Friday, August 28, 2015

Blog Tour (Review): The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie (ARC) #giveaway #historicalfiction #TLCBookTours @AtriaBooks

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Title: The Sisters of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #1)
Author:
Sally Christie
Publisher: Atria (Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours

A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, France’s most “well-beloved” monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed.

Goodness, but sisters are a thing to fear.

Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters—Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne—four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.

Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed as various factions put their best foot—and women—forward. The King’s scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, the four sisters—sweet, naïve Louise; ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne—will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.

In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour. Based on meticulous research on a group of women never before written about in English, Sally Christie’s stunning debut is a complex exploration of power and sisterhood—of the admiration, competition, and even hatred that can coexist within a family when the stakes are high enough.


My Review

As most of you know, I love and adore, and love some more, historical fiction. The Sisters of Versailles is my very favorite sort of historical fiction because it's about real people and has a little bit of romance. It reads more like a diary than a fictionalized account (though I'm sure it is) similar to what Philippa Gregory writes.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Audiobook Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente #giveaway

13 comments:


Title: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1)
Author:
Catherynne M. Valente, Ana Juan (Illustrator)
Narrator: Catherynne M. Valente
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan)
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Acquired Via:
Personal Collection

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn't . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan,
Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when author Catherynne M. Valente first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

My Review

I've been meaning to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for years, but I've kept putting it off. I have owned copies on and off over the years. I truly believe the time was right when I finally did read it because The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland was exactly what I needed. I am in no way exaggerating when I tell you that when it comes to adventures in a magical land, it's right up there with The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Blog Tour (Guest Post): #ChasingSecrets by Gennifer Choldenko #giveaway #historicalfiction @randomhousekids

2 comments:


Title: Chasing Secrets
Author:
Gennifer Choldenko
Publisher: Wendy Lambe Books (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: August 4, 2015

Newbery Honor–winning author Gennifer Choldenko deftly combines humor, tragedy, fascinating historical detail, and a medical mystery in this exuberant new novel.

San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.

The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.


Guest Post

One of the best things about writing for kids is I get to read books I love to read and that fascinate my characters. I picked up a nonfiction book about rats partly for Jimmy Mattaman from the Al Capone books and partly because I’m partial to quirky facts. While reading Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants, I discovered there was a plague outbreak in San Francisco in 1900. I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay area most of my adult life, and I’d never heard of a plague outbreak here, so I immediately became interested.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Library of Souls #STAYPECULIAR Tour Information & #Giveaway!

1 comment:
Did you see Ransom Riggs's tour announcement? If not, he's headed out on a 5-city LIBRARY OF SOULS #STAYPECULIAR TOUR visiting NYC, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Each event will have surprises and awesome guests. And since Ransom's only visiting 5-cities and not everyone lives close by, Quirk is running a sweepstakes for a chance to win a VIP trip to see Ransom at one of his tour cities! (How exciting is that?!) It's an easy sweepstakes to enter, peculiarize yourself, post it on Instagram, Twitter, etc. with #staypeculiar, and share your link with Quirk at www.quirkbooks.com/los.

The Tour




The Book



Title: Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #3)
Author:
Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: September 22, 2015

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond
Google Play | iTunes | Kobo



About the Author

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Blog Tour (Review & #Giveaway): #TheUninvited by Cat Winters #historicalfiction #TLCBookTours #BibPleaseReview

3 comments:


Title: The Uninvited
Author:
Cat Winters
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (HarperCollins)
Release Date: August 11, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours

Twenty-five-year-old Ivy Rowan rises from her sickbed after being struck by the great influenza epidemic of 1918, only to discover that the world has been torn apart in just a few short days.

But Ivy's lifelong gift—or curse—remains. She sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked for and unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918, Ivy sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother's chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death in the Great War of Ivy's other brother, Billy.

Horrified, she leaves home and soon realizes that the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for today, because they could be stricken by nightfall. She even enters into a relationship with the murdered German man's brother, Daniel Schendel. But as her "uninvited guests" begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once again, and terrifying secrets will unfold.


My Review

I know I've said before that I tend to avoid American historical fiction when I'm choosing my reading materials, but I had no problem with picking up The Uninvited by Cat Winters because I enjoyed her writing in her debut, In the Shadow of Blackbirds. The writing in The Uninvited was just as good, if not better, because putting the book down and doing other things (like work) made me pretty angry.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Review: The de Valery Code by Darcy Burke #historicalromance #regency #BibPleaseReview #5starreview @kimheniadis

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Title: The de Valery Code (Regency Treasure Hunters #1)
Author:
Darcy Burke
Publisher: Intrepid Reads
Release Date: August 18, 2014
Acquired Via:
Author

In the quest for fortune, love may be the greatest prize...

Miss Margery Derrington and her dear aunts are in dire straits. Their discovery of a rare medieval manuscript will hopefully stave off their creditors—if it’s worth what they hope. Margery reluctantly allies with a reclusive scholar to use the book to pursue a treasure that could exceed her expectations. Amidst danger, secrets, and an insatiable attraction, is Margery gambling just her financial future...or her heart?

Academic Rhys Bowen can’t believe he has his hands on the elusive de Valery text. Solving its hidden code and unearthing its legendary treasure would establish him as one of Britain’s leading antiquarians, finally casting him out of his brilliant late father’s shadow. But when a centuries-old organization convinces Rhys of the perils of disturbing the past, he must choose between his conscience…and the captivating woman he’s sworn to help.

My Review

I was very excited when I received a copy of The de Valery Code. I’ve been reading Darcy Burke’s Ribbon Ridge series and have been enjoying it, so I was eager to try one of her historical romances. And the Regency Treasure Hunters series was a perfect one with which to start. I have always enjoyed stories regarding treasure hunting. I can not even begin to count how many times I have watched the various Indiana Jones movies. And I also enjoy the Arthurian legends, though my interests lie more toward Morgan Le Fay and Merlin.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson (ARC) #yalit #historicalfiction #atwtours #BibPleaseReview @epicreads

1 comment:


Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1)
Author:
Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush–era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.


My Review

I am always chastising myself for judging a book by its cover, but that is precisely the reason why I chose to read Walk on Earth a Stranger. At one glance, I assumed it would be some magical fantasy and was on board. However, I soon found out that Walk on Earth a Stranger was not only historical fiction, but American historical fiction, which is my very least favorite of all. If I had paid enough attention to know what the book was about, I would have passed it over in a heartbeat.

It is a strange feeling to be humbled by a book.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (118): Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan #wow #yalit #fantasy #2016release

12 comments:

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: Sword and Verse
Author:
Kathy MacMillan
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)
Release Date: January 19, 2016

In a sweeping fantasy that award-winning author Franny Billingsley called "fascinating and unique," debut author Kathy MacMillan weaves palace intrigue and epic world building to craft a tale for fans of Rae Carson and Megan Whalen Turner.

Raisa was just a child when she was sold into slavery in the kingdom of Qilara. Before she was taken away, her father had been adamant that she learn to read and write. But where she now lives, literacy is a capital offense for all but the nobility. The written language is closely protected, and only the King, Prince, Tutor, and Tutor-in-training are allowed to learn its very highest form. So when she is plucked from her menial labor and selected to replace the last Tutor-in-training, who was executed, Raisa knows that betraying any hint of her past could mean death.

Keeping her secret guarded is hard enough, but the romance that's been blossoming between her and Prince Mati isn't helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground rebel army—to help liberate the city's slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.



I could say some ugly things about similar books that have left me unsatisfied, so I'll just say that I'm hoping this one is a home run. *crosses fingers*

What are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors That Kim Reads the Most #toptentuesday #adultfiction #uf #cozymystery #scifi

2 comments:

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors Who Kim Has Read the Most



1. Janet Evanovich
Author of the Stephanie Plum series

I’ve read 21 books in her Stephanie Plum series, but I should have stopped around book 13. I keep reading them hoping they will get back to the funny, awesome books there were at the beginning. I’ve also read two books in her Lizzy and Diesel series.





2. Jim Butcher
Author of the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series

I’ve read all of the Dresden Files (16 so far), two books of the Codex Alera series, and the first book in the Cinder Spires series, The Aeronaut’s Windlass, which is coming out the end of September.



Monday, August 10, 2015

Blog Tour (#Giveaway): Naked by Eliza Redgold #NakedBlogTour #LadyGodiva #HistoricalFiction @hfvbt @ElizaRedgold @StMartinsPress

26 comments:

Naked Blog Tour Schedule



Title: Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva
Author:
Eliza Redgold
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Macmillan)
Release Date: July 14, 2015

We know her name. We know of her naked ride. We don't know her true story.

We all know the legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. So the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. Lord Leofric demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. There are various endings to Godiva's ride, that all the people of Coventry closed their doors and refused to look upon their liege lady (except for 'peeping Tom') and that her husband, in remorse, lifted the tax.

Naked is an original version of Godiva's tale with a twist that may be closer to the truth: by the end of his life Leofric had fallen deeply in love with Lady Godiva. A tale of legendary courage and extraordinary passion, Naked brings an epic story new voice.


Advance Praise

“Redgold’s variation on this enticing legend is often lyrical and offers a satisfying blend of history, lore, and romance.” - Booklist

“Breathes new life into the story of the woman who would stop at nothing to protect her land and people.” - Romantic Times

“NAKED delivers far more than the famous ride of Lady Godiva. It’s a beautifully woven story of love, loyalty, and the determination of a young woman trying to protect her people and their way of life, no matter the price. Godiva is a wonderfully strong woman in an age of dangerous men, and in NAKED, she certainly meets her match!” - Amalia Carosella, author of Helen of Sparta

“A wonderful, romantic retelling of the Lady Godiva legend. There is the colorful Anglo-Saxon backdrop, warriors, battles, peacemaking, desire, revenge and love – everything a fan of medieval romance could desire – plus a strong-willed heroin. Written with a lyrical lilt to her prose, Redgold adds realism to the myth and love to the lusty tale, allowing readers a glimpse into what might have been.” - RT Book Reviews

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound
iTunes | Kobo



About the Author

Friday, August 7, 2015

Audiobook Review: Alive by Scott Sigler #dystopia #scifi #thriller #yalit #audiobook #booktrailer

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Title: Alive (The Generations Trilogy #1)
Author:
Scott Sigler
Narrator: Emma Galvin
Publisher: Del Rey (Penguin Random House)
Audio Publisher: Empty Set Entertainment
Release Date: June 14, 2015
Acquired Via:
Audible

For fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising comes a gripping sci-fi adventure in which a group of teenagers wake up in a mysterious corridor with no knowledge of who they are or how they got trapped. Their only hope lies with an indomitable young woman who must lead them not only to answers but to survival.

“I open my eyes to darkness. Total darkness. I hear my own breathing, but nothing else. I lift my head . . . it thumps against something solid and unmoving. There is a board right in front of my face. No, not a board . . . a lid.”

A teenage girl awakens to find herself trapped in a coffin. She has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Fighting her way free brings little relief—she discovers only a room lined with caskets and a handful of equally mystified survivors. Beyond their room lies a corridor filled with bones and dust, but no people . . . and no answers.

She knows only one thing about herself—her name, M. Savage, which was engraved on the foot of her coffin—yet she finds herself in charge. She is not the biggest among them, or the boldest, but for some reason the others trust her. Now, if they’re to have any chance, she must get them to trust one another.

Whatever the truth is, she is determined to find it and confront it. If she has to lead, she will make sure they survive. Maybe there’s a way out, a rational explanation, and a fighting chance against the dangers to come. Or maybe a reality they cannot comprehend lies just beyond the next turn.


Book Trailer


My Review

Alive was my first book to read by Scott Sigler, though he is a great favorite of many of my friends. It was a good starting place for me because it is horror without too much gore, among many other things that I would hate to spoil. (Yes, I will be cutting off many thoughts because of fear of spoiling the book.) I will say that I saw many of the twists in the book coming, though it did not make them any less enjoyable.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Review: Only In My Dreams by Darcy Burke #romance #adultlit #BibPleaseReview @AvonImpulse @KHeniadis

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Title: Only In My Dreams (Ribbon Ridge #1)
Author:
Darcy Burke
Publisher: Avon Impulse (HarperCollins)
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Acquired Via:
Publisher

From USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke comes a sexy and emotional family saga about seven siblings who reunite in a small Oregon town to fulfill their brother's dying wish ... and find love in unexpected places.

Fed up with her self-imposed single life, successful event planner Sara Archer heads to a bar for a night of dancing … and bumps into Dylan Westcott, a high school crush she hasn't seen in years. Harmless flirting leads to a hot, completely uncharacteristic one-night stand. But when she wakes up alone, Sara knows there won't be a repeat.

Dylan, a divorced, ex-military construction contractor, limits himself to casual flings—his failed marriage proves he's better off alone anyway—but he can't stop dreaming about Sara. And when his firm is hired to oversee the renovation project run by the Archer siblings, the two are unable to resist their explosive chemistry.

But when their secret affair grows beyond "friends with benefits" and neither is willing to admit they want more, family drama and emotional scars may ruin their chance at a love they believed was only in their dreams.


My Review

Only In My Dreams is the first full length book in the Ribbon Ridge series. The novella, Where the Heart is, introduces the reader to this series.

The book quickly starts out with a bang after Sara sees Dylan at a Western bar, and she decides to do something completely out of her character, have a one night stand. The very steamy sex scene was a great way to start the story. I’ve read that the best relationships start out when you are friends first. But sometimes you are just so attracted to each other, you just have to go with the flow. And if you become friends after, all the better.

Waiting on Wednesday (117): The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine #yalit #WoW

6 comments:

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Title: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1)
Author:
C.J. Redwine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Release Date: February 23, 2016

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.



It's a fairy tale retelling - what more could I ask for? Redwine has been on my TBR for ages, so this is as good of a place to start as any.

What are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Release Day #Giveaway: The Scorch Trials Movie Tie-in Edition by James Dashner #MazeRunner #ScorchTrials

5 comments:




Title: The Scorch Trials Movie Tie-in Edition (The Maze Runner #2)
Author:
James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)
Movie Tie-In Release Date: August 4, 2015

Read the second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series that is soon to be a motion picture, hitting theaters September 18, 2015, and is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. This special movie tie-in hardcover edition features a foreword by Wes Ball, director of the movie, and an eight-page full-color insert with photos from the film. The first book, The Maze Runner, is now a movie featuring the star of MTV’s Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster! Also look for James Dashner’s newest series: the Mortality Doctrine that includes The Eye of Minds and The Rule of Thoughts.

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end.

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch–the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction–and they’re determined to survive.


About the Edition

The movie tie-in edition of The Scorch Trials includes the original novel and features movie art on the cover, as well as an 8-page full-color insert with photos from the film and a foreword by director Wes Ball. The paperback edition will also include a sticker. The Maze Runner movie, which debuted last fall, was an international success, grossing over $340 million worldwide at the box office. The release of the second film in the franchise is highly anticipated, with fan favorites such as Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) joining original cast members Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Ki Hong Lee. The buzz continues to build on a daily basis.

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond
Google Play | iTunes | Kobo



About the Author

Monday, August 3, 2015

The DNF Files (2) - Kayla Edition #Giveaway #DNFfiles

9 comments:
Again, I've been throwing aside books left and right because of limited reading time due to more responsibilities and having a lot more reading deadlines. I feel guilty about not giving some of these books more of a chance because they really do seem good. Excepting one, these books are ones that I intend to go back to at some point. If you loved any of these, let me know, and maybe I can move them back up the TBR to reread.

DNF #1

Title: The Great Zoo of China
Author: Matthew Reilly
Publisher: Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Acquired Via:
Publisher

In the blockbuster and bestselling tradition of Jurassic Park comes the breakneck new adventure from the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Matthew Reilly whose imaginative, cinematic thrillers “make you feel like a kid again; [they’re] a blast” (Booklist).

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years. They have proven the existence of dragons—a landmark discovery no one could ever believe is real, and a scientific revelation that will amaze the world. Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing findings within the greatest zoo ever constructed.

A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see these fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr. Cassandra Jane “CJ” Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles. The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that the dragons are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong.

Of course it can’t...


Why It Didn't Work

I love Michael Crichton's work, so I thought The Great Zoo of China would be a sure thing for me. I zipped through the first few chapters, and I was completely hooked. However, the gore started quickly, and it got to be a little too much for me. This is the one that I can't see myself trying to read again because I tend to avoid an overabundance of blood and guts in books. *shrugs* Maybe the writing will be enough for you.