I love my friend, Julie Bellon. I really do. I met Julie when we lived in the same neighborhood, and really got to know her when she tended my youngest daughter, when I had to go back to work after my divorce. I absolutely trusted her with my child, and that’s saying a lot about what I think of Julie’s character. Julie and I have a lot in common. I’m from the U.S.; she’s Canadian. I have a respectable number of children (4); she has […]
I was one of the lucky ones to get an ARC of Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage. I looked forward to reading it because I’ve really enjoyed his Shandra Covington series (House of Secrets and Dead On Arrival). I love fantasy so when the package came, I ripped it open and started reading right away. I’ve had to wait to post my review—and that’s been hard because I’ve wanted to share the love for the two main characters in this book. Water Keep […]
I read Rules of Engagement by Stephanie Fowers yesterday in just a few hours. It’s cute and fun. This book gives you a humorous look into college life while exploring the non-existent love lives of Samantha and her roommates. I enjoyed Samantha’s feisty character and personality. I laughed aloud at many of her antics—such as getting stuck in a window, sneaking into a boy’s apartment to steal a cross-stitched quote, and trying to avoid a stalker. It took me back to my college days. I […]
Heaven Scent (isn’t that a gorgeous cover?) is Rebecca Cornish Talley’s debut novel. Written for LDS teens, this book will be particularly enjoyed by young women, ages 12 to 16. Rebecca stopped by for a visit. Many of my readers are published authors or are in the process of writing a book for the first time. They are always interested in the writing process. Where did you get the idea for writing Heaven Scent? How long did it take you to finish it? My mother […]
Oh. My. Gosh. I loved The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve read her Twilight books, and aside from the fact that they’re romance and Bella is an idiot, I’ve liked them just fine. But I’m not going to stand in line at midnight to get book #4. (Oh, wait. Actually, I am—but only because my sister and some other friends are having a Girls Night Out on the evening of the debut and we’ve decided to include that in our plans. But I digress.) But […]
Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull is book #3 in the Fablehaven series. I didn’t get reviews posted of either of the first two books, but I gave them both a 4.5 out of 5. I really like this series and suggest it for middle grade readers and people who love simple fantasy. I felt this book could have been edited just a bit tighter, losing maybe 50 pages. There were a few places where it went on longer than needed. Also, I […]
[This is going to be a positive review. I promise. Just bear with me.] Before I review The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters, I have to say something about the only other James Dashner book I’ve ever read. I didn’t like it. While the basic plot was good, there were a few places where it got cloudy and confusing. I didn’t care for his writing style—it sounded too much like an adult trying to talk like a kid. There were also some typos […]
I got Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack a couple of weeks ago but I had to wait to read it because other less important stuff like cooking and cleaning and working my day job kept getting in the way. I started it a few days ago and then stayed up until 2:00 a.m. this morning to finish it. That right there should tell ya sumthin’. I liked this book for so many reasons. First, I liked Chrissy. She’s Latino and I think it’s about […]
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is simply fantastic! I read it in two days, staying up until 3:00 a.m. the second day because I couldn’t put it down. Another 5 out of 5 book from me this year. I read Dragon Slippers and liked it very much. I gave it a 4.5 (although I never got around to doing a real review of it here. Sorry.) So when Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow came out, I rushed to get it. And it is worth […]
Stephanie Black is one twisted sister! Fool Me Twice is her second novel published by Covenant. I loved her first one, The Believer, but I love, love, love this one! I cannot believe the twists and turns in this book. This is an LDS suspense thriller. There are some religious elements to it but no one gets baptized in the end. I found that very believable. It’s not preachy and Stephanie doesn’t beat us over the head with the Book of Mormon stick. If you’re […]
I love Terry Brooks. I know lots of people love the Shannara books, but not so much the Word and the Void series. I love them both. This series, Genesis of Shannara, connects the two. Armageddon’s Children begins more than 100 years after Nest Freemark (Word and the Void series) lived and died. We pick up with Logan Tom, a Knight of the Word, as he travels across the country looking for the gypsy morph who was Nest’s son. We meet Angel Perez, another Knight […]
Secrets in Zarahemla was a stretch book for me because it’s a romance and “traditional” romance is not my favorite genre. Okay, here are my issue with romances. I just don’t believe them. I don’t believe people fall in love at first sight. I don’t believe a strong relationship can develop in a matter of days. I don’t believe all the fainting and sighing and does-he-love-me-or-not junk. Since this is the currency of romance, I spend most of my reading time rolling my eyes and […]
This is a good book. It might be a great book, except that I miss Tally from the first three books. **SPOILER: Yes, she does put in a cameo appearance in this book but…*** It took me a little bit to get into Aya’s world and the changes that Tally’s revolution brought about. But once I shook myself out of my pout over missing Tally, I quite liked it. Like Tally, Aya is strong and resourceful and about to uncover a mystery. It was fun […]
I was a little worried after finishing Pretties. I had really loved Uglies. Pretties was okay, but it seemed to unravel a bit and loose ends were left hanging. But as I said in my review, I was willing to withhold judgment until I had a chance to read this one. Specials did not disappoint. Being a Special is totally cool; but to be a Cutter, Dr. Cable’s elite group of Specials, is even better. Specials are scary beautiful, very strong with reflexes so fast […]
I loved this book! This is a debut book and there are a few little glitches. It starts a little slow and sometimes gets a little silly. But really, I thought it was a fun and clever read. I loved the idea of a preserve to protect magical creatures—and the fact that Kendra and Seth have visited before and had no clue about the secret life of their grandparents. I loved the set-up, the discovery, the magic. The fairies were great and the satyrs were […]