Tag: reading

“Rules of Rain” Spotlight Tour!

rules of rain

How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Rain has taken care of Ethan all of their lives. Before she even knew what autism meant, she was her twin brother’s connection to the world around him. Each day with Ethan is unvarying and predictable, and Rain takes comfort in being the one who holds their family together. It’s nice to be needed—to be the center of someone’s world. If only her longtime crush, Liam, would notice her too…

Then one night, her life is upended by a mistake she can’t undo. Suddenly Rain’s new romance begins to unravel along with her carefully constructed rules. Rain isn’t used to asking for help—and certainly not from Ethan. But the brother she’s always protected is the only one who can help her. And letting go of the past may be the only way for Rain to hold onto her relationships that matter most.

Leah Scheier works as a pediatrician and pens stories of romance and adventure. Her latest novel, Your Voice Is All I Hear, received a Starred Review from Booklist. She lives in Maryland. Learn more at leahscheier.com.

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Rules of Rain was a fantastic read! The relationship between Rain and Ethan was so believable—I have two brothers, and while we’ve always loved each other, sometimes we really fought, especially during those growing-up-and-apart years. The book truly captures the ups-and-downs of siblings, and portrays the added nuances of autism with compassion.

Rules of Rain also deals with first loves, and the mistakes that are sometimes made by people who are trying to figure out who they are. This is a great book, and well-worth picking up.

The publisher is holding a contest for a giveaway for two copies of Rules of Rain!
Check it out here:

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Book Review: The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden

Vasya has long seen creatures from legend, and her ability to see has brought trouble down upon her and her family. Only the aid of Morozko (Frost, the winter demon from the stories) has kept her alive so far, and the love of Solovey, her magnificent stallion. With her parents dead and her village casting her out as a witch, Vasya knows her options are limited: life in a convent or marriage to a Moscovite prince. She wants neither, and disguises herself as a boy as she sets out to explore the world.

She finds burned villages, missing girls, and bandits that vanish leaving no traces behind. After she rescues three girls from the bandits, the Grand Prince of Moscow calls her a hero, and she is reunited with her brother and sister. But Vasya cannot reveal that she is female, or her entire family risks disgrace and death. Soon she realizes that a danger stalks Moscow and the Grand Prince, and even Morozko, who she no longer knows if she can trust, may not be able to help her.

Have you ever identified with a character so completely that it almost broke your heart? That’s how I felt about Vasya as I was reading The Girl in the Tower. Everyone wants her to be content to marry, raise a family, and be conventional, but she wants anything but that. She wants to travel, live her life, and be happy, but the people around her don’t want that for her: they want her to conform. And she doesn’t want to hurt those she loves, so she’s torn.

Vasya is a powerful character, so relatable that you want to cry for her struggles. This is a magical, vibrant book, and wonder permeates every page. The setting is so vividly depicted that I found myself shivering—and I hate cold weather!

Katherine Arden is from Texas, but lived in Vermont, Russia, Hawaii, France, and Hawaii (again). She has picked Macadamia nuts, made smoothies, and sold real estate, but now she writes. The Girl in the Tower is her newest novel, the second book in The Winternight trilogy.

Go. Read this! And if you haven’t read The Bear and the Nightingale, read it first!

the girl in the tower2 — Gorgeous covers!

(Galley provided by Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Seventh Decimate, by Stephen R. Donaldson

seventhdecimate1 — Image belongs to Berkely.

Belleger and Amika have been at war for centuries, with their sorcerers hurling destruction and pestilence at each other and tearing the nations apart. Then Belleger’s sorcerers are stripped of their magic, and Belleger is on the verge of falling. But Prince Bifalt refuses to let that happen.

He sets out in search of the library that is the repository of the sorcerers’ knowledge, to find a decimate greater than the one used against his land, but what he really wants is to destroy all sorcerers. Through battles, desert, and near-starvation, Prince Bifalt searches for the repository, unaware that there are greater things in motion than he can even imagine.

I’ve read the Thomas Covenant books several times, and enjoyed them, but Covenant is not a likeable character. And neither is Prince Bifalt. Frequently, I felt the urge to shake him, for his blindness and refusal to consider anything but his own beliefs. Donaldson creates a vivid world, but I had a really hard time connecting with the Prince, and that made the book drag a bit for me.

Stephen R. Donaldson was born in Ohio, but grew up in India. His is the author of the Thomas Covenant books. His newest novel, Seventh Decimate, is the first in The Great God’s War trilogy.

(Galley provided by Berkely via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Austen Escape, by Katherine Reay

Mary Davies is an industrial engineer in Austin, Texas. She’s happy with her job and her life, although she wishes there was a bit more going on with cute, funny consultant Nathan. Then Mary’s childhood friend, Isabel, offers her a trip to England, for a two-week immersive stay in a Regency-style manor house, where everyone will be living as Jane Austen characters. Mary wants distance between her and her beautiful, manipulative, vindictive friend, but finds herself agreeing.

At first, the experience is fun, as Mary meets a group of people all pretending to be her favorite characters, but then Isabel wakes up one morning really thinking she is her chosen character, and with no memory of reality. Mary finds herself dependent on strangers as she waits for Isabel to regain her memory. Then Mary realizes she and Isabel’s lives are more entwined than she thought, and must decide if she’ll let her pain go and move on with her life, or hold it against Isabel forever.

I loved this book! This is my first (but not last) Katherine Reay book, and I loved the voice, the characters, and the setting. An immersive Jane Austen vacation? Yes, please! (I do love Austen.). Mary is such a complex character, given to spur-of-the-moment impulses and jumping to conclusions (That’s my own personal form of exercise, too.) Her friendship with Isabel is fraught with tension bordering on anger, and the relationship is vividly portrayed on the pages of this novel.

Katherine Reay has lived in Texas, England, Ireland, Washington, and now Chicago. The Austen Escape is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

Weylyn Grey was orphaned and raised by wolves. He met Mary when she was 11 years old, when he saved her from an angry wolf. Weylyn knows strange things happen around him—like stopping that tornado on Christmas Day—but he prefers to give the credit to his horned pig, Merlin.

Freak storms, trees that grow overnight, hurricanes that mysteriously dissipate; Weylyn has been around them all. Though it all, his love for Mary stays strong, until he realizes that she might come to harm. Then he knows he must move on. Instead of stopping hurricanes, the magic in his life now consists of fireflies who make phosphorescent honey. But, through it all, his love for Mary remains strong. All he needs is the courage to knock on her door.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is classified as fantasy/sci-fi, but to me, it’s more magical realism. It’s different from anything else I’ve ever read, and different is a very good thing. This is told not only from Weylyn’s point-of-view, but from that of those who know him. There is magic on every page, and wonder hides here as well.

Ruth Emmie Lang was born in Scotland, but moved to Ohio when she was four. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is her first novel.

(Galley provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

What I Read in October

I read 19 books in October. I know, right? Not sure where I found the time. But…some of these were REALLY good, and I finished them in less than 24 hours. Especially the last two…and the first one I read in November. 🙂

the indigo girl

The Indigo Girl, by Natasha Boyd (read to review). Fascinating historical fiction about the early efforts to produce indigo in colonial America. Eliza Lucas is a sixteen-year-old left in charge of the family’s estates while her father chases his military dreams. This novel also talks about the early slave uprisings and Eliza’s efforts to teach slaves to read. A very engrossing read, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

merry and bright

Merry and Bright, by Debbie Macomber (read to review). Debbie Macomber is always a good author to turn to for feel-good, uplifting stories, and this one is no exception—even for someone disgusted with the commercialization of Christmas. Merry is so busy she has no time for herself, until her mother and brother set up an online dating profile for her, which leads her to someone she never expected.

select-cvr_large

Select, by Marit Weisenberg (read to review). I’m not sure what to say about this novel. The cover is beautiful, and the premise sounds intriguing, but the execution didn’t live up to the promise. A reclusive group of beautiful people with special traits prepares to separate themselves from the rest of the world, while the leader’s daughter learns there’s a lot more going on than she’s ever been told.

the house at 758

The House at 758, by Kathryn Berla (read to review). Loved this! YA fiction about Krista, still grieving the death of her mother, while her father wants to move on and Krista is obsessed with the mysterious house at 758.

Midnight-Dance

The Midnight Dance, by Nikki Katz (read to review). Penny and eleven other girls are students at an elite ballet school, hidden away from the world by the Master, a reclusive wealthy man who only wants the best for them. Until Penny’s memories no longer add up, leaving her to wonder if what she remembers is the truth or not. Beautiful cover!

His Majesty’s Dragon, by Naomi Novik (from the TBR pile). This has been on my shelf for years. I’m not sure why I waited to read this, but I loved it! Dragons as military fighters in the war with Napoleon.

Throne of Jade, by Naomi Novik (from the TBR pile). Still loving this series.

the breathless

The Breathless, by Tara Goedjen (read to review). A creepy gothic read about a family with dark secrets struggling to deal with the loss of their oldest daughter–and the secrets she was keeping. I enjoyed this read a lot. Very creepy, but I did not want it to end like it did (yet the ending was very appropriate).

Black Powder War, by Naomi Novak. (Just because.)

the beautiful ones

The Beautiful Ones, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (read to review). This was a Regency-ish read with hints of steampunk…maybe magical realism set in a Regency-type society? Nina is used to country living, but she comes to town for the Grand Season and her ice-cold aunt tries to mold her into a society girl. Except Nina keeps forgetting the rules and speaking her mind. Then there’s the telekinetic performer she meets and falls in love with, Hector, who’s hiding dark secrets.

Stay with Me, by Ayobami Adebayo (cultural book of the month.) Okay, I love reading books set in Africa. I’ve felt drawn to it as long as I can remember, and ironically, my boyfriend is from Cameroon. Go figure. This book, set in Nigeria, is about a wife struggling to get pregnant and keep her children alive, and the secrets she and her husband have hidden from each other. It was an emotional read, and I’m still not sure what I think of it.

Lilac Lane, by Sherryl Woods (review forthcoming). A romance about an Irish woman who falls in love with the pub chef, but the problems from their past are great enough to shadow everything around them. I may have to read the rest of this series.

Murder over Mochas

Murder over Mochas, by Caroline Fardig (read to review.) I’m sad that this is the last of the Java Jive series. Funny, light mystery that reminds me quite a bit of the Stephanie Plum books.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, by Emmie Ruth Lang (review forthcoming.) I’m still digesting this read about a boy who was raised by wolves, and the man he grows up to be…with powers. A bit of an X-men feel to this one.

The Reason for my Hope, by Billy Graham (spiritual book of the month.) Great read.

Passing, by Nella Larsen (classic book of the month.) I’d never actually heard of or seen this book on any list of classics, but it showed up on a Goodreads search, and I thought it would be an interesting choice, considering the conversations about racism going on. I’m not quite sure what I think about this. I found one of the characters almost unlikable, and the other so conflicted I never got a true sense of her.

Firebrand, by Sarah MacTavish (Just because.) This has been sitting on my TBR pile for WAY too long. About abolitionists just before the Civil War. There was a lot here that I didn’t know about, which is sad, since half the book is set not too far from where I live/grew up. I cannot imagine having lived in such dark times. Wonderful characters, and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

The Dark Intercept, by Julia Keller (Review forthcoming.) I found this version of the future disturbing (but not completely farfetched), and I loved the characters and their conflicts. I enjoyed this immensely and recommend it! Read it in one day.

Rosemarked, by Livia Blackburne (Review forthcoming.) Hands down the best book I read all month! About a healer who catches the illness she’s fighting, and is given an opportunity to help others who suffer from it, while secretly trying to learn more about the enemy that conquered her people, before they can be destroyed by war. Fantastic read! Even better, it’s the first of a series! I blew through this in less than a day.

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy.

Book Review: The House at 758, by Kathryn Berla

As if being 16 weren’t bad enough, Krista is still dealing with the death of her mother. Her father has moved his new girlfriend in and wants Krista to start acting normal again and find something to do. Her best friend is going to Maine for the summer. And Krista feels like she has no one to talk to about her pain.

So, she spends her time in a tent on top of the house, shoplifting, and watching a mysterious house. She’s not ready to act normal again. Then she meets Jake, who works at the store she shoplifts, and her dad tells her that her grandfather, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, is coming to visit. Krista starts to feel better, but if she never deals with the past, will she ever feel normal again?

The House at 758 took me by surprise. First, I feel like Krista is my spirit animal. Living in a tent on top of the house because you don’t want to be around people? Sign me up for that! Krista is hurting desperately, but she doesn’t want to ask for help. She’d rather brood and act like everything is okay, because shouldn’t people know what she’s going through? Dealing with dark emotions like grief, anger, and guilt isn’t easy, and Krista fights against it for a long time, until she starts to realize that there is more than one side to every story. This was an engrossing read that drew me into Krista’s head and kept me rooting for her to make a breakthrough and start to see light again.

Kathryn Berla is the author of Dream Me, Twelves Hours in Paradise, Going Places, and The Kitty Committee. The House at 758 is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Amberjack Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Select, by Marit Weisenberg

select-cvr_large — Image belongs to Charlesbridge Teen.

Julia Jaynes is part of a group of highly-evolved humans living in Austin, Texas. Rich, beautiful, and powerful, they keep to themselves and try not to draw more attention to their media-popular circle. Then Julia saves her sister from drowning, and the media attention she causes makes her powerful father punish her by sending her to public high school.

There Julia meets John, a tennis prodigy and a nice, regular guy. When Julie discovers she can read his mind—sometimes—she uses the power to encourage John, and her feelings start to grow. Living with the regular humans isn’t as bad as she thought, but Julie is desperate to get back in her controlling father’s good graces, before their circle disappears from society for good.

So…the cover of this book is what caught my eye first, and the premise is fantastic. I read all of it, but Julia was a bit too erratic for me. Does she hate her father? Does she love him? Does she want to stay with the super humans? Does a life of freedom with the regular humans sound more appealing? What is really going on with the evolved humans and Julia’s powerful father? And why did he separate the younger members and try to destroy the more powerful ones’ talents?

I don’t actually know the answers to any of these questions, and that bothers me. Julia can’t make up her mind, and a first-person narrative should have some insight into the character, but it doesn’t. (I saw several comparisons to Twilight in other reviews, and that is sadly accurate.) I loved the premise of this book, but the execution and character development was lacking.

Despite her name, Marit Weisenberg is only a quarter Norwegian. She lives in Austin, Texas. Select is the first book in the Select series.

(Galley provided by Charlesbridge Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

What I Read in September

I read fourteen books in September. Not bad, considering I’m back to work and grad school full-time.

The Long Ride Home, by Tawni Waters

The Long Ride Home, by Tawni Waters. (Read to review.) I enjoyed this novel that dealt with some difficult topics: the loss of a parent, and unexpected pregnancy and the decisions to be made concerning it. Harley hasn’t dealt with the death of her mother and her resulting cross-country move, but it’s summer now, so she decides to take a trip to scatter her mother’s ashes. With Dean, her only friend, and the boy she slept with one night while drunk. But soon Harley realizes she’s pregnant, throwing her feelings for Dean into more turmoil, and she must decide what to do with the choices before her. Excellent read.

end of the world running club

The End of the World Running Club, by Adrian Walker. (Read to review.) After the sky fell, Edgar’s whole world—the entire world—changed, but he’s still not the greatest father. Until he’s separated from his wife and kids, and must make it all the way across the country to them before the rescuers leave him behind forever. Running is the only answer. This is not your typical dystopian thriller. It has shades of literary fiction, and the characters are complex and troubled, with overwhelming problems. I enjoyed it very much.

Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse. (Classic book of the month.) I know this is supposed to be really inspiring, but I was not a fan.

Power Thoughts, by Joyce Meyer. (Spiritual book of the month.) Good, solid read.

Blindness, by Jose Saramago. (Cultural book of the month.) Eh. I’m not even sure what the point of this book was. Possibly something was lost in translation?

Full Dark, No Stars, by Stephen King. (From the TBR pile.) I used to read everything King wrote. Not sure why I stopped. I’m not a fan of short stories, just because I like longer tales, but this is standard King fare: by “standard” I mean solid writing, creepiness, and compelling stories. That’s standard for King, because he’s a talented writer.

AFewMinorAdjustments_Memoir_Cover_Kephart_hr

A Few Minor Adjustments, by Cherie Kephart. (Read to review.) A memoir of healing from an unidentified illness. Cherie has been sick for a long time, and no one has been able to tell her why. From her days in Africa in the Peace Corps, to her struggles in the American medical system, this is her story.

ots

On the Spectrum, by Jennifer Gold. (Read to review.) I really enjoyed this read, about autism and eating disorders and Paris. This wasn’t the typical “she never eats” eating disorder, either, and it was an intriguing look into the mindset of a girl obsessed with healthy eating (No bread? No carbs…ever?!). The addition of a bit romance made it appealing, and her efforts to help her autistic brother were heartwarming.

murder magic

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore, by Kelly Jones. (Read to review.) A Regency-era mystery/coming-of-age tale with a light, witty tone as a girl tries out her spying skills in an effort to find who killed her father and earn a job in her father’s footsteps.

blackbird season

The Blackbird Season, by Kate Moretti. (Read to review.) Okay, this book sucked me in from the very beginning, and I couldn’t put it down! The setting had a very Southern/small-town feel (complete with everyone knowing everybody’s business, and “I always knew there was something funny about him!” statements.).

hanna

Hanna Who Fell from the Sky, by Christopher Meades. (Read to review.) The setting of this novel was disturbing to me: an isolated settlement where the teenage girls become fourth or fifth wives to men old enough to be their fathers and the teenage boys are run out of town. Hanna herself was a fantastic character, conflicted about wanting to leave her family and sacrificing herself (to becoming a fifth wife) to save her family. The family relationships are complex, and there’s a lot going on here emotionally. A very good read!

ash

A Short History of the Girl Next Door, by Jared Reck. (Read to review.) Not what I was expecting. At all. Loved the voice of the story, but it made me cry.

goblins

The Goblins of Bellwater, by Molly Ringle (Review forthcoming.) This book was magical. I love the premise of a hidden world that only a few are aware of, and the goblins were creepy. Very evocative of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin market,” which inspired it. Fantastic read! (And the cover is beautiful!)

SOD

Sea of Doubt, by Jeremy D. Holden (Review forthcoming.) Apart from the very concept of someone pretending to be the Second Coming of Jesus, which appalled me, there are so many levels of deceit in this book that it made me sad: because people really are that evil (some people). Loved the concept of the Hug Challenge, though.

Books I Read in August

August was a good reading month. I read seventeen books.

any dream will do

Any Dream Will Do, by Debbie Macomber. (Read to review.) I thought this romance was a bit different from this author’s usual fare–not that I’ve read all of her works–but a pastor struggling to raise his kids after his wife’s death and a just-out-of-prison woman working to create a new life for herself made a nice change of pace.

The Almost Sisters, by Joshilyn Jackson. (From my TBR pile.) How can I forget how much I like this author? gods in Alabama introduced me to the world of Southern fiction, and this tale of a comic book author pregnant with a mystery Batman’s baby who goes back to a tiny Southern town when her grandmother starts going crazy and ends up finding a skeleton in a trunk in the attic and a dark family secret is a gripping, wonderful read. bonus points for the sweet tea love and the handling of race issues.

earthquake

Things that Happened Before the Earthquake, by Chiara Barzini(Read to review.) Um. Literary fiction is hit or miss with me. The writing was evocative, but the family this was about was a big turn-off for me. The MC was self-destructive, and I could never get a sense of the why for her actions.

Blackhearts and Blacksouls, by Nicole Castroman (The first has been sitting on my Kindle for months.) I really enjoyed these two books, which are meant to be Blackbeard’s origin story–and romance, of course. Teach and Anne are great characters, and their relationship and backstories are both well-developed. Very enjoyable reads.

wonder

Recapturing The Wonder, by Mike Cosper. (Read to review, plus a spiritual book.) Very good read from an author with a great voice.

if the creek don't rise

If the Creek Don’t Rise, by Leah Weiss (Read to review.). Um…I did not care for this one much. The setting—Appalachia–was tough to read about, as was the poverty and mindset of the characters.

atwg

All the Wicked Girls, by Chris Whitaker (Read to review). Great Southern Gothic about a teenage girl who disappears and the entire town’s search for what happened to her.

mask of shadows

Mask of Shadows, by Linsey Miller (Read to Review.) Fantasy with a gender-fluid main character. This was a pretty unique read that I enjoyed, despite some contradictions.

Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy (Has been languishing on my Kindle for months.) Loved this! A teenage girl grapples with her body image in a small Southern town. The characters in this novel are fantastic! Seriously. You must read this!

Side Effects May Vary, by Julie Murphy (Because I loved Dumplin‘.) I did not care for the MC, who is a teenage girl with cancer. She was pretty mean to everyone around her, and I found her mostly unlikable.

On the Wings of a Whisper, by Lynette Bonner (From a different culture.) Short. Too short. I enjoyed what there was of it, though.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle (Classic book of the month.) Can’t believe I’ve never read this before!

tgwtrb

The Girl with the Red Balloon, by Katherine Locke (Read to review.) Time-travel via balloon into Berlin Wall-era Germany, Loved the characters, the world, and the story!

Bitter Past, by Caroline Fardig (Review forthcoming.) The beginning of a new series for this author, about a forensics professor asked to assist in a murder investigation that has swept over her small college.

Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud.

The Salt Line, by Holly Goddard Hones (Review forthcoming.) Very unique dystopian tale where America has retreated behind walls to escape the deadly ticks found outside. Not what I was expecting at all!

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for Quick Lit.

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