DNF: The Medium by CJ Archer

Author: CJ Archer

Title: The Medium

Series: Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy #1

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 261

Published: June 30, 2012

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Seventeen year-old spirit medium Emily Chambers has a problem. Actually, she has several. As if seeing dead people isn't a big enough social disadvantage, she also has to contend with an escaped demon and a handsome ghost with a secret past. And then there's the question of her parentage. Being born an entire year after her father's death (yes, a year) and without the pale skin of other respectable English ladies, Emily is as much a mystery as the dead boy assigned to her.

Jacob Beaufort's spirit has been unable to crossover since his death. It might have something to do with the fact he was murdered. Or it might not. All he knows is, he has been assigned by the Otherworld's administrators to a girl named Emily. A girl who can see and touch him. A girl who released a shape-shifting demon into the mortal realm. Together they must send the demon back before it wreaks havoc on London. It should be a simple assignment, but they soon learn there's nothing simple when a live girl and a dead boy fall in love.

Review:

This won the vote for DNF 2nd Chance. I was excited to give it another chance. It just sounds SO good. 

Whelp....

This just isn't for me, I guess. I got a couple of pages further than when I tossed the towel last time. 

Jacob was nice enough, and he was kinda cool. Emily? Eh. 

I just didn't care enough to push through and see how it all ends. I tried, though, but just not the book for me. 

DNF still. Bummer.

Audiobook Review: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

Author: Jacqueline Harpman

Narrator: Nikki Massoud
Title: I Who Have Never Known Men

Genre: Dystopia, SciFi, Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Published:  January 1, 1995
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl—the fortieth prisoner—sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground.

Review:

Blodeuedd actually encouraged me to read this. I read the summary, and I HAD to check it out. 

How to even do a summary of this??

We follow a young girl and 39 other women. The young girl is writing this story. She doesn't remember how the world used to be because she was too young when their worlds were taken from them. All she remembers is this cage. She prefers to sit alone and outcasts herself in the corner.  A chance arrives, and they take it. However, life outside the cage isn't how the world used to be. They will need to work together to survive and maybe, just maybe, find answers. 

The summary does not do this book justice, but I don't want to give anything away. 

This was a wild read, but not much really happens. But at the same time, there is a lot happening, and a lot DID happen before the cage. Lots of questions and barely any answers.

I think that is the simple beauty of the story. It doesn't really matter what happened. Sure, you want to know the hows and the whys. But this is a story about being human and finding meaning in your day. This is about community and, sadly, death. Yes, it drove me insane not having all the answers, and the ending was left pretty wide open, but I have hope. 

This isn't a feel-good story. Sometimes bad things happen, and you never know why. 

This would be an excellent book for High School or a book club. SO much to discuss and analyze. 

The narrator did an excellent job. She fit the words and brought this story to life. 

I liked it a lot. It made me think. It made me feel. It's a decently quick read, and I highly recommend it. 

5 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #18

Book Review: Echoes Of The Heart by Susanne Ash

Author: Susanne Ash

Title: Echoes Of The Heart

Series: The Alphabet Sweethearts

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 56

Published: March 4, 2025

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Ben Holloway has spent his life protecting the Juniper Falls Mountain Preserve, following one rule above trust the land, not people. Raised by a single mother who warned him that everyone leaves, Ben’s past experiences have only reinforced her words. The last thing he needs is an ambitious wildlife photographer disrupting his quiet world with her bold ideas and relentless optimism.

Natalie Quinn is passionate about conservation and believes a visitor center at the preserve could inspire others to protect the wilderness. She didn’t expect her proposal to face fierce opposition from the gruff and stubborn park ranger—or to end up living under his roof after spraining her ankle during a rescue mission.

Forced to spend time together caring for an injured eagle, their sharp disagreements begin to give way to shared respect and undeniable chemistry. But when Ben’s insecurities and Natalie’s outsider status collide, old fears resurface, threatening to tear them apart.

With hearts—and the future of the preserve—on the line, Ben and Natalie must decide if they’re willing to take the ultimate trusting each other.

Review:

This is such a fun short series, and I love this town!

This time, we are following Natalie and Ben. The two love nature and want to protect it, but they have HUGE disagreements about how to do so. During a rescue mission to save an injured eagle, she sprains herself in the process. Ben saves her, saving an eagle, and now he's taking care of both. They realize how much they actually have in common and how much chemistry is between the two. However, Ben has deep insecurities, and Natalie is an "outsider" who will probably not stay. 

I liked this one. Natalie and Ben are sweet. They both care about nature. However, their ideas of conserving nature are vastly different. He wants to lock nature away and keep anyone from it. Natalie wants to make it open to the public to teach the people. Educate the next generation! 

Very sweet, and I loved watching them fall into friendship and then love. It was quick, but it worked for them after being stuck with each other. 

But yes, I can't wait for more from this town. It's sweet and quick. 

5 stars for this. 

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Series: Hoid's Travails (#2), The Cosmere Universe (#18)

Format: 365 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2023 by Gollancz

FantasyScifi/own

I am conflicted, I love Sanderson, but it is just...this was sort of dull.

I love the idea of it. Two worlds, two souls that visit each other. Yumi is powerful for her people and not really allowed to do anything except get spirits to come. Then she ends up in another world and meets Painter, but as their souls kind of switched he is kind of a ghosts. Painter as she calls him protects sleeping people from living nightmares, but now he cant do anything. Except when he is in her world, where he is in her body and there he is helpless too and the people wonder why she can not bring out spirits anymore.

BUT, I do not know, I was kind of meh about the whole thing. I did not give up, cos hello Sanderson. But for me this was not one of his better ones

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster??