Loxy Quum and the Merge Experiment by Ricky Mon BOOK REVIEW

Loxy Quum and the Merge Experiment
by Ricky Mon

My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .


Loxy and his sister Lana live on a far away planet. They and their parents, along with four other families were sent there to determine if the planet could support life, and if so to build a colony. Loxy and Lana, as well as the others on this planet are what are called merged humans. This means that they have human and animal DNA merged together. One day the parents on the planet all disappear, and it is up to the kids to find out what has happened, and to find out all the truths of the world outside their small planet that their parents have hidden from them throughout their lives. Loxy Quum and the Merge Experiment is science fiction, but there are real life morals and applications from the story that can be applied to real life. Ricky Mon does a wonderful job in merging the science fiction story to attract the attention of the readers with the moral and ethical issues that need to be learned about and learned from.

Loxy Quum and the Merge Experiment is a young adult book, but I definitely feel it could be read by Middle School children, in fact I think it might be a great book to read in school. While the story is science fiction, there is real life application. You can trace the treatment of the merged humans to slavery and more in history. This is what makes this book one that would work well in a school setting for kids to read. While they get a fun story, they also learn of the real life impacts of discrimination. Ricky Mon takes some tough ideals in discrimination and puts them into a story that most pre-teens and teens would enjoy reading. This is a win-win book, and something that teachers would be pleased to take a look at and possible teach from. Even if not in school, I think this is a book worth reading for that age set.

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Sadie's War : A Supernatural Uprising Novel by Jayelle Cochran BOOK REVIEW

Sadie's War : A Supernatural Uprising Novel
by Jayelle Cochran


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It is a MUST read!!

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
I received an Advanced Copy of the book to review. The book is scheduled to be released towards the end of February 2014.
**Sadie's War was officially released February 23rd. You can now find it on Amazon.** 

Young Sadie is blind and alone, left to live on the streets in an area called the Gutter. She is poorly equipped for life on the streets and doesn't understand the most basic of ideas of the world. Fester literally runs into Sadie one day, and he is captivated by her beautiful blue eyes. He makes it his mission to keep an eye on her, and when he finds her almost frozen on the street, he takes her to his home. Once there, her lack of understanding of the world becomes even more clear, and Fester feels the need to protect her, as well as his friend Michael and his sister Chloe, who all live together. What follows is Jayelle Cochran's amazingly beautiful and poignant story of love and family, abuse and neglect, fear and trust. Wrapped into a supernatural war between regular humans and those with special power's, that Sadie mistakenly believe's is all her fault. Sadie's War is a journey of learning and adventure.

Sadie's War, as she thinks it is all her fault, is driven by one action. The fierce need to protect her from harm that both Michael and Fester feel. Sadie has no ability to trust, but slowly learns that all the lessons in her life where wrong, and that she can trust people. Although the two main characters, Sadie and Fester have suffered terrible physical and mental abuse at the hands of their parent's, the abuse is not detailed and only alluded to. Jayelle Cochran does a wonderful job of telling this remarkable story without terrorizing the reader. The fear and love that the characters feel come through in the book so vividly it had me crying and laughing all throughout the book. Even given the topics, this would still be a good book for young adults, with some parental guidance for any questions they might have. I found it to be a story of hope and love, of life after tragedy and what family can provide if you allow it. Amazingly poignant.

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Amazon Link to the book

Divergent by Veronica Roth BOOK REVIEW

Divergent 
by Veronica Roth


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was walking through the store looking for a book to read while I was waiting on my daughters to get out of theater practice, and I had a book in mind, but of course they didn't have it, when I spotted this book. It sounded interesting, so I picked it up, and I am ever so glad I did.

In Divergent, the world is basically the city of Chicago with a huge fence around it. Everyone, for the most part except the farmer, or the faction called Amity, live inside the fence. Society is broken into factions, and based on how you perceive and process information you are placed in one of the factions to live. The placement happens at age sixteen, and this is where the book begins, as Beatrice Prior is about to go through the testing to determine what faction she is best suited to live in.

The book follows her journey as she changes factions, from the faction of her birth to the faction she feels is most like her. As she undergoes the initiation process and learns startling information. There is unease among the factions, or at least among two of the five factions, and it seems to be building, but why and what does it have to do with her and her life and future.

Beatrice makes friends and enemies in her new faction, starts a life and then has to deal with the changing world they live in. It is part coming of age novel, part alternative society novel, and altogether exciting and enjoyable to read. It was well written and I could hardly put the book down until I finished it.

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Indu Reddy Review


***Original posted on my previous blog, Ramblings of a Mother's Mind that I have discontinued and am moving all book reviews only to this blog******

The Jewel Box by C. Michelle McCarty BOOK REVIEW

The Jewel Box
by C. Michelle McCarty


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Follow the life saga of a naive young, small town Texas girl from the late 1960's when she was a young newlywed looking to get out of town until the present. Jill Novak is pretty and spunky, but when it comes to the real world and life, she knows almost nothing. At 18 she marries the first guy that promises her a way out of the small town of Lake Jackson, Kent Novak and they are gone. Married life turns out to be a whole lot different than she expected or planned, and it's not all her fault, needless to say it ends in a divorce, but she comes out with Jacy Nicole, or Nikki, a beautiful daughter.
The box follows Jill, from her point of view, in fact this is her retelling her life to the reader of how she got to where she is today. It watches her grown and mature, learn and lose, love and hurt. She makes hard choices to do things that she never thought she would ever do, and she lives with the guilt and grief from them long after they have past. She blames herself for events she had no control over, don't we all sometimes, and yet through it all grows into a reliable able adult.
She is not always the greatest judge of men. She will met the willy boss who uses her, the oversure of himself administrator that thinks he can cure anything with marriage, the handsome rich guy who loves her but she can't love back, her one true love and all the problems that brings, and someone so like her true love that she can't stop comparing them enough to actually love him.
Throughout it all she keeps going, keeps moving and trying to make a life for herself and her daughter. Best of all Nikki grows to be a wonderful young woman, in spite of all she see's her mom go through, or maybe it is because of all she sees. She learns from her mom's mistakes and bumps and takes her time and she is a treasure.
You will cry along with the book as you watch her with her true love try to be together, time after time, only for them to allow children and family, and in-laws to come between them. It happens to so many relationships, and I personally have seen the exact thing happen to some friends, so I think I cried even harder, but that is part of what make the book so perfect. The whole story really could have taken place, you can really see this life unfolding, and you can see people you know and love in parts of the book, and people you recognize in other parts and even people you were when you were younger sometimes.
It is a curl up by the fire and take the time to read kind of book, because it will take you a bit to get through. Sometimes you will have to put it down to cry, but you will want to continue to read to see just where it ends. Does true love win in the end, or does the interferences of life keep them apart.

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Elizabeth Ehlern Review
Lynn Worton Review

A Voice to Be Heard by: Dell Brand BOOK REVIEW

A Voice to Be Heard 
by Dell Brand


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite 


Travel back to the 1800's to a time when society was ruled by men, and women were window dressing. A Voice to be Heard starts with a young girl, Florence who is well educated, which is not common for that era. Yet she is seduced and becomes pregnant by the Lord of the house's son, only to be held in high regard by the Lord, who takes care of her and her twin daughters for the rest of his life. Within days, grandfather is killed in a freak carriage accident and mother dies after and run-in with her seducer. The twins go to their grandfather's lawyer with a plan, he having heard all about the intelligence and education that grandfather and mother imparted on them. The lawyer is more than happy to help and sets plans into action, within a month the girls are on a boat to Australia. Despite all society conventions,the girls proceed on their own, and buy a house, build another, turn the first into a hotel, and thus an empire is created. Along the way, each twin runs into problems with men. Joey falls for a married man, has his child, but never tells him about it and lets Maddy raise her as her own. Maddy marries a thug who hides his true intentions from her until after their marriage. He drains their bank account and beats up Maddy, only to later try to rape Joey and get knocked over the head and killed. Happier times and sadder times follow, just as in life. Dell Brand does a wonderful job making you feel like you are really living in Melbourne in the 1840's.

A Voice to be Heard is an inspirational read to any woman, allowing them to realize that they can accomplish whatever they want, no matter what society says. It won't be easy, there will be hurdles and bad times, but good times too, you just have to stay focused. Dell Brand cover a long period of time, from the early 1800's when Florence is young, to the 1850's after the death of Thomas, the twins father. It's truly a family saga, although it does skip huge parts of time, which of course you would have to, to cover the length of time it does. I enjoyed Joey's drive to be held under no ones thumb, to be her own person and to build this empire for her family. Maddy is more the romantic of the two and craves marriage and children. Yet for all Joey's strength, one man can still bring her crumbling, her first and only love. She never stops loving him. Overall the family saga, historical nature of the story first drew me in, but the characters kept me there until the end. It had me wishing I could have been there, almost. I couldn't handle the fashion!

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Dreamers by: Ted Farrar BOOK REVIEW

Dreamers
by Ted Farrar


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dreamers is a title given to a certain set of people in a research study. They have the ability to change facts in their dreams and to actually enter and interact with the dream almost as if they were awake. The research study has a found a few of these people and until the story starts, Wilson Cole figures he is the only one. As the story progresses we find that Ted Farrar is taking us on a rollercoaster ride between the dream world and the real world. Suddenly characters from the dream world are showing up in the real world, and Bill is finding his own life in danger, along with that of the research scientists. Bill must find other dreamers from the study and try to figure out what is going on and what to do to stop it, before more people die.

The twists and turns that Dreamers takes are more than equal to a rollercoaster. The ideas and concepts seem so far from the reality of the world we know, that at times it takes a second reading to catch the latest turn. The turns always come at the last moment, and never seem to come from where you are thinking they might. Ted Farrar created a wildly complex book, that is not for the faint of heart. It is not your typical easy read novel, but one that will require you to think and delve into your mind and your own dreams to follow the story and find the conclusion. This is definitely a thinking mind's novel.

Reviewed for +Readers Favorite.

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The Sundered by Ruthanne Reid BOOK REVIEW

The Sundered
by Ruthanne Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers Favorite

Water is no longer blue, it's black and it's dangerous. Not only is it dangerous, but it covers most of the world. The world is inhabited by the humans and those they can The Sundered. The Sundered come from the water, but can be controlled by the human mind. It can be difficult, but they have to be harnessed for humanity to live in this world. Ruthanne Reid weaves a story of co-dependency and mutual distrust. The humans need the sundered to grow food and survive on the world. The sundered don't need the humans, but they are less powerful and submit to the control, for the most part. The story follows one young man, and his group as they search the world over for the Hope. The Hope of Humanity is rumored to be what will fix the world back to what it used to be. Other's want to destroy the Hope to in turn destroy the sundered and take the planet for themselves. The truth, is somewhere altogether different.

Ruthann Reid creates a world that feels like Earth, only many years advanced when water covers most of the planet and land is rare. The humans can't touch the water, it will drag them in and kill them. They have to have the sundered to get the water to live. The Sundered is well written and has you really thinking. There are the two factions, one that says the Hope will fix the world, the other that says the Hope must be destroyed. As the story progresses and you learn more, things are uncovered that make you question each faction. Can two cultures survive on the world together, or does it have to be just one or the other? Which culture is really the one that invaded the other and forced themselves on the planet? Great read for adults and teens alike.

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A Lifetime to Die by P. S. Meronek BOOK REVIEW

A Lifetime to Die
by P. S. Meronek

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Reader's Favorite

Our story begins in Czechoslovakia, where a young man, Aristotle Mercury is living with his mother after the death of his father. A Lifetime to Die follows Telly, as he tries to make his way as a young man, only to have to escape his home to American. Once in America, he builds his life and business beyond what anyone probably thought he was able to do. He experiences the joys and heartaches of life, and through it all is a deep desire to right a wrong done to his parents many years ago. This driving force it what propels him from just a carpenter to a businessman and developer. P.S. Meronek takes the all American dream of making it big, and translates it to this young refugee with superb skill. You will root for and cry with Telly from the beginning to the end of the book.

This saga follows one man through his life, and although he has a goal to right a wrong, he never seems to let it overtake him. He keeps a good balance on life. A Lifetime to Die starts in Czechoslovakia and travels to America, although truthfully it could have been from anywhere. It follows Telly, from teen to late 50's, almost a lifetime. P.S. Meronek does a wonderful job in this tale to reignite your belief in the American dream, and even more the ability of it to be achieved without selling your soul to the devil. It is a truly believable tell that you won't want to put down until you turn the last page.

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Orphan of the Olive Tree by: Mirella Sichirollo Patzer BOOK REVIEW

Orphan of the Olive Tree
by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Reader's Favorite.

Orphan of the Olive Tree is a beautifully crafted story of the life-long friendship of two men, sent to war and yet brought safely home. The are best friends, live next door, and because of the war make a blood oath to marry their firstborns to each other. Enrico is married to the sweet and honest Felica, and they have twin boys. Carlo is married to the ever envious Prudenza, who can not stand to let someone else enjoy their happiness, and on the day of the birth of the boys spread a cold-hearted lie. As with all lies, they tend to come back to haunt you, and when in the next year Prudenza herself gives birth to twins, she refuses to admit her lie and instead sends one child away never to be talked about. +Mirella Sichirollo Patzer knows that lies and fate have a way of deciding for themselves what should happen, and you are not in control, and Prudenza slowly finds out.

Orphan of the Olive Tree is so well written and flows so beautifully that you really have a hard time putting it down. You always want to know whats next. +Mirella Sichirollo Patzer weaves an amazing story of friendship and bonds, of rivalry and envy, of love and betrayal so effortlessly together. Some of the drama comes from superstitions of the 13th century, but most is just the down right evil of one person, who wants their own way. As you follow along you begin to develop a relationship with the characters and get to know them and you know what you want to happen, and you get mad when things are not going that way. I will have to say that anyone that loves a good family saga will love this story, not only that by the Spanish influence and the romance and the betrayal. It is just a perfect read.

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Exiles of Gaia by: H. R. Olsen BOOK REVIEW

Exiles of Gaia 
by H. R. Olsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exiles of Gaia is aptly titled. As humans in this future world we are exiled from Earth. We did not take care of the planet and it could no longer support life. Everyone now lives in space stations or colonies on the moon. Only one mission to Earth has taken place in the time they have lived in space. That mission ended badly, now another is in the works. H.R. Olsen does a wonderful job of weaving together the flight crew, the movements, political intrigue and murder to create a captivating story. As there are grass root movements today, there are groups that want to return to Earth, some that want to stay in space, and still others that love the Earth but don't want to return to it. As each of these groups plot against each other and political rivals face off over the planned Earth trip we follow the story, twisting and turning until the end.

H.R. Olsen is a wonderful writer, in that I started reading this book, and just couldn't put it down. I wanted to keep reading to find out who and where. As you turned each page in Exiles of Gaia and got further into the story, what once seemed like random characters are starting to come together. They are crossing paths and being connected to each other, making for unplanned twists in the storyline. It is a great science fiction book, even for young adults and teens, as well as the older crowd. Everyone would get enjoyment out of this book.

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Reader's Favorite

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Roadblocks to Nirvana by: Patricia Halloff BOOK REVIEW

Roadblocks to Nirvana
by Patricia Halloff


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After a particularly rough fight with her mother, Agnes goes for a walk to cool down and finds herself in the cemetery. While she is there she has a vision of an archangel named Elias coming to tell her the first steps she needs to take to reach nirvana. Roadblocks to Nirvana is the tale of Agnes' quest to find that nirvana and the reactions of people around her that set roadblocks in her path. The strange thing is that although Agnes will tell you he is an archangel, she does not believe in religion. Enter the street preacher and you have a whirlwind of turmoil brewing. Mix in a holocaust survivor in the form of a pharmacist and even more challenges emerge. Patricia Haloff captures the worlds views of this archangel visit so well, from those who agree, to the church who denounce her. Divest, Simplify, Purify. It all sounds so easy.

Roadblocks to Nirvana could have taken place in any city in the world. The reactions and comments would have been the same. Patrica Haloff nailed the sentiment of the people so well. She developed a great character in Agnes, who has always been timid. The joy of this book is to watch Agnes as she tries to follow what Elias asks of her, and those who should be supporting her the most are the ones who are crying out against her the most. This book is best for adults, as there is some brief adult content, not much, but some. Divest, Simplify, Purify, it all sounds so easy, but the roadblocks are many and the path is narrow.

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Reader's Favorite.

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Division by: Karen Wyle BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Readers Favorite

Karen Wyle takes on a unique topic in her new book, Division. It is the story of brothers, Gordon and Johnny, who are twins, but not your normal twins they are conjoined. The book starts out following their life as they grow from young children to teens, then to adults. It takes place in a future era where doctors have advanced medicine in a number of ways, and cloning is just one of them. The idea of a transplant to clone procedure that could be done to give each twin his own separate life is placed in Johnny's mind on day. This begins a long court battle on who gets to choose what to do, Johnny who want to separate or Gordon who is happy being conjoined.

This is such a unique and complex topic that wasn't sure how the author, Karen Wyle would handle it in the book, Division. I have to say, she researched and did a good job of learning about conjoined twins and other twins. The personalities displayed by the characters actually remind me of twins I know. The book is well written and very well thought out, the author really gets into the minds of these two different men. Neither side is pushed as being the best choice, arguments for both are presented so balanced that you don't know which way things will happen until they do. I think of it as a part coming-of-age story, because each twin is struggling to find himself in this world, whether it be conjoined or alone. It will appeal to young and old readers alike. Call is science fiction, fantasy, young adult, future or realistic; whatever you want to call it, it is good reading for all.

Para~nition by: T.L. McDonald BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Reader's Favorite

Para~nition 
 by T.L. McDonald

Paranormal fiction can take you to a great number of places, some far from home and some as close as the beach. T.L. McDonald takes us to the beach in her book Para~nition, which will come to be the first book in a series featuring the main character Julie Winters. Julie has dreams of murders, so real that she wakes with the bruises of what she saw in the dream. At first the police think she's nuts, then a "detective", Kyle, shows up and tries to force her into working with him. Julie is a strong woman, read as she and Kyle butt heads along the way as they both try to figure out Julie's dreams and prevent future murders.

I have found that the genre of Paranormal fiction is growing in popularity and it is enjoyable to read, it takes you places you never thought to go.  T.L. McDonald takes us to the idea of seeing a murder through dreams in her book Para~nition. It is a wonderful concept, that plays on the paranormal ideas of ESP in a sense. There is also a touch of witchcraft mixed in for added flavor. The characters are well written and you find yourself siding with them right away. Julie is a strong and independent woman. Kyle is over-bearing and controlling. Shawn is the charmer, sweet and loving. I would recommend this for Young Adults on up. I think the strong woman will appeal to a large number of readers. It was very hard to put down.

Searching for Utopia by Holly Jayne BOOK REVIEW

Searching for Utopia 
by Holly Jayne


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Does Utopia really exist out there or is it something that we make ourselves?

Spend a few hours with Leila, the main character. Learn of her story, her past and her future through her letters to her missing lover, Dorian. Dream with her of a perfect life where all people are equal, does it exist? Can we get there or is it out of reach?

This is a well-written and thought provoking short story written by Holly Jayne. She takes us to a fantasy world were discrimination is even more random than in our own world, and leads us on a journey with the main character in a search for Utopia, or that perfect place were all people are equal. The question is does that place exist out there somewhere, or is it a place that we need to make a reality.

The course of the story is only a few hours in the day of the life of Leila, but yet you find yourself understanding her whole life. The trials, the heartache and the sorrows. It gives you pause and reason to think on what she is dreaming of and working towards.

This story will entertain you, and challenge you at the same time.

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Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) by Cassandra Clare BOOK REVIEW

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, Book Two)
by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Clockwork Prince is the second book in the Infernal Devices series, which is a precursor to the Mortal Instruments series.

In the Clockwork Prince we continue to follow Tessa Gray as she tries to discover more about who and what she is, and the London Institute as they try to find and defeat Mortmain. 

This book grows each of the characters in age and maturity. We learn more about Tessa and her brother Nate, Jem and Will and even Jessamine. We watch the friendships and affections between the people grow and become more and shape and influence decisions that they make.

Familiar family names from the Mortal Instruments series can be found in this book, but as the shadowhunters are an elite lineage that should be expected. We find some bad apples in some family trees.

I found myself hoping for and enjoying the development of a relationship with Tessa and Jem, I found it true and innocent and refreshing, especially in a world filled with demons and conflict.  i long for the next book and the resolution to the story, and the hopes for a happy ending.

Book One:  Clockwork Angel                         Review Link
Book Two:  Clockwork Prince
Book Three:  Clockwork Princess                   
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Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) by Cassandra Clare BOOK REVIEW

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book One)
by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Clockwork Angel is the first book in the Infernal Devices series, which is a precursor to the Mortal Instruments series.  This book and series is set in London area in the late 1800's. All your favorite character types from the Mortal Instruments are there, werewolves and vampires, demons and shadowhunters, it is just more the beginnings. You will also recognize some familiar last names.

Clockwork Angel revolves around a young girl named Tessa, who has always though she was a normal (mundane) girl and never imagined anything more to life, until her Aunt dies and she moves to London to be with her brother, only all is not what it seems. Tessa is more than what she thought, and someone knows more about her than she does, and they have plans to use her.

Welcome to the London Institute, where young James Carstairs or Jem and William Herondale or Will are living and training to be Shadowhunters.  They follow a trail that leads them to unknowingly to young Miss Tessa, and she has to decide if they are worth trusting after all she has been through. And is she willing to help them save the world.

If you have already read the Mortal Instruments series, you will see some similarities in some of the characters. If you haven't then have no fear, you will still enjoy this book. The layers of story that weave throughout are wonderful, it is not all on the top, but there are under currents upon under currents of stories in the book.

I personally enjoyed the first three books of the Mortal Instruments, which is why i started reading this series, and i find that I like the characters, was glad to see Magnus Bane in this book as well, and find that the struggles are the same this century and last.

I almost find myself enjoying this series a little more than the Mortal Instruments, and maybe that is the time period, i have always had a thing for historical books.

Book Two:  Clockwork Prince                        Review Lin
Book Three:  Clockwork Princess                    Review Link


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A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery, #2) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have read any of my previous reviews, you might already have figured out that Juliet Blackwell is one of my favorite authors. Not only do I love her books, but I think she is a pretty cool person too, as I follow her on Facebook and hear about the new books as she is writing and they are published. It is alot of fun to be able to keep up with your favorite authors!

This is the Vintage clothing, witch series and this particular book happens to be the second in the series, with the book Secondhand Spirits being the first book.

I really enjoy Lily Ivory, the title character. She is a little afraid of people and making friendships, and her history is hinted at each time she explains that. Not much is told, that he father left when she was a toddler, her mother couldn't cope with a child that was a witch and so her "grandmother" rasied her and tried to teach her about her magik. Now weather Graciela is actually her grandmother by blood or not, I am still not sure about, she kinda hints that she might not be, but Graciela also raised her father before her, so she is counted as a relative. Little is really told about her past, although I am finding that with each book, we find just a hint or two more about her.

Lily has only been in San Fransico for a few months, and she was drawn into a child abduction and a murder in the first book withing weeks of being in town. Now it seems like the local Art College is having a problem with a ghost that is scaring the students, and since one of those students is Maya, who works for Lily, she gets involved in finding out what is going on. The day they decide to visit the school, they don't find any ghosts, but a murder and once again Lily is sucked in and the local police are none too happy.

Lily is still investigation a relationship with Max, and weather there is any chance of one occuring or not, especially since he believes that witchcraft is a bunch of hooey and Lily is a witch. They continue to dance around each other and try to figure out what to do, until Max's family gets drawn into this particular event because his younger brother is a profressor at the Art School where Lily is investigating the haunting or rather what turns out to be more serious and scary, a demon on the lose. Max doesn't want to believe any of it, and yet it is right there in front of his faced, but he thinks he can solve everything with science, and this is going to take alot for him to figure out in his mind. He may never be able to deal with it and there goes a relationship out the window.

I really enjoyed this series, and continue to look forward to what Juliet puts out in the written word.

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Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery, #1) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I discovered author Juliet Blackwell awhile back when I found her Haunted Home Renovation Series, and I loved that first book so much, that I researched the author to see what else she might hve written, and discovered this series, A Witchcraft Mystery.

I loved this book. Lily is our lead, a powerful witch, that we know very little about, so we discover just a little about her history, with so many more mysteries in her as a person herself yet to discover. Bronwyn is actually a wiccan, a normal human who practices witchcraft as a religion, but not a real witch and not powerful. Bronwyn shares space in the store with Lily and can already tell what Lily is, before and without Lily telling her. She becomes something of a friend to Lily, the first of her life. Maya is a student at the Fine Arts College that is recording histories of people, and in that role finds a number of vintage clothing stashes for Lily. Se also, although being skeptical of the whole paranormal world, another friend to Lily.

In this, the first of the series, Lily and Maya met with an elder lady who isn't all that she seems, and while they are visiting to look for clothes, a young girl down the street is "abducted". Lily takes it upon herself to try to figure out what is going on and to get the girl back.

It is a well-written and charming story that weaves it's way around, introducing a number of people, giving us just a touch about them, not too much but just enough to keep us interested. So looking forward to the next book to see where each of these people go, the history and pasts that they bring to the story and where they are headed. I find myself wanting to discover more about the people.

Another great book by Juliet Blackwell.

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Alterant (Belador, #2) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love BOOK REVIEW

Alterant
Belador, Book Two
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alterant is the second book in Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love's combined efforts series Belador.

Ok, I'll come clean, I LOVED this book. I loved the first book. There was something about Tzader and Quinn and even Storm that just exudes sex appeal and raw manness right out of the book. I just was intrigued by them, captivated and couldn't put the books down. While I was waiting for this book to arrive, after reading the first, I read some more of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, and how she makes the draw, the appeal and the grab of the male characters come across in writing is beyond me. I am not talking sex scenes, but just in the protection of a lady, the kindness, the way they talk and act. It is just amazing!

So back to the story, this book picks up right at the end of book one, Blood Trinity. Yes, book one ended in a cliff hanger, and normally I hate those, it just makes me so made, but in this one all I wanted was to get the next book and read it. This one again just kinda ends in the middle of the story, I mean some things are resolved but new things are opened and just as those are about to begin, the book ends. It has me clawing at the computer to get the next book!

Evalle is slowing learning that not all men are to be rejected. That the hurts of one man does not apply to the whole of mankind. Although being an Alterant puts her in a class below others, she still fights for truth and justice. And she just may have found that someone knows more about the Alterants and where they came from. It just might help her to understand, but as always, there is a catch. Can she trust someone who has betrayed her in the past.

Evalle isn't the only one to have their lives and futures played with. The Goddess Mecha is playing in a number of lives, including that of Tzader and Brinna. To be honest, there were times when I wanted to smack Mecha and tell her to butt out, but she is the Goddess so I guess she can do whatever she wants, but I find her a little hard to like after this book. It's just a little scary the way she thinks people should give up true happiness to do her bidding.

This book had a pronunciation key at the end of the book, which I loved!! Wished it had been in the first book, but I found that I was pronouncing things correct. The "evil" druids that are trying to take over are called the Medb, which if you know Gaelic is pronounced Maeve. That happens to be my daughter's name, so I had to tell her about her role in the book. As a family we always find it neat to see names we know in a book, and since my kids all have very traditional old Irish names, I never see them in a book. Sherrilyn Kenyon has changed that. She has included my daughter in this book, and in the League series, my son Tiernan is one of the characters! Wow! Now how often do you see that?!

This is a great book, a great series and even more a great author. I am looking forward to reading more of this series and more by this author.

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Of Dreams and Shadow (Forget Me Not, #1) by D. S. McKnight BOOK REVIEW

Of Dreams and Shadow by D.S. McKnight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I belong to a number of book groups, writing groups and reading groups. In one of those groups, I was asked to read this book and write a review for the author. I agreed, because I love to read and write, but I made it clear that my review would be my honest opinion, they agreed and and I read Of Dreams and Shadow on my Kindle.

You might call it a Young Adult novel, since the main characters are teenagers in High School. I really didn't think of it that way, I barely remembered at times they were in High School because of the story. Even if you think you don't like anything labeled as Young Adult, give this a try, it's really not what you would think of as Young Adult, a little more mature.

The story starts with the disappearance of a bright little four year old girl named Sarah, that is witnessed by the next door neighbor boy, Chase also four, but no one can believe what he tells them. It's a mystery. Fast forward twelve years and a new family moves in next door to a teenage Chase, and they have a teenage daughter his age.

As Jenna adjusts to moving from the big city of Charlotte to the small town of Parson's Cove, in the middle of the school year no less, she makes friends and enemies. She thinks the boy next door, Chase is an enemy, but there is more beneath what he is thinking, every time he sees her he is reminded of Sarah.

The story plays out as Jenna and Chase learn to be friends, and learn more about the truth of what really happened to Sarah. It was just as Chase saw it happen, it is just that it doesn't make sense then, now at the older ages, and learning the things they do, it makes more sense.

I really enjoyed the book, it only took me two days to read, and that is only because I had to put it down and stop reading for awhile to take care of the family, or I would have read it straight through! I liked it! Young adult, ok they are teens, but it wasn't the annoying coming of age that a number of young adults have been recently. Paranormal, in a way but not as much as you would think. It's more about the idea that there is more than just life or death, but something in between.

I found it to be well written, to captivate my senses and draw me in. Yes, there were a few times when I wanted to smack Jenna in the head and say "Girl, are you dense?" but only a few, and then I had to remember she is suppose to be a junior in high school, so maybe I should cut her some slack.

This book stands on it's own, but from the ending, I can see where there is an opening to carry on with the books ideas and move into another story. I liked that it stood alone, that I didn't feel I needed another book to finish the story. It ends on a good enough note that you feel the closure of the story and you can move on, it's not a cliffhanger. I am so tried of reading books that end leaving you guessing and you have to read another just to get closure.

Overall, I gave this a high rating, and I normally don't do 5 stars, but it deserves them. It was just a good book that anyone can enjoy, not just young adults, trust me I have teens at home, so I am no spring chicken and I loved it!

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