Brandee's Bookish Babble #6 ~ How Dark is Too Dark?

Welcome to Brandee's Bookish Babble. There are many, many similar posts to this one - but basically I wanted a place to discuss bookish and/or blogging stuff and I needed a title. :) So this is my new discussion feature.

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Recently, my friend Robyn (@robgirlbooks) and I read the first 2 books in CD Reiss' Songs of Corruption series. As the title implies, it's not reading-lite. While chatting about the books, Robyn confided that the characters' actions were disturbing her...keeping her awake. She's the same way with certain tv series, such as Sons of Anarchy. I, on the hand, had no such issues. But as she was telling me how dark themes and morally questionable characters make her feel, I began wondering how dark is too dark?

Me? I haven't met a dark book I didn't like. I appreciate the provocative nature of dark books...seeing characters do things that toe - and sometimes cross - the lines morally and ethically. I like seeing the fallout from the actions. I like diving into the psychology behind a person's actions. It's all very compelling...for me.

I figure we all have our limits even if I haven't found mine yet. And I figure our limits are as different as we are in in our reading tastes. So I want to know...what are you limits? Do you know? How dark is too dark?

Burn, Rewrite or Re-Read Tag

I was tagged by Naomi @Nomi's Reading Palace for Burn, Rewrite, or Re-Read Tag. Here are the rules:

There are three rounds wherein I have to use a random number picker applied to my Read shelf on Goodreads. For each book chosen, I decide which of the three I'd Burn, Rewrite, or Re-Read. Simple, right?

Round 1

Burn - The Fall of January Cooper is my Burn of the randomly picked books of this round. And it's because there were too many things resolved unsatisfyingly or left unresolved completely in the story. 

Rewrite - Love by Design is my Rewrite because it was predictable in some spots.

Re-Read - Tragic...it's by JA Huss. 'Nough said. ;)

Round 2

Burn - Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs is my Burn solely because it was my first audio book and even though it was a good story, my overall experience with audio wasn't. (much of that due to trying to listen while my hubs was driving and trying to talk to me at the same time) 

Rewrite - Endure is my Rewrite because there was maybe too much going on in this series wrap-up. But also because it was pitted against JLA. 

Re-Read - Obsidian is my Re-Read since it was my introduction to JLA and I adored the premise, the characters, the humor, and particularly the banter between Katy and Daemon.

Round 3

**This was the hardest round**

Burn - Captivate Me is my Burn but not because I didn't like it. I did. It's just that I liked the other two that were chosen more. *wink* 

Rewrite - Double Clutch is my Rewrite but I don't know what I'd rewrite, honestly. Maybe there was a little too much angst?!? But this book - this series - resonated with me so much because the MC, Brenna, reminded me of my older daughter in so many ways.

Re-Read - Raised by Wolves is my re-read because this book was just.SO.GOOD!



There you have it. Have y'all read any of these books? What did you think? 

And now I'm tagging Lexxie @Unconventional Bookviews AND Berls @Fantasy is More Fun. Let's see how they fare with Burn, Rewrite, or Re-Read!

That's What HE Said #34 ~ Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #13

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies @Chapter Break. Here's the deal: every Thursday, post a line from your book boyfriend to his heroine. Keep in mind, these are direct quotes from dialog in the books. The quote doesn't have to be romantic - just something our hunky hero said to his lucky lady. Be sure to link up over at Chapter Break as well.

My pick this week for That's What He Said is from:

Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

Yeah, I've been on a KA binge as of late. I'm buddy reading with Robyn @robgirlbooks again and this one...it's been like a punch in the gut. But a punch you're thankful for. ;)  

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"I don't know where this will lead," he stated. "You and me and your boy. I know what we got. I know I like what we got. I know I wanna keep that strong and make it stronger. Shit happens. I hope like fuck it happens to us, we'll fight through to the other side. But I know this and you gotta know it too. No matter what happens, I will never, not ever, not fuckin' ever, Carissa, regret ridin' down that shoulder to help you and your boy. It's the best decision I ever made in my life, and I know that in a way I know I'll feel that until the day I fuckin' die."

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This is from a conversation between Shy (from Own the Wind) and Joker, where Shy is explaining what it means that Carissa showed up at Chaos with a pie for Joker. Joker was a bit dense about things at first, but he caught on to what'd make him happy. :)

"Dress was cheap, brother, same with the shoes. But it was all she had. She put 'em on, did up her face, her hair, and trotted her ass into a den of bikers to bring you a pie. You want butterflies, at this point, you gotta crook your finger. You wanna keep 'em, you gotta be smart."

Review ~ The Secret Sister ~ Brenda Novak

The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak
Fairham Island #1
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Mystery
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why?

After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the North Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal - and help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see if the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago.

Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid - Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Maisey's still attracted to him, but her heart's too broken to risk...

Then something disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister.

Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now?

Can you imagine starting to have vague memories of someone - possibly a sibling - but someone you don't really recall? Someone no one has ever mentioned? And having those memories corroborated by the sibling you did grow up with? This was just one of the many things Maisey Lazarow faced up her return to Fairham.

Maisey has returned home after a 10 year absence, in order to support her brother as well as heal her own wounds following her divorce. In coming home, she's putting herself in the firing line of her mother, who has never been happy or supportive of how Maisey's chosen to live her life. Being home also puts her in the path of Rafe Romero, a man she knew when she was a teen and would rather not see at this point in time. Being home pits Maisey against her mother once again, leaving her to buck against her mother's strict demands, expectations, and rules.

There's so much going on in The Secret Sister, with both Maisey and Keith trying to carve out new lives for themselves and hold their won against their formidable mother. Then there's the mystery sibling - did she or did she not exist? And if she did exist, what happened to her? And finally, there is the romance between Maisey and Rafe. I think Novak brilliantly balanced all the elements of the story. I enjoyed watching as Maisey made decisions on living her life even when they went against what her mother wishes. When we first meet Maisey, she's rather broken. I enjoyed seeing her blossom, become so vibrant and full of life.

It was difficult to watch Keith struggle with his issues and act so horribly at times. I was happy when he seemed to get his life on track.

Maisey and Keith's mother, Josephine, was a piece of work. Coming from a wealthy family, she was so focused on appearances, reputations, etc., and wasn't a nurturing type - at all. The events that transpired over the course of the story had definitely effects on all the characters - good effects.

My favorite part though was seeing Maisey and Rafe connect. Although Maisey is divorced and suffered terribly during her marriage, seeing her light up and regain her confidence as she spent time with Rafe and his daughter, Laney, left me feeling warm and fuzzy. :) Rafe is such a kind and gentle man. He's settled down since his wild youth and witnessing how he is with his daughter was heartwarming.

I did feel like a few resolutions were too easily gained. But overall, The Secret Sister was exceptional.

#COYER New Release Review ~ Her Sinful Angel ~ Felicity Heaton

Her Sinful Angel by Felicity Heaton
Her Angel #8
Release Date: August 1, 2015
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

Although Her Sinful Angel is #8 in the series, it can be read as a standalone - which is what I did. There are a couple of characters I'd like to know better so I will go back and read the previous books but I wasn't at all lost.

Having read Ms. Heaton's Eternal Mates series, Her Sinful Angel had a familiar feeling - as in she has a particular formula she seems to follow. But it didn't take anything away from the story. And Heaton delivered a well-paced story with compelling characters and wonderfully choreographed action scenes - all of which I've come to expect from her. There was a point in the story where I felt as though I'd missed something in the action. It seemed as though the characters had spent weeks together off-page rather than the days on-page. However, Heaton pulled me mack in, making me once again feel the chemistry between the characters.

Speaking of characters, Nina and Lucifer made a great couple.

"She was light with a seed of darkness inside her heart. He was darkness with a flicker of light."

They complemented one another well. They'd both experienced betrayal but had handled it in different ways - taken very different paths. Nina was an interesting enough heroine at the beginning. But she seemed a little fragile. As the story progressed and we got to know her better, I realized she was a survivor and she proved her mettle. This endeared her to me. But I also had questions that were left unanswered, such as what happens to Nina, a mortal, living in Hell? This question, and a few others, might be answered in the previous installments, but I was left curious.

The best part of Her Sinful Angel was Lucifer. The way Heaton portrayed him, made him so human, vulnerable, and fallible, made him such a compelling character. His recollections and understanding of how he came to be the devil was a unique perspective. He spent his early existence doing all his Father asked. But he's come to understand that his role was set and there was nothing he could do to change his fate. The things he did, that his Father asked of him, vilified him because it was necessary. His role is necessary. But he wasn't happy about it. That he still holds onto the anger and need for revenge was understandable. And that Nina brought out the man he once was, the one he's spent millenia trying to extinguish, was something to see.

Her Sinful Angel was a nice introduction to this series. And I will go back to the beginning and read this series from there.

Challenges Update ~ July ~ #2015HW, #ShelfLove, #COYER Summer, Mythology Reading Challenge, LGBT Reading Challenge, 2015 New Release Reading Challenge

Am I the only one feeling like this year is flying by?!? July was a good month reading-wise. I've so enjoyed reading whatever I want and I've read some GOOD books! Here's my update:

This challenge is hosted by Berls @Fantasy is More Fun and Michelle @Because Reading.

This month, I read Hereafter by Tara Hudson and Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay. I enjoyed them both. Looking at the books I have left remaining on my list, well...I have some doozies! Outlander and Game of Thrones to name a few. I'm laughing at myself for saving these monsters til the end. Putting off the really hard stuff til the end...just like school, yeah? 

 

This challenge is hosted by Chapter Break and Second Run Reviews.

I've shown my shelves some love. I've hit my physical, digital, and audio shelves! I've read 61 books so far! You can click here to check out the books and their reviews on Goodreads or click on the book images below. 

Not bad, right? I read 12 books towards this challenge in July. 

This challenge is hosted by Niji Feels.

I didn't get any more books read towards this challenge in July but I will be adding to this list in August. :)

 

This challenge is being hosted by Lili Lost in a Book.

I have finished this challenge since I challenged myself achieve God level or 6-10 books and I've read 6. (I'm actually wondering if Patricia Briggs' books would fit this challenge?) Anyway, I'll continue to add books here as I read them because, hey, sometimes I'm an over-achiever. ;) Here are the books I've read so far:

Lexxie @Unconventional Book Views and Stormi @Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! are co-hosting this year-long challenge to read books being released in 2015. Originally, I challenged myself to reach New Release Newbie status - or 1-15 books. Since I met that goal, I decided to aim higher. ;) I set a new goal of New Release Pro - or 16-30 books. And I've now met that goal as well! Goodness! I really didn't think I'd read that many new releases this year. So, keeping in mind we're ~6 months into the year, I've set a new goal of New Release Enthusiast - or 45+ books. That's right - I'm setting my sights on the highest goal!

In July, I only read four New Releases. Woohoo! ;)

COYER Summer Edition began on June 20th and I'm so excited to be participating AGAIN. For the summer months, Berls, Michelle, and Stormi have put together a lot of fun events to get everyone really into the spirit of cleaning off their ereaders! You can participate in *regular* COYER, the COYER Scavenger Hunt, and even just helping out others by cheering them on. For full details, click on the banner. 

Here are the books I've read towards this challenge so far:

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In July, I read to 16 books. I don't know how I managed to read more when I was traveling so much but I did. So yay me!

How are y'all doing with your challenges?