Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When the old soldier's story was finished, Dad asked, "You know how Veterans Day started?" 
"The armistice, the end of World War One, " Fin answered. "At eleven o'clock in the morning of November 11, 1918, all the troops on both sides stopped fighting. That's the day we honor vets."
"Here's what you don't know, " Dad said. "By five o'clock that morning, the officers had all gotten the message that the war would end that day. But lots of them ordered their men to keep fighting. The end of the war meant that career officers would have fewer chances to move up in rank. The goddamn war was officially ending in hours and they sent their boys in to be sacrificed. Almost eleven thousand soldiers died on November 11, 1918. That's more men than died on the beaches of Normandy on D-day in World War Two, twenty-six years later." He cracked his knuckles. "Politics beats out freedom, honor, and service every time. Don't ever forget that."

That quote stuck with me for days after finishing The Impossible Knife of Memory. Hayley Kincain and her father have spent most of her life crisscrossing the nation trying to outrun his demons. Andy Kincain, a war veteran who suffers from PTSD never stays in one place too long. Hayley spends her time taking care of her father, careful not to set him off but unsuccessful more often than not. The Impossible Knife of Memory is a poignant look at the life of veterans and their loved ones. We ask a lot from our veterans, up to and sometimes including death. The fact that there are veterans and their families suffering without the help they deserve is disgusting. How our country could even consider recruiting new soldiers before our veterans are receiving what they were promised is mind boggling.

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Review: The Bird and the Sword

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am in awe of Amy Harmon's skills as a writer. Her ability to captivate her audience is not limited by genre as she so brilliantly proves in The Bird and the Sword. Although I'm not typically fond of fantasy, unless it's urban fantasy I was intrigued from the beginning. Harmon has created a world of intriguing people, magical places, and I hope she has plans to bring us back.


Lark's mother was killed in front of her and that day before she died, she told the King he'd trade his soul and lose his son to the sky. She told her husband that he must protect their daughter as his life was now tied to hers. Then she gave these words to Lark forever trapping her voice.

Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.


In a world of hidden gifts, the Tellers and Spinners, Changers and Healers all hide who they are for fear of losing their lives. In a world among others without gifts, they're threatened and everyone must be equal. King Zoltov has killed every one of the gifted for fear of losing his throne. Lark longs to be free, free of her father and her curse.

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Review: Walk Through Fire

Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have no idea why but it took me forever to finish Walk Through Fire. It may have been me because the ratings are great and everyone else seemed to love it. I kept finding reasons to stop reading, to do something else, which is not typical if I'm loving the book I'm reading. I probably should have given up, but I just love Kristen Ashley and I couldn't do it!

Logan "High" Judd and Millie Cross were each other's everything and had their whole lives in front of them. Then out of nowhere Millie walked out on High and made it so that he would let her go. Years later they run into one another again, he's divorced and she's still single. High's intrigued by this new version of Millie, but she hurt him so badly he doesn't have it in him to forgive and forget.


***Spoilers***
Millie left High when she found out she couldn't have children. She knew how much he wanted kids and was willing to walk away so he could find someone that could give him that. After a chance meeting many years later she is happy that he did have two little girls but hates that he is divorced from their mother. He is cruel to her over and over until she finally walks away again. He learns the reason she walked away the first time and wishes she would have given him the chance to stay but is determined to get her back now. The two of them start to build a life together, and his daughter Cleo is all in but the baby Zadie is not having any part of that. It takes quite a while but she finally starts to come around when two of Valenzuela's men are sent to scare High's daughters and/or Millie and end up kidnapping her, but not before knocking her out. Millie sends Zadie running to her father before she is taken and Zadie is distraught. Valenzuela meets Millie in a hotel room and kills his two men in front of her because they weren't supposed to kidnap her. He is convinced that he still has the upper hand on Chaos, and he is so confident about that it scares Millie. She tries to make sure High knows this, that Valenzuela is counting on him flying off the handle, but it's Shirleen that finally gets through to him. High decides to do things the right way but Hound is determined to get retribution. Things end with High proposing to Millie, the four of them buying a new house, and all of them enjoying Paris together.

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Review: Thief

Thief by Tarryn Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Somehow I missed the release of Thief, the final book in the Love Me with Lies series. Thief is not quite as emotionally draining as the two previous books, but still an awesome series ender. Caleb and Olivia must have some kind of love because after all they have been through, the lies, betrayal etc. they still can't stay away from each other. Leah, psycho redhead ex, tries to pull another fast one, but she meets her match this time.

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Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I seriously love Kristen Ashley, and always love everything she writes. Kaleidoscope is no different, and therein lies the problem. It's not a big problem, definitely not a problem that would keep me from reading anything she writes, down to and possibly including her grocery list. Although all of her books feature different characters, most of the hot & uber-alphas are interchangeable. They're protective, over the top, bossy, and their one-word expressions are all very similar. I like the way they talk and don't want that to change, I just wish there were more distinction between them. Like I said, a very small annoyance that I may have never paid much attention to if it hadn't been pointed out.

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