Book 27 of 2015

Sophia by J. New
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sophia (Stone Magic #1) by J. New is a fictional YA, Witches and Warlocks, Mystery, that captivated me from the beginning. It is book one in a series and I can't wait to read book #2. Sure, there is romance that is blooming and I am sure many more genres that it can fit into but no matter where or what I call it, it is a page turner for sure. There is already a great description written so I won't recap the book but there are a few things I'd like to expand upon.

The characters are developed with their own personalities and I really like the way they were developed in the book. I wasn't bombarded with all the information at once and there are mysteries in the character's life which isn't entirely told in the beginning but as the story progresses, these mysteries are faced and dealt with in the characters' own time which reveals more information about the characters and brings them even more to life. The characters are believable in the setting of the story and I couldn't help but 'feel' for several of them.

To me the pace of the book was fast and steady. Little time was spend on non-eventful things and it was always on line with the plot even if I didn't realize it at the time. At the beginning, I thought it was a 'little off' but soon realized it was just because this is a multi-leveled story and it was all going in the same direction. There were some twists in it which I did not see coming at all so the surprise factor was present for me as well.

Between wanting to know the answers to; the mysteries of who, how, and whys in the book, who had what powers, and of course the outcome of story, it was a truly entertaining easy read that I recommend.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Book Thirty-Five of my 2013 Goal

Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paper, Scissors, Death (Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery #1) by Joanna Campbell Slan is the first full length book I read by this author and it won't be the last! This is one of those books that have you turning page after page wondering what is going to happen next and you just don't want to put it down. What even makes it more interesting is that I am a Scrapbooker so I can relate to it all the more than someone who isn't. This doesn't mean it is for Scrapbookers only because it is not. Everything is explained in such a way that even someone who never visited a scrapbook isle would understand it. What I mean by this is like being a photographer and the book mentions things like shutter speeds and going on a 'shoot'. We all, or at least most of us, know what these things are but someone who is a photographer can relate all the more than say I can (someone who never was on a 'shoot' and uses the automatic setting on a camera). This book is part of a mystery series and everyone who likes mysteries might enjoy this.

I shouldn't say mystery as far as the story goes, I should say 'mysteries' because it not only has the main mystery but in search of solving that, the main character, Kiki ends up with several mysteries but never lost sight of wanting to solve who killed her husband and why. (Since the author has this information in her book details, I don't consider it a spoiler.) Some of these mysteries are the kind when you read about them you think you already know who done it and where the story is going. Forget it! The most logical is not always the answer. There are many twists and turns that I didn't see coming.

Speaking of the main character, Kiki is a very well developed as a person. She has a life, memories, and hopes and dreams for the future. She has a daughter and someone she is 'attracted to'. Then of course she has a mother-in-law that basically blames her for her son's death and doesn't get along with her. There are also the friends she has, some very good ones as well as not so good. In other words, her 'life' in this book is very full and real as is she (as well as all the characters). Not everything happens to her is good nor bad. She is living a life full of family problems, real problems, and of course her mystery and all that goes with that.

Keeping with this author's style, there are instructions, suggestions, and information on scrapbooking scattered throughout the story. Not random stuff either! If one of the chapters is about Kiki making a scrapbook, at the end there might be suggestion on what basic supplies you need to make a scrapbook. It all relates to that chapter in some way but it is not at the end of every chapter so don't think you have to read a bunch of stuff you will never use or already know. It is only a select few chapters and clearly marked so you can skip over it if you already know or are not planning to ever make a scrapbook. It in no way interferes with the story nor is there so much of it that a quarter of the book is this information. It is not! As I said, it is just a few times throughout the story and I just think of it as a bonus. Also, I know I said this is the author's first full length book I read but the key words are 'full length" here as I did read the short stories which is how I got hooked. The problem is I read them in a row so now I don't remember if any are in this book or if they were only in the short stories but if someone is cooking something in the chapter, you might find a recipe at the end instead. (Another favorite hobby of mine!)

Speaking of ends....that was some cliffhanger!

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