Reading Challenge: Summer Book Trek 2014

Review: Birthright by Nichole Giles

I loved this book! Book 1, Descendant, was great. We learn about Abby’s powers as she does–and realize that there is a mysterious connection between her and Kye, beyond the blooming romance. In this book, we learn even more about this connection. The more time they are together, the faster they die. On the flip side, being apart is physically painful. An interesting set-up. Abby and Kye feel very real to me, the characters are well-developed and talk and act just like real teenagers. Well, […]

July 25, 2014 | 0 Comments

Review: Spell Check by Julie Wright

I loved this story! Yes, it’s the typical “I-just-found-out-I’m-special” type YA paranormal story—but this one is funny and clever. It incorporates some of the Swedish mythology, which was new for me and fun. It starts with a group of cheerleaders “hanging” Allyson on her birthday, which just happens to be a few days before Halloween. Allyson, being a typical teenager and clueless about her powers, wreaks havoc upon them. It’s awesome! Trying to wrap her brain around the fact that she’s a witch, learning to […]

July 21, 2014 | 2 Comments

Review: Ilana’s Wish by Annette Lyon

Ilana’s Wish is the 8th book in the Newport Ladies Book Club series—and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them! However, this one—this one spoke to me on so many levels. Ilana Goldstein is a regular woman—just like so many of us—who got slammed by the unfairness of life. Her one dream in life is for a family, for children, but she has issue after issue after issue that prevents that from happening. This poor woman barely has a chance to breathe between the events that […]

July 18, 2014 | 0 Comments

Review: Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley

I have a special place in my heart for books that deal with issues faced when having a handicapped child. I really liked Rebecca Talley’s previous book, The Up Side of Down, which looks at how a Down Syndrome child can change and challenge the family dynamics, but also bring a huge dose of love. I wasn’t quite as enamored by this book. I would have liked there to be more transition time between the break up of Lauren’s marriage and her feelings for Ethan. […]

July 14, 2014 | 0 Comments

Review: A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

Let me address the content warning up front. I put it there because some of my readers will be offended by the portrayals and themes in this book. I usually only give a content warning for gratuitous language, violence or sex—when they’ve been thrown in for the shock value alone. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS! I soooo loved this book! I don’t even know how to describe how much I loved it. Amy Harmon is a talented writer and this book pulled me […]

July 11, 2014 | 1 Comment

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

I’m not super familiar with Egyptian gods and goddesses, so I have to admit, I found this book really confusing in the beginning. There were a lot of characters thrown at you right away. Add to that the switching from past to present, with some backstory thrown in and it became so confusing for me that I put it down a few times during the first several chapters, wondering if it was worth it to finish. But I’ve liked Kiersten White’s other books SO MUCH […]

July 4, 2014 | 1 Comment