by Gail Carson Levine ★★★★★ How to be an ogre without eating anyone Lucinda is up to her usual fairy tricks, but Evie is a bit more strongly willed than Wormy was expecting. Rather than accept his marriage proposal, Evie … Continue reading →
by Nicholas Sparks ★☆☆☆☆ Needs editing, boring, sex scene at 47%, still boring Every Breath seriously needs an editor. There is so much “tell” and not enough “show” that the story moves at a glacial pace, compounded by an overreliance … Continue reading →
by Amy Clipston; Beth Wiseman; Shelley Shepard Gray; Kathleen Fuller ★★★★★ Sweet collection of Amish romances An Amish Homecoming is a collection of four Amish romances. I’d only read one Amish romance before, but these seem very authentic with Pennsylvania … Continue reading →
by Cynthia Ruchti ★★★★★ Just add humans and let the adventure begin! Thoughtful, thought-provoking heart-touching story… Conner and Mallory are in for a rough ride. Their newlywed status has yet to expire and yet the honeymoon is already over. Conner … Continue reading →
by Zoe McKey ★★★★★ Hits home with useful advice for all of us The Disciplined Mind: Strengthen Your Willpower, Develop Mental Toughness, Control Your Thoughts, and Get Rid of Your Inner Critic How many times have you looked across a … Continue reading →
by Patrick King Fearless Social Confidence: Strategies to Live Without Insecurity, Speak Without Fear, Beat Social Anxiety, and Stop Caring What Others Think ★★★★★ Comprehensive and practical guide to overcoming social anxiety What an incredibly detailed and helpful guide; anyone who … Continue reading →
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown ★★★★★ Not just for work! Wish I had this book years ago, it would have saved me grief and kept me from causing others grief. Dare to Lead … Continue reading →
by Terri Blackstock ★★★★★ Why didn’t the crazy old lady take an Uber? Catching Christmas is a sweet, poignant cab ride through the last few days before Christmas, as Callie commandeers Finn’s cab, time, and heart. Finn’s got some major … Continue reading →
by Sandra Byrd ★★★★★ Who is the thief? Which is a man of honor? Wonderfully complex and pleasing Victorian-era mystery! Eleanor Sheffield is an expert at recognizing forgeries, but can she discern who speaks the truth, who is manipulating her, … Continue reading →
by Lauren St. John ★★★★★ Can Kat and Harper catch a spy? Fast, fun, engaging read with a great mystery and strong characters. Kat’s mom is an overworked, underappreciated vet who barely has time for her daughter. When circumstances lead … Continue reading →
by Anna Starobinets ★★★★★ If Tim Burton wrote mysteries for children… They would probably read a lot like In the Wolf’s Lair. There are a lot of visual and verbal plays, a very weird and twisted sense of humor, a … Continue reading →
by Yuko Yuko and Noriko Noriko ★★★★★ Awesome cookbook! Clear instructions, practical advice, recipes for everyone Simply Bento: Delicious Box Lunch Ideas for Healthy Portions to Go is a wonderfully complete bento cookbook with stunning photography and includes everything from a … Continue reading →
by J. Meade Falkner ★★★★★ Classic coming of age story Moonfleet is a classic coming of age story that spans John Trenchard’s life from childhood through adulthood. John is being raised by a cold and critical aunt, while he loves … Continue reading →
by Laini Taylor ★★★★★ Deeper, darker, twistier Wow! Just WOW! Muse of Nightmares is even better than Strange the Dreamer: deeper, darker, twistier… did I mention “deeper”? I’m just completely floored yet again by Laini Taylor’s imagination and lyrical prose. … Continue reading →
edited by Robert McCowen and C. J. Brightley ★★★★★ Wonderfully unique tales, amazing world-building and storytelling This is another engaging collection of noblebright stories by the same editor, C. J. Brightley, who coordinated Fell Beasts and Fair: A Noblebright Fantasy Anthology, Luminous: … Continue reading →
by Patti Callahan ★★★☆☆ Jezebel or Rahab? Almost DNF’d at 50%, 70%, held out to finish, only to find myself still totally conflicted. I would like to know how much in Becoming Mrs. Lewis is fictionalized and what the author … Continue reading →
by Gigi McCaffrey ★★★★★ Can Piemur prevent a war that pits dragonrider against dragonrider? What an awesome addition to the world of Pern! Gigi McCaffrey has done her mother proud! Menolly, Piemur, and Jaxom have been my favorite characters in … Continue reading →
by Joakim Palmkvist , translated by Agnes Broomé ★★★★★ The love of money is the root of all evil You can’t make this stuff up, unless you’re Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet got nothing on these kids. I don’t normally read … Continue reading →
by Michael G. Pipich ★★★★★ Comprehensive text on bipolar disorder Owning Bipolar: How Patients and Families Can Take Control of Bipolar Disorder is a comprehensive text on bipolar that would be useful for patients with bipolar and their families.Reading this … Continue reading →
by W.R. Gingell ★★★★★ Quips, quirks, and deadly monsters Another awesome, frenetic read from W.R. Gingell. I just love Pet, and I was so jazzed to jump into another City Between book. Okay, I also love Zero, Aethelas, JinYeong, and … Continue reading →
by Tim Tebow ★★★★★ Live without regrets This Is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose. Loved this book and all the inspiration it contained! I can’t even begin to describe what an impact This Is … Continue reading →
by Julia Golding ★★★★★ Can Ree save her Da and discover the murderer? Ree is a stonemason at the Museum; the only problem is that she is breaking the law dressing like a boy and working with her Da. It … Continue reading →
by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham ★★☆☆☆ Slow and annoying with unlikable characters and anachronisms The excerpt for The Kitchen Marriage was interesting, so I gambled and grabbed an ARC. However, the negatives for this book make this book a … Continue reading →
by Sylv Chiang ★★★★★ Why is Jaden’s best friend, Cali, acting so weird? Jaden loves to play Cross Ups, he’s got a sponsorship that supplies him with an awesome controller, and even though his BFF Cali has moved to Montreal, … Continue reading →
by Sylv Chiang ★★★★★ He won with a godlike combo, got invited to a tournament, what could go wrong? Jaden loves to play Cross Ups, a popular video game, and he’s really good at it. So good at it that … Continue reading →
by Brandon Sanderson ★★★★★ Mind-bending romp through the fragmented brain of a genius Wow! I think Brandon Sanderson has to be insane to even dream up these stories. Perhaps this is an autobiography? 😉 Sanderson is one of my favorite … Continue reading →
by Roxane Marie Galliez, illustrations by Seng Soun Ratanavanh ★★★★★ Beautifully illustrated tale of a little girl, bedtime, and a very patient grandfather Time for Bed, Miyuki is a gorgeous picture book with vibrant and whimsical creations wandering across the … Continue reading →
by Traer Scott ★★★★★ Do cows have personality? I found myself drawn to this Radiant by Traer Scott, having grown up on an organic subsistence farm long before most even knew there was such a thing. (I blame my mother!) … Continue reading →
by Melissa McShane ★★★★★ Can a deathless Queen die? I loved Voyager of the Crown so, so much! Zara North is giving up her life as Agatha, a weaver in Longbourne, something she should have done a year ago. It’s … Continue reading →
by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert, illustrated by Lil Crump ★★★★★ It’s a boring museum, what’s a girl to do? Anna and her stuffed giraffe are on an outing with her mom to the art museum. Anna is a typical … Continue reading →
by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd ★★★★★ What happens when a little bunny runs away from home? Timeless The Runaway Bunny is a timeless classic, proven by the fact that the hardback I just bought for my niece … Continue reading →
by Janell Cannon ★★★★★ Verdi doesn’t want to grow up; can he stop? Verdi came out when my daughter was four and already in love with Janell Cannon’s Stellaluna. Add in that her favorite color is green and it was … Continue reading →
by Janell Cannon ★★★★★ Still amazing after all these years, tickles your funny bone and snares your heart I bought my first copy of Stellaluna before my daughter was born and it became one of our all-time favorite books to … Continue reading →
by Anne Dublin ★★★★★ Dark tale of a boy’s journey into slavery Joseph is a young Jewish boy in Spain when, one day before Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World, all Jews who would not convert to Christianity … Continue reading →
by Andrée Poulin, illustrated by Félix Girard ★★★★★ He changed a sport forever! That’s Not Hockey is a wonderfully illustrated story about Jacques Plante, who became a famous goalie for the Montreal Canadians, helping them win six Stanley cups and … Continue reading →
by Maja Kastelic ★★★★★ Wonderfully, whimsically illustrated, opening wide a window of stories A Boy and a House is a deceptively simple book, for how complicated can a wordless story be? And yet, the beautifully drawn illustrations pull you in … Continue reading →
★★★★★ Not what I was expecting I’ll just say up front that Book Girl is an interesting book for a beginning book girl, but is not going to include much new material for most established well-rounded readers. As an avid … Continue reading →
★★★★★ Death in the water, flood, and fire Wow! This story is indelibly etched on my brain with its deep characterizations, multi-layered mysteries, historical information, and incredible world-building… everything from the flow of the river to the race and class … Continue reading →
by Olivia Hawker ★★★★★ Are they betrayed?!! Will they make it to the dawn? Get ready for frenetic historical ride because The Ragged Edge of Night is a gripping, soul-searing read that slams you into Anton Starzmann’s life as he … Continue reading →
by Jeff Wheeler ★★★★★ Who will rise and who will fall? What an awesome sequel! Deeper and darker than its predecessor, Mirror Gate follows Cettie Pratt, almost eighteen, and Sera Fitzempress, now sixteen, as they prepare to finish their four … Continue reading →
by Jill Selkowitz ★★★★★ Inspiring, great all-around cookbook I came into This Old Gal’s Pressure Cooker Cookbook not familiar with the “This Old Gal” website or any of Jill Selkowitz’s endeavors, but I’ll definitely be researching them now! This is an awesome … Continue reading →
by Melissa McShane ★★★★★ Not your mother’s fairytales… I am a sucker for fairytales and anything Melissa McShane, so Warts and All: A Fairy Tale Collection is two of my favorite things put together. McShane is a skilled twisty-story sort of … Continue reading →
by Ezra Croft and Jennifer Raiser ★★★★★ One of a kind; who can define him or capture his essence? The Art of Being Bill: Bill Murray and the Many Faces of Awesome is endlessly mesmerizing and beautifully evocative of Bill Murray’s … Continue reading →
by Mark Andrew Poe ★★★★★ Strange times at Sleepy Hollow Middle School There’s a new science teacher at Harry Moon’s school, Professor Einstone. And with Professor Einstone come a slew of changes: new teachers, new books, and lots of advertising … Continue reading →
by Sandra Byrd ★★★★★ Was her father a criminal mastermind or a victim? In this wonderfully nuanced Victorian-era mystery, Miss Gillian Young is a seamstress, making a living designing and sewing for an aristocratic lady and creating costumes for a … Continue reading →
by Manuel Luz ★★★★★ Life-changing read; let’s all wear crash helmets! Wow! This is about worship on SO many levels! Honest Worship is one of those books that you find yourself highlighting so many revelational thoughts and snippets of wisdom … Continue reading →
by Autumn Miles ★★★★★ I disliked this at first, until I really started reading Autumn’s heart Autumn Miles was aiming her shots right where I sat years ago, but I wasn’t hearing it at first. I had a hard time … Continue reading →
by Suzanne Ryan ★★★★★ Great keto resource and cookbook I purchased Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss by Suzanne Ryan so my family and a friend could practice cooking healthy keto foods. While I haven’t finished … Continue reading →
