Posts By: Bonnie

Lover of tea. Crazed Bibliophile. Daydreamer.
I have a ridiculous love for the written word. I read anything and everything: Adult fiction, YA, Middle Grade, even the occasional Non-Fiction.

When I'm not reading I'm caring for my step-children, drinking obscene amounts of tea and contemplating what life will be like in the impending apocalypse.

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Waiting on Wednesday – False Bingo: Stories by Jac Jemc

July 17, 2019 Bonnie Waiting on Wednesday 2 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – False Bingo: Stories by Jac Jemc

False Bingo: Stories by Jac Jemc
Published by MCD x FSG Originals on October 8, 2019
Pages: 240
Genres: Horror, Short Stories
Format: Paperback
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The mundane becomes sinister in a disquieting story collection from the author of The Grip of It

In Jac Jemc’s dislocating second story collection, False Bingo, we watch as sinister forces—some supernatural, some of this earth, some real and some not—work their ways into the mundanity of everyday life.

In “Strange Loop,” an outcast attempting to escape an unnamed mistake spends his days taxiderming animals, while in “Delivery,” a family watches as their dementia-addled, basement-dwelling father succumbs to an online shopping addiction. “Don’t Let’s” finds a woman, recently freed from an abusive relationship, living in an isolated vacation home in the South that might be haunted by breath-stealing ghosts.

Fueled by paranoia and visceral suspense, and crafted with masterful restraint, these seventeen stories explore what happens when our fears cross over into the real, if only for a fleeting moment. Identities are stolen, alternate universes are revealed, and innocence is lost as the consequences of minor, seemingly harmless decisions erupt to sabotage a false sense of stability. “This is not a morality tale about the goodness of one character triumphing over the bad of another,” the sadistic narrator of “Pastoral” announces. Rather, False Bingo is a collection of realist fables exploring how conflicting moralities can coexist: the good, the bad, the indecipherable.

About Jac Jemc

Jac Jemc lives in Chicago. Her story collection False Bingo will be released in 2019 and her novel Total Work of Art will be published in 2021, both from FSG. Her novel The Grip of It was released from FSG Originals (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) in August 2017, receiving starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Library Journal, and recommended in Entertainment Weekly, O: The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Esquire, W, and Nylon. Her stories have appeared or are forthcoming from Guernica, LA Review of Books, Crazyhorse, The Southwest Review, Paper Darts, Puerto Del Sol, and Storyquarterly, among others. Jemc is also the author of My Only Wife (Dzanc Books), named a finalist for the 2013 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and winner of the Paula Anderson Book Award; A Different Bed Every Time (Dzanc Books), named one of Amazon's Best Story Collections of 2014; and a chapbook of stories, These Strangers She'd Invited In (Greying Ghost Press). Jac received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has completed residencies at the Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus, Hald: The Danish Center for Writers and Translators, Ragdale, the Vermont Studio Center, Thicket, and VCCA. She has been the recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Professional Development Grants. She teaches English and creative writing.

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What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Something To Look Forward To – Week of July 15th, 2019

July 15, 2019 Bonnie Something To Look Forward To 0 Comments

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Week of July 15th, 2019

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Saga Press

Earth by Ben Bova
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Tor Books

The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) by Evan Winter
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Orbit

The Border Keeper by Kerstin Hall
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Tor.com

The Redemption of Time by Baoshu
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Tor Books

The New Girl (Gabriel Allon #19) by Daniel Silva
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Harper

A Dream to Die for by Susan Z. Ritz
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by She Writes Press

Red Metal by Mark Greaney, H. Ripley Rawlings IV
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Berkley Books

Rules of War (Logan West #4) by Matthew Betley
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Tell Me Everything by Cambria Brockman
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Ballantine Books

Shamed (Kate Burkholder #11) by Linda Castillo
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Minotaur Books

Buried (Agent Sayer Altair #2) by Ellison Cooper
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Minotaur Books

The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by W. W. Norton Company

Feast Day of the Cannibals by Norman Lock
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Bellevue Literary Press

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Doubleday Books

The Expectations by Alexander Tilney
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

Raised in Captivity: Fictional Nonfiction by Chuck Klosterman
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Penguin Press

Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodrigues Fowler
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Mariner Books

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Berkley

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets: A Novel by Molly Fader
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Graydon House

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Forge Books

Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Ballantine Books

The Second-Worst Restaurant in France (Paul Stuart #2) by Alexander McCall Smith
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Pantheon Books

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Audiobook Sync 2019: Week 12 Titles | Vincent and Theo and Becoming Kareem (July 11 – July 18)

July 11, 2019 Bonnie Sync 0 Comments

A new week of free audiobooks! Be sure to sign up for email and/or text alerts at Audiobook Sync to remind you when new titles are available. The audiobooks can be downloaded onto your computer and easily transferred to your smartphone for easy listening — and remember that these audiobooks are yours to keep! In case you’re new to the Audiobook Sync program, here are the details:

Each audiobook will be available for you to download onto your computer and/or mobile device for one week. The files are available from Thursday morning 7am Eastern Time until the following Thursday morning at 7am Eastern time when the new audiobook titles become available. You may download more than once if you have more than one device. When you have downloaded the MP3 files they are yours to keep.

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman | Read by Philip Fox
Published by Dreamscape Media | Download available here!

The deep and enduring friendship between Vincent and Theo Van Gogh defined both brothers’ lives. As a confidant, champion, sympathizer, and friend, Theo financially and emotionally supported his older brother as the artistic but troubled Vincent struggled to find his path in life as both a painter and a man. Throughout that struggle, the brothers shared everything – swapping stories of lovers and friends, successes and disappointments, dreams and ambitions. Drawing on the 658 letters Vincent wrote to Theo during his lifetime, Deborah Heiligman weaves a meticulously researched tale of those two intertwined lives and the extraordinary love that fueled them.

Becoming Kareem by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Read by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Published by Hachette Audio | Download available here!

The first memoir for young readers by sports legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with a talent for basketball, and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alcindor was able to transform and to become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From a childhood made difficult by racism and prejudice to a record-smashing career on the basketball court as an adult, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s life was packed with “coaches” who taught him right from wrong and led him on the path to greatness. His parents, coaches Jack Donahue and John Wooden, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and many others played important roles in Abdul-Jabbar’s life and sparked him to become an activist for social change and advancement. The inspiration from those around him, and his drive to find his own path in life, are highlighted in this personal and awe-inspiriting journey. Written especially for young readers, Becoming Kareem chronicles how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar become the icon and legend he is today, both on and off the court.

Happy listening!

Waiting on Wednesday – Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

July 10, 2019 Bonnie Waiting on Wednesday 3 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

Ghoster by Jason Arnopp
Published by Orbit on October 22, 2019
Pages: 400
Genres: Thriller, Occult & Supernatural
Format: Paperback
Amazon | Book Depository | Audible
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Also by this author: The Last Days of Jack Sparks

From the author of The Last Days of Jack Sparks comes a chilling new thriller that will have you triple-locking your door at night . . .
Your front door key is not unique.

If a homicidal maniac walked from house to house for long enough, trying the same key in each front door, he might eventually open yours.

Six-year-old Emilee finds this out the hard way when a smiling stranger coolly unlocks her suburban front door. He walks in and brutally attacks her family, then seems to vanish into thin air.

Fourteen years later, the traumatic event haunts both Emilee and Gabriella, the homicide detective who handled the case. Together, they discover that similar home invasions have happened across America for decades. And when they launch a hunt for the 'key killer,' they start to wonder if unnatural forces could be at work...

Discover the jaw-dropping, chilling and thoroughly gripping new thriller from Jason Arnopp.

About Jason Arnopp

Jason Arnopp is the author of the upcoming chiller-thriller novel Ghoster, The Last Days Of Jack Sparks (Orbit Books) and the co-author of Inside Black Mirror with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.

Arnopp wrote the Lionsgate horror feature film Stormhouse, the New Line Cinema novel Friday The 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat, various official Doctor Who works of fiction (including the BBC audiobook Doctor Who: The Gemini Contagion) and script-edited the 2012 Peter Mullan film The Man Inside.

Arnopp has also written 2012's Beast In The Basement, a horror novella available at Amazon, and experimental ghost story A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home.

He is the author of non-fiction ebook How To Interview Doctor Who, Ozzy Osbourne And Everyone Else. He is on Twitter here, and is represented by literary agent Oli Munson at The AM Heath Agency. He is also represented for film and TV by Lawrence Mattis at Circle Of Confusion.

I really loved Arnopp’s The Last Days of Jack Sparks and I’ve been anxiously awaiting new stuff from him for ages! This one sounds GOOD. Can’t wait. 🙂

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Book Review | In ‘Wilder Girls’ the Horror is Somehow Beautiful

July 9, 2019 Bonnie 2019, Book Reviews, Early Review, YA 3 Comments

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review | In ‘Wilder Girls’ the Horror is Somehow Beautiful Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Published by Delacorte Press on July 9, 2019
Pages: 368
Genres: Horror, Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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three-stars

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

The girls used to be normal. They used to number almost a hundred students at Raxter before the Tox came. Before everyone was transformed into something different.

‘It’s like that, with all of us here. Sick, strange, and we don’t know why. Things bursting out of us, bits missing and pieces sloughing off, and then we harden and smooth over.’

As time passed, the girls’ numbers dwindled but the ones that survived continued holding out hope for a cure that was promised.

Wilder Girls begins with an otherworldly air. A girl with a second spine, another with an eye that has fused shut with something growing underneath. It’s eerie and unsettling and their story only gets better (or worse, depending on how you look at it.) Much like the cover, the horrors within have their own sort of twisted beauty that is equal parts horrifying and mesmerizing. Horrific, yes, but at the heart of Wilder Girls though is a story of love and friendship. After Hetty’s best friend Byatt experiences a flare-up and is sent to the infirmary which many girls never return from, Hetty begins a dangerous search for answers. Her search quickly disturbs the delicate veil of secrecy that surrounded the school to keep the girls in the dark from what was truly happening to them.

The horrors of the island and the girls themselves were perfectly described and I found the comparisons to Annihilation to be apt. I wanted more questions answered about the island, the effect on the animals, and the irises, but I also wanted the resolutions we did get to still be rooted in that otherworldly horror. They were instead stripped of that mystery, made the answer far too simplistic, and made me wonder if any of the horror was truly real at all. Powers is a skilled horror writer and her debut proves this. I anticipate that Wilder Girls is just a dip in the pond of the horror stories she has in store for us.

‘I think I’d been looking for it all my life – a storm in my body to match the one in my head.’

Something To Look Forward To – Week of July 8th, 2019

July 8, 2019 Bonnie Something To Look Forward To 0 Comments

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Week of July 8th, 2019

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Delacorte Press

Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina #4) by Robert Beatty
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Disney Hyperion

The Survival of Molly Southbourne (Molly Southbourne #2) by Tade Thompson
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Tor.com

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Berkley

The Toll by Cherie Priest
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Tor Books

The Saturday Night Ghost Club: A Novel by Craig Davidson
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Penguin Books

David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Abaddon

Null Set (Cas Russell #2) by S.L. Huang
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Tor Books

The Need by Helen Phillips
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Simon & Schuster

The Reunion by Guillaume Musso
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

Bad Axe County: A Novel by John Galligan
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Atria Books

Hideaway by Nicole Lundrigan
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Viking

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books

Knife (Harry Hole #12) by Jo Nesbø
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

Killing with Confetti (Peter Diamond #18) by Peter Lovesey
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Soho Crime

The Trigger Mechanism (Camp Valor #2) by Scott McEwen, Hof Williams
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by St. Martin’s Griffin

The Chain by Adrian McKinty
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Mulholland Books

The Shameless (Quinn Colson #9) by Ace Atkins
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

The Babysitter by Sheryl Browne
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Grand Central Publishing

Hope Rides Again (Obama Biden Mysteries #2) by Andrew Shaffer
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Quirk Books

Death in a Desert Land (Agatha Christie #3) by Andrew Wilson
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Atria Books

The Golden Hour: A Novel by Beatriz Williams
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by William Morrow

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Henry Holt and Co.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Grand Central Publishing

Bethlehem by Karen Kelly
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by St. Martin’s Press

Let’s Hope for the Best by Carolina Setterwall
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

The Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Graywolf Press

Supper Club by Lara Williams
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Stay and Fight by Madeline Ffitch
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

King of the Mississippi: A Novel by Mike Freedman
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Hogarth

Say Say Say: A novel by Lila Savage
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Knopf

Glory and its Litany of Horrors by Fernanda Torres
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Restless Books

A Rogue Meets a Scandalous Lady (Mackenzies & McBrides #11) by Jennifer Ashley
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by JA / AG Publishing

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Berkley Books

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Forever

Breathe In, Cash Out: A Novel by Madeleine Henry
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Atria Books

Under Currents by Nora Roberts
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by St. Martin’s Press

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Something To Look Forward To – Week of July 1st, 2019

July 1, 2019 Bonnie Something To Look Forward To 2 Comments

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Week of July 1st, 2019

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Del Rey Books

Heart of Hell by Wayne Barlowe
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Tor Books

Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Katherine Tegen Books

Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by William Morrow

Crowfall (Raven’s Mark #3) by Ed McDonald
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Ace Books

Dragonslayer (Dragonslayer #1) by Duncan M. Hamilton
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Tor Books

Priest of Lies (War for the Rose Throne #2) by Peter McLean
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Ace Books

Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2) by Jennifer Estep
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Harper Voyager

Beneath the Twisted Trees (The Song of the Shattered Sands #4) by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by DAW

The Big Book of Classic Fantasy by Ann VanderMeer & Jeff VanderMeer (Editors)
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Vintage

Never Look Back: A Novel by Alison Gaylin
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by William Morrow Paperbacks

The Ghost Clause by Howard Norman
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

False Step by Victoria Helen Stone
Expected publication: July 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Dutton Books

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Flatiron Books

Paper Son (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #12) by S.J. Rozan
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Pegasus Books

Stone Cold Heart (Cat Kinsella #2) by Caz Frear
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Harper

Almost Midnight (Mike Bowditch #10) by Paul Doiron
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Minotaur Books

Mother Dear by Nova Lee Maier
Expected publication: July 1st 2019 by Amazon Crossing

Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Temper by Layne Fargo
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Gallery/Scout Press

Under the Cold Bright Lights by Garry Disher
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Soho Crime

Layover by David Bell
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Berkley Books

The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Pretty Revenge by Emily Liebert
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Gallery Books

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by MIRA

The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Harper Paperbacks

Chimes of a Lost Cathedral (The Revolution of Marina M. #2) by Janet Fitch
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

Deep River by Karl Marlantes
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Atlantic Monthly Press

The Gifted School: A Novel by Bruce Holsinger
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Riverhead Books

Tell Me Who We Were: Stories by Kate McQuade
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by William Morrow

We Went to the Woods by Caite Dolan-Leach
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Random House

We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Atria Books

Maggie Brown & Others: Stories by Peter Orner
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

The Me I Used to Be by Jennifer Ryan
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha Rai
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Avon

The Plus One by Sarah Archer
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Ballantine Books

Waiting For a Rogue (Reluctant Brides #3) by Marie Tremayne
Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Avon Impulse

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Freaky Friday | The Brink (Awakened #2) by James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth

June 28, 2019 Bonnie 2019, Book Reviews, Freaky Friday 2 Comments

I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Brink by James S. Murray, Darren Wearmouth
Series: Awakened #2
Published by Harper Voyager on June 18, 2019
Pages: 240
Genres: Horror
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
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Also by this author: Awakened

The sequel to the international bestseller (including #1 Sunday Times bestseller) Awakened, by one of the stars of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and a bestselling science fiction author.

Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty has been haunted by the horror of a single day. The opening of the brand new Z-train subway line beneath the Hudson River—the supposed shining moment of his tenure. But the ribbon-cutting ceremony turned deadly when the train carrying Cafferty’s wife and other citizens was attacked by a horde of hyper intelligent, bloodthirsty creatures previously unknown to humanity.

Everything changed for Cafferty, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech-expert Diego Munoz that day. They had uncovered the deadly truth: the attack was no accident.

And now the creatures that wreaked havoc underneath New York have spread worldwide, and with a massive cover-up—and a secret organization holding nations hostage with the knowledge of how to kill them—Cafferty’s team must fight against impossible odds to save the entire planet from an apocalyptic scale disaster.

An explosive and thrilling international adventure, the stakes are even higher in the latest book from bestselling duo James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!

Awakened Series

Awakened (Awakened #1) by James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth [Review]

‘We stand on the edge of extinction. The brink, if you will.’

After surviving the subway attack in New York City, NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty and fellow survivors have teamed up to take on the Foundation for Human Advancement, the secret organization that maintains control of the creatures that could wipe out the planet. For decades, the Foundation has demanded funds from world leader’s in exchange for their continued survival but following the subway attack and information uncovered about the Foundation and its leader, Albert Van Ness, no one is willing to comply anymore.

The Brink picks up where the first installment, Awakened, left off with a race against time to stop a madman from destroying the world with bloodthirsty creatures that live beneath the Earth’s surface. Discovered during the end of WWII in Germany, Van Ness’ father discovered the way to control the creatures and has been using them as blackmail since. When Albert took over following his father’s death, he continued working towards achieving his dream of purifying humanity. Much like the second-half of Awakened, the story devotes much of its focus to the political drama and conspiracies rather than the actual creatures. Personally, I found the creatures to be of far more interest than anyone in this cast of one-dimensional characters. The creatures are only featured in a few scenes and they were horrific and thrilling but the authors placed much more focus on their laughably evil villain. It’s pretty disappointing when humans are more monstrous than the actual monsters.

The book is a very short read, however, I’m sad to say the dialogue is inept, the storyline is banal, and the ending was so ridiculous that it removed any interest I had in completing the trilogy. Disappointing that the exciting world these authors created with Alien-like creatures ended up being backseat drivers to a story about a Hitler-esque villain.

“My God,” Cafferty said.
“No, not God,” he replied. “Albert Van Ness.”

Audiobook Sync 2019: Week 10 Titles | Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass and Heretics Anonymous (June 27 – July 4)

June 27, 2019 Bonnie Sync 1 Comment

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina | Read by Roxanne Hernandez
Published by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio | Download available here!

“Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass.” That’s what some girl tells Piddy Sanchez one morning before school. Too bad Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui Delgado is, let alone what she’s done to piss her off. All Piddy knows is that Yaqui hates her—and she better watch her back because Yaqui isn’t kidding around. At first Piddy just focuses on trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off and running away from her problems? In this poignant and all-too-realistic story from award-winning author Meg Medina, Piddy is forced to decide exactly who she is versus who others are trying to make her become—and ultimately discovers a rhythm that is all her own.

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry | Read by Michael Crouch
Published by HarperAudio | Download available here!

Put an atheist in a strict Catholic school? Expect comedy, chaos, and an Inquisition. The Breakfast Club meets Saved! in debut author Katie Henry’s hilarious novel about a band of misfits who set out to challenge their school, one nun at a time. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Robyn Schneider.

Happy listening!

Waiting on Wednesday – Quantum (Captain Chase #1) by Patricia Cornwell

June 26, 2019 Bonnie Waiting on Wednesday 4 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – Quantum (Captain Chase #1) by Patricia Cornwell

Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
Published by Thomas & Mercer on October 1, 2019
Pages: 352
Genres: Sci-fi
Format: Hardcover
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
Goodreads

International bestselling author Patricia Cornwell delivers pulse-pounding thrills in a series featuring a brilliant and unusual new heroine, cutting-edge cybertechnology, and stakes that are astronomically high.

On the eve of a top secret space mission, Captain Calli Chase detects a tripped alarm in the tunnels deep below a NASA research center. A NASA pilot, quantum physicist, and cybercrime investigator, Calli knows that a looming blizzard and government shutdown could provide the perfect cover for sabotage, with deadly consequences.

As it turns out, the danger is worse than she thought. A spatter of dried blood, a missing security badge, a suspicious suicide—a series of disturbing clues point to Calli’s twin sister, Carme, who’s been MIA for days.

Desperate to halt the countdown to disaster and to clear her sister’s name, Captain Chase digs deep into her vast cyber security knowledge and her painful past, probing for answers to her twin’s erratic conduct. As time is running out, she realizes that failure means catastrophe—not just for the space program but for the safety of the whole nation.

About Patricia Cornwell

When not writing from her Boston home, Patricia tirelessly researches cutting-edge forensic technologies to include in her work. Her interests span outside the literary: Patricia co-founded of the Conservation Scientist Chair at the Harvard University Art Museums. She appears as a forensic consultant on CNN and serves as a member of Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital’s National Council, where she advocates for psychiatric research. She’s helped fund the ICU at Cornell’s Animal Hospital, the scientific study of a Confederate submarine, the archaeological excavation of Jamestown, and a variety of law enforcement charities. Patricia is also committed to funding scholarships and literacy programs. Her advice to aspiring authors: “Start writing. And don’t take no for an answer.”

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