Book Review | Edge of Civilization by Jennifer Ott

In April I reviewed Seredipidus by Jennifer Ott (see that review HERE), and the author reached out to me to see if I would review another one of her works. Edge of Civilization is the story of a Vietnam War veteran named Earl. For decades he has lived alone in an abandoned mine in the desert. One night he has a revelation that he needs to return to civilization. He's not sure where to go, or from where he originated, but the next day he leaves on a journey to find where he belongs.

Edge of Civilization goes back and forth between Earl's current journey and his past life in the war. We learn that he was a pilot and his plane went down, and what he had to go through to end up back home in America. Because of this ordeal, Earl seems to have a memory problem. At times, it's difficult to tell what is real and what is not. This adds an air of mystery to the story, and it compelled me to keep reading to find out how the story would end.

Without giving any spoilers, I'll say that the end of this book just fell flat for me. We follow Earl as he tries to remember his past, and I just did not like how his journey ended. It seemed a bit rushed, and wasn't what I expected taking the entire book into consideration. Because of that, I am rating Edge of Civilization a 3.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you enjoy books about veterans or stories with an unreliable protagonist, I think you should give this one a try. The Kindle version is only $2.99 on Amazon HERE.

This book was provided for my unbiased review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman

Today I have my first review of a nonfiction book for all of you! I recently read Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist by Debra Jaliman, M.D., and thought I would go ahead and share my thoughts on this book even though it's a bit different than what I usually discuss on my blog.

As you may have guessed, Skin Rules is all about skincare. The book consists of a series of rules regarding what products to use, what ingredients to look out for, and what treatments are available. I really appreciated how Dr. Jaliman talks not only about specific products, but about products from all budgets. Now I know exactly what to look for the next time I'm at the drugstore, or the next time I'm at Sephora. Whatever your price range is, Dr. Jaliman mentions a product for you.

I learned so much from Skin Rules that I felt a certain "call to arms" when it comes to my skincare. I think I take pretty good care of my skin, but now I've learned even more. In fact, I've already started a few changes in my skincare routine to ensure I'm doing everything I can to take care of myself. The only thing missing from Skin Rules is more guidance on how to take care of combination skin. I would have loved more information on that topic, as I do have combination skin and often have difficulties finding the perfect products to use. Nonetheless, I'm still amazed at how much Dr. Jaliman packed into such a short book.

If you're interested in skincare, I definitely recommend Skin Rules. It is a very fast and easy read, and I know I'll be referring to it quite frequently. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, only because it lacked more information on caring for combination skin. You can purchase this book on Amazon HERE.

Let me know in the comments if you like hearing about the nonfiction books I read as well!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Time of Attack by Marc Cameron

Have you ever felt really accomplished upon finishing a book? That's how I feel about Time of Attack by Marc Cameron! I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway back in January, and began reading it on March 30th. Well, it took me just over a month, but I finally finished it, and I can't wait to share my thoughts on the story with all of you.

Time of Attack is a part of the Jericho Quinn series by Cameron, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. This book has two parallel story lines, the first centering on Special Agent Quinn. While attending a friend's wedding, his ex-wife is shot by a sniper who was aiming for his young daughter. Quinn then goes on a hunt to track down the mysterious woman who left his ex-wife without a leg. Along the way he encounters many interesting characters, and ends up traveling to Japan in an effort to find the shooter.

While Quinn finds himself in all sorts of crazy situations, readers are also following another storyline. A manmade disease is suddenly being given to American soldiers before they return home from Afghanistan. Soon dozens are infected, and doctors have no idea how to stop the illness from spreading, nor do they know how to cure it.

As you can imagine, these two plots are action-packed. A good way to describe Time of Attack is a James Bond book filled with extra adventure and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, though I did find it a bit slow going for me despite all the fast-paced scenes. The main reason I didn't like this reading experience was because of the book itself. It is very narrow and tall, but very wide. It was uncomfortable to hold the book. While this did not detract from the actual story at all, it definitely made me want to put it down more often that I would have in a better binding.

I'm also not a huge fan of violence, so be aware that if you read this book you'll be dealing with more mature themes. This genre is not my usual cup of tea, so it was great to escape from my norm and pick up something new, but I wouldn't want to read this type of book all the time.

My favorite aspect of Time of Attack was the character development. There are a lot of different characters in this book, but I didn't lose track of them due to Cameron's crafty writing. He does a great job at describing the characters just enough so you remember who they are, and builds strong background stories for those in the spotlight.

Overall, Time of Attack is a great read if you're looking for an action-packed thrill ride. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but would recommend the eBook version on Amazon HERE unless you don't mind a bulky book. I don't think I'll be rereading this one, but I will keep an eye out for more Jericho Quinn novels in the future, especially since this one had a bit of a cliffhanger ending! If you've read any of Marc Cameron's books, let me know what you thought in the comments!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I'm late to the John Green party, but at last I've arrived. I've been wanting to read The Fault in Our Stars for several months now, and knew I had to pick it up before the movie came out this June. I'm drastically afraid of being spoiled (for any book, TV show, or movie), and I knew the TFIOS ending was in my near future whether I read the book or not. Well, I zoomed through TFIOS as soon as it arrived to my mailbox, and it was a roller coaster that only goes up.

Okay, that's not entirely true, this book was a roller coaster of emotions for me (but snaps for you if you caught that reference). I laughed, I cried, I had all the cliché emotions. Why? Because TFIOS is the story of Hazel, a sixteen-year-old girl with cancer. The book opens with Hazel at her support group, where we meet Augustus – the love interest. TFIOS is told through Hazel's point of view, as she and Augustus join forces to create a new kind of dream team.

I don't want to say much else about the plot, as the book is a short 313 pages, and I think it's best discovered on your own. In fact, I found TFIOS an intellectually troubling read. Green left hints, or so I thought. Every time I thought I had the ending figured out, things changed. I liked that; it kept things interesting. And at one point I exclaimed "Oh my God!" out loud while reading. I was never disappointed, and loved the twists and turns even though I needed to keep the tissue box within reach.

As for the characters, I loved them all. It's quite rare that I genuinely think all of the characters in a story are great. Here, they just were. My favorite was Peter Van Houton, even though I know that's probably an unpopular opinion.

There is so much I could say about TFIOS, but I'll stop by emphasizing the magic in John Green's writing. This book is going to be one that I reread sometime soon, as I want to relive the metaphorical goodness. I highly recommend TFIOS, and gave it a 4.5/5 stars on Goodreads, docked for a couple things that bothered me in the first two chapters. There is no reason not to read TFIOS. Grab your copy on Amazon HERE, and please share your thoughts on the book with me in the comments, as I'm sure many of you have read it already.

I use Amazon affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review & Giveaway | Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

This Sunday is a bit different here at OpenLetter2NYC! I just completed my first ever 24-hour readathon! I heard about Dewey's Readathon last minute, but I decided to participate a bit. It was a great experience, and I can't wait until the next one!

During the readathon, I completed Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott. This book is just delightful! The story revolves around Venetia De Mille, a famous supermodel living in New York City. Venetia was raised in a nunnery, not knowing who her parents are. All the nuns knew was that she was to love nature. That she did! Venetia was very in tune with the Earth, and even talked to animals more than people. The nuns made her leave the convent so she could find her true destiny in life, and when Venetia ends up in bustling NYC, she lucked into a modeling job after being scouted in Central Park. She wasn't thrilled with her career, but her angelic looks allowed her to buy a penthouse apartment away from the noisy city streets.

Serendipidus really gets going when Venetia meets a shunned scientist, Poindexter Scheigopherer. When a sudden and violent storm shakes the Earth to a halt, Venetia and Poindexter join forces to try and get the Earth spinning again. What follows is their trip around the world as they try to get society to wake up from the devastation before it's too late and they all meet their doom.

While Serendipidus is a short read at just over 200 pages, it is a great one, packed with adventure, humor, and thought-provoking passages. Our villain in this story is none other than Medusa Dominatrix, and while she is quite despicable for trying to end Earth's existence, I always laughed at her ridiculous antics and looked forward to every appearance she made in the story. I was also very impressed with Ott's ability to make such a deep and dark, apocalyptic plot very uplifting and enjoyable. Serendipidus is full of hope, and it really helps shed light on how our actions are affecting the Earth even when we don't think anything of them. Ott does a great job at creating a wonderful story while simultaneously commenting on society.

Overall, I loved Serendipidus and highly recommend it. It is a quick and easy read, and one that I think anyone will enjoy. Part end of the word, part urban fantasy, and part humor, Serendipidus has something for everyone. You can purchase the book on Amazon for just $2.99 HERE. You can also enter to win a copy of Serendipidus by entering the giveaway below. Best of luck!


Did you take part in Dewey's Readathon? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.