Nerd Girl Loves Books

5 stars

Wow. Just. Wow.

I don’t give many 5 star ratings, but this book deserves it. Before we get any further, however, let me start by saying that this book is not for everyone. There are some very uncomfortable, controversial and disturbing things in this book. Physical and mental abuse. Drug use. Parental neglect. A couple graphic sex scenes. And most importantly, the love that develops between a 13/14 year old girl (Wavy) and 24/25 year old man (Kellen). Continue reading “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood” →

4 stars

This is the first book in the series. As with most first books in a fantasy series, there is a lot of worldbuilding. It is tedious at times, and makes the book read slow in the beginning, but once it’s done, the action takes off. Inda is the second son of a prince in a kingdom. Traditionally, the first son is the heir and rules the land and the second son is in command of the defense of the land. The heirs and second sons are trained at a brutal academy in the capital city where they are taught to command, fight and follow orders without question.

Continue reading “Inda (Inda #1) by Sherwood Smith” →

4 stars

This is the 3rd book in this series. Once again, the action takes up right where the last book ends. Inda escapes captivity with the Venn and starts to formulate a plan to fight them. When he learns that the Venn’s invasion of his homeland is imminent, Inda leaves Fox in charge of his pirate fleet, with orders to strike around the coast to give the illusion that Inda is everywhere. Inda then finally returns home, after 9 long years away. Continue reading “King’s Shield (Inda #3) by Sherwood Smith” →

3.5 stars

Surprisingly, this is my first Michael Connelly novel. I knew his books were well written, I had just not gotten around to reading any of them. His books were recommended to me by a friend, and I finally relented. This is the first book in the Harry Bosch book series. Harry is a Vietnam war veteran that works as a homicide detective in LA. A year before the book begins, he shot and killed a serial murder suspect. Continue reading “The Black Echo by Michael Connelly” →

3 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book will be released on March 7, 2017.

Hmmm… where to start. Let me start with the good. The premise of the book is interesting. Various forms of magic are very common in the kingdom of Odalia and the surrounding kingdoms. The main character, Tea, is a young girl that discovers she can wield dark magic, which includes killing horrible beasts called daeva that destroy villages and kill people, and raising people and animals from the dead. People that wield this type of magic are very rare, and are called “bone witches”. Continue reading “The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco” →

3.5 Stars

Another cute book in this series. The book picks up shortly after book #4 ends, with Eadlyn’s mother recovering from a heart attack. She quickly offers to step up as acting Regent so that her father the King can spend time with her mother as she recovers. Eadlyn is overwhelmed by the added responsibilities, in addition to continuing with the Selection. Continue reading “The Crown (The Selection#5) by Kiera Cass” →

4 Stars

Another great book in this series. The book begins right where the last book ends. Inda and some of his crew are captive on pirate Walic’s Coco. Fox warns Inda to “act stupid” so that he can stay alive. The crew slowly acclimate to life on a pirate ship until they get an opportunity to mutiny and take over the ship. Thus begins Inda’s transformation into the notorious pirate hunter “Elgar Fox”. Continue reading “The Fox (Inda #2) by Sherwood Smith” →

4 stars

This was another book club choice, and I really enjoyed it. The subject matter is not light and fluffy, but that’s ok, because it’s beautifully written. The author, Paul Kalanithi, was a 36 year old man finishing his last year of residency as a neurosurgeon when he discovers that he has stage IV lung cancer. Suddenly, his dreams of having a successful, meaningful career as a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist, husband and father are dashed. Paul makes the pivot from doctor to patient and chronicles his journey through his diagnosis, treatment and finally, his death. Continue reading “When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi” →

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars. I really enjoyed this book. The publisher describes this book as appealing to readers that enjoy Kiera Cass and Victoria Aveyard, and I would agree. The story is set in a dystopian modern England. The monarchy has been abolished and the country is run by magical aristocrats called Equals. The Equals have very powerful gifts, including controlling people’s minds and actions, reading their thoughts, blowing things up and even killing people with their minds. Everyone else must serve the Equals for a term of 10 years as slaves at some point in their life before they turn 55 years old. Most slaves serve in slave towns as laborers in manufacturing and call centers. Some slaves also serve as house servants in Equals homes. Continue reading “Gilded Cage by Vic James” →