Disis19 Hearts...

My thoughts on the Manhwa series Good Luck by Kang E-Jin.

My thoughts on The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross by Arina Tanemura.

Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 12 by Kumiko Suekane My rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting series covering a lot of the questions and thoughts one could have about cloning. It definitely made me think about the subject as I was reading it. The summary of this series is a little misleading in regards to the series as a whole, but that didn't bother me very much and I actually expected where the story took me. I would've loved to see a little bit more at the end of the final volume, but I do think the story ended up in a very believable way. There are definitely a few characters that I was more interested than others, but I did find all of the characters interesting. There were even a couple of historical figures that I had to look up because I hadn't heard of them before. There were a few scenes that involved female nudity in the first 5 volumes of this series that I did not appreciate and did not feel like they were appropriate in the situations that were being...

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was an entertaining read. The setting is definitely a place that lends itself to a story such as this and I thought it was the perfect backdrop for the events that unfolded. I listened to a good portion of this book in audiobook form though and that lends itself to a bit of my disappointment in the experience. The pronunciations of Japanese words weren't always correct which gave me a bit of a cringe when heard. It's definitely disappointing that these weren't corrected during the recording. I probably could've done without the high school romance sections in this book as well as I don't feel like it lent anything to the story itself. Though I'm ok with where this story ended up, the end isn't exactly feasible for me if I think about what happens 10 or 20 years from where the story ended. That being said, I definitely enjoyed this duology and look forward to reading...

Beauty Bunny Vol. 8 by Mari Yoshino My rating: 5 of 5 stars More like a 4.5 I thoroughly enjoyed this series! I borrowed the first two volumes from Kindle Unlimited and was so hooked, I ended up buying the whole series digitally. I know it will be one that I will re-read again in the future. This romantic comedy had me laughing out loud several times. I loved how we see Kohane hone her skills in makeup application and how she then starts to understand what her mom enjoys so much about not only makeup but skincare. As someone who enjoys these things as well, there were definitely things I could relate to. Also, the age difference between Kohane and her mom are very close to the age difference between my daughter and I, so their relationship was relatable in some instances as well. On the outside, this story can look like it's only about outer beauty, however this story really focuses on inner beauty as well. I really loved seeing how each character came to un...

The Midnight Witness by Sara Blaedel My rating: 3 of 5 stars Read with the World of Sleuths Goodreads Group This one was interesting, up until I realized who the killer was. Unfortunately it was pretty obvious to me. I had read The Forgotten Girls last year and really enjoyed it, not knowing it was part of this series. It's a good thing I did though because if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't continue with this series based off my feelings on this installment. The way Louise and Camilla treat each other in this one is not great. It amazes me that they are friends with the way they treat each other. I know their relationship is much better later in the series, so that helped a bit. Louise and her relationship with her boyfriend is not great here either. The investigation was interesting though and I will be continuing with this series, since I know these things I mentioned are better later. View all my reviews

Dracula by Bram Stoker My rating: 3 of 5 stars This one is hovering between a 2.5 and 3 for me. A few times, I was very interested in what was going on, but most of the time I was just passively reading/listening to what was being told. I think that if I didn't incorporate listening to the full cast audiobook with Alan Cumming and Tim Curry, combined with the fact that my friend was doing a readalong of this, I probably would've dropped it. Am I glad I finally got this classic read? Of course, but I can't say that it wasn't a disappointing experience. I couldn't get invested in the story and I have to admit that this tale did not bring on a sense of fright in me at all. The end was anti-climactic and I felt let down by having to read all those pages before it for the end to be what it is. The audiobook version I listened to was a great asset to this story. Had I not had that, I probably wouldn't have finished. If I did, I'm sure this wo...

Bits & Pieces by Jonathan Maberry My rating: 3 of 5 stars I so wish I read these short stories along side the novels. It has been a while since I read the series and getting back into this world was interesting. Most of the stories in this collection didn't add anything to the world or story for me after finishing the series. While we do get to see some of the characters we're familiar with, we see a lot that are new - at least I don't remember them. I do wish there were more stories about the time when First Night happened and how the towns were created. While there is a story on how Tom survived First Night, I think I would really appreciate a full length prequel novel about him as well. I unfortunately don't believe short stories are for me. That is the reason I haven't read very many in the past and this experience does make that belief seem valid. Though I didn't enjoy this collection as much as the series, I am excit...

Phantom Evil by Heather Graham My rating: 3 of 5 stars Interesting start to the series and it definitely has a couple things I enjoy in books - ghosts and mystery. I enjoyed how the mystery from the past was tied into the story as well. I'm not yet completely hooked, but will definitely be continuing further into this series. I'm not sure if it was because I listened to most of this or if it just didn't completely grab my attention, but I had a hard time keeping track of each characters names. Besides the ones we see often, I couldn't remember who was who. Even with the different voices that were performed by the narrator, it was hard for me to keep track of them all. I know as I read through this series further, I won't have that problem, but it was a bit confusing for me. Looking forward to the next one. View all my reviews

Asylum by Madeleine Roux My rating: 4 of 5 stars Read this as part of #OurLostLibrary #Lostathon - Logging this for Book that starts with A and Booktube find I thought I'd get an early start on some spooky reads this year and this fit the bill nicely. The momentum in this book was great and though I listened to a majority of this on audio, I definitely recommend the print book. There are pictures from actual asylums included that gave a different feel to the story for me. I am excited to see how this story continues and have already started the next installment. View all my reviews

The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting, very interesting. I read this for #MarchMysteryMadness I've had this book on Kindle for a very long time. I picked it up free but never read it, so March Mystery Madness was the perfect time to dust it off. There were a couple twists in this book that I didn't see coming and the twist at the end was super surprising. You learn a lot about Karen throughout this book too. This book does contain more gruesome crime scenes and violence than I'm used to reading, but it's not unfamiliar for me as I do watch shows like Criminal Minds which contain similar themes. I listened to a majority of this on audiobook and thought the narrator did a good job. I'll definitely be checking out other books in this series in the future. View all my reviews

Ninth Key by Meg Cabot My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's been a while since I read a book this fast. This one takes place about a week after the incidents of the first book in this series. Though it's been a while since I read the previous book, it wasn't hard to get back into this series at all. Really enjoyed it and highly recommend if you like Young Adult Paranormal Mysteries. View all my reviews

These are the books I'm planning to read to fulfill the challenges for the 3rd Annual #MarchMysteryMadness ^-^ My March Mystery Madness Goodreads Shelf Mystery Madness Goodreads Group Mystery Madness Twitter

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman My rating: 3 of 5 stars A big thank you to my friend for gifting this to me for my birthday! You know who you are ^-^ An enjoyable read. I always have a bit of a problem when there are multiple POVs, so I think that is probably why I can't give this a higher rating. It also took me a while to become absorbed in the story and be familiar with our cast of characters, but once I was familiar it was a much more enjoyable journey for me. The audiobook helped a bit too as the presentation helps me to know which POV we're in at any moment in the story. I will be continuing with this series and look forward to the next installment. View all my reviews

If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Read for #Book1CoziesClub I really enjoy the author's Witchcraft series and am not surprised that I also enjoyed this book. The story ties into what I do for a living a bit as well, which made it more interesting to me. Good story line and I didn't feel like it was very heavy on the supernatural element at all in this installment, though I do like that sort of thing personally. This is also the first time I've listened to one of the author's books on audio and I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the narration and definitely recommend checking out this author's work in print or audio if you haven't already. View all my reviews

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente My rating: 3 of 5 stars Listened to this one on audiobook and I have to say that the experience this time around was much easier than I had with the previous installments. The narration was very soothing also. These books are never what I expect, to be honest. We find September a year older in this one, but she doesn't seem to have matured at all. The story wasn't gripping for me and I really think I need that for a book to be more than just enjoyable. These books are definitely more like a stroll where the destination is never really set until you get there. At least that's how I feel. The uncertainty of where the story is finally going to end up I think also hinders my enjoyment because I'm constantly looking for how the story will resolve. I will still continue with the series as I do like them. The end of these books always makes me curious about what will happe...

Primal Waters by Steve Alten My rating: 3 of 5 stars This installment has taken me the longest to finish so far and it was the least enjoyable as well. Fast forward a couple decades and we have an older Jonas and his family including two teen children, one who thinks she can do anything she wants because she's almost 18. She really grated on my nerves and I did not like how her character progressed at all. We again have the dual POV situation here, but it didn't bother me in this installment as much as it did in the second book. The reality TV show aspect of this installment wasn't enjoyable at all and it wasn't believable to me considering the situations these characters were in. I am still going to progress through to the next book in the series though, because though I enjoy them less and less, this series is still keeping my interest at the moment. View all my reviews

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed revisiting this story. It was more hilarious than I remember the original to be for sure. I'm not sure if it was because the lines sounded different in my head, if it was the way the narrator delivered them, or if they were in fact slightly different. There are a few differences in the story as well, which I found interesting. It's been several years since I read the original series and I will need to go back and re-read it just to see what differences were made other than the obvious ones. View all my reviews

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare My rating: 4 of 5 stars Finally got to the next book in this series and I'm really enjoying it! Yes, I am watching the TV show and enjoying that as well. The differences in the book and show are interesting and I'm curious what will happen in the next installment. I really feel like with adaptations, I need to watch them first before reading the text. I seem to be able to enjoy the show for what it is without the constant voice in my head telling me things are different or being disappointed as to why certain things aren't in the show. View all my reviews

The Trench by Steve Alten My rating: 4 of 5 stars More like a 3.5 I felt this installment had 2nd book syndrome. It wasn't as good as the first one was for me. Though it was still enjoyable, I didn't like the alternating POV every chapter. I felt that due to this, I lost some of the flow to the story and I was more interested in one POV than the other. I definitely recommend these books over Jaws, which I also read this month and I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. View all my reviews