Tag / bibliophile

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Bookworms : Bookmarks? — celinelingg

Hey bookworms! Check out this great post by Celine about bookmarks and all the uses we have for them and the types that we use 🙂

As a reader, there’s only one thing I need to emphasize right here and right now. Bookmark is a lifesaver. Who can relate? I can’t read without a bookmark. Before, I literally use anything to mark my reads. Guess what they are. Trust me, you don’t even want to know. Let’s see what type of […]

via Bookworms : Bookmarks? — celinelingg

And don’t forget about our current giveaway that is happening:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5760930a6/?

We are busy over here reading a middle grade trilogy and will have a review of the first one for you tomorrow!

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Critical Critters

I was recently sent a copy of Critical Critters by Ralph Steadman and Ceri Levy from @Storgy and Bloomsbury Books. The book is about the animals all over the world that are on the endangered species list and are in need of saving.

Critical-Creatures

Ralph brings the animals to life through his intricate watercolour artwork and Ceri brings all the facts to the table that are justified with thorough research and a genuine exploration of the species.  The way these two can tell a story about each specific species and makes it interesting to read is amazing. I will admit that when I first looked at this book proof, I thought “Oh no, not another textbook”. But after I started to read, I found myself wanting to know each and every thing about all the different species in danger and how I could get involved to help.

I also enjoyed how they had a little side narrative going throughout the entire book. Ralph and Ceri would banter back and forth while they were in the process of creating the book and it gave the reader insight into how some of their ideas took shape.

There are so many species in this world and every single one has a different way of life. One quote really stuck out to me because it shows that we do take the natural world for granted.

Perhaps we refuse to accept their intelligence because we would then feel guilt for everything we have done to them.

 

The book did take a little while to get through but that only goes to show how many species are in danger and that the ecosystem needs our help to maintain the peace so to speak. We are the main reason a lot of these species are in danger in the first place. All the resources and websites that can help with protecting the ecosystem and different habitats are posted in the back of the book.

Overall, it was a very informative book with a comedic twist on the scientific side. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about endangered species and why they are on the endangered list.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can also see the post on the STORGY website!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Favourite book of your favourite series?

Well this one is easy because I talked about it yesterday. My favourite book of my favourite series is Red Rising because it set the bar for the whole series and I just couldn’t put it down. This book was recommended to me by my good friend Neil Montgomery. He reads a lot of science-fi and always has great recommendations for books of this genre.

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The trials and challenges that Darrow endures to get up the ranks and blend in as one of society’s most favoured is an adventurous and exciting journey with lots of plot twists. The book features a tiered list of the different colours and how they are ranked in the society. Red is the lowest colour and Gold is the highest. Darrow is from the Red colony and his goal is to get in with and be accepted by the Gold’s so that he can take them down from the top. He is undertaken as a member of the refugee rebellion and sent into the school of the upper class as a spy to observe and learn so that he can gain their trust. Darrow is a natural leader and he makes many friends and allies along his journey to the top.

I think this book is amazing so I would strongly recommend to give it a shot if you like fantasy, science-fi, adventure, thriller, or action genres. The series recently came out with a new book called Iron Gold which I have not purchased yet but will be doing very soon (or I will ask for it for Christmas if I can wait that long). Pierce Brown is a great author and I hope he continues to write masterpieces 😛

If you wish to see what’s next on the book challenge, check out the post here: 30 Day Book Challenge!

That’s it for this post but talk to you soon bookworms!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

What book have you read more than 3 times?

So first off, I know I missed a day but that was because I had friends staying with me from out of town for a night and I had no time to write while they were here. But I am back at it now so lets have a go with day 2 of  the book challenge.

I read a lot of books and most of them I have read only once but there are a select few I have read multiple times. One book that captured me from the first sentence and is one that I can go back to time and time again is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The_Hunger_Games

There isn’t one chapter of this book that I don’t like. Even when they are describing their surroundings or it is just a dull moment where they are talking, I am drawn in for every part of it. The first time that I read this book, it took me 3 hours and as soon as I was done, I went to the bookstore and bought the 2nd one. I thoroughly enjoy this entire series but this book is the one I could read over and over again.

Let me know what you guys have read more than 3 times in the comments! Lets connect as well, I will follow each and every person that follows my blog and then stay connected through love of literature. Happy reading 🙂

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

WWW Wednesday (Oct. 11th / 2017)

So I am trying out this new thing called WWW Wednesday. It is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and all you have to do is answers the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

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So far this book is pretty good. It was sent to me by the author to read and review and it is my first romance novel unless you count twilight from when I was in high school. Not sure if this genre is my thing but I am giving it a shot. Synopsis below:

Tia had her whole life ahead of her, yet she felt lost. She was surrounded by people who loved her but she was still struggling with the aspect of loving herself. As she got ready to leave for Delhi, her body shivered. Would she collapse? Would she reach Delhi safely? How would she manage without her mother, Anita? The stream of questions kept flooding her brain.
Sameer loved the chat he had had with dreamy girl. He felt light after their interaction and even though he did not know exactly who she was, he was pleasantly surprised at how a stranger could make such a powerful impact on him. He brushed thoughts of her aside, reminding himself that he was wasting time thinking about a woman, and these kinds of emotions would just make him weak.
Will the paths of these two strangers intertwine? Will Tia be able to find herself again? And will Sameer ever realise how truly beautiful women are?

Recently finished reading:

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This was a great read for teenagers. It was exploration into another magical world with likeable characters and a basic good versus evil storyline. You can connect with the author on their twitter @SUZANNIO . Synopsis below:

Set in both the future and present day, Spellbound Chronicles is a fast-paced children’s story with twists and turns, good versus evil, set above and below ground. Spellbound Chronicles tells the story of Larna and Aron who, while geocaching in the ancient Sherwood Forest, find themselves reluctantly pulled through time into a Sherwood of the future. Faced with the task of fighting to save an enslaved and fast-mutating race from extinction, they set out with the formidable wizard, Balgaire, and his friends to take on the might of the fearsome warlock, Mordrog. A battle for wands, destruction and kidnapping ensues, with a hint of romance thrown in, in the form of underground shape shifter Cai. As the final epic battle takes place, will Larna and Aron survive the fight long enough to return unscathed to their own time and their own Sherwood..?

What I will read next:

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This is another book that has been sent to me by the author to review. It is classified as a thriller so I am really looking forward to this one as I am a huge fan of horror and thriller movies. I have only read one thriller novel before and it had me on my toes the whole time. Synopsis Below:

One of their number carries a dark and deadly secret from their past, and has murderous plans for a fellow ex-pat. Can any of the close- knit community discover the brutal plans before they are all put in mortal danger?

 

That’s my first WWW!! Let me know what you think in the comments below! I look forward to chatting with you fellow bookworms 🙂

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Spellbound Chronicles: Bloodline

New review alert everyone!!

I was sent the book Spellbound Chronicles: Bloodline by Suzanne and Eve Maguire to read and review. The book is about two children named Larna and Aron that have a fond enjoyment for geocaching. They visit their grandmother for a portion of the summer and get teleported into the future through a magical doorway in the forest. The children go through a number of trials as they fight to help their new found friends in a battle against an evil warlock.

The book has very likeable characters (my favourite character is Uncle Roger as he puts the wellbeing of others before himself) and an interesting story arc that never lets up. You are constantly moving from one part to the next and the characters are never in one spot for very long (the book can be hard to follow at times because of this).

This book is definitely for a younger audience so I would recommend this book for children up to the age of 13.  A percentage of the profits from this novel get donated to research for Motor Neurone Disease so if you want a good read for your kids and to donate to charity, this is the book for you.

Book Rating: 3.5/5

You can also find the review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Inside Out Book
by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Inside Out by Jack Kearney

The book is about a struggling actor named Danny who is just trying to get his shot at fame in Hollywood. However, the beginning of the book shows that he is on his way to prison and the first half is flashbacks that he is having while on his journey to the prison, telling you how he got to this point. The way that Jack Kearney makes you relate to his character is incredible and you feel such emotion for his character as he surpasses different trials in the book. All the other characters build around Danny and make for an enjoyable read while building on the plot.

You can really tell that Jack is writing from experience as he was also a struggling actor in Hollywood, so it really puts you inside his mind and how it felt to be there. If you are looking for an exciting read that will keep you coming back for more, then this is it!

The book can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.