Recent Reads: 20 May – 1 June 2019 – Treestand Book Reviews

So what have I been reading these last two weeks?

Check out all the amazing books I was able to get to in today’s new reading blog!

Monday (20th May)

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.”

Published: 5 March 2019

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Review coming soon!

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal

“People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.”

Published: 14 May 2019

Publisher: Farrar, Stars, and Giroux

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 480

This was a DNF. I really wanted to get into this one, but between the characters’ names and the writing style, I just couldn’t get myself to become fully invested in the story.

I hope to get back to this one some day, but for now, I’ll be putting it back on my shelf.

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin

“A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel…and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.”

Published: 26 November 1998

Publisher: Bantam

Genre: Adult High Fantasy

Pages: 969

Review coming soon!

Wednesday (22th May)

Realm by Alexandrea Weis

“Based on a true story.

When her homeland is conquered by the mighty Alexander the Great, Roxana—the daughter of a mere chieftain—is torn from her simple life and thrown into a world of war and intrigue.

Terrified, the sixteen-year-old girl of renowned beauty is brought before the greatest ruler the world has ever known. Her life is in his hands; her future his to decide.

Without formal education or noble blood, Roxana is chosen by the Greek conqueror to be his bride. Soon she comes to know profound happiness and unyielding desire in her warrior’s arms.

However, being the king’s consort comes at a heavy price. To survive her husband’s treacherous kingdom, she must endure continuous warfare, deadly plots, jealous rivals, victory-hungry generals, and the stigma of being a barbarian. Persian blood will keep her from claiming the grandest title of all—queen—but her reign will seal the fate of an empire.

History tells his story. This is hers.”

Published: 14 May 2019

Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Pages: 397

Click HERE for my review!

Thursday (23rd May)

Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges #1) by Stephen King

“WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
#1 New York Times bestseller! In a high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands. “Mr. Mercedes is a rich, resonant, exceptionally readable accomplishment by a man who can write in whatever genre he chooses” (The Washington Post).

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with two new, unusual allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.”

Published: 3 June 2014

Publisher: Scribner

Genre: Adult Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 436

Review coming soon!

Friday (24th May)

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

“Welcome to the Kingdom… where ‘Happily Ever After’ isn’t just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species–formerly extinct–roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty–and what it truly means to be human.”

Published: 28 May 2019

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

Genre: Young Adult SciFi / Fantasy

Pages: 352

Click HERE for my review!

Saturday (25th May)

Unchained Desire (Rapture #1) by R.C. Alvarez

“Chained to a demon queen for hundreds of years, fallen angel Ramiel has given up on his brothers and sisters––and humanity. He has seven days away from hell to replenish his power and that’s all he cares about––right up until his meeting with the much too innocent Kyria. He fell for that act before and it landed him in hell, he won’t be making that mistake again.

To save her sick father, Kyria knows she must find Ramiel. He’s dark, brooding and everything Kyria should be scared of, but the haunted look in his eyes makes her think there’s more to him. The tattoos and chains don’t frighten her either, but the connection she has with him does. When strange creatures attack her, Ramiel steps in to protect her.

Ramiel believes he’s reluctantly helping Kyria, but what neither of them knows is that she may be the one to save them all…”

Published: 27 May 2019

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Genre: Adult Paranormal / Romance

Pages: 362

Click HERE for the review!

Sunday (26th May)

Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen

“Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought…”

Published: 28 May 2019

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary / Romance

Pages: 304

Click HERE for the review!

Monday (27th May)

The Prince’s Prisoner (Feared Fables #2) by Klarissa King & Isla Jones

“A dark fae prince. A stolen human girl.
And an unwanted marriage.
Not all beasts can be redeemed…

Callie doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Too bad they believe in her.
The fae whisk Callie and her friend off to be prisoners of an eternal dance. But Callie is stolen again.
Maybe the eternal dance wasn’t so bad after all…
A lethal fae has taken her as his unwilling bride, and she has to balance between life and death in his castle, while finding a way out of the dangerous fae realm. Only, she’s playing games with the Prince of War.
The Prince learns just how far Callie will go to save her friend from a lifetime of torture—and just what she will do to save herself from his clutches.
Callie must escape the wicked prince before she turns from prisoner to prey. But as the prince himself tells her, ‘Sacrifice is no noble thing in the fae realm.’
Everything in the fae realm comes at a price…

The Prince’s Prisoner is a Dark Fae Retelling of the originalBeauty and the Beast. Don’t expect Disney’s tale to even flicker on these pages.
Second book in the anthology series, Feared Fables. Can be read as a stand-alone. Please be aware of themes.”

Published: 15 February 2019

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: New Adult Fantasy / Romance

Pages: 243

Click HERE for my review!

Tuesday (28th May)

Forever Chosen (Vampire Brides Novella) by K.L. Bone

“Five hundred years ago, Hayden fell into Caleb’s brutal hands, the ruthless vampire who first claimed his mortal life, then his mind. Tortured into absolute submission, Hayden spent centuries at the powerful lord’s right hand, a broken shell of the man he had once been. Until the night he was sent to kill her. Katherine, a young woman whose innocence and sweet nature woke a part of him Hayden had thought long dead.

After joining forces with the local vampire coven, Hayden turned on his master, betraying the man he had sworn to eternally obey. However, before the villain could be laid to permanent rest, Caleb vanished.

Katherine fell hard for Hayden’s protective nature, while his mysterious aura captivated her. Yet after only a single night in his arms, Hayden pushed her away, stating their love could never be. Confused by the rejection, Katherine struggled to move forward, left with no options but to deny her heart the battered soul it craved.

Now, Caleb has returned, set on delivering vengeance against both the man who betrayed him, and the catalyst for his defection. Katherine and Hayden must discover a way to avoid Caleb’s evil intent, while determining if there is any future for their love.

Forever Chosen is a novella featured in the Vampire Brides series. Books in the Vampire Brides series can be read in any order.”

Published: 22 May 2019

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: New Adult Paranormal / Fantasy

Pages: 170

Click HERE for my review!

Wednesday (29th May)

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

“High school finally behind her, Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall. But first she’s spending her summer days working at her granny’s diner and begins spending her midnights with Dallas—the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. Winnie lives in Misty Haven, a small town where secrets are impossible to keep—like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. Because they care that’s she’s “too fat.”

Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it’ll go away if they can’t make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn’t want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top?”

Published: 4 June 2019

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 288

Review coming June 4th!

Thursday (30th May)

Breakout by A.M. Rose

“Six days.

That’s the amount of time until Lezah’s execution.

She’ll die never knowing what got her locked up in this godforsaken prison in the first place. Her only chance of survival is to escape. Except the monitoring bracelet that digs into her wrist, the roaming AI, and the implant in her neck make freedom close to impossible.

Her best chance is to team up with the four other inmates who are determined to break out, even if one of them is beyond (gorgeous) annoying—oh, and in for murder. But he has a secret of his own. One that could break Lezah if she finds out, but could also set him free.

Figuring out how to work with him and the rest of this mismatched group of criminals is the only way Lezah will survive to see the outside world again.

But nothing in this prison is as it seems. And no one.”