Tag: fiction

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 Beauty of Darkness, by Mary E. Pearson

beauty-of-darkness
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Henry Holt & Co.

 

Mary E. Pearson is former school teacher, a lifelong player at being different people, and an award-winning author. Her newest novel is The Beauty of Darkness, the third book in The Remnant Chronicles.

Lia is First Daughter in Morrighan, but she abandoned her family and what was expected of her years ago in favor of choosing her own destiny. She ended up a captive in Venda, where she learned of the great evil stalking Morrighan and the rest of the world.

With war looming, Lia has no choice but to return to her home to warn them, but she risks imprisonment or worse if she is caught. With Rafe forbidding her to return to Morrighan and one of her betrayers now seeking to aid her, Lia does not know where to turn. She has a choice between an impossible task that might claim her life, or doing what is expected of her.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, especially considering I have not read the first two books in the series (yet). I don’t normally read only part of a series, so I assume I overlooked the fact that it’s the third—and final—book in one. Even so, I loved the characters and found the world intriguing. Great action and mystery here!

(Galley provided by Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley.)

Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova

labyrinth-lost
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

According to her website, Zoraida Cordova says, “(I) write YA Urban Fantasy about mermaids and other things that go bump in the night. I also write about 20-something-year-old-girls searching for love and the meaning of life. I often wish my life were a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sex and the City. I’m a contributing writer to Latinos in Kid Lit because #WeNeedDiverseBooks.” Her newest novel is Labyrinth Lost.

Alex is a bruja in a family of powerful witches. But Alex doesn’t want her powers. She wants to be normal. She’s hated magic for years, ever since it made her father disappear. Instead of a Quinceañera, Alex prepares for her Death Day:  the most important event in a witch’s life, and her one chance to get rid of her magic.

But the curse she performs during the ceremony goes wrong, and her entire family disappears, leaving her alone and with all of their magic. Nova is the only one she can turn to, a brujo with ambitions of his own. They must travel to Los Lagos, a land in-between two places that makes Wonderland look like a cartoon fairy tale.

The characters in Labyrinth Lost are so vivid they almost step off the page. The magic system is unique (with a hint of the feel of voodoo). Alex is conflicted over her heritage, but not her love of her family, and she grows so much in this book. There are a few twists in the book that will catch the reader by surprise.

 

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

What I Read in August

Nothing like being almost a month late with this post.

Sorry about that.

I’m actually very OCD about To-Do Lists/my BuJo, but some things just get away from me. Like talking about what I read in August.

Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Queen’s Necklace, by Kathryn Kenny. This was from my TBR pile, and is also a book I loved when I was younger. This series is just so…innocent and happy.

the summer that melted everything
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.)

The Summer that Melted Everything, by Tiffany McDaniel. Read to review. And wow.

getting it right

Getting it Right, by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Read to review. Felt sort of like A Confederacy of Dunces to me.

the reason I run

The Reason I Run, by Chris Spriggs. Such an inspiring book, full of determination and love. Read to review.

last-road-home-flat-cover

The Last Road Home, by Danny Johnson. Read to review. Excellent read. Very emotional and poignant.

 

 

Darcy Moon and the Aroona Frogs, by Catherine Carvell

 

darcy-moon
I do no own this image. Image belongs to Star Bright Books.

Catherine Carvell was born in England but moved to Australia at age 8. She loved nature and stories, so she studied biology and journalism. Now she lives in Singapore with her family and pet turtles. Darcy Moon and the Aroona Frogs is her first middle-grade book.

Darcy Moon has enough problems, her father’s wacky job and her mom’s hairy armpits are just the tip of the iceberg. When she wanders into the local swamp and an old turtle asks for her help, she is understandably freaked out. The Aroona frogs are disappearing, and Darcy is an Earth Guardian. She has to help, but she’s up against a local millionaire while she tries fix the food-chain and save the swamp. And that doesn’t count the talking frogs.

Darcy Moon and the Aroona Frogs is a unique, humorous middle-grade book dealing with environmental issues, greed, and quirky families. It’s totally worth reading…and I don’t even have kids!

(Galley provided by Star Bright Books via NetGalley.)

Cutter Boy, by Cristy Watson

cutter-boy
I do not own this image. Image used courtesy of James Lorimer & Company.)

 

Cristy Watson is a teacher who writes poetry and YA. Her newest story is Cutter Boy.

Travis is bullied at school and ignored at home. He has no one to talk to. The only thing that gives him peace is cutting himself with a razor blade. When he meets new girl Chyvonne at school, he wants to get to know her better, but he’s afraid she’ll find out his secret.

As Travis grows closer to Chyvonne, he wonders what causes his mother to hate him so much. Then he finds the art of paper cutting, which seems to be the only other option to make himself feel better. Will Travis ever win his struggle with self-harm?

Cutter Boy is a difficult and dark short novel that delves into an area seldom explored in literature:  self-harm among guys. Travis’ journey is wrenching and emotionally gripping.

(Galley courtesy of James Lorimer & Company.)

The Sunlight Pilgrims, by Jenni Fagan

the-sunlight-pilgrims
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.

Jenni Fagan is a poet, screenwriter, and the author of short stories, essays, articles, plays, and novels. She has won prestigious awards, including Scottish Author of the Year (2016) and one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists (2013). Her newest novel is The Sunlight Pilgrims.

In November of 2020, the world is freezing over. The consequences of global warming are in full effect. The ice caps are melting. There’s snow in Israel. The Thames is overflowing. People are fleeing London for warmer temperatures to the south. But Dylan is headed north to bury the ashes of his mother and grandmother in the Scottish islands they came from.

Twelve-year-old Estella and her survivalist mother, Constance, live in a Highlands caravan, getting by scavenging the landfill for things to restore and trade. Stella is not who she one was, and Constance is fiercely protective of who her child is, and of her own choices. When Dylan arrives, he will change both their lives as they wait for the worsening winter to arrive.

This is a beautiful, evocative book filled with compelling characters. The potential return of the ice Age—set only four years from now!—adds a chilling backdrop to the experiences of the characters. Very well-done and worth reading.

(Galley provided by Crown Publishing via NetGalley.)

Tracing the Bones, by Elise A. Miller

tracing-the-bones
I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.

Elise A. Miller is a fitness instructor and a writer of both fiction and essays. Her first novel, Star Craving Mad, was first published in 2004. Tracing the Bones is her second novel.

Eve Myers is a housewife haunted by her husband’s long-ago affair. She has two kids, chronic back pain, and scribbles story ideas on scraps of paper as she drifts numbly through her monotonous life. Until a new family moves into the house next door.

Now Eve is obsessed with beautiful life coach Anna and sexy alternative healer Billy. Anna has abilities Eve never imagined, and Billy is haunted by a dark, troubled past. While Eve starts healing sessions with Billy, tragedy strikes, drawing Eve into a tangled web of suspicion and sending her marriage careening towards a precipice of mistrust and betrayal.

Tracing the Bones is a compelling, intriguing story about flawed characters and their struggles. I understood—and sympathized—with Eve’s pain as well as her curiosity. The aftermath of tragedy, and Eve’s ever-deepening involvement in the darkness offered her a chance at resolution and redemption. I enjoyed this book very much.

(Galley provided by SparkPress via NetGalley.)

The Regulars, by Georgia Clark

 

 

The-Regulars-Georgia-Clark
This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Atria Books.

Georgia Clark is from Sydney, but now lives in New York City. She has been in a band, worked as a freelance journalist, and as a copywriter. The Regulars is her first adult novel, and she has young adult novels on the shelf as well.

Evie, Krista, and Willow are best friends living in New York City. They are regular twenty-somethings with average looks and typical problems, like making rent, online dating, and making a difference in a job that makes a mockery of what they believe.

Until they come across Pretty, a magical potion that makes them beautiful, giving them a chance to discover what looking like a supermodel can give you in life. Pretty opens unexpected doors for them, but it has a darker side, too. Soon the friends must decide the answer to the question, “What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?”

Evie, Krista, and Willow are regular girls—girls all women can relate to, and they have real problems and real struggles. The Regulars is about these problems, but about larger problems as well, like the objectification of women and lies and manipulation in the dating world. There are some funny moments in this book, but it made me think about life—and about society and its faults. Don’t read this thinking it will be light and fluffy, this books deals with much deeper issues, and the characters are believable, people we would all enjoy being friends with.

(Galley provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.)

Getting it Right, by Elizabeth Jane Howard

getting it right
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Open Road Media.

 

Elizabeth Jane Howard was a model and actress turned novelist. She published Getting it Right in 1982, and it was made into a movie a few years later.

Gavin Lamb is a 31-year-old hair dresser in London. He still lives at home. He’s shy beyond measure. And he has a fear of interacting with people. He likes Mozart and Tolstoy, but women scare him, even his overbearing, neurotic mother, who wants to control every facet of his and his father’s lives.

Then Gavin gets forced to attend a party, and his life changes forever when he meets two women:  the colorful Joan, rich and married; and Minnie Munday, a party-crasher who claims to be royalty. Gavin has never seen so much crazy in one place, but these two women will teach him about finding true love.

Getting it Right is an interesting read about sometimes-colorful characters. I didn’t realize it was published in in 1982 when I was asked to review it, so the setting took me a few minutes to assimilate to. Gavin initially reminded me of Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, but he grew so much as a character that that comparison faded from my mind.

(Galley provided by Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.)