Book Review - City of the Sun

City of the Sun - Juliana Maio

Bookshelves: Adult, Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: Adult (WWII, Sex Scenes, Murder)

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  

This was an impressive debut novel.  I love historical fiction and I thought the idea of Egypt during early WWII was quite intriguing.  We meet Maya, a Jewish refugee from Germany stopping on her way to find sanctuary with her family and Mickey a new journalist looking for the story that will make his career.  I really enjoyed Maya.  I felt she had just the right amount of rebellion in her well-guarded heart after all she had been through.  There were only a couple points I felt she went out of character and that threw me.  I didn't really love Mickey or hate him.  He was just there.  I did love how Egypt was brought to life at the time and how real historical figures were used.  I also enjoyed how at the end, the author told which characters were based on real figures and which were fiction.  I definitely learned another side to WWII I didn't know much about.  There was a lot of description and quite a bit going on, so it wasn't a quick easy read, but it was done well.  I don't know that I would consider this a thriller, it did have spy/mystery intrigue going on and I was curious but it didn't really have me on the edge of my seat type of excitement for what comes next.     

The two sex scenes in the book really threw me.  There was a flow and the writing was done well, I enjoyed the description, but the sex scenes just didn't really add to the story.  I didn't really get the first one at all, it just was kind of there.  The second, I get the throw caution to the wind moment she was trying to establish with Mickey right before she left but I just felt it was too much, or perhaps too descriptive?  I felt that if there was going to be a sex scene it should have glazed over it more because of her personality, it just didn't feel right.  Almost like it was thrown in just to throw it in, it didn't really add to the story.     

The ending felt sort of rushed to me.  I enjoyed how things worked out in some ways, but others seemed hastily wrapped.  Considering this is a debut novel I am really impressed. I will definitely be watching the author in the future.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - The Heist

The Heist (Fox & O'Hare #1) - Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Bookshelves: Adult, Adventure, Crime, Laugh Out Loud Funny

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: Adult

So now I've got a new Evanovich series to follow. This series completely reminds of White Collar where the dashing conman with a soft heart finds himself caught but turns around and convinces the FBI to use him to find bigger criminals. I love the idea, I love some of the characters. Kate's dad is one of my all time favorites. I'm a fan of Kate, but she certainly seems to dominate the narration. I'd like to hear more from Nick. I think his character is supposed to stay mysterious, but it makes me keep him at a distance more. Boyd and Willie are good characters I think we will see often. The others don't have very much character development. I want to see some more characters I can't live without like Lula in Plum books. If you are picturing a realistic ex-seals experience, you won't get it. But you will get fun and laughs and a kick butt heroine who spills ketchup and any form of sauce on whatever she's wearing (anyone else picture Sandra Bullock from Miss Congeniality here?) complete with a dad who protects his daughter with a rocket launcher. It may not be cars, but stuff will get blown up. A series I will definitely continue with and probably read each in less than a day, giggling all the way.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - The Chase

The Chase (Fox & O'Hare #2) - Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Bookshelves: Adult, Adventure, Crime, Laugh out Loud Funny

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: Adult

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a little faster than the first, and it hooks you in and takes you along for the ride. And quite the ride this one is. Around the world in 80days has nothing on the geography Kate and Nick seem to cover in this book. Kate is really starting to grow on me. She's not a blundering fool, but has her faults and her strengths. I love her loyalty and dedication to what's right. I find her a good ying to Nick's yang, they make good partners. I'm not really feeling the sexual tension between Kate and Nick, but that's not what I'm reading the series for anyway so the lack doesn't change much. I love Kate's father, one of my favorite characters. Willie's a fun character I hope we keep seeing more of. I'm on the fence about Nick right now. I like the humor and the dad jokes. I love how a book can be funny and not filled with language and sex to remind its audience how its geared toward adults. I found myself laughing out loud like many Evanovich favorites, however it was much more mellow than the Plum novels. I'm hoping to get more depth to Nick in the future. This adventure was complete with rocket launcher and crap getting blown up. Definitely a series I will be continuing with.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell!

Happy Reading!

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Book Review - The Last Akaway

Book Review

The Last Akaway - Gary Karton

Bookshelves: Middle School, Fantasy, Adventure, Early Chapter Books

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (It was good)

Recommended Age: 8 and up

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good fantasy book for probably 8 and up. Our protagonist is Brody Boondoggle a typical 11yo boy and the only thing special about him in the beginning is his belief in magic. Because of this belief, his grammy shows him a world full of magic which all starts with a rare bird called an akaway. Once he's bitten by the akaway.  Brody begins to realize he is very special indeed. The akaway helps connect kids to their spirit animals and after being tricked by Uncle Skeeta, Brody must set out to open the portal between the two worlds and save the special powers of kids everywhere. The magic can't be seen by nonbelievers so Brody's older brother Jake doesn't believe his brother in the beginning but with grammy's encouragement Jake helps Brody and in turn opens up his eyes to the magic. This book is a short and easy read. A lot of it is summarized and filled with goofy jokes and conversations. There isn't much detail but a lot of action so it appeals to a younger set. There's never an actual description of the Akaway other than it's a rare creature like no other, and it's an albino. Every time someone asks, 'what's an akaway?' someone always responds with, "Oh, about fifty pounds." These are the kinds of kooky jokes filling this book. In this book video games are the anti-magic and playing outside and having fun helps magic grow stronger.  There is some jealousy and betrayal by a friend in the midst of the adventure.  It was a quick easy read and I think my boys will enjoy it.

Thank you Brattle Publishing Group!

Happy Reading!

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