Raye Morris's Blog

Times Read: 1+

Excerpt: "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all."

My Rambles:

Recommend: 5/10

Times Read: 2+

Excerpt: "Mighty Kushiel, of Rod and Weal, Late of the Brazen Portals, with blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealed, pricks the eye of the chosen mortals.

Following hard on the heels of Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey's spectacular debut novel, comes Kushiel's Chosen, a glittering and riveting historical fantasy.

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It is said that the angels found the land and saw it was good, and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission - and the first to recognize her for who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre has trained in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Having stumbled upon a plot that threatened the very foundations of her homeland, she gave up almost everything she held dear to save it. She survived, and lived to have others tell her story, and if they embellished the tale with fabric of mythical splendor, they weren't far off the mark.

The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not yet done with their charge - for while the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe that other heads should wear the crown. And those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge. To protect and serve, Phèdre will once again leave her beloved homeland.

From the sun-drenched villas of La Serenissima to the wilds of old Hellas, from a prison designed to drive the very gods mad to an island of immutable joy, Phèdre will meet old friends and new enemies...and discover a plot so dreadful as to make the earth tremble, masterminded by the one person she cannot turn away from."

My Rambles:

Recommend: 8/10

Times Read: 2+

Excerpt: "The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission... and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair... and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new."

My Rambles:

Recommend: 8/10

Times Read: 2+

Excerpt: "A classic story of magic, mystery, and adventure in a fairy-tale world.

Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. Curdie will not go alone though; she provides him with a companion, the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for."

My Rambles: I can see why this one didn't get a movie adaptation the way the first one did. I don't think the kids would have found it as visually pleasing. It was a little harder to follow but still interesting until the end. The ending was horrible. I mean yay they got together but just saying that it all went back to being bad after them is so rude.

Recommend: 4/10

Times Read: 2+

Excerpt: "A classic story of magic, mystery, and adventure in a fairy-tale world.

Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. Curdie will not go alone though; she provides him with a companion, the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for."

My Rambles: I watched the movie for this so much I'm surprised my VHS still works. Eventually as I got older I actually started reading the credits and found out it was based on a book, then forgot about it lol. Low and behold in my teenage years, I was walking through the college bookstore with a friend and squealed so loud that I scared someone two ilses over. My friend ended up buying me the book.

I'll be honest, 90% of the time I was imagining the movie scenes as I read/listened (I miss the cat, Turnip) I find it nice that Curdie had more songs in the book but no where near as good as the one in the movie (which is fair, he's like 12 making stuff up on the fly) The vocabulary makes me sad for the current time (book was written in 1872) words that adults now have never heard used. And not because they are old but because they are not...small. The goblins were described as ludicrously ugly. A friend a little younger than me hadn't heard ludicrously used in a sentence before. The imagery was very good and I loved that the writing style was designed for it to be read aloud, like the narrorator had heard of the events and was recalling it for you (the reader) they even break the "4th" wall a bit which was fun. It's a rather short book, so I finished, finished this, and started the next all in one day at work. The movie was actually pretty close, maybe not quite as deep but still close.

Recommend: 7/10

Times Read: 1

Excerpt: "The sensational conclusion to the massive #1 New York Times bestselling series…

It’s been over three months since my friends and I took down Cyrus. Three months where my biggest fear was what paper was due next... But I should have known it was too good to last. Now everything is falling apart.

The Vampire Court has no king, the Dragon Court has no heart, and the Gargoyle Court has me—a teenager in way over her head. And it’s the worst possible timing, because a threat is brewing just as the Circle is collapsing.

I have no choice but to return to the Shadow Realm and face the terrifying queen who nearly ended us…and make a deal with her to save Mekhi. But this time, I’m bringing my powerful friends with me—and Hudson. Except something is wrong with him, too. He’s keeping a secret—even from me.

All I know is that everyone’s life hangs in the balance. And it’s my fault—because I still owe the Crone a favor...and now she’s come to collect."

My Rambles: This(overall story not book) is clearly not finished... I really didn't like this one. Too much seemed pointless or not thought through. Also way too fast. We really should have had a chapter dedicated to Grace and Heather making up, especially considering her role in this one. Macy's parents should have been there for her, everyone knows keeping your head down doesn't work. I don't really understand why Imogen wanted to plan everything for Grace either, if it were a ploy to garner ties maybe but didn't seem the case. I will never understand the gods not being honest, fully honest about stuff. There's no reason to be cryptic at this point. The curator was cool, def needs the help though. I get that they almost died but like...go find the tree again and get the lake water now that you know what you need. Keep that promise. In theory, it's not hard. But nooooo, we can never again get the stuff -.- stupid. Also, binding the crone and blood letter back together, isn't going to end the war. Therefore the story isn't over. I know there's supposed to be a side storyline with Izzy and Remy but still, main crew isn't done. This also proved my Izzy didn't matter thought from the last book. Part of me hates that the books are pretty and I want to buy them especially cause at the moment I have no desire to reread the series.

Recommend: 4/10

Times Read: 1

Excerpt: "No one survived the last battle unscathed. Flint is angry at the world, Jaxon is turning into something I don’t recognize, and Hudson has put up a wall I’m not sure I’ll ever break through.

Now war is coming, and we’re not ready. We’re going to need an army to have any hope of winning. But first, there are questions about my ancestors that need answers. Answers that might just reveal who the real monster is among us.

And that’s saying something in a world filled with bloodthirsty vampires, immortal gargoyles, and an ancient battle between two gods.

There’s no guarantee that anyone will be left standing when the dust settles, but if we want to save this world, I have no choice. I’ll have to embrace every part of me...even the parts I fear the most."

My Rambles: I called the bloodletter being the grandma! I think Izzy's addition was done in a pointless/bad way, she didn't need to be a Vega and def not their sister. I have the feeling that Jakan(sp?) is Remys father. Straight up thought Tess was the monster the whole time . Grace is kinda dumb, I know plot wise they had to go to the witch court to get the leg and what not but my first instinct for a place unknown would have been the gargoyle court. I didn't see the point in adding Dawud when they could have just kept Xavier (instead of killing him). Don't get me wrong, I like Dawud, just saying.

Side rant, apparently the narrator had been mispronouncing Mehki (meh-key) and changed it to (meh-kai) and I was sitting here like who is this new character for a hot minute

Recommend: 5/10

Times Read: 1

Excerpt: "I may have reached my breaking point. As if trying to graduate from a school for supernaturals isn’t stressful enough, my relationship status has gone from complicated to a straight-up dumpster fire. Oh, and the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on us all... Then again, when has anything at Katmere Academy not been intense?

And the hits just keep coming. Jaxon's turned colder than an Alaskan winter. The Circle is splintered over my upcoming coronation. As if things couldn’t get worse, now there’s an arrest warrant for Hudson’s and my supposed crimes—which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.

Choices will have to be made...and I fear not everyone will survive."

My Rambles: I know they are in high school, I know they are graduating but Grace's whole "I'm not the girl I was I'm a different woman" thing bothers me. You've (knowingly) been in this world for barely 3 months, maybe. You're still a child, yes a lot has happened to you, a lot of "adult" decisions are having to be made especially now that she's gonna be on the circle but mentally, still 17. I really wish this genre could/would do more with the best friends. Heather doesn't deserve the cold shoulder she's getting and I think saving that relationship is super important. Also! In the lead with Grace's stupid decisions, what on earth makes her think that breaking her mating bond to Hudson won't make him souless the way it did with Jaxon??? Where is she getting her math? And both of them are stupid for even thinking it as a viable option. Also, when does it say she has to be coronated? I don't recall that being spoken about in the last book. Nuri seemed wishy-washy....and rash for being such a big bad leader. If Cyrus is supposed to be powerless, I don't get how he keeps winning.

I still wonder if we are going to see Macy's mom as a plot point later on. Honestly thought she might be Remy's mom too but I don't think the timeframe is right for that. Calder(sp?) almost seemed useless and that was upsetting. I also don't get why Remy didn't leave.

I'm excited to at least start the next one cause I wanna know what the green thread is.

Side Note: The only thing I hate about only doing audio of these right now, is that I have no idea how to spell peoples names and its driving me nuts.

Recommend: 5/10

Times Read: 5+

Excerpt: "The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary.

Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake."

My Rambles: Rachel is so dumb and really not that good of a friend half the time. I love Ivy so much and hate how Rachel hurts her. Jenks is too good to the both of them though the went overboard when getting onto Ivy. It makes me wonder why he has such an attachment to Rachel to begin with. Jax deciding to go with Nick makes no sense to me and just makes me hate Nick that much more. I feel like this book had both nothing happen and everything happen. Not sure if that's a pacing thing or just a short time frame in general. I need Cerri to explain stuff more often, especially after how long things have been getting warped. Like the black is just them imbalance of the curses, not good or evil. Rachel is far too narrow sighted when it comes to stuff like that. Marshal trying to help them with the tanks didn't make much sense either. Like yeah, helping out someone you find attractive and all is nice but tanks and suits aren't cheap. Just comes back to the "things come to Rachel too easily" thing. Not saying she doesn't work for them at all but still. I love that she's a red wolf but it's not truly explained as to why that's such a big thing for the island wolves. Or how the real wolf "chose" her to survive. (maybe I just don't know all that much about wolves)

Recommend: 6/10

Times Read: 1

Excerpt: "He's under my skin . . .

After Katmere, I shouldn't be surprised by anything. Including the existence of a world beyond my world called the Shadow Realm. Yet here I am, stuck in a strange, dangerous place with the worst of the supernaturals, the monster that other monsters fear: Hudson Vega. He might be Jaxon's brother and ridiculously hot, but he's a complete bona fide pain in my ass.

The question is whether we'll find a way out before I kill him . . . or run out of time.

She's stealing my heart . . .

It's a truth universally known—at least according to Grace—that everything is my fault. But I have a nasty suspicion that Grace isn't as human as she thinks, and she's the one keeping us trapped. Now we'll have to work together not only to survive, but to save all those we've come to call family who live here.

Because there's something connecting us. Something stronger than fear . . . and way more bloody dangerous."

My Rambles: So this is the first time (I think) that I have read out of publishing order. I'm glad she did make this one, so we know what happened but I think it should have been before Crush so we could really understand how devastating it was for Hudson. I also admit I like their relationship better and wonder if Jaxon was the "second chance" mate and that's why his thread was a gradient color. I almost feel like this one was better written but idk if I'm just used to her now. So when looking at her site, it says that Charm can be read any time after crave, which, yes it can if she hadn't included the epilogue. So I'm a little miffed about that. I think it would have ended perfectly with his chapter opening into the realization that Grace couldn't remember anything, leading us into Crush. There were some really good quips in this one that had me giggling to myself at work.

Recommend: 5/10