66
Followers
23
Following
I'm A Book Shark
Freelance copyeditor to all amazing self-published and independent authors. Check out my editing page for more information. <3
Mickey is the blogger behind I’m A Book Shark. She really wishes there was a better explanation for why she’s a book shark. A new twitter name was needed, and it had to be about her favorite hobby: reading! For whatever reason, sharks also came to mind, and a book shark was born. Besides reading, Mickey is a natural reddish-headed, late-twenties, tattooed, entertainment-of-all-kinds lover, wife of husband, mother of reptiles (and a cat and two puppies, all spoiled), student, employee, boss, and (mostly) raw vegan. Oh yeah, and she likes to blog.
www.imabookshark.com
Currently reading
The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World
Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves
Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares: How to Avoid Unplanned and Unwanted Grammar Errors
Budget Savvy Diva's Guide to Slashing Your Grocery Bill by 50% or More
The Edge of Never
Camouflaged
Gahhhh, she's done it again! I swear, this lady keeps you coming back for more and more. This book is everything I wanted in a continuation of a series. There is suspense, drama, mystery.. enough to keep you reading and wondering what's going to happen next. There are some answers along the way, which makes you feel content around the ending before a big cliffhanger that makes you NEED the next one IMMEDIATELY. Goodness! It's a great series.Evangeline has a lot going on. She has secrets to keep, friends to protect, and enemies to keep close. She also has a curse running through her veins that could make her touch deadly at any minute. But Eve makes the best of it in her own way and tries to save the world at the same time. Sofie wants to help her, but she can't fix Eve with this curse. What's a witch/vampire to do?
There's so much more to all this, I can't even explain. So much goes down in this one!! But it's all building up to what I know will be the most epic conclusion ever! I SO cannot wait! KA Tucker has created such an awesome series and world. She thinks of everything in these novels. I obviously have some general hopes, but I know I will be pleased with however this series works out. Definitely check out this series if you haven't yet!
Dude. This book broke my reading slump. Curse, really. This book got me from the beginning, and I almost didn't want to go to sleep at night. Reluctantly I did, but I finished it quickly in the morning. It's a bit stressful with all the drama going on, but we get some answers and some more questions (of course). There were a couple surprises, and there was the best scene yet for Aiden and Alex, but that's all I'm saying. I really like them <3<br/>So yeah.. lots going on! If you haven't read the other two, definitely start there first. I'm looking forward to whatever happens next in this crazy series! There are some things I definitely want to happen and some things I definitely DON'T want to see go down. Seth is a bit off his rocker, and that makes me nervous. I've never been on his side of all this, so I hope Alex can make a good decision in the end. Ayeee. Good stuff though!! Read this series if you haven't started yet. Definitely recommend it!
Last note: I do hope the editing issues get worked out. There were some formatting things and some spelling/grammar problems. I'd like to see a finished copy when this releases.
I seriously love Meg Cabot. Really, I do. While this didn't feel like a typical Meg Cabot novel, I still really enjoyed this. It's a bit of a murder mystery, as that is what Heather Wells always finds herself in the middle of, but there wasn't too much mystery to it. Everything pretty much gets told to the reader, so there is no wondering 'whodunit.' It's more of how it all is going to turn out, basically. Either way, Heather is back, Cooper is sexy, and the rest of the gang is just hilarious. I had a really good time listening to this audio book!Since it is an audio book, let's talk about the narrator. Now.. I was really looking forward to this book because I love the combo of Justine Eyre and Meg Cabot. However, this book isn't read by Justine Eyre, as the other Heather Wells books are. This book is read by Sandy Rustin. I don't think I've ever listened to a book read by her before, but I certainly will in the future. While she isn't Eyre, I absolutely adored her narrating style. Her voices were fun, even if a bit exaggerated. I loved the voice for Heather's co-worker. So even if you were hoping for a continuing performance by Eyre, I don't think you'll be disappointed by Rustin. Enjoy!
Uhhh.. what the heck? I heard so many people talk about how wicked that cliffhanger was, but that was hardly a cliffhanger. I think the book just didn't continue. That's how it felt. I see that there are more books to this series, but really? No explanation of Mary? We just have to accept that stuff? Goodness, I want to start swearing about this book. I was expecting so much more I guess. This isn't at all what I thought was coming. And no, I didn't read the description, but I just heard SO many good things. Oh well.The actual story was enough to keep me coming back for more - these girls all want revenge for one reason or another. The illicitness of Lillia wanting revenge on her group of friends makes it even more interesting. But she ends up learning something about the recipient of her wrath which makes it difficult to stomach. Kat is just trying too hard throughout the whole novel, and Mary is just clueless and strange. It was hard to listen to at some parts.
Let's chat about the narration, shall we? The narrator for Mary seriously sounded like she was either in a tin can or recording in a bathroom. It was really poor quality. The other two narrators had better-sounding performances, but Kat's voice was too similar to Mayim Bialik to me, so I pictured her the whole time as Amy Farrah Fowler on Big Bang Theory. Definitely not the style of this character at all.
And as for the liquid E thing.. I'm guessing these authors have never actually done anything like it, or they might have written a more accurate depiction of what it is and what it might do. People believe things, and this is how inaccurate information and discrimination start. Just saying.
I'm not a huge David Levithan fan. And before you freak out, it's mostly because I don't like his writing style. I don't enjoy teenagers who talk and think like they're middle aged to sound cool. But this book is fresh and different, and I very much enjoyed it.First off, I listened to the audio book version, and I think they did a great job with picking the narrator. The voice was very unisex, as is the MC in this book. Rhiannon's voice was very likable but slightly annoying in a way. And the regular voice had the same effect but I still thought it was perfect for the book. Good choice!
As for the novel itself, I REALLY liked the fact that this MC was neither male nor female. The MC lives in someone else's body for a day, and it could be a boy or a girl. It's always a person around the age of A, the MC. And it's always a person in the same vicinity as A is currently, unless A leaves the area. Anyway, A falls in love with Rhiannon, a girl, and goes to see her in many different bodies. I had a few problems with Rhiannon, but I won't spoil anything.
THE END, you guys. THE END! I just about cried. It made me pretty sad! I was hoping for what seemed obvious, but maybe that end should have been obvious. In my opinion, it worked out for the best. Overall I enjoyed this book. I liked listening to it, but I wanted some more information on A's purpose and life. It wasn't complete, to me. Maybe there will be more? I kind of hope so.
3.5 starsI enjoyed this one. Even with its sad material, I liked to see the change in Ever. She grows throughout this book immensely. There's little to no swearing if I remember correctly, and there's no sexual content, so this is pretty decent for even the younger set. Ever is a smart girl, but she's confused and bullied because of her weight. She decides on gastric bypass surgery to help her lose weight because she's very heavy for her age and height. This is her journey. It's pretty inspirational with her bravery and courage. I'd recommend this one because it's a fairly short, quick read with some hope and inspiration. Enjoy!
See full review here!First of all, this cover really does the book no justice. I have to say this because I had the TOTAL wrong impression of what this book was going to be about! I feel like I have to always say this, but more often than not I tend to pass on reading the description of books. I just genuinely like to read, and covers generally draw me in. This book looked very interesting at ALA, and I got it signed by the author. I thought it was more of a light teen romance, but that's definitely NOT what this book is. At all, really. Even with the title.. but I was so wrong.
And that turned out to be okay! Since it took a total turn for the "I have no idea what's going to happen next," I was able to stay much more interested than I originally thought. Well, I probably would have been just as interested in a teen romance since that's what I thought I was getting myself into. But this book is about death, grief, forgiveness. There's a bit of the romance stuff in there, but this book is about Samantha's journey after a significantly sad event occurs in her life.
Sam is strong but totally broken after the "event." She basically gives up, tortures herself by going back to school, and tries to get lost in a relationship that is barely even there. She has to work through her emotions with the help of her father, her kooky aunt, and some pretty good friends. Some things we just need to fix on our own time, I guess. I don't know how I can relate this story to my own life, but I can definitely feel myself inside Samantha's shoes. She had something horrible happen, and getting through it must be just like she describes it. It sounds awful, but I think most people would react the same way. That makes this book a little enjoyable in a way.
I really enjoyed this. I read it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. Not because I had to know what happened to Sam, really. More because I liked being inside their lives. They were a fun group of people, and I'd like to read more about them for sure. Check this book out if you're ready to be so deceived by this cover, if you like a a bit of darkness in your YA, and if you need a book to pull you out from anything that's dragging you down.
I love Emily Giffin, and I was really glad that this dealt with such a difficult topic to even fathom. It's strange and hard on many levels - adoption vs. abortion and finding and meeting biological parents/child. This book opens with Kirby Rose on the doorstep of Marian Caldwell. They're mother and daughter, but they've never met. Oh yeah. And it only gets crazier - baby daddy doesn't know he has a child! And he was the love of Marian's life, and vice versa. What nutty thoughts! How bizarre! And it's a great tale. Giffin spins a great web of confession and closure.I really liked the fact that this is told from both Kirby's and Marian's point of view. And it's first person, present tense. LOVE that, of course. But you really get to see both sides of this story when it's told this way. Kirby is so determined yet slightly shy and pretty vulnerable. Marian is overwhelmed and full of regret. They're both very nervous women, and it shows! I love the way Giffin writes, and this book is a great example of how she works.
The narrator does a fantastic job of doing the different voices. She's great as both Kirby and Marian. Every time I got in the car I looked forward to listening to this book. I didn't want it to end, and I definitely wanted more before it finished. I won't give anything away, so that's all I will say. Definitely check this out if you like emotional chick reads.
4.5 starsOh goodness. I laughed a lot. I cried a bit. My emotions ran high and low. I really enjoyed this novel. Hazel and Augustus are wonderful characters that I will not soon forget. They're fantastically amazing, and their journey broke my heart. Everything about this book made me think and wonder. I can't even imagine being in their shoes. They're brave and courageous. It's incredible to hear this story.
The narrator does a fabulous job with the different voices. She's entertaining and brilliant. She made this story so enjoyable even with the sad, emotional topic. Even though my heart was breaking and tears were falling, I was still laughing at the funny parts and feeling happy when Hazel and Augustus were together. They were just great.
In sum, cancer is a bitch, but this book is outstanding.
1
3.5 stars.So yeah.. this book is seriously long. A lot longer than I really feel it needs to be. Maybe the audio version is so long because she reads each email address over and over again and such. I honestly wish I would have read this one, but I did enjoy the narration of this audio book. Cassandra Campbell is not my favorite narrator, but she did a great job with this one.
Alice has a lot of problems, and she always thinks her kids have issues. She's having troubles with her marriage and hopes this marriage study will help. Alice definitely has too much stress, overthinks things a lot, and deals with some crazy things at work. She's an interesting character, but my favorite is Nedra. She's brilliantly funny, the voice of reason. Plus she's a lesbian. I love things against the norm! And Campbell's voice for her was very entertaining.
I kind of called the whole research thing. I was sad that after ALL of that, I predicted it all. But it all worked out so great, really. All the Facebook drama made this so modernly relevant. I wanted to enjoy this more, but I definitely liked this one. A great adult comedy.
This book is why I love Ellen Hopkins. Her writing is honest and gritty. She writes in first person, present tense, multiple POVs. She writes in gorgeous verse that jumps off the page and takes on true meaning when read different ways. She's a seriously talented writer. She has a such an ability with words. I've loved all of her stuff, but this adult book took it to a whole different level. This book is outstanding! It's real and in your face. It's easy to get lost in the lives of these three women. Every page is a new twist and turn. There are so many characters, so many lives at stake. Hopkins has a writing style that's all her own. While it takes obvious effort, she makes it look effortless. Each woman has her own back story and trouble to deal with. They blend and mix until your turning the pages so fast you can't keep them apart. It's raw and just so interesting. I read most of it in one morning. Great stuff.
It's exactly what I needed to read right now. Thank you, Ellen Hopkins.
2.5 starsThis book just wasn't for me. I never really got into the story or actually felt for the MC, Brianna. It felt like too much nonsense going on, and I skimmed a lot of the last 150 pages or so. There was nothing that I discovered in those pages that made the book any better for me. I didn't care for Brianna's friends AT ALL, and I didn't really like the "love interest" Blake. The idea behind the story didn't suck me in, so I just wasn't really thrilled. It took me way too long to read this one because I just wasn't into it. Oh well. Not every book is for everyone!
I did like that this book is present tense, first person POV. I'd like to try another book by this author when she's written some other stuff. Hopefully other people like this book in the meantime.
See full review here!So far, this is probably my least favorite JLA book. Perhaps it's because of her track record that I have such high expectations for books. This one felt a little generic and overdone. The whole 'gifted' thing and the 'death touch' have been done over and over, and I didn't feel like this one brought anything too new to the table. I usually ADORE her books, but this one fell a little flat to me.
Like always, it has JLA's particular brand of humor, so I did enjoy reading this one. While the story was still interesting and I read this in one sitting, it was just a little frustrating. But that could be from the MC's frustration in being put in her situation. So I did feel with this one. I wanted things to work out for all of them. I never knew who to trust, but I did know who not to trust. That was a little obvious. But Ember, the MC in this one, isn't as snarky as JLA's other female characters. She's easily worked up and, of course, special, but you would never hear her talk the way Alex or Katy do. I kind of liked that about her while I missed the snark at the same time. Weird.
I've been having trouble finishing books lately, so for me to read this book in one day was a big deal. Obviously it's entertaining and interesting enough to break a bit of a slump for me. But like I said above, I guess maybe I hold JLA to different standards, and this one wasn't as good as Obsidian or Half-Blood to me. I'm interested in seeing if she continues this one. While it wraps up pretty nicely, there's definitely an opening if she so chooses. I guess we'll see!
See full review here!Sierra Kent loves her job at the Love Byte dating agency. Marc Fairley works too hard at A-Corp, hoping to be the biggest, best companies. Sierra set Marc's mother up with her uncle in a small town. Marc doesn't like this. At all. And then the real stuff begins.
Nicola Marsh seriously knows how to write a romantic comedy! While there was no crying, there was some laughter, frustration, and nervousness during the reading of this one. My emotions were right with the characters, and I just wanted them to figure it all out! There were many levels or side-stories in this one, so it was easy to fall in love with the characters and really get into their stories. There aren't too many surprises, but I enjoyed the read the whole time.
Like I mentioned, there are many other stories. All the different characters are just that - different! They all have their secrets, back stories, personalities, and intricacies. From Olivia to Flo, Hank to William.. they're all great! Flo might have been one of my favorites.. haha. Belle was pretty great too. I was hoping things would happen for her in the end. Either way, I definitely enjoyed reading this one.
There were quite a few editing issues that I hope to see resolved. This one is self-published by the author instead of going through some of the traditional publishers she's worked with. The cover is super fun and, like with all Marsh novels, this one reads just like a movie. Definitely check it out!
See full review here!Seriously.. this is my favorite book of this year. Non-fiction at least. Corey Taylor is an effing hilarious genius. His arguments for all the reasons why the seven deadly sins shouldn't be what they are currently are brilliant. And his justifications for what should actually be the real seven deadly sins are rather enlightening. I will not spoil a thing for you as to what he posits they should be. All you need to know is that, while this book is actually informative, biographical, and opinionated, you will laugh at least half the time and actually learn something, even if it's just about Taylor's life. He's definitely an interesting man, and he's grown quite a bit.
While I enjoy his music, I never thought it was particularly well written. This book, however, is very, very well done. It's obvious that he knows what a thesaurus is (not just because he actually mentions one in the book), and he is just really well spoken. Also, he narrates the audio book version. This is how I enjoyed this masterpiece, and he's seriously one of the best male narrators I've ever listened to. His voice is perfect for a job of that nature. He's funny, charismatic, and dramatic at all the right times. This is just a freaking awesome audio book!