September 2015 - Booked J | in the Land of Stories

6:35 PM

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.3) As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. If there’s one thing that can be said about Margaret Atwood’s writing, it’s that it’s poetic and dreamy and is just...

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5:13 PM

The Dominant (The Submissive #2) by Tara Sue Me | Rating: ★★★★☆ I could be much more than the world thought. We could be much more than the world thought. There are two sides to every story. In this trilogies case, there are two steamy sides to every story: Tara Sue Me takes things up a notch from the already scorching hot BDSM...

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4:51 PM

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins | Rating: ★★★★☆ The Library at Mount Char, penned by Scott Hawkins, was at the top of my to-read list this year due to its intriguing and dark description. It sounded completely mental and just the right amount of creepy. Who can resist something like that, right? Summaries can often be weak and lack that...

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4:25 PM

The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a printed copy of this novel was sent to me via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. The Curse of Crow Hollow is one of those stories that you find yourself with the desire to curl up in...

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1:29 PM

The Submissive by Tara Sue Me | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) “You were the goddess I longed to worship. My unobtainable dream. The relationship I could never hope to have.” You may recognize this little guy by its title or even by the authors name–especially if you once frequented FF.net anywhere from 2007-2009. That would be because; once upon a time, before Fifty Shades...

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1:16 PM

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski | Rating: ★★★★★ “Sometimes you think you want something,” Arin told him, “when in reality you need to let it go.” Marie Rutkoski is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of action packed fantasy in young adult literature. She captures this fantastical and dangerous world of her so vividly, her characters so crystal clear...

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12:12 PM

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell | Rating: ★★★★★ The world is full of people who all want the same thing, and you have to do a little something extra to make them remember you. In the prequel spin off series of Candace Bushnell’s now-iconic novel Sex and the City and its main character Carrie Bradshaw, readers can expect a fluffy, stylish, intelligent...

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3:19 PM

Grey by E.L. James | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Join me, she whispers, but she’s moving backward, getting fainter… disappearing before my eyes… vanishing… she’s gone. No! I shout. No! But I have no voice. I have nothing. I went into Grey having no real expectations or hopes for the series because realistically, I’m not the biggest fan of the romance between Anastasia and Christian....

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Cover Art Spotlight: Paris, My Sweet

2:53 PM

“But sometimes you want things just because you think you’re supposed to. And sometimes it’s the things you never even knew you wanted that give your life the most meaning.” ― Amy Thomas, Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light Who can resist a novel with gorgeous cover art? I know I can't. Yes, yes,...

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11:58 AM

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot | Rating: ★★★★★ Outside, the city was turning into a winter wonderland; inside, there was an avalanche waiting to happen. As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. I’ll be the first...

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11:14 AM

Captivated by You by Sylvia Day | Rating: ★★★★★ “He didn’t see in himself what I saw— a generous soul who wanted so much to belong to something greater than himself. He didn’t recognize what a miracle he was. When he didn’t know what to do in a given situation, he let instinct and his heart take over. Despite all he’d been through,...

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11:56 AM

Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. I’ll admit it, my initial interest in this collection of stories was...

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11:30 AM

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica | Rating: ★★★★☆ “But there was something telling about that photograph, I thought; our protective glass frame shattered and now here we were, punctured with microscopic holes that might one day tear. Those holes all had names: mortgage, adolescent child, lack of communication, retirement savings, cancer.” As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to...

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6:21 PM

Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales | Rating: ★★★★☆ "Hurting people, really, deeply hurting them - that isn't something you do on purpose. It's just a by-product of living.” As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way....

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1:51 PM

Entwined with You by Sylvia Day | Rating: ★★★★☆ If souls could be mated with wishes, ours would be inextricably entwined. I’ll admit it: the Crossfire series has become something of a guilty pleasure for myself. An absolutely perfect sultry and dramatic beachy read. Oh, who am I kidding–I’m not one to believe in guilty pleasures, but if I were, Sylvia Day’s worldwide...

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1:17 PM

Firewalker by Josephine Angelini | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) Love is being willing to become the villain so that the one you love can stay a hero. As most of my readers already know Trial By Fire, the starting point of the Worldwalkers series, was one of my favorite 2014 releases. It was full of everything that makes a fantasy novel good and captivating....

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12:47 PM

Dare Me by Megan Abbott | Rating: ★★★★☆ That’s what people never understand: They see us hard little pretty things, brightly lacquered and sequin-studded, and they laugh, they mock, they arouse themselves. They miss everything. Let's get down to business. You've seen the buzz. You've been urged to check this one out. If you frequently use sites such as Tumblr and glimpse into...

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11:58 AM

Noir by Jacqueline Garlick | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. ...sometimes magic trumps logic. Especially when love is involved. Continuing with the next of the series, The Illumination Paradox takes things up a notch...

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2:03 PM

Seven Minutes in Heaven (TLG #6) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★★ I understood then. We were a constellation. We would always be together. I was so not ready for the finale of The Lying Game but here we are. Fresh on the heels of Nisha’s untimely death, Seven Minutes in Heaven opens with Emma as she struggles through the passing of her...

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12:56 PM

Cross My Heart, Hope to Die (TLG #5) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★★ “The best you can do is be honest with the people you love and hope that they’ll care enough about you to listen.” I’ve been sitting here for a while trying to figure out how I want to start my review for Cross My Heart, Hope to Die. I’m...

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12:13 PM

Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. In a small way, he's right: this isn't so terrible. It's quite divine, actually. My back pressed up against his chest, his heart beating...

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12:16 PM

Hide and Seek (TLG #4) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★★ Hide and Seek, the fourth novel in The Lying Game series, is just as fast paced and mysteriously chilling as the first of the series. Fortunately for readers, it picks up right where the last book left off and is perfect for binge reading. Sara Shepard once more makes its terror and...

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11:51 AM

Daemon Seer by Mary Maddox | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5) I had no power. Not as long as he and the others nested inside my head. I needed a way of shielding my thoughts. Talion said daemons couldn't possess Rad and Psycho Cop because their nature prevented it. Both men were psychopaths who enjoyed hurting people. It was their nature. What if I smothered...

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amazon publishing

12:29 PM

Alyin by Ayşe Kulin | Rating: ★★★★☆ As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. "No one actually listens. People have to find happiness through their own trials and errors." Aylin, at times, may be a bit difficult to...

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alloy entertainment

11:58 AM

The Space Between Heartbeats by Melissa Pearl | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Originally released under the title Betwixt, and now repackaged through Alloy Entertainment as The Space Between Heartbeats; Melissa Pearl crafts...

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12:24 PM

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) "We're alive. We have words and shapes and ideas. We will throw them at you when you do not believe. We will throw our love and our hate and our failure and success. We'll split in two right in front of you and be our best and our worst. We'll lie and...

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4:39 PM

Academy Girls by Nora Carroll | Rating: ★★★★★ “Words once memorized came back to me: the more things stay the same, the more they change. A line among many lines I was led to believe would be worthwhile to remember. But that was a long time ago, when I was a girl in a circle of girls. When all of us believed that...

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July/August 2015 Roundup

2:03 PM

Hang on–what do you mean that August is over? And in just a few short months it’ll be 2016? I’m in denial. Where has the year gone? I feel like it’s still March or April and it’s like I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath. What more can you expect from someone who still thinks 2007 was a couple of years...

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Welcome, Welcome

BOOKED J was created by a group of friends who wanted nothing more than to discuss literature with the world. In the time since, Booked J has gone through a number of changes in name and content.

Presently run by Jessica, a freelance writer, singer, Goodreads Librarian and avid reader, Booked J is--somehow--still going strong. With several years of book blogging under her belt, and a desire to work with the literary community in making it more diverse, she is always open to collaborations.

You can always find Jessica obnoxiously singing show-tunes into her morning coffee. When not reading or researching true crime, she is likely running around outside with her dogs and generally making a fool of herself.

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As of 2020 I no longer accept digital ARCs. This change is indefinite. If you send an email inquiring about digital review copies I will likely not respond.

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