Thursday Book Teaser: Gracianna

Happy Thursday everyone. How is everyone's week going? Mine has been sort of stressing this week. Sighs. However, things are looking up...maybe....we shall see.

For this week I'll be sharing a teaser for you from the book Gracianna by Trini Amador. 

Starting Location: Paragraph 2

"The empty bar became very quiet and, as he stood just outside the door wavering, the last two couples got up and left on cue. There were hugs and kisses from couples, and 'au reviors' and light jackets and scarves, and lights going off in the kitchen and bartenders instantly pushing glasses and cloths across clean bars, while all looked at each other to see what Gracianna would do. Within four minutes, the place was dead, with music turned down and lights lowered as well. The 'last' bartender went out as Gracianna headed to her 'office' for supplies. It was all an act. She knew her fellow resisters were still close by. 

Marceau, relieved, passed the officer coming back in as he walked out and made it clear, 'you are on your own,' as he gestured to the officer, 'no more drink.' The officer waved him off as inconsequential. Marceau just gave him the 'I'm tired, do as you wish' wave."

Book Review: The Road

Author: Cormac McCarthy
Title: The Road
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Drama, Classic
Pages: ebook
First Published: Janurary 1st, 2006
Where I Got It: Borrowed ebook from my local library

"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other."



I swore I typed up a review for the movie of this book. I watched the movie a few months ago (before ever knowing it was a book) with Boyfriend. I thought I made a review for it. Huh. How odd. Maybe I'll do some more digging. Golly....my brain is fried so I wouldn't be surprised if that review never existed....

ANYWAYS....

I technically had to read this for my Contemporary Literature class, but since I had this on my TBR list it seemed like an excellent excuse to put this on the front burner and get it read now. haha. Funny how life works. 

This was super, super dark. Super gloomy and super depressing at parts. I recommend that you need to have a thick skin to read this, because there are a few scenes that are rather disturbing. I love it. Okay, I don't love all the cannibals and the putting infants on a roast spit, but I love how McCarthy didn't shy away from the truth. If there was a huge disaster and 99% of animals and vegetation were destroyed, yes, the people that survived would turn to desperate measures. People would lose all of their humanity and become little better then animals in starvation mode. It's a shitty world and people do shitty things.

Simple truth. Which I'm so glad McCarthy didn't try buttering anything up. However, there is a light of hope in this world. The Boy (and one can argue the Father shows this once in a while) has a golden heart and is filled with goodness. He has hope. I can't spoil the end, but I will say that...there is goodness out in the world. Small as it is, it is there. 

Another good thing about this book, it wasn't long at all. It took me virtually no time to finish (took me a long time to actually sit down and write this review though). I am thankful for McCarthy doing this, because it was a hard book to get done. It was rather simple in writing, it was just emotionally hard to get through from time to time. Just some scenes made me shake my head and have to walk away for a moment. Which...I'm glad the author also included some happy memories and flashbacks, which temporarily added the sun to this ashen world of terribleness. 

In the end, it was a good book. I feel that the movie and this are near equal. Some parts of the movie were better and some parts of the book were better. This may have been a dark novel to read, but if you are an avid (adult) reader I highly suggest this. You may not fall in love with it, I know I didn't, but it really makes you think. I also highly suggest this to those who love the classics. This is a modern day classic and will be remembered throughout literature. Out of five stars I shall give this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): The Son
Not-so Favorite Character(s): The Woman (what a selfish, selfish bitch)  

Happy, Super, Late Halloween! + Some Poetry

Totally been insanely busy with homework, so I've neglected you all. WAAAAAAAH!
But
Happy Halloween! (a wee bit delayed).

In honor of Halloween, I wrote up a poem. I hope you enjoy it!

Halloween

by: Carole Rae

A windy night
A windy night
Fright fills the night air.

A joyous laugh
A joyous laugh
Rings in the night air.

Come sing with us,
Come dance with us,
We children of the night.

A masquerade
A masquerade
Hide your face for the night.

A windy night
A windy night
Enjoy the crisp and cool air.

Come sing with us,
Come dance with us
On this dark and lovely Halloween night.

Book Review: Ghost of Lost Eagle by Dean Sault

Author: Dean Sault
Title: Ghost of Lost Eagle (#1 Sweetwater Canyon Series)
Genre: Adventure, Western, and Romance
Pages: ebook
First Published: July 8th, 2013
Where I Got It: Given to me by the publisher/author for an honest and unbiased review

"Mason "Tuck" Tucker meets Sass Thornton when she saves him from death in a flash flood. She dubs him "dumb-ass" for entering a box canyon during a rain storm. It is a label he will hear many times as she fights against her own unwanted attraction to him.

Sass's father, Phil, owns the cattle ranch and has been keeping two secrets from his daughter. Despite her contempt for Tuck, the father hires him to run the bunkhouse and control growing racial tension between white cowhands and Mexican vaqueros who work for him. Tuck surprises Phil with his easy, yet tough, management skill. The old man takes Tuck into his confidence and reveals a deadly truth about a killer who is terrorizing the bunkhouse residents.

Throughout the book, Tuck is haunted by howls of a lone wolf and life-like dreams of an old Indian ghost named Lost Eagle. The spirit medicine man wakes Tuck when he is in danger and repeatedly warns the young man about a coming destiny he must face. Ironically, that destiny will force Tuck to choose life or death for the Indian ghost as well as another.

Read what happens when the ghost of Lost Eagle, the lone wolf spirit guide and Tuck's new found love, Sass, come together in a life and death struggle. How does the murderer in the bunkhouse seek revenge against Sass and her father? Will Tuck leave the woman he loves to save the aunt who raised him, the only mother he’s ever known?"

Like earlier stated I was given this to read and review for the author/publisher for my unbiased and honest opinion.

I  honestly read this in a 24 hour period! I think I needed a good douse of western mixed with romance or something, because I just gobbled this down and nearly in one sitting at that. Kuddos to me. Also major kuddos to Dean Sault with his writing style. There is something about his writing that is so addictive. It might be because its so flowly and....not simple...but not over the top. It was an easy read and you can't help but keep reading even though your feet are falling asleep, because you haven't moved in a couple of hours. The only thing that annoyed me was there was a couple modern references that slipped in. It happens to everyone. Plus I only noticed a couple terms and etc.

More kuddos to Dean Sault for adding a little supernatural stuff to this story. I was worried at first that it wouldn't work well...but it did and I'm glad he added it. It was like...hot sauce. It added a special zang to the storyline. Made it really stand out. Buuut 

WHICH brings me to Tucker who was"cursed" by the supernatural stuff going around. GAH! I can see why Sass called him a "dumbass" throughout the whole novel. He truly was a dumbass. Sometimes I wanted to slap him himself.  I liked him...I did...but he truly was an idiot. WHICH in a way made me like him more, because he wasn't at all the A-typical hero in a romance novel. Sass was the same too...not the A-typical herione either. She was bitchy and didn't take mens shit. Sometimes she was overly mean to people who didn't deserve it, but hell, she had a LOT of baggage.... 

Man, Teresa I wanted to punch her.....

Need to cut myself off, before I give away some big spoilers. 

In the end, this was a good book. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what else Dean Sault has in store for us. His writing is really good, even though a couple oopsies slipped in.  This wasn't your A-typical western/romance. It had some hot sauce - aka supernatural stuff - mixed in. I would recommend this to those who like westerns, hot cowboys, romance, and lots of adventure. Out of five stars I shall stamp this with....4 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Tucker (even though he was a big ol' dumbass), Sass (a bitch, but funny), Phil, Mando, and Manny (super cute).

Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Richard (ass) &Teresa (stupid chit)