Title: Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Pages: 299 pages

Book Synopsis:
“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.


My Review:

A Very Thrilling and Exciting Adventure with lots of Paranormal action!

I'm going to be quite honest and say that the main reason that I picked this book up was because of a review that was done and it compared this book to Doctor Who and Sherlock (BBC TV Show). I simply could not pass that up so I picked up a copy of this book and I was not disappointed.

'Jackaby' is about a young woman named Abigail who has runaway from home to escape her parents from marrying her off and depriving her of the adventure in life that she has been desperately searching for. Abigail soon travels across the seas to New England and finds Jacakby, an investigator of sorts who is looking for someone to work as his assistant . Abigail having no luck in finding any other jobs soon finds herself on Jackaby's doorstep from which he leads her straight to a horrific murder scene. A murder that Jackaby is quite certain was committed by something that is not human.

Set in 1892 this book has many historical aspects to it which I love as well as a very gripping story that had me guessing until the very end. For a debut novel this is amazing and I cannot wait to read the sequel 'Beastly Bones' which is scheduled to release in September of this year.

“That the battles are usually in her head does not lessen the bravery of it. The hardest ones always are.” 

My Rating:

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Pages: 213

Book Synopsis:
Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.


My Review:

I'm honestly ashamed to say that I had never read this book before until now.

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is one of the most touching and beautiful stories I have ever read! Charlie is a young man who is just entering high school. He does not have many friends and is quite lonely but he puts himself out there anyway because he is determined to make his life better. In doing so we see Charlie going through many different emotions and phases of himself and I must say it is truly moving.

My favorite character of this book is Patrick who is a very dramatic and exciting character who brightens up almost every chapter he is featured in. Patrick has a big personality and big heart and decides to befriend Charlie and take him under his wing. In dong so Patrick changes Charlie's life forever.

This book made me go through all of the feels. I found myself laughing at all of the jokes between the characters and crying through all the sad and rough parts of the books.

One thing I didn't really like about this book is the fact that Charlie our main character is struggling with some mental issues which are never fully explained in the book. I found that after I watched the movie (which was directed by Stephen Chbosky) that I understood the overall message of the book much better. I also understood Charlie a lot better after watching the movie.

But this book is a classic and I think everyone should read it just once in their lives.

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” 

My Rating:

Title: Bloody Cross Vol.2
Author: Shiwo Komeyama
Pages: 224

Book Synopsis:
Tsukimiya and Hinata thought they had secured at last the divine power of God that will allow them to break their deadly curse, but they and Tsuzuki are not the only ones after the power. Even as Tsuzuki collects the power that will fuel his ascent to omnipotence, there is one who would see him brought crashing back to Earth. As both sides race toward the prize, Tsuzuki calls on the half-bloods Tsukimiya and Hinata to join the hunt and prevent the power from falling into dark hands…




My Review:

So MUCH Action!

'Bloody Cross' Vol 2 was much more easier to understand. The story started out great and did not get crazy and confusing about halfway through like the first Vol did for me. I love all the new characters although the one thing that is still quite confusing are the alliances between the characters. I can never tell which person is working for who.

The artwork in this book just like the first was absolutely stunning! The story line was very action packed and had me hooked from the opening scene. I honestly really enjoy this series and I look forward to reading all the next couple books in this series!!

MoMose is by far my favorite character. I mean she is a cat demon for heaven sakes and we all know how much I love Cats! Not only that but MoMose has very cool powers and can even shape shift into other people and demons! She is amazingly badass and is almost always underestimated by other characters in the series which is usually quite a bad mistake on their part.

I'm so excited to read the next book in this series!

My Rating:

 Title: The Spiritglass Charade
Author: Colleen Gleason
Pages: 360

Book Synopsis:
After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa "appear lunatic," using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say, "there are no coincidences." It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay.

My Review:

An Epic sequel to 'The Clockwork Scarab'

This book picks up right where 'The Clockwork Scarab' leaves off except there is A LOT more action and amazing new clockwork inventions! In this book Evaline and Mina find that they have been hand picked by the Princess to investigate Willa Aston a young woman who is now captivated with Seances and mediums because she is convinced her dead mother is trying to speak to her.

In 'The Spiritglass Charade' we finally get to see Evaline Stoker in action as real vampires finally make their first appearance in this book! Not only that but we get to spend much more time with a certain master of disguise and man of mystery, Pix. Pix is by far my favorite character of this series he is so mysterious and always up to no good. I just adore his character he is sarcastic, witty and all around a great guy.

Another really awesome thing about this book are the new clockwork creations. There is this one scene I recall in the book where Evaline and Mina join a group of people to go visit the new botanical gardens and inside are clockwork stairs that move them around to different layers of the gardens, as well as some amazing clockwork creatures!

                                            Image Found on Google Image Search.


Of course another thing about this book that I truly enjoyed was getting to know Inspector Grayling a bit more. He seems to always be following the girls around making sure that they are not getting into too much trouble. Not to mention the little basset hound he rescues in this book that now follows him around with a clockwork leg. I am really hoping that a romance of some kind sparks between him and Mina although she seems to have her sights set on Dylan.

Dylan for the most part of this book was no where to be found until the last few chapters which proved how amazing of a character he is. I really hope for time travel to be a bigger part of the story in the next few books because who doesn't want to see Evaline and Mina go into the future? Plus Dylan really needs to go home so Mina and Inspector Grayling can work on getting some kind of romance going between them!

This whole book was just so enjoyable and I am so stoked for the next one!
...No pun intended ;)


My Rating:

Title: The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle
Author: L.J. Smith
Pages: 278

Book Synopsis:

This is the terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them: Damon: determined to make Elena his queen of darkness, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.Stefan: desperate for the power to destroy Damon, he succumbs to his thirst for human blood.Elena: irresistibly drawn to both brothers, her choice will decide their fate.





My Review:

TEAM DAMON!!!

The second book in the Vampire Diaries Series was much easier for me to get through. I think that has EVERYTHING to do with Damon finally being a big part of this book. Anytime the wonderful Damon made an appearance in this book I found myself unable to put the book down. Damon on the the TV show may be bad, but he has nothing on the Damon in the book series.

The Damon in the book series is truly hell bent on getting revenge on his younger brother and making his life a living hell and he has decided to do that by stealing Elena from him. Not that Elena puts up much of a fight to prevent this but honestly can you blame her? Elena ends up becoming allies with Damon towards the end of the book to prevent something terrible from happening to Stefan but in doing so she has to do a favor for Damon.

The second book is by far my favorite book thus far in the series and especially with that cliff hanger ending!! It was fantastic and I cannot wait to read the next book!!

My Rating:

Title: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
Author: L.J. Smith
Pages: 276 Pages

Book Synopsis:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...

Elena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.

Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.

Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.

The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.


My Review:

Warning to Anyone who intends to read this series: DO NOT WATCH THE TV SHOW FIRST!

I made the terrible mistake of starting the TV show before reading this series and it made it so hard get through because I found myself comparing the two together constantly. The thing you have to understand about this book is that it was written in 1991 so the differences between the book and the TV show are quite drastic.

Honestly it's almost as if the show took the names out of the book and then changed the rest except for the epic love triangle which at some points get to be quite ANNOYING. First thing you should know is I'm totally bias towards Damon. He is that tall, dark and handsome bad boy that I go absolutely stupid for and apparently so does our main character Elena.

Then there's Stefan the mysterious, quiet and brooding younger brother who is a hopeless romantic over our main character Elena. Don't get me wrong he's cute too in his own way but I'd much rather prefer Damon to Stefan any day.

This first book took me a bit longer to get through not only because of the differences between the TV show and the book but also because my favorite character Damon does not make an appearance until the very last chapter of the book. Also another reason it took me so long to get through is because I really do not like Elena's personality in the books. In the book she is a stuck up popular twit and the whole book I kept thinking Elena was Caroline from the TVD TV show.

Overall I enjoyed this book but I honestly recommend reading the book series first before you watch the TV show because I am absolutely in love with the TV show and at this point in time I prefer it over the Book series so far.

My Rating:

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 222

Book Synopsis:
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.


My Review:

If you thought Queen Levana was heartless in the Lunar Chronicles just wait until you finish reading Fairest.

I honestly thought I would come out of this book with a better appreciation and respect for Levana. In fact I thought I even might like her character after reading this book but that was just not the case at ALL.

Before Levana becomes Queen we see her go through an extremely troubled Childhood. Her parents die when she is young and her bully sister takes over as Queen who makes Levana's life a living hell at every given opportunity she gets.

The story overall is just tragic and very depressing in my opinion. I want to feel bad for Levana but after all the choices she makes as she grows up it only leaves me with a hatred for her which I've never felt before towards any character.

However this book has left me extremely excited for Winter. I cannot wait to see what direction Meyer is planning on taking with this final installment of the Lunar Chronicles. I can only hope that we at least get a huge Show down between Cinder and Queen Levana because face it that'd only be fair!

My Rating:

Title: Her Dark Curiosity
Author: Megan Shepherd
Pages:  420 pages

Book Synopsis:
To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

My Review:

I am so in love with this series!!

The second book starts up with Juliet trying to adapt to a normal life in London. She is trying her best to put the past behind her and forget everything that happened on her father's island which is proving to be very difficult after leaving so much behind. 

Juliet soon finds herself with much bigger problems on her hands as the serum which she has been using for years to keep her illness in check suddenly begins to fail. Meanwhile a violent serial killer suddenly begins to wreck havoc upon London killing many people who are close or have had contact with Juliet in one way or the other. Juliet soon begins to fear that the killer may be an escaped creature from her father's island when the Killer suddenly begins to leave mysterious flowers on the bodies, Flowers that grew on her father's island. 

This book had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I had no idea what to expect. There were so many plot twists and surprises that it left me wanting more! This book continues with the Classic Gothic Novel feel to it which I simply adore!!

I cannot wait to get my hands on the third and final book in the series because this book series has been my favorite read of 2015 so far!

My Rating: