Wonder Women, by Sam Maggs (Stopped reading because the author’s side comments were so biased and snarky that it completely overshadowed the interesting tales of women who should’ve been famous.)
Karissa Laurel is the author of The Norse Chronicles. Her newest book, Heir of Thunder, is the first book in The Stormbourne Chronicles.
Evelyn Stormbourne is left reeling by the sudden death of her father amidst an attack by revolutionaries. Her only ally is Gideon, her father’s horse master, who helps her conceal her identity as they flee to the safety of the coast to find a ship to the Continent.
When a horrific storm washes Evie overboard, she finds herself “rescued” by slavers collecting girls from all cultures. Though Evie escapes, she’s determined to save her fellow captives, with the aid of nomads who live in airships fueled by lightning. Add in a cabal of Dark Magicians intent on using her to create a new god, and an ancient family intent on claiming Evie’s birthright, and the likelihood of disaster is high, as Evie struggles to embrace her identity as well as her powers.
Heir of Thunder is an engaging read set in an intriguing world. The airships are fascinating, as is the culture of the people who live in them. Evie starts off as a sheltered, spoiled brat, but grows so much as a character throughout the novel. A great epic fantasy read for YA or adult readers alike.
(Galley provided by Evolved Publishing via NetGalley.)
Stacie Ramey has a degree in speech pathology and works with autistic children. Her newest book, The Homecoming, is a young adult novel.
John has nowhere to go but home. Since his mother kicked him out, he’s gotten into trouble with the law, developed a talent for trouble, and bounced from relative to relative. Now “home” is the one place he doesn’t want to be, but it’s the only place he can be.
Starting over again at his old school is more than John can handle. The ruins of his family are tangled up in this town, and being back brings the tragedies of John’s past to damaged life every day. He tries to focus on lacrosse, but between his broken family and his anger issues, even sports aren’t enough to tame his dragon. Then he meets Emily, the girl next door, and starts to wonder if anyone can love the broken mess he’s become.
I’m not usually a fan of male-narrated young adult stories, but The Homecoming is an exception. I didn’t realize this was a companion novel to The Sister Pact (which I haven’t read). John is a compelling narrator, very troubled and broken, but only slowly aware of his brokenness. He grows so much during this novel, and the reader gets to see all of those changes and experience them with John. I really enjoyed this book.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
In it, Hannah talks about pursuing a life of peace and humility. But this is not a book entirely composed of theological lectures or Bible verses. Though the book is rooted in Jesus’s teaching, Hannah also talks about lessons learned in her life in a small Virginia town as a rural pastor’s wife. From an elderly neighbor bringing gifts of honey to rogue green bean plants, Hannah uses simple lessons from her own life to speak about the value of finding both peace and humility.
This is a peaceful book, fitting since it is about peace. It evokes a sense of calm, as well as encourages the reader’s introspection and exploration into lessons learned from the Son of God.
Juliet’s life has been looking up. Business at Java Jive, the coffee shop she runs, is booming. Her romance with hot cop Ryder is heating up. And she hasn’t found any dead bodies in weeks. Then Ryder gets promoted to homicide, and Juliet’s happiness turns to fear, as she contemplates his involvement with the worst kind of criminals.
Worse yet, girls are going missing in Nashville, and the city is on edge. Chelsea, Juliet’s neighbor, is especially nervous, and Juliet tries to calm her fears. But when Juliet finds Chelsea dead, she ends up right in the middle of Ryder’s first homicide investigation, a situation neither of them are happy about. Then Pete, Juliet’s best friend, winds up in the mix as one of the coffee shop employees goes missing. Now Juliet and Pete want to help find her, and all Ryder wants is Juliet to stay out of the way. What’s a girl to do when a killer’s on the loose?
The Java Jive books are a fantastic series of books. Light-hearted and funny, with plenty of pitfalls and antics, they are sure to have the reader laughing. A Whole Latte Murder is no exception, as Juliet continues to be a magnet for trouble and her curiosity keeps landing her in hot water. A fun, entertaining murder mystery!
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.
Ian McEwan is an award-winning English author. His most recent novel is Nutshell.
Trudy left her husband, John, making him leave the dilapidated but priceless family home in London. John is a poet, a romantic dreamer that Trudy once loved madly. Now she loves Claude, John’s banal, boring brother. But taking Trudy from John isn’t enough for Claude: he wants John’s life as well.
There’s just one problem, the witness to their plan. The nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb, her son with John.
Nutshell is written from the most interesting perspective I’ve ever read: that of an unborn—but very aware—baby. Trudy and Claude are unlikeable characters, but the baby is fascinating. That viewpoint alone makes this book worth reading, but the book is very well-written, and will keep the reader guessing until the end.
Jonathan Friesen is a former teacher’s pet who wrote his first novel while his students were working. Unfolding is his newest novel.
Jonah has a tough life in tiny Gullary, Oklahoma. He has a debilitating physical condition and epilepsy, which keeps him on the outside of many things. His parents are distant. He’s in love with his next-door neighbor, the troubled Stormi, deposited here as an infant when a tornado touched down. The same tornado that destroyed the Supermax prison where Jonah now works—the only employee—as an occasional tour guide and the caretaker for the prison’s solitary inmate, the mysterious Tres.
Stormi is carefree and vibrant, everything Jonah wishes he could be. She’s also different, a difference the town notices when she senses things before they happen, averting tragedy—or not. When Stormi senses she should leave town to find safety, Jonah is drawn in her wake as they struggle to find out the truth behind what happened in Gullary so long ago, and left the town scarred and harboring a darkness Jonah can only imagine.
This book. I couldn’t put it down. Seriously. I would have finished it in one sitting except I’m not independently wealthy and had to go to work. From the opening sentence to the final line, I was completely spellbound. Jonah is a fantastic character: he’s physically struggling, but emotionally strong, and this story is so firmly in his viewpoint I felt like I was experiencing every stumble and seizure. Stormi is full of life and mystery, and their interactions leap off the page. You should definitely read this!
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Diversion Books.
P.C. and Kristin Cast are a mother-daughter writing team. They wrote the NYT best-selling House of Night series. The Scent of Salt and Sand is a novella in their Escaped series.
The walls separating Tartarus have fallen, and now monsters from Greek mythology have escaped to the mortal world. The Sirens are part of the escapees. Bound for centuries because of their bloodlust, greed, and murders, the Sirens now run Siren Tours for tourists to Alcatraz, where they find their prey.
It’s Melody’s first time in the mortal realm, and she doesn’t want to be there. She’s different from the other Sirens: she doesn’t like blood, she has no interest in murder, and she hears specters in the water. Then she meets Dean, who becomes her assigned target, and falls in love. Can she keep Dean safe from her monstrous family, or has their love doomed them both?
So…I like P.C. and Kristin Cast. I enjoy their writing, which has a decidedly young adult slant. I’ve met them both, and they’re very bubbly and funny. I’m a fan of P.C.’s Goddess Summoning series, as well as The House of Night. I have not read either of the books in this series. I enjoyed most of this novella. The Sirens have always fascinated me, and their move in the real world is well-done. However, I really didn’t care for the ending of The Scent of Salt and Sand. At all. I intend to read Amber Smoke, but I’m pretty undecided about reading any more about the Sirens.
(Galley provided by Diversion books via NetGalley.)
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Scribner.
Running Man is the autobiography of Charlie Engle, a former drug addict and ultra-runner who spent time in prison for mortgage fraud.
Charlie Engle got involved with drinking at a young age, and soon developed a taste for drugs as well. He forgot his love of running in the haze of drinking and drugs, his life a roller-coaster ride of near-misses, unconvincing excuses, and a struggle to keep it—whatever “it” was—together. He was only partially successful, until his son Brett was born. A few months later, Charlie started running again, in an effort to fuel his sobriety.
Marathons and ultra-marathons soon left Charlie unsatisfied, so he turned to adventure-racing and found his niche. Raising money to support causes he believed in had Charlie traveling the globe and tackling the biggest challenges of his life, including running the Sahara Desert. Then Charlie landed in prison for mortgage fraud, and he had to re-build his life from scratch, not a task for the faint-of-heart.
Running Man is for more than runners. This book will inspire anyone who has ever struggled to overcome a problem, from a physical injury or illness, to bad decisions or betrayal by someone they trusted. A powerful, moving story of one man’s fight to overcome his past as he forges his life into the future he wants, not what the world wants for him. You should definitely read this if you need inspiration for anything!
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Amphorae Publishing Group.
Steven Clark is the author of The Saint Louisans, which came out in August.
Saint Louis is home to Lee Bridger, hospice nurse and longtime observer of upper-class society and everything else in the city she calls home. When Margot Desouche, the matriarch of one of the city’s founding families, is diagnosed with cancer, she requests Lee, and Lee finds herself dawn to the regal woman.
But things aren’t so easy in Saint Louis. Lee has her boyfriend—an activist trying to save the city’s history—and her daughter—a con artist who Lee has never understood; and Margot has her two children—vindictive, spiteful, and determined to thwart their mother’s plans. Throw in a battle over one of the city’s oldest traditions and a mysterious missing goddess, and Lee’s wish for peace is but a distant dream.
At first, I wasn’t sure about this book. But soon enough, I was drawn into the complicated lives of these two families, with dark secrets, current mysteries, and hard-headed individuals with no desire to see anyone else’s point of view. Lee is a fantastic character, open about the mistakes in her past and wanting to make the world a better place. Margot is kind yet reserved, and fighting a battle no one knows about. I ended up really loving this complex, emotional book!
(Galley provided by Amphorae Publishing Group via NetGalley.)
The Scent of Salt and Sand, by P.C. and Kristin Cast.
The Saint Louisans, by Steven Clark
The Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E. Pearson
The Tea Planter’s Wife, by Dinah Jeffries
Tomorrow Is Another Day 