The thing is, everyone loves a redemption story. Look at all of the Regency romances that feature a rogue who reforms. The core of that trope is that the goodness was there all along, despite everyone’s expectations, and so it is with Tim. The weight of his family situation and his need for escape overwhelmed […]
Category: 5 Birds
The Heart Of Betrayal By Mary Pearson
Rarely does a book capture my attention so thoroughly, but The Kiss of Deception was one of my absolute favorites of 2014 and I was very anxious to start book two. The Heart of Betrayal, while different in pace and story, was just as engrossing. As always, the world building was phenomenal. Since the book […]
Ex Libris Audio: Sinner
I resisted reading The Wolves of Mercy Falls series for a long time, so when I finally relented, I decided to listen to all of the books on audio. I can see why people were so taken with this series. All of the books were compelling, romantic, and just really damn good. So, while I […]
Ex Libris Audio: The Martian
I could go on for hours and hours about how well Andy Weir captured NASA. The bureaucracy, the passion of the engineers, the disdain the astronauts have for being told what to do…..all of it created a world that, while set in a place where NASA was adequately funded, is still realistic. At its core, […]
Every Last Word By Tamara Ireland Stone
The fact is, from the outside, mental illness doesn’t look like anything in particular. As much as TV or movies portray it as something you can spot a mile away, that simply isn’t reality. It impacts people in drastically different ways, and it could be that the person with whom you interact every day may […]
A Sense Of The Infinite By Hilary T. Smith
Annabeth lives for her friend Noe because, in many ways, Annabeth hates herself. The easiest way to escape that hatred is to throw her life into someone else’s and Noe’s larger-than-life personality was an easy escape. Annabeth’s struggles and the emotional weight she shoulders is below the radar of the adults in her life, […]
Ex Libris Audio: End Of Days
I thought I was done with angels until I came across this series, and so I was sad that it was coming to an end a few books earlier than I originally thought. However, End Of Days did not disappoint. Penryn’s quest was first to survive, then became a search for her sister, and […]
P.S. I Still Love You By Jenny Han
I was hopeful that P.S. I Still Love You would continue the magic of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and my hope was rewarded. There is such an earnestness to Lara Jean. She is confused by love and relationships, but she doesn’t try to hide that fact. She is very […]
Devoted By Jennifer Mathieu
It’s always tricky writing about religion, or any kind of faith journey, but Devoted did a beautiful job of presenting an emotional and engaging story. Rachel is a member of a family that aligns itself with Quiverfull beliefs (think Duggars) and while it is not a perfect life, in her mind, […]
All The Rage By Courtney Summers
All The Rage sets up its environment perfectly; a small town where money and power buys immunity, and if bad things happen, they happen to the people that bring it upon themselves. This is the world that Romy lives in as a survivor who is not only dismissed, but vilified. With stripped down, yet […]