Tag: books

Book Review: A Dragonbird in the Fern, by Laura Rueckert

Image belongs to North Star Editions/Flux .

When an assassin kills Princess Jiara’s older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scilla’s betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sister’s place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries.

Marrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. She’s terrified of life in a foreign land where she’ll be unable to communicate.

Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister’s assassin comes from the king’s own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla’s ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sister’s killer . . . before he murders her too.

I enjoyed this read. Jiara’s struggles with reading were captured beautifully, and I felt all of her embarrassment and pain. Her attempts to learn the language of her new husband and home grounded the story and made it relatable, even amidst the magic and strange cultures and settings. This was a solid read for a debut novel.

Laura Rueckert grew up in Michigan. A Dragonbird in the Fern is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of North Star Editions/Flux in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Cup of Silver Linings, by Karen Hawkins

Image belongs to Gallery Books.

Ava Dove—the sixth of seven daughters of the famed Dove family, and owner of Ava’s Landscaping and Specialty Gourmet Tea—is frantic.

Just as she is getting ready to open her fabulous new tearoom, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, the tea that is supposed to help people sleep is startling them awake with vivid dreams; the tea that infuses romance back into tired marriages is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets; and the tea that helps people find happiness is making them spend hours staring into mirrors.

Meanwhile, living four doors down the road from Ava, sixteen-year-old Kristen Foster’s life has just crashed down around her. After her mother’s death, Kristen’s grandmother Ellen has arrived in town to sweep Kristen off to a white mansion on a hill in distant Raleigh. But Kristen has had enough ‘life changes’ and is desperate to stay with her friends in her beloved hometown of Dove Pond. But to do so means Kristen must undertake a quest she’s been avoiding her entire life—finding her never-been-there-for-her father.

With the help of an ancient herbal remedy book found in her attic by her sister, Ava realizes that Kristen holds the key to fixing her unstable tea leaves. So Ava throws herself into Kristen’s search, even convincing Kristen’s grandmother Ellen to help, too. Together, the three embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen.

I’ve really enjoyed both books in the Dove Pond series. The setting is so charming, and the characters are distinct and likable, drawing you into their adventures on the very first page. The Dove sisters are both quirky and relatable, and I can’t wait to meet their other sisters as the series continues. Ellen was totally unlikable to start with, but she grew and changed throughout the story, just as Ava herself did. This was a sweet, enjoyable read, perfect for curling up with a cup of hot tea and immersing yourself in it!

Karen Hawkins is a New York Times-bestselling author. A Cup of Silver Linings is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Last Nomad, by Shugri Said Salh

Image belongs to Algonquin Books.
  • Title:  The Last Nomad
  • Author:  Shugri Said Salh
  • Genre:  Nonfiction
  • Rating:  4 out of 5

Born in Somalia, a spare daughter in a large family, Shugri Said Salh was sent at age six to live with her nomadic grandmother in the desert. The last of her family to learn this once-common way of life, Salh found herself chasing warthogs, climbing termite hills, herding goats, and moving constantly in search of water and grazing lands with her nomadic family. For Salh, though the desert was a harsh place threatened by drought, predators, and enemy clans, it also held beauty, innovation, centuries of tradition, and a way for a young Sufi girl to learn courage and independence from a fearless group of relatives. Salh grew to love the freedom of roaming with her animals and the powerful feeling of community found in nomadic rituals and the oral storytelling of her ancestors.

As she came of age, though, both she and her beloved Somalia were forced to confront change, violence, and instability. Salh writes with engaging frankness and a fierce feminism of trying to break free of the patriarchal beliefs of her culture, of her forced female genital mutilation, of the loss of her mother, and of her growing need for independence. Taken from the desert by her strict father and then displaced along with millions of others by the Somali Civil War, Salh fled first to a refugee camp on the Kenyan border and ultimately to North America to learn yet another way of life.

This was a fascinating read! I don’t know much about Somalia, so that was pretty much all new to me. Parts of this were extremely difficult to read—the explanation on FGM and how it was accepted and sought after, the way Shugri was abused by her sister when she got to Canada—but it was a powerful, moving read with a lot of hope on its pages.

Shugri said Salh was born in Somalia but now lives in California. The Last Nomad is her story.

(Galley courtesy of Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in July (2021)

In July, I read 23 books, bringing my total for the year to 152.

Most of those were solid reads, but three really stood out.

A Court of Frost and Starlight, by Sarah J. Maas. This series is so, so good! I’m mad I read the first one years ago, then forgot about them until earlier this year. Looking forward to reading Nessa’s story next!

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim. This was an excellent retelling of a fairy tale, set in a vividly imagined culture. The characters are wonderful and the mythos is fascinating. I highly recommend reading this!

A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins. This is the second book in the Dove Pond series, and it’s a s magical as the first one. The small town setting is so cozy and comforting, and the characters are so believable I feel like I know them personally.

What I Read in July (2021)

Books Read in July: 23

Books Read for the Year:  152/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

For Review:

Not Safe, by Mark Batterson (spiritual). Wonderful read!

A Court of Frost and Starlight, by Sarah J. Maas (TBR). Can we talk about how much I love this series?

Spiritual Warfare in the End Times, by Ron Rhodes.

Odd Apocalypse, by Dean Koontz (re-read). Still loving this series! And this is the last one that’s a re-read.

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, by Joshilyn Jackson (TBR). The voice in this is Joshilyn Jackson at her best!

For Review:

The One You’re With, by Lauren K. Denton. I usually love Lauren K. Denton’s books, and, while this one was good, I didn’t like it as much as her others….because I feel like the wife was unreasonably mad over something she had absolutely no right to be mad about.

What We Devour, by Linsey Miller. I liked the idea of this and the writing was solid, but there was too much about the culture/history/etc. that was never explained in any way, so I just ended up confused.

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim. This was a fantastic read! It’s a re-telling of a fairy tale set in a completely different culture and it’s both vivid and evocative. Highly recommended!

Where It All Lands, by Jennie Wexler. This was an interesting read, and it all hinges on a coin toss. The first half of the book tells what would happen if the coin lands on heads, the second half if the coin lands on tails. I enjoyed the story—and the music threaded throughout.

Dog Eat Dog, by David Rosenfelt. This was just a “meh” read for me. The characters are basically talking heads with no setting or actions, so it just didn’t work for me.

The Innkeeper’s Daughter and The Gentleman’s Daughter, by Bianca M. Schwarz. These books kind of felt like a Regency-era copycat of James Bond. The male lead was of course a notorious ladies man—supposedly as “cover” for being a spy, and yet he was actually a big flirt who just wanted to sleep with the ladies in question.

The War Nurse, by Tracey Enerson Wood. This was a solid historical read set in World War I and dealing with war nurses (of course).

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove, by Heather Webber. This was a sweet family story with a hint of magic, dealing with scars from the past.

Mother of All, by Jenna Glass. The final book in a trilogy, and a solid fantasy read.

Radar Girls, by Sara Ackerman. This was a fascinating historical fiction read about something I’d never heard of: the women who became radar operators after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

When a Duke Loves a Governess, by Olivia Drake (review forthcoming). This was a solid yet standard romance read.

The Last Nomad, by Shugri Said Salh (review forthcoming). This was a good nonfiction of a girl who grew up in Somalia and the thing she experienced during the upheaval and war there, before she managed to escape.

A Cup of Silver Linings, by Karen Hawkins (review forthcoming). this is the excellent second book in the Dove Pond series, and I highly recommend it.

A Dragonbird in the Fern, by Laura Rueckert (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this fantasy read. The cultures were unique, and adding a murder mystery into the mix made it stand out.

Just Because:

Praying the Scriptures for Your Life, by Jodie Berndt. I loved this!

The End Times in Chronological Order by Ron Rhodes.

Many Infallible Proofs: Practical and Useful Evidences of Christianity, by Henry M. Morris

Left Unfinished:

Together We Will Go, by J. Michael Straczynski. I tried. I read 30% of this, but the whole concept—a group of people who go on a road trip to commit suicide together—was just too much for me.

Book Review: When a Duke Loves a Governess, by Olivia Drake

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn’t even know his name. What’s a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess?

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who’s crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she’s too bold and beautiful–and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.

Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy’s family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?

This was a quick, easy read. Sophy was quite the brat to start with, and Guy’s blindness to that was almost enough to make me put the book down, despite the accuracy of the situation (Wealthy absentee father now trying to be involved, thinks his daughter is an angel). This was a solid read, but not an unexpected one. If you’re looking for an HEA-ending, Tessa and her struggles are a good way to spend a few hours.

Olivia Drake is an award-winning author.  When a Duke Loves a Governess is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Radar Girls, by Sara Ackerman

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Daisy Wilder prefers the company of horses to people, bare feet and salt water to high heels and society parties. Then, in the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy enlists in a top secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies. 

But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest. Because the most important battles are fought—and won—together.

This was a pretty cool read! I loved the historical premise of the novel, of which I’d never heard the slightest bit about:  Hawaiian women being trained to use radar in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The writing is solid, and the characters are unique and believable individuals. I truly enjoyed finding out what happened to these women against the backdrop of war, with the setting of Hawaii as a vibrant character in its own right. A perfect weekend read!

Sara Ackerman lives in Hawaii. Radar Girls is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Mother of All, by Jenna Glass

Image belongs to Random House/Del Rey.

In the once male-dominated world of Seven Wells, women now control their own reproduction, but the battle for equality is far from over. Even with two thrones held by women, there are still those who cling to the old ways and are determined to return the world to the way it was.

Now into this struggle comes a darker power. Delnamal, the former King of Aalwell, may have lost his battle to undo the spell that gave women reproductive control, but he has gained a terrible and deadly magic, and he uses these new abilities to raise an army the likes of which the world has never seen. Delnamal and his allies seem like an unstoppable force, destined to crush the fragile new balance between men and women.

Yet sometimes it is possible for determined individuals to stem the tide, and it comes down to a unique triad of women–maiden, mother, and crone–to risk everything…not only to preserve the advances they have won but to change the world one final time.

I did not read the first book in this trilogy—not something that I recommend—but I was able to jump into book two without much problem. And, I very much enjoyed this book, the last in the trilogy. The magic system is unique as are the cultures and societies. Very strong female characters and some of the men are excellent characters as well—although some of them are total jerks. This is a solid fantasy read that I do recommend!

Jenna Glass has been writing since the fifth grade. Mother of All is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Lights of Sugarberry Cove, by Heather Webber

Image belongs to Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

Sadie Way Scott has been avoiding her family and hometown of Sugarberry Cove, Alabama, since she nearly drowned in the lake just outside her mother’s B&B. Eight years later, Sadie is the host of a much-loved show about southern cooking and family, but despite her success, she wonders why she was saved. What is she supposed to do?

Sadie’s sister, Leala Clare, is still haunted by the guilt she feels over the night her sister almost died. Now, at a crossroads in her marriage, Leala has everything she ever thought she wanted–so why is she so unhappy?

When their mother suffers a minor heart attack just before Sugarberry Cove’s famous water lantern festival, the two sisters come home to run the inn while she recovers. It’s the last place either of them wants to be, but with a little help from the inn’s quirky guests, the sisters may come to terms with their strained relationships, accept the past, and rediscover a little lake magic.

I enjoyed the magical realism in this story! The miscommunication/lack of communication between the characters causes all sorts of problems, but I really enjoyed the B&B setting and how the family worked out all their issues finally. This was a sweet, fun read, perfect for a summer weekend—especially at the lake.

Heather Webber lives new Cincinnati, Ohio. The Lights of Sugarberry Cove is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The War Nurse, by Tracey Enerson Wood

Image belongs to Sourcebooks Landmark.

Superintendent of Nurses Julia Stimson must recruit sixty-five nurses to relieve the battle-worn British, months before American troops are ready to be deployed. She knows that the young nurses serving near the front lines of will face a challenging situation, but nothing could have prepared her for the chaos that awaits when they arrive at British Base Hospital 12 in Rouen, France. The primitive conditions, a convoluted, ineffective system, and horrific battle wounds are enough to discourage the most hardened nurses, and Julia can do nothing but lead by example―even as the military doctors undermine her authority and make her question her very place in the hospital tent.

When trainloads of soldiers stricken by a mysterious respiratory illness arrive one after the other, overwhelming the hospital’s limited resources, and threatening the health of her staff, Julia faces an unthinkable choice―to step outside the bounds of her profession and risk the career she has fought so hard for, or to watch the people she cares for most die in her arms.

I enjoyed this read. Julia was an interesting character:  she has a fairly distant personality—she keeps her emotions in a little box—but she wants to be close to people. She’s motivated by her desire to make things better for the people around her, whether the patients, her fellow nurses, or the doctors.

The blurb makes it sound like the respiratory illness is a HUGE part of the novel, but it really wasn’t. The bulk of this story is Julia’s internal conflict. Even the war itself isn’t an on-screen character, it’s more background and setting. This is a solid read about a fascinating woman.

Tracey Enerson Wood is from New Jersey. The War Nurse is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)