A. Renee Hunt's Blog

Written by William Meikle 123 #element-f4aab253-438c-4b64-acfc-edd01d225991 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} I am always looking for a monster. I love creepy crawlies, sentient fluids and other nightmare beasties. It’s in my blood, thanks to my father raising me on science fiction and adventure. I can’t help it. So it’s no surprise when I spotted William Meikle’s S-Squad series. I knew he was right up my alley as soon as I checked out his book covers.

You see, his books on the S-Squad are monstrous! This cover says nothing towards the series, but books 2-8 are incredible! I knew I was going to own them. Now, the S-Squad series is very different from author’s like Greig Beck (#1 Author) who shares unreal adventures that keep you turning the pages. With Meikle’s stories, they’r not very long, so you don’t get to feel involved as deeply as you’d like. Also, you don't know as much about the characters as much as you want, because each episode of their tales begins with the beginning of the assignment. This is both good and bad for me. 

I feel like, if I’m going to be going with the same crew on these epic adventures, why can’t I know more about them?

So Infestation is the first book in the series. It tells of Banks and his squad of military  specialists, sent on recon. A Russian vessel has been spotted in Canadian waters. What are they up to and why aren’t they responding? When they reach a small town on the waters, near the ship, they discover every home invaded, some with a bloody mess from the doorways to the waterline. Before they realize what’s happening, they’re ambushed by giant... things. They clean the meat from bones writhing seconds of contact and they stop at nothing. Covered in droves, the squad is driven to the ship, thinking there’s safety there. Unlucky for them, the creatures they’ve encountered are only the beginning. The ship’s a small a haven, infested with creatures from their worst nightmares.

I enjoyed Infestation. It’s a fast read and pretty much action-packed from the very start. There’s no lag and the story is about as good as a situation as such can get. The characters were likable and the realism was heavy, even though they were chased and devoured by monsters. It’s a story that, while reading, I purchased books two and three. I knew I wanted to be in the series. But will I become invested enough to purchase the paperback versions? I don’t know yet. Depends on what the next couple do for me, but I can definitely say I’m a fan of the books. 

Meikle’s dabbled in a handful of genre, but this i the only one I’ve checked out so far. He seems to write about any and everything. I have a feeling he could be added to my favorites list real soon. Go check out the S-Squad, Infestation by William Meikle. I’m off to the next read. Cheers!
Infestation, S-Squad Book 1
Written by William Meikle
Published by Severed Press
Released November 2018
137 Pages
​

Written by David Burton This one requires you to think nothing of your faith. Think nothing of how heaven and hell works - just go with the ideology of Soul Retrievers, written by David Burton. 

So what am I asking? I'm asking you to pretend (if you're a Believer) that God can send you to hell... by mistake. That you can be pulled from said mistaken and placed before the golden gates instead. With help that is far from divine...
#element-8da9e5fb-002c-4813-8712-8dbd32d449a3 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} Getter is not entirely human, but lives in our world as a specialist. He has a gift, if one would call it such. He, along with a few others, are able to go into the bowels of hell and retrieve souls. They can't be brought back to earth, but they can be removed from Hell and placed in Heaven. Sounds crazy? It is, but the story takes you there and brings you back, with wonderings on whether hell is truly the worst after death. 
According to this book, it's not.

Back to Getter. So he's down  on 373rd level of hell, looking for a girl. The problem is, he's got a good heart, so he winds up meeting and helping other souls while seeking the girl. Along with a couple of friends, who are also professional hell travelers, they stumble across an uprising that could bring all the demons, demi-demons and or whatnots to their knees. Can he still find the girl, and get out alive... or something like alive?

​Soul Retrievers is interesting and rather funny. The story gets into the head of our fearless hero, but he's got issues. He's fast on the uptake, but he's emotionally involved and that's his downfall. A lot happens in Hell, and I laughed quite a bit as he describes creatures, how many have died and so on, but it takes an eternity to come 'round, making the read rather hellish. It took way too long and even though a lot was taking place, I grew weary.

I think the story is fabulous but, to me, needed to be cut down some. I can't lie though, imagining some of the monsters described awesome. In a cool but horrific sort of way. The book is definitely an adventure and if you believe in those levels of hell, you may not want to read this one. But if you're like me (even with my being a Christian and all), Soul Retrievers was great! Full of action, ghoulish beings, and things that hook into your torso and fly away with you, this is going to make sleeping tough. 

I'm off to the next read. Cheers!

Soul Retrievers
Written by David Burton
Published by Dark Serpent/Ravenswood Publishing
Released July 2015
465 pages

Written by Ann Aguirre Funny, I never imagined myself reading another Aguirre novel. A few yeas ago, I read the Razorland Trilogy and was not a happy camper. I didn't like how things came and went and had practically pushed her name from my thoughts. Yet, here I am again, releasing a review on another YA novel on how teens can save the world better than adults can. LOL

This is Heartwood Box, by Anne Aguirre.
#element-ab2f5d41-15a8-4142-82c0-c45277f72dcf .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} What would you do if you found a box, where each time you placed something inside it, it vanished but was replaced by something else? Your item gone. What would you then say, if you'd written a letter and closed it inside said box, only to find a return message from someone else?
From another time.

That's what happens in Heartwood Box. The story's about a girl who comes across a town's conspiracy while attending school in the US. Araceli is new to the country, and the area, but she manages to find herself in the middle of a town's loss. People are vanishing, there are strange lights in the woods and she's communicating with a man who's enduring the battle of World War 1 via notes in a wooden box! When her closest friend, made online but now friends in flesh, vanishes, she decides she can not sit and do nothing. Together with friends, and connections with people who work in a laboratory that's dead-center of the conspiracy, they manage to affect time and their own timelines, to save the world.

First, I have to admit, Heartwood Box, was a great read! Aguirre wrote an excellent tale, filled with light romance and a story that held my interest from the very beginning until the end. I still have a thing with children managing to accomplish what grown people can not, but it didn't hurt the story. I found it fast and fantastic.

What was liked most was the correspondence between she and Oliver. Much like the mentioned book, The Lake House, it shared a sweet love that was never destined to be, but existed nonetheless. That won me over. more than any other part of the book. Never mind the fact they're using a- Whoa! I almost gave something away!

Heartwood Box is a read any YA would enjoy; any one would like this story. I say go for it. Read it and let Aguirre know how fantastic it is. On to the next book- cheers!
Heartwood Box
Written by Ann Aguirre
Published by Tor Teen
Released July 2019
336 Pages

Written by Karin Tidbeck
​Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Have you ever been told a title was either a ghost story, horror story, or haunting, just to find it was just a story? A dystopian tale that made absolutely no sense, but you feel something's wrong with you because everyone you see has previously read it gives it five stars and says it's so creepy that they were blown away? No? Well, this is Amatka, by Karin Tidbeck. #element-7546cfd5-7814-4f8f-b84b-5d683668aa69 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} A world that reminded me of the 1995 movie The City of Lost Children and the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, I found Amatka to be terribly un-haunting, un-creepy and un-likable. Interesting, but I found myself disappointed, since I was referred to the title as being a haunting, European novel.

The story tells of Vanja, a surveyor of sorts for the government, who travels to Amatka, a small town that's, um... special. They live by a MOSO code. MOSO standing for mark often, salvage often. When this rule is followed, things stay where they're supposed to. If you do not mark them often, say their names often, they'll.. disintegrate? Vanish? Become a puddle of gloop. They're gone and that affects the realm of reality. Yeah, that's the story in a nutshell. I know- I did not get it, but I understood it.

Everything is linked to a sort of prophet in this situation. Vanja reads of a poet who seems to reach into her soul, conflicting what is real and what isn't. She, I believe, is attempting to test people's thoughts and point towards the sort of veil that divides the world where she writes and the world in which Vanja resides. Many of the residents, especially the children, become affected by the powers that destroy and take from the one where Vanja lives... Those caught are punished. 

Amatka is not creepy, Amatka is not spooky or haunting. Amatka is preternatural, mysterious and outlandish. What its really about is suppression and the syncopation of a society, where the main ingredient of every meal is mushroom! They can't write because paper is a commodity that is no longer shared, so everything is rote. They play and sing games in a community room, altogether, where they name things (to keep them, remember?) uphold synchronicity. And do not even get me started on their estranged relationships and care of housemates.

The characters of Amatka the town, and the book, are flat with barely any personality, so when the revolt arises, its empty and as blanched as I imagined the scenery. The explanation was a murky as a mud puddle and the resolution, especially after an ugly yet ignorant betrayal, you never truly comprehend what took place and why it took so long to come to fruition.I simply ended up not caring.

But honestly, it was written perfectly, just not clearly. It's won amazing awards and accolades, so I'm just stumped. I need to be careful though; their Gestapo-like officials could easily come and offer me a laid back lifestyle, care of a lobotomy. Being the rebel that I am, I proudly state I didn't like Amatka, so I'm running towards the next read. 
Cheers!
Amatka
Karin Tidbeck
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Published by Vintage in paperback
Released June 2017
Runtime 6h 10m

Written by James Livingood There’s nothing better than finding a coin, face-up, on the ground, right? Whether a penny, dime or quarter, it’s all good, as long as it’s looking up at you. But what if said coin saw something in you that made it lucky for you alone? Would you still want to pick it up?

In Lucky Coin, by James Livingood, you find out if what’s in your heart is good enough to help bring you luck. Sometimes money is spent, other times it’s lost. when a coin is found, it decides if your luck will be one of greatness, mediocrity or someplace in between. This short story shares what happens when money changes everything. It controls both positive and negative aspects according to your heart.

I loved this tale, mainly because it shared that maybe your luck isn’t lucky, but actually controlled. By the choices of others and the purity of your heart. You want for others more than yourself? Good Luck! You want for yourself while not hurting others? Good Luck! Simply trying to survive by hard work alone? Good Luck! Seek to be greedy? Want for selfish reasons and nothing more? Wanting to see others fail... well, we know what happens there.

For me, it was almost like God in a coin. I liked that it said that good things happen to good people- that’s what I love. That’s why I liked Lucky Coin. Check it out for yourself!

Lucky Coin
Audiobook by James Livingood
Published by Long Tail Writing, LLC
Released July 2019
Runtime: 53 minutes

An audio-historical share of great accomplishments, by Scott McCormick Audible gives away a ton of audiobooks, making me grateful. I love listening to books while painting, driving, cleaning and such. Normally, I run from historical tales, because I'm a homeschool mom who wants a break from lessons time to time, but Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World was unlike any school lesson. Ever! #element-6beba724-e71c-46e5-b5f7-fea1b9c31c91 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} Author Scott McCormick took historical facts and made them absolutely fun! From accented shouts of "Joyzee!" for Jersey, and the "Gaah!" when someone's killed off, the tales were funny and informative- I don't care what anybody says. 

In Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World, McCormick shared the activities of men, and women, who simply did themselves in due to issues that could have been handled in a much more reasonable, adult manner. Instead, they went out of their way to destroy for politics, family and the worst- Money!

The one that captured me the most was on the Adidas/Puma controversy. I never knew the owners were brothers! Then, even long after they'd died away, the attacks continued until they finally fell away from being both numbers 1 & 2 in the sneaker industry. I was wowed, to say the least, at the lengths they'd all gone too. The Hamilton/Burr thing was good too. And, okay, the first one on dinosaur bones was baffling as well. 

Now this is a rendition of events that took place, so some reviewers argued McCormick didn't quite relay the information as precise as they'd have liked. So What! He pretty much nailed it all on the head, from the bits I knew. The bits I didn't, he refers you to read up on the people, to know more. It's not like he was trying to go into detail on everything he'd written- the books less than three hours long, the snobs! LOL

​The narration and sound effects also made this enjoyable. Without the antics from the studio, I probably wouldn't have liked this anywhere near as much. Also, Prentice Onayemi's voice was excellent. He made the book come to life.

So check out Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World. I'm telling you, these short tales are great and could lead you in to a true love of history. The other reads may not be as hilarious though.
Cheers!

Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World
Written by Scott McCormick
Narrated by Prentice Onayemi, Samantha Turret, Khristine Hvam and Gabriel Vaughan
Published by Audible Studios
Released May 2018
Runtime: 2 hs 55 mins

Novel by Bentley Little What happens when you put together a normal family and a picture-perfect house that's... haunted? Well, you get the Perry family. Father, mother, song and daughter. They have no idea what's in store for them, who's waiting for them. This is Bentley Little's The Haunted. #element-f07d03ad-4071-44fa-8bf4-6aadf1039b20 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} The Haunted is one of those horror novels where incidents do not affect one person. This house taunts, teases, threatens them all. Like most horror stories, dealing with haunted houses, it begins with small things like clothing baskets appearing in the middle of kitchens or hallways. Text messages appear on both mobile devices, as well as desktops, saying things of the worst sort, or even inducing disorders like Pica- in this case eating handfuls of filthy dirt. You know, normal stuff.

When the Perry's realize their house is in a bad neighborhood, they feel they have to move away, ignoring the pleas of their children. When they find their new home, they all go through experiences they never share with one another, thinking it's just the stress how moving. The house settling, but when everything clashes in a crescendo of terror before them parents and as many neighbors and friends as they could cram into the living room, they decide on separate things that made me want to slap them all at least three times! It reminded me of an Eddie Murphy comment (From Delirious) on people and haunted houses. And through all the frustrations, creepy happenings and even each person's personality, I ended up liking The Haunted.

What's original about this haunted house is that it's not quite what you think. This book is allowed to go beyond the haunting of a basement, attic or house as a whole. Things take place and they affect people- some who never even entered the place, because of the history. It's quite unique and it made me enjoy it all the more.

Little wrote this novel in the same sense of viewing a heavy fog hover across a bog. It was intense for everyone, allowing me to TOTALLY understand why the son and daughter kept things to themselves, but the daughter did tell. She did share, and the proper actions that should have been taken weren't. It was the adults I had issues with, but even then, I got it. This is what I liked about the story. 

So here's what I didn't, and it will be the only time I sorta give away something to a book. *Read this paragraph at your own risk: I do not like rape. I understand that sometimes ghosts feel the need to act out, through bodily possessions, but to do the things that took place in this novel was a drop in taste to me. It's nothing illicit, just highly unnecessary.

So that's it, folks. The Haunted is very creepy, it's got some spark and it's unlike any other ghost story I've read before. There's a reason behind it all and the ending made me feel slightly disappointed, but felt it was worth it. You'll understand when you read it. For now, give Little a taste; The Haunted is a decent read. I'm off to the next read now. Cheers!

The Haunted
Written by Bentley Little
Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group
Published April 2012
400 pages 

A Monster eNovel by Alister Hodge Here I go again, reading another novel about something deadly, unearthly that's hidden beneath the depths of the ocean. In The Cavern, written by Alister Hodge, a team of cavers, in Australia, find a brand new cave that's opened in the middle of sheep farmland. New and untouched, everyone wants to get in on the find, but something's in there. Something that welcomes all visitors with a hunger... #element-17b16d0d-eb5f-49c5-a798-388af2476b48 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} Sam hates tight spaces. His girlfriend, an expert in both caving and diving has found a new came for the two of them, plus a team, to explore. It's in a town that's practically as dusty as the Cairns in North Queensland. There's hardly anyone there, but those who reside there know a secret Sam and his girl Ellie aren't privvy to. 

When they hear of a couple's disappearance, the the very unexplored cave they're about to embark, are presumed dead, they feel it's their moment to win the honor of naming the area and using new technology to map it out. What they do not know is that the locals know what lies beneath. They know why people have disappeared, they know what it wants, and they know that if they allow the venture, it will return to its much desired slumber. 

The Cavern was okay. It didn't really affect me the way I thought it would for two reasons. First off, the creature, in my mind's eye, was  a cross-up ofa Xenomorph (from the Alien series) and a Predator. For it to be so dangerous, carnivorous and foreign, yet mimic people, voices, etx. the way it did was sort of a bummer. And on top of that, it could squeeze through the smallest of crevices to hide away, it had four lungs, swam underwater like a friggin whale and stuff. I was like, is there anything this thing can not do? OH, and let's not forget, it knew to surgically strip clothing away and where the proper thoracic area was in order to render a man paralyzed- and how to cut the muscles to disengage any upper body movement. I was like, "Come on, man!"So there's that. 

Secondly, these people were intelligent. They were experts as NSW Paramedics, they were all graduates of Uni and they were using state of the art tech that allowed them to operate and understand all feedback it gave, yet they were the dumbest people on th- under the planet! They saw things, but never told their team. They were told things and never shared the information. And people, with first-hand accounts doubted all they were told, even when it coincided what they they'd seen! Who does that?

It's well written and Hodge seemed to know his stuff when it came to diving, the ecosystem of such a place explored and such. There was even a lot of gore and death, which is always a thing for me. I just wish the characters hadn't turned out to be such a disappointment, though I liked Sam. He just let me down several times. 

The Cavern was a cool adventure, but honestly, I was so bothered by their lack of judgement, I wanted it to simply end. It's a good story, don't get me wrong, but it just wasn't good enough for me to rate it higher than about 3 stars. What did you think of it? Have you read?

I'm on to the next read. Cheers!

The Cavern
Written by Alister Hodge
Published by Severed Press
Released April 2019
207 Pages

Written by Julie Berry and
Narrated by Jane Entwhistle
Audible Originals are all over my website this year! I've never receive so many freebies in my life, but I will not complain. Today's review is the children's story, Wishes & Wellingtons, by Julie Berry. #element-f62a187b-4623-426a-80e2-f6c569e89388 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} Had it not been for the fact it was free, I probably wouldn't have purchased this one. Not because it's uninteresting, because it was cute. No, it's something about the cover. I don't like it, but Wishes & Wellingtons is pretty good. It's English and set in the 1800's and very funny. A girl named Maeve attends a school for girls and she hates it. Desiring adventure and freedom, she's constantly in trouble. She's combative, snarky and even a bit intelligent, but she doesn't know how to use what she has. So she's always in trouble and enduring some form of creative punishment. When an incident penalizes her by sorting rubbish, she comes across a sardine tin. Inside... a djinni! (Genie).

Wishes & Wellingtons is an adorable story, but I have to admit my disliking for Maeve. This girl landed herself in it so many times, and not once did she use common sense! For goodness sakes- she had a freaking djinni and allowed three wishes! Not one of those wishes were used for anything substantial. Then she knew there were rules to being the master of such a magical treasure yet, she managed to lose it several times and never told the truth! I grew weary of the girl.

Tom and her roommate, turned best friend, Alice were more likable and actually matured within the story. They're changes were admirable and even enjoyable, but Maeve remained the same. She literally got out the of the book's situations with the same attitude and disposition. That was rather disappointing.

​Even so, I liked it and would refer others to listen. It's another Audible Original I received free with my membership, but its available through both Audible and Amazon (One Entity). Check it out while I move on to the next read. Cheers!

Wishes & Wellingtons
an Audible Original
Written by Julie Berry
Narrated by Jayne Entwhistle
Published by Audible Studios
Released September 2018
Runtime: 9h 29mins

by Kirsten Kearse, Gretchen Enders, Cirocco Dunlap, Aparna Nancherla & Matt Lieb Today's trend seems to be taking fairytales and mangling, blending and shredding them into new, horrific, yet entertaining adaptations. More Bedtime Stories for Cynics, doesn't do that. They have their own tales to tell, the destruction already complete, and they're not all bad. They even have the nerve to be pretty funny, or bits of great humor. 

Let me tell you about these stories for adults... Written by a handful of authors, these short stories are narrated by a plethora of narrators, ranging from Nick Offerman, to Patrick Stewart and Jane Lynch. So with names like that, you expect the book to be amazing. It's not, but it is worth the three stars I gave it.

Some of these tales, as well as the narrator, are vulgar and gross, but still... funny. Like, I loved the one about a dog who was angry at his master and family and decided to exact revenge. The story is the dog's narration, and is the absolute BEST part of the book! Next was Doc from the Seven Dwarves. A dark parody, but so hilarious, the way it's narrated as though he's a war veteran of Vietnam or someplace like it. It's so good, but like I said, dark.

​There are other stories that are good, but those two were the best ones. There were a few that were downright stupid, but all in all, it wasn't as bad as many other reviewers made it. Just not one of those that you'd run and tell your friends to pick ASAP. More Bedtime Stories for Cynics, book 2, was free from Audible.com so one tends to not fuss about freebies- though I've given even freebies back before. LOL

I haven't listened to the first audiobook from the MBSC​ series, but I may check it out. Maybe you should too. Cheers! 
​
More Bedtime Stories for Cynics, book 2
Written by Kirsten Kearse, Gretchen Enders, Cirocco Dunlap, Aparna Nancherla and Matt Lieb
Narrated by Nick Offerman, Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Ellen Page, Jane Lynch and many, many more!
Published by Audible Studios
Released May 2019
Runtime: 3 h 25 mins