Audio Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Publisher:  Hachette Audio (Audio); Little, Brown (Print)

Source: Audible.com

Publication Date:  03 Apr 2012 (Audio); 03 Apr 2012 (Print)
Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN:  B007R077HK (Audio), 0316125849 (Print)

Format: Audio

Audio Length: ~9.5 hrs

Narrator: Charlie Thurston

The Author on the Web:

Barry Lyga - Official Site

Barry Lyga - Blog

Barry Lyga - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Lobo's Nod, Any State, USA

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jasper Dent Series Order
Book 1: I Hunt Killers
Book 2: Untitled (Release: TBD)

First Line: By the time Jazz got to the field outside town, yellow police tape was everywhere, strung from stake to stake in a sort of drunken, off-kilter hexagon.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is by far one of THE best  audio books that I have ever listened to. The narrator Charlie Thurston is positively CHILLING at times with his voices. It doesn't hurt that the source material can also be a bit spine tingling as well. This book had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and I wondered along with Jasper on weather of not he was capable of committing the horrific crimes that were going on in his town. Jazz was a wonderful character filled with so many layers and I found that it was really easy to relate to him. He felt like a real person and it was enjoyable and spooky to be inside of his head.

I also loved Jazz's interactions with the people around him. His friend with Howie was one of my favorite parts of the book. I just loved their banter and how much Jazz cared for his friend. I also enjoyed how Jazz would take care of his grandmother. Its these kind interactions that make you think that there is no way he could be responsible for the killings. But then when you learn his history, how he was raised (and trained) but the most notorious serial killer that the world has ever known...that's when you begin to doubt. And its that constant back and forth that I loved.

The plot was also really solid and gripping. All the clues were laid out that would lead to who the killer was but they aren't so obvious that you figure it out in the early pages and not so obtuse that you ask "WTF just happened." And yet there was still a bit of doubt as to what the truth really was and I love that wondering. That uncertainty that what we're told might not be what is the truth. The story was well written and unlike anything that I've read before and I've read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. I loved this premise and I was so glad that I had this audio on my iTouch as I was able to listen to it wherever I happened to be without interruption. Because this was one book that I just couldn't get enough of.

If I'd read this one in print I am not entirely sure if I would have had the same reaction to the story. Charlie Thurston's narration is what made this whole experience for me and I am definitely going to be on the look out for other books that he's read. He was just a master with the different voices and there was never any doubt as to who was speaking when. And as I mentioned about there were times when goose bumps literally broke out on my skin when he was recounting some portions of the book. That's how chilling a narrator he was.

I Hunt Killers is one of those books that really defies explaination for me. I loved it but its really hard to put that love into words. Its a book where once I was finished reading it I was on Twitter begging the author if there would be more books featuring Jasper Dent. Thankfully he came back with a resounding yes and that made me very happy. I also know that if Thurston is the audio of book 2 that I will definitely be listening to it and not reading because he was just that amazingly fantastic. If you are into audio books or have been thinking of trying on then this is the audio for you. It was like Mary Poppins "nearly perfect in every way."

Review: Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Source: Won

Publication Date: 25 Jan 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 1423127595

Format: Paperback (ARC)

Pages: 376

The Author on the Web:

Sarwat Chadda - Official Site

Sarwat Chadda - Blog 

Sarwat Chadda - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England // Moscow, Russia // Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Russia // Chernobyl, Ukraine

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: The Rottweiler's head lay in a bush, just off the snow-sprinkled path.

Billi SanGreal Series Order

Book 1: Devil's Kiss

Book 2: Dark Goddess

There are some books where I read them and then have no idea how to review them, Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda is one of those books. As with the first book in the series, Devil's Kiss, Dark Goddess starts off with a bang and the action doesn't let up until the final page. I read this one during April's read-a-thon and its fast pace and edge of your seat scenes managed to keep me up in those really hard wee hours towards the end of the event. I fell in love with Billi and her world all over again and I loved meeting new characters (*cough*Ivan*cough) and oh how I hated for this book to end. 

Dark Goddess is filled with great mythology and twists and turns and even a wee hint of romance which makes it perfect for any reader. Well, any reader who might not mind a little death and violence because Sarwat Chadda really doesn't hold back with either of those things. But while it could be gory and gruesome the overall effect is more dark and gritty as that is the world that Billi lives in. One one hand she longs for a simple life but on the other she knows that if she doesn't battle the monsters of the world then she knows that innocents will suffer. Billi is a character who is constantly tortured by what is right and her role in events. She knows that life is full of hard choices and she isn't afraid to make them when she needs to. 

Billi SanGreal is a kick-ass heroine and she is a girl to look up to. She is filled with self-doubt and yet its her doubts that give her strength to make those hard choices. She doesn't blindly follow anyone's lead and always tries to make her own choices and to do the right thing. Her choices aren't always right but she admits to her mistakes and tries to do better next time. I could gush about my love of Billi SanGreal forever so just know that I adore this character so very muchly and I will try to move on.

Of the two books in this series I think that Dark Goddess is my favorite since I already know the main background of all the characters and basic set up of the world. This allows for little info dumps in the story, where needed, and more time and attention can be devoted to the plot. And oh what a plot. If you like twists and turns and heart-achy moments then you really need to read this book. Its was always hard to fully predict where things would go. Though Chadda is good at leaving little nugget trails through out the book so you could piece things together as the story progresses. This is one story where there are no major WTF-ery moments and during the big reveal a reader is more apt to go "oooohhh that makes total sense now." I loved this book and I really really really really really want to see more books in this series. So please, if you harbor any love for me at all run out to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. You will be rewarded with an excellent story and if enough of you do it then maybe one day I'll get another Bill SanGreal book. Its win-win!

Movie Thoughts: Men in Black III (3D)

Title: Men in Black III (Official site)
Tag Line: They are back...in time.

Release Date: 25 May 2012

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 103 min

Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Series or Standalone: Series

Where Seen: Movie Theater (screening)

Production Company: Amblin Entertainment, Hemisphere Media Capital, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Media Magik Entertainment, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Distributed By: Columbia Pictures

Director(s): Barry Sonnenfeld

Writer(s): Lowell Cunningham (comic), Etan Cohen (screenplay), David Koepp (screenplay), Jeff Nathanson (screenplay), Michael Soccio (screenplay)
Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Jemaine Clement

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I was a big fan of the previous Men in Black movies and so when I heard that there was going to be a third one I was both excited and wary. Its been 10 years since Men in Black was last on screen and so there was lots of potential for things to go wrong and fall flat. But in this case the decade between films has been a good thing as it allowed time for some new life to be breathed into the story. 

For this story Agent J goes back in time to try to prevent the death of his long time partner Agent K. In this story you meet some wonderful new characters like Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg) who really stole my heart. Griffin was just so fun and likable and he totally stole every scene that he was in. Which is kind of remarkable when you think about the skill of one-liners that Agent J and Agent K are known for. Speaking of Agent K, Josh Brolin, was wonderful as a younger version of  Tommy Lee Jones. I totally believed that the two of them could be the same person. I also really liked learning more of Agent K's history and how he became the man he was in the films previous films.

The special effects were really well done and I totally enjoyed the 3D imaging. There was nothing that flew at you but everything felt just a little more real. Like when Agent J was on top of the Chrysler Building getting ready to jump into the past (and that's not a spoiler its in the preview). During that scene my friend, who is afraid of heights, totally cringed and winced so I think that the directer really achieved what he wanted to with it. 

Men in Black III is a great addition to the franchise for all of those who know and love the previous films. I would suggest though, that if you haven't seen the previous ones that you should probably do so before seeing this one as its helpful to know the origins and back-story of the characters. The plot was solid and I enjoyed seeing the new/retro Men in Black facility and the gadgets that they employed. This was a total win movie for me....it made me laugh and it touched my heart and it was over long before I was ready for it to be. A must see.

WWW Wednesday: 23 May 2012 (Find out what I'm reading this week)

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading asks you to answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next? 

My answers:

What are you currently reading?

Song of the Red Cloak by Chantel Acevedo. I haven't made much progress on this one since last week. I really need to devote more time to this one.

The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C. W. Gortner. I first discovered this author in 2008 when I read his book, The Last Queen (my review), and I loved his writing style and learning about Juana of Castile. Juana was the daughter of Isabella, who is the subject of this book, that most famous Spanish queen who united a country and sent her youngest daughter to marry an English prince. You get glimpses of Isabella in Juana's story and so I'm looking forward to see how Gortner portrays her in this book.

Winter Journey by Diane Armstrong (Audio). I hope to start this one today.

What did you recently finish reading?

Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson (3 stars). I don't read a ton of contemporary romance but lately I seem to be drawn to the genre, especially when hockey players are involved. Which is weird since I don't really like hockey. This book is told from the POVs of the two main characters Autumn, an even planner, and Sam, a hockey player and her sons father. The two had a whirlwind relationship years before that resulted in marriage, a quick divorce and a baby. I often found the relationship and dialogue between Autumn and Sam to be a bit stiff and awkward. Sam was also a hard character to like, even when you learn of his past and the reasons for his behavior. Overall, this one was just OK but I am curious to read the other books in this series to see how some of the other couples in this book found their HEAs.

Fair Play by Deirdre Martin (3 stars). I really wasn't a huge fan of this one. As romances go this one was very light on the sex and so it heavily story/character driven and while I liked Theresa well enough in the first book of this series, Body Check, but she was very unlikable in this one. Her motivations were very surfacy and she was often deliberately cruel when it came to Michael. I am really not sure what he ever saw in her because if I was him I wouldn't haveputup with half her crap. The plot was also a bit subpar as well and there was nothing to really cheep me engaged in the story as I was wishing Michael would just leave instead of hoping the two MCs would get together. And in a romance...you're supposed to want to MCs to be together.

The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden (Audio). This picks up shortly after book 2 ends and wow what a story! This book is almost non-stop action and craziness and I can't wait to see what happens next in this series. Which is the only good thing about waiting so long to start these books...they are all out and so there is no waiting. The narrator is also really good now that there is no more lip smacking. =)

Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy (3 stars). I heard about this one through a fellow blogger and twitter friend and since I am on a romance kick right now I thought I'd give it a go. And boy did my friend not lie when she said it was a steamy read! I really enjoyed this one it was steamy and entertaining and had a good back story to it. What dropped this from a 4 to a 3 star read is the random head jumping of convenience with characters that were not the hero or heroine of the story. But even with that possibility in the future I definitely am going to look for other books in this series.  

What do you think you'll read next?

This one is easy(ish) as I've decided to resurrect the List of Twelve idea (which was inspired by Galleysmith's List of Ten)...where I chose out a selection of books to read next as as way to get through me review copies and also tackle some of my personal TBR books. Here is my current list: 

1. Audio: Winter Journey by Diane Armstrong
2. New Release: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healey
3. Ebook: Song of the Red Cloak by Chantel Acevedo
4. Series: Fair Play by Deirdre Martin
5. Library Book/Book I Purchased^: Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy
6. ARC: The Queens's Vow by C. W. Gortner
7. Backlist: Persuasion by Jane Austen
8. ARC: Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
9. Just Can't Wait: Defiance by C.J. Redwine
10. Anything Goes: TBD
11. New Release: Tricked by Kevin Hearne
12. Backlist: Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

 

What did I post about last week? 

**comments are always appreciated =) **

Thursday - Audio Book Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
Friday - Book Review: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Saturday - Saturday Snapshot: There is no place like it
Saturday - List of Twelve - The Return
Monday - Movie Thoughts: The Avengers
Tuesday - Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Source: Gift

Publication Date: 19 April 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 0373210264

Format: Paperback

Pages: 293

The Author on the Web:

Aimee Carter - Official Site

Aimee Carter - Blog

Aimee Carter- Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Eden, Michigan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First Line: "How did it happen this time?"

Goddess Test  Series Order

Book 1 - The Goddess Test
Book 1.5 - The Goddess Hunt

Book 2 - Goddess Interrupted
Book 2.5 -The Goddess Legacy

Book 3 - The Goddess Inheritance (~April 2013)

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter is one of those books that I was really excited about when I first heard of it but never seemed to get around to reading once I had a copy sitting on my shelf. I'm not sure if it was a timing thing or a fear of being disappointed in yet another book that kept me away but whatever the reason it wasn't a very good one. Recently I was shipped off on a business trip and I did some serious agonizing over which books to bring with me. At the last moment I tossed in The Goddess Test and I was really glad to have done so. 

The book I read right before this was a little slow and so I was really happy to find that the pages just flew by with this book.  I really enjoyed the modern adaptation of the Persephone myth and had lots of fun trying to pick out who was who of the Greek gods in this story. I also really liked how this story was told. The pacing was just right and I adored the natural progression of Henry and Kate's relationship. Yes, it was still a bit weird and creepy that she was kinda sorta initially forced to give up half of her life for all eternity but it wasn't told in a weird or creepy way if that makes any sense at all.

The dialogue and characterizations were all very realistic and I almost hated for my plane to land coming home as I didn't want to stop reading. As I mentioned above the story just flew by and before I knew it, it was over. Which was pretty bittersweet for me as I didn't want this one to end. But I also liked how the story was pretty well self contained. Taken by itself this book could stand alone and that makes it stand out from the bulk of other series books out there today. I really like how I'm not forced to read the next book in the series and because of that it makes me want to read it even more. I am very curious to see what happens next for all of these characters and where Carter will take this story. Its taken a myth that I know well and has really updated it into something new and interesting and I just can't get enough.  If you've been holding off on reading The Goddess Test then stop because it is worth your time.