Showing posts with label Heather Graham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heather Graham. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Book Reviews 2017: The Unseen

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

The Unseen by Heather Graham


This was one of the earlier books in the Krewe of Hunters series and I have to say, I really enjoyed the earlier books more than the recent ones in the series. This book seemed to draw me in more than the newer ones. There seemed to be more plot depth, a few of the recent ones have been all over the place. 

Since I've read the series out of order, I recognized characters- Jackson Crow, Logan Raintree, and Tyler Montague. I'm a Texas history nerd, so I enjoyed that this one took place in San Antonio and that the author threw in some Texas history facts. Nit picky: when the author was describing the Riverwalk in San Antonio, I felt she made it seem like it was a real river and not a man-made tourist area. But that doesn't take away from the story. That's just me being snobby. :)

I liked the characters Logan and Kelsey, I felt they worked well together. If this series continues, I hope the author gets back some of that early book magic!

Book summary:


I finished this book on July 1, so it goes towards my 40 by 40 challenge.

XOXO!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Book Reviews 2017: Catching Up On Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**


I read earlier this year but never got around to posting my reviews. These were read BEFORE I started my 40 books by 40, so they don't count against my list.

The Cursed by Heather Graham



Once again- Luke Daniels made this book so enjoyable. He makes each character come to life. I will sing his praises in each review I do on a book he has narrated. 

I liked this book more than the most recent ones I've read from the series (I'm reading them out of order). I enjoyed the ghost story and mystery portion a lot. I like Dallas and Hannah together, although for once I would like the romance to actually take time to blossom and people not fall in love in a matter of weeks, but that's just me being nit-picky. And this isn't a spoiler. You can tell from their first meeting they will end up together, it's not that big of a surprise.

I won't ruin it by saying what happened, but I didn't like the epilogue of the book. I would have preferred another ending but it didn't ruin the book for me. As always, I look forward to reading another book by Ms. Graham.

Book summary:


Darkest Journey by Heather Graham



I'm giving this a generous 2.5 stars (and mainly because I love Heather Graham and can't bring myself to give anything she writes anything lower). I'll start with the positive: I liked the main characters of Charlie and Ethan. I like how they at least had a past together, so their romance wasn't as off the wall as some of the relationships in the other books in this series. Usually the romance part of these stories bothers me, but I was actually okay with these two as a couple. 

I'm a history nerd and I usually enjoy the historical tidbits that Heather Graham throws into her stories, but this one didn't do much for me. I couldn't get into it mainly because I think the plot didn't flow as well as it has in her other books. And the scene where everyone was giving a speech about safe sex and STDs reminded me of those horrible movies we had to watch in school. It sounded too "textbook". People don't talk like that. 

I saw in a few other reviews that people noticed grammatical errors and typos. Since I listened to the audio book, I can't comment on that. BUT, Luke Daniels did a fantastic job narrating this one (so if you are interested at all, I highly recommend listening to it). As much as I've enjoyed the Krewe of Hunters series, I'm sad to say that I think it might be time for it to come to an end if this is how they are going to be. The past few that I've read (well, listened to) just haven't been the same as the earlier ones in the series. 

Book summary:



Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver



I went back and forth wondering if I wanted to give this 3 stars or 4 so I decided on a 3.5. The ending is the one thing making me debate my star rating (no spoilers about it). This is a book that as you are reading it, you can't put it down. That happened to me. I read over half of it on a plane ride from TX to PA. 

I liked the characters, even the horrible, mean ones. The character development was fantastic. I've seen it described as Mean Girls meets Groundhog's Day, and in a way it is. It was an interesting story line. 

As far as YA fiction goes, it's a very good read. I definitely knew people like the characters in the book. I can't honestly say that I personally related to any of them (I wasn't a "mean girl" and I wasn't really picked on by mean girls). I would recommend this one.

Book summary:


Landline by Rainbow Rowell



I really enjoyed this book- so much that I read it in a day. I liked the characters because none of them were "perfect". It seems in so many books the main characters are always overly attractive and have the perfect life. These characters seemed real. Were some annoying? Yes, but annoying people exist in real life. We all have annoying people in our lives (even if we love them dearly, they may be annoying at times). 

I enjoyed the story line- I'm always fascinated with "time travel" type stories. This made me think who I would want to talk to if I had a phone that called the past. This was the first book I've read by this author but I plan to check some others out soon.

Book summary:



XOXO!

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Book Reviews 2017: More 2017 Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

I promised myself I would be better about posting book reviews on my blog. I've read eight books so far this year, I already posted a review of one of them (here). At some point I'll get back to doing a post per book, but not today. :)



I loved Veggie Tales so I enjoyed hearing the back story how Bob, Larry, and the whole crew were created. I enjoyed the author's humor, which he used throughout the book. I felt the middle part of the book dragged a little too much for me, but the author finished the book strong and with some great advice. 

My favorite part was when Mr. Vischer talked about how college students were responsible for making Veggie Tales popular in the mid-90s. I first heard about Veggie Tales my freshman year of college (1996) so I take that as a shout out. Lol.

Another part I liked was when he said he realized that the stars of the show "Veggie" tales were actually fruit (a tomato and cucumber). I actually came to that realization a few years ago and it made me laugh.

This was written in 2006 so I look forward to Mr. Vischer perhaps writing a follow up to his latest adventures. 

Book summary:

Deadly Fate by Heather Graham


If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know I read a lot of Heather Graham books. And as always I put this disclaimer: this is NOT the actress Heather Graham. :)

I'm giving this a generous three stars. I love Heather Graham and the Krewe of Hunters series, but this one wasn't as captivating as the others that I've read/listened to. As the saying goes, you can't win them all. I will definitely keep reading the series and other books by Ms. Graham though, but I don't find myself re-reading this novel at any point.

I felt the romance between Thor and Clara was forced (this is not a spoiler, it's very obvious from the beginning they will get together). I know that each book in this series has a little bit of mystery, a ghost or two, and romance, but I would be okay if there wasn't romance in EVERY book. Since it's a series, it would be okay to let a relationship grow between characters instead of rushing them together before the end of the book. I liked the Thor character, but I didn't particularly like Clara. She was a supporting character in another Krewe book, but I didn't feel she was main character worthy, at least not at this point.

I listened to the audio version and once again, Luke Daniels did a fantastic job with it. I find myself specially look for books he has narrated.

I do look forward to the next book in the Krewe of Hunters series (I've read them out of order, but that doesn't take away from the series too much). 

Book summary:


Yolo by Lauren Myracle


I realize this is the 4th book of a the series, but it's the first one I've read. I actually really enjoyed this book. It's a fun and easy read. It can totally be read in one day. This book is written in text message form (so it feels like you are scrolling through a bunch of text messages). 

I'm a big texter, my BFF and I text every day. Even though we are definitely not college aged (like the girls in the novel), I could relate to being hundreds of miles from your best friend and relying on texting to stay in touch.

I laughed so much at the teen drama mainly because I could remember a time when I was going through it. There was one part (not a spoiler) where one of the girls was texting that she was at the ER and she had something sticking out of her foot (she had stepped on something metal). Her friend told her that was gross and then immediately asked for a picture of it. No lie- that is something that my BFF and I would say. Lol. I might have to check out the other books in this series. It's a VERY easy read. 

Book summary:

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella


I seem to be on a YA (Young Adult) fiction kick lately. Yes, this book first caught my eye at the libary because the cover was "Tiffany blue" and the title had Audrey in it (I love Audrey Hepburn, what can I say). After I realized it was NOT about Audrey Hepburn, I saw it was written by Sophie Kinsella. She wrote all the Shopaholic books. I adore her. She is a fun author to read. I didn't know she had written a YA book, so I decided to check it out.

After I finished the book, I read some other reviews of it. I saw that some people felt the author was making light of those with anxiety disorders. I didn't feel that at all. I thought it was a well done story. It didn't get down to the nitty gritty of anxiety, but it's also a YA novel. There is humor throughout the book (something Ms. Kinsella is great at), but I don't feel it was making fun of anxiety disorders at all. I personally have dealt with anxiety and not once did I feel it was written in poor taste. 

This story is told from the POV of a young teenage girl. I feel the characters are described in a way that a teenage girl would describe them. Audrey's mother seems overbearing and over the top because to most teenage girls, their mother is overbearing and overreacts to little things. And the dad comes off as a dork, because let's face it, most teenagers feel their fathers are dorks. Linus seems like the perfect boy to Audrey because if you remember when you were a young teenager, you feel like you are in love every five minutes. This is a perfect read for a vacation or lazy Saturday afternoon. If you are a fan of good YA and/or Sophie Kinsella, I would recommend this one.

Book summary:


XOXO!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Book Review 2016: The Uninvited

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

The Uninvited by Heather Graham

I listened to the audio version of this book several months ago (yes, I'm behind on my reviews). Narrator Luke Daniels gave another great performance- he has become one of my favorites when it comes to listening to audio books.

This is another book in the Krewe of Hunters series. Like I've mentioned before, I've read them out of order and it hasn't been a huge problem. I like the American history portion of this novel (some of it was factual and some was made up by the author), but she was very thorough even with the fictional historical characters. I'm a history nerd, so I enjoyed that.

I didn't really like the main character, Allison Leigh, too much at first, but she eventually grew on me. I do like the character of Tyler Montague (he's been a character in other Krewe of Hunters books). If you aren't a huge history buff, parts of this book might not interest you as much since she does talk about history-related stuff, but it shouldn't be too distracting. I actually found it kind of interesting!

Like most of the books in this series, there is a mystery, ghosts, and romance, but the plots and characters are different enough that it doesn't get tiresome to read (or listen to). I normally finish these books pretty quick (unless my schedule is just very hectic). They are a great weekend or vacation read. And if you have a long commute to work, check out the audio version to listen to while you drive. Like I said before, Luke Daniels does a great job! This isn't my favorite in the Krewe of Hunters series, but it was an enjoyable read. 

Book summary:


I always highly recommend Heather Graham, she is easily one of my top five favorite authors. I'm never sorry that I read one of her books.

XOXO!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Book Review 2016: Catching Up On Book Reviews

**All reviews on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

The Betrayed by Heather Graham


No, this was not written by the Heather Graham who is an actress. This is ANOTHER Heather Graham. I have read many of her novels (in fact, I've reviewed a few of them before here on my blog). I checked out the audio book version of this novel from the library last month when I took the road trip with my BFF (I wanted something for the long part of the trip when I would be driving by myself). Since I've always enjoyed books by Heather Graham, I chose this one. 

I've read several books in her Krewe of Hunters series. I haven't read them in order, but so far, that hasn't caused any big plot issues. Most of her books deal with mysteries and the paranormal (usually some character is able to see and/or communicate with ghosts). I don't know why, but I find that fascinating (ghosts, that is). I've always been a fan of ghost stories. 

The author does a great job of describing the locations in her novels. I'm not sure if Sleepy Hollow really looks the way she described it, but I have a great picture in my head of what she imagined it looked like. I didn't necessarily love the main characters, but I liked them enough that it didn't distract me too much from the story. My favorite character was probably Rollo (the dog). :)

Some of the story was predictable, but again it wasn't distracting. The narrator for this particular audio book was Luke Daniels and he did a fantastic job. 

Book summary:

I'm not going to call this a "must-read", but if you like mysteries, ghosts, and a little romance, you should check this book out.

The Night Is Watching by Heather Graham

Although I like Heather Graham and would have read this book because she wrote it, I honestly picked up the audio book version from the library a few weeks ago solely because I enjoyed Luke Daniels as the narrator in the last book.

This is my favorite book so far in the Krewe of Hunters series (granted, I've only read about five out of the fourteen, but still). 

I liked the characters of Jane and Sloan and felt they had great chemistry. Again, the author did a great job describing the scenes. I really felt like I was in this little western town and could visualize the shops, theater, and even the townspeople. It seemed like a "tourist place" that I would like to visit.

To me I felt the ghost story aspect was better in this novel than the last one I read by the author. I don't want to say it was more "realistic" (because I will not get into a debate if ghosts or real or not) but I thought it flowed better. I also like a lot of the minor characters in this book. Once again, Luke Daniels did a fantastic job with the narration.

Book summary:

If you unsure but think you want to check out a book in the Krewe of Hunters series, I recommend this one. So far I feel it's the best. And like I said in my last review, it doesn't seem to hurt to read the series out of order. 

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard


I downloaded this book about a year or so ago on my Kindle app because it was free. I had never watched the TV series it was based on, but I had a little idea of what it was about. I flew to Ohio last week on business and decided to read this on the plane. It was a very easy read (I read the majority of it on my flight from Dallas to Cincinnati). 

A lot of it was predictable and some parts were a little unrealistic (don't even get me started on the whole Aria/Ezra story line), but I seem to be drawn to these YA fiction stories full of teen angst. It's a curse. Lol.

There were characters that I didn't particularly care for (and even disliked), but I think the author wrote them that way. Evidently this is a series of about sixteen books (I don't think I realized there were that many books in the series). This book was entertaining enough that I would read another book in the series if I came across it, but it's by no means at the top of my reading list.

If you don't mind teen angst and characters that make you want to reach through the pages (or iPad) and slap them, this is a book good for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Book summary:

Dearest Daughter: Become Who You Were Created To Be by Jeremy Mark Lane

This is an emotional and well-written devotional book. It seemed no matter what day I read a passage, it was something I could relate to.

I tend to let life and the world consume me from time to time. There are days where I struggle and feel I am completely lost. I could turn to any random page in this book and would read a passage that lifted me up.

Regardless of your relationship status, age, or where you are in your walk with God, I recommend this devotional to all women. I truly believe it will be a blessing to you in one way or another.

XOXO!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Book Club Friday

I found this blog hop and decided to link up today! If you want to check out other book reviews, hop on over to Blonde...Undercover Blonde.




As you know, I love to read. I recently starting reading a trilogy so I thought I would review book one of that series. 


First of all, NO, not Heather Graham the actress. The author and actress are two totally different people. I discovered this author thanks to my friend Martha, who let me borrow one of her books a few years ago. Her style is a range of mystery/suspense to supernatural/paranormal to romance (and sometimes a mixture of all of those).

Ghost Shadow is the first book in The Bone Island trilogy series. Heather's books are usually a fast, fun read, and if you have a whole day to do nothing, you can easily read one in less than a day. This book was no exception. I think I read it in two days (I started it late one night and finished it the next day).

Here is the synopsis:
There are those who walk among us who are no longer alive, but not yet crossed over. They seek retribution...vengeance...to warn. Among the living, few intuit their presence. 

Katie O'Hara is one who can.

As she's drawn deeper and deeper into a gruesome years-old murder, whispered warnings from a spectral friend become more and more insistent. But Katie must uncover the truth: could David Beckett really be guilty of his fiancee's murder?

Worse- the body count's rising on the Island of Bones, and the dead seem to be reenacting some macabre tableaux from history. The danger is increasing by the moment- especially as Katie finds herself drawn to David, who may be responsible for more than one killing.

My Thoughts:
Ever since I was little, I've enjoy stories about ghosts. And I love murder mysteries (this explains my crime show addiction). This is a mixture of both and I think Heather Graham did a good job with it. I really liked the main character in this book- Katie is a very strong-willed person. I liked her immediately. I also liked Bartholomew (if you read the book, you'll know who he is). There were a few subplots, but I feel that it was written in such a way that it didn't distract from the main plot of the story. The ending surprised me a little (when I read mysteries I tend to try and solve it myself, sometimes I succeed, but not this time) but it was a good ending. I would recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal mystery books. It's a fun read.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! XOXO!