bunnycates

I've come to the conclusion that this site hates me.

 

I can't figure out how to do ANYTHING.  And when I think I have something figured out - the clicky thingies are gone.  What the crap.

 

I have enough stress in my life. Stop being mean to me, BookLikes.  Ya damn meany! bahhhhhh!!!!!!!

 

*runs off to cry in corner....

** Originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:Hey guys, this is a short story, so this review isn’t going to be to in depth.This was a quick fun little read. It really reminded me of the old school Twilight Zone episodes, where you knew “something” was up but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. Until the end. ha.Its about a guy with a foot fetish. Quirky, right?Good stuff.I say pick this up if you’re looking for something you can read in under an hour and into the off beat, Twilight Zone-y kind of stuff.

This was the cutest book! Great for younger middle graders.review to come.

** Originally posted on www.bunnycates.com**My Thoughts:This is the story of a boy who is a “halfer”, meaning he is half human and half fey/hobgoblin-warrior. He leaves his aunt and uncle’s, where he was living as an orphan, to live with his “mentor”/”master”. Yes, that part is very Harry Pottery. And all hell breaks lose as he learns to hone his craft.Story wise: I loved the idea behind this book/series. We don’t really get much by way of goblins in this vampire and werewolf world so it was really nice for a change of pace. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story as it progresses. We know something is different about Finn but we don’t know what or why. The entire story was paced well.Character wise: I enjoyed the dynamic of Finn & Gideon (apprentice/master). Finn’s character was a very believable adolescent. As much as I loved Gideon, something just felt off about him for me. Which I’ll explain here in a second.Writing style/Delivery: I normally do not comment on this, but I almost have to for you to understand my thoughts on this book. For me the delivery of this story was a little “off”. It wasn’t bad! Don’t think I am saying that, because I am not. Truth is, I’m not sure HOW to say what I mean to. The book for me “read” like it was written by a teen, not an adult. I understand this was done on purpose, since it is a middle grade book, it needed to be attractive to middle graders. But I felt like the character development suffered a little for it. For example, Gideon’s character wasn’t portrayed how I feel Gideon would have been. He was more portrayed how a child would have seen him. If that makes sense. The book is written in third person, with additional journal entries by our characters. I feel like, man I don’t know how to say what I want. I guess the best way to put it would be, I don’t think a character should be “dumbed down” for younger readers to be able to connect to them. After all, we don’t dumb down for them IRL, if that makes sense at all.Bah. I hope what I am trying to say is making sense. I don’t want anyone to think I am bashing the book or even that I didn’t like it. Because I *DID* like it!In Conclusion:I enjoyed the story. It’s weird. I would like to know what happens next in this series, BUT, its not really one I will be holding my breath for the next release. If that makes sense. ***I definitely think this book will be a big winner with younger readers who are not quite ready for YA.***Mom Notes:Contains mild/medium violence. Recommend for children 10+Should also be mentioned that this book addresses the issue of racism & tolerance, head on. Huge kudos to the author!For Parents and Students:ATOS Book Level: NOT AVAILABLEInterest Level: NOT AVAILABLEAR Points: NOT AVAILABLELexile: NOT AVAILABLE

** Originally posted on bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:I enjoyed this book, so much!Action, historical fiction, paranormal-ness, a strong female character, a not-over-whelming non-insta-love relationship. WHU?! Can I just say “hoo-rah!”Lets talk about the characters for a second. I loved that the main female lead in this book was a strong “stand alone” female. Though there was a bit of romance, she wasn’t all pining, nor was she a damsel needing rescuing. She was a fully fleshed out, dynamic character who had a hard life and came out stronger for it. So strong, for it, that she was an assassin!Story wise, this book is: a little historical fiction, a little paranormal, a little action, a little mystery, a little thriller, a little romance. I don’t want to say anything too in depth about the plot because I don’t want to spoil anything.For the sake of this review, and because I want to be honest with you guys… I want to say that even though I loved the story arc throughout, I can’t lie. There are a few points when I was like “ok, lets move on now…” haha. With that said, please take it with a grain of salt, because I am not a fan of romance. I hate romance. So anytime romancy stuff starts, my eyes start to roll and I kind of skim to get past it. This book does have a romance aspect to it, but its not so overwhelming that it made me want to stop reading. It definitely wasn’t insta-love, and I think that made it more tolerable for me.I really enjoyed the story, the growth of the characters, the historical realism of the world building, the mystery aspect of the plot, and even the “handmaids of death” aspect. Heck, even cried a little toward the end during the big “climax”.In Conclusion:Loved! I devoured this book and am dying to read book two Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin Trilogy) by Robin LaFevers!! Definitely pick this one up if you like strong females, fantasy, historical fiction, and/or action adventure books!Mom Notes:I think this book would maybe be best for ages 13+. Does contain violence. The main character is an assassin for Death. Death in this book is a “god”, and I feel this may lead to questions about faith and religion/beliefs for younger readers.For Parents and Students:ATOS Book Level: 5.9Interest Level: Upper Grades (UG 9-12)AR Points: 20Lexile: 850L

hahaha,shit that was funny.Would make a good "pick me up" gift for someone (or one's self) haha.

** Originally posted www.bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:I’m going to try to get through this without any spoilers, guys. I do realize I’m probably the last person on the planet to read this, so worrying about spoilers is silly, BUT, just in case…This book follows Jacob Portman. At the beginning of the book, we meet Jacob and his eccentric Grandfather. Abe, the grandfather, has spent Jacob’s entire life telling Jacob fantastical stories about his youth. As Jacob gets older and starts to doubt in these stories, Abe’s Alzheimer’s disease advances and the family attributes his odd behavior to his Dementia. It is quite touching and to, me, someone who’s own grandmother has advanced Alz, very sad. A very unfortunate accident sets this story and Jacob on a quest to find out the truth about his grandfather’s past.I loved the cast of characters we get to meet in this story. Each of them, even the bad ones, felt fleshed out. Their personalities and behaviors all felt “right” for the lives and experiences they each have endured in their lifetimes. Abe, the grandfather, reminded me so much of my Pap. Jacob and the way he almost idolized his grandfather, and his stories. Emma and Miss Peregrine, I can’t imagine them any other way than the way they were written.This book felt so different to anything I’ve read before. Ransom Riggs used random “odd” photos he had collected, and crafted a story around them. He used the photos to reinforce the story in the readers mind. What it did was help build, somehow, a stronger connection between me (the reader) and the characters in the story. It helped make them “real”. Photos aren’t like illustrations, someone didn’t imagine them and then draw them – they are real people, not imaginary. The story fabricated around them may be a work of fiction, but the photos allow the mind to wonder, for however short of a time, “what if”. Really, WHAT IF?In the end, this story is: a time traveling, historical fiction, action, adventure, horror, (urban) fantasy, thriller.In Conclusion:I absolutely LOVED this and I can NOT wait until book two comes out! The story is fantastic, and… AND… the book is actually constructed beautifully, both the cover and the end pages, the only thing missing was deckled pages!Mom Notes:This series is a little on the creepy side. There is a little language and some violence. I would recommend for probably ages 10+For Parents and Students:ATOS Book Level: 5.7Interest Level: Upper Grades (UG 9-12)AR Points: 13.0Word Count: 84898 Awards and Such:Winner-VOYA: The Perfect TensWinner-Benjamin Franklin Award/NomineeYALSA Teens’ Top TenYALSA Readers’ ChoiceYALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

My Thoughts:This is book ONE in the LOVECRAFT MIDDLESCHOOL series.In this book we are introduced to the series, which revolves around the newly built “Lovecraft Middle School”. We also meet our main character Robert Arthur. The story follows Robert on his journey as he goes to a new school. Along the way, he makes some very unlikely friends and they all work together to solve the mystery of the scary things going on in the school.I enjoyed getting to know Robert and his new friends. As a child, I changed schools several times so I could totally relate to him and his anxiety of entering a new school. Throw in all the scary things that start happening and this book is a great little page turner.In Conclusion:This book is aimed at middle grade readers and I think that age range will love it. There is just enough scary to keep the story creepy and enough mystery and adventure to keep them turning the pages. Even I, a grown up, couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next!I say pick this one up if you are a fan of younger horror like Goosebumps and Deadtime Stories!Mom Notes:Might be a little scary to younger readers, however I think this one be fine for ages 8+.

** originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:This book is the sequel to Curses! A F**ked-Up Fairy Tale . If you haven’t picked up the first one, you should. You can read my review of that one HERE.In this installment, the main character is Jean-Michel (the Frog Prince). Jean-Michel was cursed into frogdom, and then saved by his “one true love”. Only, in this story – he has to not only be kissed by her – but WED to her. So the story follows Jean-Michel as he re-finds and plans to wed his Princess, before his birthday. (Thus, keeping him from returning to his former green self.)What kind of story would this be if it were that EASY though, right? haha.I loved the plot of this one, good ole RJ returns just long enough to turn this fairy tale on its head. There is action, mystery, and a shit ton of laughs.Character wise, of course I loved them ALL. Beauty cracked me up, yes… Sleeping Beauty (yep- that one). Jean-Michel was such an arrogant ass. I loved to hate him, and hated to love him. haha.In Conclusion:I love this series. It is very entertaining and original. I know, original in a fairytale retelling? RIGHHHTTT… But, its true. This series is very fresh and I’ve not read anything like it. I can’t wait for the next book to come out (if there is one). If you enjoy laughing and rolling your eyes and then laughing some more, I say pick this up!Mom Notes:Humor can be a little raunchy, probably would recommend for those 13+.

**originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **“Vitamin B12 deficiency is an epidemic causing more health damage than the polio epidemic and it can now be prevented through simple screening and treatment.” -–Sally M. Pacholok, RN,BSNMy Thoughts:Ok guys, so this book is a non-fiction self help type book. These are really hard to review since there isn’t really a story or plot to critique. The best I can do here is tell you what the book is about and whether I think they did a good job compiling the information or not.As for the topic: This one is about how the vitamin B12 (or lack there of) can be the cause of many ailments. It explains how there is currently an epidemic of misdiagnosed diseases ranging from MS to depression that are actually B12 deficiency. Being someone who has had a “mystery” illness that over 5 years and uncountable doctors later is STILL a mystery, of COURSE this book was of interest to me.I have to be honest, this thing is a beast, I mean it took me over a month to get through. That being said, I wasn’t really trying to read it straight through either. I would read a little while and then pick up some fiction. Curious as I am about what’s wrong with me – it wasn’t enough to make me sit down and read cover to cover.Did I think this book was helpful: I think it was interesting. I don’t regret reading it, if that makes sense. I think anyone who is interested in ‘feeling” better would probably benefit from reading this one because it seems there are a lot of illnesses (or at least the symptoms of) out there that B12 is the answer for. I also think this book would be a beneficial read to anyone in the health care field (RN, LPN, CNA, HOME CARE, etc) If more professionals and the people in charge of health care were aware of and acknowledged this issue, perhaps it would become less of an issue.Should you read it? Just for "funsies"-probably no. Its just not that kind of book. If you or your loved ones have health issues that you cant seem to get a handle on or you’ve been diagnosed for something and the standard treatment for that “something” doesn’t seem to work… Then I say, definitely pick this book up.

** originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **Ok you guys! So.. I read this book the other day and wanted to wait a bit before I actually wrote up the review. WHY? you ask. Well, you know when you read a book and you think its so awesome that you immediately run and tell everyone who will listen that they MUST READ IT! But then, like a few days later – you think about that book and you’re like “Damn, that really wasn’t THAT great…” yeah, well.This book isn’t one of those because it has been a few days and ITS STILL AWESOME!Seriously, you guys. IM NOT KIDDING!Eyes to See (Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle) by Joseph Nassise is an urban fantasy tale that teeters on the edge of horror. The main character here is Jeremiah Hunt. He’s just a regular guy. Regular, right up until his daughter goes missing. He spends years of his life doing EVERYTHING he can to find her. Everything, including performing a ritual that was supposed to let him see “that which is unseen”. Little did he know that the “unseen” wasn’t his daughter, it was the paranormal world around us.I thought the world building of this one was great! Its a modern world just like ours, only our main character is now blind to our world and can see all the paranormal around us. Ghosts, specters, witches, and even shifters. Hunt even makes his living by performing exorcisms when he needs some cash to help further the search for his daughter.Character wise, I think Nassise did a fantastic job of giving us characters that you want to know more about and want to help. Jeremiah is that “broken” hero that you NEED in a story like this. Hoping against hope that his daughter is still alive and letting his own life slide because he is so wrapped up in that hope. He loses his job, loses his wife, all because he wont give up on finding his daughter. As a mom, it struck a chord with me and I totally connected with that. The characters that we meet along the way that help Jeremiah were just as “meaty”.Story wise, I really don’t want to go too much into the plot because I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything for you. I will tell you this is a mans quest for his missing daughter, a multiple murder mystery, a paranormal fantasy, an action adventure, with a bit of thrilling horror thrown in – just incase your emotions weren’t already invested. You know, just a little something extra to “keep ya on your toes”.The writing style has this casual feel and thus the story flows in such a way that you read half the book before even thinking about looking at the clock to see how long you’ve been reading. Its one of those books you get lost in. Where when you do look up the clock you realize you haven’t been sitting there for 15 minutes but instead, you’ve been there for HOURS.In Conclusion:I loved *LOVED* this one guys! If you like ghosts/paranormal/fantasy type books you MUST READ this one! Can’t wait to pick up book two King of the Dead (The Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle) by Joseph Nassise!Mom Notes:Maybe for ages 13+. Contains violence, language.

**review originally posted on www.bunnycates.com*One of the book clubs I follow chose this as their pick for this month. I normally shy away from the “romance” books because I hate them. But this one, having been listed as Science Fiction/Historical Romance (and the people arguing over its listing), peaked my interest. When I posted that I was reading it, my goodreads and twitter EXPLODED with “omg, you’re reading romance!” “Cant wait to see what you think” etc etc… So, for what it is worth my friends… HERE is what I think.Very much to my surprise, I was sucked into this book. More surprising still was that I wasn’t turned off by the romance. In fact, I didn’t even notice “romance” until after the 70% mark!In my opinion, this book is more a Historical Fiction / Adventure then anything else. The only Science Fiction occurs toward the beginning when our main protagonist, Claire, gets ripped from her time in 1945 back to 1743. That’s it. Science Fiction over. Historical Fiction, however, definitely describes this book. Note I said Historical FICTION not Historical ROMANCE. There is a huge difference. I found this book to be awesome in that it was historically accurate to the foundations of the society at that time. In other words… Women were treated like shit. A lot of books, especially books aimed toward a female audience, temper the stories more toward romance etc and glaze over the fact that during the time period women were treated as possessions and not people. This book didn’t do that. Its accuracy for depicting the time period, I think, is one of the main things that kept me reading.Character wise, I am not going to lie. Claire… to me… is a Bella. *insert eye roll here*. She is very much an “right now” thinker. She gets an idea and does it RIGHT NOW without any thought toward what “might happen” if… It was annoying as shit. At the same time I wanted to see her to safety – I hoped she’d get killed off for being a dumbass. You know when you watch a horror movie, and the girl with big boobs runs UP the stairs to get away from the killer instead of out the open door 3 ft away to safety? THAT was Claire. I hated her, but I kept reading. I liked the adventure going on around her. Liked the world being shown to me. Liked the historical reality of it.As for the rest of the characters, I loved them all. None of the characters in this book felt “flat” to me, if that makes sense. Even the most minor ones, I felt like time had been taken to flesh them out. I even loved the ones I hated because OMG they were so good to hate.I really liked this story, however I don’t think I will be continuing on in the series. These books are HUGE and there are eight of them, I believe. As much as I would like to see how the story pans out, I just dont think I can get through the second book, what with book one endingSPOILER REMOVED: SEE BLOG FOR IT. :)In Conclusion:I enjoyed this book. I would be leery of recommending it to people though, due to the sexual violence (including violence against men). I did think it was a good story. For historical fiction, I found it to represent the time period quite accurately as disturbing as that may be – it is accurate. I say if you are a fan of historical fiction/adventure novels, then pick this one up, just be warned… women weren’t treated with kindness in the 1700’s and in the absence of a woman… a man will do.Mom Notes:Not for children. Contains: violence, sex, language

Slow to start but SO GOOD in the end.*sigh*See you at bookclub on Saturday, I HAZ NOTES!:)

**originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:This book was great. I think the best way to describe this is to say it is a murder mystery, wrapped up in a ghost story.A girl and her family move into a new house, and strange things start happening. She finds out from kids at the school that her new home is a “murder house”, where a student had died. Not just any student, this towns “leader” of the local “mean girls”. This book has ghosts, mean girls, broody hot guys, a murder mystery, and family drama.I enjoyed the characters in this one.Plot wise, I loved the “mystery” aspect of the book. So much so that I didn’t even mind the romance.In Conclusion:I *loved* this book! As in, read it in a day – loved it! Emotionally, I was everywhere from on the edge of my seat – to sobbing into my covers. I liked this book so much, it ended up on my favorite reads of 2012 list! I definitely say read it! Especially if you are a fan of YA, “ghost stories”, and murder mysteries!This was also my first Kim Harrington book, and I am looking forward to picking up more of her books in the future!Mom Notes:A little on the scary side. Might cause one to question ones faith: “What happens after you die” etc. Would recommend for 12(ish)+For Parents and Students:Lexile and ATOS points are not yet available

** originally posted on www.bunnycates.com **My Thoughts:Sectors by Brick Marlin is one of those books that are really hard to tell people about. I feel like, if I go into very much detail, I’m going to be “spoiling” a lot of the experience for you. I don’t want to do that, so if I do, Im sorry!This book starts out as a haunted house story. Two boys are told to stay away from this creepy house in town, and of course.. boys being boys… they sneak off and go. Strange things happen, and at one point one of them goes missing. That’s not a a spoiler, its up there in the synopsis, so Im good. =D In the search to find his friend, the remaining boy is pulled into like this “alternate universe” or “reality” or… Well, into a world that is a very “steam punk” paranormally type reality. OMG, I’m not using my words very well, am I? haha.The world building in this story is awesome. The characters were fantastic.The writing style was very smooth. This book feels like it was written for middle grade readers, and the language used will make it very relatable to that age group.In Conclusion:Over all, I enjoyed this story. It was very different from about everything I have read before. I did hate the ending, and if there is not a sequel in the works I’m going to be pissed. I *need* to know what happens now!Mom Notes:This book has very dark undertones, and at times is SCARY. I would recommend to 13+

My Thoughts:I wish this book had a “trailer” because I don’t know if my words are going to give it justice. LOLThe world building is great: post-apocalyptic and run by vampires. When I started this, I kept thinking this story was inspired by the Ethan Hawke movie, DAYBREAKERS. In both stories the vampires have decided to “farm” humans for blood, rather than just kill them outright. That’s about where the comparison ends though, other than the general premise the stories are nothing alike.In DRAWING BLOOD, the vampires run “Concentration Camps” (yeah, it went there.) for blood donors. There is an interesting vampire/human hierarchy within the camps staff, and donors are basically treated as modern day jailed prisoners.Character wise, development was minimal, which left a lot of room for ones imagination to build them as they saw fit. Surprisingly, for me anyway, I loved it for this book. I usually like the story given to me. I want to know what the grass smells like, and if the characters wore deodorant that day. None of that is given up here. It let me paint the pictures on my own and I really locked in and connected to them all. Plus, and this has no bearing on my review… There is a character named “Bunny”. ha!The story was paced well making this a quick “ONE NIGHT” READ.In Conclusion:I really enjoyed the story premise, but I hate that its a “cliff hanger”. This installment lacked a full story arc because it cut off before there was any sort of climax to any aspect of the story. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book because I want to know what happens next, but I would only recommend this to you if you like “serial” type books.*This book does contain several typos, but it wasn’t enough to turn me off from the story. {o.O}Mom Notes:Contains strong language and violence.