Source: Author/Publisher

The Art of Us by Julie Wright

Realistic Teen Issues Handled with Compassion and Respect Julie Wright has a real talent for capturing the teenage voice. The focus is on Ireland, Cal, and Mara—seniors in high school finding their way through a complex world while trying to keep their secrets hidden. The story addresses abandonment, homelessness, betrayal, violence, abuse, perfectionism, and several other issues that teens have to deal with. What did I think? I loved this book. It hit all the feels and twisted my heart in so many ways. I […]

December 18, 2024 | 0 Comments

Trials of the Trash by Tyler Whitesides

Trash Transformers for Middle-grade Readers Landon, Jade, and Sabra, along with their magical pets and teachers must work together to fight the Megalajunk and Thingamajunks—evil beings made out of trash and junk from the landfill. The story is funny, the thingamajunks are fantastically unique, and the ending is a surprise. (Okay, really. Got a 10 or 11 year old who likes Transformers? This tells you all you need to know about the book.) There’s some fantasy violence as the kids fight the monsters with brooms […]

September 5, 2024 | 0 Comments

Minnie Kim: Seoul Demon by Ali Cross

Loving this Series This is book three in the Minnie Kim: Vampire Girl series. I am loving the entire series. It’s cute. It’s fun. But there’s also drama and suspense. There are vampires, after all. [br] [br] In this book, Minnie and her parents have a tentative truce—making Minnie hope she can win back their love and acceptance of her vampire status. They travel to Korea to meet family and to help them with a ghost problem. [br] [br] The ghost isn’t the only problem […]

September 7, 2019 | 0 Comments

Stone of Inheritance by Melissa McShane

Great Second Book in the Series! This is book 2 in The Company of Strangers series. We pick up a few months after book 1, with the group of scrappers becoming closer and learning more about each other. In this adventure, they need a particular magical knife to help with the ritual that will free Alaric’s people. They are outbid at an auction, then forced by the woman who purchased the knife to go reclaim a powerful artifact that belonged to her family. [br] [br] […]

July 8, 2019 | 0 Comments

As Wide as the Sky by Jessica Pack

A hard book to read… but interesting. I got this book almost a year ago and I tried to read it then, but I couldn’t. It was about how tragedy effects people differently and the heavy grief when you lose someone you love. I had just lost my sister and it was just too much. So I set it aside. A year later I picked it back up, because I like this author. I like her writing style. So I gave it another try. I […]

May 3, 2019 | 0 Comments

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves byLiesl Shurtliff

Fractured Fairy Tale I’ve read one of Shurtliff’s other books and really liked it, but this one was just awesome! I loved the slow lead in to the Snow White story. Shurtliff took her time, letting us get to know “Grump” and the dwarf community. This is important later in the story. I loved the fun and unique descriptions and their food! What they ate is awesome. Once we actually got into the Snow White part of the story, it was close enough to be […]

February 18, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic by Amanda Rawson Hill

Believe, Give, and Trust Those are the three rules of magic that Kate’s grammy teaches her. But they don’t quite work the way Kate hoped. [br] [br] This is such a well-written and wonderful story. It runs through every emotion—happy, sad, grief, loneliness, betrayal, hope, and more. I found myself smiling in places, and swallowing a lump in my throat in other places. [br] [br] As the story slowly unfolds, it goes from present to past and reveals secrets in a very logical way. Kate […]

February 15, 2019 | 0 Comments

The View from Castle Always by Melissa McShane

Great Read for Fairy Tale Lovers I like Melissa McShane’s books. Some more than others, but all of them are well-written. I enjoyed this one. It has a unique take on the ‘find your destiny’ fantasy. There’s a magic castle, that the heroine can’t leave, a handsome man who refuses to leave, and a knight who can leave but won’t. And then there’s the wild magic—is it good, evil, something else entirely? [br] [br] I thought the characters were interesting. The plot wasn’t as strong […]

January 21, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

Quick Review Sometimes being bullied can push you into doing things you’d never do on your own. And sometimes bullies can become unlikely allies. That’s just one of the themes of this book. The kids are forced to go to a creepy, off-limits island to try to save their friend. While there, they discover a land of magic and ghosts. This started out creepy, then became funny, then creepy again. The ending was awesome! Well-written, great characters, spooky plot line. Glad this will have a […]

January 4, 2019 | 0 Comments

Company of Strangers by Melissa McShane

A New Fantasy Series! One of my favorite authors, Melissa McShane, has started a new fantasy series. What I like about all of her books is that there is a strong female protagonist. Although this book follows the adventures of an unlikely crew of characters, we definitely see things from Sienne’s perspective. As a fledgling wizard who has left her nobility status behind to become a scrapper, Sienne joins a four others in an exquisitely written fantasy quest adventure. What did I think? I love […]

December 11, 2018 | 0 Comments

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack

Heartbreak, Resentment, Forgiveness, and Redemption I know I say this every time I review a Josi S. Kilpack book, but I love her stories. They are so character-driven, and include themes that speak to all ages and time periods. Promises and Primroses is the start of the Mayfield Family series. Years ago, Elliott inherited the family estate. Ashamed of the behaviors of his family members, he made it his mission to improve both the estate and the members of the family—breaking a heart in the […]

September 5, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker

I love Emily Bleeker! I have all of her books. And even though I got a copy of The Waiting Room in return for a review, as soon as I finished reading it I pre-ordered it for my permanent library. This is one of those twisty-turny psychological suspense type stories that happens inside the head of Veronica Shelton. Her husband is dead, her daughter is missing, and weird stuff keeps happening. I spent a good portion of this book trying to determine if she was […]

August 22, 2018 | 0 Comments

Review + Giveaway: Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

A Mixed-Genre Novel Veins of Gold doesn’t fit neatly into one unique genre. It’s set in Utah during the Gold Rush Era (1848–1855). The details are clear enough that it could be labeled a Historical novel, or even an alternate history. As such, the reader gets a great look into what that time and place was like—the mountains, the desert, small Utah town, and even a peek at Mormon culture (but there is no preaching in this book). It also contains magic—a mix of earth […]

July 16, 2018 | 0 Comments

Miss Wilton’s Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

So Much More Than Two People Falling in Love! I’ve followed Josi Kilpack through her Women’s Fiction, her Cozy Mysteries (I miss Sadie), and even though I’m not a huge Historical Romance fan, her writing compels me to read those as well. I am never disappointed. Josi’s romances have so much more to them than two people falling in love. There is always something of depth to them—a social issue or personal trial that must be overcome—and her characters are very relatable. Miss Wilton’s Waltz is […]

April 12, 2018 | 1 Comment

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King

This is book three in a series, and unfortunately, I have not reviewed the first two books. But here is a quick summary of the first two. If you don’t care about this, skip down to the section titled “Great Characters, Great Plot!” [br] The Hundredth Queen (#1): As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s […]

February 14, 2018 | 0 Comments