Review: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fireman, written by Joe Hill (King) and narrated by Kate Mulgrew.👌👍💝
The best narrator there ever was or will be haha!

When John, the fireman Rookwood and Harper Grayson-Willowes meet the first time, she is (the only) nurse on staff in a hospital full of sick patients waiting in a lineup a mile long. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man with a fireman outfit steps out of line carrying a little boy in his arms insisting no, demanding, they do something for the boy. He was taken seriously eventually, and the boy treated for a ruptured appendix. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is being wiped out on a catastrophic, apocalyptic scale from Dragonscayle. A spore that infects you from ash and can kill you making you burst into flames if you let it. Nobody is safe from the fires but John Rookwood has found a way to deal with it instead.
I usually don't like reading about apocalyptic end-of-the-world scenarios, because I can't handle the endless carnage and human waste and suffering. However, I never felt hope was lost in The Fireman. Right up until the end there was a glimmer of hope that everything (the world surrounding Harper) was going to be Ok. It didn't feel like all was lost for Harper's little group, at least the situations they encountered were not insufferable all the time. I was right.

Although the nature of humanity was sick as ever, I could relate lol
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Teaser Tuesday : The Fireman

Host The Purple Booker

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday. Here is where you can share a quote or two from your current read.

1. Start by grabbing your current read 
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
4. Be careful not to include any spoilers
5. Share the title & author, too, so if other participants like they may add the book 

The Fireman by Joe Hill Chapter 9 Book 4 -Marlboro Man page 328

What was hers belonged to all, according to the old rules of camp--but she was writing her own rules now. If liquor and smokes could buy the Fireman's secrets, then camp would have to do without. (from the protagonists, Harper's POV)

2018 Library Love Challenge

hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures and Brooke Blogs!

I’m looking forward to a great year full of lots of awesome reads from my local public library.

My Library where I go to pick up books.

The Nicholls Family Library is located in Westbrook CTrain Station. It is behind the glass windows on the main floor platform of the only underground station in Calgary. Very convenient as I only live a couple blocks away. The library recently relocated here last year. It is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday from 12 noon- 5 pm. The Westbrook Mall is right across the parking lot. You can see on the right-hand side part of it which would be WalMart.

Library Love Challenge's bookshelf: read
55 members This group will be to talk about, share, and discuss the books we snagged/read during the Library Love Challenge. The event is run by Angel's Guilty Pleasures & Bea's Book Nook. In 2018 Brooke Blogs will be co-hosting with me. Thank you for joining.

Books we've read

View this group on Goodreads »

The 8th annual End of Year Book Survey!

Hosted by Jaime @perpetualpageturner

I know I'm late but I only saw this yesterday (Jan 2, 2018), and I wanted to do it because it's interesting.

2017 Reading Stats

click the pic to view #myyearinbooks

Number Of Books You Read: 53

Number of Re-Reads: 0

Genre You Read The Most From. Fantasy

Best In Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2017? Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? Feversong by Karen Marie Moning. I live 4 the next book, but I didn't love it as much as I expected to.
3. Most surprising (in a right way or wrong way) book you read?
A Court of Mist and Fury. It was awful! As you can see by my review, it fell short of what I expected from Feyre and Sarah J. Maas. To hear her complain about her life in this book was so disappointing. I was bored with it and so over her ordeal at the end of book one. A Wonder Woman she was not.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? I don't know about pushing the book on people, but Heartless was my first book I read in 2017 that I wanted others to learn as well.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017? I started Queen of the Tearling. I was of the impression Feversong was the last book ending the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning, but I saw there will be another book released in 2018. High Voltage book #10. So. Oops.   
6. Favorite new author, you discovered in 2017? Erika Johansen, Leigh Bardugo
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? Philippa Gregory- Alice Hartley's Happiness. I don't usually read historical fiction and contemporary fiction.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Cassandra Clare's Dark Artifice #2 Lord of Shadows!
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? Feversong by Karen Marie Moning.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017? A Court of Thorns and Roses
11. The most memorable character of 2017? Feyre
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017? A Court of Thorns and Roses
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017? Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3)by Robin LaFevers with Annith as the strong female character and Balthazaar as Death.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? Four by Veronica Roth!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?

“I love you more eternal than pi.”
― Karen Marie Moning, Feversong

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?

The shortest book with 29 pages was Assassin Study by Maria V. Snyder

The most extended book with 701 pages was Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
The Chosen by J.R. Ward. When I think about the band of bastards Xcor and the oldest brother in the Black Dagger brotherhood Thor as brothers my jaw drops and my head reels with joy.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Emma and Julian OR Xcor and Layla from The Chosen. OR Jericho Barrons and MacKayla Lane from Feversong.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year.  Uh, that would be Ryodan and Dani O'Malley because she is Robin to his Batman.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. I read My Lady Jane and her Unearthly series
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: The Afterlife of Holly Chase was a book in my TBTBSanta's book list.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017? Abyssian “Sian” Infernas from Wicked Abyss. The King of Hell OR Axe from Blood Vow by J.R.Ward.
23. Best 2017 debut you read? Unfortunately, I didn't read one.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? This one is hard because I liked so many. The Queen of the Tearling was good.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most Fun To Read? Blood Vow. If you have read any of The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward you'd understand how hilarious some of the characters can be.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017? I don't remember crying, but I do
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? None
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? None
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017? Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? A court of Mist and Fury made me furious

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2017? That Artsy Reader Girl :)
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017? A Court of Thorns and Roses 
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog? My Ipsy Glam bag for December 2017
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? Wicked for Hire book blitz
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?  I liked my review of 100 
6. The most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year? Blogging as an affiliate marketer and finding my next good read and reviewing it on the blog.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)? I reached 500 posts this year on Jackiesforgetmenots.me. There was a spike in my stats on October 26, 2017, with 455 illustrations on that blog. I have no idea why.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? My Halloween Advent Calendar from Notoriously Morbid posts. All of them ;(
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, bookstores, etc.)? I was more into makeup this year than books.
10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? Yes, I think so. My goal was to read 50 books, and I completed that, as well as finished a few book series. His Fair Assassin, Queen of the Tearling and Four a Divergent Collection.

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018? The Titan series by Jennifer Armentrout The Return#1

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)? The Dark Artifices book #3 Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? Does the Cruel Prince by Holly Black count as a debut? Even though I've read her Coldest Girl in Coldtown?

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018? One series Ending I am anticipating is Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands, #3) by Alwyn Hamilton

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018? Get out more and exercise while listening to audiobooks on my running phones

6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable): N/ A. Have not read a new 2018 new release yet, but The Cruel Prince (The Folk of Air #1) by Holly Black has released already.

That's all Folks!

My Favorite... Book I Read in 2017

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books that started on Wednesday, January 4th, 2017. In this meme, we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it... The world can be a dark place, and it’s to share something positive.

My favourite book I read in 2017 is hands down Lord of Shadows #2 in the Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare. 

“Sometimes the most ruthless heart speaks the most truth” ― Cassandra Clare, Lord of Shadows

Here is my review of lots of spoilers

 “You’re Kit Herondale,” she said. “The lost Herondale.” “I didn’t realize I was lost,” said Kit. “I never felt lost.”

Kit is 15 yrs old. He never particularly cared about being a Shadowhunter, but he slowly changes his mind after he is taken in by the Blackthorn family and the Los Angeles Institute. I expect it was his father who kept Kit from knowing who he really was, but his father is dead now. He learns to steal to survive but has so much potential! I want to see him use his Nephilim gifts to the max. Annabel aka Lady Midnight is a character in Lord of Shadows. She was dead but the warlock, Malcolm Fade loves her and raises her from the dead, but in turn, kills him. Her role is very significant, for she now holds the Black Volume of the Dead with a lot of dark magic but promises a whole lot of answers. Anyhow, that book would be dangerous in the wrong hands. Annabel claims it belongs to her and will not give it up for no one. Not even Julien Blackthorn who is desperate to get his hands on it because he made a deal with the Seelie Queen that if he finds the black book, he is to hand it over to the Seelie Queen in exchange she would remove his parabatai bond, so it no longer threatens his relationship with Emma. Which means their love will not be deadly. That is how I understood it anyway. Parabatai’s are forbidden to fall in love. It doesn’t make much sense to me since what I believe, love probably includes a Parabatai bond Lmao! Anyway, Parabatai’s are not allowed to be romantically involved. Cassandra Clare whips my ass at storytelling :p

An Angel for Christmas by Raine English

An Angel for Christmas

AN ANGEL FOR CHRISTMAS is about a down-on-her-luck single mom who finds love at Christmas.
Alexa Stevens needs a job, or she and her daughter might wind up living out of the car. Blake Collins needs a nanny to help with his spoiled ten-year-old. What seems like the perfect match turns out to be anything but when the two girls and a rambunctious mutt create havoc at Christmas.

Find out more about the author, Raine English, on Bookbub and Amazon

Review - Miracle on 5th Avenue

Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan

It will take a Christmas miracle for two very different souls to find each other in this perfectly festive fairy tale of New York!
Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. She might be spending the holidays alone this year, but when she's given an opportunity to house-sit a spectacular penthouse on Fifth Avenue, she leaps at the chance. What better place to celebrate than in snow-kissed Manhattan? What she didn't expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous—and mysterious—owner. Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife's death looming, he's isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. He wants no interruptions, no decorations and he certainly doesn't appreciate being distracted by his beautiful, bubbly new housekeeper. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know what made me think this was a Christmas novel but I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, it is the perfect holiday romance and a Saturday well spent. I enjoyed it.

All Eva wanted was to have sex with a hot guy for Christmas. She wasn't hoping to be taken off guard and physically attacked her first day on the job. Neither did the attacker expect the intruder to be a woman.

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