jbronderbookreviews

Return to Woodbury (The Walking Dead – 8)

by Jay Bonansinga & Robert Kirkman

She has weathered over four years of the apocalypse. She has done things that she would not have dreamt of doing in her darkest nightmares. But she has survived. And now, she has staked a claim in the plague-ravaged city of Atlanta. It is a safe haven for her people, rising high above the walker-ridden streets.

But for Lilly Caul, something is missing . . .

She still dreams of her former home, the little village known as Woodbury – a place of heartache as well as hope. For Lilly, Woodbury has become a symbol of the future, of family, of a return to normal life amidst this hell on earth. The call is so powerful that Lilly decides to risk everything in order to go back . . .

Against all odds, Lilly leads a ragtag group of survivors across the impossible landscape of walker swarms, flooded rivers, bands of murderers and untold dangers. Along the way, she discovers a disturbing truth about herself. She is determined to return to Woodbury. No matter what the cost.”

Amazon     Audible     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Author’s Bio – Jay Bonansinga

The national best-selling author of ten acclaimed books – both fiction and non-fiction — Jay Bonansinga has been called “one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers” by the Chicago Tribune.

Jay is the holder of a master’s degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife and two sons. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program.

Website     Facebook     Twitter

Author’s Bio – Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.

Robert Kirkman’s first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.

In July of 2002, Robert’s first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert’s creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.

Website     Facebook     Twitter

My Review

5 stars

It is four years into the zombie apocalypse and Lilly Caul has a group of survivors staying at an Ikea in Atlanta. Although this seems like the perfect place to be, Lilly is restless and dreams of Woodbury. Using the argument that the Ikea is a giant target for those wanting to stay, Lilly is pushing to return to Woodbury. Not wanting to split up, most everyone decides to pack up and head out. The problem is there are in the middle of one heck of a monsoon and will have to fight rains and rising waters.

But this is not the only problem. Ash, who has gone missing a while ago, is still alive along with several others. They are the victims of a crazy man that wants to create the perfect family. You also have another man that is intend on finding his missing wife. He finds a new friend from a prison in Cuba but they both have a lot of trouble ahead of them.

This is a great story that started out with a bang and a prisoner in Cuba making a dash for a helicopter to try and get to America just as a hurricane is hitting land. From there you hit the ground running as Lilly is nipping at the bit to get to Woodbury. You also have Ash who is about to escape a crazy man that is trying to make a perfect family and is willing to kill Ash to save her kids.

I have not read a lot of the books in the Walking Dead book series although I love the television series. I live how we are getting a glimpse of the world outside of what we see in the television series. I admit that Lilly left a perfect location with the Ikea store. If you have everything I would think you would want to build up your fortress then run off to a town that might not even be there.

Overall I really like this story. Fred Berman does a great job narrating this story. I had no trouble keeping up and figuring out which character was speaking. I love how clear his narration was, I didn’t have to turn up the volume really high just to understand what was being said. This is one to check out.

I received Return to Woodbury from MacMillan Audio for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

Read Full Post »

Return to Lan Darr (Heroes of Distant Planets – 2) by Anderson Atlas

Surviving Lan Darr not only changed Allan’s life, it rocked him to his bones. On Earth, he’s simply a boy in a wheelchair who got lost in the woods, but across the galaxy, Allan is a hero. He must find a way back there.

Returning to Lan Darr might just kill him. Though Allan’s learned the hard way that he does not die easily.

Back on Earth, Allan’s uncle and his best friend race after Allan without an inkling of how deadly Hubbu travel can be. Chaos ensues, spawning disorder, confusion and panic as the travelers end up on different worlds at different times and face extreme ecosystems, mysterious enemies and push the clock of death to the absolute breaking point.

The second book of the Heroes of Distant Planet Series cranks up the excitement, the mystery and even the humor. A perfect and inspiring story for 12 and up.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Author’s Bio

I live in the hot Sonoran Desert among scaled survivors, steely eye hawks and majestic saguaros.

I’m inspired by crowded malls, streams that barely trickle, patches of moss, charred forests, and distant mountain ranges. The clacking of keys can be heard throughout my home late at night and I’m always drawing, inking or painting.

To date, I’ve written 4 books and illustrated a handful more, and I’ve only begun to speak.

Website     Blog     Facebook     Twitter

My Review

5 stars

Allan Westerfield has just returned from his adventures in Lan Darr where he is a hero. But when he tells his friends and others at school they think he is making it up for attention and needs to go to a therapist. Then he is ultimately betrayed by a friend and he decides to go back to Lan Darr. But when he spreads the pollen he lands in Peebleland and with a bat like people. He learns of a path to Lan Darr but he is going to have another adventure getting there.

I really like Allan as a character. He has grown so much from the first book but after Laura steals his journal I don’t blame him for wanting to run away. Of course he is not going to just show up in Lan Darr, what kind of adventure would that be.

Then there is Rubic. He is actually trying to be a father for Allan and I give him kudos for that. Of course when he learns Allan has disappeared, then Laura too, he goes with Jibbawk to search for the both of them. They have their own adventure while trying to find the kids.

This is a great story and could be read as a stand-alone although I recommend the books in order to get the full immersion of the stories. I do love how Allan has learned not to let his disability stop him. He has grown so much mentally from when I first read his story.

If you are looking for a great young adult fantasy adventure look no further. This is an amazing series and one that I strongly recommend.

I received Return to Lan Darr from the author for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

2036 The Proof by Zvi Speiser

Can Heller and Thorne figure out why scientists keep getting involved in accidents?What do a huge asteroid rushing into earth, human DNA going crazy in a lab, exploding stars and an ancient sect have in common? All have been ingeniously woven together in this riveting science fiction thriller. Join Chicago police Detective Rick Heller and investigative journalist Will Thorne as they try to figure out why scientists connected to these discoveries are almost killed and a security guard is murdered.

Can the US president marshal covert scientific knowledge to safeguard the world?When Will Thorne discovers a mysterious link among the asteroid, the DNA, the exploding stars and the ancient sect, US President Emily White tries to use this top-secret tinder box, revealing the discovery of the most profound secret of the human race, seeded millions of years ago, for a peaceful message to humanity. Her initiative ultimately results in aggressive religious riots that threaten human security throughout the world.

Can an ancient, secret sect be the key to human salvation?In 586 BCE, soldiers of the Sect of the Guardians gave their lives to secure the hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant, which they had removed from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. What is the ancient secret, more than 3,300 years old, that the Guardians are ordered to hide at any cost?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Author’s Bio

As a kid, Zvi Speiser was fascinated with electronics and science fiction stories. He received his BSC in Electronics at the beginning of Israel’s Yom Kippur War (1973). As a pioneer in computer graphics he developed state of the art devices that were in the forefront of this emerging market. His electronics hobby gave way to radio controlled, aerobatic model airplanes that later developed into flying sports planes. The basic idea for 2036 The proof arose some 20 years ago and finally materialized when Zvi left his day job.

2036 The proof is Zvi’s first of two consecutive books and his first full-length science fiction novel. He previously wrote short stories for his two daughters when they were young, which he now enjoys reading to his grandchildren. Zvi is 69 years old and married with two daughters and four grandchildren.

My Review

4 stars

While working on a drug for longevity, a scientist notices a strange pattern in a petri dish. New telescopes have surpassed the Hubble telescope. They have seen stars further than they have before and watched them explode. They have also identified an asteroid approaching the Earth. The question is how do these even relate to each other and what does the Sect of the Guardians have to do with keeping information hidden?

This book is a race against time to connect the dots before the possibility of the world ending. Scientists have been turning up dead and Detective Rick Heller has been called in to investigate. Initially things don’t really seem to be connected until investigative journalist Will Thorne finds a link to all of these events. Then there is the Sect of Guardians. They have hidden the Ark of the Covenant and have been protecting a secret for 3,300 years that has a huge impact on the human race.

This is a great, action packed thriller. With the advancements of science, more dangers have risen. With a security guard and several scientists being killed clearly someone is trying to keep something quiet. The question is what. Rick Heller and Will Thorne rush to connect the dots and save humanity.

I like how this story comes together with a bang. I love how science come into play to make this book feel more realistic in the chase. I was easily drawn in to this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

If you like Clive Cussler or Dan Brown you will like this story. It is well written and definitely work checking out.

I received 2036 The Proof from Ari at Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

Skeletal by Emma Pullar

Gale City is the last city in the world and under the strict control of the illusive Centrals.

When females reach adulthood, they’re given the chance to compete at Showcase for the honour of becoming surrogates for the Morbihan – a highly intelligent, obese race of people, unable to procreate naturally. All the other girls are excited to become hosts, all except Megan Skyla.

Convinced there’s more to life, Skyla teams up with an unlikely friend and they go in search of a cure for the Morbihan condition. Things don’t go to plan and their journey becomes a harrowing quest fraught with danger and deceit.

How can Skyla discover the truth when everything she’s been told is a lie? Can anyone in Gale City ever really be free?

Skyla is about to discover that freedom has a price and she’s going to have to fight to survive.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Author’s Bio

As a writer, I love to please readers, so… if you enjoyed my work, yay! If not… remember, I write more than one genre and hopefully, the next story I write will be just for you!

If you’re anything like me, you like nosing around author’s websites to find out what makes them tick. I also have a facebook page called: Emma Pullar Storyteller. Drop by and give me a wave.

I have three children, a husband and a naughty cat called Rupert.

I was born and raised in London, England then moved to Christchurch, New Zealand when I was sixteen, where I met my Kiwi husband. I currently live in Kent, England but who knows where I will end up next. I’m a British and New Zealand citizen and I feel fortunate to identify with both cultures. I love travelling and hope to visit more countries and meet more people and learn and grow and share stories!

Writing has always been my passion.

I have a theory that everyone knows what they want to do in life by the age of seven. I wanted to be a dancer, a writer and Prime Minister. Having checked off the first two, I can tell you that I have no desire to do the last one. I prefer to be ruler of my fictional worlds and even then the characters end up ruling me and doing whatever they like!

I started writing stories as soon as I could pick up a pencil and I’ve never stopped.

The first picture book I ever wrote was called ‘Attack of the Killer Wheelie Bins’ and was about wheelie bins getting sick of people stuffing them with rubbish and so they started eating people! Another story I remember writing at primary school was about two kids who fell down a pit and were eaten alive by a beast. It was graphic, the teacher was concerned and called my mother in. It was decided I had a wild imagination and no intervention was needed. Phew!

Website     Blog     Facebook     Twitter

My Review

5 stars

The world has been destroyed; all that is left is Gale City. The city is under the strict rule of the Central. This world is divided between the Skeletal and the Morbihan. The Morbihan have everything they could want, are obese, and infertile. The Skeletal resemble their name and are the slaves and workers for the Morbihan.

It is time for Showcase where Skels are lined up and chosen to bear the children for the Morbihan. This is the only chance the Skels have a better life. But Skylar is different; she questions her world and wants out. She is going to learn more about this world than she ever thought and will open more than just her eyes.

This is an amazing dystopian story. The world has become deeply divided between the haves and have nots. Skylar is a have not and does whatever she can to survive. But she wants out of this world. With her invitation for Showcase she thinks that she has found the way out. I loved Bunce, he is that opposite view point that Skylar needs and she is the breath of reality he needs.

This is a great story. It has one heck of an ending and makes it feel like the first in a series. I hope it is, I would love to read more about Skylar.

I received Skeletal from Bloodhound Books for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

My Review

5 stars

My Review

5 stars

 My Review

4 stars

Read Full Post »

Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre

Three days at the edge of the new millennium, one moment of madness and one young life’s course altered forever. A dazzling new thriller from the master of noir.

Antoine is twelve years old. His parents are divorced and he lives with his mother in Beauval, a small, backwater town surrounded by forests, where everyone knows everyone’s business, and nothing much ever happens. But in the last days of 1999, a series of events unfolds, culminating in the shocking vanishing without trace of a young child. The adults of the town are at a loss to explain the disappearance, but for Antoine, it all begins with the violent death of his neighbour’s dog. From that one brutal act, his fate and the fate of his neighbour’s six year old son are bound forever.

In the years following Rémi’s disappearance, Antoine wrestles with the role his actions played. As a seemingly inescapable net begins to tighten, breaking free from the suffocating environs of Beauval becomes a gnawing obsession. But how far does he have to run, and how long will it take before his past catches up with him again?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Authors Bio

Pierre Lemaitre (born 19 April 1951 in Paris) is a Prix Goncourt-winning French author and a screenwriter, internationally renowned for the crime novels featuring the fictional character Commandant Camille Verhœven.

His first novel to be translated into English, Alex, is a translation of the French book of the same title, it won the CWA International Dagger for best crime novel of 2013.

In November 2013, he was awarded the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary prize, for Au revoir là-haut, an epic about World War I. The translation of another of his French novels, Camille won the CWA International Dagger in 2015.

My Review

4 Stars

It’s 1999 in the little town of Beauval, where everyone knows your business. Antoine is twelve years old and just lost his friends to the mayor’s son and his Play Station. His mother has forbidden him from playing the games so Antoine spends his time in the woods working on a tree house with the neighbor’s dog. Then the dog is injured and need to be put down and Antoine is devastated.

From there, little Remi Desmedt is six years old and idolizes Antoine. But Remi ends up dying and Antoine decides to hide the body. We watch how Antoine won’t admit to the death. The town’s people are coming up with all kinds of theories and accusations. Then the town butcher, Monsieur Kowalski is blamed for the disappearance. We then meet up with Antoine years later on and we see how this secret has shaped his life.

I’m sad to admit that I didn’t recognize the author’s name until I looked up his other books and realized that he is the author of Alex. That was one heck of a mind tweak. Once I saw that I can’t wait to see what he was going to put Antoine through. Antoine agonizes over Remi’s death but is so afraid to admit what really happened. I could feel for him as a kid. I grew up in a small town and I can relate to a lot of what happens.

This is a great thriller. It is slow paced and it does tend to drag. But it is a good story. Antoine has to live with his choices and doesn’t always make good ones but you can still see how one even can affect you for life. I do recommend this book. It is a good read and I think many will like it.

I received Three Days and a Life from Quercus for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

Book Details:

Book Title: Tribal Affair by Matt Dallmann
Category: YA Fiction, 277 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Matt Dallmann
Release date: July 2017
Tour dates: Oct 9 to 27, 2017
Content Rating: G (No bad language or sex)

Book Description:

Dahlia, a centuries-old genie, lies hopelessly trapped in a damaged golden locket charm attached to an ankle bracelet. Its owner, sixteen-year-old Liana, wears it for the first time during her father Jamison’s opening night illusion spectacular. Not only does its presence cause Jamison to folly his performance, but it also starts a chain of bizarre events that lead to a showdown with Dahlia’s mortal enemy, Stefan, and an unsuspecting romance between Liana and his son.

 Amazon

Matt Dallmann has a background in acting and holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His films and screenplays have been featured at film festivals across the United States including Cinequest, Big Apple Film Festival, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, DragonCon and Zero Independent Film Festival. His piano compositions have been published for commercial use and he is a member of ASCAP. Matt is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the boutique medical billing firm VGA Billing Services, Inc. in New York City. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

My Review

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Read Full Post »

The Watcher by Ross Armstrong

She’s watching you, but who’s watching her?

Lily Gullick lives with her husband Aiden in a new-build flat opposite an estate which has been marked for demolition. A keen birdwatcher, she can’t help spying on her neighbours.

Until one day Lily sees something suspicious through her binoculars and soon her elderly neighbour Jean is found dead. Lily, intrigued by the social divide in her local area as it becomes increasingly gentrified, knows that she has to act. But her interference is not going unnoticed, and as she starts to get close to the truth, her own life comes under threat.

But can Lily really trust everything she sees?

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

 Author’s Bio

Ross Armstrong is an actor and writer based in North London. He studied English Literature at Warwick University and acting at RADA. He’s performed on stage with the RSC in shows such as Oppenheimer in the West End and with the Donmar in Hamlet on Broadway, as well as numerous TV appearances including Foyles War, Jonathan Creek, Mr Selfridge, DCI Banks and the upcoming series of Ripper Street. The Watcher is his first novel.

My Review

4 stars

Lily and Aiden Gullick live in a newly build flat. Lily likes t watch birds but finds herself looking into her neighbor’s windows on the building across from hers. This building is supposed to be demolished but there are still some people that have not left and Lily is fascinated by them and finds herself watching them more than the birds. She then see’s a light on in the building and goes to investigate and meets Jean. Jean is dragging her feet about moving but the next day she is discovered dead. Lily goes to the police about what she knows and they seem interested. But then Lily is receiving phone calls from Jean and Lily becomes the one being spied on.

Lily seems to just be another person trying to entertain herself when she starts being fascinated by the people in the building across from her. But there is so much more to her than what initially see. This gives an added layer of creepy to the events.

The first thing I thought of when I read the summary of this book was Rear Window and this book easily delivers. Although I didn’t really like Lily, this story will draw you in and leave you creeped out. The more I read the more I was getting the chills; it’s scary to think about what could happen just from someone watching you.

This is a good thriller and one that will keep you up late with all the lights on and the curtains firmly closed. This is a great debut for Ross Armstrong. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

I received The Watcher from Mira for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Read Full Post »

Neespaugot: Legend of the Indian’s Coin by John Mugglebee

Publisher: Brandt Street Press (May 29, 2017)
Category: Historical Fiction, Native American Fiction, African American Fiction
Tour dates: Sept-Oct, 2017
ISBN: 978-0974260792
Available in Print & ebook, 378 pages

Melba Blue Jay, sixteen, scrambling up a snow-filled mountain path, her knife at a child’s throat. Archie Chung at the helm of the South Pacific Belle, foremast snapped like a toothpick, barreling toward a coral reef. Spindly Lydia Freeman, skin the color of dark ale, feeding tea made of birch bark to an Irish murderess. Zeke Roxxmott teetering at three hundred feet on the five-inch ledge of his penthouse, bent on a flawless destruction.

Adventurers, inextricably linked by a bloodline… and an Indian’s coin.

Where history and imagination meet!

John Mugglebee’s Neespaugot is based on the real-life exploits of his own ancestors. A sweeping historical saga of his Native American, African American, Scots-Irish, Chinese, Russian Jewish family, it spans three centuries with adventures that keep you turning page after page. You’ll fall in love with these characters, who stay with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Buy Neespaugot: Legend of the Indian’s Coin

by John Mugglebee

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Indigo
BookDepository

About John Mugglebee

John Mugglebee is a racial and ethnic jigsaw puzzle. His heritage, in chronological order, includes Native American, African American, Scots-Irish, Chinese and Russian Jew. John has said there were two major factors that shaped him as a person and a writer. One was “Being colored but not knowing which color.”

The other was upheaval. Born in Massachusetts, at age eleven he was uprooted to Southern California in the midst of the ’60s race riots. Growing up, John was told family stories that had been passed down for generations. Neespaugot is loosely based on those stories.

He currently lives in the South of France, where he heads a language laboratory for French Civil Aviation. John graduated from Dartmouth and earned a master’s in creative writing from Colorado State University. His previous novel, Renaissance in Provence, was published in 2004.

Facebook     Twitter

My Review

5 Stars

This is an amazing story that spans 400 years. We start with Runinniduk, a Native American PawWaw or sorcerer. He is given on of the first coins minted in America in exchange for translating the Bible. He is the one that decides to help the colonist’s survive. But when an Indian village is destroyed, Runinniduk is blames because of his blond and blue eyed features. He is punished but later goes on to join the Indian counsel.

We then see the coin pass from Runinniduk to his granddaughter Melba Blue Jay. We then follow her hard story around the world. We continue to see the coin passed from hand to hand and location to location until it ends in present day where a daughter is trying to get her inheritance from her father.

This is a wonderful and rich history of the world and the people in it. It shows how blood lines have been muddied throughout that years and how horrible many people were treated. When you realize that this is based on real life events it humbles you to realize this and worse has happened.

This is a great story that might not be your normal read. Don’t let that stop you from reading this book. It is one that should be on everyone’s shelves.

I received Neespaugot: Legend of the Indian’s Coin from Teddy at Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Follow Neespaugot: Legend of the Indian’s Coin

by John Mugglebee Tour

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Sept 12 Interview & Giveaway

A Holland Reads Sept 13 Review & Guest Post

Tim Amazon Reviewer Sept 14 Review

Between the Beats Sept 15 Review & Excerpt

My Reading Journeys Sept 18 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

The Page Turner Sept 19 Review, Excerpt, & Guest Post

Penny Amazon Reviewer Sept 20 Review

Lisa’s Writopia Sept 26 Review & Guest Post

Dolores Amazon Reviewer Oct 5 Review

Sheila’s Guests and Reviews Oct 11 Review & Guest Post

JBronder Book Reviews Oct 25 Review

Marion’s Bookshelf Oct 26 Review

Room Wihtout Books is Empty Oct 30 Review

*This schedule is subject to change

Read Full Post »