Sweet Talk Me
by Kieran Kramer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Life hadn't been easy for True Maybank, but at this point she was hoping that things were looking up. She was going to finally marry the boy her family always thought she should since high school, after all these years, too bad none of them were going to be around to see it. She had managed to hold her family home together and get her younger sister through high school and Weezie would be off to college this fall. She was feeling pretty good. Then she had to see HIM when she went to pick up her wedding dress.
Harrison Gamble might be a famous country singer today, and everyone might fawn all over him, but there was a time when not everyone in Biscuit Creek was pleased to see him. He and True had been friends, then there had been that thing between them at prom, but she had set him straight, he wasn't good enough for her. Why then did the sight of her all these years later make him crazy? He wasn't sure but all he knew was that he had to find out what she was up to, no matter what his people were wanting.
As Harrison and True spend some time together, old feelings are rekindled. Not only that, but True learns more about herself and her fears, and why she has always been afraid to follow after what she wanted. It is a story of love and romance, of shallow southern boys, and good old southern boys. There is self discovery and reflection and peace of mind.
This is a wonderful little novel that is enjoyable to read. It is well written and you feel part of the family.
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Hope For Garbage
by Alex Tully
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
To say that Trevor has had a rough life is putting it mildly. He currently lives with his Uncle, who really wants nothing to do with him, and he is seeing a therapist only to appease his best friend and next door neighbor, who just happens to be a seventy year old man. He's never had a girlfriend and he rides his bike everywhere he wants to go. One day he meets Bea, a privileged girl from the rich part of town, and they seem to like each other. They start to develop a relationship, but it is plagued by problems, one of which is her mother. Hope for Garbage is the story of a short period in Trevor's life, from the time he meets Bea until a few months later. Things seem to go from bad to worse, then better. Alex Tully gives the reader insight into the world of this lonely and scared young man.
Hope for Garbage is not only the coming of age story about Trevor, but it is the healing of Trevor. He has scars from his life with his mother, before her death, scars from living with his Uncle, and then scars from the events that occur during the story after he mets Bea. He doesn't trust the therapist he is talking to, but there comes a breaking point, and he finally opens up to her, and the healing is able to begin. Alex Tully gives the reader a story about resilience, about overcoming the bad in life and finding a new purpose and new meaning. Trevor is the embodiment of that concept. This is a great book for young adults and adults alike. It truly will make you think about your own life and what you are doing with your own life.
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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 Boy From The Woods
by Jen Minkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
For the last couple of years Julia has dreamed of the high school golden boy, Michael. She has used him to inspire her poetry and music and she has thought herself in love with him, at the graduation ball he finally asks her to dance and kisses her leading to a "date", then nothing. He never calls or texts her back, and when she runs into him on the street, he acts like she should be grateful he gave her the time. She is devastated. Now Michael has been in a motorcycle accident an is acting different. Should she given him a second chance? The Boy From the Woods takes us to Austria, to follow Julia and her group of close friends in the summer after high school. They give her advice on Michael, and see what transpires. Jen Minkman weaves in the local and life of Austria with Celtic folklore and traditions to create a story of young love and broken hearts.
The Boy From the Woods is set in Austria, and when you start reading, this is the first thing you need to know, because if not you will be confused as to why at a high school graduation party they are drinking beer. That is party of the beauty of this story, no one gets drunk, they never drink that much, it is one or two and that is it. I think it sends a wonderful message to American youth that not all people look at drinking as something to do only to get drunk. Also being set in Austria, Jen Minkman uses typical German phrases and greetings in the book frequently, which lends to the authenticity of the story. It also makes you want to live in a place with so much history that certain things are continued through the generations. Add to that the forest and Celtic folklore and you have a full and wonderful romance, coming of age story that is wonderfully written and great for any age reader.
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Shadow of Time
by Jen Minkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
For years Ben and Hannah have summered in their mom's cabin in St. Mary's Port. They grew up there and formed great friendships with Josh and Emily from the nearby reservation. Hannah hasn't been back in four years, but after her first year of teaching she needs the summer break. What she finds is not what she expected. Josh, her brother Ben's best friend has grown up and even though he is younger than her he seems so much older and so good looking. She is not sure what to think or what to do, and he seems just as confused. After being stranded and having to wait for the guys to pick her up, Hannah is threaten by three drunks, which starts a series of weird and scary dreams. As she tries to understand them, she only gets more confused until finally Josh is forced to break down and explain himself to her. Shadow of Time is a wonderful mix of romance, history, legend and modern. Jen Minkman does a superb job of mixing so many concepts into one book without it seeming overwhelming.
Shadow in Time is set near an Indian reservation, so we learn some true Indian history, some Indian legend in this story, but never once is any of that boring or stuffy! It is told in dreams and remembrances and scenes that make perfect sense so that it fits perfectly in the story. Not only that but there is romance, past lives, curses and coming of age all wrapped into this story. Three people; Ben, Hannah, and Josh are at the center of this story, but you don't realize it until closer to the end that all three are involved. It can almost be said this book is a walking advertisement for the ideal that people come into your life for a reason because in this story, there are reasons that each person is where they are. Even the grad student Nick, that seems out of place has a purpose, he gets them all talking about history of the Navajo and is able to put some perspective on certain things that Hannah and Josh are too close to see at first. That message in the book is classic. This is a great book for young adults and teens, but I can easily say that adults will be able to find the beauty of the story just as well.
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The Thirteenth Tower
by Sara C. Snider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
In a medieval time period of manor houses and servants, of travel by walking and visiting troops of entertainers that created a festival in town, we are introduced to Emelyn. Emelyn has the unique history in town has the baby that was left on the doorstep of the manor house and they allowed the housekeeper to raise the baby and she became a servant girl. Everywhere she goes she see's pity in the eyes of some, promise in the eyes of a few but no real hope for her in the town of Fallow. Just outside of town is a large tower, this is the home of the Magistrates, of Magi what they really do is unknown to most and Emelyn knows even less about them, but as she is on an errand the morning of the village festival she sees two of them walking past the manor house. The evening of the festival becomes strange and unsettling, a young man Corran befriends Emelyn and rescues her from a dance which everyone seems entranced in but her. The Magi come and offer her escape, and she and Corran follow. The Thirteenth Tower follows Emelyn and Corran on this journey, which will become on of self-discovery for Emelyn. Sara C. Snider does a wonderful job of wrapping a message into a neat package of a story.
The Thirteenth Tower is about the Magi towers, but it is also about discovery. Emelyn will discover who she really is on this journey, what she is capable of where she wants to go with her life. She will face fears and challenges that she never expected and find truths that she never imagined. This is not only about Emelyn, but we learn about the Magi, about two in particular Percival and Aldren, two completely different men. One willing to go to any lengths necessary to gain knowledge no matter the cost, the other determined not to repeat his own mistakes. Sara C. Snider not only gives us a story on the growth and development of a little girl, but on the corruption that power and absolute knowledge can also bring. Humanity is the balance and it must always be weighed when counting the costs of gaining knowledge. This is a great book for young adults and older readers as well. It has a theme and story that should entertain and well as educate readers.
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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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