Six Mixed Reviews

Tangled Hearts...

2012-02-23T09:16:00.001-08:00

An LDS Romantic/Suspense novel written by Author Roseanne Evans Wilkins

Publisher's Note: Serra Lanning, known as the Chaste Mormon Model Kara Kukaanei, grew up in Salina, Kansas. She is living a lonely life. Her parents have died and her sister, Brooke, hasn't spoken to her in years. When Brooke shows up with her son in tow and asks Serra to watch him while she and her husband go on vacation to France, Serra's whole life is turned upside down. Serra's decision to hide from Brooke's in-law's create problems she doesn't anticipate. When the tires to her new SUV are slashed, she knows she has more to fear than having her nephew taken.

Mandi's Review: Tangled Hearts by Author Roseanne Wilkins is definitely a suspenseful, romantic read. Serra Lanning is a young, single clothing model living in New York City. Her life is ideal....and lonely, but when her sister, Brooke, whom she hasn't spoken to in years suddenly appears on her door step with a young toddler, Serra's life quickly turns upside down. Then when Brooke and her husband die in an unexpected car crash, Serra must make a very difficult choice.... give up Mathew, her nephew, or run. She chooses to run, but what she doesn't expect is a series of set backs and terrifying events that will leave her dependent on a handsome stranger named Alec. Wilkins has done a wonderful job creating a suspenseful and intriguing story. The characters are believable, and Alec and Serra definitely have chemistry. The romance is fun, and the plot, entertaining. This is a clean, LDS-based novel, and I recommend this book to anyone who loves a lot of romance and nail-biting suspense. I really enjoyed this clean read!

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum

2012-02-22T11:34:00.001-08:00

From the book: A kingdom is at war.
A princess has been kidnapped by a dragon queen.
A brave squire volunteers to set out on a quest to rescue her.

But there's just one small problem. He's Thomas, the shortest of all the squires. With little more than a donkey, a vest, and a sword, Thomas will have to use all of his courage and determination to battle a beast with many heads, reach a forbidden island, and rescue the princess from a most fearsome dragon-and an even more fearsome fate!

Part thrilling adventure and part enchanting fantasy, sprinkled with charming black-and-white illustrations, Thomas and the Dragon Queen will delight young readers from start to finish.

From Heather: Thomas and the Dragon Queen is a charming book! It's about a little boy named Thomas (obviously!) who is very short for his age. As the story begins, Thomas rescues his little sister from being trampled by a knight who had fallen asleep on his horse. The knight takes a liking to young Thomas and offers to take him to the castle to be trained as a knight. The kingdom is at war and all of the available knights are out protecting the borders. So younger and younger boys are training to become knights.

Which is great for Thomas. He grew up hearing his father's stories about training to be a knight, although his Da, as he calls him, never actually became a knight. So Thomas travels to the castle, makes friends with the princess and learns how to be a knight. When the princess is kidnapped, he finds the king distraught and asks the king to make him a knight, promising to find the princess and bring her back. So the king makes young Thomas a knight.

The rest of the story tells of Thomas' adventures in bringing back the princess. When he finally meets the Dragon Queen, who had kidnapped the princess, he has nothing but himself to offer. He lost his sword, his donkey (he's too small for a horse!) and his leather jerkin his father had given him. He had nothing but his own skills and talents. And he learned that he was enough.

I really liked this book. I think it's always nice to be reminded that who we are doesn't depend on what we have. Thomas was a charming young boy who was kind and thoughtful and brave. And those are the things he needed to save the princess. Five stars for this charming book!

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

2012-02-21T17:29:00.005-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Jillian’s Review:

Tessa was an OK character. I didn’t quite get her. She was supposed to be kind of artistic, but didn’t think like an artist (apparently a common problem in YA novels). She lost her mother and sometimes seems to still be mourning that loss, but other times she seems perfectly fine.

Too much detail is given in the beginning of the book so that the reader already knows pretty much what’s happening and what’s going to happen. I like more mystery in my books.

Will, “the guy”, was stuck up and frustrating and I didn’t get why Tessa would fall head-over-heals in love with him in two days. It drives me nuts when characters fall in love within a day or two, even if they supposedly have some sort of reincarnated past with each other. At least the romance was clean, though, there was a bit of swearing.

The story itself was, although not well written, interesting and kept me interested. But I basically just glanced over the last quarter of the book to get through it. It’s interesting, but not enough that I would recommend it and certainly not enough to want to read it again.

The Next Door Boys by Jolene Perry

2012-02-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas— not to mention the ever expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her— Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places.

From Misty:

This book was about cancer like The Book of Mormon is about Jesus. Despite its universal coming of age theme, you have to be a Mormon to read this book. But I don't mean that in a bad way.

Cancer has such a tendency to overshadow everything else in a novel. If there is cancer in a book, the book is about cancer. This is generally very offputting for me. Here's another review I did on a book about cancer, if you need an idea where I'm coming from on this review.

All Leigh wants to do is be over cancer. Chemo is over. She's in remission. But wait, she's not back to her old energetic self? It's almost like this surprises her. But it's less surprise and more denial. I've been in the hospital, awake for days on end, SICK of needles, and SICK of doctors and especially nurses (fyi I hate doctors and nurses), so I could identify with Leigh just being sick of it all. But otherwise, I think I would have thought she was a big baby and that she should just get over it. She's asking for the impossible. Despite a brief claim that she's at peace with life and death and infertility, she wants to have never been affected by cancer. She's dealing with four main things: denial of not being 100 % yet, her overprotective friends and family, being in a major program that is unsuitable for her, and every boy in the book, much to her dismay, falling all over her.

The reader has to make and accept a lot of assumptions about Leigh's illness. You have to have a basic idea about what Chemo involves. I think most people do, even younger readers, but Perry also expects the reader to have an understanding of the social and emotional repercussions a cancer diagnosis can have on the both the patient and the patient's caregivers. The main action of this whole experience, Leigh getting a diagnosis and suffering through cancer and chemo, doesn't even happen in this book, so the whole book is sort of this long falling action from a climax we didn't get to see. I think the relationship Leigh has with her brother, Jaron, is completely weird without this background and a major "eww" factor even with it. I'm pretty sure I have never held hands with or placed my head on any of my brothers' shoulders, not even for one second of my life. Ever. And for someone who wants her independence so badly, I don't understand why Leigh still has this sicky, clingy, physical, flirty relationship with her brother. But again, I come at this book with no background on Leigh's experience save a few brief flashback/explanations, and none of my own. And I am kind of a robot when it comes to emotions, and my best friend had to teach me how to hug when I was like, eighteen.

Leigh's independence is a big issue for her. But as a reader, I'm not sure what she is looking for independence from. Her hovering mother? Her illness? Boys? But she knows Jaron has been enlisted to hover in her mother's absence. And she denies it, but there is no getting away from her illness. And the boys? She says she wants education, not boys, but...really? If she broke up with her brother-boyfriend maybe she could see someone else... Okay, that was a low blow. I can understand not being in the market for a fella, but I really can't understand her alleged cluelessness about guys. She says she was in with the wrong crowd in high school. Did this crowd not include boys? I'm trying to picture what a wrong crowd of just girls would be like. I mean, in an LDS novel, the thing that would make a crowd of girls the wrong crowd, from and LDS standpoint, would be that they were going too far with boys. Right? Right? I don't even buy that Leigh is not interested in boys--because she falls SO fast and SO hard when Noah walks in the door. I don't care what she says out loud, every girl is interested in being loved. Period. Leigh treats the exteraneous boys like she treats cancer--ignore it and it will go away.

The narration of this story slips into "tell" instead of "show" a lot, but the story is interesting and the characters likable enough that it stopped mattering to me after a while. If not the most enjoyable narration style, the author made it work, and it was effective for this story. Leigh learned and grew and matured, and the ending was good.

It's sounding like I didn't like this book, and that is completely untrue. I did like it. I would recommend it to LDS fiction readers, and I would definitely look for more of Perry's books.

*Ebook obtained through Netgalley.com

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

2012-02-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

On the cover:
"When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty?
Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject - forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right.
But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.
And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?"

My review:

I did really like this book, however, I give great caution about the language used though out the book. So sad, really, as the book has amazing characters and a hugely pulling story. I didn't put it down for hours at a time.

It gave me a better understanding of Aspergers, too. Well put-together and super intriguing.

I give House Rules four stars!

Summer of Secrets...

2012-02-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

A novel by Charlotte Hubbard

Publisher's Note: In the bestselling tradition of Beverly Lewis and Jan Karon, Hubbard presents a beautifully drawn new series, which follows the charming residents of Willow Ridge and the conflicts involving the old Amish ways in a modern world, and the temptations of leaving this plain heritage behind. Original.

Mandi's Review: Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard is a refreshing change from your ordinary romance. Set in a quaint Amish community in Missouri, Rachel Lantz is looking forward to her new life and marriage with Micah, her high school sweetheart. However, the sturdy foundation on which she has built her life begins to fall apart when a stranger unexpectedly turns up in town claiming to be Rachel's long-lost sister. The author has done a wonderful job creating a story based around strong family values and Christian morals. The characters are very well-rounded, and I loved Rachel's strength and courage as she faces her new trials. At times the plot moved a little slow, but this is a book I would recommend to anyone, and I'll definitely look forward to reading more by this author. I give Summer of Secrets 4 out of 5 stars and congratulate Hubbard on a job well done.

The Breakup Artist...

2012-02-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

A novel by Shannen C. Camp

Publisher's Note: Breaking up with someone is a major pain—-unless you can hire someone else to do it for you! And Amelia demands top dollar for her professional break-up services. Everything's business as usual until David, one of the boys she's been hired to dump, throws her for a loop. Now she must decide if David's intentions are genuine, or if there's something sinister behind his flirting.

My Review: The Breakup Artist by Shannen C. Camp is just the sort of book that will leave you laughing until the very end. The plot is a fun, witty, and it's just the sort of book I love to read. Amelia, a high school teen, has created a very profitable business as a "breakup artist". You can pay her fifty bucks, and she'll dump your current boyfriend, leaving you free of guilt and free to pursue another crush. Amelia runs a professional business, and her busy schedule leaves her no time for relationships of her own, but she'd like to keep it that way. However, when she meets David, a boy she's been hired to dump, her carefully organized world begins to fall apart. Amelia is definitely a character to love. I loved her "professional" manner and her quirky personality. As the story progresses, you begin to realize the "whys" behind Amelia's choice of "profession", and you watch her grow and change until the very end. Author Shannen C. Camp does a wonderful job of building characters and plot. I highly recommend The Breakup Artist and congratulate the author on a job well done!

I have also had a chance to interview Shannen Camp and I hope you enjoy getting to know her better!

Meet Author Shannen C. Camp...

Tell us about yourself?

I was going to copy and paste my little author bio here but who needs that when I can give you an 'off the top of my head and slightly inaccurate due to long hours at work' description? I like to write. A lot. I'm sure that's an obvious thing to say but it had to be said. I love to create in any way shape or form. Some days I'll come home and think "I need to create something" whether it's music, paintings, or stories. Is that odd? I can't help it. It's one of those little habits you just can't kick.
I guess I should also tell you the basics, like the fact that I was born and raised in California and I'm trying to cut my bad habit of writing all of my stories in California. I'm starting to know Utah better than CA now so maybe I'll set some stories here! I majored in Film at Brigham Young University and my emphasis was production design and makeup. Although I'm complete rubbish at 'pretty' makeup. I can only do special effects makeup. So if you're bored around Halloween time, come and see me!
I'm married to my high school lab partner and we have 489320842 names for children but no actual children yet... so I use all of the names on my characters :)

When did you first start writing?

I started writing in the fourth grade. It was terrible. I tried so hard to write a Goosebumps type book but I made the mistake of abbreviating the title "Scared to Death" to STD, which I'm sure worried my fourth grade teacher just a little. I should publish that book one day, just so people can get a good laugh at all the horrible ways I accidentally used those three letters. Oops! I continued writing all through elementary school, junior high, and high school and finally finished a YA fantasy book in College. It's poorly written so I'll have to go back and fix it but literally right after I finished that one I wrote "The Breakup Artist". So I just haven't really stopped writing since the fourth grade.

How did you discover the idea for The Breakup Artist?

I remember the exact moment I thought of this book. It was in 2008 and my brother was about to get married. I was sleeping on the floor in the office because of all of the family members who had come into town for the wedding and everyone was talking about love and marriage and relationships and I started wondering if there was some sort of job focused just on relationships. Somehow that led me to the idea of a professional breakup artist and a month later I had finished my book. So thanks, Jared for getting married!

How did you develop Amelia’s character?

I feel like Amelia's character kind of developed herself. Initially she starts off kind of unlikable and snotty. She's got a big superiority complex and at times I found it difficult to balance showing her less-than-flattering side, while still trying to make the reader like her for how confused she was about her life. I feel like she kind of talks through growing up with the reader. She does it without realizing what's happening. I wanted people to see her as someone who didn't want to be awful, she just wasn't quite sure what else to be and she figures it out through slowly letting people in.

What other hobbies do you have besides writing?

I love to paint. I'm terrible at it really but I just love it. I'm a lot like Amelia actually in that I couldn't draw to save my life but I paint all the time. I also love video games, which is very nerdy of me :) My marriage is anti-stereotypical since my husband doesn't play video games at all and I'm a huge gamer. I also love to play music. Back when I had a piano I'd play all the time (apartments don't fit pianos very well) but now I mostly play guitar and flute because they're small and portable, though if you brought me a drum set I wouldn't be mad about it!

Thanks, Shannen!

To purchase your very own copy of The Breakup Artist visit Amazon

To learn more about Shannen visit her Blog at Shannencbooks.blogspot.com

The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles Book 1) by Rick Riordan

2012-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

From rickriordan.com: Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

I have had a fascination lately with Rick Riordan lately! :) I must, because I've read all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the first two Heroes of Olympus books and now the first book of the Kane Chronicles. I've liked them all. I'm not sure which series I like better out of the three, but of the three, the Kane Chronicles is probably my least favorite.

I liked Carter and Sadie, although I have a hard time picturing Carter as black. Strange, I know. But that's not how I see him in my head. (And Sadie is NOT black, which kind of plays with my head!) I liked Sadie's character too, but I wish she didn't cuss quite so much. I know, I know...kids hear it all the time, but I don't picture Sadie as that kind of person, so it seems really out of character. I don't know...it was hard to pin their characters down. Maybe as I read more of the series, it will get better.

The narration jumps between Carter and Sadie, and I think that really works. It's fun to see each of them from their sibling's perspective. And to get a different view on events in the book.

Overall it's a great book. I'd give this one 4 stars.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

2012-02-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors--one welcome, and the other decidedly less so--brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.
With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

Jillian’s Review:

I know many people thought this book to be a really slow read, but I loved it from beginning to end—both times through. I love—LOVE—Dashti. I love that she’s strong, sensible, and positive. Even when locked in a tower with the sulky and unstable Lady Saren, Dashti manages to look on the bright side of things. “And here’s the bit that makes me tremble with delight—in our cellar there is a mountain of food! … Seven years’ worth. Such a thing I never imagined. Even though I can’t see the sky, it’s hard not to want to dance about, knowing that for seven years at least I won’t starve.”

After a couple of years and the loss of an enormous amount of food because of a rat infestation and a Lady who won’t stop gorging herself, Dashti is a little less lighthearted and somewhat bitter. However, she never lets it get the better of her. She pushes forward, believing it an honor or at least somewhere close to an honor to serve a Lady.

And then enters the dashing Khan Tegus. Ooh, I liked him from the start. He’s kind and thoughtful and appreciates Dashti for who she is. It probably helps that their first couple of encounters they don’t see more than each others' ankles (thanks to the fact that Dashti is still locked in a tower with a slightly insane Saren). I love how the story progresses and ends. Yay, a happy ending.

Hale has a great talent for describing every detail so that it’s vivid and bringing each character to life, with just the right twist of humor thrown in. I had the perfect quote from the book as an example, but I can’t find it now. I guess you’re just going to have to read it and find out for yourself how great this book is.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

2012-02-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

From Misty:
For the current blog hop and because it's so close to Valentine's day, I made everyone who entered tell me the name of a character from a book they have fallen in love with. I've actually been thinking about this phenomenon for a while because I want to do a post on my personal blog about all the characters I have fallen in love with over the years. I guess what's stopping me is being unsure whether my characters are quality enough to blog about. But, hey, you can't help who you fall in love with, right?

Well, if I ever wrote the definitive list, Eli from Along for the Ride would be right near the top of it. Eli has already worked through a lot of his guilt, and he can't help himself when it comes to sharing what he's learned with Auden. But he is all too aware that he doesn't have all the answers. Eli doesn't mix romance in right away, though you know it has to be a factor, because he knows neither of them are in the right place for it. I really think that was a conscious if not deliberate decision on his part. Eli has such an endearing mix of stregth and vulnerability that I think about this story long after I've read the book and find myself wishing I knew him.

Eli's vulnerability lends Auden's character strength, which is nice so that you don't get the feeling she's just another annoying teen in a YA read who doesn't know anything and never will, a dangerous line YA authors approach when they try to be realistic.

If you haven't read any of Dessen's books, I highly recommend them. Expect to be uplifted and to learn something about yourself. I haven't read them all, just three or four. I've liked everything I've read, but not as much as the cute covers promised me I would. But...I blame the covers for that, not the content.

Remember, the Follower Love Giveaway Hop ends tomorrow. To enter, go Here and tell us who you love in literature!

Being The Mom by Emily Watts

2012-02-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

On the back cover:

"WILL THE REAL WATTS FAMILY PLEASE STAND UP?

Actually, they're both real. You're likeliest to catch Family One for about three hours on Sunday or on a few other special occasions. The rest of the time, look for Family Two. We're happy either way.
In Being the Mom, you'll learn some practical strategies for building a strong family that can be comfortable in a variety of situations. Beyond that, you'll figure out how to keep your sanity when all about you are losing theirs.
Most of all, you'll find that with a lot of love and a good sense of humor to provide perspective, "being the mom" can be done lots of ways. Your way may just be better than you thought!"

As a mom, I know first hand how hard things can be and how tough times can get. I got this book in a time when I was truly struggling and felt I must be the worst mom in the world.

Emily Watts made me laugh and understand that being a mom is so different for everyone. She reminded me not to compare myself to others. I am doing the best I can, just as they are.

Here are a few of the chapter titles;

"Instead of Acquiring More Things, Use the Things You Have More Creatively."

"Know When to Holler for Help."

"Remember That the Years Fly By, Even though Some of the Days Are Mighty Long."

Little ideas like not feeling bad for having store-bought pre-made meals in the freezer for the times when you don't have time to cook or just don't feel like it. It is great to make things from scratch...and it is okay to NOT make things from scratch.

This book is full of Emily's great sense of humor and the humility she has learned over years of mothering.

Great book! Definitely four stars earned!

Delirium (Delirium, Book 1) by Lauren Oliver

2012-02-07T08:57:00.001-08:00

Synopsis (from goodread.com):

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love

Jillian’s Review:

If you’ve read Matched then don’t bother reading this one. It’s almost the same as Matched, but the society is even more underdeveloped. Also, the thing that makes the society in Delirium so freaky (making people have a surgery to keep them from feeling love) was too unrealistic.

The characters were realistic enough. I enjoyed the main girl, Lena’s, personality but I liked her friend even more. THE GUY was great. I really liked him. The chemistry between Lena and said boy was pretty terrific and I was rooting for them the whole way through. I really cared about Lena’s youngest cousin and hoped Lena would [spoiler alert] take her with her when she left, but there was a good enough resolution that I was satisfied.

But the ending [spoiler alert]… I HATE sad endings and this one was sad. It could have totally been written differently. I understand that not every story is going to have a happy ending, but this one stunk. I may read the next one in the series Pandemonium (expected released date February 28, 2012) just so I know what happens to poor Lena.

Follower Love

2012-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Be our Valentine!

Enter to win a grab bag of bookish things Feb. 7th-Feb. 14th! Open to US entries only.

To enter our Giveaway, become a GFC follower and leave your email address in the Comments along with your answer to these questions:
Who is one character you have fallen in love with and in what book did you read about him/her?

Good Luck!

Click the button to return to the linky on I am a Reader Not a Writer.

Peony in Love by Lisa See

2012-02-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
“I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret.”

For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.

Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.

So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed.

Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place–even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence, a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors offer guidance, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth. Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, Peony in Love explores, beautifully, the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, Lisa See’s novel addresses universal themes: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard.

From Misty:
I read this a few days ago, and I'm still wondering what to say about it. I'm about equal parts like and dislike on this book.

This is definitely not a traditional romance novel, and yet the story is based entirely on love. But if you read it for that, you completely miss the point.

There is a pretty unsettling description of the practice of foot-binding in the book, but it is accompanied by a powerful description of (one opinion) why the women did it. Peony's mother insists it is a sign of power--the Manchus can invade their country but they cannot stop them from binding their feet. In comparison to this, consider that from this time in Chinese history come the first published women writers in the history of the world. I have to tell you, that kind of hit home for me.

Characterizations, plot, setting, historical details, historical significance--all skillfully depicted. Not a light, fluffy read, but I definitely recommend it to those interested in a read that will make an impact on them.

A Reluctant Queen the Love Story of Esther by Joan Wolf

2012-02-04T21:22:00.001-08:00

On the back cover:
"You've read it as a biblical tale of courage. Experience it anew as a heart-stirring love story.
She was a simple girl faced with an impossible choice. He was a magnificent king with a lonely heart.
Their love was the divine surprise that changed the course of history.
The beloved story of Esther springs to fresh life in this inspired novel that vibrates with mystery, intrigue and romance."

My review:
If you know the story of Esther in the bible by heart you probably won't like this book. It veers from the bible story and has fictional turns that I quite enjoyed. I don't know the story past Esther saving her people by showing herself to the king and him allowing it because of his love for her.

A Reluctant Queen is a beautiful love story, and I was so ready for a beautiful love story. A girl brought up in the Jewish community by her uncle. She is taken out of that innocent world into the palace where she is to try for the king's hand.

There is one part, before she is let into the harem, that was disturbing and I had to kind of skip over.

I've read a few reviews that complained about the "sex" in the book. I am shocked. There was passion but no sexual details.
"Then he leaned forward and kissed her mouth. It was not like the brief kiss he had given her in the bridal tent. This was a long kiss, a kiss that began tenderly but one he soon deepened and made slightly more demanding. She was passive at first, hesitant to respond, but then, as he continued the kiss, asking patiently, she opened her lips. After a while, her hands came up to hold his shoulders. Carefully he laid her back on the bed, continuing to kiss her as his hands began to move, slowly and knowledgably, over her body. Esther closed her eyes."
That is the first "sex" scene. That is where the chapter ends.

No cussing, a bonus in my book! I really enjoyed this book and felt happy for days following.

I give A Reluctant Queen; The Love Story of Esther four stars.

Delivering Hope...

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Publisher's Note: Olivia Spencer wants to be a mom more than anything else in the world, but years of infertility have wounded her soul and strained her marriage.

Allison Campbell is a recent high school graduate who discovers that a moment of excitement has led to an unplanned pregnancy and an overwhelming heartache.

Mandi's Review: Delivering Hope by up-and-coming author Jennifer Ann Holt is a must read for any women or teenage girl. Olivia and her husband, Michael, are struggling with the heart-wrenching trauma of infertility. They long to be parents, and Holt's portrayal of Olivia's emotions and pain is as real as life gets. Having recently discovered and entered into my own battle with infertility, I understand this pain. At times, Olivia's story was difficult to read, and many moments brought me to tears. Soon, however, enters Allison Campbell. Allison is 18, and after making a life changing mistake, she finds herself pregnant and alone. The father of the baby encourages Allison to abort their baby, but with the guidance of her loving bishop and the help of Family Services, Allison decides to make the most unselfish sacrifice of all...Delivering Hope is a heart-warming, heart-tugging story, filled with love and hope. This story with its dynamic characters will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. I give Delivering Hope 5 out 5 stars.

To purchase your copy visit Amazon today!
To learn more about Jennifer Ann Holt visit her Blog today!

Persuasion by Rebecca H. Jamison

2012-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky today to be a part of the Blog Tour for the book Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale!

From the back of the book: "I saw him. We spoke. Now I have nothing to worry about. We can treat each other as old friends...But all the logic in my brain can't change my feelings. Eight years might as well be eight days. I still love him."
When Ann broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that come when Neil returns and starts dating her younger friend.
Convinced that Neil could no longer have strong feelings for her, Anne pushes away all thoughts of the past. But when the handsome man she's been dating decides he can't live without her, Anne must come to terms with her past. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern version of Jane Austen's most romantic novel.

From Heather: If you have read any of my reviews before, you'll know that I'm not very good at digging into a book and finding deeply hidden meaning in the pages. I never have been. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I slept through most of my high school English classes. And it wasn't that I didn't like to read...I LOVED to read! But I wanted to read what I wanted to read! THIS was a book that I wanted to read. The premise appealed to me, and the book didn't disappoint!

Rebecca Jamison has done a wonderful job with her characters. It's so fun to watch Anne and Neil being unintentionally thrust into situations together, knowing what has happened between them in their past. It's fun being able to see that they belong together, but watch them NOT know it! I loved that dynamic, and it was written SO well! My heart breaks for Anne and Neil and the time that they lost together, but I wonder what kind of people they would have been had they not gone through the separation. The flashbacks into Anne's life when she was dating Neil were fun to read as well. They were written as journal entries at the beginning of each chapter, and it was so fun to see how things HAD been between them and the things that happened in each of their lives to make them do what they did!

I've got to say, Neil was my absolute favorite character! He's charming and thoughtful and kind and a police officer (yay!) and an all-around wonderful guy. He probably even rushes into burning buildings to rescue stray kittens! If there was one character in any book that I would love to know in real life, it would be Neil Wentworth!

Like I say, I'm not much into thinking too much about what I read. I know what I like and what makes me feel like I'm better off for having read. And I really, really liked Persuasion! (Now I may have to go check out Jane Austen's Persuasion and see how it compares!) The characters were well written and engaging. I couldn't wait to see what would happen to them. The creepy characters were sufficiently creepy (although I wish Will had had a different name...I kept getting Neil and Will mixed up. Which is sad because Neil was SO wonderful and Will was SUCH a creep!) I absolutely gave Persuasion 5 stars and I can't wait to see what Rebecca Jamison comes up with next!

While I was given a copy of Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale by the author, all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

2012-01-31T10:29:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

This ravishing winner of the ALA's William C. Morris YA Debut Award is a fairy tale, spun with a mystery, woven with a family story, and shot through with romance. Charlotte Miller has always scoffed at talk of a curse on her family's woolen mill, which holds her beloved small town together. But after her father's death, the bad luck piles up: departing workers, impossible debts, an overbearing uncle. Then a stranger named Jack Spinner offers a tempting proposition: He can turn straw into gold thread, for the small price of her mother's ring. As Charlotte is drawn deeper into her bargains with Spinner-and a romance with the local banker-she must unravel the truth of the curse on the mill and save the community she's always called home.

Jillian’s Review:

This was wonderfully written and riveting at times. The characters were realistic and after being submerged in this novel, the magic was believable as well. The fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin was wonderfully woven into the heart of this tale. I hadn’t realized that’s what it was about until I was 1/4 of the way through.

I appreciated how clean this one was. There was maybe one chaste kiss and barely any swearing.

I loved the relationship between the two sisters. They’re both strong willed, yet I found myself wishing the story was written from young, spit-fire Rosie’s point of view instead of the uptight Charlotte’s. It was also difficult at times to know exactly what Charlotte was feeling in each situation because Bunce doesn’t expound on Charlotte’s emotions well enough. And more frustrating that that was how blind Charlotte was and how unwilling she was to ask for help. So much of the mess she got herself into could have been prevented had she just told Rendell (you’ll find out who that is if you read it) the truth from the beginning. Another annoying aspect of this novel was that I didn’t know how old the girls were. Rosie is said to be too young to live on her own, yet her character acts as if she’s nearing her twenties and we don’t discover that she’s 14 until the second to the last page.

I found myself glued to the book the last 100 pages. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to pick it up the first 300 pages. Not that it isn’t a great story, it is. It’s just that the few happy events were far, far outweighed by all the bad and I knew it was only going to get worse before it got better. It did get better at the very end and the ending was great. I only wish there had been more uplifting parts throughout.

Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr

2012-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:

Katie Malone and her twin boys’ trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie doesn’t have the first clue about putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the site of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.

In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.

From Misty:

I just reviewed Hidden Summit which is about Katie's older brother, Conner. I said before that I didn't like that one as well I liked this one. This is because Hidden Summit was pretty set in the groove Carr has worked herself into (which is good, I like her books, I'm not complaining), but Redwood Bend just had me smiling through the entire first half. I just couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face.

Dylan wasn't the best or nicest hero I've ever read. He had flaws. He had fears. He had limitations. But somehow it all worked to make him very endearing. And in the end he stayed true to who was, found a way to be with the woman he loved despite a huge gap in their lifestyles, and got to play the part of a real hero.

Just cute, endearing, and a bit different and more memorable than the last few Carr has published. Recommend to lovers of romance who do not require squeaky clean reads. Carr's books are filled with morals and values of many kinds but are not squeaky. Still uplifting overall, in my opinion, for a mature reader and worth the investment of time.

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson

2012-01-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Part of the inside front cover:
"Before Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley's early life, and the journey that led her to Prince Edward Island- a heartwarming tale of a precocious child whose lively imagination and relentless spirit help her overcome difficult circumstances; and of a young girl's ability to love, learn, and above all, dream."

I have always loved the Anne of Green Gables movie series. I haven't yet read the books but after reading the prequel to the series I am motivated to get the books out. I want to have the details that movies sometimes leave out.

Of course, we know that Anne Shirley had a rough childhood before coming to Prince Edward Island. Before Green Gables lets us in on what actually went on. This book is not written by the Anne of Green Gables author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, but is very similar in style.

I really enjoyed this book, getting to know Anne better. There were times I was annoyed by her imagination but I am sure that is because I am older and most adults would be annoyed by such innocence at times. There are adults in her life that help her to see that not everyone is angry or mean before she comes to the Cuthbert's home.

In Before Green Gables it lets you in on how Anne came to have such a vast vocabulary. It is pretty fun to read of her yearning for knowledge. She so often had a great outlook on life, how could I complain about mine?

I give Before Green Gables four stars.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

2012-01-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

From the publisher: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

From Heather: A couple weeks ago I reviewed The Lost Hero (You can read it here...I'm sure it was fascinating!) Anyway, THIS book is the second in the series. AND it was fabulous! Just as wonderful, or better, than the first. (Because it has Percy Jackson!)

I love the new characters. In the first book, we were introduced to Jason, Piper and Leo. In THIS book, we are introduced to Percy (who, if you have read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (that I reviewed HERE) you will remember, as he was the main character...obviously...) Hazel and Frank.

This book picks up where the first one left off, but on the other side of the continent and at a different camp. Percy and Jason were both leaders in their respective camps, and they have, against their will and without remembering anything about their past, been pulled out of their own camps and placed in the rival one. The goal is to have both camps work together. (One camp is for children of the Greek version of the particular Gods and one is for the Roman version) Can they earn the trust of the enemy?

A wonderful book. I can't wait until the next one comes out (not until this fall...ugh! THAT is why I like reading things after they have been out a while...so I don't have to wait to finish the story!) I give this one 5 stars.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2012-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Jillian’s Review:

I was really excited about this book when, by the first page, I was hooked. The first chapter got me even more excited and then it plummeted to the ground. Mara, who I thought would be an enjoyable character, turns out to be a foul-mouthed, annoying psycho. She’s supposedly an artist, but doesn’t think like one (meaning, she doesn’t notice colors, or shading, or the shapes of anything). She sees ghosts and hears things but doesn’t really do anything about it. [Spoiler alert] She thinks she’s able to kill things with her mind, but by the end of the book I’m still not sure if that’s what’s really happening.

This had a great plot and I assume it is well written—the story is so enthralling that I didn’t notice if the writing was good or bad, which is a really good thing. This could have easily been at least a four star book had Mara not been cussing up a storm the entire time.

And then there's the guy. Ick. First off, he doesn’t sound hygienically pleasing—wearing nasty, ratty clothes and smoking half the time, not to mention his “history” with all the girls in the school. Gross. And his mouth is just a foul as Mara’s. I couldn’t believe how many times they dropped the F-bomb in this! But the worst were the sexual innuendos. Really? Did you really have to put all that trash in what could have been a really great read?

And last, but not least, the ending was horrible. It didn’t end. There was no resolution, [spoiler alert] just Mara screaming her head off in a police station. Such a disappointment.

Despite the gorgeous cover (which actually never happens in the book—so annoying!), I have to give this one 2 ½ stars. And those stars are for the great story, if Hodkin had just kept out the filth. No teenager (nobody for that matter) needs to sift through all that garbage to get to the good stuff.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

2012-01-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

Do you love Jane Austen? You'll want to read this book if you do. So cute!

On the back cover:
"Pembrook Park, Kent, England. Enter our doors as a house guest come to stay three weeks, enjoying the country manners and hospitality- a tea visit, a dance or two, a turn in the park,an unexpected meeting with a certain gentleman, all culminating with a ball and perhaps something more...

Here, the Prince Regent still rules a carefree England. No scripts. No written endings. A Holiday no one else can offer you."

Austenland starts out with a women in her thirties still unwed and looking for the perfect guy. She has spent so much time comparing every guy she dates with Mr. Darcy that no one measures up.

Upon the death of a wealthy relative she is written into the will and given an all expenses paid vacation to an unknown place in England. Not many know of this place, Austenland. While there you are expected to play the part to perfection. All of the actors and hired hands act as if they are in the 1800's and you must play along.

Such a cute book! A good, easy, fun read!

I give Austenland four stars.

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads: Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt. She falls into a job at the college coffee shop, and a crush on her flirty boss, Gary.

Just when she's about to test Gary's feelings, Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke. Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running her grandmother's vintage clothing store. The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life; though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl, before she even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit.

While working there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable contractor, Conrad. Is he after Dora, or is working from a different blueprint? And why did Mimi start writing down--and giving away--stories of the dresses in her shop?

When Mimi dies, Dora can't get out of town fast enough and cedes control of the store to her money-hungry aunt who wants to turn it into a t-shirt shop for tourists. But ultimately, she returns to Forsyth, willing to battle whatever may stand in the way of her staying there. Dora can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?

From Heather: Let me start out by saying I LOVE the cover of this book! I don't know if it's the colors (probably!) or the composition or what, but the cover totally drew me to the book! (Have I mentioned that I LOVE a well-done book cover?) I also loved the idea that there is a story to each of the vintage dresses in the shop. Have you ever wondered what vintage clothes have seen in their lifetimes? Who has worn them? What were they like? It's an interesting idea! I love old things, and wish that they actually DID come with background stories!

I really liked the Dora for the most part. She starts out kind of listless - she does whatever comes along, wears whatever she has and goes to school just to go to school. She heads back to her hometown as soon as she learns that her grandmother, who raised her after her parents died, has had a stroke. Through her grief for her grandmother, she finds something that she is passionate about. She also finds someONE to be passionate about as well in her grandmother's friend Con. (One complaint about the book - where did she come up with the names? Dora and Con are NOT my favorite names!) I really, really liked Con. He was compassionate and kind at a time when that was just what Dora needed.

I loved Mimi, even though she has just had a stroke and is unresponsive throughout the book. The things she teaches Dora, even without saying a word, are priceless. I wish I had a grandma like Mimi!

I really, really liked this book. I would have given it 5 stars, but one of the friends at Mimi's shop has a bit of a mouth on her and will break out in profanities for no particular reason at all. That always kind of bothers me, especially when it comes out on nowhere and serves no purpose whatsoever. :) That being said, I give it a solid 4 stars.

The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, Book 3) by Kelley Armstrong

2012-01-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The explosive final part of the Darkest Powers trilogy, Kelley Armstrong's internationally bestselling YA series. [Wow, wasn’t that informative. That has to be the worst synopsis on goodreads and I just don’t have it in me to write one myself!]

Jillian’s Review:

(I just reviewed the second in this series and wanted to post my review of the third.)

This is a great third book that picks up right where the last one left off. From almost the beginning of the series, I’ve been rooting for one guy to win Chloe‘s heart. I was not disappointed in this one. I love how protective, strong, and smart this said guy is (I’m not going to give it away). He’s such a likable character, even when he’s kind of a jerk. But even with him so strong, I love that he needs Chloe to help him through his most painful trials.

I was happy to see the kids finally get some grownup help, but then it turned out not to be so helpful. At least in the end they pick up some adults they could rely on.

This one is really action-packed. Even when the kids are stuck in the same house for a few chapters, things are constantly happening and their lives are always in danger.

And this had a really great ending! I finally I get the romance I wanted all along from the guy I wanted to end up with Chloe. I love it when I get my way. :) A perfect finale in a great trilogy.

Turn-offs: still too much swearing and gory stuff for me to give it a full five stars. I wasn’t too thrilled with the witch-girl who ended up tagging along. She was annoying, but she added to the story and gave another angle of opposition that would have been lacking without her.

Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr

2012-01-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
Sick of running into her cheery ex-husband and his new wife, Leslie Petruso accepts a job at the Virgin River branch of Haggerty Construction and takes the high road right out of town. Now she's got Paul Haggerty's business running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, things are so busy Paul jumps at the chance to hire an extra set of hands.

Just like Leslie, Conner Danson has been burned by love. But if Leslie was disappointed by her relationship going bad, Conner was decimated. He's got no time for women…although he spends an awful lot of time pretending not to notice Leslie. And she's pretty busy "ignoring" the chemistry between them.

According to Conner and Leslie, they have only one thing in common—they're done with love. But everyone in Virgin River can see that things are heating up at Haggerty Construction. And as far as Paul Haggerty can tell, the best thing he can do is hang on to his hard hat and watch the sparks fly!

From Misty:
Pretty par for the course for Carr's Virgin River series. I never did get a good sense of who Conner really was, but maybe that was because Conner wasn't really sure either. His whole life he had been taking care of his sister, and all of a sudden he didn't have to do that anymore, so yeah, I think he was in the process of rediscovering himself. I think I liked the old Conner better (especially when I read the next book, Redwood Bend, about his sis).

I didn't have a much easier time bonding with Leslie, but she was in the same situation as Conner. I didn't like either the old or new Leslie. I mean, she was sweet, sort of, but her sass just seemed so uncharacteristic, even for a character who was in the process of finding her own characteristics.
.
All in all, a pretty good story, but another in a long line of Carr's series. But I like that. I like to know I'm going to like it when I pick it up.

Seers by Heather Frost

2012-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

On the inside cover:
"Guardians hunt Demons. Demons hunt Humans. Seers are Haunted by both.
When Kate Bennett survived the horrific car accident that claimed her parents' lives, her world would be forever changed in ways she never could have imagined. Feeling like a freak, Kate tries to hide her unwelcome new ability to see people's auras- that is, until she meets Patrick O'Donnell, who seems to be able to disappear at will. When Kate and her family begin to be haunted by Demons, her only hope is to stay close to Patrick and other Guardians like him.
Caught up in a war she barely understands, with enemies only she can discern, Kate quickly learns that in war, everybody loses something or someone."

My review:
WOW! What an amazing debut for Heather Frost. I cannot believe how well written and intriguing this book is. From start to finish I could not put it down. The characters are believable and lovable, I felt for them the whole story through.
The romance is perfect. Not gushy and so well written!
"My eyes fell on the newcomer, standing almost awkwardly in the open doorway. A broad shoulder kept the door propped open, and a long-fingered hand curled around one strap of his bag, keeping it from sliding off his shoulder. He wore a light blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He had beautiful skin- not white, but definitely not tanned. His eyes were pure blue, and surprisingly penetrating. His jaw was perfectly sculpted, and his high cheekbones were prominent and strong. His nose was long, and dark brown hair curled onto his forehead. His pale-but-not-pale skin was covered with a very light dusting of freckles."
Our main character "Kate" notices all of this while sitting next to her boyfriend, Aaron. "I could feel Aaron's eyes on my face, though, and I knew I needed to stop openly appreciating the new guy."
Just love this book! A new favorite for sure!

I am so bummed that I just realized this book was written in 2011 which means I have no idea when the next one will come out. It is a trilogy. All I can say is, "PLEASE HURRY!"

Seers definitely gets five stars from me!

Shark and the Wolf - Predators and Prey by Daniel D Shields

2012-01-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

*This book was given to me for review. Thanks Dan Shields for the opportunity.*

Synopsis from the back cover:

In Las Vegas, Nevada, Shaw, billionaire casino magnate and self proclaimed world's greatest showman, nears completion on the massive Serengeti, Resort & Casino. Its amphitheater, the largest man made structure ever built, seats 500,000 spectators and covers an enclosed area of 1.5 miles. The arena floor is being transformed into an authentic slice of African savanna for the show Predators and Prey which will savagely pit animal against animal in the bloodiest gladiatorial spectacle ever created for human entertainment.
In Key West, Florida, Shark, the world's only Great While pool playing shark, gets hustled by the evil animal slave trading hyena, Old Jack, who dupes Shark into believing his girlfriend, a hot fox named Vixen, is in Fiji and needs his help retrieving a treasure. Old Jack's real plan - lure Shark to Fiji, use him to retrieve the submerged treasure, and then capture Shark, and sell him to Shaw, for use as the star and main attraction in the world's most brutal show. "Come One - Come All To See - The Only Great White Shark In Captivity."
Old Jack's plan works like a charm. Shark is helpless to stop the kidnapping of his girlfriend, Vixen, is forced to watch the heartless execution of his best friend, Dog Z Boy, and is enslaved and sold to Shaw. He is forced to battle animals and his human captives before trying to rescue his girl and seeking revenge on those that have wronged him. Will he succeed?
Shark will stop at nothing to protect his friends in this exotic world where humans remain the dominate species and animals are forced to be their obedient servants.
Sit back and enjoy the wild ride!

My take on this book was a little mixed. The bad stuff first. My imagination is not so great, and I need things detailed out for me a little more than was seen in this book. The animals have all evolved into walking, talking beings with arms and legs and act like humans but apparently don't look like humans. I couldn't quite picture what they did look like. Was Shark 10 feet tall, 20 feet tall, or around 6 feet tall like an average human? Was his head the size of a normal great white sharks, or was it human sized with the skin of a shark? Not that this kind of information would change the story, it just made it really hard for me to picture what was going on when I couldn't picture the players. I thought the dialogue was sometimes very juvenile between Shark and Dog Z Boy and made me feel like I was listening to 15 year old boys (which is not my idea of a good time) but I didn't get that feeling so much with the other characters. There was also quite a bit of violence. A few characters getting severe beatings, one getting shot, and then the Predators and Prey show at the end is very bloody. It works for the book, but is not typically something I personally like to read about.
Now for the good stuff. I actually kind of liked the storyline, which I will admit surprised me a little. I thought it was well-written with something always happening. There was no down time in this book. It goes from Florida to Fiji to South America to Vegas which helped keep it interesting to have different scenery. I hated the bad guys and liked the good guys, and by the end I was really interested to see how Shark was gonna win. I liked the friendships between the characters, and also the romances (although it was hard to picture a shark and a fox being attracted to each other ... ).
Overall, I would give this book 3.8 stars. Not quite 4, but close. =) I would recommend this to just about anyone. It was good. It was fun to give something new a try.

Wait Till Helen Comes...

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I am so delighted to announce that my boys have FINALLY shown an interest in reading with me. After years of forcing them to sit and listen for the "required" 20 minutes, after years of moans and groans and whines, my diligence has finally paid off. They are actually interested in reading. So the last few days we have been scrounging through my old dusty books, trying to find just the perfect story to read. They finally settled on Wait Till Helen Comes, a ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn. This book isn't normally what I review on this site, but I couldn't pass up the chance to highlight this fun YA novel. Filled with mystery, nail-biting moments, and fun, believable characters, this is just the sort of story to hold your interest. I first stumbled on Mary Downing Hahn when I was a young girl and her books quickly became my favorites.

Publisher's Notes:

Beware of Helen...

Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we're stuck with her...our "poor stepsister" who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.

But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home -- a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond...to drown! I don't want to believe in ghosts, but I've followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen. And I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather...

My Review: Heather makes everyone's life miserable. Always trying to get Molly and her brother Michael into trouble, she is hard to live with, but when Molly's mother and her new husband Dave announce their new family is moving to the country, Molly doesn't think things can get much worse. When the family moves into a little church in the middle of nowhere, Heather soon discovers an old tombstone hidden in the brambles near the old cemetery. Frightened by some unknown premonition, Molly does her best to keep Heather away from the strange tombstone, but when Heather starts talking to an unseen presence things begin to get scary fast. This is definitely a fun story. I thought the character's were very believable and the story-line flows at a good pace. I would recommend this book for children 8 or older. Mary Downing Hahn's knack for story-telling shows evident in this fun, short read. I give it 5 stars!

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

2012-01-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

A few months back, I reviewed a series by Rick Riordan called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. (You can read my review of that series HERE!) I really liked the series and was kind of sad when it ended. But then I find ANOTHER series that kind of picks up where that one left off. Kind of!

From the publisher: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

This series introduces three other main characters that we haven't seen before: Jason, Piper and Leo. In the beginning (and through most of the book!) Jason doesn't know who he is. Strange things start to happen and Jason, Piper and Leo end up at Camp Half-Blood (the same camp as Percy Jackson in the last series!) and learn that they are demigods. Only Percy Jackson is missing and the camp is kind of in an uproar. The Lost Hero is the first book in a series of four. (I picked up the second book at the library last night and can't WAIT to read it!) The third book will be coming out in the fall of this year and the last one in the fall of 2013. Apparently we pick back up with Percy Jackson in the next book. Yay!

Apparently Rick Riordan (his website is HERE!) has written another series for kids, The Kane Chronicles, that is the same type of book, but with Egyptian gods instead of Greek and Roman. He has written some of the 39 Clues books (which are fabulous too!) And he has written an adult series, Tres Navarre. I've never read any of those, but I just might have to try one, just for fun.

The Lost Hero was given to my daughter by her grandma for Christmas (thanks Mom!) and she devoured it in two days. She absolutely loved it (and she hasn't even read the Percy Jackson ones yet either!) I give it 5 stars. It was great!

The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong

2012-01-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

Jillian’s Review:

I love this series. It's spooky, has ghosts and genetically altered kids, plenty of action, and some romance. It begins about the next day from where the last book ends, so I expected to be kind of lost since I've read about 90 books between the first book and this one, but Armstrong does a great job of reminding the reader of the important events of book one and jumping us right into this next phase of the adventure.

Each of the characters are realistic, the main character is likeable which is sometimes hard to come by in YA fiction (too often they are selfish brats and unrealistic). I kept have to remind myself that she's only 15 because she seems more like a 17 year old and the cover picture doesn't help. Her two boy allies are great. I'm rooting for Derek and I'm really hopeful that something will finally happen in book three.

Two negatives were the swearing—there’s not a ton of it, but enough to annoy—and the gory scenes are pretty graphic, but that’s why they’re so chilling. All in all, a great read. I couldn’t put it down.

Explosive Eighteen

2012-01-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and someone who sounds like Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. The FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photograph—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual—until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?!

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated.

From Misty:

SUCH a disappointment. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Bear with me. (Did I really just use the term bear with me? Yikes.)

I thought maybe Laura had reviewed this already, but I didn't see it on quick scroll through, and I thought, well, we have different opinions on pretty much everything anyway, so I will review it since it was pretty much the only new thing I read this week (sucks in a breath).
As a stand-alone, this novel is fine. It is even somewhat funny and moderately interesting. Evanovich has the formula down pat by now, and E. Eighteen--no, no, let's call it Explosive E.--is a fun, one-day read for those who don't mind a kind of trashy protagonist with loosy goosy morals.

Yes, Stephanie crossed the line over to trashy in this one, and what's worse, we didn't even get to see it. The first scene is Stephanie flying home alone from a vacation that was supposed to involve Morelli, turned into a working vacation with Ranger, and ended up in a fistfight, which again, we did not get to see (described in detail or at all, I mean) between Morelli and Ranger. Finally, Morelli takes a stand, and we don't get to see it! Newflash, Morelli and Ranger are carrying this series and nobody gives a flying patoot about any of the other characters, and that's starting to include Stephanie. The mysteries are not that mysterious and the FTAs are recycled FTAs from previous novels. Nothing new has happened since book five and nothing funny has happened since book twelve. Grow up, Stephanie! In the words of a wise one, "Nobody wants to see a fifty year old Fonzie hitting on chicks."

So, as the eighteenth novel in a series that is not going anywhere (I mean, after nearly twenty years, the economy hasn't changed enough for Stephanie to find a new job?), this book is a flop. The romance, which as I stated before is 100 percent carrying this series, is still going nowhere, and Stephanie has become such a twit that she is finally the loser she always thought she was.

That said, I liked this book and I am dying to see the movie which comes out this month. Girl's night anyone?

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2012-01-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

On the inside front cover:
"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human; the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. but there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect; the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves- Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love."

I picked this up not knowing what it was about. Didn't even read the inside flap. The beginning was very confusing and I thought about setting it aside but was too curious and kept on. I found that the beginning is supposed to be confusing. lol I really enjoyed the story and even have my twelve year old reading it.

One thing I love about this book is the lack of profanity and inappropriate sexual content. You can get a great story line without adding the ick.

I really did like this story but I am not sure what to share from the book without giving anything away. Everything is perfectly intertwined. The characters are endearing and the description of the settings is just enough. I don't like it when an author goes on and on about the setting instead of just telling the story.

The medicines of these invaders is pretty amazing. Just heals you right up and takes any scar away. Wouldn't that be nice! :) Each person that has been taken over still goes on with their normal life, with the same emotions and knowledge. You wouldn't know who is human and who is not unless you shine a light into their eyes and see brightly reflected light. Such a great imagination!

I give this book four stars.

The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick F. McManus

2012-01-04T07:36:00.001-08:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, what with the holidays and all. As much as I love Christmas and all that goes with it, I'm awfully glad that the tree is down and my life (and house!) are just about back to normal. Which is to say they are quite chaotic, but it's a chaos that I'm used to! =] Speaking of Christmas, my husband and girls bought me a new book for Christmas. It's called, you guessed it, The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick F. McManus! So because that's what I've read this week, that's what I'm going to review.

Blogger is having problems (probably user error!) this morning, so I will just add my comments instead of a summary, which you can read HERE. I'm not exactly sure how I felt about this book. I have nothing to complain about (well, except the womanizing sheriff and his corrupt father and a host of other odd characters). I have read other things by Patrick McManus, usually in the back of Field and Stream, and have found his writing funny and dryly humorous. But the book was a little different than his short stories. I don't know if it was better or worse, just different. =] After I read the book, I found out that this one, The Huckleberry Murders, is actually the fourth in the series. Maybe I would like this one better if I had read the other three. I'm off to the library to find out! Three and a half stars. (I'm out of room or there would be a picture!)

Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

2012-01-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:
She leaned toward him and rested her elbows on the brass rail at the foot of her bed. “All right, cowboy, just when did you fall in love with me? I’m definitely curious now.”
He regarded her in the moonlight. “I knew I was a no-hoping goner when I caught that ridiculous hat of yours on the platform at Gun Barrel.”
Julia sucked in her breath. She tried to be severe. “Mr. Otto, nobody falls in love that fast!”
“I did,” he said simply, as he left her room.

Julia Darling is finally able to marry Paul Otto for eternity. But it’s a harsh world for a rancher in turn-of-the-century Wyoming, especially a Mormon rancher. When alienation and threats begin, Julia must prove she’s her husband’s equal in strength and endurance as she learns to let go of scars on the outside and inside.

Bestselling author Carla Kelly has woven a new story of a determined rancher, his wife, and how they discover the depths of love.

From Misty:

If you've read Borrowed Light, and I recommend you do before opening up Enduring Light, you will find the blurb above an inadequate summation of what happens to Paul and Julia, starting with the nit-picky distinction that this book is not about a rancher and his wife, but is about Julia and her rancher husband, Paul.

Now that we have that clarified, I will tell you I liked this book. I like Kelly's writing style and recommend, if you want to experience it in microcosm, checking out her blog, Random Natterings. I liked the first book, Borrowed Light, and though the term "really long epilogue" kept running through my mind while reading Enduring Light, that was pretty much all I was looking for when I finished Borrowed Light. What happens to them? Well, Enduring effectively answers that question and after the first five or seven or ten chapters turns into a pretty good story. Not that the first 1/3 of the book wasn't good. It was, and despite Julia's father and her then fiance having the exact same sense of humor, and Julia being, well, whiny, self-involved and still immature, I still loved reading about Julia and Paul's wedding and the preparation for it.

In the following chapters, everyone evolves into big ballbabies, but it's kind of sweet. There are some real heroes in this book. There is some real sacrifice. Some real conversion. And you guessed it, some real enduring. Though still a clean read, the references to sex may be offputting to some LDS readers. I have to admit that at times it was even offputting to me, but I came around to the right way of thinking. Kelly is a really fresh voice (was that a pun?) in LDS romance, and if you like to read Romance at all, I think you'll enjoy her books.

Kelly has the gift. She is completely able to create events that manipulate your emotions and make you care about her characters. Both books are worth the investment of your time. They are educational (as a historian, Kelly really does her homework), enlightening, and uplifting. Not to mention, there is a great recipe for Cowboy Oysters in the back of the book (if you don't know what that is, ask your mom).

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

2011-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In a faraway kingdom, a king has been betrayed. Deeply hurt and bitterly angry, he vows never to be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king's plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm's young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king — and surrender her life.

To everyone's relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter of a legendary storyteller, Shahrazad believes it is her destiny to accept this risk and sacrifice herself.

On the night of her wedding to the king, Shahrazad begins to weave a tale. Fascinated, the king lets her live night after night. Just when Shahrazad dares to believe that she has found a way to keep her life — and an unexpected love — a treacherous plot will disrupt her plan. Now she can only hope that love is strong enough to save her.

Jillian’s Review:

I don’t like to be reminded over and over again that I’m reading a book and that I’m not actually in an exotic new world. It took me a while to get into this novel because Dokey kept a dialog between Shahrazad and the reader. Thankfully, these jolts out of contexts were brief and grew farther and father between stories and I was able to skip them when I came upon them. Once skipped, I was able to lose myself in this wonderfully written novel.

There are several stories told by Shahrazad which are meant to teach those whom she tells the stories to.

There was a healthy amount of romance and the characters are exotic and deep thinkers. There are so many stories throughout this novel, yet Dokey does a wonderful job of blending them together to make one great tale. I’m glad I pushed through the first few pages because I would have really missed out on a fantastic book.

The Domino Effect by Andrew Cotto

2011-12-25T11:35:00.001-08:00

This book was sent to me by the author. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your work. Great book!

On the back cover:
"The Domino Effect is the story of Danny Rorro, a charismatic kid from Queens poisoned by the past. A series of painful defeats have left him scarred and isolated from his neighborhood, his parents, and, most significantly, the benevolent ways of his childhood when he was known as "Domino." With great insight, imagery and wit, Danny recalls his past in Queens and his coming-of-age at Hamden Academy. This fast-paced and powerful story is rich with conflict, humor, tenderness and music- just like life, especially when coming-of-age."

Jennifer's Review:
I liked this book. The story was a page turner, I had to know what would happen next. I would have finished in a few days except that we are coming up on Christmas. Danny is very believable and I found myself rooting for him through the whole book...almost. There is one moment where his mistake was a bit too disgusting but he figured that one out, too. (He pooped in the wrestler's shoes.)

Neat story from beginning to end. Now, for the reason I can't give this book five stars. The language and sexual content. I understand that teenage boys can have naughty mouths but I don't want to read about them. Plus, all of the content about what boys may do or think in private was too much. I have to take away a star and a half for this. Otherwise, a great book.

Body of Evidence by Jeremy Brown

2011-12-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday and it's not even midnight and I'm writing my review! And the week before Christmas at that! The way things have been going lately, it's quite an accomplishment, I assure you. =] I have read (or started!) lots of books in the last couple weeks that I intended to review. But I just couldn't make myself finish them for whatever reason. I started (and read most of!) The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta. It was ok, but not my favorite book. I read about half of Saltwater Taffy by Eric Delabarre. I liked this one ok, too, but I really disliked the bickering that went on between the group of friends. I'm sure it's just a boy thing, but it sort of got old after a while.

I also started Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers by Pendred Noyce and I actually liked this one, I just haven't had time to finish. =] But it's clever...probably more clever than me! There are so many parts I want to go back and reread, just to catch the subtle humor that I missed the first time around. One I plan to finish for sure...just as soon as Christmas is finished!

So today I'm reviewing Body of Evidence. My eleven-year-old daughter brought this one home from her library at school and asked if I wanted to read it. Four-Minute Forensic Mysteries? Absolutely! It was a very quick read (even quicker because each story is only four minutes long!) and that was a good thing because things tend to get busy this time of the year!

From the back of the book: Do you have the forensic tools to solve these mysteries? A man claims his wife died in a car accident. But could she still be alive? A woman's body is found in a lake. But where was she really drowned? A safecracker wears gloves and doesn't leave a fingerprint. But what other body part is unique enough to leave a print?

Fifty-one baffling crime scenes need to be solved. Can you crack the case before CSI Wes Burton? You'll need to use all forensic evidence at your disposal, and Burton is the best. He can tell when a witness is lying by the flick of their wrist. His Crime Files contain the solution at the end of each mystery, but keep in mind, not every crime scene is as it appears. The mysteries may be short, but they can be tricky. You'll need to use all of your wits to weigh the evidence...

From Heather: I really liked this book. It's kind of like Encyclopedia Brown in that they have a short mystery and then the solution. But the content is more grown up. My only complaint, if I had one, is it took about half the book before I could remember who all the characters were and what they did and if they were male or female (because they only use last names) It was kind of confusing, and it must have been confusing for other people too because they have a Personnel File at the beginning that introduces each character (maybe if I had read that first, I wouldn't have been so confused!)

I give it three and a half stars.

Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters, Book 1) by Juliet Marillier

2011-12-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment.
But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.
When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all.

Jillian’s Review:

Marillier is a master at her craft. There is something so unique in the way she creates magical worlds and her wonderful characters! They are so believable, even with all the magic surrounding them. Sorcha is a wonderfully strong and intelligent girl who loves and is profoundly devoted to her family.

I must add that there is some adult content in this one. One scene in particular was very dark and detailed when poor Sorcha is hurt by two men. Though it was a bit more than I would have liked to know, this attack shapes Sorcha in deep ways and adds to her already agonizing list of trials.

The adventures were heart-pounding, and the romance – oh the romance! – kept me turning page after page after page. Marillier does a wonderful job of showing Sorcha grow and overcome her painful past and becoming the woman she was meant to be. I can’t wait to devour the next in this enthralling series.

Silver Bells by Luanne Rice

2011-12-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

From Amazon:

Every year on the first day of December, Christopher Byrne traveled from his farm in Nova Scotia to sell his Christmas trees on the streets of Manhattan. But this year there'd be no cheer for the widower and his twelve-year-old daughter, Bridget. For New York City had taken Christy's only son, headstrong sixteen-year-old Danny, who'd run off without a trace.

Librarian Catherine Tierney used to love the holidays: the lights, the carols, the nip in the air. But after her husband's death on Christmas Eve three years ago, the festivities seemed to start too early and last too long. Just before he died, Brian told his wife that he'd never leave her, that every Christmas he'd send Catherine a sign. On the quaint Chelsea street where she lives, Catherine will meet the tree seller from Novia Scotia. Both figured the world had forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. But they hadn't counted on finding each other, on fate, on second chances. . . and on a holiday gift of new love and new hope to last a lifetime.

From Misty:

This will be more of a highlight today than a review. But you don't care, right?

I'll be honest with you, this is not Luanne's best novel. That's not to say this one is bad--that's to say her others are so good (and yes, I liked Dream Country, Jillian!). I read Silver Bells every Christmas because it is one of my favorite Christmas stories, and that's saying something because I'm kind of bah humbug about Christmas novels.

One thing I love about this book is the setting is so vivid, I feel like I am right there bundled up on the bitter cold New York streets with Christy and Catherine. It's a fascinating gift that Rice has.

When I was nabbing the picture (see above) from the google images, I read through some other reviews of Silver Bells. One astute Rice fan said she thought this book was missing the heart that all the others have, and I really feel that way too. There is just that extra bit of magic Rice usually has that gets lost in the overdone-ness of these characters. They are all too stereotypical, too emotion, too irrational.

I still give it 4.75 Chrstmas stars.

Silver Bells was made into a Hallmark movie. Here's a link to watch it on YouTube.

Jay Hawk by Dorothy Keddington

2011-12-15T11:31:00.001-08:00

I have to say, Dorothy Keddington's novels are a definite must-read for anyone who loves suspense. Today I reviewed JayHawk, a story that will capture your heart and leave you breathless until the very end.

Publisher's Note:
Timeless best selling JAYHAWK now available by award winning author Dorothy Keddington.
To Angela Stewart, a summer on a Wyoming ranch with her college roommate's family seemed like an ideal vacation. For Jay Bradford,his return to the Triple J Ranch involves a potentially dangerous quest and the search for an answer to a 26-year old mystery. Jay and Angela's chance meeting on a lonely road at dusk, marks the beginning of their unforgettable journey into danger and love.

Mandi's Review: I'm excited today to review another Dorothy Keddington novel. JayHawk is one of my all-time favorites. Angela Stewart, a quiet city girl, travels to Wyoming to spend a summer with her very best friend. The ranch is filled with wonder, and as she gets to know the Bradford family and their handsome cousin, Jay, she can't imagine a more wonderful vacation. Soon, however, her ideal holiday takes a drastic turn and she is forced to chose between Jay and his family. As the secrets of the past shed new light on the Bradford's, Angela finds herself deeply immersed in a dangerous quest for answers. This novel is filled with heart-stopping romance and nail-biting suspense. Dorothy Keddington's characters stay with you long after you've turned the last page, and her descriptions are so vivid you will feel immersed in the ranch and life in beautiful Wyoming. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Tuesdays at the Castle, book 1 by Jessica Day George

2011-12-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

Jillian’s Review:

As with all of George's books, this was wonderfully written, cute, fun, and just a great read.

The characters were loveable and realistic right from the beginning. I love it when the kids are smart and strong, and Princess Celie and her siblings are in every way.

The plot was great, told in a fun way that younger readers will love. And the Castle! It’s wonderful how George gave a building a personality and a role to play. I loved the relationship between Celie and the Castle and how it helps Celie get through the toughest challenges.

This book is perfect for young girls (and us girls young at heart). I have high hopes for the next in the series which Jessica Day George told me herself will be forthcoming.

Final Mercy by Frank J. Edwards

2011-12-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:

Dr. Jack Forester, director of the New Canterbury University Hospital emergency department, is about to win an ongoing battle to modernize the ED when he's stymied by the power-hungry dean, Bryson Witner. Then someone tries to murder Jack's mentor and the former dean, setting it up to look like suicide.

Dr. Gavin survives butwinds up in a coma, and his would-be killer takes advantage by framing Jack. When the woman Jack is falling in love with disappears after a visit to the new dean, Jack is in a race against the clock to find her, uncover Witner's dark past, salvage his career and avert disaster for New Canterbury.

From Misty:

I have to tell you right off, Final Mercy, a medical thriller, is a little out of my normal reading genre. I knew that going in, but I was really interested in reading this novel when, after checking out Edwards' webpage, I saw that he is also a poet. Many of you know I write fiction, but personally I think of myself as a poet first, a reader second, and a novelist third and last, so you can see why getting a look inside this book intrigued me.

But before I get to my review, here is a brief bio about Edwards.

Frank Edwards was born and raised in Western New York. After serving as an Army warrant officer helicopter pilot in Vietnam straight out of high school, he studied English and Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill, then received an M.D. from the University of Rochester. Along the way he completed the MFA program in Writing at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. He continues to write, teach and practice emergency medicine, and lives on the shore of Lake Ontario.

Edwards' knowledge and experience in the medical profession will be the first thing you notice when you start reading Final Mercy. He narrates his story in a way only someone famliar with the inner workings of a medical center could. His setting and background are solidly constructed and pull the reader in so immediately and fully you feel like you could be a part of the "office politics" at New Canterbury, but the third person narrative makes it easy to just be glad you aren't.

It only took about two sentences for me to know I was going to like this book, the writing is that tight. Honestly, I'd almost forgotten that anyone still knew how to write like this. With natural, flowing dialogue, Edwards drops information in a steady stream of bait. And here is where I self-righteously attribute Edwards' skill at this to being a poet--being practiced at saying a lot in a very few words. Edwards keeps a very active voice, and his style shows the reader the intricacies of his story instead of tells them, which creates a much deeper connection with the characters and, in my opinion, a more fulfilling read.

Jack Forester is a compelling character, one you will definitely want to prevail. I often asked myself, at least in the beginning, why he did not just quit his job and move on (but that would just be me avoiding conflict--sidenote: sometimes I fast-forward through the major conflict in movies) and let Witner have the old hospital--because though Witner is very creepy in his private scenes, he is completely personable and even charming when he is dealing with other characters (which is the real creepy part). But the conflict in this novel is the whole point of it, and Jack's determination to get to the bottom of things, along with the (thank you!) romantic element, keeps you curious and turning the pages.

Final Mercy is an excellent, intelligent read I would recommend to anyone.

I reviewed Final Mercy at the request of the author and read a complimentary reviewer's copy, but as with all our reviews here at Six Mixed, was compensated in no way for my honest opinion.

For more information on Final Mercy or Frank J. Edwards, you can visit his website Here.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2011-12-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

On the back cover:
"The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing-a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family."

This book was awful. There was not one part that I enjoyed. The language was horrible the whole way through starting at the beginning and never giving the reader rest. The only reason I made it through this book was to finish it for book club.

Depressing to say the least. These poor children were neglected in the worst way, living in poverty with parents who were most definitely able to do better but chose not to. The children were sent to school at one point and had no food to eat. They would sit at a table, acting like they weren't hungry and then rummage through the garbage cans after everyone else was done. One child ate a stick of butter because there was nothing else in their fridge. Their mom complained about it being gone, most likely because she was going to eat it. She seemed to always come first.

Rex, the father, was an alcoholic who stole all the family money to drink. Jeannette and Lori, Jennette's sister, decided they had had enough and were going to get to New York. Lori would graduate soon so they started saving their money. Making a dollar here and there babysitting and making posters for people.

"One evening in May, when we'd been saving our money for almost nine months, I came home with a couple of dollars to stash them in Oz. The pig was not on the old sewing machine. I began looking through all the junk in the bedroom and finally found Oz on the floor. Someone had slashed him apart with a knife and stolen all the money.

I knew it was Dad, but at the same time, I couldn't believe he'd stoop this low. Lori obviously didn't know yet. She was in the living room humming away as she worked on a poster. My first impulse was to hide Oz. I had this wild thought that I could somehow replace the money before Lori discovered it was missing. But I knew how ridiculous that was; three of us had spent the better part of a year accumulating the money. It would be impossible for me to replace it in the month before Lori graduated.

I went into the living room and stood beside her, trying to think of what to say. She was working on a poster that said TAMMY! in Day-Glo colors. After a moment she looked up. "What?" she said.

Lori could tell by my face that something was wrong. She stood up so abruptly she knocked over a bottle of india ink, and ran into the bedroom. I braced myself, expecting to hear a scream, but there was only silence and then a small, broken whimpering."

This is a heartbreaking true story. I am shocked that this is allowed to happen but most of all that people who have children allow this to happen to their own children.

I give The Glass Castle 2 stars.

"Within My Heart" by Tamera Alexander

2011-12-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

From tameraalexander.com:

Determined to fulfill her late husband’s dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she’s forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He’s a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks . . .
Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand’s dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient’s life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd’s stubborn heart.
From the beloved, bestselling author of From a Distance and Beyond This Moment comes an unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken––and mended––by love.

I quite enjoyed this book, but then again, I typically enjoy anything by Tamera Alexander. This is the third and last book in the Timber Ridge Reflections series. It worked fine as a stand alone book, but I think a lot of things would have made more sense and the characters personalities would be more clear if I had indeed read the first two books. But it was fine. I didn't feel like I really missed anything in the story, and I got a good sense of the main characters, just not the supporting cast, which some of them played a major role in this story.

Rachel Boyd is struggling to keep her ranch alive. The cattle keep dying, she can't afford to pay her help, and she's asking - again - for a loan from the bank to stay afloat. Trying to maintain the legacy her deceased husband wanted for their two small boys, helping her friends out in their time of need, and dealing with her mischievous 8-year old, she's stretched far too thin and wants nothing to do with the town doctor whom she thinks is arrogant, aren't all doctors arrogant, but the town doctor, Rand Brookston, wants everything to do with her.

I don't have any criticism for this book. There was no swearing, no sex - all very (very) chaste, and for a lot of you I know that's important. The story was entertaining and witty, the characters very likeable. It was easy to visualize the events and the characters. Overall I give "Within My Heart" a solid 4.5 star rating. It's good. =) Check it out (but maybe read "From a Distance" and "Beyond This Moment" first).

Watched...by Cindy M. Hogan

2011-12-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Publisher's Note: It takes more than a school trip to Washington, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy's life. It takes murder.

A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator's aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.
She discovers that if she can't help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

Mandi's Review: Watched by Cindy M. Hogan is definitely a book that will keep you biting your nails until the very end. Christy is on a scholarship sponsored trip to Washington D.C. when she and her new group of friends witness a terrifying, brutal murder. Shocked, scared and confused, the group struggles to understand what they've just witnessed, and with a bit of deliberation and a lot of courage they decide to contact the FBI. Soon Christy finds herself thrown into a whirlwind situation that she has a difficult time grasping, all the while dealing with the emotions and awkwardness that any teenager deals with at her age. Trying to find her place in the world, Christy is also confused about who she really is and what she wants in life. She fits in with the kids in Washington and she feels as if she is blossoming into a new person. I enjoyed the descriptions of D.C. and I even have to admit that I could really relate to the main character. When I was a sophomore in high school I was awarded a scholarship to a political program that was held in D.C. just like Christy. I remember feeling some of the same emotions as the main character. I was a geek, awkward in social situations, and even felt like an outcast. During my time in Washington I learned about politics and the inner workings of D.C., but mostly I came to grips with who I really was. The same can be said for Christy. Her faith and values are tested and she is forced to make grownup decisions in light of her terrifying experience. I give Cindy M. Hogan's Watched full stars and would recommend this book to both teens and adults alike.

The Realmsic Conquest, Book 1 by A. Demethius Jackson

2011-12-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from amazon.com):

Throughout its history, the kingdom known as the Realm has never known peace. From its establishment, it has possessed the gift of magic, which is a treasure that exists no other place in the world! As a result, the Realm has endlessly defended itself against conquerors, but now faces its greatest peril. As our heroes battle the wicked and unlock mysteries, they must also face overwhelming circumstances as they are guided by ancient lore on a quest to find the greatest treasure their kingdom will ever know... peace.

Jillian’s Review:

Jackson takes us to a realm of magic and war, and introduces us to characters who are surprisingly developed in such a brief story. Jackson’s use of simple verse (like that of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) is unique to this age and his rhythm and rhymes are at times ingenious, especially the conversations between characters, such as:

KELM:

1. Damian simply is much too strong

2. for us to continue to fight head on.

SARAYA:

3. Then what do you think our approach should be?

LEODEN:

4. It should be to rethink our strategy!

Though cleverly written, the rhyming was quite distracting. I found myself often skipping the last word of each line just so I could focus on the story. The rhyming stuck in my head long after I closed the cover, like when I’ve read a Dr. Seuss book to my four year old.

I did, however, really enjoy the story and the characters. I would like to read another by Jackson, but would much prefer it to be written in prose form.

I received a copy of The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest from the author in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

2011-11-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it right now...it's been a tough reading week. Between getting my house back to normal after the holiday (and the ten pies I baked last week!) and all the time I've spent Christmas shopping, I haven't had much time to read. SO...! I've decided to review one of my favorite books...The Talented Clementine.

From the back of the book: When it comes to tackling third grade, Clementine is at the top of her game - ok, so maybe not ALL the time. After her teacher announces that the third and fourth graders will be putting on a talent show, Clementine panics. She doesn't sing or dance or play an instrument. She can't even HOP with finesse. And as if she didn't feel bad enough, her perfect best friend, Margaret, has so many talents, she has to alphabetize them to keep them straight.

As the night of the big "Talent-palooza" draws closer, Clementine is desperate for an act, ANY act. But the unexpected talent she demonstrates at the show surprises everyone - most of all herself.

From Heather: I love Clementine books! They are absolutely adorable. They are kind of like the Junie B. Jones books, only not so annoying. She is charming and funny and her books are so fun to read. Clementine's voice makes me laugh out loud. "Do you need me to spy on the sitter? Make sure she doesn't smoke cigars? Or order things from the Shopping Channel? Do you think she's making phone calls to Australia?" or "'I tried on all of the Popsicle sneakers. The salesman asked me if I really had to test out each color by running across the store, climbing onto a chair, and then jumping off. I guess he was new."

As funny as she is, though, some of the things she says are pretty genius. "My parents think I have a hard time choosing things, but that's not it. I can choose things just fine. The problem is, whenever you have to choose something, that means you have to not-choose about a hundred other things. Which is not so easy." Genius I say! (So THAT'S why I have such a hard time choosing!)

The Clementine books also have a wonderful "supporting cast" too. I love her principal, Mrs Rice. She knows just the right way to work with Clementine...I wish all kids could be so lucky! And her parents are not quite as crazy as some book parents. (a huge pet peeve of mine, now that I'M the parent!)

I LOVE Clementine! Five Stars!

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

2011-11-29T07:59:00.001-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.
Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.

Jillian’s Review:

Though not well written and a bit predictable, this novel had an enthralling storyline that kept me hooked the entire time and haunted my mind long after I finished the last page.

Unfortunately, Monir has a tendency to underestimate her readers' intelligence by constantly telling us the obvious. I'm surprised Monir's original profession is songwriting when the songs written in this novel were uninspiring and listening to them with music (Monir wrote and preformed the original songs available for download in iTunes) didn't help.
That being said, it was an intriguing story with a wonderful, sweet romance to keep me turning the page. Phillip is a great guy and I couldn’t get enough of him. Thankfully there were plenty of scenes with him. I appreciated that Michele is able to help so many people and in doing so she grew, developed and overcame her tragic past.

I can’t wait to read the next in this series, but I doubt I'll be purchasing the music any time soon.

Tall, Dark, and Determined by Kelly Hake

2011-11-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

From Amazon:

Welcome to Hope Falls where three enterprising young females are accepting applications for husbands-for-hire. With one woman already snagged, Lacey Lyman is one of only two remaining. No one really catches her eye until a handsome hunter arrives. Will Lacey find a way to bag her prey? Determined to investigate why Hope Falls’s mine collapsed, Chase Dunstan poses as a potential husband and a hunter, giving him the perfect excuse to poke around inside and outside of town. If only he could get the chatterbox Lacey Lyman off his trail. Can he keep his cover while solving the mystery of the mine?

From Misty:

Five chapters into this book, I finally broke down and looked up the reviews on Amazon so I could figure out what the story was actually about. Not a good sign, people.

This is the second in Hake's Husbands for Hire series, and I think it has trouble standing alone, at least to start out with. I'm assuming the first book, Rugged and Relentless, which I have not read, gives a lot of background that is both lacking and needed in this one. It is not that the information was not there, only that it was not clear. Five chapters in and I still did not know who the main characters were supposed to be, and when I read on Amazon that Chase Dunstan was the hero of this book, I thought, "Who?" I had by this time read the name, of course, but Chase had been going by an alias and between that and the SO many other names in those first chapters (names I would have recognized if I had read the first book), I just could not separate him out from the all the others, and after a chapter or two, I didn't want to anymore. Call me impatient.

Hake's writing is at times clever, but her style can be confusing as it jumps from scene to scene with no background information on the scene until a few scenes later. So you eventually get the information, but not when your mind wants it.

I love the title, the cover, the cute premise, even the story and much of the writing and the banter between the characters. I definitely recommend Tall, Dark, and Determined to other readers. But I was confused for so long that it took a lot of the enjoyment out of it for me.

Nourish & Strengthen by Maria Hoagland

2011-11-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

This book was given to me by the author to read and review. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

On the back:
"Chloe Taylor has the perfect life; a model's figure, a husband who adores her, three healthy children. So why does she feel so much less than perfect?
After losing forty pounds, Chloe Taylor is finally happy with her body. What she doesn't realize is that she's not the one in control.
When Chloe is called as the Primary president, she discovers that managing the highs and lows of a chronic illness may be easier than the ups and downs associated with family, friends, and the church callings. Consumed b y her own challenges, Chloe fails to recognize the issues her friends are facing and is in danger of losing their friendship.
As Chloe strives to develop Christ-like love for herself and those around her, she learns that outer appearances are far less important than inner peace and spiritual strength. But is she strong enough to face her most difficult trial yet?"

My review:
This is a fictional book- possibly a self-help- about diabetes. For those just learning they or a loved-one has diabetes this book can help to show that life just got harder but not impossible.

I enjoyed the way the LDS families and women got together, but there was a lot of insecurity portrayed from all of the women the whole book through I didn't like.

Nourish & Strengthen seemed a bit unbelievable. The LDS women were completely stereotyped and said things that I believe I would never hear.

There are editing errors that distracted me and at times made it totally confusing. That is an easy fix for the next edition, though!

I had a hard time getting past the first half of the book. It was such a downer. I felt that this whole story was about a woman, Chloe, who we really never got to know because you could tell she was upset, sad, and most especially angry but these emotions were never completely expressed.

I liked the banter between Chloe and her husband. Shows I'm a romantic...
""Trust me, you are absolutely beautiful just the way your are." He smiled, the boyish dimple dipping in his left cheek."

It was nice for a mom and her children to have good relationships and show each other love. Not something you always find in a book about a family.

This book could be very popular. It is a book that didn't have highs and lows, kind of like the show Seinfeld.

I give Nourish & Strengthen 2 1/2 stars.

A Lawmans Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

2011-11-25T08:35:00.001-08:00

From lindalaelmiller.com:

The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman…and twenty-five-year-old Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income dwindles, she has three options. Yet she won’t give up her two young daughters, refuses to join the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and can’t fathom condemning herself to another loveless marriage. Unfortunately she must decide—soon—because there’s a new marshal in town, and she’s living under his roof.With the heart of a cowboy, Clay McKettrick plans to start a ranch and finally settle down. He isn’t interested in uprooting Dara Rose and her children, but he is interested in giving her protection, friendship—and passion. And when they say “I do” to a marriage of convenience, the temporary lawman’s Christmas wish is to make Dara Rose his permanent wife…

This book is exactly like every other Linda Lael Miller book. It's cute, it's fun, the characters are likeable, and the story is very predictable. =) That said, I really liked it. I would have liked it better if I had read it instead of listened to it (because I very muchly don't like the narrator that does all the Linda Lael Miller books) but I still enjoyed it.
This McKettrick book takes place in 1914 or 1915 with the grandson of Angus McKettrick (which is who the series starts with and every book refers back to him). Clay decides he needs to get away from the Triple M in Arizona and make his own way in life and find a girl who won't run away with one of his cousins. He agrees to be the town marshal in Blue River, Texas, and upon arrival meets the spunkiest little 6-year old girl he's ever met. Turns out, her dad was the marshal before, and she and her mom, Dara Rose, and sister are still living in the house that's promised to Clay as part of his contract from the town council. Clay immediately decided that Dara Rose is the woman for him, but she's going to need a little convincing.
This was a fun book. Mostly a clean read, although it seems like the epilogue might not be. I would recommend to anyone, and give it 4 stars. Enjoy!

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin

2011-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

Summary: In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

As I was wandering through the library, my lovely daughter handed me this book and said, "Here Mom, read this. You might like it!" I wasn't entirely sure I would, but I took the book anyway...you know, just to be nice. I got home and tried reading a couple other books that I got at the same time and just couldn't get into them. So I started Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and fell in love with it!

Lots of times when I was reading, I remembered watching Sagwa with my oldest daughter years ago. It was about a family of cats who lived in China and they lived in the Emperor's palace. Ring any bells? Anyway, a lot of the stories and even the names of things reminded me of Sagwa!

The story starts out with a little girl named Minli. She lives in a poor family. They work hard in the rice fields every day and have little to show for it. Her father tries to make the best of it and tells Minli stories at night after their meager dinner. Her mother is sad and discouraged at their circumstances, and Minli picks up on her discontent. (It makes me wonder how many times my own children pick up on my feelings, even when I think I'm hiding them so well! Better be more careful!)

After hearing one of her father's stories, Minli decides she will try to find the Old Man of the Moon and see if he will change their fortune. She meets lots of friends along the way, but the friends I loved the most were the stories scattered throughout the narrative. Minli will hear about a story, and then the story is written into the book. It's quite clever the way it was done. I love old Chinese folktales!

I really, really liked this book. I really, really didn't want to, but my daughter was right...I really did like it! I'd give the book 5 stars.

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

2011-11-22T07:54:00.001-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Jillian’s Review:

I loved most of this book. It was intriguing and captivating. The main character, Jessamine, was a light in her dark world and she was so kind. Unfortunately she was also naive and blind to the truth that could have saved her a lot of grief.

And then enters Weed, the poor boy. I loved him from the start. There was something so mysterious and tragic about him. His connection to plants was fascinating however his background wasn’t as well developed as I would have liked.

But when Jessamine gets sick near the end of the book, the story turns really weird and evil. She has psychedelic visions and conversations with poisonous plants. Weed has to fulfill certain tasks given to him by those poisonous plants which he has to complete in order to save Jessamine from her sickness. These tasks grow in their horror and Weed does something unforgivable, something that goes against anything that could make a true hero, at least in my eyes. It was so upsetting to see him fall.

This story had such potential but it all ended in disappointment. I don’t think I can bring myself to read the next book in this series.

The Memory Quilt by T.D. Jakes

2011-11-19T09:11:00.001-08:00

On the inside flap:
"A perfect Christmas for Lela Edwards this year would include the presence of her husband, her three daughters, and her favorite granddaughter, Darcie. They would each be happy, healthy, and properly married. But life doesn't always unfold in a perfect way, even for God-loving, churchgoing people like these. Lela's husband of fifty years, Walter, has recently passed, and the daughters now live in towns and states far from the Chicago neighborhood where they were raised.
Darcie is traveling to Missouri City, Texas, to be with her mother, not to Chicago to be with her grandmother, whom she expects to come done hard on her for deciding to divorce her husband and the father of her unborn child. Lela is upset and annoyed with Darcie and herself for breaking her own time-honored tradition of making a quilt to celebrate each family wedding. The quilt is still in separate pieces, and apparently so is the marriage of Doug and Darcie.
The Christmas season is about celebrating the birth and meaning of Christ; about the hope and inspiration that the story we revisit each year offers. So, as the days of the season progress, Lela participates in a Bible study group that focuses on the Virgin Mary. This is the cold season in Chicago and rough weather, literally and figuratively, is ahead for Lela, her family, neighbors, and fellow church members, but in the Scriptures are messages and guidance. If they heed the lessons of the Virgin Mary, they will learn from their mistakes and misjudgments of each other and find favor with God."

I was not excited when this title showed up as our next book group book. I didn't realize that a book with Bible study and quilting could be so appealing. I found myself wanting to be a better person, a better mom. Anytime a book can motivate me to be better then it is worthwhile!

There are twists and turns that show a glimpse of what life can be like for some.
""I called your cell a hundred time, : said Eileen, as soon as Lela picked up. Eileen lived in the house next door on the right with her eighty-two-year-old father, James. "Why didn't you pick up?"
Lela crunched down her irritation. "I don't like using it."
"Why have a cell phone if you don't use it?"
"I'm sure you called for a reason, Eileen."
..."Daddy thinks he heard someone trying to break into your garage while you were away."
Lela listened but though, his imagination, more than likely. Wasn't it only last month that he thought he heard someone breaking into her house and called the police? Turned out to be only the wind.
"When I passed your garage, your door was wide open," Eileen said."

Lela- the mother in this book- has quite different relationships with each daughter she has. So true to real life. It helped me focus on individual personalities and appreciating each child for what they brought to the table.

I give The Memory Quilt 3 1/2 stars.

7th Heaven by James Patterson

2011-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

I've been on a James Patterson kick lately. Not sure why. I'm not sure I even really like his stuff. It's okay and it keeps me entertained, but not really my cup of tea. So why do I feel like I have to finish this series? Not sure, but I do, and I will, and it will keep me entertained for another couple of boring nights at work. "The Women's Murder Club" series is mostly about policewoman Lindsay Boxer and the homicide cases she's currently working on. Occassionally the point of view switches to one of the other 3 members in the "club" or to the killer, but mostly it's about Lindsay. I like Lindsay. She's a good character. She's a good cop with good instincts and doesn't mind breaking the rules every now and then. Here's the synopsis of "7th Heaven" taken from jamespatterson.com:

A VERY PUBLIC DISAPPEARANCET The teenage son of California's ex-governor, Michael Campion has mysteriously vanished. Known as the "Boy with a Broken Heart" because of his incurable heart defect, Michael grew up under the eye of an adoring public. The pressure on Detective Lindsay Boxer to find Michael is overwhelming. When she finally does get a lead, it's devastating...
A DEADLY RASH OF ARSONS While working on the Campion case, Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin, also investigate terrifying fires that are destroying some of the most beautiful homes in San Francisco–and killing their owners in the flames. But when Lindsay invites her friends in the Women's Murder Club to help her uncover the arsonist, the blazes suddenly start to rage much too close to home.
A CHANCE AT 7TH HEAVEN Now as these two intense, demanding cases bring Lindsay and Rich closer together than ever, Lindsay will find herself on the brink of an emotional meltdown.

There were a few good twists and turns in this book that kept me guessing, although by the end, it wasn't too surprising. The characters are all well written and easy to like. I'm interested to see where the love interest for Lindsay goes in the next couple of books. There is a lot of swearing so if you don't like that, this is not the series for you, and there are some intimate scenes, however right now I can't recall how in depth they go, so if you also don't like that, don't read these. But if you like a good mystery and some fun detective work, you won't be disappointed in "The Womens Murder Club" series. Overall, I will give "7th Heaven" 4 stars.

The Arthurian Omen...G.G. Vandagriff

2011-11-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Publisher's Note: Is the story of King Arthur history or myth? In this spellbinding novel, a Celtic scholar is murdered when she finds a clue to a priceless 13th century manuscript that will provide the true identity of King Arthur. The victim's sister takes up the quest to uncover the relic, but quickly realizes that someone close to her is the murderer. As pursuit of the manuscript winds through the ruined castles and monasteries of Wales, more than one reason emerges for keeping the manuscript and the legend buried in the past.

Mandi's Review: The story of King Arthur has always been one filled with mystery and intrigue. Purported as folklore by some and history by others, King Arthur has developed as a character of international interest and I have to admit, I fall in with the crowd. I love stories that evolve around the mystical King Arthur, so when asked to review The Arthurian Omen by G.G. Vandagriff, I happily jumped on board. The author weaves history, suspense, mystery and romance in a way that will leave readers turning the pages long into the night. Maren Southcott is a character who you can easily relate. She's vivacious, strong-willed, compassionate and makes mistakes like everyone else. Vandagriff does an excellent job capturing the essence and unique culture of the UK and her vivid descriptions will leave you yearning for a trip through Wales. I loved the images of the ancient ruins alongside green rolling hills and miniature streams. I thought the author did an excellent job keeping the suspense high until the very end. Throw in history, drug cartels, ancient manuscripts, and a kidnapping and I'm hooked. I give The Arthurian Omen 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Carnival Crime by Donald J. Sobol

2011-11-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Encyclopedia Brown. Ever since I was young, I've been fascinated by the short 5-page-long stories that tested my wit and powers of observation. Back then I was always fascinated by the solution to the mystery...I rarely came up with it on my own. (Even now as an adult I don't always get it!)

I read the latest Encyclopedia Brown book, Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Carnival Crime, this week and I loved it every bit as much as I did when I was nine years old! I had no idea that Donald J. Sobol had written so many of the Encyclopedia Brown books...nearly thirty! And they have never been out of print since they were first published in 1963.

I read the first mystery in the book with my nine year old daughter. She loved trying to figure out who did it and laughed delightedly when she read the answer in the back of the book. This book was a fun journey back to my childhood and I loved reading about Encyclopedia as much now as I did then! 4 stars!

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

2011-11-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.

When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.

Jillian’s Review:

I couldn’t put this one down. The main character, Jena, is strong and believable. Though the second to the oldest, Jena assumes responsibility over the household when her father leaves to regain his health in a warmer climate. She’s caught in her cousin, Cezar’s, trap of lies as he tries to usurp her authority and take over their property.

Cezar is a true bad guy who I disliked from the beginning and my animosity towards him grows with each encounter Jena has with him. His beguiling tongue almost makes me believe what he says about only wanting to protect his five cousins, almost. I found myself oddly looking forward to each encounter with him because I couldn’t wait for his time of reckoning.

I loved Jena’s connection to her special friend, frog Gogu. No one truly believes that she can hear his thoughts and that he understands her when she speaks to him, but I did. I had high hopes for Gogu and I was not disappointed.

Every detail in Marillier’s novel emanates magic, even outside of the enchanted Other Kingdom. I can’t wait to lose myself in the sequel to this novel, Cybele’s Secret.

Geek Girl by Cindy Bennett

2011-11-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads:

"Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even-ugh!-bowling. To truly belong with him-and with her new foster family-she must first come to terms with her violent past.

From Misty:

Filled with intelligent humor, playful banter, and heart-breaking revelations, Geek Girl is a move-to-the-top-of-your-to-read-list read.

Jen defines herself by and hides behind her prickly black and blood-red exterior--the heavy eye make-up, the tight clothes, the piercings, the attitude. She bets her friends she can turn Trevor bad and make him like them, but she quickly finds herself changing instead. Trevor's unconditional acceptance provides the safe environment she needs to face down her abusive past and learn to let people in again.

Bennett's writing style is witty and relatable. She manages to write snarky teenager without being, well, snarky. Jen and Trevor are delightful together, and the entire cast of characters is well developed in just a few masterful strokes. Geek Girl delves into the themes of judging others, being distrustful of the differences that make us unique, and of looking past those differences and loving beyond them.

I highly recommend Geek Girl to anyone, particularly teens. Now, I'm off to hunt down Bennett's other book (Heart On A Chain). If you need me, I'll be in my reading chair.

You can read more about author, Cindy Bennet, at www.cindycbennett.com, or check out other blogs on her Blog Tour by clicking Here.

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

2011-11-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

On the back cover:
"Where in the world did you come from? I thought. Shash turned and looked at me over his shoulder, tail wagging. Waiting for me to follow.
We ran through the town and back into the country. We wound our way through the bushes in a steady direction-home- when I smelled something that made me stop dead. Primitive instinct overtook all human control: Evil-RUN!
Up ahead Shash started barking- ferocious, murderous barking. And that is when I spotted the gleam of wet, mangy bodies through the narrow gaps in the trees.
Fear lent fresh speed to my legs. But whatever chased me was so unnatural, so malicious, it took sheer willpower not to lie on the ground, frozen with terror, and let it have me."

I knew I loved this book when for days after reading it I couldn't stop thinking about it. Maggie Mae is the main character whom I loved reading about. She is a down-to-earth girl that has been from foster home to foster home due to her family being killed. Her case worker has tried over and over to find her a home but when she starts getting picked up for indecent exposure he feels his hands are tied. He tried one more place. Somewhere in the country he feels trouble will be harder to find.

Maggie Mae still finds a way to not fit in, starting off by beating the whole track team her first day of school. Small town sports never like a new comer to be better than they are.
"Mist clung to my face, coating it with a sheen of moisture. My feet pumped, barely touching the ground, and within two seconds I had caught up to the track team. Then I passed them. All of them. I breezed by Coach-and the finish line- and kept following the curve of the track, my feet light as feather. A grin lit my face. Running, when bullies weren't after me, felt like flying. And I liked it.
As the first hurdle solidified out of the mist, I leaped and soared over it. The second hurdle was the same. I glided over, hardly impacting the ground when I landed, took a step, and leaped over the next. And the next, until I'd gone all the way around the track.
I couldn't stop grinning as I skidded to a stop a few yards from the Coach and the team.
"Show-off," someone murmured. "We're doing the fifty-yard dash, not hurdles." My smile faltered."

I breezed through and, even though I was dead tired, couldn't put it down till I was finished. No swearing, no sex. Full of romance and intrigue.

I give Shifting five stars. It is a book I would love to see as a series.

Shades of Simon Gray

2011-11-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

Written by: Joyce McDonald

Publisher's Note: Simon Gray is the ideal teenager — smart, reliable, hardworking, trustworthy. Or is he? After Simon crashes his car into The Liberty Tree, another portrait starts to emerge. Soon an investigation has begun into computer hacking at Simon’s high school, for it seems tests are being printed out before they are given. Could Simon be involved?

Simon, meanwhile, is in a coma — but is this another appearance that may be deceiving? For inside his own head, Simon can walk around and talk to some people. He even seems to be having a curious conversation with a man who was hung for murder 200 years ago, in the branches of the same tree Simon crashed into. What can a 200-year-old murder have to do with Simon’s accident? And how do we know who is really innocent and who is really guilty?

Mandi's Review: Stories filled with mystery, intrigue and a bit of the paranormal are right up my alley. The story-line is suspenseful and the author does a wonderful job building a complex plot, but I felt the story moved too slow. The characters weren't flesh-out enough for my liking and I thought the conflict resolution should have wrapped up better. There were a lot of loose ends. However, the author is a wonderful writer. Her use of omniscient third person kept me turning the pages long into the night. I enjoy getting other character's perspectives. I think this book is great for advance middle-school or early high school readers and I would read more by this author in the future. I give Shades of Simon Gray 3 out of 5 stars!

Funny Little Dog by Kyle Mewburn

2011-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's not midnight yet. Yay! =]

This week (ok, this afternoon...it's been a loooong week!) I read an adorable book called Funny Little Dog by Kyle Mewburn. It's part of the Pop Hooper's Perfect Pets series and it was a wonderfully fun, quick read.

From the back of the book: Flyn's idea of a perfect pet is a fierce guard dog. He would call the dog Chomper, and use him to scare off the bullies. But all Pop Hopper has to offer is a silly, round lapdog called Pumpkin. There's no way Pumpkin could protect Flyn...is there?

From Kyle Mewburn's website When I was growing up, my favourite pet was a dragon. Nobody would annoy me if I had a dragon! It could toast my bread in the morning, and roast marshmallows, too. Unfortunately, I never got a dragon. But in my new series - Pop Hooper's Perfect Pets, kids always get their perfect pet ... in the end. I haven't written a story with a dragon yet, but so far there's a cat, a dog, a turtle and a pony.

From Heather I've gotta say this was a charming book! Flyn is getting bullied by Toby Downer and his gang. He wishes he had a big, mean dog named Chomper to scare the bullies away and make him feel brave. As he is running away from Toby, he meets Pop Hooper, who guarantees a Perfect Pet. He doesn't have a dog like Flyn imagines, but suggests Flyn take Pumpkin home for the night to see if he can be responsible and take care of a dog.

It's one adventure after another all night, each reinforcing that Flyn is brave enough on his own. As he takes care of Pumpkin, he does things that are hard for him, but he is so focused on helping Pumpkin that he forgets that it's hard.

I love stories like this. I can tell my kids over and over and over that they are good and brave and that they can do hard things. But it's different when they read about other kids doing hard things and surviving. It was a wonderful, easy read, a little younger than middle grade.

Heath McKenzie's illustrations are absolutely adorable, and liberally scattered throughout the book. I think I will try to find some of Kyle Mewburn's other books...this one was great!

I give it 4 1/2 stars.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-11-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

Jillian’s Review:

I’m so excited to review this novel because I LOVED it and I’m a picky reader so it’s difficult for me to really love a book. I loved everything about this book: the warm setting, the beautifully detailed descriptions, and the wonderfully realistic people. It was beautiful.

I LOVED that poor Elisa feels like a fat, dumpy, disappointment of a princess, not to mention a failure as the bearer of the Godstone. Elisa is amazingly strong but she doesn’t know it until she travels through a scorching desert and heads a band of war-ravaged people. She has so much growth in this story, more so than the average YA novel, but even from the beginning she’s lovable and endearing.

This was a rich story with just a hint of fantasy, which made the ending a bit over-the-top. That being said, it was still a phenomenal read. If you read one book this year, make it this one.