An Epiphany is Just a Fancy Way of Realising You’re an Idiot (5181 words) by Linpatootie
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
haracters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson Summary:
Sherlock and John have something of a relationship crisis, which is odd, since they're not actually in one.
This is very well written and has some amazing revelations about then nature of relationships.
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The League book 5
Darling Cruel has long lived a lie to protect those he loves and in doing so created dual roles for himself. In one life, he is the heir to a corrupt thrown; in the other life, he is Kere, a rebellious leader of the Sentella, who helps the resistance on his home world. Zarya, a resistance leader whose father was killed by Darling's uncle, is his only salvation, but she doesn't know his real identity.
Betrayed by the resistance, Darling must come to terms with all he has faced and Zarya's role in it. Will he be able to step into the light and be the leader he was born to be?
When I first picked this book up, I was wary. It's thicker than normal for her series which is not a good sign. Generally speaking, when Kenyon writes a long novel, it will be heartbreakingly tragic. Acheron is a great example of this fact. His early life is painfully brutal and destructive. Born of Silence follows in this tradition. Darling is subject to horrific torture at the hands of those he had considered friends (and this after a lifetime of cruelty* from his uncle). Sherrilyn Kenyon is about redemption though. Her protagonists learn to rise from the pain of their lives and move forward with, if nothing else, humor.
This book is a heartbreaker. You will gasp, cry, and be truly shocked by some of the content. It is still a worthy read. With each new book, Kenyon reminds me that no matter what obstacles or pain we face in our lives, we can keep on going. True, there will be days (or years) when we're merely putting one foot in front of the other, but in the end we can each prevail.
I started reading this in the late afternoon and finished around 11 pm or so completely missing dinner. I could not put it down. Be prepared.
*I couldn't resist the pun.
BIS Rating: 5 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Purchase Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon on Amazon or Barnes & Noble today.
by J. Scott Sharp
"Betrayal is sneaky. Sometimes, a person doesn't know they've deceived someone until it's too late, or maybe they do and don’t want to admit to it. If a person betrays someone in front of their face, it's a safe bet that they never gave a shit any way. At least that’s what I thought."
In this short story by Sharp, sixteen year old Roger plays a dual role in a tragic incident of betrayal that is based on an age old triangle, two men who love the same woman. I can still remember all the days of uncertainty that made up the high school years. Every win is the highest peak. Every loss is the most devastating thing possible. Every reaction to it all will consume your entire being. Moderation isn't even in the vocabulary.
Sharp executes this tragic piece with precision and heart as he takes you back to the pains of high school and young love. I'm not sure whose part of the story hit harder, Roger's or David's. The end even has a "wait, did I just read that right" twist that you won't see coming.
I wouldn't recommend this for a young teen, but college age and up.
BIS Rating: 3 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Pick it up for the Kindle on Amazon or Nook at Barnes and Noble for $0.99.
Disclosure: The author provided a free e-copy to me for review.
Forever Girl series #1
by Rebecca Hamilton
Sophia Parsons is struggling to survive after college while working at a diner in the small, judgmental Colorado town where she lives in the house she inherited from her grandfather. Not only does she have to deal with a dead end job, but the leader of her mother's church wants Sophia to sell her the house and rid the town of her "evil" Wiccan ways. Each day is a challenge with the threats from Mrs. Franklin until Sophia meets Charles and discovers an unknown world where her talents are more than a disability.
Rebecca Hamilton is a new author on the supernatural scene, but on the basis of her first Forever Girl book, I believe she'll be here to stay. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey starts Sophia's journey into the supernatural world where the voices in her head have meaning and the drastic changes that will come to happen in her life. It is a Wiccan coming of age story with a love story and supernatural revolution rolled into the background. There is a good flow to the book and I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter. I'd suggest you don't start this late at night because you will struggle to put it down. I know I did and finally had to pause at 2 am when I starting taking long blinks and almost rolled my laptop off my lap.
While the protagonist, Sophia, is 22, this book is well suited for young adults. There is little swearing and the minimal sex and violence (which occurs more at the end of the book) is not graphic by any stretch of the imagination. The cover image, by the way, doesn't really express the feel of the books. Though the main character is a Wiccan, the book does not have a goth feel. It does have vampires (Cruor) and shapeshifters (Strigoi) and fans of the genre will enjoy it. It has the same feel as Lauren Kate's Fallen series though the supernatural elements differ. I'm looking forward to the second book, Come, the Dark: Cordovae's Journey, which is due out next year.
I plan on recommending this to a few friends with teenage daughters.
You can pick up a copy at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.
BIS Rating: 4 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Disclosure: I was provided a free e-copy of the book by the author for review.
Chronicles of Nick, Book 3
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Nick Gautier's life becomes more complicated and unbelievable as he realizes he has the potential to become the most evil and destructive creature in the universe. And a few months ago, all he thought he had to worry about was disappointing his mom, wearing tacky shirts and getting beat up at school. Will he be able to keep hold of his humanity or will he lose it all?
I am a huge Kenyon fan. I'll be upfront about that. I've read her Dark Hunter series for years and became hooked on The League when it was republished. Even with all that I was worried when the first of her young adult series, the Chronicles of Nick: Infinity, came out a 3 years ago. I wasn't sure she would be able to incorporate everything I love about her work into a young adult format, but I was so wrong. All the humor, sarcasm, and style remain; all that is missing is the sex (and hey, he's a teen so it's not there yet).
From what I've read she intends to have a book in this series for every year of Nick's life up until he became a Dark Hunter, so 10 books to cover ages 14 to 24. I'm not sure she's only going to have 10 books to make that goal. The first 3 seem to cover from 14 to 15.
While I liked Nick in the Dark Hunter series, he was never my favorite. Now with his own series, you get to know him better and see the background and thoughts behind all the snark. I think he may end up becoming my favorite of all her characters. He is smart, has a great if self deprecating humor, and a good heart. That does seem to be her template for heroes though. They are all smart, good looking, snarky, and must overcome a horrible past to be able to accept love. Even with that template, the books never feel formulaic or repetitive. She brings a fresh feel each and every time.
She also generally has a lesson or moral to her tales. For parents, the underlying themes are great ones for kids to learn.
Life was so strange. Seldom did it make sense. As her brother would say, 'life isn't a puzzle to be solved. It's an adventure to be savored. Let every challenge be a new mountain to climb, not an obstacle to get in your way and stop you. Yeah, it'll be hard, but once you reach the summit of it, you'll be able to see the world for what it really is. And at the top, it never seems to have been as difficult a feat to climb there as you first made it out to be. Most of all, you'll know that you beat that mountain, and that you rule it. It does not rule you.'
And, this one, which is in all of her writings. I wish more people thought of life like this.
People aren't just ants rushing around over a crust of bread. Every life, no matter how isolated, touches hundreds of others. It's up to us to decide if those micro connections are positive or negative. But whichever we decide, it does impact the ones we deal with. One word can give someone the strength they needed at that moment or it can shred them down to nothing. A single smile can turn a bad moment good. And one wrong outburst or word could be the tiny push that causes someone to slip over the edge into destruction.
Words matter as do even the smallest actions. Even when you're tired, smile, and share a few friendly words. Say please and thank you. Be kind. Everyone has bad days and your actions may be the only pleasant thing in that person's day. This is something that hits me whenever I read one of her books.
Every time I start thinking life might be looking up it knocks me down and kicks me. When I read one of Kenyon's books, it gives me hope because her characters face so many horrible things, but they keep moving forward through the pain and fear trying to be better people. They remind me that what doesn't kill you may hurt a lot, but it still makes you stronger.
BIS Rating: 5 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Buy Chronicles of Nick: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon here through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
by Josh Gates
“Wind is suddenly screaming into the cockpit of this aging Antonov biplane. Charts and a half-assed, handwritten flight plan whip by my face and through the cockpit door into the main cabin. In the rear of the plane our director of photography, Evan, who has been filming out the open door, is suddenly thrust forward toward the edge of open space, only to be yanked to a stop by his four-point harness. Documents eject past him into oblivion.”
Josh Gates brings his customary wry sense of humor and boyish charm to Memoirs of a Monster Hunter, which tells the story of the Syfy series Destination Truth. For those not familiar with the show, Josh and compatriots travel the world digging into stories of monsters, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. The book takes the same tone as the series as Josh looks back over their varied misadventures. The opening paragraph above aptly demonstrates the crew’s luck with modes of transportation. It also shows you should not read this book while sitting in an airport or on board a plane especially if you are a nervous flier. (Though that boarding pass does make an appropriate bookmark.)
I forgot about that fact and read it on a flight last week. Even with their horrid travel luck, I struggled not to howl with laughter at some parts and enjoyed remembering favorite investigations. Also included are travel tips and the exhortation that Americans need to step outside their comfort zones and travel more. And he’s not talking about tours where every stop is planned out. Book a hotel, or bed and breakfast somewhere, rent a car, and stop anywhere that looks interesting.*
Even if you aren’t a fan of the show, I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys or is interested in travel adventures. Plus you really can't beat Josh's sense of humor.
You can pick up a copy from Amazon here.
BIS Rating: 4 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
New episodes of Destination Truth will air in 2012 on Syfy. You can find season one on DVD, all seasons on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon instant video, and 4.5 on hulu.com.
*My sister and I have done this. A few years ago, we took a week long trip to Wales. We booked B&B’s in both the north and south of the country for several nights each to be used as a home base. Then we flew into London, rented a car, and saw everything that caught our interest. Yes, there were transportation hiccups along the way, but nowhere near as bad as on the show. I mean, the live fire range wasn’t active that day or anything.
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
"You can't look at someone and tell what they've been through. The scars that hurt the most are never visible on the surface." -Caillen
Caillen Dagan is used to running on the wrong side of the law, but can he deal with making the laws. As a result of being jailed to protect his sister, Kasen, Caillen discovers that he is really the missing heir to an empire. Desideria Denaraii is the daughter of the queen of a warring race. She's used to fighting for any scrap of respect, but gaining little because of her father's race.
When they are both framed in assignation attempts, Caillen and Desideria must team up to clear their names and avenge their parents.
Can the man who trusts no one survive with the woman who has never had anyone to trust?
I feel like I always start these things with a qualification. The one for this review is: I don't read science fiction. Kenyon's League series is the only part that I do. I already love her Dark/Were/Dream Hunter series, and decided to give the League a chance when the first 3 books were republished 2 years ago. Needless to say, I was hooked. She has a way with wry heroes and strong heroines with attitude to spare. Even though her Ichidian Universe is out of this world (pardon the pun), she still makes it feel like home.
Sometimes I wonder about the amount of trauma her characters have in their pasts, but it does help the reader feel more sympathetic towards them and they can bond a little deeper. I know that I always have a hard time putting her books down. I read this one in about 3.5 hours and was up until after 1 am on a work night. I was dragging ass the next day. It was worth it. I chose to wait until I had a chance to read it a second time before writing this review. When you read that quick and absorbed, you can sometime miss out on the details. Kenyon's worlds are richly detailed. You can tell she has spent a lot of time there in her mind and that she truly loves her characters. This, in addition to her skilled writing, is why her readers (me included) form such strong attachments to the characters and keep coming back for more.
I can't wait until the next book in the series (Darling's called Born of Silence) comes out next April. I'm hoping to get to experience Chayden's, and Nero's stories as well, and maybe Vik's.
BIS Rating: 5 of 5
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Born of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon on Amazon.com
