Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris Review

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life. 

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process. 

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

My thoughts: This is a fresh approach to YA fiction. Rather than having time travel or paranormal, Ben and Janelle explore String Theory. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Essentially, different humans inhabit different planes of space on the same earth at the same time. Some of these people are displaced. Great concept.

Janelle is a realistic protagonist. Her opinions and ideas are not set. She's a little on the insecure side. I liked that part of her, actually. Additionally, her mother is bipolar which adds depth to her character. The book begins with her death and then her return to life. Excellent premise. How did she heal so quickly and who is Ben?

I did have some issues with the book but many of them may be unfounded if the book is a series. Another issue might be cleaned up when the final copy is released. The latter issue is that Janelle has photographic memory but she can't remember Ben except peripherally. Making a big deal out of a photographic memory then proving it doesn't really exist bothered me. The other issues can be summarized by simply saying that there were a lot of situations, people and ideas introduced in the book that lacked direction or reason. The book ended appropriately but so many of the concepts introduced were inclusive. Why introduce the boyfriend and then push him aside? What purpose did the former best friend serve in the story? Why is she still marginalized? And the state of the earth at the end leaves the reader hanging. BUT, like I said, if these ideas will be addressed in a later book, then it's a non-issue. Also, if closure is reached with all of these ideas, I reserve the right to increase my star rating.

Solid writing style. Original ideas. I want to read this author more.

The Truth of All Things by Kieran Shields GIVEAWAY

 

Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, in the summer of 1892, a grisly new witch hunt is beginning....

When newly appointed Deputy Marshal Archie Lean is called in to investigate a prostitute's murder in Portland, Maine, he's surprised to find the body laid out like a pentagram and pinned to the earth with a pitchfork.  He's even more surprised to learn that this death by "sticking" is a traditional method of killing a witch. 

     Baffled by the ritualized murder scene, Lean secretly enlists the help of historian Helen Prescott and brilliant criminalist Perceval Grey.  Distrusted by officials because of his mixed Abenaki Indian ancestry, Grey is even more notorious for combining modern investigative techniques with an almost eerie perceptiveness.  Although skeptical of each other's methods, together the detectives pursue the killer's trail through postmortems and opium dens, into the spiritualist societies and lunatic asylums of gothic New England.

     Before the killer closes in on his final victim, Lean and Grey must decipher the secret pattern to these murders--a pattern hidden within the dark history of the Salem witch trials. 

Two copies available! 

Fill out form below.

Charity Hopping Book Giveaway

What I am offering:

But first....

The charities I have chosen are smaller and less known. However, they are organizations that I personally know the founders through Kismet experiences. They are non-profit and serve a population that would otherwise be forgotten. 

When this hop came available, I couldn't stop myself from being excited. This is my chance to share something near and dear to my heart. I discovered that everybody has something to offer to people who have less. A couple of years ago I posted a couple of stories that inspired me and my family (even small children can help!) to put together hygiene kits. You can read about my experience HERE.

My Charitable Choices

Kazembe Orphanage.

Blogging has opened the world to me in terms of friends I would never have met. One of my friends showed up on my radar about two years ago.  I don't know when or how but it feels like she and I have been friends for years.  She is simply one of those women that is genuine and someone I want to tell all my secrets to because she is so accepting and and Christ-like.

Turns out Amy lives her beliefs.  She and her husband have six children.  That, in and of itself, is service personified.  But a few years ago both of these people felt a pull to travel to Zambia.  How they found Zambia on the globe, let alone on a map is a mystery to me, but they felt spiritually led.  Long story short, they found a great need for raising the next generation of children without hope.  They started small. They opened an orphanage.

 

Are they just the cutest little things?

The truth is they are not all true orphans.  These little guys are born into incredible poverty.  If a mother dies in childbirth, a father can not care for the child.  Formula is not a common staple for this third world country.  

Tom and Amy, using the forced labor of their own children, take in any child under the age of 2.  Proof of orphan status is not required.  They offer safety, healthy food, medical care, education, and lots of hugs.  These babies are not for adoption.  Politics are not such that you get to choose one of these sweethearts and take him (Peter) home.  Although I may have one picked out if I ever get to Zambia and can safely kidnap him.  Tom and Amy are investing in tomorrow.  These cutie-pies are Zambia's future doctors, teachers, engineers, or orphanage directors.  No pressure, kids.

I've been following Amy's blog and emailing her and I feel invested in the work they have begun.  When one of the babies gets sick, Amy blogs and asks for prayers.  Sometimes they die.  Not all of the children are healthy when they arrive.  HIV rears its ugly head on occasion.  I've been known to emit sobs while reading Amy's blog late at night.  

For the most part, the blog is an incredibly uplifting experience.  Oddly, Amy doesn't use her blog for fund raising purposes.  Every year the Morrows travel to the states and do their heavy fund raising through congregations in a months time.  I know I should probably know this, but I have no idea what the Morrow's religious affiliations are.  They are simply followers of Christ and lovers of Zambian children.

This is Tom and Amy's son, casually eating his mangoes while holding a semi-venomous snake at bay.  I don't know why.

This year's fund raising was disappointing.  Last year they operated the orphanage at 50% of what they needed.  I don't know why Tom and Amy do not actively seek donations through their blog but they have a little "donate" button on the right side.  

Please consider offering a donation to the Kazembe Orphanage.  It is a non-profit charity and you will be sent a receipt for tax write-off purposes.  Spend some time getting to know Amy and reading about her African Adventure.  It is heartwarming, hilarious, uplifting, and interesting. Kazembe Orphanage.

This blog post was composed, written, and published without the consent of Kazembe Orphanage, or Tom and Amy Morrow.  In fact, they don't have a clue!  

Lift A Life

(This is Illens, giving instruction for clinic to open. The clinic is makeshift and, in this instance, is a Protestant church)

Illens Dort is from Haiti and the father of 6 children. He came with one of his sons to register for school which is where I met him. I wondered what brought him to Utah. It was the dream of a Ph.D. He attended BYU and needed a project for a class. After much research, he settled on the small task of organizing a non-profit organization that provided humanitarian aide. With Haiti's political tumult, it was impossible to breach the borders so he settled for the Dominican Republic. Every 6 months he takes time off his regular scheduled job and goes with a team of doctors, dentists, and other volunteers for ten days to serve the people of the DR.

I mentioned he has six children. One of his daughters is in medical school preparing to be a humanitarian physician. Another is still in high school and registered with her mother a few weeks after I met Illens. Mrs. Dort shared with me a small portion of the devastation wreaked in the earthquake. Her father still lives in Haiti. He could barely speak as he told her of the bodies littering the buildings, streets. The cries that rang in constant misery. Then the more horrifying sound of their silence. She estimates that 200 million have died as a result of the earthquake. 

Unfortunately, the charity the Dort's have organized were unable to secure enough funding to go to Dominican Republic this year. The money he collects goes directly to the goods and services given to the people of the Dominican Republic. Nobody collects a salary or is paid for their time, hotel, or transportation.  He has strongly encouraged me to take my 20 year wedding anniversary trip with my husband and serve in the DR. He is hoping to get a team of doctors and other volunteers organized with enough medical equipment to treat the inhabitants by November 2012. His charity and ways to contribute can be found HERE.

For the amount you might pay for a couple of books in a month, you can help support these awesome charities. Maybe you could trade books with friends, use the public library, or enter a few more contests. In fact, I'll offer one right now.

The Truth of All Things

By Kieran Shields

 

Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, in the summer of 1892, a grisly new witch hunt is beginning....

When newly appointed Deputy Marshal Archie Lean is called in to investigate a prostitute's murder in Portland, Maine, he's surprised to find the body laid out like a pentagram and pinned to the earth with a pitchfork.  He's even more surprised to learn that this death by "sticking" is a traditional method of killing a witch. 

     Baffled by the ritualized murder scene, Lean secretly enlists the help of historian Helen Prescott and brilliant criminalist Perceval Grey.  Distrusted by officials because of his mixed Abenaki Indian ancestry, Grey is even more notorious for combining modern investigative techniques with an almost eerie perceptiveness.  Although skeptical of each other's methods, together the detectives pursue the killer's trail through postmortems and opium dens, into the spiritualist societies and lunatic asylums of gothic New England.

     Before the killer closes in on his final victim, Lean and Grey must decipher the secret pattern to these murders--a pattern hidden within the dark history of the Salem witch trials. 

Two copies available! 

Fill out form below.

The Girl Next Door: A Mystery by Brad Parks

The Girl Next Door: A Mystery by Brad Parks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Reading his own newspaper’s obituaries, veteran reporter Carter Ross comes across that of a woman named Nancy Marino, who was the victim of a hit-and-run while she was on the job delivering copies of that very paper, the Eagle-Examiner. Struck by the opportunity to write a heroic piece about an everyday woman killed too young, he heads to her wake to gather tributes and anecdotes. It’s the last place Ross expects to find controversy—which is exactly what happens when one of Nancy’s sisters convinces him that the accident might not have been accidental at all.

It turns out that the kind and generous Nancy may have made a few enemies, starting with her boss at the diner where she was a part-time waitress, and even including the publisher of the Eagle-Examiner. Carter’s investigation of this seemingly simple story soon has him in big trouble with his full-time editor and sometime girlfriend, Tina Thompson, not to mention the rest of his bosses at the paper, but he can’t let it go—the story is just too good, and it keeps getting better. But will his nose for trouble finally take him too far?

Brad Parks’s smart-mouthed, quick-witted reporter returns in The Girl Next Door—another action-packed entry in his award-winning series, written with an unforgettable mix of humor and suspense.

My take: This is the kind of mystery that I like. The protagonist is a smart-mouthed, thirty-something year old reporter who accidentally discovers his investigative skills are going to be honed. He's funny, witty, and provides an enjoyable "voice." He doesn't talk crass and the book itself is relatively clean, although I'd not be handing it to my children. The guy is still a guy who makes a few references and is a willing participant if the opportunity arises (no pun intended) and he nearly has a couple of opportunities.

So there's the mystery part; Nancy, the girl next door is killed by a hit and run. It doesn't look like it was an accident. Our hero looks into it and gets in trouble. Then there's the human interest part; he's likeable, funny, and oh-so-human. He sweats. He calls people bad names. He is a romantic in spite of his editor. He's overeducated and underpaid. He has a cat named Deadline. His best lines are wasted on the cat. I wish I could use them but nobody would hear them except my own cat. He has a couple of possible side-kicks in the form of Lunky the intern who is, surprisingly, large but not stupid.

Fun book. Light but not too light. Clean but not unrealistic. I want to see this character again.

The Thirteen by Susie Moloney Review

The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Goodreads:  "Desperate Housewives" meets "The Witches of Eastwick" in this novel about a woman who returns with her teenage daughter to her childhood home, not knowing that she's stepped back into a community run by a group of witches.

My take: Dress it up in a paranormal cover, add chick lit elements, include mysterious deaths and in the end it's still a book about an all female suburban satanic cult and I'm feeling yucky all over. That's my honest opinion and feeling. Just didn't like it. It earns one star for my finishing it. The second star is earned for the author's originality. Even though I didn't like it.

The basis is that the cult requires thirteen members. If there are thirteen and appropriate sacrifices (and those sacrifices are stomach churning) and the members have given themselves to the dark one (and can I say? Ew. I mean in a big way), all their hopes and dreams are reached. It's the Stepford Wives without their husbands joining a club. In fact, husbands are not uncommonly the sacrifice. They've recently suffered a reduction in force and need a new recruit. Rather than going to the park or the supermarket like previously, they seek out the grown child of Audra. That's when the story falls apart. The threads are frayed and, although there is definite direction to the story, it doesn't always make sense. First of all, Izzie commits herself to the devil. He takes her sexually and it's gross. Why didn't he take all the others? Not that I wanted that image, I'm disturbed enough over Izzie's encounter. Also, why is Izzie the one making the animal sacrifice? I also never understood the hospital scenes. They were simply too weak. I also didn't find the explanation for Audra turning into what she was. What was up with the cats? What was wrong with the dog collar? What was Sanderson's mom's story? Why did she leave?

These are merely a handful of unanswered questions. I'm sure they would make perfect sense if I was up to speed on Satanic worship but, thank God, I'm not.

It's a quick, if disturbing read.

Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock

Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart. 

Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder; she, a ravaging family history of breast cancer. But when their paths cross on the night of Lucy’s twenty-first birthday, sparks fly, and there’s no denying their chemistry. 

Cautious every step of the way, they are determined to make their relationship work—and they put their commitment in writing. Mickey will take his medication. Lucy won’t blame him for what is beyond his control. He promises honesty. She promises patience. Like any marriage, there are good days and bad days—and some very bad days. In dealing with their unique challenges, they make the heartbreaking decision not to have children. But when Lucy shows up for a routine physical just shy of their eleventh anniversary, she gets an impossible surprise that changes everything. Everything. Suddenly, all their rules are thrown out the window, and the two of them must redefine what love really is.

My take: I have written the first sentence multiple times and I'm still struggling how to begin. I want to be careful so I don't give spoilers without warning so I might be vague. There are so many facets of this book that I loved. I'll start with the first thing that comes to my mind.

Mickey and Lucy are complex and wonderful people. We meet Lucy first as a child as she sees Death for the first time. Death is not a verb but a noun. Death is female and not frightening. She is comforting and peaceful. At the time, her father explained to her that Death is not scary or painful. Death is also not the end but a continuation. Dying might hurt but Death does not. A few days later, Death took her father. At the age of 17, Death also took her mother. Lucy knew Death was near and felt peaceful but sad.

Lucy is a package deal. She comes with sass and two sisters, Lily who is maternal in nature but childless and Priscilla who is career driven and has ice in her veins. All of the sisters are loyal to one another but stay true to their characters. Lucy is the youngest. All live with the fear of cancer and death (even though their father said Death is nothing to fear). Their DNA dictates that cancer will come again to the Houston girls.

Mickey is 8 years older than Lucy and comes with another package. He is funny, a good business man, charismatic and bipolar. Here's what I loved about Mickey - is more than his diagnosis and makes that clear to Lucy. He also makes it clear to Lucy that being with him will be heartbreaking. He will crash and he will hurt her. It is part of the illness. He is also honest and genuine. Their marriage is not a destination but part of the journey. They accept each other and their flaws, marry and continue on. That's what I loved about their relationship. They love each other and use that love to propel them forward. Mickey hits his cycles. He becomes manic, self-medicates, hits psychosis, he's hospitalized, stabilizes, and comes home. Lucy greets him, accepts him, respects him and continues to love him. Being bipolar is one part of who he is. He's also much more than that.

At the beginning of most chapters, Mickey provides a journal entry. It's usually short but clearly and concisely, with raw honesty describes his mood disorder in a way that a textbook can't. He provides a window for the reader to comprehend why his mood escalates to something uncontrollable and how he justifies adjusting his medication. Bipolar becomes much more than a diagnosis. It has a face and personality.

Cancer is also a part of Lucy. It doesn't define her but it is a part of her. Again, Hancock doesn't gloss over anything. The doctor tells Lucy she has cancer and then we journey through her treatment with her. One character provides a truth which applies to just about everything in life. The only way through is going through it. There are no shortcuts. There are no shortcuts to a happy marriage. There are no shortcuts through cancer treatment. There are no shortcuts through depression. There are no shortcuts through death or grief. The only way through is getting up in the morning, making it through the day, going to bed. Repeat. Eventually you're at the other side.

Hancock tackles some tough issues that are not foreign to the reader. Mental illness, marital happiness or discontent, commitment to marriage vows, love, illness, loss, grief, death, dying, faith, God, peace. Many of her ideas resonated for me. I also enjoyed having a book that did not have offensive material in it. Swearing is mild, much like my own mouth. Sex is included but within appropriate context. Dialogue centers around the issues.

There is much, much more that I want to say about this but I'm afraid of spoiling it.

*Spoiler*

Mickey and Lucy go through hell together. Mickey has his cycles and becomes psychotic or realizes he's spiraling out of control and gets the help he needs. Lucy gets cancer and goes through chemo and radiation once. Then she finds she has cancer again with the added complication of an unplanned pregnancy. At this point, they have to decide whether to continue the pregnancy and seek treatment that may or may not kill the cancer or do something else. Remember that Mickey is mentally ill. If Lucy dies, Mickey may not be able to take care of the baby if the baby survives.

The book is about believing in what really matters - family, marriage, love, and faith, regardless of what life hands you. It is beautifully written and I finished in tears but filled with hope.

Loved it.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review and GIVEAWAY

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What is it about Julie Kagawa's books that grip me? It's writing style and original script along with character development. And perspective. Interesting first person perspective.

This book is from Allison's perspective. She lives in a dystopic world created as a result of a bad virus that nearly wiped out the human population. Vampires have always existed but have lived quietly. Then their food supply started dying. That's when they came out of the proverbial woodwork. One trusted human scientists who used vampire blood to try to cure the virus. Certain vamps were caught then used as lab rats and tortured. The result was that they turned into bigger monsters called "Rabids." Rabids are very, very bad but also stupid. They can infect anything and turn their prey into radids or just kill them. But now vampires carry the rabid virus and procreating might produce a rabid.

All very bad.

So Allison is a Fringe rat. She tries to stay alive without getting killed. She lives off the grid with a small group in survival mode. Then one day she is attacked by a few rabids. She will die. One vampire happens to be close by. He also likes to live off the grid for reasons that become apparent later on. He gives her a choice. Die and stay dead or die and become undead. And so begins her new existence of a being straddling two worlds. She learns the rules of the Immortals and is highly encouraged to forget about humanity. It's gone from her life. Then he disappears and she's on her own.

And then it really gets interesting. I can't wait for the next one!

Want it? 
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After the Snow by S.D. Crockett Review

Title: After the Snow
Author: S.D. Crocket
Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: March 27, 2012

A stunningly beautiful novel about a young boy’s survival during a winter that never ends. 
2059. The snow begins to fall. Only the few are prepared. A new ice-age has begun. 

Born after the snows, fifteen-year-old straggler kid Willo Blake has never known a life outside hunting and trapping in the hills. When his family mysteriously disappears, leaving him alone on a freezing mountain, Willo sets off into the unknown to find them. 

Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book. 

When Willo meets an abandoned girl on his trek across the hills, his world collides with outlaws and halfmen on an epic journey that leads him to the new world of the city - a place where the dog spirit inside his head cannot help him. 

It is a journey of betrayal and violence. A journey of awakening love and humanity. A journey that changes everything he ever thought he knew.

My Take: The dystopian novel is intriguing because global changes in climate have occurred. It is perpetually winter with a very short growing season, at least in Great Britain and all of Europe. There are those who idealistically believe in a better tomorrow; either by leaving Europe altogether or waiting it out as it will warm again. Others believe that the Westerners were behind in the game by trying to go green rather than developing alternate power supplies like the Eastern countries.

Regardless, the political structure in Great Britain is completely in shambles. Capitalism is dead, the black market is slowly closing down, and the population is being gathered in certain areas of the country. One corporation is taking over the wilderness and purging it of all stragglers and any other people left behind.

Although the POV is a 15 year old boy, his speaking style is quite simple and he seemed illiterate and unfocused. Although the writing style stays consistent, it is only distracting at first until you get used to it. Then it is only occasionally irritating. On the other hand, it is clear that this is the way Willo talks. He sounds simple which is probably purposeful as he truly has no idea about the rebellion.

The author paints a cold and unforgiving landscape. I felt cold, hungry, and claustrophobic for most of the novel, longing to return to a safe cave that may or may not still exist. At the same time, I was unclear about the objectives of the more powerful people and what they wanted with all the land once it was purged. I didn't understand the gangs or what was really going on in the city. Maybe you had to be British.

Anyway, I didn't find the book to be poorly written (just poor grammar due to the protagonist's POV) and I did find the premise interesting. For me, though, I found it a little on the forgettable side.


Mostly clean read with only the last 20 pages or so filled with "f" word by one character.

Balthazar by Claudia Gray Review

Balthazar by Claudia Gray

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own. 

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

My take: Having not read Evernight series, I was afraid I would be at a disadvantage. Turns out that the marketing for this new series is true. It is sold as a separate series and adds to Evernight but does not need the background of Evernight to understand the story. The only disadvantage I felt was not understanding who Lucas is and a few questions about Bianca. Those are minor and not relevant to the main story.

It's another book about forbidden love with a teenage girl but with a strange twist. Although Balthazar is a vampire, he is not evil. He's not dark and brooding, either. If it were not for the vampire business, he might even be the kind of boy you could bring home to meet your parents.

Like any vampire book, the rules are different. Human blood is a life force and must be consumed to keep the humanity in the vampire but killing a human by draining their blood will turn them into a vampire (that last part seems pretty standard). There are good vampires and bad vampires. There are a lot of vampires who could be either and are, like many people, tweeners. We are introduced to blood thirsty Lorenzo in the first chapter. He's not so good. We meet a few others that are hypnotizing but fairly control freakish or mentally unstable.

Then there's the twist which is that Skye's blood has special power. Power that makes power - hungry vamps more powerful if they own her. Skye doesn't want to be owned.

It's a good book. Mostly clean. Swearing is minimal. Sex is implied but also minimal. Dialogue is clean.

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Slide by Jill Hathaway

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. 

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again. 

My take: The concept of sliding is interesting and new. Basically, Sylvia loses consciousness and slides into another person's mind. While there, she sees what the person is doing and saying and gets the secrets of that person whether she wants them or not. The flip side of this is that Sylvia then leaves her own body vulnerable and unprotected. So Sylvia tries very hard to not sleep by taking as much caffeine as she possibly can.

The selling point of this novel is the mystery. Sylvia has her cliche'ed high school experience which you kind of have to overlook. It is not as bad as other books but still present. Anyway, Sylvia slides into someone's mind without knowing the owner. Her sliding destination has much to do with emotional power on physical objects; a pencil, shirt, a dollar bill, whatever. This time she sees the world through this person's eyes and realizes she is witnessing a murder committed by this person.

Throughout the novel, Sylvia slides in and out of people, discovers more about herself and others, the control she does or does not have, and most of the people look suspicious of the crime. It was fun because I didn't really know which person committed the murder, although I had my notions.

The book also addresses pertinent issues in high school and adolescence. It's a little gritty but not inappropriate. I didn't love the conclusion of the mystery. It seemed forced and unbelievable. Besides that, though, it's an intriguing, easy read.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen Review

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle.  His father is the unpredictable one. 

When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out. 

They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .

It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival". . . 

Goodreads: I've been reading much too serious of books lately. This was a fantastic break from those. Clever, witty, and a parody of so many reality shows. Wahoo is a great protagonist, Mickey appropriately lacks social skills. Link is a soft hearted big lug. Derek Badger a marvelous parody of Steve Irwin wannabe.

It's fun, entertaining and lacks cheesiness. I watched the pictures in my head form a cohesive movie. Especially Derek Badger's smoking pants after being hit by lightening. Very fun.

Book Wedge GIVEAWAY!

Attention Readers!

(*Snort!* Like you aren't a reader if you're reading this blog!)

The good people from BookWedge offered me their awesome product to try and THEN if I deemed it marvelous, I would get to offer one to a lucky reader!

So I tried it out and I liked it a lot. Here are my thoughts:

• Excellent for electronic readers. 
• I wish I had one when I went to the beach every beautiful day in Maui a couple of weeks ago.
• And on the airplane
• Provides some resistance for keeping pages open of books but I'd still suggest a paper clip
• Easy to blow up
• Tiny when deflated
• Angle is perfect when sitting or laying down. 
• Although I didn't try because, like I said, I didn't have it, I think it would work great if I was on my stomach, frying my back and had my Kindle on its side for easy reading.
• I use mine every day.

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You can't have mine.

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The Good Father: A Novel by Noah Hawley

The Good Father: A Novel by Noah Hawley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads: An intense, psychological novel about one doctor's suspense-filled quest to unlock the mind of a suspected political assassin: his twenty-year old son.

As the Chief of Rheumatology at Columbia Presbyterian, Dr. Paul Allen's specialty is diagnosing patients with conflicting symptoms, patients other doctors have given up on. He lives a contented life in Westport with his second wife and their twin sons—hard won after a failed marriage earlier in his career that produced a son named Daniel. In the harrowing opening scene of this provocative and affecting novel, Dr. Allen is home with his family when a televised news report announces that the Democratic candidate for president has been shot at a rally, and Daniel is caught on video as the assassin.  
     
Daniel Allen has always been a good kid—a decent student, popular—but, as a child of divorce, used to shuttling back and forth between parents, he is also something of a drifter. Which may be why, at the age of nineteen, he quietly drops out of Vassar and begins an aimless journey across the United States, during which he sheds his former skin and eventually even changes his name to Carter Allen Cash.
     
Told alternately from the point of view of the guilt-ridden, determined father and his meandering, ruminative son, The Good Father is a powerfully emotional page-turner that keeps one guessing until the very end. This is an absorbing and honest novel about the responsibilities—and limitations—of being a parent and our capacity to provide our children with unconditional love in the face of an unthinkable situation.

My take: This was an interesting book to read. Hawley creates an ethical dilemma then provides a solid background along with snippets of history.

The protagonist is a rheumatologist which I found to be an interesting choice. His son has been charged with a murder of a presidential candidate. The man is not a detective but a doctor. Nonetheless, he is the doctor of last resort. He's the one who takes the pieces of a medical history in order to diagnose the uncommon and the weird. Like the doctor I visited two weeks ago. But I digress.

So the Paul Allen, the doctor, pieces together his son's childhood, teenagerhood, trauma, and personality. He wonders how much, if any, he is to blame, as his father. He didn't raise him after his 7th birthday. He and his first wife divorced. Paul went back East and started over again with a new family. He buried himself in his work. He's a good doctor. Maybe his absence contributed.

Hawley takes a stand that I admire but believe might cause some readers offense. What makes a good father? Hawley tackles this without apology.

Interspersed with the story itself, the doctor studies up on other high profile political assassins. He studies and extrapolates data from books and other research materials the personalities and justifications for the attempt on Reagan's life, the near attempt on Ford, the death of both Kennedy brothers and others. It is the most undiluted and factual accounts of all of the above I've read.

Dr. Allen's research takes him through conspiracy theories and political landscapes that leave questions in the wake. The conclusion is an interesting twist that may challenge the reader to examine their own thinking paradigm.

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Lucky Leprechaun and Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer GIVEAWAY

Blog Hop co-hosted by Books Complete Me & Author Cindy Thomas

What I have for you:

Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book.

Meltzer features a number of people that he believes is noteworthy and writes a short page on each of them. What is different is that he clearly is writing to his audience - his daughter, Lila. What Abraham Lincoln is best known for might not be what he concentrates his character essay on. He is using each of these people, both past and present, to highlight characteristics he wants his daughter to value. Most of them have a common thread. They saw a need and made a difference by doing something. One person can make a difference. It may not be earth shattering. Meltzer includes his 9th grade English teacher. She's not famous and is relatively unknown. But her influence fostered Meltzer's writing spirit.

Nancy, Susan G. Komen's sister made a promise as Susan lay dying of cancer. She'd help find a cure. Today the Susan G. Komen foundation is the most powerful breast cancer organizations, raising millions of dollars for research and uniting women all across the nation. I should know. I don a pink t-shirt and participate every year with my daughters, my sisters and their daughters, and my one breasted mother.

Each essay is short, sweet, and written in language that a child would understand and an adult will cherish. Short sentences. Clear and concise. Powerful. Wonderful.

3 copies available!

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Word to the wise: Don't tell your daughters to read it. Just leave it out. Personal experience. That's all I'm saying.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen Review

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle.  His father is the unpredictable one.

When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out.

They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .

It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival"

My take: I've been reading much too serious of books lately. This was a fantastic break from those. Clever, witty, and a parody of so many reality shows. Wahoo is a great protagonist, Mickey appropriately lacks social skills. Link is a soft hearted big lug. Derek Badger a marvelous parody of Steve Irwin wannabe.

It's fun, entertaining and lacks cheesiness. I watched the pictures in my head form a cohesive movie. Especially Derek Badger's smoking pants after being hit by lightening. Very fun.

Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli Review and GIVEAWAY

Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: A breathtaking Georgia-mountain epic about the complex bond of mothers and daughters across a century.

In the autumn of 1941, Amelia J. McGee, a young woman of Cherokee and Scotch-Irish descent, and an outspoken pamphleteer for the NAACP, hastily sends her daughter, Ella, alone on a bus home to Georgia in the middle of the night-a desperate action that is met with dire consequences when the child encounters two drifters and is left for dead on the side of the road.

Ella awakens to find herself in the homestead of Willie Mae Cotton, a wise hoodoo practitioner and former slave, and her partner, Mary-Mary Freeborn, tucked deep in the Takatoka forest. As Ella begins to heal, the legacies of her lineage are revealed.

"Glow" transports us from Washington, D.C., on the brink of World War II to 1836 and into the mountain coves of Hopewell County, Georgia, full of ghosts both real and imagined. Illuminating the tragedy of human frailty, the power of friendship and hope, and the fiercest of all human bonds-mother love-this stunning debut will appeal to readers of both Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees" and Amy Green's "Bloodroot."

My take: What a talented author this is! It is one thing to tie together a generation or two. Quite another to tie together a couple of family trees and generations.

The book is told by multiple perspectives in different time periods. The first voice introduces a couple of characters and the current conflict. The next voice might be a character introduced by the previous character but eventually they all tie together into the same family tree, although not a straight line. The cultures cross between American Indian, Southern white, and black.

One character is struggling because racial tensions have escalated and she no longer feels her young daughter is safe. She puts her on the bus and the girl disappears. She's frantic and sick with worry. Another character is torn from her mother's arms and sold to another family. It is slavery U.S. and my heart broke into a thousand pieces as I read the point of view as a slave.

Another character is a boy who discovers he is part American Indian and left to care for his toddler sister who seems to be mentally unsteady and difficult to keep corralled. He is living in a prejudiced world and wondering who he is - black, Indian, white? Can he rise to his trials? Through him we meet a multitude of other characters who play no small part.

It is part historical fiction, part ghost story, part epic novel. Beautifully written in the language expected (black slave English or 1940's Southern states) with descriptions that paint amazing pictures. All stories are tied together. My only complaint is how loosely they are tied together. I yearned for a more solid ending rather than the assumptions I was to make. I still highly recommend.

About the Author: A filmmaker and graduate of MIT with a degree in anthropology, Jessica Maria Tuccelli spent three summers trekking through northeastern Georgia, soaking up its ghost stories and folklore. She divides her time between Italy and New York City, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

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Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart. 

Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder; she, a ravaging family history of breast cancer. But when their paths cross on the night of Lucy’s twenty-first birthday, sparks fly, and there’s no denying their chemistry. 

Cautious every step of the way, they are determined to make their relationship work—and they put their commitment in writing. Mickey will take his medication. Lucy won’t blame him for what is beyond his control. He promises honesty. She promises patience. Like any marriage, there are good days and bad days—and some very bad days. In dealing with their unique challenges, they make the heartbreaking decision not to have children. But when Lucy shows up for a routine physical just shy of their eleventh anniversary, she gets an impossible surprise that changes everything. Everything. Suddenly, all their rules are thrown out the window, and the two of them must redefine what love really is.

My take: I have written the first sentence multiple times and I'm still struggling how to begin. I want to be careful so I don't give spoilers without warning so I might be vague. There are so many facets of this book that I loved. I'll start with the first thing that comes to my mind.

Mickey and Lucy are complex and wonderful people. We meet Lucy first as a child as she sees Death for the first time. Death is not a verb but a noun. Death is female and not frightening. She is comforting and peaceful. At the time, her father explained to her that Death is not scary or painful. Death is also not the end but a continuation. Dying might hurt but Death does not. A few days later, Death took her father. At the age of 17, Death also took her mother. Lucy knew Death was near and felt peaceful but sad.

Lucy is a package deal. She comes with sass and two sisters, Lily who is maternal in nature but childless and Priscilla who is career driven and has ice in her veins. All of the sisters are loyal to one another but stay true to their characters. Lucy is the youngest. All live with the fear of cancer and death (even though their father said Death is nothing to fear). Their DNA dictates that cancer will come again to the Houston girls.

Mickey is 8 years older than Lucy and comes with another package. He is funny, a good business man, charismatic and bipolar. Here's what I loved about Mickey - is more than his diagnosis and makes that clear to Lucy. He also makes it clear to Lucy that being with him will be heartbreaking. He will crash and he will hurt her. It is part of the illness. He is also honest and genuine. Their marriage is not a destination but part of the journey. They accept each other and their flaws, marry and continue on. That's what I loved about their relationship. They love each other and use that love to propel them forward. Mickey hits his cycles. He becomes manic, self-medicates, hits psychosis, he's hospitalized, stabilizes, and comes home. Lucy greets him, accepts him, respects him and continues to love him. Being bipolar is one part of who he is. He's also much more than that.

At the beginning of most chapters, Mickey provides a journal entry. It's usually short but clearly and concisely, with raw honesty describes his mood disorder in a way that a textbook can't. He provides a window for the reader to comprehend why his mood escalates to something uncontrollable and how he justifies adjusting his medication. Bipolar becomes much more than a diagnosis. It has a face and personality.

Cancer is also a part of Lucy. It doesn't define her but it is a part of her. Again, Hancock doesn't gloss over anything. The doctor tells Lucy she has cancer and then we journey through her treatment with her. One character provides a truth which applies to just about everything in life. The only way through is going through it. There are no shortcuts. There are no shortcuts to a happy marriage. There are no shortcuts through cancer treatment. There are no shortcuts through depression. There are no shortcuts through death or grief. The only way through is getting up in the morning, making it through the day, going to bed. Repeat. Eventually you're at the other side.

Hancock tackles some tough issues that are not foreign to the reader. Mental illness, marital happiness or discontent, commitment to marriage vows, love, illness, loss, grief, death, dying, faith, God, peace. Many of her ideas resonated for me. I also enjoyed having a book that did not have offensive material in it. Swearing is mild, much like my own mouth. Sex is included but within appropriate context. Dialogue centers around the issues.

There is much, much more that I want to say about this but I'm afraid of spoiling it.

Mickey and Lucy go through hell together. Mickey has his cycles and becomes psychotic or realizes he's spiraling out of control and gets the help he needs. Lucy gets cancer and goes through chemo and radiation once. Then she finds she has cancer again with the added complication of an unplanned pregnancy. At this point, they have to decide whether to continue the pregnancy and seek treatment that may or may not kill the cancer or do something else. Remember that Mickey is mentally ill. If Lucy dies, Mickey may not be able to take care of the baby if the baby survives.

The book is about believing in what really matters - family, marriage, love, and faith, regardless of what life hands you. It is beautifully written and I finished in tears but filled with hope.

Loved it.