TTT - Character Traits I Love

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week's topic is CHARACTER TRAITS I LOVE.  Is it just me struggling with some of these topics lately?  I think I'll just shoot for 5.

FUR!

It's no secret I love pups and some of my favorite authors have introduced me to some great dogs.  Maybe was always Booker T's book girlfriend and Jack is just awesome.  And if you love dogs and aren't reading Lucy Dillon, what's wrong with you???

SNARKY ATTITUDES

Give me a snarky character and I'll definitely give the book a chance.  Gert, Mila and Callie are just few of the ones I've encountered and thoroughly enjoyed.

HEAD STRONG WOMEN

I love women who have men in their lives because they WANT to, not because they NEED to.  These books definitely have women who can handle their own crap - Diana, Kate and Mercy.

MEN WITH FUR

Yes, I know that just doesn't sound right, but you get the idea right?  I love my sexy shifters.  Simon and Curran are both awesome and the Sookie series  has two of my faves - Sam and Alcide.  

WOMEN WITH BRAINS

This is kind of in the same category as head strong women but these women are ones who use their detectives skills to outwit suspicious culprits.  Lady Sherlock and Veronica are awesome historical figures while Caitlin Hendrix is much more current.

So there you have it.  I managed five so I'm done :)

It's Definitely You...

TITLE: You (You#1)
AUTHOR: Caroline Kepnes
PUBLISHER: Atria
PUBLISHING DATE: September 30, 2014

FROM GOODREADS: When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card. 

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting. 

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder. 

MY THOUGHTS: So I had this book on my shelves for years and never got around to it. Then one weekend I started watching the series adaptation on Netflix and before you knew it, I'd grabbed the book because I had to have more Joe in my life.  Now those of you who know Joe may realize that may say something weird about me, but then I had always heard he was a likable maniac and I do have to agree.

Joe works in a bookstore and one days in walks Beck.  Joe instantly becomes obsessed with Beck and as they bond over books, he decides his future lies with her.  So Joe starts following her.  She is a writer working on her higher education and he definitely has a love for books, so what could go wrong?  LOTS!

I actually found "You" to be a really fun read.  That being said, I despised a lot of the characters, especially Beck, who I found to be an annoying, pretentious brat.  At one point, despite knowing what I knew about Joe, he was pretty much the only character I liked.  Beck's friends are just as despicable and we won't even discuss the psychologist she starts seeing - Dr. Nicky.  Talk about too little too late. 

This is the second book I've read by Kepnes and her writing really clicks with me.  I plan on picking up "Hidden Bodies" sometime in the near future and am excited to see what else she has planned for Joe.  I definitely recommend "You" and if you haven't read "Providence," I'd give it a go as well because it remains one of my favorites. 

I will leave you with some words to Joe:

Dearest Joe,

I am writing to tell you that honestly, I think with some work, you could be a decent guy.  You work in a bookstore so numerous gals out there might be interested in dating you, especially if they can get a store discount. You appear relatively attractive, at least on TV, and you're also very intelligent.  I mean, you know tons about books, can manage a store by yourself and also have a definite charisma which enables you to charm numerous individuals - patrons, therapists and gas company workers alike.  

You are also very attentive.  You know what people need and are able to meet those needs, even though sometimes you use illegal measures.  You possess a very high self esteem and confidence that I honestly believe you could accomplish anything you set your mind to.  I just think you need to pick better girlfriends.  Seriously, Beck would drive me to do some illegal things as well I am sure.

Now since we've went there with illegal things, there's just the small matter of you being a homicidal stalker.  Perhaps some of that could be cured with a good therapist - and I'm not talking Dr. Nicky.  You have a lot to offer the world Joe, you just need to go about it the right way,

Yours truly, 

The Reader

RATING: 4 PAWS

I Found the Perfect Girlfriend for Damien!

TITLE: My Sister Rosa
AUTHOR: Justine Larbalestier
PUBLISHER: Soho Teen
PUBLISHING DATE:  November 15, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: What if the most terrifying person you know is your ten-year-old sister? 

Seventeen-year-old Aussie Che Taylor loves his younger sister, Rosa. But he's also certain that she's a psychopath--clinically, threateningly, dangerously. Recently Rosa has been making trouble, hurting things. Che is the only one who knows; he's the only one his sister trusts. Rosa is smart, talented, pretty, and very good at hiding what she is and the manipulation she's capable of. 

Their parents, whose business takes the family from place to place, brush off the warning signs as Rosa's -acting out.- Now that they have moved again--from Bangkok to New York City--their new hometown provides far too many opportunities for Rosa to play her increasingly complex and disturbing games. Che's always been Rosa's rock, protecting her from the world. Now, the world might need protection from her.  

MY THOUGHTS: I'm pretty sure this has been sitting on my Kindle for at least 2 years.  I wanted to read it when it came out, grabbed it when it was on sale, and then let it disappear into Kindle oblivion.  When I needed a book for Monsterathon that someone had unhauled, this one came up and honestly, I'm glad it did.  I really enjoyed it and wish I had read it sooner.

Che Taylor, his sister Rosa, and his mother and father are Australian natives who have moved around the past 6 or 7 years for their parents work.  They eventually land in New York where the Taylors are assisting some very rich old family friends with a business.  However, none of this is the main problem.  The main problem is 10 year old Rosa.

Ever since Rosa was born, Che has basically been her caretaker.  His parents are abusive and they mean well, but they are kind of negligent in the care of their children (insist they call them by their first names, more friends than parents, etc).  And Che has noticed some troubling things about Rosa which lead him to believe that she is rather dangerous and he has to protect those he cares about, as well as himself, from Rosa's wrath.

So let's get this straight - she may look cute, but I believe Rosa is the devil incarnate or close to it.  I have read several reviews discussing how Rosa was gifted and maybe socially inept and that her parents' lack of involvement made her the way she is.  While it all could have contributed, none of these things made her smile while she convinced her friend to kill her guinea pig  just to prove how good a friend she was or make her new best friend a peanut butter smoothie - despite her peanut allergy.  And Rosa is just so callous about everything.  At one point Che, always the voice of reason, asked her what she learned after running off to play chess with bums in the middle of the night in New York and she replied:

“I need to lie better. I should have pretended to be sorry straight away. Next time I’ll burst into tears as soon as I see the police.”

I really liked Che and it was nice to have a male MC.  He was 17 and wants what I imagine most teens want - a girlfriend, friends and a normal family.  I didn't care much for their mom and dad and it's kind of funny.  YA books are notorious for not mentioning the parents.  The Taylors have quite a prominent role in "My Sister Rosa" and they still suck.  I also think the author did a good job of throwing some religion into the novel yet I didn't find it pushy or preachy.  I think it helped offset the whole good vs. evil concept.  Of course, the biological argument of nature vs. nurture is also quite relevant.

If any of this interests you, then definitely pick up this book.  It is a standalone and while not a blood, gore, things that go bump in the night scary, it is very human nature scary and only supports my belief that humans are often more scarier than anything the mind creates.

RATING: 5 PAWS

ANIMAL TRIGGER WARNING:  guinea pig and ant colony deaths.  

September 2019/Monsterathon Down for the Count

So I'm combining my usual Down for the Count monthly post with my #Monsterathon wrap- up.  I survived!  I read a lot of good books, some planned, some unplanned, terrorized lots of villagers and participated in all of the challenges.  Read on to see what fun I had!  Also, please note not all my reviews are up yet so keep an eye open for the ones you haven't seen - they are coming soon!

GROUP READ: 

Unnatural Creatures - I didn't read the whole book but did manage to read the three selected stories.

CLASSIC CREEPERS:

Bunnicula - I loved revisiting this old childhood favorite. (5/5)

WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE

Time's Convert - I enjoyed this one but not as much as the rest of the series. (3/5)

CHIMERA

Death and Other Happy Endings - not really scary unless you count the word death but overall a very solid read. (4/5) - review pending.

REAL MONSTERS

Desper Hollow - A great zombie tale and I had a blast reading it. (4/5)

UNSIGHTLY

Stranger Things: The Otehr Side - Really didn't care for this at all. (2/5)

ANGRY MOB

YOU - So glad I picked this one up off my shelf.  (4/5) - review pending

SACRIFICE

My Sister Rosa - Another one I've owned for years. (5/5).

THE HAUNTS

Appalachian Undead - Another fun zombie read! (4/5)

THE BEASTS:

Magic Breaks - Another enjoyable Kate Daniels read (4/5)

THE CONSPIRACIES 

Only one I had to double up on and use for two challenges.

EXTRA: 

Bunny - Why oh why!  (2/5)

And total villagers terrorized...5,832!!!!

So this was so much fun and I want to thank Chaptercciii over at Booktube for hosting and creating such a fun month of activities!

Monsterathon Challenge #3 - Mad Lib

So for challenge #3, we are visiting a mad lib tale. We were to fill in the blanks using one of our challenge reads which has over 300 pages.  I decided to use the last physical book I read which just happened to be "Bunny."  And yep, my tale ended up just as confusing as the book it was taken from!

I'm calling my tale - Attack of the killer Bunny!

No one ever went into the house on DARK Lane.  Everyone knew it was haunted.  At all hours if the day and night, you could hear LARGE screaming and the sounds of someone or something GRIPPING.

One time, someone insisted they saw a BUNNY looking out at them from the attic window.  Another person said they saw a DUTCHMAN jump off the roof and fly into the sky.

All of the villagers stayed away for fear some monster would come out and DO them.  Until a LATE villager named SMACKIE decided they were going to go in and see what all the fuss was about.

"What makes you think you'll come out alive?" The villagers asked them.

"YES, I HAVE A PLANE TO CATCH NOW" said SMACKIE.

So they turned from the village and BRAIDED up to the house.  The door of the house opened UNCERTAINLY and SMACKIE walked in.

The first thing SMACKIE saw was darkness.  Then, out of the corner of their eye, a MONKEY.  They screamed and STARED into the next room, but something even more terrifying was waiting for them there: a BOOK.

SMACKIE EXPLODED out of the house screaming "OH BUNNY, I LOVE YOU."  This GESTERED all the villagers.

They tried to forget what SMACKIE said but it haunted them for the rest of their days.

The End.

And yes, "Bunny" will be haunting me for some time as well.

Can't Wait Wednesday (230)

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

So the public has spoken - Cass is now a full-time contributor to Can't Wait Wednesday.  That means each week you'll see two books here. Of course Cass is already lobbying for an increase in salary (at least he works for treats - and bandanas).

FROM GOODREADS: Dracula returns...

It has been some years since Jonathan and Mina Harker survived their ordeal in Transylvania and, vanquishing Count Dracula, returned to England to try and live ordinary lives. But shadows linger long in this world of blood feud and superstition - and, the older their son Quincy gets, the deeper the shadows that lengthen at the heart of the Harkers' marriage. Jonathan has turned back to drink; Mina finds herself isolated inside the confines of her own family; Quincy himself struggles to live up to a family of such high renown. And when a gathering of old friends leads to unexpected tragedy, the very particular wounds in the heart of the Harkers' marriage are about to be exposed...

There is darkness both within the marriage and without - for, while Jonathan and Mina wrestle with the right way to raise a child while still recovering from the trauma of their past lives, new evil is arising on the Continent. A naturalist is bringing a new species of bat back to London; two English gentlemen, on their separate tours of the continent, find a strange quixotic love for each other, and stumble into a calamity far worse than either has imagined; and the vestiges of something thought long-ago forgotten is, finally, beginning to stir... 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Basically it's expounding on the whole Dracula tale and I'm totally up for that!  Plus it's October which means spooky book time.

CASSIUS'S PICK

FROM GOODREADS: An innkeeper who reads minds. An ornery detective. And a trail of bodies. Cider Cove is the premiere destination for murder.

My name is Bizzy Baker, and I can read minds—not every mind, not every time but most of the time and believe me when I say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

A seminar on how to catch the perfect man is being held at the Country Cottage Inn—but with a killer on the loose, the only thing in store for the guests is a lesson on murder. Not only do I have another homicide on my hands but Jasper’s ex is in town and she’s looking to take back what once belonged to her. It’s October in Cider Cove. There’s a fright around every corner—and a killer closer than I'm willing to believe.

Bizzy Baker runs the Country Cottage Inn, has the ability to pry into the darkest recesses of both the human and animal mind, and has just stumbled upon a body. With the help of her kitten, Fish, a mutt named Sherlock Bones and an ornery yet dangerously good looking homicide detective, Bizzy is determined to find the killer.

Cider Cove, Maine is the premiere destination for fun and relaxation. But when a body turns up, it’s the premiere destination for murder.

The Country Cottage Inn is known for its hospitality. Leaving can be murder.

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  It's Fall guys - even if the weatherman apparently forgot.  Mom has become obsessed with pumpkin everything, even oatmeal.  This colors of this cover remind me of Fall and like Mom, they have pumpkins everywhere.  Plus I know Mom already has the first one in this series on Paul Anka (for those that don't know, that's what Mom calls her Kindle - strange woman!)

SO WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Random Things Blog Tour - A Savage Generation

I just adore all the great titles Flame Tree Press has released this year and today I'm happy to be part of the blog tour for one of their most recent releases.

TITLE: A Savage Generation

AUTHOR: David Tallerman

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: September 12, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: Sickness is ravaging America, driving the infected to savagery. Petty criminal Ben Silensky is determined to get his girlfriend Carlita and son Kyle free of the quarantined city they live in, enough so to risk a foolhardy crime and then to team up with Carlita's equally desperate cop cousin Nando. Once they're out, Nando is certain they'll find a place in the open prison where his uncle works, unbeknownst to him already become a survivalist colony named Funland under the management of entrepreneurial convict Plan John. In Funland itself, guard Doyle Johnson is shocked when his ex-wife abandons his son Austin into his care. Fearing the vulnerable position he's been placed in, he recruits the help of Katherine Aaronovich, the former prison's doctor. But Aaronovich's traumatic past has left her with vulnerabilities of her own, along with radical theories on the nature of the epidemic that will place all their lives in jeopardy. As the last vestiges of civilisation crumble, Funland may prove to be the safest or the most dangerous of places, depending on who comes out on top - and what can't be held together will inevitably be torn apart. 

MY THOUGHTS:  So let's get this out of the way.  I've seen some other reviews compare this to "The Walking Dead" and while I can see it, I happen to really enjoy that show so it really didn't bother me.  So basically we have an end-of-the-world dystopian where people are struggling to survive against the "zombies."  You have your typical morally grey characters and a new civilization  trying to regain their balance in an old prison setting.  You also have the kids, who are a big focus of the story, and who are trying to make their own way while the adults around them are on the verge of self destruction.

I found "A Savage Generation" to be a very action-packed, speedy read.  I was invested in what was happening to most of the characters.  I felt an attachment to some while others I not-so-secretly wished would meet then demise.  I also really liked the seeing Funland develop and grow.  Like I've said of many books and movies of this nature, it's usually not the creatures you have to watch out for because you know what to expect of them, it's the "monsters" that the humans become.  My main issue with the novel is that I sometimes found myself lost amid too many characters - especially in the beginning. I did eventually find my ground though.

If you like dystopian and survivalist tales, this is one you might want to check out.  I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for what this author comes out with next.

I want to thank Random Things Tours for this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

RATING: 3 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Tallerman is the author of the comic fantasy novel The Black River Chronicles: Level One and its first sequel The Black River Chronicles: The Ursvaal Exchange, the Tales of Easie Damasco series (Giant Thief, Crown Thief and Prince Thief), and the Tor.com novella Patchwerk. His comics work includes the absurdist steampunk graphic novel Endangered Weapon B and the Lovecraftian horror miniseries C21st Gods.

David's short science fiction, fantasy and horror has appeared in over eighty markets, including Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. A number of his dark fantasy tales have been collected as The Sign in the Moonlight and Other Stories.

He can be found online at davidtallerman.co.uk.