We think this is pretty cool! Hi to all our German readers … hope you like your own edition of the first book!
Hi! And welcome to my review of Drought by Pam Bachorz!
“A young girl thirsts for love and freedom, but at what cost?
Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.
When Ruby meets Ford—an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer—she longs to run away with him to the modern world where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.
But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special—her blood—and it’s the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.
Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.”
Before seeing it in the book-store I’d never heard of Drought or of Pam Bachorz, but what really pulled me in was this synopsis and the cover. The cover is so interesting, mysterious, and dark!
Ruby has been a slave to Darwin for hundreds of years now, collecting water everyday with a cup and spoon. If someone in the congregation doesn’t meet the required amount of water for the day, Darwin or one of his men, will abuse and beat them with a chain.
Having always been reminded by her mother, Ruby focuses on collecting water, praying to Otto, and taking lead in the congregation, and never really having time to do or think anything else… until, that is, she meets Ford (one of Darwin’s Overseers). After avoiding Ford, and her own feelings, Ruby soon has to decide between her mother (and the congregation) and Ford (and leaving everything she’s ever known behind).
Drought was a book that I would recommend to all my friends. It has the perfect combination of romance, and adventure! The characters are what really made the story enjoyable. Ruby was a strong female character, which I LOVE. Her mom was strict, and cared more for the congregation, instead of her own daughter. Ford was only doing this job, because he wanted to be able to pay and keep his mother alive, and Darwin’s interest in Ruby’s mother was also very interesting!
If you haven’t read Drought its a book that should be on anyone’s TBR!
The title got me going on this book. A killing in the hills evokes images of houses hidden away in remote places and some seriously not nice things happening to the occupants. It seems I’m not completely off target with this tale of how drugs can leave their mark on small back water communities.
“Bell Elkins left a broken teenager, savaged by a past she couldn’t forget. But, as prosecuting attorney for Raythune County, Bell is back and determined to help clean up the only home she has ever known.
As winter sets in and her daughter is witness to a shocking triple murder, Bell finds her family in danger. Can she uncover the truth before her world is destroyed again?”
Acker’s Gap, in my mind, is one of those picture postcard towns you pass through to get somewhere else. You promise to visit someday, but never do. I like to imagine what life would be like for people who live in places like these, because for at least 6 months I was one of them. Living in a sneeze-and-you’ll-miss-it town is generally pretty quiet, but in comparison to my peaceful experience, Acker’s Gap is on its way to hell, complete with a road paved with good intentions.
The setting really holds its own and adds its own brand of stumbling blocks, due to remoteness and socio-economics.
The relationship between Bell and her daughter, Carla, is at times excruciatingly awkward, and I seriously doubt (hope!) if any teenager would actually behave as Carla did. Mum is a workaholic and I find it incredulous that nobody tells her to take one darn minute and just listen to what Carla has to say.
I flew through this stand-alone book in less than 48 hours and though some sections were a tad slow, it mainly bounds along at a steady pace. The body count is getting up there and the gore is nicely shocking.
So if you’ve ever wondered like I have, about the people, who live in those small towns, give A Killing in the Hills a read. This book would be perfect for those long nights by the fire at the most remote Bed and Breakfast you can find.
Paperback, 272 pages
Published August 30th 2012 by Headline (first published August 21st 2012)
ISBN 0755392868 (ISBN13: 9780755392865)
Today Krista reviews a very special new e-book and audio book written and performed by the amazing Suzie Plakson.
Suzie is an actress, singer and now a writer. We recommend you listen to the audiobook version which is narrated by Suzie and is simply quite amazing.
Marianne met Suzie at Supanova in 2012 and was struck by her wonderful sense of humour, kindness and shining talent.
Here at Burn Bright we’re very happy to be spreading love for her project. Some people need to be heard, and Suzie is on of them. Please share the news of her book on your websites and social media.
“Blue sixteen! Blue SIXTEEN! hut, hut HUT!”
The pigskin snaps into the hands of up and coming quarterback Quentin Barnes with the speed of a bullet, passed not by a fellow human, but from an insectoid-alien the size of a small Volkswagen. The future of the human race is in space, where there is adventure, war, awesome technology, and American football.
This is Scott Siegler’s epic story about a backwater planet former-slave-turned-football-star in an incredibly complex and antagonistic universe united only by an immense love for the sport. As soon as the story begins you are immersed in a world in which different galactic governments and empires are being held together by fragile peace treaties, while an abusive but cunning and very sneaky race of little furry critters called Creterakians (don’t let their cuteness fool you, they’ll kill you if you breathe the wrong way) maintain overall control of the galaxy.
To try and maintain the peace, the Galactic Football League was created to forge, strengthen and keep friendly relations between other races and factions. Somehow, this crazy idea worked, and Football has become the strongest factor keeping everything going.
What makes this story so special is the way the author has blended together elements from real life (such as sports, racial tension, and religious conflict) into a much bigger scale (the galactic scene) with only the GFL keeping everything together through games. So big is football in this story that one particular race (you’ll have to read to find out which one!) considers it an actual religion (with some players actually having Churches in their name).
If you’re a sports fan and you love sci fi (or maybe just one of the two!), pick this baby up. You’re in for one hell of a ride, and quite possibly a tackle from an 8 legged linebacker.
