Category: Book Requests

How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh (ARC)

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MY RATING : ★★★★★/5

Lily Singh a.k.a Superwoman a.k.a. The Bad-Ass Female on Earth a.k.a. Our Canadian Proud a.k.a… Okay I should stop. But I’ve loved Lilly’s comedy videos since the beginning and when I learned she was releasing a book…

After this little fangirling moment, you will probably wonder: “GOD THIS REVIEW IS BIASED BY HER ADORATION FOR LIlLY”. Alright. Don’t get me wrong but even if it’s my favourite celebrity on Earth, I wouldn’t be dishonest and lie about a book if it’s mediocre (#bookidote oath).

BUT THIS BOOK IS GOLD. Just when I needed it the most, reading this book is like having Lilly near you as a friend and a supporter to reassure you and guide you through your life. I believe we all learn best from our own experience and this memoir a personal coach speaking from her own experience and the result is amazing.

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Here With Me Now by Rebecca Markus

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MY RATING: ★★★☆☆

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This debut novel tells the  story of Mallory, a young teenager who’s going through the difficult adolescent-age problems : high school, bullies, gossips and dramas.  Her life will take an even more complicated turn when a new 26 years old neighbor moves in : Kain. Their lives will be intertwined in a passionate and prohibited relationship.

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Mallory is still in the middle of her teenage years (13 years old) and I guess that’s why her personality is immature and annoying. I tried to sympathize but these characters’s behaviours are not to my liking. The book may be more appropriate to a younger audience. Once I don’t click with the main character, it’s hard for me to really get into the book. But Rebecca’s writing makes it easy to follow the plot and enjoy it till the very end. Continue reading →

The Muiread by Luke Taylor

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“Let me walk to that day without fear, fair Ivy. Let me walk where the dawn and dusk collide, and there, standing tall against Eternity’s foe, fight the fight of my life.”

— Luke Taylor, The Muiread

     Have you ever read a novel that said more about the author than his biography could? It’s quite the insight, I tell you. I’ve known Luke Taylor since the first day he contacted Bookidote for a review of his novel The Quiet Kill. Since then, he has built a bond with us like no other author has attempted to do so. Through Goodreads, I’ve seen his passion for novels unfold and I’ve learned about classics that I should quick get my hands on thanks to his vast and profound knowledge of the existing literature. It is only much later that I’ve gotten the chance to read The Muiread and see for myself what style he fancies as an author. I jumped into this book with my eyes closed and had close to no expectations on what was about to unravel. It is now with absolute certainty that I can see that Luke Taylor is a man with a deep-seated love for literature. This novel screams that its creator can take upon himself countless styles and reinvigorate even the most lost arts that literature has ever known. Continue reading →

Aerisia: Land Beyond The Sunset by Sarah Ashwood

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MY RATING: ★★★☆☆

The blurb from Goodreads in a sentence : However, the day she spots a brown-robed stranger with a magical staff in a neighbor’s field is the day she also discovers Aerisia, a magical land beyond Earth’s sunset.Here in Aerisia, Hannah is believed to be the Artan, a legendary heroine prophesied to deliver Aerisia from the Dark Powers.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

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The Feather and the Moon Well by Shean Pao

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“Freedom brings responsibility. Once you decide, understand that those decisions affect others. Turn down this path, or that one. Make the wrong choice and you may kill a man or lose a kingdom.”

— Shean Pao, The Feather and the Moon Well

   It is with no shame that I’ve read this book without much Irish mythology knowledge helping me out. I believe it is a rare source material in literature nowadays, and I’m happy to be able to plunge into Shean Pao’s creation without being overwhelmed by it. Leave it to none other than Shean Pao to deliver a novel with intricately infused references to Irish mythology. Written with a divine pen skill, The Feather and the Moon Well is a tale that marvelously draws upon a unique and brilliant magic system to put forth the story of Anarra, the Willow Woman. Bound to her magical tower, she grants wishes or curses upon receiving a gift from strangers. But the day has come that Rash’na’kul, the lord of the sixth hell, sends his lesser-demon Barbarus to bribe the sorceress into creating an object that holds great power. Gazing into her Moon Well, she however realizes that the future reveals that her freedom will be imminent, only at the cost of something dark and destructive for the rest of the world. When confronted to life-changing decisions, what will these characters peruse upon? What will be the fate of humanity? Continue reading →

To Swim Beneath The Earth by Ginger Bensman

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MY RATING: ★★★★☆

The blurb  from Goodreads: MEGAN KIMSEY, born and raised in a small Colorado town on the edge of the La Plata Mountains, grows up haunted by images. Straddling cryptic glimpses of events that foretell her own future, and events remembered from a past in the highlands of Ecuador and Peru more than 400 years before she was born.. 

I haven’t read a lot about reincarnation stories but this one was so unique ! I absolutely loved it. One of the aspects that really caught my eyes are the psychology stigma that Megan has to go through. Continue reading →

The Threat Below by Jason Latshaw

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“It’s dangerous, Icelyn. That’s what it’s like down there. You can never go down there. Never.”

— Jason Latshaw, The Threat Below

         There was this trend in young adult books where everyone and their mothers could only write, talk and look at dystopias. Don’t act all surprised. I’m pretty sure you can name a couple hundred of series right off the top of your head. Today, we’ve got a whole new trend that focuses more on retellings. Oh, the famous modern retellings written in order to reach and please the fans and those who are oblivious to the source material. Wouldn’t it be nice to spice up our lives again with another dystopia featuring a female lead and a post-apocalyptic setting? Cue darkness. Cue spotlight. Here’s The Threat Below. Continue reading →

Creation (Chronicles of Ara #1) by Joel Eisenberg and Stephen Hillard

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MY RATING: ★★★ (3,5)☆☆

“Each immortal is possessed of a particular gift. Each gift is responsible for a particular miracle.”

This book is difficult to rate and difficult to describe too. Briefly, the author tells the story of the collapsing world of fantasy and Creation. Ara, a cursed goddess, also a character of a character’s novel Mirkwood. Yes one of the characters is a writer and Ara is in part of the story but she is more than that. Ara, being the Muse Goddess can influence other’s inspiration and act of creation. When a dragonslayer is killed in one of the book, revenge will get the best of her and turn her goodness into a dark fate. The writing is impeccable. You will find everything in this book : from philosophy and litterature to a math equation that can maybe quantify Creation. The author seemed to go over a thorough search in the Fantasy litterature mentioning some facts about JRR Tolkien’s life and work (BRAVO to these authors I love it when I see authors do their research :). JRR Tolkien is actually one of the main characters in the book. #INCEPTION. Continue reading →

Erasing Ramona by Peggy Rothschild

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“I knew lies. A good liar built their story on facts, giving a solid foundation to their falsehood, while less skilled fellows scrambled to avoid the truth. But one lie was never enough. Before too long, you had to shore it up with another. Then one more. And soon the lies had grown like an onion, one layer wrapped around the next. And, if you tried to slice through to the truth, everything fell apart.”

—Peggy Rothschild, Erasing Ramona

         Don’t we all have that period in our lives that we hope to never, ever remember about. Right there. That very thing you just thought about. We all wish with all our heart that the events will slowly fade away into billions of untraceable particles in our atmosphere. It just so happens that it isn’t that easy. Even more unlikely once your every day life throws sly clues at you. Clues that just force you to relive the very things you want to forget. But what happens when the past catches up to you, and you have no other choice but to face it? Erasing Ramona is the story of Miranda Burgess, a twenty-seven year old woman who’s fled a tragic and disastrous massacre ten years ago. Recalled to her home town, the very place where the tragedy took place, Miranda is engulfed into a relentless turmoil that has her revisiting the very crime scene only to have more questions than answers. Who killed all these people? Why were all these people lives taken from them?  How did she find herself in the middle of it, knocked out comfortably on the bed? Erasing Ramona is a psychological thriller told by Miranda herself as she uncovers the truth behind everything; from her relationships to the murders. Burdened by the lie of her own identity she lives by, will this adventure serve as a release to her own well-being?

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Strife of The Mighty by Julius Bailey

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MY RATING: ★★★★☆ 

“Often tales of valiant deeds lighten the heart,” said Brandegan. “They give hope, for they remind us that not all forces in the world work wickedness.”

-Julius Bailey

If Paper Towns can get a movie, this book highly deserves one or even more. A far far land where fantastic and magical creatures and energies exist, lay a small village called Vararel. One day, a warrior came and warned the villagers of the imminent danger that will approach the village but the people didn’t believe him and Giants start their attacks. Now all destroyed and had nothing left, everybody has to take refugee in the Capital. We follow Allon, Merch and Brandegan into this journey to the capital of Darfandor. Continue reading →

Against The Reign by Dove Winters

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My Rating: ★★★★☆(4,5)

“It’s certainly no place for children, or anyone respectable, definitely not a princess. But here I am.”

-DOVE WINTERS

Laughing out loud. Check. Kick-ass princess. Check. Funny best friend. Check. Teasing and charismatic prince. Check. WHY IS THIS BOOK NOT POPULAR ALREADY? Hahah okay let’s take a moment to describe why I think this book is so awesome. It starts off with Ginny, the princess who doesn’t want to fit in the palace life. She enjoys runaway life, dancing in bars, fighting and most of all, she is enjoying not being the Queen, taking the heir. Yes, she hates it. She wants to do everything to avoid having to rule her kingdom. She even planned secretly to wait until her little brother can get married and just pass it on the crown to him. Unfortunately, one event is going to change her decisions forever. She will not have a choice but to accept the crown.
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Tomb of Truth by Courtney Anz

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“It can grant life to someone in great need.

Or power to someone of great greed.

I trust you to protect it.”

— Courtney Anz, Tomb of Truth

          Fun, it was. Short, it was. Recommended for a more middle-grade audience, it was. While reading this novel, I had to put myself in a younger mentality. Only then was I able to truly see the creativity and humorous adventure that Courtney Anz has written and given for her audience to dwell in. Tomb of Truth is the story of Marina, a young teenager with fiery passion for seeking the truth; and also for fencing. After accidentally uncovering a hidden treasure among her mother’s belongings, Marina, unknowingly, set a course straight into Chinese history. However, she doesn’t know that this journey is bound to teach her valuable lessons about lying, friends and family. Her decisions, as reckless and care-free they were, blasts her into the depths of Xi’an, as well as the very dark corners of her families past. Will Marina and her family come out of this grand trip out of their homes untouched or will the past contaminate a family living in ignorance? Continue reading →

Guardian of the Gauntlet by Lenita Sheridan

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MY RATING :  ★★★☆☆

Camari and Mila, two princesses from a poor lonely land meet Denir, a prince from another kingdom. The prince however possesses a magic gauntlet, people who believe in the power, will make it work. However, the prince will only have eyes for the older sister Mila. Camari who’s been in love with the prince since the first day she laid eyes on him will become jealous of her sister. That’s not all, in the mountains, there’s a wicked wizard who intends to steal the gauntlet and use it to rule the kingdoms. In order to do so, he decides to kidnap Mila so the prince will have no choice but to give the gauntlet to the wizard. Will the wizard success? Will Camari comes to the rescue of her sister if he succeeds or will she help the wizard capturing her sister so she can have the throne with the prince? Continue reading →

Dream Student by J.J. DiBenedetto

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2016-01-23 06.52.32 1My Rating :  ★★★★☆

“It’s almost three o’clock in the morning now. It seems like it’s three o’clock a lot lately.”

The story opens up with Sarah, who’s in the middle of her dream and get pulled to another person’s dream : places she never saw, people se never encountered. Some of her dreams are also horrible nightmares, people’s darkest fantasies she had to endure. Her best friend, Becky, popular and hot, will try to accompany her and try to change her mind by convinving her to have fun. One day, at a bar, Sarah meets for the first time Brian. She’s been in Brian’s dreams many times but never met him before. Will Brian recognize her when they meet? Continue reading →

The Gift of the Quoxxel by Richard Titus

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IMG_5505My Rating : ★★★★☆

“I’ve just activated my nonsense filter. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

-RICHARD TITUS 

This book was peculiar, curious, light-hearted and fun to read. I’ll probably read it to my children one day. It’s about the King of Nibb, a lonesome island in the middle of nowhere. The citizens were fine with the island but not the King. He longed for discovering the world, getting out there. Unfortunately for him, every ship that approached the island decided to turn back and get away from his land. Why is that? The king has to know. Continue reading →

Evanthia’s Gift by Effie Kammenou

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IMG_5494MY RATING : ★★★★☆

“Now, in a twist of fate, he would see her again.”

-EFFIE KAMMENOU

A mesmerizing romance over two generations. The first part of the story, we follow the beginning of Anastacia and Alex romance as they try to overcome their past to be in relationship and work it out together. Single motherhood, destroyed and got her heart broken by her first mariage, Ana will not allow herself to trust any man. Alex will have to teach her to love herself again and trust him. They will discover that each of them has their own dark past. Continue reading →

Spell Fade by J. Daniel Layfield

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“The subconscious is the root, the beginning of all wishes and desires, and it plays a strong role in a wizard’s power.”

— J. Daniel Layfield, Spell Fade

        It’s easy to get lost in a fantasy novel. All it takes is an author able to reconstruct a believable but implausible universe. An author setting up an intricate yet simple plot capable of sweeping you off your feet and capturing every moment, as tiny as it may be. An author that helps you blindly wander through countless adventures, accompanied by various characters with particular personas. It’s by identifying yourselves through the characters that readers are blown away and feel nonfictional emotions towards fictional characters. Wait a second. That didn’t sound easy. Spell Fade was definitely a fantasy novel that excelled on several—not all—fields and managed to deliver a linear and entertaining fantasy adventure tale. Set in Pavlora, a moribund Great Wizard needs to quickly find a ruler for the kingdom before it also follows him to death. However, Dartan, a boy raised in a farm, doesn’t realize that the future lies in his hands and his hands holds more power than one could every imagine. Continue reading →

The Quiet Kill by Luke Taylor + Bookidote’s first quote!

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My Rating : ★★★★★

“The magnitude of possibility crushed her. ”

                                                                                                                                           – LUKE TAYLOR 

One of the most addictive page-turner of all time. The Quiet Kill was beyond my expectations. Not only it has the right amount of suspense, the writing was simple, clear, perfect to keep us hooked from the beginning. In short, the story is about Loeb, a writer in need of a break, a vacation to really sort out his life. He is pushed by his friend Cat to go to Alaska and stay there for a while. But their vacations will soon be transformed into a sinister journey while they are busy digging the past about a murder that happened a few years ago. Luke Taylor’s vivid and eloquent description make a killer combination for this thriller mystery. And let’s talk about that ending, damn! Continue reading →

A Healing Heart by Melissa A. Hanson

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My Rating : ★★★☆☆ (3.3) 

“It was so peaceful, relaxing or would have been relaxing if the electricity wasn’t flowing through my veins. I was expected and felt alive; anticipation of what might come next was keeping me on pins and needles.”                                                  – MElissa a.hanson  

Bailey, a teenager who lost all her family in a tragic accident and since then, she has to live with the pain of being the only one who survived. She moved in with her aunt and uncle and is trying to start a new life along with two of her best friends , Natasha and Mia. One day, she babysits Riley, a really cute and adorable little boy in the park and he starts playing with another girl, Lacey. The girl is Collin’s little sister and also Bailey’s biggest crush. We follow the journey to their blooming romance, how she’s coping with her loss and how Collin helps her heal with love. Overall, the story is enjoyable but not impressive. Continue reading →