My Underrated Reads | Supernatural Series

Hey, everyone! Today I will be sharing my favorite underrated supernatural series. While putting together this list I realized that I have quite a bit of reads I feel that need some more love so there will be more of these coming! Happy Reading

1. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. This series is hands down one of my all time favorites. Without spoiling too much it follows the main character, Dru, after her life turns upside down after father disappears after a hunting trip. It has werewolves and vampires, and some pretty interesting mythology. It’s filled with action and adventure, Dru is a kickass main character, and has an amazing cast of secondary and supporting characters. The only downside is the series has an open ending.

2. Lily Dale by Wendy Corsi Staub – I like this series because it was such a realistic, relatable version of the typical ghost story. It’s a great mystery, but also a great coming of age tale, I loved watching as Calla grew and learned. Calla just lost her mom and has moved in with her grandmother for the summer in Lily Dale. This story follows Calla’s journey is accepting her mother’s death and the mystery that surrounds it. I think if you loved Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Ghost Whisperer you would love this series as well.

3. Dark Visions by L.J. Smith – love, adventure, mystery, and psychic powers. Also in book two, there’s a road trip and it’s pretty amazing. I know this series was first released in the 90s, and then released in a bind up a few years ago. It’s such an interesting series filled with twists and turns. Thinking about it right now it kind of reminds me of Sense8.

4. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson – this one is a lot like season one of Teen Wolf but with a female protagonist. This duology is really a coming of age werewolf story and it’s really sweet and has some cool werewolf mythology.

5. Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong – Okay this one isn’t underrated, but it is one of my favorite supernatural series. This is the series that made me love Kelley Armstrong. Now this series is pretty amazing. It follows a group of kids at Lyle House a special home for troubled kids. Lyle house has many secrets, and unfortunately for these kids, they’re right in the middle of it. I can’t say any more than that without spoiling the series, but it’s a really fun series, with great characters. (I recommend starting with The Summoning)

ARC Review: Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anyone whom loves psychological thrillers MUST READ THIS BOOK!!

I have recently become obsessed with these types of books and I tend to just let them consume my life until I hit the very end and gather all info needed to solve the puzzle. This particular book was definitely one of those stay up til 3 AM types of books!

There is so much going on and so much dysfunction with these characters that I do not even know where to start. I can tell you that right off the bat, I loathed Cass & Emma’s mother. If you ever encounter a person like this in real life, then you know exactly what I am talking about because I have! I felt sorry for their father and alot of sadness for Cass herself.

The book was written in dual POV from the view of Cass and the detective on the case that had grown up with dysfunction in her family too. I enjoyed it this way because you got to see what was happening behind the scenes while also seeing everything from Cass’s eyes since she had been the last person to see Emma.

The ending was not exactly what I had expected but that is what made the book sooo good…because you do not expect that crazy ending! I am telling you to pick this one up!!!

View all my reviews

Thank you to St. Martin Press for the review copy!

Review: Superman, Volume 2: Trial of the Super Sons

Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason

Paperback, First, 168 pages

Published April 25th 2017 by DC Comics

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Synopsis: 

Superman and his super-son Jon are back in the second volume by best-selling author Peter J. Tomasi!

With Jon becoming more and more powerful by the day, Superman’s greatest foes are starting to take notice of the new super-kid on the block. When one of the most evil and ruthless of Superman’s rogues’ gallery comes for the Man of Steel’s son, Clark must decide just how far he’s willing to go to protect the ones he loves.
Superman and Jon Kent are transported to Dinosaur Island to find the last of the Losers! Then, after a quick trip to the county fair, Jon meets his match in Damian Wayne—and the Super Sons’ fathers soon put the two young heroes through their paces as a new crime-fighting team is forged!

Collecting: Superman 7-13

My Thoughts: 

First of all,

This trade was a little different than the last one. Instead of having one story arc that was explored throughout the whole trade, this one had three. I will share my thoughts on each story arc, there will be a little spoilers but nothing that will ruin the trade or the story arcs.

The first arc was Dinosaur Island part 1&2. I thought this arc was really good and I can’t wait to see where the storyline goes. It left me with so many questions! It did a great job of exploring Jon and Clark’s relationship, and Jon ever developing powers, all while introducing a new plot line that I expect will show up in the coming trades. Honestly, these issues were so good that it could be its own series. Now, looking back I wish the story arc was further explored and fleshed out more, just because it was that good and exciting.

Now, after I read the first trade which I gave a 1-star rating, I was sure that I wasn’t going to be continuing on with this run. But, I saw the cover and knew I had to read it.

Truly, I only wanted to read this volume to see Damian beat up Jon.

Not that I have anything against Jon because he’s pretty freaking adorable but, Damian Wayne is my little demon baby and I love him!

The two issues in which Damian was featured were great! I enjoyed seeing Maya & Goliath again. Also, Maya calls Damian little brother and I die. Watching these two super sons work together was adorable, sweet, and oh so funny! I really can’t say much about this arc without spoiling anything, but these issues serve as a kind of backdoor pilot. And after reading this, I will definitely be picking Super Sons.

The last two issues in this trade felt a little out of place. Though Lois Lane continues to be pretty freaking amazing.

Frankenstein and his Bride are hunting for a fugitive. These last issues mainly focused on them, and their relationship. The ending for the last issue was rushed, one second they’re looking for the fugitive and the next she’s apprehended with little explanation. but the main focus really wasn’t on the fugitive it was the Frankensteins and, damn the Bride was ice cold! By the end, I wanted to punch her and hug Frankenstein.

One critique I have is there needs to be more dad jokes. Clark told only TWO dad jokes in this whole trade. I would love it if Batman told a dad joke, can imagine?

While I still stand behind the 1 star I have volume 1, I have to say this volume was pretty freaking adorable. I think I liked this volume much better because I knew what to expect. It has action but it’s mainly family-focused and filled with fluff, it’s sweet and entertaining.

I get it now.

If you’re new to comics and don’t know where to start, this run is a good starting point if you’re interested in Superman or fans of Smallville!

WOW: Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Into the Bright Unknown (The Gold Seer Trilogy #3)

by Rae Carson

4.22  ·  Rating Details ·  36 Ratings  ·  8 Reviews

The stunning conclusion to Rae Carson’s New York Times–bestselling Gold Seer trilogy, which Publishers Weekly in a starred review called “Simply terrific.” A historical fantasy brimming with magic, romance, and adventure—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Maas, and Westworld.

Leah Westfall, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents. Lee’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter the California landscape forever. With a distinctive young heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure, bringing the Gold Seer Trilogy to its epic conclusion. Includes a map and an author’s note.

Why I’m waiting?

I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and cannot WAIT to get my hands on the third!! I loved the time period and the whole premise and of course…the romance;)

Mini Reviews: Hugo Cabret & This Is Where I Leave You

Hello everyone!

Sorry I went MIA on you guys, but the end of the semester was a killer, and I was swamped with papers, exams, projects, presentations, and then finals week. I was lucky to make it out alive and when it was all said and done, I slept for like a week straight.

Anyhow, I’m back! I haven’t been reading much but I have a couple of reviews coming your way and other cool things!

For today I have some mini reviews for you guys, these books were okay but they weren’t my favorite, and so I don’t have a lot to say about them. Click the pictures to be taken to a goodreads page if you want more info on the books.

 

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I really don’t like this book.

I mean the artwork was gorgeous & the structure of the book is amazing. I love that this book is told in both in prose and pictures. The pictures are what make this book worth the read.

But the story and characters are pretty freaking bad. Hugo is in my opinion an unlikable character, and he really annoyed me. The other main character Isabelle  is pretty bratty but,  I didn’t hate her. When together Hugo and Isabelle is a volatile, annoying, stubborn mix.

I expected something better, and what I got was something that was pretty boring. I read it pretty much in one sitting, and I had only 120 pages felt (majority of that is just pictures) and I just couldn’t finish it, I didn’t care!

While the pictures are amazing and I really enjoyed that part, I wish the whole book was pictures only because the writing was subpar. 2 stars

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I’m giving up on this book.

I started it January 13th 2016

It has sat unread for over a year, and I just don’t see myself going back to finish it, at least not anytime soon.

Though I have chosen to leave this book unfinished, what I did read wasn’t bad.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic and I loved Judd’s character. He was this hopeless romantic, who is just down on his luck, and being in his head was entertaining. Sad, but entertaining nonetheless. I spent majority of this book wanting to fight everybody who did Judd wrong, and then wanting to give him a hug.

Phillip pissed me off, I was rooting for him and then he just disappointed me. He was the youngest child and I had high hopes for him, he was my favorite sibling before he went and made me hate him. What I enjoyed about this book is that each and every character is facing their own battle. Everyone is a little sad, a little broken, a little angry, but all trying to cope, move on, or just accept it. Their flawed but loveable, accept Jen. Jen is horrible.

Also, I know there was supposed to be this big twist, it was so freaking obvious! I saw it from the get, but I loved the way it was handled. Though it was an obvious twist it was an interesting twist. 3 stars

 

Happy Reading!

ARC Review: Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really, REALLY loved this book!! It was chalked full of bravery, running for your life and romance!! I really enjoyed the story line dealing with all the bastard children and where the story led to. I must admit that I usually tend to lean towards books written by female authors, for some reason they always seem to get the romance done just right, but Mr. Shvarts did a pretty amazing job and I was very happy in that department:)

The ending of the book was explosive and sad but I am very happy to have received this review copy and am really hoping that this is a series!!!

If you enjoy action and adventure, then you need to pick this one up! I thought it was pretty unique.

View all my reviews

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for the review copy!

Blog Tour: White Fur by Jardine Libaire

A stunning star-crossed love story set against the glitz and grit of 1980s New York City

When Elise Perez meets Jamey Hyde on a desolate winter afternoon, fate implodes, and neither of their lives will ever be the same. Although they are next-door neighbors in New Haven, they come from different worlds. Elise grew up in public housing without a father and didn’t graduate from high school; Jamey is a junior at Yale, heir to a private investment bank fortune and beholden to high family expectations. Nevertheless, the attraction is instant, and what starts out as sexual obsession turns into something greater, stranger, and impossible to ignore.

The unlikely couple moves to Manhattan in hopes of forging an adult life together, but Jamey’s family intervenes in desperation, and the consequences of staying together are suddenly severe. And when a night out with old friends takes a shocking turn, Jamey and Elise find themselves fighting not just for their love, but also for their lives.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

This was a tough book to read but I really fell in love with both of the main characters. Told in dual POV, I got a feel and understanding of what it was like living on two different sides of the coin per say. Elise is very poor and is not afraid to let people know it. She is brave and full of self confidence. I get the feeling that she does not care what anyone thinks about her and I loved her at certain times when she needed to face Jamey’s stuck up family. Jamey on the other hand was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and I was not sure if he really loved Elise or just used her to irritate his parent’s after being ignored by them for most of his life. One big thing that I learned from reading this book is that no one’s life is perfect. You could have all the money in the world and still not be completely happy.

I must say that there were some points in the book that I felt the story dragged but I was interested enough to keep reading. I loved that it was set in the 80’s since I grew up in the 80’s and love everything about the decade. The other favorite of mine was the setting of the city especially NYC! I love anything that has to do with NY and would have loved to live there at some point if I had not had children at an early age.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and would characterize it as a cross between romance and coming of age. A definite “must read” for anyone whom enjoys those genres!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for the review copy and invite to be included in this tour!

About The Author:

Jardine Libaire is a graduate of Skidmore College and the University of Michigan MFA program, where she was a winner of the Hopwood Award. White Fur is her second novel for adults. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Connect with Jardine

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Favorite Spring Reads

I don’t know about where you guys live but, here in New England Spring has Sprung! Not really, but the days are much warmer. With the change in weather, comes a change in the types of book I read as well. In Winter I tend to read colder, grittier, sad, angsty novels, and poems about heartbreak, letting go, and change. So basically i’m sad all winter long. In Spring I like to read books that are much happier, so today I will be sharing some of my favorite Springtime reads, and so books that I’m looking forward to reading this season. Btw, click the pictures to take you to their goodreads page.

Favorites

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Now If you’ve read this book, or seen the movie then you know that this ain’t the happiest book but, it has a lot of happy moments and I adore it. I think about it constantly and thoughts of the meadow Immediately put me in the Spring mood.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Now this book is super sweet, happy, cute, and funny! Just lighthearted and adorable. Honestly if you haven’t read it yet, do it now. It’s almost perfect!

Sarah Dessen

When I think about warmer months, I think about the little beach town Sarah Dessen created, Colby.  And the surrounding towns that make appearance in all Dessen novels. My favorites are Along For The Ride, Whatever Happened to Goodbye, and This Lullaby

The Hundred Oaks Series

This series is super cute and adorable, but at the same time isn’t afraid to tackle so tough issues so I love it. Catching Jordan + Stealing Parker (books 1&2) are really good, and anything involving sports makes me think about warm weather. This is my go to series for something sweet and cute, but also meaningful. 

Roger and Amy’s Epic Detour + anything Morgan Matson

Morgan Matson has amazing contemporary reads, Epic Detour being my favorite. A sweet contemporary read about letting go and forgiveness that involves a ROAD TRIP!

Books I’m Looking Forward Too.

It’s basically a road trip in 18th century Europe

One, I love this song

Two, sounds like it will be sweet and funny which is perfect for Spring

Love and Conventions? Sign me up!

A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Hopefully it has a happier ending, but I highly doubt it.

My Favorite Poems

In honor of National Poetry Month I decided to share some of my favorite poems! It was really hard to narrow it down to just a few, so I’ll have another post up either this week or next!

Mini Reviews: Lullabies + Love and Space Dust

Hello Everybody!

Both of the books I will be reviewing today are poetry books, I didn’t have a lot to say about, which is why they’re mini reviews as opposed to my much longer ones. If you want more information about the books just click on the book cover it will take to its goodreads page.

Happy reading!!

I hate this book.

I think if I were about six years younger, I probably would have loved this.

The poems are all the same, and to make it even worse they aren’t even good!

The interlude sounded very much like Michael Faudet, and I disliked these poems and bits of prose more than the poems leading up to it.

The poems and prose in the last section were painfully juvenile, boring, and repetitive. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over.

Out of the 113 poems and prose in this collection I liked six.

My Rating: 1 of 5 stars

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(This was a re-read for me so, I have the review from when I first read it and when I read it again.)

1/7/15

This is hands down my favorite collection of poetry! There are poems in this tiny book that I can relate to so wholeheartedly, that it breaks my heart.

3/31/17:

I recently just read lullabies by Lang Leav which was filled to the brim with love poems that I hated, they were dull, and repetitive.

Love and Space Dust is also filled with love poems, that have a similar theme; but what makes it great, what makes it spectacular is, that it is more than just love poems.

2015 I said that this book was filled with poems so relatable it broke my heart and two years later I still agree. Love and Space Dust is about love, life, and relationships and it’s amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time.

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars