Monday, May 23, 2016

Rebel Sisters by Marita Conlon-McKenna (Review)

Rebel Sisters


With the threat of the First World War looming, tension simmers under the surface of Ireland.
Growing up in the privileged confines of Dublin’s leafy Rathmines, the bright, beautiful Gifford sisters Grace, Muriel and Nellie kick against the conventions of their wealthy Anglo-Irish background and their mother Isabella’s expectations. Soon, as war erupts across Europe, the spirited sisters find themselves caught up in their country’s struggle for freedom.

Muriel falls deeply in love with writer Thomas MacDonagh, artist Grace meets the enigmatic Joe Plunkett – both leaders of ‘The Rising’ – while Nellie joins the Citizen Army and bravely takes up arms, fighting alongside Countess Constance Markievicz in the rebellion.

On Easter Monday, 1916, the biggest uprising in Ireland for two centuries begins. The world of the Gifford sisters and everyone they hold dear will be torn apart in a fight that is destined for tragedy.
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Marita Conlon-McKenna is a hugely successful Irish children’s writer. Her first novel, UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE, sold 250,000 copies in the Irish market alone. Her debut adult novel, THE MAGDALEN, was a number one bestseller in Ireland, followed by PROMISED LAND, MIRACLE WOMAN, THE STONE HOUSE and THE HAT SHOP ON THE CORNER. She lives in Dublin with her husband and four children.

Visit Marita at her website: MaritaConlonMcKenna.com.


My Review:  
After reading this I have discovered how little I know about Irish History. With that being said, I did not feel like I was lost at all during this book. The author did all sorts of crazy extensive research, so the events make sense to those that are history dummies. Thank you ma'am!

There is a lot of backstory here, which helps with the above mentioned problem, but it works. This is not a short book, but it felt short. I mean that in a good way! I gobbled this book up completely in one whole day!

The sisters were pretty badass. I enjoyed "watching" them grow up and move past their wealthy upbringing to join the rebellion and fight for what they believed it.

This is my first book by McKenna, and I can tell it won't be the last. I enjoyed her writing style and obvious love for this subject.



Monday, May 9, 2016

Bout of Books Read-a-thon! Update Post

Bout of Books

Hi, I'm Melissa. I can't say "no" to readathons!

First Book:
Day 1 Stats:
44 Pages
Notes: Spent the day cleaning (my house was wrecked!) napping, and having to have a stern parent conversation with my son about his school work.

Day 2 Stats: 
I do not know how many pages I have read. I have been a bad readathoner and forgot to mark my place! Boo on me! 

Day 3:
Starting page: 63

Ending Page:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Lightning Luminary by RS McCoy (Review)


The Lightning Luminary
by 
R.S. McCoy
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Release date: April 26th 2016

Summary from Goodreads: 

 Talia Stanley may look like the typical wealthy New Yorker, but she's hidden her secrets for more than a thousand years. One of the last surviving members of an ancient race called Luminaries, Talia has suppressed her ability to control lightning in exchange for safety. 

And for generations it worked. Talia's hermit lifestyle protected her from strong Luminaries that want her power. All that changed the day Mason Rathbone walked into her life.

A good-looking artist, Mason is just the guy to get Talia out of her penthouse apartment and show her what it means to live again. But just as she starts to get comfortable, Talia gets sucked right back into her vicious past.

A new paranormal romance novel by RS McCoy, author of the Sparks Saga. 


Buy Links:


My Review:

This was a fun read. I liked the concept of The Luminaries, and I really liked Talia as a character. I thought the writing was pretty strong and the characters definitely were well developed and interesting.

With that mentioned, I didn't feel completely pulled into the story. While there is nothing technically wrong with the book or the characters, I just wasn't engrossed as I would have liked. I can't find anything particularly wrong with the book or the story to put my finger on the problem, so it may just be my mood. (I've been pretty fickle with my reads lately!) I can't fault the writer on that at all.

So my breakdown:

Good writing.
Strong characters
Unique story

I would recommend this one. I may pick it up later and give it a re-read to see if it catches me fully then. If I do, I'll adjust my review.

About the Author
Rachel McCoy is a Texan living in New Jersey. Between binge watching MTV reality shows and baking gluten free treats, she writes paranormal fantasy and science fiction novels. She is the self-published author of the Sparks Saga trilogy as well as numerous short stories, some of which now reside in anthologies. Back when she lived in the real world, Rachel earned a degree in marine biology, which contributed to her die-hard love of manta rays. 

To connect with RS McCoy (or swap recipes), visit her on her website (www.rsmccoyauthor.com) or check out her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy). You can also join her newsletter to receive release updates, free stories, and bonus extras (http://eepurl.com/YItp1)

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