Tag: books

One Was Lost, by Natalie Richards

one-was-lost
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Natalie Richards used to work in a boring office cubicle before she discovered the art of making things up and became a young adult author. Her newest novel is One Was Lost.

Sera did not want to go on her senior camping trip, but she didn’t have a choice. She especially didn’t want to go with Lucas, with whom she has a history. But there she was, hiking through the woods with a group of teenagers, and the only thing she has in common with them is this stupid trip.

Until the group is split in two, and her group wakes up groggy and disoriented, with words scrawled on their wrists. Their supplies are gone. Their chaperone is unconscious. And they find four dolls acting out a murder…four dolls dressed exactly like them. Someone stalks them in the woods, and since Sera has the only positive word on her wrist, soon everyone is suspicious of her. They have to get out of the woods before someone else winds up hurt or dead, but their stalker is always one step ahead.

So, this book….I’m a bit of a chicken sometimes, and this book creeped me out several times. Things kept getting worse for Sera and her friends, and the setting was spooky enough to make me swear off camping in the woods. Like, forever. I never did figure out what was going on, right up until the action-packed ending. One Was Lost kept me flipping pages until I finally found out what was going on.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley).

The Cabin, by Natasha Preston

the-cabin
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Natasha Preston is a New York Times bestselling author from England. Her newest novel is The Cabin.

It’ been a rough year for Mackenzie and her friends. They lost two of their group in a car accident months ago, and things have not been the same since. Now, with graduation looming, they decide to celebrate at Josh’s parents’ cabin in the woods. Sounds fun, right?

Right up until the moment when they find two of their group brutally murdered. And with no signs of forced entry, that means one of the five survivors is the killer. With all eyes upon them, Mackenzie’s life—and those of her friends—will never be the same. She can’t stand not knowing what happened, but when her efforts to figure it out result in another death, Mackenzie starts to wonder just how well she really knows her friends.

The Cabin is creepy in a spine-tingling, looking-over-your-shoulder way. The characters are great, vibrant with life and their relationships are complex. Like Mackenzie, I didn’t want to believe one of them was the killer. Unlike Mackenzie, I’m positive I wouldn’t have gone back out into the woods looking for clues. If you’re looking for a read that will suck you in and keep you flipping the pages, grab this one!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

What I Read in October

It’s about time I got around to listing what I read in October (Since it’s practically December.).

Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller.

sssThe Scent of Salt and Sand, by P.C. and Kristin Cast.

the-saint-louisiansThe Saint Louisans, by Steven Clark

beauty-of-darknessThe Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E. Pearson

what-well-do-for-blood

What We’ll Do For Blood, by C.L. Mannarino

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen

tpwThe Tea Planter’s Wife, by Dinah Jeffries

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.)

Heir of Thunder, by Karissa Laurel

heir-of-thunder
Image belongs to Evolved Publishing.

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.)

The Homecoming, by Stacie Ramey

 

the-homecoming
Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

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.)

Humble Roots, by Hannah Anderson

humble-roots
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Moody Publishers.

Hannah Anderson‘s new book, Humble Roots, came out last month.

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.

(Galley provided by Moody Publishers.)

A Whole Latte Murder, by Caroline Fardig

a-whole-latte-murder
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Alibi.

Caroline Fardig is the author of the Java Jive Mysteries series. The newest novel, A Whole Latte Murder, hit shelves last week.

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!

(Galley provided by Alibi via NetGalley.)

Nutshell, by Ian McEwan

nutshell
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.

(Galley provided by Doubleday via NetGalley.)

Unfolding, by Jonathan Friesen

unfolding
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Blink.

 

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!

(Galley provided by Blink via NetGalley.)

The Scent of Salt and Sand, by P.C. and Kristin Cast

 

sss
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.)