Seventh Plague (signa force #12), James Rollins

My newly finished read. I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. This novel is an excellent cacophony of mystery, science fiction, and history. 

About the novel: 

  

If the biblical plagues of Egypt truly happened--could they happen again--on a global scale?

Two years after vanishing into the Sudanese desert, the leader of a British archeological expedition, Professor Harold McCabe, comes stumbling out of the sands, frantic and delirious, but he dies before he can tell his story. The mystery deepens when an autopsy uncovers a bizarre corruption: someone had begun to mummify the professor's body--while he was still alive.

His strange remains are returned to London for further study, when alarming news arrives from Egypt. The medical team who had performed the man's autopsy has fallen ill with an unknown disease, one that is quickly spreading throughout Cairo. Fearing the worst, a colleague of the professor reaches out to a longtime friend: Painter Crowe, the director of Sigma Force. The call is urgent, for Professor McCabe had vanished into the desert while searching for proof of the ten plagues of Moses. As the pandemic grows, a disturbing question arises.

Are those plagues starting again?

 

 

 About the author:

 

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers, translated into more than forty languages, with more than 20 million copies sold. The New York Times says, “Rollins is what you might wind up with if you tossed Michael Crichton and Dan Brown into a particle accelerator together,” and NPR calls his work “Adventurous and enormously engrossing.” Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets--and does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning suspense. A practicing veterinarian, Rollins has pursued scuba, spelunking, and other adventures around the world, and currently lives and writes in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

 

(Both synopsis and author bio are taken from Goodreads.)

 

 

 My review:

 

I found this novel to be a stunning, gripping read. One that held my interest until the very end. I found the writing to be good, not excellent or magical, just good. The story itself was thrilling and interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, thrillers, science fiction, or history. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. 

You can purchase it here:https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Plague-Sigma-Force-Novels-ebook/

You loved me series, Evie Harper

Heartbreaking and beautiful, this book was incredible. I finished this book August 9, 2016. I gave this book 4 stars.

About the book: (Taken from Goodreads) 

 Blood is thicker than water…

Having endured more than their share of tragedy, sisters Lily and Sasha embark on a dream holiday—only to find themselves in hell. Kidnapped by a rich madman, Sasha is sold into slavery, while Lily is forced to join The Collection, a unique bevy of exotic beauties enduring frequent horrors at the hands of elite bidders. However, no amount of pain and suffering will break Lily, who will stop at nothing to save her younger sister. Possibly with help from an unlikely ally.

Love is stronger than loyalty…

Attempting to prove his allegiance to his employer, Jake is tasked with guarding the unruly and uncontrollable Lily. He can’t afford to help her in her quest to free Sasha—not if he hopes to fulfill his own agenda. But in their dark, gritty, tension-filled world, solace is taken wherever it’s found. Bonds are formed and hearts engage despite Jake’s resistance and both their attempts at self-preservation.

When certain secrets come to light, the resulting explosion has breathtakingly bittersweet consequences that, by the end, may not leave everyone whole…or alive.

My review:

I loved, loved, loved, loved this book! It was an emotional roller coaster that I loved every minute of. This book is an absolute must read! The ending was great, and I'm gonna miss these characters a whole lot.I can not say enough about this series. It's one of my favorites. I gave it 4 stars. 

Baby Teeth, Zoje Stage

Here is one I read back in December of 2018. Going to say right now that if you dislike spoilers, then might want to skip over this one. As there are spoilers. And my opinion of this book might be heated. With that out of the way, here is the review I made on my Goodreads.

About the book: (Taken from Goodreads.)

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good. Meet Suzette. She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

About the author: 

Born on January 22, 1969. Zoje Stage lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her first and only work is Baby teeth, published in July 2018. Zoje Stage is a former filmmaker with a penchant for the dark and suspenseful. Her newest book,  WONDERLAND, will be published by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown in summer 2020. (Bio taken from Goodreads.)

 My review: (Spoiler alert)

I gave this book 1 star and here is why: 

Don't know what went on in the author's mind while writing this. It was the most screwed up story I ever read. I greatly disliked some of the things the author wrote about. I understand that these things could be from real life, but I greatly disagree with the masturbation of a little child, and even more so, when they say the devil was doing so.

I also thought the book portrayed sex in a very negative and derogatory way. Sex is a beautiful act between two people who love each other. And it was a shame it was not portrayed that way, especially when a fair amount of the book was nothing but various acts of sex.

Also, the book never really says exactly what's wrong with the little girl, or why she wants to kill her mother. That alone was disturbing in a very unpleasant way.  I feel this author missed a great opportunity to make this story good. The characters felt weak to me especially the mother. I could understand some things, she did have a bad childhood and her child was basically a "demon", but I felt she could have handled the situation better. The father felt absorbed in his own world and somehow could not see how screwed up his child is.

With the negative stuff said, the book was written nicely and does hold interest to a point. However, this book is one I will not be recommending, and if I owned a copy I would burn it.

The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion

Charming, witty, hilarious, and wonderfully executed; this novel is a must read for fans of The Big Bang Theory Television show. Don Tillman remained me so much of Sheldon Cooper and I love Sheldon from Big Bang. So this was a really enjoyable read for me. Rosie quickly became my favorite character. She was exactly what Don needed in his life. She was fun, she was, (please excuse language), bad-ass, and I can't give too much else away, but you will love Rosie. 

About: 

A  socially challenged genetics professor is on a quest to find the perfect wife. Thus begins the Wife Project. Armed with a questionnaire and high expectations, he goes out on many dates. He soon finds that his approach to love is all wrong. Then his friend Gene introduces him to Rosie Jarman, and all logic goes out the window. As she interrupts his daily scheduled with her quirkiness, flair for adventure and unruly ways. She teaches him how to live and helps him discover a world in which he thought closed to him. 



Review:  

I gave this novel 3 out of 5 stars. The reason being that, while the novel is funny, charming, witty, and wonderfully executed; I also found the novel to be poorly written. Once again, this was a problem of telling instead of showing. There was also a problem of there being way too much unnecessary information. A lot of the novel could have been scrapped and it would not have affected the story at all. Ultimately, I did get bored with the novel and had to force my way to the end. Spoiler Alert: I loved the jacket scene that takes place when they first meet. As well as, a few other hilarious situations that take place throughout the novel. And overall those helped me to make my way through the novel. Because if not for the humor, I would have stopped reading the book entirely. With that said, I would recommend this novel for anyone who loves reading and loves nerdy things. The second book in this series is The Rosie Effect. I will not be reading it, but  if you end up loving the first book than I do encourage you to read the second. 

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Project-Novel-Graeme-Simsion/dp/1476729093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479237301&sr=8-1&keywords=rosie+project      

As always, if you have a book you'd like to be reviewed, please leave a link to it in the comments and I'll consider it. I do not get paid for this. These reviews are simply my honest opinion. Thanks for reading. 
     

Wings of Glass, Gina Holmes

Finished Wings of Glass by Gina Holmes. So I already voiced my opinions of this book and I'm not going to share those opinions here because they contain spoilers. But very briefly here's what I thought. The book overall was good. I enjoyed the story, characters were okay, subject matter was portrayed very well, ending was decent, holds interest wasn't boring, and pretty much the entire execution of the story was done nicely. Those are the positive things I can say about this story. The story itself deals with a heavy topic, it's about martial abuse or spousal abuse. I'm not going to say too much about that. So let's just get right into the
review.

About: 

Eighteen-year-old, Penny Carson, is swept off her feet by a handsome farmhand. Trent Taylor offers an escape from her one-stop-sign town. But before the ink even dries on their marriage certificate, he hits her for the first time.Thus starts the endless cycle of abuse. On the Job, Trent gets injured in a welding accident and his paycheck stops, he has no choice but to finally allow Penny to take a job cleaning houses. Here she meets two women from very different worlds who will teach her to live and laugh again, and lend her their backbones just long enough for her to find her own. (Description courtesy of Goodreads.) 

The Review: 

Okay, so I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I already said all the positive stuff about the book so now here's the negative. In my opinion, I thought the book was poorly written. It did a lot of telling and not much showing. I found main character Penny to be annoying. I can't explain too much about why without giving away spoilers. I'll just say read the book for yourself and come up with your own conclusions. It is a heavy topic and very thought provoking. I liked that it does have information in the back of the book for abused victims so they can get that information. Again, everything was done very well in the book. If this is something you would find interesting a link to the book is below. Happy reading! 
  
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Glass-Gina-Holmes-ebook/dp/B008PX1WQU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1478537398&sr=8-1   

Spoiler review if interested: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16033233-wings-of-glass

Updates, explanations, and my want-to-read list

Hello fellow readers! I know its been an awfully long time since my last post. I've been fairly busy with work and life, among other things, so haven't had a lot of time for my blog and Youtube channel. Anyway, I thought I would make an update and tell you about my want to read list. And speaking of my want to read list, please follow me on Goodreads. You will be able to keep track of what I'm reading, what I want to read, and you will get more of my reviews. Since I tend to post all my reviews as well as my thoughts on the books I'm reading to Goodreads, and not so much on here. So follow me there and you won't have to wait until I get around to posting here.

My Goodreads profile:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22180753-jessica-taylor

As far as what has kept me from posting here would be time. I'm a freelance writer and that usually takes up the vast majority of my time. I do many other things outside of writing and reading. I have a Youtube for a separate hobby of mine. I'm co-writing a novel with a friend of mine, as well as, writing my own novel. So lots of things are keeping me busy. I do try very hard to make time for reading. In fact I just finished a wonderful series by Evie Harper. I did review those on Goodreads and I probably won't make a post for them here. Only because its been awhile since I read them and they are very emotional. If you are interested in the review I did with those you can follow this link to those reviews.

You Loved Me series by Evie Harper links.
Book One:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25619469-you-loved-me-at-my-darkest  
Book Two:  reads.com/book/show/27632947-you-loved-me-at-my-weakest
Book Three: You Loved Me At My Ugliest (I did not make review for this last one because I took an emotional break from them.)

Currently I'm reading: Wings of Glass by Gina Holmes. I do plan on making a review on this one, I'm 55% finished, and plan to complete it either late tonight or tomorrow. So there should be a review of it this week. The next book I'll be reading will be the Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. This book has been on my want to read list for sometime so I'm excited to finally get the chance to read it. After that I'm not quite sure. I know I'll be reading the Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge at some point because I just purchased it. That has also been on my want to read list for some time.

Here are a few other books on my want to read list and some of them I'm having a terrible time of getting my hands on. The copies are very expensive and my library can't keep them available. So hopefully one day I will get my hands on these books. For now they will have to remain on my want-to-read list.

Once again if you want to check out my reviews don't forget to follow me or friend me on Goodreads. I should have a review up sometimes this week and if you have a book you want me to review, please drop a link down in the comments. I will consider reading and reviewing it. I'm always happy to answer your questions, you may post those in the comments as well. Thank so much for reading, following, and being apart of this blog, my Goodreads, etc. Remember I - in no way - get paid for anything. I do this for the pure joy of reading and wanting to share books with others. My reviews are 100% my views and opinions. So please show some love by interacting with this blog. I like to know someone does actually read this thing. Ha ha. God bless and happy reading. :)  

New Recommendations For New Releases

So as promised I have searched Amazon relentlessly and have found some new releases. Here are 9 books that are coming out or have been released this past March/April of 2016. So if you weren't satisfied with the books that I listed before, then hopefully you will find something you like this time. I have a lot of books to go through, so let's get started with the list.

I'm starting with this one because it's been out for awhile. This book was released on March 15th. This book is the third book in the Vagabond series. Book one, Suspended, was released on January 15th. Book two, Paralyzed, released February 15th. This series is free to Kindle Unlimited users.

About: This is a fantasy series, obviously, it revolves around a circus. Reminds me of the night circus by Erin Morgenstern. That was a great book. I reviewed it here a few months back. (Perhaps you remember it?) Anyway, this series is all about the fun and mysterious stuff that happens to a group of strangers, when they join the cast at the vagabond circus. I'm not going to say much more than that because I believe you should go and check this series out. Read the descriptions for yourself and decide if this would be a good read for you. So check it out here:  http://www.amazon.com/Released-Vagabond-Circus-Book-3-ebook

 Next we have: What we find by Robyn Carr. This book was originally published April 1st, 2016 by MIRA. And was released April 5th. Robyn Carr is one of those well known authors. If your not familiar with her works, then I suggest you go check out one of the forty plus novels she has out. But I think this one is going to be a good one.

About:  When an emergency high-risk procedure results in the death of a teenager, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a lawsuit—and experiencing levels of anxiety she's never faced before. Seeking refuge at Sullivan's Crossing,  Maggie's world is rocked once again and she must take on more responsibility than she'd planned. So this a contemporary novel, I believe. I think it's about a woman escaping her problems and trying to move on from whatever problems she's facing. If you like contemporary fiction then this is the novel for you. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/What-We-Find-Robyn-Carr-ebook

Third on our list is: The Last Mile by David Baldacci this is a mystery/suspense novel. David is another well known author.His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, isn't that interesting? Well, this book was published April 19th of 2016 by Grand Central Publishing. Again, I suggest you check out other works by David Baldacci if you are not familiar with him and like mystery/suspense novels.

About: Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime. There is more to the description, but you have to go and read it for yourself. I believe this is the first novel in a new series? It follows a man named; Amos Decker. You can find out more about this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Mile-Amos-Decker-ebook

Aw! The wonderful James Patterson. He needs no introduction. This is his new book: 15th Affair, co-written by Maxine Paetro. This is the 15th novel in the woman's murder club series. This book is coming out May 2nd of 2016. You can pre-order it right now!

About: As she settles into motherhood and a happy marriage, Lindsay Boxer thinks she has found domestic bliss. But when a beautiful, alluring blonde woman with links to the CIA disappears from the scene of a brutal murder at a downtown luxury hotel, Lindsay's life begins to unravel. This description gets better so go check it out and pre-order it here: http://www.amazon.com/15th-Affair-James-Patterson-ebook

Now this one caught me off guard. Did anyone else know that Nora Roberts wrote fantasy? I thought she was a crime/mystery writer. Who knew? But yeah, this is a fantasy written by Nora Roberts. Bay of sighs, comes out June 14, 2016. You can per-order it now. I don't even think Nora Roberts needs an introduction. I will certainly have to put this on my To-read list.

About: Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, along with her graceful athleticism, as her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the fire star. Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the water star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground...Hmm....sounds like it's going to be a romance. A fantasy romance? Interesting. Well, you can read more of the description and pre-order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Sighs-Guardians-Trilogy-Nora-Roberts-ebook

Number 6 is a heart warming romance; A Lowcountry Wedding by Mary Alice Monroe. This book is coming out May 3rd, 2016. Published by Gallery Books. Apparently, Mary Alice Monroe is a New York times bestselling author with more than a dozen books to her name, unfortunately I've never heard of her. Which isn't really all that surprising...Still it's hard for me to believe she's really that well known. Anyway, you can pre-order this book right now.

About: This is about a wedding, obviously. It is filled with secrets and scandals; Family bonds are questioned, and promises are broken and renewed. In A Lowcountry Wedding Monroe delves into the heart of marriage, commitment, and family ties. Huffington Post calls the Lowcountry Summer series “the perfect beach read and a whole lot more.” Well, there you have it a review by the Huffington post. Guess you'll have to pre-order it and wait to see if it's really worth the read. You can do that here: http://www.amazon.com/Lowcountry-Wedding-Summer-Book-ebook   

At number 7 is an erotica. Well, I don't do too many of these and there's a clear reason for that. Ha ha, but if that's what your into, (and we don't judge.) Then you'll like this steamy erotica by Steve J. Cole. Okay, so this is coming out May 2nd and you can pre-order it. This is only a kindle book and has no paper edition to it. It's about 208 pages and I'm not sure if this is a new author or not. But the ebook is like .99 cents so it's worth the try if you like erotica. And no I don't know what type of erotica this is.

About: Tyler Westbrook, better known as Johnny Depth, is taking the adult film industry by storm. With his playboy looks, it’s no surprise a few coworkers have attempted to take things off set and into the bedroom, but Tyler refuses to blur the lines between work and play…until the new assistant to the director walks in. Jemma Morgan was recently fired from a lead role on a kid’s TV show that was supposed to be her big break. Unable to get another acting gig, she's accepted a job in an industry she never expected to be a part of. Although she anticipates being shocked her first few days on set, nothing could prepare her for the moment she's asked to hold the reflector as her ex-boyfriend plows through a woman like a Kansas cornfield.
Okay, per-order here: http://www.amazon.com/Exrated-Stevie-J-Cole-ebook

 Next, at number 8 is: The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux. I actually love Jude's works. This wonderful novel is coming out May 3rd. I can say that this is most likely going to end up on my To-read list.

About: Chef Casey Reddick has come to Summer Hill to escape her failed relationships, and to get some peace and quiet. But when she sees a gorgeous naked man on the porch of her cottage...Sparks fly—literally—when Casey is recruited to play Elizabeth Bennet opposite Tate’s Mr. Darcy in a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Just brushing past Tate makes Casey’s whole body hum. As they spar on and off stage, Casey begins to think she’s been too quick to judge. Tate is more down-to-earth than Casey expected, and she finds herself melting under his smoldering gaze. But then Tate’s handsome ex-brother-in-law, Devlin Haines, who is playing Wickham, tells Casey some horrifying stories about Tate. She is upset and confused as she tries to figure out who and what to believe. As she finds herself falling for Tate, Casey needs to know: Is the intense, undeniable chemistry between them real, or is this just a performance that ends when the curtain falls? Yes, yes this is so going on my To-Read list. So have to pre-order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Summer-Hill-Novel-ebook

Last one! Head Above Water by Hailey Edwards. Book 2 in the Gemini: Black dog series. It's coming out tomorrow, April 30th. And might already be out once I get this up. So I suggest you order this one first. The series is free for Kindle Unlimited users. So this is just an all around deal! Book one is, Dead in Water, and there's a prequel, Stone cold fox. Go ahead and pre-order, or I should say, order this book tonight!

About: So, I'm guessing this is a paranormal romance. Lots of stuff coming out in the romance genre. Camille Ellis has tracked many killers during her career, but this time it's personal. Cut off from conclave resources, she won't let a small thing like a suspension keep her from accepting Cord Graeson's offer of help. Pretending to be mated to him is one way to secure allies, but the best that can be said of the Chandler Pack is they haven't killed or eaten her. Yet. Between the alpha's displeasure and the pack's distrust of fae, she's working overtime to keep her head above water. Just when the fur starts to fly, a tip cracks her case-and her life-wide open. This is the entire description that Amazon gives for this book. If you find it interesting, make sure you purchase it. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Head-Above-Water-Gemini-Black-ebook 

So that's all the books I found tonight. I'm sure one of these 9 books will spark your interest. I know I'm all riddled with anticipation for some of them. Keep checking Book Palace Reviews for new and upcoming books. And we are happy to take book review suggestions, comment below and give us a link to your upcoming novel. Hope to hear from you. :)