Reviews Of Some Books I've Been Reading Recently

 Hey, everyone! Just recently, I finally spent some of my Christmas money to buy some new books. Usually, I prefer to get books from the library, but I couldn't find any of these at my local library or the online library, and they were all fairly cheap, so I bought some, and here are my thoughts on the three I've finished. These reviews are mostly spoiler-free, by the way.

Also, this was so interesting to edit, because I wrote a review on each book as soon as I finished it [so it would be fresh in my mind], which means I'm getting to go back and re-read what my initial thoughts on each book was. 

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Hunting Prince Dracula is the sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper, which I read last year, and really liked. This was a very ''me'' book, which made it a fun read. Here's a Goodreads summary, so you can know the basic plot:

Following the grief and horror of discovering Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey-Rose has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together, with arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best forensic schools....and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend. 

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey-Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her fears to life again.

 This was a really good book. I think I read it in three days [and it's over 400 pages]. I liked a lot about it, but here are some things that stood out to me:

-The vampire theme. 

When I was twelve, my dad got us a book for our history class called Oh, Yikes [which was all about weird, gruesome and gross things that happened throughout history], and I read the chapter on Vlad the Impaler, and Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and was instantly fascinated [I was, uh, a very morbid child, and I don't think I've really grown out of it], plus I love the supernatural, and vampires [even though there weren't actual vampires in this, they were mentioned a lot, and Kerri used lots of vampire folklore]. I also loved the creepy vibe this book had.

-The mystery.

There were so many twists and turns in this, and I loved it. I actually guessed who the killer was, which surprised me a lot [my guess is that it was just luck. But if you'd like to think of me as a master detective, I certainly won't mind].

-The dialogue

When I say dialogue, really, I mean banter. And there was some great banter between Audrey-Rose and Thomas in this book, which I really appreciated.

-The characters

I like Audrey-Rose as a heroine. She's smart, brave, and interesting to read about. I also like Thomas. He's great. And Thomas' sister, Daciana. She was both witty and fearless, which I love in characters. 

-The cover

Isn't it gorgeous? Not only is it a great book, but the cover is aesthetically pleasing, too. 

I think this would be a 5-star read, honestly. There was a lot I liked about it. 

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

I had actually been intending to read this book in February, since it's a romance. I've really been branching out a lot in my reading lately, which I think is great. I mean, this time last year I would have scoffed if you suggested I read something other than sci-fi, and now I read LGBTQ romances [I mean, I do still read sci-fi. I just read other genres, too]. There isn't really a good summary for this one, so I'll just say that it's about two girls who fall in love in the '80s. 

Now, onto my thoughts about it:

-I loved Annie! She was so sweet and smart and creative and reminded me of Luna Lovegood. I really liked the main character, Liza, too. She was smart and driven and so many good things, but Annie is on a whole other level.

-The writing style.

I love reading books written in other eras [whether that's 1817 or 1982], but I also just loved Nancy Garden's writing style. It was very smart and poetic. I'm sure there are lots of great quotes from this book, but I'm too lazy to go and look for them.

-Also, the feels! 

Some books---like Pride and Prejudice----have romances with banter. The romance in this book is more sweet. It was just a tiny bit sappy at times, but not too much. 

-As mentioned before, this was really well-written and I'm surprised it hasn't become a classic yet [I mean, it kind of is, but not completely].

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Hunting Prince Dracula, but I did think it was really good, so I'll give this one 4 1/2 stars. I could definitely see myself re-reading it. 

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that will take years to kick. 

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina's not so lucky. 

When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie's been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery. 

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. 

To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places, and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina, and about the secret they shared.

My Thoughts: 

I'd been wanting to read one of Tess Sharpe's books for a long time, and I thought I might as well start with her debut novel, plus the blurb sounded intriguing, and I don't have the money for new releases. 

I adored this book, and there's a lot I want to say about so here goes:

-There are so many feels and emotions, and Tess Sharpe does an amazing job with those.  It's an emotionally intense book.

-Also, the mystery is so exciting and intriguing, and there are several well-written twists, which I loved.

-Also, the fact that the main character suffers from chronic pain, and is a former drug addict. I feel like Tess Sharpe did a really good job with these parts, and they felt very real. 

-Also, Rachel. She's a side character, and one of my favorites. Plus, I'm pretty sure she was homeschooled, but she wasn't naive or dumb or anything like that, which is great (also, Tess Sharpe herself was homeschooled, which is so cool. Homeschooled writers for the win!). 

-And the romance! It was so, so, so well-written. I won't spoil anything in case you haven't read the book, but it's really great. 

-Also, this book was very descriptive, which I loved. 

I'd give this one 5 stars, too. I definitely recommend it, although it does deal with murder and the aftermath of an addiction, so, if those things bother you, skip this one. It also had much more language than the first two. 

So, let's chat. Have you read any of these books? Do you want to? What books have you been reading recently?