and short-story writer whose works deal romantically with elemental struggles for survival.

And I have always believed in Mr. London's spectacular words that you don't need to wait for a moment to inspire you in a specified direction, instead, you need to find that inspiring moment all by yourself to define you.

4 March 2015

Review #155: The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes



My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“Heartbreak was a luxury too costly for the single parent.”
----Jojo Moyes


Jojo Moyes, an international best-selling British author, have spun yet another heart-touching tale about a single parent and her priorities in her life, in her latest book, The One Plus One. They say, it's hard for a single parent to stay strong and take care of her kids, but Jojo Moyes gives a whole new definition on being a single parent in a hard life.

3 March 2015

Review #154: The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths



My rating:
4 of 5 stars



"Illusion is the first of all pleasures."

----Oscar Wilde



Elly Griffiths, an English author, have spin a thrilling tale of magic and illusions set in the post-WWII Britain in her new book, The Zig Zag Girl. This is her first book, after her very successful Dr Ruth Galloway series.


2 March 2015

Author Q&A Session #36: With Mary Swan

Good morning and good afternoon folks,
Welcome to an all new author interview session where we have Mary Swan- the Canadian award winner short story writer and novelist, who is here to talk about her new book, My Ghosts, her short story, The Deep, her journey as an author, and many other tid-bits about her life. Read along to know more about this talented writer.

Read the review of My Ghosts here


1 March 2015

Month in a Recap #2: February



Hello and welcome Y'All,
It's time to recapitulate my last month- February- we call it the month of love! And just like the month before February, this month too, I enjoyed a lot and had a great time.


  • Received another bundle of books for review

"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book"
----J.K.Rowling

Another month gone by, and 2015 is officially 2 months old now! This month I received a lot of books from best-selling authors to self-published ones. Here's a snap of few of the books that I received for the review purpose.



  • My over-confidence got better of me

The BookShelfie #2: With Olivia





Good morning and welcome folks,
It is Sunday and it's time for a bookshelfie blog post, and today I present you one of most popular book blogger in the blogosphere- Olivia-Savannah from Olivia's Catastrophe, who blogs about books to bookish stuff to nail art to recipes, in short, she has a solution to everything. Her reviewing style is unique and extraordinary. Go check out her blog to read her reviews or participate in the giveaways that she hosts in her blog.