Review: Eighth Grade Bites

Title: Eighth Grade Bites

Author: Heather Brewer

Format: Paperback

Date Read: June 3, 2016

Rating: 3/5

Recommend: Yup!

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod has to keep his vampire urges under control while dealing with the pressures of middle school, and he hates junior high. His mother was human, his father a vampire. Vlad has no idea what his powers are, however he has to struggle daily with blood cravings and enlarged fangs. A substitute teacher makes him think his cover might soon be blown, however Vlad has bigger problems – he's being hunted by a vampire killer.

Review:

Checked this book out on a whim from the local library. Quite glad I did. I will eventually be getting to the rest of the books in this series. However, let's focus on this one, Vlad's introduction into the world.

Being thirteen is hard enough, let alone being a thirteen-year-old boy. Compound the usual pressures of being a teenager with the fact that you are a vampire. While normal teenage boys are dealing with hormonal ridden urges, Vlad is trying to manage his blood cravings and the fact that his fangs keep getting bigger. Seriously, as if puberty wasn't bad enough!

Along with puberty comes the nightmare that is middle school. Middle school isn't easy on anyone. Eighth grade is by far one of the most difficult, simply because it is your last year there before you ultimately have to enter the even bigger nightmare that is high school. Vladimir is by far one of my favorite characters, and he is quite different than any other vampire I've read about before. I love that this story was free of excessive moodiness and angstiness, and it made Vlad and the story a bit more relate-able. Relate-able in the sense that I've been a thirteen year old and have suffered the hell that is eighth grade.

This is a good beginning to a series, and there is so much room for growth and I ultimately look forward to reading more of this series soon.

I apologize if this review seems rambling and repetitive, it's been a while and I'm still getting my feet back under me when it comes to my reviews.   

What's On My Kindle? Vampires, Werewolves & Coyotes! Oh My!

Welcome to the eighth installment of What's On My Kindle?

What exactly is What's On My Kindle?  This is my own little thing that I am going to be getting out every Sunday.  Within this post I'll list a few of the books that are currently on my TBR list on my Kindle.  Some are freebies (or were when I bought them), and others I paid for with gift cards, or had a few spare bucks to spend on a book.
All of them, I fully intend on getting to, at some point (and taking a massive chisel to my to-read list and hopefully hack it down to under 1000, again).

Vampires: Check.

Werewolves: Check.

Coyotes: Check.

Faeries: Check

Witches: Check.

Human trouble magnets: Double Check.

Barbie Doll: Check...?

Mystery Machine: Check!

Busted down old school VW Rabbit: Check.

Bad movie references: TRIPLE Check.

What do all these things on my list have in common? They are all parts and pieces that make up the world created by Patricia Briggs in the Mercedes Thompson and Alpha and Omega series.  What makes Patricia Briggs so special? Well, for one she is an author who actually listens to her fan base.

This story is true, and it is something that had happened with my roommate's husband and one of her books had come out, and was not text-to-speech enabled for Kindle.  An email was written to Patricia Briggs, and within twenty-four hours there was a response waiting in his inbox for him saying that the decision to not allow the book to be text-to-speech was her publisher's decision and ultimately she would be having words with her publisher for making one of her books not text-to-speech enabled.  Within two hours, there was an update to that particular book available from Amazon, and since then all of her books when purchased as e-book have been text-to-speech, which is a plus for him and those who like to read while doing multiple things (like cooking). Especially for him, as he's blind and uses the text-to-speech to read.

Patricia has other series, and we have I think one or two books.  But, she's also done several short stories that fall into the worlds she has created.

The books that make up the Mercedes Thompson Series are:
1. Moon Called
2. Blood Bound
3. Iron Kissed
4. Bone Crossed
5. Silver Borne
6. River Marked
7. Frost Burned

The books that make up the Alpha & Omega Series are:
1. Alpha & Omega (Novella)
2. Cry Wolf
3. Hunting Ground
4. Fair Game

I've read all eleven of these books, and I adore them.  She is definitely a very, very good paranormal fantasy writer and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a new paranormal/fantasy writer to get into.  You will get sucked in, and you will enjoy it!

What are some of your favorite paranormal fantasy authors?

Review: Believe by E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever

 Title:  Reflection
Author:  E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever
Rating: 4/5

Summary:   Vampires don’t really exist right? That’s what Andrea Dayla always believed despite her Uncle’s stories and constantly painting Vampires and things in such a bad, evil light.  Heading off to college, leaving the only life she’s ever known Andrea meets Shane Brennen and his family, and falls in love.  However, it turns out Andera is only one in a long line of vampire hunters and her new boyfriend is a Vampire.  As if relationships aren’t already complicated enough lets throw that in the mix! Andrea just needs to believe.

Review:  I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Okay, aside from a few spelling errors, I absolutely LOVE this story.  Vampires are one of my favorite creatures to read about, and how the mythos have been changed through different series is something I either love or hate, this one I love.  I was sucked in at the beginning, and I want a Shane Brennen of my own, because damn, Edward Cullen has nothing on this sexy man.

The different relationships in this story had me hooked, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this story as it unfolds in future books.  The relationships flowed effortlessly Andrea and Shane, Jack, the entire Brennen family (who I wish is my family), her Uncle and Roger, her mother, and all of it simply worked perfectly.  I love that Andrea was able to get close to everyone and show them how to understand and be at ease with what they were and how each situation was different. 

It also helps that I am a sucker for a good love story, so Andrea and Shane were really my biggest driving force in finishing this book – and it’s a paranormal love story, brownie points there! That ending is something I am still hooked on, that’s all I gotta say about that.  Definitely a must read.

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
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