Stuck
by Stacey D. Atkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Odette is twenty-three, living at home with her mother and younger sister, working at the local convenience store where she has been since high school and just rolling along with life. She finally realizes that she is restless,she is Stuck, that this isn't what she wants out of life, that she wants something more, but she has no idea what she wants or how to go about it. This is the summer she will meet Henri, a rich kid from the yacht club and Ben a research scientist in the area on a project. Henri introduces her to sailing, but she keeps information about he life from him which leads to trouble. Ben knows all about her, in fact he understands her better than she understands herself sometimes. Stacey D. Atkinson gives us a story of growing up in a small town, and breaking free. Finding out what you want for yourself and going for it.
Stuck is what so many people become. We just go with what we are doing, never questioning and looking for something better. Stuck is not only the story of Odette, but it is also the story of her younger sister Sophie and her mother too. They are all living in the trailer together, in a poor town with poor expectations. Only when Odette makes plans to get out, to do something more does Sophie also realize that she can do more, she doesn't have to follow in her older sister's footsteps and marry young and have kids. You might call it a coming-of-age story, but it is more an awaken o what life can be outside of what you know. This is a great book for young adults and adults alike.
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The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine
by Alexandrea Weis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Danica grew up in New Orleans, but moved away after her mother's passing, went to college and married badly. Now that she is free of the ex-husband, she is back wanting to rent her former home again. Not just for the memories, but because she left behind something else, her bet friend, a ghost that haunts the home, Gaston. Slowly Danica realizes that she is in love with Gaston, but can she truly be happy in love with a man that can not hold her or kiss her? As The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine unfolds more than just the ghost of Gaston will become evident, and this new ghost is not as welcoming to Danica as Gaston is. What is in store for Danica? Can she survive the ghosts and will she find what will truly make her happy? Alexandrea Weis writes a southern novel, set in New Orleans that resounds with the spirits of the area.
Alexandrea Weis takes the favorite local of ghosts and ghost stories, New Orleans and puts a real life family kind of story into it. Danica grew up and lived here, loved here and lost here. This is where she belongs and where she comes back to when she needs to find herself again. The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine has your typical good ghost and bad ghost, but you never quite know how is good and how is bad to whom, until the very end. Each has qualities that can make them both, but in the end it is what they are willing to give up for others that determines their status. This is a lovely novel that treats you to some local fare of New Orleans that is welcome in any story. Perfect quick novel for those wanting something to read whether you like the romance or not so much, and there are non-believers of the ghosts in the books, so if you are not that into the ghosts, you still might enjoy this book.
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The Fifth Season
by Rayna Dee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Fifth Season starts in Delphi, India and the main characters are of Indian origin, which given the readers own origin either explains or confuses some of the events that occur in the book. For the most part though everything is told in such a way that no matter your own origins, you can follow along and understand eveything that is going on and why. There is a glossary of some of the common terms that are used in the book often at the end.
Daman is a man of means. He was raised poor, lost his mother to illness when they didn't have the money for treatment, his father to sucide from the guilt to be raised by his Uncle. He has built his Uncle's business into what it is now that they do not have to worry about money, but at the same time he has closed himself off to love. He refuses to allow anyone to get close to him for fear of losing them again.
Muskaan has grown up in a poor family, but there was much love in her family and she never felt the need to amass riches, she is looking for love. She is a free spirit and everything that Daman is not. When their worlds collide, she is hired to be his grandfather's reader and guide, everything they both had planned for life is turned on it's ear.
Just on the verge of what should be happiness for Daman and Muskann, his arrogance and disbelief in love threatens to ruin it all. As she slowly learns what he has done wrong and the effects it has hard on not only Muskaan, but himself, can he learn to change? Can he learn to lower the walls and allow himself to love? More importantly can he earn Muskaan's forgiveness?
Author Rayna Dee takes the reader on a true journey, starting in India and finishing in America while spending time in London. In each detestation there are places and events that are talked about in detail and involved in the story, but all are parts of the story in a whole. There is a purpose for each of the events and places, they are not just filler. It makes for some interesting reading.
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Trust
The Hero Chronicles, Book Two
by Tim Mettey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
We originally met Nicholas in the first book of this series, Secrets, and this book continues the story. The secrets are now out in the open, or at least some of them and now it is a matter of who to trust and what to do to stay alive and continue life. Nicholas has started a relationship and for the first time in his life since his parents death, he and his Aunt are not moving at the end of the school year, they are staying put and continuing with life. Now they have to Trust that they made the correct decision and to learn more about the heritage that Nicholas just learned about. Tim Mettey takes the second book of the Hero Chronicles and doesn't miss a beat. This book continues the story and yet still keeps the excitement and the thrill, the reality and the story that entranced readers in the first book.
Trust follows secrets, just as in life once you learn the secrets now you need to trust what you feel and go with your heart. This book follows in such a normal and life-like pattern that, even more than the first book, the reader is pulled into the story. You can actually feel as if you are part of the story and you want to help Nicholas and to understand what is going on as much as he does. It is a wonderful story that will encourage and inspire the young adult and teen reader, and even restore faith in the youth of the day to the older reader. Tim Mettey may be a newer author, in that Secrets and trust are his first books, but he has a style and ability that will have you wanting more from him as soon as you finish this book. In fact, I was surprised to find that the author was male, in so much as I find that it is harder to find a male author that can connect so directly with the reader. There are those out there, and when you read them they become a readers favorite immediately. This author has the talent and ability to be one of those rare writer, if he isn't already and it is worth the time to read his books.
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My Letter to Fear: Essays on Life, Love and the Search for Prince Charming
by Patricia L. Steffy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Are you reaching out for all that life has to offer or are you sitting back wondering why you haven't achieved what you wanted? My Letter to Fear is a collection of short essays, each chapter is really a different topic and focus, but Fear connects them all. Some of the chapters are funny, with past experiences recounted for the benefit of the reader to prove a point, others are words of encouragement or even chastisements. Each addresses the many ways that we allow fear to stop us from becoming all that we want or deserve to be in life. Ms. Patricia L Steffy does a fabulous job in putting all these different essays or chapters together into a cohesive book that is not too stuffy, but gives the right amount of correction and encouragement.
My Letter to Fear is a collection of essays, each chapter is a different essay, and written to stand entirely alone. As the author, Ms. Patricia L Steffy researched her own life and collected stories from others, you never know which essay is about her or someone else, but they all provide the gentle encouragement that is needed to push the reader to action. This book is about realizing that fear is holding you back from accomplishing what you want in life, and addressing that fear and moving on. Now it doesn't give you step by step self help advice, it is more a gentle, funny way to help you realize what you are doing. I found it to be a fun read. Some chapters are more laugh producing than others, but in the end, if the reader has opened their mind and read with a willing heart, they will realize that there is at least one chapter that relates to their life and there is something they can wok on. I feel this is a great book for all readers, including the young adult and college age reader, in fact it might do them more good than the older reader, but it is still worth the read.
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The World of Karov (Children of Demilee, #1)
by Elyse Salpeter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Adam and Alec are identical twins, in looks only. In their minds they are complete opposites. Alec is deeply disturbed, and takes after their father. Adam longs for a normal life, and he risks it all to runaway and try to find that life. Just as he thinks he has found the answers and is about to marry, his twin Alec kidnaps the bride and disappears. Adam searches with no luck, only to come upon someone who offers him a chance to start over in a new life on a new world. The World of Karov needs Adam, and he finds a place of respect. Adam may have left his past behind, but it will forever color his feelings and what he does? Can he make a new life or will his past continue to haunt him forever? +Elyse Salpeter weaves a wonderful tell of two worlds, two lives and two twins completely different yet always interconnected.
The World of Karov is a wonderful place for Adam to be. He is respected and not pitied because of his brother and father. He has a talent that is useful and he finally begins to feel that he has a place, even if it is on a different world than that of his birth. Somehow though, family can not be forgotten or left behind, and one day Adam will have to face his again. +Elyse Salpeter has written a tale that is so bold and different, you just have to keep reading. While the main character starts the book at age eight, this book is directed towards Young Adults and Adults alike. There is meaning in everything for both generations to glean.
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The Concealing
by D.E.L. Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Five teens, the best of friends, find that they are not only friends, but they have a mission in life. They are Spirit Warriors, they can move their own spirit to share the body of an animal, then back to their own body. What a trick to learn when you are 15! Spirit Warriors follows these five friends as they are brought to a time when they are needed to use their powers to defeat an evil. They have trained and looked for the evil for awhile now, but when they are finally confronted with it, they are surprised. It came in a disguise that no one would have expected and almost lead them into trouble.
The Spirit Warriors is well written and entertaining, and with the main characters all being in the middle teens, they bring in a world of issues from that same teen life. This makes the story good for the teen and young adult market, while keeping the topics of abuse and homosexuality, which are mentioned in a brighter light. As the discussion progresses one night, one of the guys admits his true leanings to the friends, and the discussion is nothing short of heart-warming. Nothing of the actually abuse is described but more alluded to, and so I find that they way the kids work through finding out these things to be beneficial to readers. The abuse is never talked about, but only realized after the fact and then the fight to make sure people know what really happened is encouraging.
Some will say this is the perfect book for girls, and while there are three girl teens in the main cast, there are also three boys throughout the book, two in the original circle of five, and a newcomer that will end up playing a large role in the end. I find that it has a mix that although girls will get it and enjoy it, there is still enough action and adventure to interest the boys as well. It is a coming-of-age novel that has to deal with the harsh realities of life, and at the same time, it entertains you with the spirits.
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The Torn Holding Kate Series
by LaDonna Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Heartwork Village is a summer camp of sorts for kids who have been having troubles. Katie is dealing with the effects of her parents divorce and runs with the wrong crowd. Trip tries to save his little sister from the physical and sexual abuse of a step-father only to kill the man. They are all sent to Heartwork Village, but it is no normal camp. Quantum mechanics is at work, and the campers "jump" into alternative realities to help one team member work through the issues that brought them here in the first place. The Torn revolves around a group of kids. Katie, who is torn between Trip, the big muscular guy that provides her with safety, and Corey who provides her with eternal love. LaDonna Cole weaves a coming of age story into a soul-searching experience novel, with the adventure of these quantum jumps. An amazing mix of storylines and ideas to keep everyone interested.
When you think of reading a novel set in a camp for troubled teens, The Torn is not what you think of at all. The teamwork that is required by the teens to complete the jumps, the trust and the openness that they must share is amazing. Each jump, for each person is a wonderful lesson for the reader. The characters all deal with things that the everyday teen will be facing and so the whole book is inspirational and encouraging. LaDonna Cole gives the reader romance, adventure, fantasy and at the same time answers to deal with some of the most pressing problems of youth today. The feelings of worthlessness, self-hatred, parental divorce, abandonment, unloveable, and so much more. Parents and adult will find it a warming read, and even may find information to help them talk to youth dealing with the issues.
Book Two - Holding Kate Series - The Keepers
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A Deeper Cut
by Sheri Wren Haymore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Every summer Hunter spends it with Granny Jen in Beaufort. This year he has brought Mikki with him, thinking it might be a good thing for them. This summer though, a murderer has decided to visit Beaufort also, and frame Hunter for at least one of the killings. A Deeper Cut mixes drug dealers and sweet, southern charm into a realistic tale of a summer on the shoreline. Hunter is tasked with figuring out who he really is, and whether to continue to let his father's disappearance and failures define him or not. +Sheri Wren Haymore writes a wonderful mystery, thriller that you want to know who did it, but at the same time keeps the beauty and charm of life is a small southern town.
A Deeper Cut follows Hunter, and more than just the cuts of the killer are needing to be healed this summer. Hunter has always felt that everyone, except maybe Granny Jen expected him to fail and turn out like his father. This summer he will have to face his father, and the demons he carries and figure out who he really is. +Sheri Wren Haymore mixes this soul-searching with the mystery of who if offing drug dealers and sets it all in a sweet, charming southern town. You will feel for Hunter, want to hold the boy and help him through his struggles. At the same time you will enjoy the intrigue of discovering who the real killer is and just why the killer might have it out for the Kittrell family.
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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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Bloodstone - Deep Water: Book One
by Jeffrey Aaron Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
In the world of Jeffrey Aaron Miller's imagination there is a small village that lays nestled in the valley surrounded by mountains. Over the years, the village has isolated itself and cut itself off from the outside world. The idea was for protection, but soon they are to learn that it did not work. Jaren is a young man, bored with life in the isolated village. Arelas is a merchants daughter, one day a large team of horse-mounted knights ride into the village, only to destroy it completely. Jaren and Arelas are able to escape through a hidden cave. Bloodstone follows them as they travel from town to town, only to find that the knights have been there and destroyed it too, looking for people. A dying stranger gives them some answers to what is going on, and they set out on a quest to stop the madness.
Bloodstone gives you the feel of a old-world tale, with knights and villages surrounded by walls, and most people traveling by foot. This feeling makes is easy to envision this world where a small bit of magic has turned a King and his Knights mad with power and greed. Jeffrey Aaron Miller gives us a hero in a young boy, probably around 16 to 18 years old and the daughter of a merchant close to the same age as a heroine. As they travel the world looking for answers, they find themselves in much more than they bargained for. The story was well written and kept my attention throughout, although I have to admit that I did not enjoy the sudden end to the book, as it is book one. I do want to read the next book now, so I am sure that was the intention. This book would be great for all readers, and with the ages of the characters, even young adults and teens would be able to relate and enjoy the story.
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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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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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The Appearacne of Truth
by Rosemary J. Kind
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Her mother passed away a year ago, and Lisa is still having trouble figuring out what to do now that she is on her own. A chance meeting at the cemetery brings new hope to her life, in the form of a budding relationship with Pete. A casual discussion about family, and a bet to research their family tree's will lead to unknown events for Lisa. She finds that what she thought she knew was not the truth, and she is not who she thought she was. +Rosemary Kind does a wonderful job of bringing to life the search for the truth to Lisa's identity as well as telling the heartbreaking tale from her parents side of the story as well. The Appearance of Truth will challenge you to understand the pain of parents, and the confusion as Lisa searches for the truth.
The idea that maybe you actually have a rich and famous ancestor in your family tree has sparked many a person to research their genealogy. An Appearance of Truth takes the idea of family tree's and turns it upside down, as Lisa sets out on a normal quest only to unlock a mystery that has be hidden for thirty years. +Rosemary Kind brings to life the many sides of this story, with each getting equal time, and none being slated as being the better side. The story takes the fears of finding out a secret and packages it into a novel worth the read. This was an engaging story that kept me interested to the very end.
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
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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
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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Ayrton Senna - The Inspirational Life of Ayrton Senna, The Greatest Formula One Driver that Ever Lived
by Gregory Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ayrton Senna was born in San Paolo to a wealthy family but saw the slums and poverty of his town. He was born to race and did so with great success up until his death. He understood engines and cars and that made him a delight to work with for the crews. He was also a man who spent his own money in silence to help those in the slums of his hometown. He also was vocal about driver safety and worked to make changes to improve driver safety.
What makes Ayrton Senna a perfect role model or inspiration is that he did all these good works without looking for public recognition. He did it quietly, behind the scenes. As a parent and a teaching assistant I am always looking for these type of books to give to classes to read, This would interest the boys and give them something to strive to achieve, the good deeds. This is great for the upper elementary and junior high grades, depending on reading levels. It would make a great biography paper. I am glad I found this over our school break so that I have it when we start back to school.
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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
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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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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