Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Spells & Sorcery by S. Usher Evans

You have magic.

One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I'm not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.

Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb--she's magical.

Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he'll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her.

My thoughts.
At first (well a long time) things did annoy me. Like why was her sister such a bitch! Trust me, such a bitch, that girl needs a slap in the face. And why couldn't they just teach her magic? And tell her things? For the love of magic tell her stuff! Also everyone So over reacted. Chill people, chill.

BUT, in the end there was a reason why they did not teach her and tell her everything. Though I still felt they could have chilled a bit and told her some. Though why her sis was a raging bitch beats me. Lexie was also really immature, I mean who starts spending time with some old man they just met? Girl, haven't you watched movies?!

Still it was light and I kept wondering why they did not spill the beans. What was up with that? What was up with the secret...I can't say? I needed answers and fast. And at the end I did want more. I am still curious how things will work out when things are out in the open. Some major twists and turns there.

I also felt it refreshing that at least in this one she did not even once think about romance! Phew.

Narrator:
Hmm, is it the author herself? Nothing on GR.
But she does a good job and her voice fits that of a teen who is way over her head ;) Its light and nice
I enjoyed listening to this book

Audible Audio, 7 hours
Expected publication: December 22nd 2017 by Sun's Golden Ray Publishing (first published October 4th 2016)
Lexie Carrigan Chronicles #1
YA, paranormal
Own

Book Review: Make it Count by Tamar Sloan

Author: Tamar Sloan
Title: Make it Count
Genre: YA and paranormal
Pages: ebook
Published: October 10th, 2017
I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

He’s irresistible…but she’s the one person who knows his days are numbered

Casey’s touch can reveal the one thing a person would never want to know — the number of days they have left to live.

By the time Casey turns seventeen she’s learnt to withdraw. But the phobia she fakes in order to avoid human contact is sorely tested by hot, persistent, motorcycle riding PJ. For a girl who craves contact, maple eyed PJ is impossible to resist. When the inevitable happens, when hands, bodies and lips collide, Casey sees PJ's number, one that can only be seen as a cruel twist of fate. 

Now she must decide. Will she continue counting the days of her life, or start living a life that counts?

I was instantly drawn in by the cover and then by the summary. The cover is stunning and the summary is certainly intriguing. 

Casey has always had this little gift of being able to see how many days left someone has before they die. It is for sure a curse in my opinion. There is no positive about it. Sure, she can try and save someone, but it is not guaranteed. She tried once and it failed horribly. 

After a horrible event that she tried her hardest to avoid, she is now a hermit. She has developed a phobia and stays at home. You can't really blame her. I wouldn't want to go out anywhere that could touch people. Her parents finally decide that enough is enough and they are done enabling her because they want her to enjoy her life and have a future outside of being in their house. They take her to a therapy group for fellow kids with phobias. During all this, she meets PJ the hunky motorcyclist.

Things happen and they become an item, but the stinky part is that is days are seriously numbered and Casey has to decide if she should just accept that he will die soon or do something about it. 

I really feel bad for Casey. That is NOT a power I would want. I couldn't stand knowing someone I love or even a strange I brushed against on the street is going to die in 2,000 days or 2 days. It would all be too much. I honestly would become a hermit and never go outside. 

There was some comedy here and there that helped lighten the story, so it wasn't all doom and gloom. I'm glad for some happy moments. 

The writing style was done well. It didn't feel like a YA all the time. There were some very YA moments that were over-the-top, but a ya is still a ya in the end and those moments were bearable since the rest of the book was done well. 

The ending was okay. There some plot holes left open and I feel like there needed to be more of an explanation of a certain event. 

The romance between Casey and PJ was done well. It wasn't insta-love and it wasn't cheesy like some YA romances can be. It was a sweet romance. 

In the end, this was pretty good. Casey and her power were interesting and I connected with her especially with her dislike of cheese. I dislike cold cheese. I don't mind melted cheese, but I used to be like her and HATE all cheeses. But, yes, the story was interesting for sure. Some overly YA spots and there were some things I am still scratching my head about, but I enjoyed this story. I'll give this 4 stars.  

Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Film Title: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Length: 1 hr and 23 minutes
Released: 1974
Genre: Horror
Rating: Not Rated (I would give this about a PG-13 or R)
Where I Got It: Amazon Prime


SUMMARY:
Two siblings visit their grandfather's grave in Texas along with three of their friends and are attacked by a family of cannibalistic psychopaths.

TRAILER:

Review:
Oooooh classic horror movies. I feel like this movie sparked the beginning of the horror slasher movies. It has been a while since I watched this, so when my friend was watching it I joined in. Plus, I had never watched it from beginning to end, so it was for sure an experience. 

Chainsaws are scary man. I don't trust them. I won't use them. Dangerous...and in the hands of a cannibal who is mentally challenged? Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....you better run and move countries. 

The guy they had playing the main slasher was creepy as heck. I think he really made the movie. The rest of the cast was bleh. The brother and sister was annoying. The lovers were extra annoying. 

For a slasher, there wasn't a whole bunch of blood, but it was the 70's so they probably wanted to have people more scared/creeped out then disgusted...so that works for. I love slasher movies, but I feel like they spend more time making things gross. Don't get me wrong about this film...there are a lot of gross things going on BUT it wasn't centered around making bloody ass kills. I was grossed out and creeped out, but also scared. Very beautiful mix. 

However...keep in mind this is a 70's movie. SOOOOOO MUCH CHEESE! So much over acting and cheesy acting especially by the sister. I wanted to slap her face. Like yes, she is being chased around and might get eaten, but pull yourself together. I couldn't handle her screams. I was begging for them to just end her. Sighs. 

The ending was soooo hilarious. I felt bad for the truck driver xD. The only part I liked was the guy swinging the chainsaw around. It was cool, but also scary. Very nice. 

This is for sure a classic film and if you are a fan of horror movies, you should go back to the king of slasher. Just be prepared, because this is your atypical 70's movie. Good, but my god so much cheese. I'll give this a 4. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Werewolf or Vampire?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

Finally decided to join the club. :) You can blame Blodeuedd. ;D 

Would you rather be a werewolf or a vampire? Why? 

Ooooh. This is a tough one and I have contemplated this since I began reading the paranormal genre. There are pros and cons to each of these supernatural beings. I wouldn't mind immortality of the vampire race, but drinking blood? Bleh. I wouldn't mind running around in the woods and being part of a pack would be fun, but I can't imagine the pain it would take to transform and how much money it takes to spend on clothing. 

Honestly? I think I would like to be a werewolf in the end. 

I would love the freedom of running around the woods and howling with my fellow werewolves. I would prefer to be able to change at will. Being forced to change because of the moon would be annoying! 

Also, the majority of werewolves are fit and healthy and eat all day. What is so wrong with that??????

As much as immorality seems swell, I don't want to live forever. I can't imagine saying goodbye to all my mortal friends and family. Too sad! 

Being a werewolf seems like the best of the two. 

However...if I could pick to shift into any animal of my choice...I would pick a house cat. Look at that spoiled cat. She gets to stay home all day, gets all the food, and gets all the love she wants. Sighs.