ARC Review: The Windfall by Diksha Basu

Title: The Windfall
Author: Diksha Basu
Publisher/Publication Date: Crown Publishing Group; June 27, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A heartfelt comedy of manners for readers of Seating Arrangements and Crazy Rich Asians, Diksha Basu's debut novel unfolds the story of a family discovering what it means to be nouveau riche in modern India...

For the past thirty years, Mr. and Mrs. Jha’s lives have been defined by cramped spaces, cut corners, gossipy neighbors, and the small dramas of stolen yoga pants and stale marriages. They thought they’d settled comfortably into their golden years, pleased with their son’s acceptance into an American business school. But then Mr. Jha comes into an enormous and unexpected sum of money, and moves his wife from their housing complex in East Delhi to the super-rich side of town, where he becomes eager to fit in as a man of status: skinny ties, hired guards, shoe-polishing machines, and all. The move sets off a chain of events that rock their neighbors, their marriage, and their son, who is struggling to keep a lid on his romantic dilemmas and slipping grades, and brings unintended consequences, ultimately forcing the Jha family to reckon with what really matters.

Hilarious and wise, The Windfall illuminates with warmth and charm the precariousness of social status, the fragility of pride, and, above all, the human drive to build and share a home. Even the rich, it turns out, need to belong somewhere...

My Thoughts:

I have read exactly two books this year that were named windfall and both of them have been great. The latest one is The Windfall by Diksha Basu, which was just one of those books that I happen to find incredibly enjoyable. It focused on the everyday lives of the characters and how a stroke of good luck can affect one family and potentially those around them in ways perceived to be both negative and good. And guys, this book was a whole lot of fun.

Given the title of this book, I knew that a large sum of money—or some other good luck—would be involved even before I read the synopsis. From the start, I had moderately high hopes for this story and wasn’t disappointed. Truly, the characters were kind of awesome, especially the Jha family and their close-knit group of friends. The Jha family was delightful to read about. I felt like Basu approached the worries felt by the characters in a realistic way that was thoroughly engrossing. I think that was my favorite part of The Windfall: how the unexpected good fortune wasn’t just something that was superficially added as an afterthought, but affected the characters in good, bad, and emotional ways.

Point blank: the story was just a good one. There was something so simple and refreshing about The Windfall and how it explored the complexities of life, love, family, and change. I was thoroughly impressed by this book. Now, I’ll just sit over here and patiently wait for Basu’s next novel.

Rating 4/5

Disclaimer: copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Diksha Basu is a writer and occasional actor. Originally from New Delhi, India, she holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and now divides her time between New York City and Mumbai...

ARC Review: One Good Thing by Wendy Wax

Title: One Good Thing
Author: Wendy Wax
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; April 25, 2017
Genre: Womens Fiction
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the USA Today bestselling author of Sunshine Beach, a story of four women trying to rebuild more than their lives...

Before you can fix it up, you might have to tear it down...

Embroiled in a battle to regain control of their renovation-turned-reality TV show, Do Over, Maddie, Avery, Nikki, and Kyra find themselves holding tight to the frayed ends of their friendship and relationships. Maddie must face the realities of dating a rock star once again topping the charts and deal with her hapless ex-husband, while Avery is caught up in family drama even as she attempts to transform a tiny cottage into a home for the newly impoverished heiress who helped bankroll their last renovation. Put on bedrest, a hugely pregnant Nikki can’t quite believe love can last, or trust in her own maternal instinct. And Kyra, who has secretly put Bella Flora at risk in an attempt to salvage Do Over, must decide whether to accept a desperately needed bail out from her son’s famous father that comes with far too many strings attached. But friendship is made for times like these, to keep each other—and their dreams—from crumbling...

My Thoughts:

Lately, I’ve ended up with books that are pretty late in the series. So, I was kind of worried that I might have some trouble following the story since One Good Thing by Wendy Wax is the fifth book in the series. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, and I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. One Good Thing was very much a story about love, loss, endings, and new beginnings. And guys, it was pretty fantastic.

One Good Thing is definitely one of those books that is driven by the characters. That’s what the book was primarily about but it does it in such a hopeful yet bittersweet way, and I found that completely compelling. Wax took such seemingly ordinary characters and expertly put them into situations that illustrated the potential highs and lows of life. The issues that many of the characters faced were done pretty well and gave a highly emotional aspect to the plot. It was more than easy to get into the story.

I actually enjoy multiple points of view in books, and this is just another good example of why it does work. There were a lot of characters that had their own perspectives, but honestly, I didn’t even mind. I liked reading from so many viewpoints and getting to see the different experiences and sides of the story, despite the characters being in the same environment. Each character had their own unique voice and I never felt like I was reading from the perspective of characters that were carbon copies of each other.

Despite getting such a late start in the series, I’m glad that I went ahead and read One Good Thing anyway, because it was a great story.

Rating 4/5

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Wendy Wax, a former broadcaster, is the author of thirteen novels, including Sunshine Beach, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downtown Abby, The House on Mermaid Point, Ocean Beach, and Ten Beach Road. The mother of two grown sons, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and is doing her best to adjust to the quiet of her recently emptied nest...

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Review: Wondrous Beauty: The Life and Adventures of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte by Carol Berkin

Title: Wondrous Beauty: The Life and Adventures of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
Author: Carol Berkin
Publisher/Publication Date: Knopf; February 11, 2014
Genre: Nonfiction; History; Biogrophy 
Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In Wondrous Beauty, Carol Berkin tells the story of this audacious, outsized life. We see how the news of the union infuriated Napoleon and resulted in his banning the then ­pregnant Betsy Bonaparte from disembarking in any European port, offering his brother the threat of remaining married to that “American girl” and forfeiting all wealth and power—or renouncing her, marrying a woman of Napoleon’s choice, and reaping the benefits. Jérôme ended the marriage posthaste and was made king of Westphalia; Betsy fled to England, gave birth to her son and only child, Jérôme’s namesake, and was embraced by the English press, who boasted that their nation had opened its arms to the cruelly abandoned young wife. Berkin writes that this naïve, headstrong American girl returned to Baltimore a wiser, independent woman, refusing to seek social redemption or a return to obscurity through a quiet marriage to a member of Baltimore’s merchant class. Instead she was courted by many, indifferent to all, and initiated a dangerous game of politics—a battle for a pension from Napoleon—which she won: her pension from the French government arrived each month until Napoleon’s exile.

Using Betsy Bonaparte’s extensive letters, the author makes clear that the “belle of Baltimore” disdained America’s obsession with moneymaking, its growing ethos of democracy, and its rigid gender roles that confined women to the parlor and the nursery; that she sought instead a European society where women created salons devoted to intellectual life—where she was embraced by many who took into their confidence, such as Madame de Staël, Madame Récamier, the aging Marquise de Villette (goddaughter of Voltaire), among others—and where aristocracy, based on birth and breeding rather than commerce, dominated society. Wondrous Beauty is a riveting portrait of a woman torn between two worlds, unable to find peace in either—one a provincial, convention-bound new America; the other a sophisticated, extravagant Old World Europe that embraced freedoms, a Europe ultimately swallowed up by decadence and idleness. A stunning revelation of an extraordinary age...

My Thoughts:

I decided to give this one a try since it has been some time since I last read a book that was nonfiction. I read the synopsis and thought, “Hey, this might not be a bad book." And you know, after reading Wondrous Beauty by Carol Berkin I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes life is as strange as fiction. There are some things you just can’t make up, and Elizabeth “Betsy” Patterson Bonaparte’s life was worth reading about. Her story perfectly illustrates the life of an ambitious woman living in the nineteenth-century.

Oddly enough, this was the first time I’ve actually heard of her.

This book opens by briefly telling about Elizabeth’s father before following her life as she was growing up, her subsequent albeit brief marriage to Jérôme Bonaparte (younger brother to Napoleon Bonaparte) and her life thereafter—all the way up until her death. Wondrous Beauty portrays the life of Elizabeth as a mixture of years spent in the limelight as somewhat of a celebrity renowned for her beauty, intelligence, and wit. The book also portrays her as a woman charmed by nineteenth-century extravagant European lifestyle with a clear disdain for her Baltimore roots. Despite all those things, she also suffered a lot of disappointment throughout her life, and it steadily changed her. I also felt that it was fascinating to see how parts of her personal ideology contradicted her actions.

This book makes use of her letters, which are quoted throughout. They were extensively detailed and offered a lot of insight into her life and how she felt about things that were happening to and around her.

Wondrous Beauty is one of those books that I enjoy because it sheds light on another part of history, a story that I might not have known about otherwise. Wonderous Beauty was simply a fantastic, thought-provoking read.

Rating 4/5

About the Author (from the back of the book)...

Carol Berkin received her A.B. from Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She taught at Baruch College from 1972 to 2008 and has taught at the Graduate Center for the City University of New York since 1983. She is currently Baruch Presidential Professor of History. Berkin is the author of numerous books, among them Civil War Wives, Revolutionary Mothers, A brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution as well as articles and reviews. She lives in New York City and Guilford, Connecticut...

Review: Unfriending My Ex (and Other Things I'll Never Do) by Kim Stolz

Title: Unfriending My Ex: And Other Things I'll Never Do
Author: Kim Stolz
Publisher/Publication Date: Scribner; June 24, 2014
Genre: Nonfiction
Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

An incisive, hilarious, and brutally honest memoir about life online and about how our obsessive connectivity is making us more disconnected;from former reality show contestant, MTV VJ, restauranteur, and go-to voice for millenials...

Social media and technology have fundamentally altered the way we do business, couple and break up, develop friendships, and construct our identities and our notions of aspiration and fame. We make decisions about where we'll go based on whether it's Instagrammable. We don't have friends, we have followers. For an entire generation, an experience not captured on social media might as well not have happened at all.

As someone whose identity has been forged by reality TV (as a contestant on America's Next Top Model) and social media and mobile technology, Kim Stolz is deeply obsessed with the subject. She has a hard time putting her phone down. And yet she remembers what life was like before technology-induced ADD, before life had become a string of late-night texts, Snapchats, endless selfies, that sinking feeling you get when you realize you've hit reply all by mistake. It's hard to imagine now, but there was once a time before we wasted a full hour emptily clicking through a semi-stranger's vacation pictures on Facebook, a time before every ex, every meaningless fling was a mere click away.  Unfriending My Ex (And Other Things I'll Never Do) is the first book to document the hilarity of the social media revolution from the inside; it chronicles a life filtered through our obsessive relationship with technology. The book is as eye-opening as it is entertaining as it proceeds through the various ways in which social media and mobile technology have generated empathy deficits and left us all with the attention spans of fruit flies;and the sad fact that in spite all of this, we find it impossible to switch our devices off...

My Thoughts:

I’m telling you, it took me all of two times of seeing Unfriending my Ex (and Other Things I’ll Never Do) by Kim Stolz in the store for me to finally just buy the book. I remember Kim Stolz from when she competed on America’s Next Top Model, when I still actively watched the show, which was a very long time ago. I didn’t really make the connection until I gave the synopsis a full read. I was interested. And you know what? That interest paid off, because Unfriending my Ex was a pretty interesting and surprisingly insightful book. Unfriending my Ex was the kind of book that made me really think more about the subject of what I was reading. I liked Stolz approach to the topic, and her writing was concise and engaging, which made getting into the book pretty easy. Unfriending my Ex was mostly about Kim Stolz and her use of internet and addiction to social media. It kind of follows her as she conducts an experiment by temporarily quitting social media. A lot of the book was spent exploring her thoughts about her experience and the lessons she learned while on her social media hiatus. The challenge that Stolz imposed on herself was interesting to read about, specifically her reaction to being without her phone for a straight week. Stolz made a lot of good points, and reading this book definitely made me evaluate the way I use social media and how often I’m logged in, if at all. Overall, I feel like I made a great choice by picking this one up.  

Rating 4/5

Review: Map of Bones by James Rollins

Title: Map of Bones
Author: James Rollins
Publisher/Publication Date: Avon; January 1, 2005
Genre: Mystery; Thriller
Source/Format: Purchased; ebook

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

"During a crowded service at a cathedral in Germany, armed intruders in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and destruction. But the killers have not come for gold; they seek a more valuable prize: the bones of the Magi who once paid homage to a newborn savior . . . a treasure that could reshape the world."

With the Vatican in turmoil, SIGMA Force leaps into action. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's "carabinieri," they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time...

My Thoughts:

Well, that was interesting…

I was ready to give thriller/mysteries another try since I needed something different to read—my last endeavor was a little lacking; I didn’t end up enjoying the book. My mom is the one who mentioned James Rollins novels to me, and under her recommendation I gave Map of Bones a try. And well, it was entertaining.

Map of Bones was probably one of the most thrilling books I’ve read this year. It started out at a break-neck pace, and kept up the momentum as the characters were sent across the world, hot on the heels of a mystery that’s steeped in history and religion. Rollins managed to blend science and religion in a way that really worked. There were a lot of religious aspects—beliefs, practices, history, and traditions that were discussed at length—but it was balanced out by the scientific elements that stood as an equally important part of the plot. 

I liked the idea of Sigma—an organization that consisted of special force operatives who doubled as scientist. It was a cool setup, and the themes were spread consistently throughout the book, but there were also limitations. The limitations are what made the characters seem more real—it proved that they weren’t totally perfect, and even as smart as they were the knowledge they knew still had its limitations. They had to actually seek out the answers to their questions, discuss the issues at hand before coming to a conclusion. That was half the fun of Map of Bones: getting to read about the characters' experiences.

There was lots of action, but there were slower moments too. Everything really worked to further the plot. I felt that with each scene something new was added, or another piece became clearer. Amongst the action, the mystery aspect was pretty awesome too. Plus, Rollins did an excellent job with crafting his villains. There was no need to be told that they were evil, it was shown.

Now, the operatives from Sigma were among some of my favorite parts of the story. I liked seeing how Grayson Pierce—a usual loner—got along with his team. There was also Rachel Verona, who was fantastic. She was on par with the rest of the team, smart, and also brought her own methods of handling investigations to the table as well.

Map of Bones tangled the past with the present, and the end effect was cool. I’m definitely going to check out some of the other books in this series.

Rating 4/5

(Thanks mom, you were right about this one! :-D)

Review: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

Title: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
 Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey Books, April 30, 2002 (First published in 1984)
Genre: Science Fiction
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback Omnibus Edition

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .

God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?

My Thoughts:

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish was a lot mellower than the previous novels, but it was also a slightly refreshing break from the general random—often life threatening—shenanigans found in the Universe of Douglas Adams Hitchhiker’s Guide trilogy (which, by the way, is far beyond a trilogy by now, but again, more books. So I’m a happy camper).

As I stated above, this book was more down to Earth, literally. The earth has evidently come back from the seemingly permanent destruction it suffered back in book one, but of course something was still amiss. The dolphins have gone missing. Not one, not two, but all of them.

Arthur Dent was slightly less ordinary in this one, despite being back in his old life before his adventure to the far reaches of the galaxy, to odd planets, and even to end of the universe and back again. He also picked up a few interesting skills that defied the laws of physics. Many familiar characters were absent except for a few that still weren’t present for the majority of the book—the others were just mentioned.

The story, for the most part, was firmly grounded on one planet. So, there isn’t much to mention about the setting. Still, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish was interesting and I really enjoyed it.

My Thoughts about Young Zaphod Plays It Safe...

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe was an interesting story, and takes place before the beginning of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—ironically enough, it was placed after the end of So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish in the omnibus edition of the books by Douglas Adams. It follows Zaphod, earlier in his life, when he was working as a salvage ship operator. The story is basically about Zaphod during this time, while he was out on an assignment for a couple of people. Their evasive behavior was suspicious but interesting.

There isn’t much more to say on this one, but I did like it despite its incredibly short length. It was nice to learn a little bit more about Zaphod’s life before he became president of the universe, and his ensuing adventures aboard the Heart of Gold.

Rating 4/5

ARC Review: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan

Title: The Waking Fire
Author: Anthony Ryan 
Publisher/Publication Date: Ace; July 5, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from the veins of captive or hunted Reds, Green, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that give fearsome powers to the rare men and women who have the ability harness them—known as the blood-blessed. But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate's last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it.

Claydon Torcreek is a petty thief and an unregistered blood-blessed, who finds himself pressed into service by the protectorate and sent to wild, uncharted territories in search of a creature he believes is little more than legend. Lizanne Lethridge is a formidable spy and assassin, facing gravest danger on an espionage mission deep into the heart of enemy territory. And Corrick Hilemore is the second lieutenant of an ironship, whose pursuit of ruthless brigands leads him to a far greater threat at the edge of the world. As lives and empires clash and intertwine, as the unknown and the known collide, all three must fight to turn the tide of a coming war, or drown in its wake...

My Thoughts:

After a string of bad fantasy books this year, I had very high hopes that The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan would be a turning point. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing inherently bad about The Waking Fire. The first chapters of this book were just alright. They were a little slow, but after that, the story found its pace and evened out as the main conflict of the novel took shape. At that point, it was easier to get into the story, and I ended up enjoying the overall plot (plus the dragons). So, in this case, I’m glad that I stuck with it.

The Waking Fire was about Drakes and their blood. However, with every limited resources the well was bound to start drying up, and The Waking Fire begins at this point—where the potency of the Drake blood has significantly reduced over time, while the use of it by the blood-blessed still increased. The Waking Fire was very much a story about the solution to the problem and the troubles that plagued that goal.

The system of magic was setup in an interesting way, with the blood-blessed being so dependent on the drakes. Their abilities weren’t limitless, and I did like how Ryan set the limitations and used them consistently throughout the novel. There was also no shortage of action interwoven with the more informative chapters, but at some parts the story slowed to a crawl. It did pick back up again, so, that wasn’t too bad to get through. Plus, there wasn't a lack of dragons (drakes). They popped up in the novel from beginning to end, and were probably one of the most present parts of the story.

There were a lot of characters, but the primary cast was given their own perspectives. So it was easy to tell who took center stage, and who was a secondary character. They all came from different backgrounds with their own pasts, worries, and abilities. Cladydon Torcreek’s story wasn’t bad, and I liked it as much as I did Lizanne Lethridge’s individual plot—mainly because how the two perspectives ended up connecting. Corrick Hilmore’s side of things was also pretty interesting—plus, the majority of his perspective was set on a ship at sea.

I could tell that The Waking Fire was the opening to a series. The ending was relatively open. It answered few questions and ultimately introduced others. The Waking Fire served its purpose by establishing the story, the rules of the abilities and society, and introduced the key players. The groundworks have been laid, and I’m interested in seeing where it leads. Overall: not a bad beginning.

Rating 4/5

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you! 

About the Author...

Anthony Ryan was born in Scotland in 1970 but spent much of his adult life living and working in London. After a long career in the British Civil Service he took up writing full time after the success of his first novel Blood Song, Book One of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. He has a degree in history, and his interests include art, science and the unending quest for the perfect pint of real ale...

Review: I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan

Title: I Almost Forgot About You 
Author: Terry McMillan
Publisher/Publication Date: Crown; June 7, 2016
Genre: Womens Fiction; Chick Lit; Fiction
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Hardcover

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting To Exhale is back with the inspiring story of a woman who shakes things up in her life to find greater meaning...

In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young's wonderful life--great friends, family, and successful career--aren't enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, quitting her job as an optometrist, and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Like Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, I Almost Forgot About You will show legions of readers what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction...

My Thoughts:

This book was about love, life, careers, and relationships. It was also about overcoming fear of change.

I Almost Forgot About You is the first book I’ve read by Terry McMillan, and I have to say that I’m pretty impressed. I really enjoyed this book, and how McMillan handled themes such as love, loss, failed relationships, and attempts to reinvent oneself later in life. It was truly a joy getting to read Dr. Georgia Young’s story.

I Almost Forgot About You is basically about Georgia as she examines her life and past relationships. She feels stuck in her life, and bored by the career she’s occupied for years. After certain events, Georgia is shocked enough to take a trip down memory lane, and comes up with an ambitious plan to change her life. Really, it all worked in the end, which was great since I was really excited to read this book.

McMillan does a fantastic job handing the subject and themes of this book. Her writing had an easy flow to it, and it was hard to put down. I almost read the book in one day, but had to take a break to work on some other things. Suffice to say, I came back to the book. It had many contemporary themes, and the story was extremely interesting to me. Honestly, through all of the ups and downs, I wanted to see what the end of the book had in store for Georgia, her family, and her friends.

It's also an emotional journey as the characters each moved through their respective lives, and came to terms with unexpected changes. The friendships were also great, and it was nice to see how big of a role Georgia’s friends played in her life. One of my favorite characters was definitely Georgia’s mom. She was fantastic! She was so optimistic and really lived life to the fullest—she was, in short, a fabulous character. If she had her own book, I would probably read it.

I could really go on all day about all the things I liked about this book, but I’ve got to end this review sometime today. So, the ending was a satisfying conclusion to the story, and I was more than happy with it. Needless to say, I Almost Forgot About You is definitely one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2016.

Rating 4.5/5

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the Author...

Terry McMillan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Waiting to Exhale, A Day Late and a Dollar Short, and The Interruption of Everything and the editor of Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction.

Review: Level Up by Cathy Yardley

Title: Level Up 
Author: Cathy Yardley
Publisher/Publication Date: Cathy Yardley, January 3, 2016
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Source/Format: Purchased (freebie), ebook

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Geeky introvert Tessa Rodriguez will do whatever it takes to get promoted to video game engineer– including create a fandom-based video game in just three weeks. The only problem is, she can't do it alone. Now, she needs to strong-arm, cajole, and otherwise socialize with her video game coworkers, especially her roommate, Adam, who’s always been strictly business with her. The more they work together, though, the closer they get…

Adam London has always thought of his roomie Tessa as “one of the guys” until he agreed to help her with this crazy project. Now, he’s thinking of her all the time… and certainly as something more than just a roommate! But his last girlfriend broke up with him to follow her ambitions, and he knows that Tessa is obsessed with getting ahead in the video game world.

Going from friends to something more is one hell of a challenge. Can Tessa and Adam level up their relationship to love?

My Thoughts:

I don’t typically read contemporary since sci-fi and fantasy novels are more my thing. However, when I do pick up a contemporary, then that means I’m specifically interested in the book in question. Level Up seemed like a good one, so, I went ahead and gave it a try. Going into this book, I was unfamiliar with Yardley’s novels. The shiny golden feature that drew me to Level Up was the synopsis. I like video games and I play them when I have the time, so, Level Up seemed like my kind of book.

And I was right.

The story follows Tessa Rodriguez, a self-proclaimed introvert who designs video games for a living—she was also looking to get promoted, and had a very career based mindset, which I found refreshing.

I really enjoyed reading about Tessa, and some of my favorite parts were seeing her find a comfortable environment with people who she could really talk to. It was the kind of friendship between female characters that I look for in books. And then there was Adam, Tessa’s roommate. He was sweet and caring despite the fact that he had his own share of problems to deal with. The other characters that were directly associated with Tessa and Adam were great too. And despite the short length of Level Up, these side characters were developed pretty well. They had differing personality, which added an extra layer of depth to the story.

My only real complaint was the length. It was too short. I wanted more! Still, the story was a good one and the ending was satisfying. All-in-all, Level Up was a quick and very fun read.

Rating 4/5

ARC Review: The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard

Title:The House of Shattered Wings
Author: Aliette de Bodard
Publisher/Publication Date: ROC, August 18, 2015
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal 
Format/Source: eARC, Penguin First to Read (publisher)

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the late Twentieth Century, the streets of Paris are lined with haunted ruins. The Great Magicians’ War left a trail of devastation in its wake. The Grand Magasins have been reduced to piles of debris, Notre-Dame is a burnt-out shell, and the Seine has turned black with ashes and rubble and the remnants of the spells that tore the city apart. But those that survived still retain their irrepressible appetite for novelty and distraction, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over France’s once grand capital. Once the most powerful and formidable, House Silverspires now lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls. Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naive but powerful Fallen angel; an alchemist with a self-destructive addiction; and a resentful young man wielding spells of unknown origin. They may be Silverspires’ salvation—or the architects of its last, irreversible fall. And if Silverspires falls, so may the city itself...

My Thoughts:

Going into this book, I knew I was there for the story and to satisfy my curiosity about the concept hinted at in the synopsis. And I have to say that The House of Shattered Wings was pretty good.

The setting of post war Paris, a city literally on the brink of total ruin, was fitting. Throughout the novel there were tiny glimpses of what the place used to be like, and it was in stark contrast to how it was portrayed during the current story. There was a big focus on what happened with the houses, which ultimately shaped the city and directly affected the characters front and center in the story. House Silverspires and its dependents seemed to be at the center of the trouble. It was one giant mess, that’s the only way I can say it. So, the mystery aspect was handled well, I did guess a few things ahead of the reveals, but mostly I was surprised by how the story played out. And that’s a good thing. However, there were parts that got a little repetitive and seemed to slow to a crawl—mostly concerning some of the internal dialogue of the characters—but overall it wasn’t too big of an issue.

Now, the concept was definitely my favorite part and offered a different take on fallen angels. I have read numerous novels involving angels/fallen angels, but this was the best twist I’ve seen so far. And while the ending left me with a lot of questions, I do want to check out the sequel only because I want to see what happens to the characters next.

Rating 4/5

I received this copy of the book from Penguin First to Read (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the Author...
(Picture courtesy of Ines de Bodard )

Aliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris, where she has a day job as a System Engineer. She studied Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, but moonlights as a writer of speculative fiction. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Obsidian and Blood trilogy of Aztec noir fantasies, as well as numerous short stories, which garnered her two Nebula Awards, a Locus Award and a British Science Fiction Association Award. Forthcoming works include The House of Shattered Wings (August), a novel set in a turn-of-the-century Paris devastated by a magical war, and The Citadel of Weeping Pearls (October), a novella set in the same universe as her Vietnamese space opera On a Red Station Drifting. She lives in Paris with her family, in a flat with more computers than warm bodies, and a set of Lovecraftian tentacled plants intent on taking over the place.

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Review: Armada by Ernest Cline

Title:Armada
Author: Ernest Cline
Publisher/Publication Date: Crown Publishing, July 14, 2015
Genre: Science Fiction
Format/Source: Hardcover Review Copy, Blogging for Books

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders...

My Thoughts:

“I was staring out the classroom window and daydreaming of adventure when I spotted the flying saucer…”

I have to admit that Ready Player One has been on my TBR list for a very long time—and I still want to read it—which is why I jumped at the chance to review Armada. And I have to say that I really liked this book. The story is told from Zack Lightman’s perspective and centers heavily on his reaction and life after he sees a flying saucer—soon after, things change drastically. As the story progressed I had some suspicions about the situation when things didn’t exactly add up. The technology, as always, was one of my favorite parts. And while the concept of alien invasion isn’t a new one I did enjoy Cline’s take on it. The ending was a little bittersweet but an entirely satisfying conclusion to the story.

Rating 4/5

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review, thank you! 

About the Author…

ERNEST CLINE is a novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. His first novel, Ready Player One, was a New York Times and USA Todaybestseller and appeared on numerous “best of the year” lists. Ernie lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic video games.