This was fantastic! It didn’t take me too long to fall for this rag-tag group of characThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fantastic! It didn’t take me too long to fall for this rag-tag group of characters at the heart of this story. There were some pretty big surprises worked into the story and I found the book almost impossible to set aside once I reached the final 30%. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this entertaining and exciting story.
After a catastrophe aboard a space station, this group of characters finds themselves on a very interesting spaceship fleeing for their safety. I loved just how different the characters were from each other and how they were eventually able to learn to work together and depend on one another. You couldn’t have hand-picked a group of people as diverse as this group so there were times when their personalities clashed but that was to be expected. The story is told from the point of view of various crew members so it was really easy to get to know each of these characters and find out what they are really thinking.
This story takes place in a world with a dying sun aboard a spaceship with a bit of an attitude. I thought that the world-building was incredibly well done and I loved discovering all the elements of the world along with some of the more sheltered characters. There was plenty of excitement to go around and not just one, but two, romances that kept things very interesting.
I would highly recommend this book to others! I found this book to be incredibly entertaining and loved the journey that I was able to take with a delightful group of characters. It is my understanding that this is the first book in a planned trilogy and I cannot wait to see what is in store in the next installment!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Red Tower Books....more
I liked this book even though I didn’t love it. This is one of those books that leaves This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I liked this book even though I didn’t love it. This is one of those books that leaves you questioning what is real and I would recommend trying to go into this story as blindly as possible. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I would realize that I didn’t understand a thing. Unfortunatly, this often left me feeling confused but that may not be such a bad thing because the story definitely was able to keep me guessing.
Proctor Bennett is a ferryman which means that he helps people on their final journey or retirement. When he is assigned to do this for his own father things take a turn when his father tells him something that leaves him questioning everything. I did not see coming and I was kind of amazed by the direction that the story went and I liked the fact that this book was able to completely surprise me.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that both of the narrators did a great job with their vocal performances. I thought that both of their voices fit the story well and I liked the fact that they were both able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I thought that both of their voices were very pleasant and I had no problem listening for hours at a time.
I do think that a lot of readers will enjoy this one even more than I did. This was a well-done science fiction tale that kept me questioning everything until the very end. I do hope to read more of this author’s work sometime soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Ballantine Books and Penguin Random House Audio....more
I had a fantastic time with this book! I read because I want to be entertained and thisThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had a fantastic time with this book! I read because I want to be entertained and this book did just that in a spectacular fashion. I was hooked from the first page and just couldn’t get enough of this story. In a lot of ways, this is the book that I didn’t know that I needed. I am so glad that this book found its way into my hands.
The book kicks off in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jamie finds himself being a delivery driver for the same food app he had been working for in a more professional role before losing that job. He learns about a new potential job from one of his customers and decides to go for it. All he knows is that he will be working with large animals and his job will be to lift things. Before long, Jaime is in an alternate version of Earth that is filled with gigantic Godzilla-like creatures called kaiju. The work can be dangerous and Jaime seems to be in the middle of things more often than not.
There was so much that I liked bout this book. There was a lot of entertaining action in this incredibly uniquely crafted world. The book was rather funny. I loved the sense of humor that wove its way throughout the book. The characters were great and I really wanted to see things work out for them. Even the villain was well-done and quite easy to hate. Throw in a few science fiction references and you have this entertaining little book.
I would highly recommend this book to others. It was the kind of story that is just fun to lose yourself in for a little while. I am definitely going to have to read more of this author’s work very soon.
This was good! I like Blake Crouch’s brand of scientific thrillers. I can’t tell you ifThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was good! I like Blake Crouch’s brand of scientific thrillers. I can’t tell you if the science in this story is completely accurate or not but I can tell you that the story was incredibly exciting and I was entertained. I know that I have heard debates about whether we should be altering genes and liked that this book took the possibilities of gene altering to the next level.
I liked Logan a lot. He works for the GPA, Gene Protective Agency, which works to stop rogue scientists from doing work with genes. On a raid, he is knocked out and ends up in the hospital. He goes home and starts to notice that he is able to do things he couldn’t before. Eventually, he finds out that he has been upgraded and seems to be improving every day. That is just the start of things getting weird. This book was really exciting and kept me guessing. Once I started this book, I did not want to stop and ended up finishing it in just a couple of days.
I believe that this is the first time that I have had the chance to listen to Henry Levya’s narration and I must say that I am impressed. I found his voice very easy to listen to and did just that for hours at a time. I thought that he added a lot of excitement to the story and I liked the character voices that he used. I would not hesitate to listen to this narrator’s work again in the future.
I would recommend this book to others. I didn’t like this one quite as much as Dark Matter or Recursion but I did find it to be a very solid thriller. I do hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Ballantine Books via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
Initial Thoughts I liked this one. I did like some parts of the book more than others. I thought that the book started out very strong and I was hooked pretty quickly. The premise was fascinating and I liked Logan a lot. I felt that the second half of the book wasn't quite as strong as the first half, but I still found it to be worthwhile. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did an excellent job with the story....more
I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie MThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie Mihalik’s books so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book which is the start of a new series. This book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I was completely entertained by this well-done story.
After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.
I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.
I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager....more
This was great! Who knew that I needed science fiction horror in my life?! I was more tThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was great! Who knew that I needed science fiction horror in my life?! I was more than ready for every creepy moment this book had to offer and had a really hard time putting the book down once I started reading. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was happening to Claire and her crew. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.
Claire and her small crew are finishing up their last mission when they encounter a distress signal. They decide to check it out and are shocked to discover a luxury ship that has been missing for 20 years. They decide to make a claim on the ship which means they must retrieve something specific to the ship to prove their claim. Strange things start happening from the moment they board the ship. The more time they spend on the ship the worse things get. Each member of the 5 person crew is seeing things that are not there and hearing things all while surrounded by evidence of the horror that came before.
I loved the way that this book kept me guessing. I wanted to know what was going on with Claire and the rest of the team. I was also very curious about what happened that caused the ship to go missing so many years ago. Claire was a complex character with a very interesting past. The story was incredibly exciting with enough action and suspense to keep me glued to the pages. I liked the way that the book was laid out in two timelines so that some of the things that would happen were foreshadowed but even more questions were raised.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be an intense and thrilling read that kept me guessing and left me speechless. I will definitely be looking for more work by this talented author.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Tor Nightfire....more
I really enjoyed this book! I decided to read this book simply because it sounded interThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really enjoyed this book! I decided to read this book simply because it sounded interesting. I liked the idea of people coming together to save the world and there is some of that in this book. This book is more than that though. I really felt like it was a realistic view of what would happen on our planet if we knew that annihilation was a real possibility. I really liked the way this story came together and found this book to be both entertaining and thought-provoking.
This book is told from many points of view and I think this style of storytelling was very effective for this particular story. We get to see how people in different areas are dealing with the crisis. Each character's story helps to paint an overall picture of what was really happening in the world. We meet Ben who is a scientist who has been put in charge of the plan to try to destroy the comet heading towards earth. Love is an interpreter who helps to make it possible for scientists from all over the world to work together on this mission. Zhen is an engineer from China who shows real leadership just when it matters the most. Jack is on a Coast Guard ship as a photojournalist, while Maya is on the same ship as a scientist. Each character felt really authentic and I liked the fact that we often learn more about their past after getting to know them in their present.
This is a rather bleak story at times. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of painting a picture of just how far people will go when they are desperate. In this story, we see some people at their absolute worst and others sacrificing everything in order to give the world a chance. The descriptions within this story were incredibly well done and vivid. I really felt for some of these characters as they faced impossible odds and terrible situations.
I would recommend this book to others. There are some rather graphic scenes that may be too much for some readers but I thought that it was very well done and realistic. I found this to be a book that was rather hard to put down at times and I am glad that I decided to take this journey. I definitely plan to read more of Claire Holroyde's work in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing....more
I really enjoyed this book! I was drawn to this book both by its fabulous cover and itsThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really enjoyed this book! I was drawn to this book both by its fabulous cover and its description. I just love a good end of the world story and this one sounded different than others I have read. I found this book to be engaging from the start and before long it became impossible to put down. I found this book to be quite entertaining as well as thought-provoking and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to give it a try.
This book is told from several points of view. First, we meet Nico who has spent the first 18 years of her life in a locked up farmhouse with her parents and their dog, Harry. Now her mother is gone and her father says that it is time that she goes on a journey to Manchester. Kit is a 12-year-old boy who has lived his life in a movie theatre and elementary school in a small town. Eventually, he begins his own journey with two others in hopes of finding a safe zone. We also occasionally get to see the Deliverer's point of view. The Deliverer is rather mysterious but has delivered goods to Nico's family for years and seems to know exactly what to do at times.
The characters in this book were very well done. It was easy to care about Nico, Kit, and the rest of the characters because they were all inherently good people. There are still bad people in the world and our group of characters has a few difficult run-ins but the main obstacle is really the harshness of the world. The supporting characters were fantastic and I love that we got to see how much they care for each other and that they still have hope.
I found this book to very original. The swarms of Flies were more frightening than I could have imagined and the flu is just as deadly. This is a very dangerous world that these characters must navigate. Just when I thought I had a good understanding of what was happening, the author took the story to a whole new level. The science-fiction elements are very strong in this story and I was completely captivated by the complexity of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This was a book that was very hard to put down. I loved the way that the story took unexpected turns that made me question everything that had happened before. I will definitely be reading more of David Arnold's work in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Viking Books for Young Readers via Bookish First....more
I really enjoyed this book. I picked this one up as a freebie on Audible and decided toThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I really enjoyed this book. I picked this one up as a freebie on Audible and decided to listen to it right away. Unfortunately by the time I got around to writing my review, I didn't remember enough of the details to put together any kind of halfway decent collection of thoughts. It is a rather short book at just 5 hours of listening time so I decided I would just give it another listen, which is what I did.
While I read and listen to a little bit of just about every genre, I don't tend to read a lot of science fiction. I did appreciate the futuristic world that this story was set in. I liked the technology that was worked into the story. Even the cats in this story were not the normal cats like I have come across in my life. These cats work as a team and treat Shining as their leader. I liked the way that the world-building gradually built over the course of the story with each piece of information adding to the overall world.
I thought that this book was exciting. There was a lot going on and it is obvious from the very beginning that things are looking bad for Shining and the gang. As the story progressed, I realized just how much danger they were really in. I liked the way that the past that brought the characters to this point in their life was worked into the story and I thought that it really helped me get to know and like the characters better.
Khristine Hvam did a fabulous job with the narration. I thought that she did a great job with all of the character voices and was able to add a lot of excitement to the story. She read the story with a very pleasant voice and read at a perfect pace. I think that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a great story filled with great characters and just the right amount of action. This is the first book in the Junkyard Cats series and I look forward to reading future installments.
Initial Thoughts This was really well done. I have had Faith Hunter's books on my tbr for years but haven't picked one up before starting this audiobook yesterday. I ended up having a fantastic time with this story. I thought that the premise of the story was very unique and I thought that the world-building was very well done. I thought that the characters were great and I wanted to see Shining Smith come out of the situation she found herself okay. I thought that the narrator really brought the story to life which added to my enjoyment.
I had a really good time with this book. This is the second book in the Nightchaser serThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I had a really good time with this book. This is the second book in the Nightchaser series which is a series that is best read in order since this book picks up shortly after the events of the first installment. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was pretty eager to see what Tess and Shade would face in this installment. I found this book to be enjoyable from beginning to end.
One of the things that I really liked about this book is that there was a lot of action from the start. Tess, Shade, and the rest of the crew seem to always find themselves in dangerous situations and it was fun finding out how they deal with each situation. There were times that it was almost impossible to set the book aside because I was so caught up in the action of the story. I thought that the action in this story found the perfect balance with the more romantic and character-focused parts of the book.
Tess and Shade are both characters and I think that they really do make a great pair. They work well together and seem to be able to handle almost any situation. They are both able to think outside the box and will do what is needed to reach their goals and keep each other safe. I liked that this story is told from both Tess and Shade's point of view because I feel like we really got to know exactly what each of them was thinking. It was fun to watch their relationship continue to develop in this installment.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a really well-done science fiction romance filled with wonderful characters. This story had a lot of action and more than a few twists and turns to keep things interesting. I cannot wait to read the next book in this exciting series.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts I really enjoyed this book. This book picks up shortly after the events in the first book so I do think that this is a series that is best when read in order. This story was exciting with a lot of action and I loved seeing Shade and Tess grow closer to each other. I really liked seeing the whole cast of characters interact and enjoyed the addition of a few new additions. There were a lot of pretty be revelations and developments in this book and I am eager to see how things will play out in the next installment. ...more
Wow! This was such a unique concept that was executed in a completely entertaining mannThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
Wow! This was such a unique concept that was executed in a completely entertaining manner. I knew that I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw that it was being published. I was very impressed with Blake Crouch's Dark Matter and I wanted to see if this new book would be as entertaining. Once I really started reading this book, I didn't want to stop. I really had a great time with this one.
Helena is a scientist. She has made a chair that she hopes will preserve memories for individuals with Alzheimer's or other ailments that produce problems with memory. Her chair ends up doing something a bit more. This chair has the ability to propel individuals back into their memories. Unfortunately, everyone connected to the events that are changed is left with memories of both timelines. Barry is a New York City police officer. He has been dealing with a lot of cases of False Memory Syndrome while on the job and he decides to look into the phenomena a bit further. He has no idea what is really going on but what he learns shocks him.
I found the entire premise of this book to be very well done. It was somewhat complicated and I found myself really trying to figure out how things would work out. I think that the characters' desperation to change events and correct mistakes was perfectly illustrated and I couldn't help but cheer them on. I think that this story really proved how big of an impact even a small change in our lives can make and how important our memories are.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This was a very thought-provoking journey filled with fantastic characters and a lot of emotion. I cannot wait to read more from this wonderful author!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Crown Publishing via NetGalley.
Initial Thoughts Wow! This was such a unique concept and executed in a completely entertaining manner. The idea of time and memory and having the power to change the past. This was exciting and made me think. I am not totally in love with how it ended but I understood why that was how it was written. ...more
I had a great time with this newest installment in the Murderbot Diaries series. After This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I had a great time with this newest installment in the Murderbot Diaries series. After reading the previous three installments in the series, I knew that I was going to have to read about Murderbot's further adventures just as soon as I could. This is a novella length piece that could easily be read in a single evening. I do think that this series is best read in order since this newest entry touched on things that happened in previous adventures quite often. This story was everything that I had hoped it would be.
Everything comes full circle in the series with Murderbot working to help Dr. Mensah who we met in the first installment. As soon as the SecUnit finds out that Dr. Mensah is in trouble, immediate plans are made to get close and offer assistance. Things are pretty tense at times and there is a whole lot of excitement that had me at the edge of my seat.
I loved seeing how much Murderbot has grown over the course of the series. There are feelings in this book. Real feelings. Everyone's favorite SecUnit seems to be having a whole lot of feelings for an anti-social cyborg. There is a lot more interaction with others that is done quite willingly and there are times with the SecUnit is willing to self-sacrifice if necessary. I love Murderbot's internal dialogue and really appreciated its sense of humor.
I would recommend this series to others. I think that this book had a great blend of excitement and action. I am so glad that I have had the chance to go along with Murderbot as it tries to find its place in the world. I will definitely be reading any future books in the series.
I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.
Initial Thoughts Another fun adventure with Murderbot! Things have come full circle for Murderbot as the focus is on rescuing Dr. Mensah. The stakes are high and the risk to Murderbot is significant. The SecUnit has a bunch of feelings and isn't sure what to do with any of them. The story is once again filled with a wonderful sense of humor.
This was another great installment in the series! These stories have been a lot of fun This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was another great installment in the series! These stories have been a lot of fun and I have found that each one tells a really big story in a rather small number of pages. Murderbot is on another mission in this installment that kept me glued to the pages once again.
Murderbot wants to find out what is really going on with the GrayCris Corporation. The SecUnit poses as a security consultant when it encounters a group of people off to explore an abandoned facility. The group has a bot, Miki, that they consider to be their friends which is somewhat confusing (and annoying) to Murderbot. Of course, things go wrong and there is lots of action and excitement as Murderbot works to help save the day.
I really enjoyed seeing Murderbot interact with Miki who was a very different kind of bot. Murderbot has seen people at their worst and expects for problems to occur while Miki has been treated like a trusted member of the group and seems rather innocent in its manner of thinking. I really enjoyed being inside Murderbot's head as it worked to process a solution for the problem at hand. I can't wait to start reading the next installment.
Initial Thoughts This was great! Murderbot never seems to let me down. I love how this SecUnit operates and engages with the world surrounding it. Miki was wonderful and I thought that its character really gave our SecUnit some thing to think about and consider. I love the humor worked into the story and the level of excitement that kept the pages turning.
I had a lot of fun with this story! This installment is my favorite of the three that aThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I had a lot of fun with this story! This installment is my favorite of the three that are currently available in the series. I had kind of wondered where the series was going after the way the previous installment wrapped up but I trusted that Murderbot would not let me down and I was right.
Murderbot is on a mission to find out what really happened in its past. The SecUnit decides to hitch a ridge with a transport vessel and gets a little more than it bargained for in the process. ART isn't a mindless vehicle and challenges Murderbot and offers guidance and assistance. I really loved watching this unlikely pair work together on the mission.
This story had all of the excitement and action that I have come to expect from the series. The humor really added to the story and I thought that the interaction between ART and Murderbot was oftentimes quite comical. There was a pretty solid mystery that is tackled in this installment that kept me turning the pages.
Initial Thoughts This was fun! I wondered what Murderbot's plan was at the end of the previous installment so it was great that this story picked up shortly after the first one. ART was great and I really enjoyed the interactions between ART and Murderbot. I really enjoyed the humor that was worked into the story as well.
This was great! I had a good feeling about this book when I found myself chuckling on tThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was great! I had a good feeling about this book when I found myself chuckling on the very first page. This was a story that I didn't want to start once I got started which worked out perfectly since it is short enough to be read in a couple of hours. I am glad that I finally decided to spend a little bit of time getting to know Murderbot.
Muderbot is a SecUnit that is technically rogue since it decided to hack its own governor module. Obviously, Murderbot isn't letting anyone know that its governor module has been compromised because if the Company knew they would just get things working the way that they want once again. Murderbot has developed a fondness for human media since going rogue and loves to spend long hours viewing downloaded media.
The story was pretty exciting with some unexpected surprises along the way and plenty of action. I loved Murderbot's view of the world and the humor woven into the story. This is definitely a novella that science fiction fans will not want to miss.
I won a digital copy of this book from Books of My Heart. Thanks, Anne!
Initial Thoughts This was great! This little story had everything that I hoped it would including great characters and an exciting story. There were a lot of surprises along the way and I look forward to Murderbot's future adventures.
I must say that I ended up enjoying this book quite a bit. It did take me a while to reThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I must say that I ended up enjoying this book quite a bit. It did take me a while to really get into the story but once I did I had a lot of fun with it. I was really eager to read this book since I really liked her books from the Kingmaker Chronicles trilogy. This is the first book in a brand new series that blends science fiction with romance and I think it worked really well.
Tess Bailey and her crew start out this story in a bit of trouble. They have a stolen lab attached to their ship and are about to be caught. They take a chance on a risky maneuver to escape and then need to put the pieces back together. Their ship needs a lot of work and they are wanted by the authorities. Tess runs into Shade who happens to have the skills to put her ship back together.
I did like the characters in this story quite a bit. Tess was a bit of a mystery especially as the story started but I liked her more an more as we learned more about her past. She considers her crew to be her best friends but she has kept her past hidden from even them. Tess was smart, loyal, and kind, but unsure when it came to Shade. Shade has been through some things and has made some big mistakes. I must say that I liked him right away. He seemed incredibly confident and observant. He does have a pretty big conflict of interest to contend with and I did enjoy getting the chance to peer into his head as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do.
I really did like Shade and Tess together even though it seemed to take a long time for things to start happening. I thought that they had great chemistry and their personalities seemed to mesh very nicely together. I really enjoyed the fact that they had some rather heartwarming scenes, some steamy scenes, some were filled with humor, and some with action. No matter what kind of scene they were in, it seemed that their characters just made it better because they were working together. I also really liked seeing the relationships that Tess had with her crew, who were really more like her family than anything.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys romance blended with some lighter science fiction. I think that this book is a solid first entry in what I expect will be an exciting series. I cannot wait to read more from Amanda Bouchet!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts This is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me so I am rounding up for now. It took me a bit to really get into the story but I thought that the second half of the book was pretty strong. I liked Tess, her crew, and Shade even if I didn't fully connect with any of them. I was surprised that Shade didn't even make an appearance until around the 20% mark. There was plenty of action especially as the book progressed. I am looking forward to seeing what will happen in the next installment in this series. ...more
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