The Girl in the Storm by Christopher Stanfield is a YA fantasy about seventeen-year-old Genevieve Reidell, who learns of her destiny from an angel after a school shooting.
What I really loved about Stanfield’s story was his writing. There were times where he pulled me into a setting just by his words alone. I really loved this.
Read MoreSmolder by Michael R Goodwin is a horror novella about a recently divorced man named Eric. Who must deal with his new life as a single man and the foreclosure of his dream home. The story really starts when he takes a late-night walk in the woods nearby his home.
Read MorePrincess of Thorns by Saga Hillbom is a historical novel about Great Britain in 1483.
This story centers around Edward IV and his family, specifically Cecily and her life going through change, age, and despair.
Read MoreThe Scarring of the Roshanra by Kara S.B. Brown is a psychological fantasy novel with very dark elements. This book is not for all readers as it deals with torture, rape, and PTSD, which draws on experiences from the author’s life. This gives the book a very raw, real feeling for the intricately built world, and I think that really works for this heavily character-driven novel.
Read MoreAtonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes by Evan J. Corbin is what happens when a world, including unforgiving churches, must accept all types of love and ways of life.
Corbin gives us a fast-paced, quirky story about learning to accept others. There is gay romance, homophobes learning (successfully and unsuccessfully) how to accept people and be okay with one’s self.
Read MoreEarth Angels Unleashed by Terry Ulick is book four in the erotic Demonic Investigator series, but it can easily stand on its own.
This story has a diverse group of characters, including a badass demon lawyer, a guardian angel, and a new warrior. This book has destiny, sex, passion, and powers—anything you could want in an erotic sex demon book.
Read MoreThe Ringmaster’s Interview by Colin C. Martin is a wild ride of horrific terror.
I loved the enthusiasm Martin had for this book. He used different fonts to describe many aspects of his stories, he had new pictures for each chapter, and each character was new and unique. There never was a dull moment.
The Circle by Stephen J. Galgon is a suspenseful action-packed novel about Douglas Goodwin, a new member of The Circle.
I listened to this audiobook, and I thought the story was fun, the narrator was engaging, with a story that kept me on my toes.
Read MoreBody Until Light by K.M. Lighthouse is a poetry chapbook filled with raw emotion and beautiful imagery.
I can’t recommend Lighthouse’s poetry enough. Every poem had a purpose and gave me insight deeper into the author’s mind. I even found myself reading the poetry out loud, having my own slam poetry performance.
Read MoreBlood Voyager by Katie Collupy is a sci-fi/crime mystery set in space on the Voyager ship.
One of my favorite things about this story was the interpersonal drama. Each character had their own share of problems, their own personalities. They were three-dimensional in an intricately crafted world, where it was commonplace to be born on Mars.
Read MoreAge of The Almek (The Almek Series, #1) by Tara A. Lake is a dystopian novel where citizens of the world are taught “desertion is death and loyalty is life.”
Lake has an amazing imagination and finds ways to bring readers into her world through dialogues and narration. I really enjoyed this part of the book.
Read MoreWomen of the Woods by the Fabled Collective et. al. is a collection of dark fantasy and folk horror short stories, reminiscent of a contemporary style of Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Washington Irving.
I haven’t been so impressed by a collection of short stories in a while. If I could give this a 6/5, I would! Each story is polished, well-paced, great character development, and awesome stories.
Read MoreThe Eyes Of The Dragon by Stephen King follows the royal family of Delain as they confront the insidious threat of Flagg, the court magician and advisor of the king. Rife with intrigue and teeming with subterfuge, The Eyes Of The Dragon whisks readers to a believable, yet delightfully treacherous world.
Read MoreSeven Broken Souls by Bull Durham is a memoir of Durham’s broken childhood.
This is heavy and sometimes hard to read. Durham’s parents were abusive to the children and to each other. There are certain details and experiences that made me want to pull away and stop reading, but I couldn’t stop.
Read MoreStained Mirror by Gianni Franco is an intense, graphic story about a serial killer cop.
This story starts strong with some awesome quotes and some interesting ideas on life as a crooked cop. Detective Frank Stark is haunted by past victims and his own stained reflection.
Read MoreThe Madness of Pursuit by Carmelo Rafala is a sci-fi/fantasy novella centered around a notorious badass pirate woman named Dema Ägan.
Dema's story is told from multiple perspectives, and I like this because it shows her character and the characters surrounding her, as complex, three-dimensional beings. There's love and betrayal; there's death and deceit—all packed together in a short, well-paced novella.
Read MoreThe Flip Side of Sad by Ashley Amber is a super short story (I read this in 30 minutes) about a musician who can’t find happiness when he should be happy, right? He’s got the one thing he wanted: fame, but it makes him empty, and then he has an awful day. He cracks.
Read MoreStranded by Rosalind Tate is a historical fantasy where two students find themselves in 1925 England, after a very unconventional lift ride.
I really enjoy reading books with strong female main characters, and this story didn’t disappoint! The protagonist, Sophie Arundel’s, is headstrong and clever. I really liked her and identified with her in many ways. I feel like if I was in her shoes, I would have acted very much the same.
Chaos and Retreat by Warwick Gibson is a sci-fi novel about aliens bringing war on humans, and only one man named Regent Cordez can save humanity.
This was a well-written, well-paced book. The characters were three-dimensional and Gibson knows how to write great tension. All in all, a very solid addition to the sci-fi genre.
Read MoreThe Boxer and the Blacksmith by Edie Cay is a historical romance about, you guessed it, a boxer and a blacksmith, and it was absolutely wonderful.
The boxer, Bess Abbott, was a hardass, cauliflower-eared fighter who just wanted love and wanted to give love. I think my most favorite thing about her character was her many imperfections.
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