Military – jenacidebybibliophile

january-wrap-up

Here we are my darlings, my January 2017 Book Wrap-up!

I have given myself a goal of 100 books to read for 2017 (via my Goodreads challenge). If I keep this pace up then I will have no problem completing this. I have been devouring every book I have been getting my hands on, and reading everything so much quicker than I normally do. Though this means that I am reading more, it also means that I don’t get to enjoy and savor some of these stories as much as I would like. Oh…the curses of being a fast reader.

Throne of Glass

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The Throne of Glass series…*sigh*. I demolished all five of the books in a week, and let me tell you…I WISH I would have slowed down. This series is INSANELY amazing! Our main character is a lethal and sharp-edged female assassin, and we follow her as she is hired by her kingdoms enemy to slaughter her own people. As the books go on, the story only gets better and the reader becomes overly invested in the lives of each of these badass characters. I am patiently waiting for the next book in the series, and you can be sure that I will be reading this series over at least once this year.

Flicker and Mist

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Flicker and Mist involves invisibility and a large amount of segregation between different races. Myra is half Plat and half Leftie and has the ability to flicker, or become invisible. As flickering is outlawed in New Heart City, which predominantly consists of Plats, this story follows Myra and other Flickerkin as they fight against being killed for their abilities. Though I wish this story dove deeper into the creative writing and the story was more drawn out, I found it to be very entertaining and a unique story.

Otherworld

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I just LOVED this book…talk about nostalgia overload! Otherworld plays with the idea of turning our imaginations and daydreams into worlds that we can actually walk through and experience. The author did a wonderful job of combining something from everyone’s childhood into this story. Though it follows a very young main character, this highly imaginative story can target every audience. I can’t recommend this story enough! It is a heart-string puller.

Lodging

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Lodging is a short story that is sure to make you really REALLY sad. This story takes the reader back to WWII and gives them a taste of some very real experiences that young adults faced during the war. This story touches on the young men that went away to war, as well as the effects that it had on many young women in that time. Call me crazy, but I have been trying my hardest lately to find a book that will bring me to tears and crush my soul a little. This story is probably what kick started it.

The Other Inheritance

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…*sigh*…this book.

If you guys read my review for this story, you already know my feelings. I might have completely ripped this book apart, but trust me it was necessary. I tried my hardest to stay optimistic while reading this fantasy story, but it was just flat and executed poorly. The characters made me cringe and the descriptions of the worlds and magic didn’t feel at all complete. Not my cup of tea AT ALL.

Butterfly Bones

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Butterfly Bones is yet another fantasy book that I was gifted from Netgalley. Once again for this month, I came across another book that is truly unique and veering off the yellow brick road to take their own path. Our main character Bethany suffers from a rare bone disease that makes her look like a child, when she is in fact fifteen. As Bethany struggles with her vicious high school peers, she also deal with being injected daily with butterfly hormones from her father…in the hopes that he can find a cure for her. This is a very bitter-sweet coming-of-age story that falls into the science-fiction/fantasy realm as the story progresses. I thought this book was GREAT and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Chat Love

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Last but not least, Chat Love. This is a quirky story that touches on the struggles of finding love and the awkwardness of online dating. We follow a young woman as she goes on dates that range from unmemorable to completely insane. This book was packed with comedy and snarky comments, and I loved the main characters. If you guys are looking for a relatable story, look no further. You are sure to find a moment in this story that resembles an embarrassing experience in your life. You’re welcome.

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~ Buy through the links below ~

Amazon.com – Lodging by M.T. Bass

Goodreads.com – Lodging by M.T. Bass

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author, M.T. Bass, for an honest review.

Genre: Short Story/Fiction/Romance/Military

Plot: Lodging — bending of the stalk of a plant (stalk lodging) or the entire plant (root lodging)

While World War II engulfs every nation on the globe, Rebecca and her high school friend Sarah can only dream of escaping a dreary, wind-blown existence in western Kansas, until their boring, stodgy old hometown fills with handsome young men learning to fly Army Air Corps bombers known as Liberators, and their lives are suddenly filled with temptation and, perhaps, true love.

Opinion: *Sigh*…such a bittersweet story to make me weak in the knees and sorrowful all at once. I am truly starting to adore reading short stories more and more.

This short story is told by Rebecca as she recounts her teenage years in Liberal, Kansas during World War II. Rebecca tells a story of working at a local diner during the summer as a favor to her mother, where she comes across a young Lieutenant named David King. As Rebecca spends her days filling orders and running around the diner, David stays in the lounge playing the piano until closing. Rebecca tells her story of her time with David and the effects that the flyboys had on her town that summer before they were shipped off to the war.

This short story is about 30 pages long, but MY OH MY is it a wonderful story. The writing is descriptive and the author executed the story flawlessly by making me want to devour this story. I find myself sitting here with a slight smile on my face as I recount the story I just read, even though it makes me sad more than anything else. I think this story shows a great representation of the young men that fought in WWII, giving the reader a glimpse at their hopes and fears as they prepared to be shipped off to the war. This story definitely pulls on your heartstrings and makes you hurt for the soldiers, as well as the many young woman that lost their companions or friends.

I HIGHLY recommend this read for anyone. If short stories aren’t really your thing, I suggest you give this one a try. There is nothing better than finding a story that can stir up some emotions in a reader. I only wish that this story could have been longer!

4-5-stars