Book Review: The Grassy Sea by Carol Riggs

 

First, let me say how absolutely amazing this cover is—and not just because I have a current crush on aquamarines. This would definitely jump off a shelf at me.

I have read most of CarolRiggs YA books. Though I normally go for a deeper literature type of story, I like to occasionally mix it up with a fun YA adventure, and Riggs delivers.

When I read the first chapters of The Grassy Sea, I was taken back to my recurring childhood dream: I could breathe under water! Oh, how I loved those dreams. To this day, I love being underwater. I know this has nothing to do with the story, but isn’t that what fantasy fiction is about—stirring the imaginative spirit within us?

Lyndra of Biresk, the main character, is one I could relate to more than any other character Riggs has created. Though her others have been bold and brave, this young girl is pushing the boundaries. Abandoned at birth, she feels as though she doesn’t fit in and that the people of her village look down upon her for her differences.  She wants to know why life must “be that way.” She isn’t willing to go along just because it’s what they’ve always done. She wants something more. She wants to be her own person. And mostly, Lyndra wants people to love and accept her for who she truly is.

Life is routine for Lyndra. There are daily duties to perform, and everyone has their place in this structured society. It is harvest time, and Lyndra has chores in the orchard. She wasn’t supposed to be on the beach. But if she had been doing her work, she wouldn’t have witnessed the abduction of seven of her village’s men by the gilled people—green-skinned beings who can breathe underwater. Even though Biresk has a peace treaty with the Grassiens, tensions are high between the villages. On top of that, there is a wicked sickness spreading in Biresk that has already killed many of her people.

This adventurous story takes Lyndra across the Grassy Sea where she witnesses a life quite different from her own—a life of luxury instead of duties. A life where you can be who you want to be. Lyndra struggles to bring peace between the two villages and resolve a decades-old event that caused the unrest.

There are some great lessons to be learned from this tale of determination and perseverance. Can I say the Grassy Sea isn’t always greener on the other side? Sorry. I couldn’t resist; this story also taught me to be true to myself.

Riggs descriptive writing is lovely, and her characters are unique and richly developed. Though the target audience for this book is probably young teens, readers of all ages will enjoy this story. The pace is excellent, the tension high, and there are many twists along the way. The ending wraps up wonderfully. I can picture this story as a 3-D fantasy in the theater.

You can read the first chapter on Riggs' website. I highly recommend (5 stars) this book to young and old.

 

Jesus, Day by Day - A Review

   Jesus, Day by Day, by Sharon Kaselonis, is a 365-day devotional which includes a one-year plan to read through the entire Bible. The daily devotions in this book are longer than many on the market today, having much more depth than a short paragraph or two can give.

    My favorite thing about this unique devotional is that, through the Old Testament readings, Jesus, Day by Day points to the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament, and then solidifies His promises in the New Testament. It teaches us to look for Jesus revealed not only in the words of the prophets, but in other places throughout the Old Testament Scripture. Each day through almost the end of September starts with a Scripture from the Old Testament, followed by a not-too-short devotional reading which lists several New Testament verses to back up the point of the day.

     I enjoyed how, once the calendar arrives at the New Testament readings, many of the daily Scriptures are a combination of the four Gospels. Reading them side-by-side is a great way to study the life of Jesus.

      I give this book 5-stars. It's a great devotional with a lot of depth. Jesus, Day by Day would make a great Christmas gift, as many readers are looking for a new devotional at the start of the new year. One could just read the daily devotion in the morning, and then read the full reading plan later in the day, or just use the book as a devotional and stick to your own Bible-reading plan. Either way, this book is a winner.

    The publishing date for Jesus, Day by Day is September 17, with pre-order available now.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

    

Stand Strong 365 Devotions for Men - A Review

Stand Strong

365 Devotions for Men by Men

by Our Daily Bread Ministries

I’m not a man. True. But through many days and nights of reading devotions with my husband, I can judge well what styles of devotional readings tickle his fancy—and which ones don’t. And just like us women, sometimes men must wade through a few uninteresting books to find one that speaks to them.

Stand Strong definitely has a masculine slant. From ants to pine cones, male friendship to obedience, the lessons in the devotional focus on examples with which men can connect. General Eisenhower, The Bourne Identity movie, one-handed football player Kris Silbaugh, a young soldier being harpooned with vaccinations, and a wife who makes pot roast are just a few of the characters used to illustrate Scripture in a way that is engaging to most men.

Another plus was the mix of daily topics. Where I enjoy devotions that run for days or even weeks with a focused theme, my husband would much prefer variety, not addressing the same issue even two days in a row. Stand Strong’s daily topics are fresh and unique each day. They are a short read with practical examples that put God’s Word into perspective for today’s world and the challenges men face.

I give this FIVE book stars. It is well written and Scripture based. I think it would make a nice gift for the man in your life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Discovery House Publishers via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright – A Review

Do you believe in ghosts? If not, how do you explain multiple appearances of a woman long known to be dead? And when that same face haunts the area a century later?

In 1908, Thea is a traveling post-mortem photographer seeking to find her history. Left at an orphanage as a small child, Thea desires to find her mother—dead and buried. But will that resolve her feelings of being unwanted? When Thea stumbles upon her own doppelganger, it only leads to more questions about her past.

Heidi receives a mysterious letter from her estranged mother who is suffering from dementia. The secrets implied in the letter are enough to bring Heidi to the town where her sister and mother now live—a town she believes she has no ties to. But upon arrival, Heidi wanders through a shop and stumbles upon an antique photo album. Inside the album is a picture of a woman who looks just like Heidi. Who is this woman, and is there a connection between this photograph from the past and Heidi’s family?

The descriptive writing was wonderful. I felt fearful on the path through the woods and in the dark streets of the early 1900s. The characters were unique and quite likeable. There were a couple of spots where I had to concentrate to keep straight the who’s who of the historical characters, but it all was made clear—in an amazing way. I was impressed by the way this author tied all the mysteries into a tidy, satisfying bundle.

This interesting time-hop weaves an intricate tale of ancient and contemporary doppelgangers, murder, and family betrayal. The story also delves into the stigma and treatment of mental illness—including the inhumane treatments of the past. Ultimately, it’s a story about finding fulfillment by focusing on our Creator rather than trying to find our purpose in life, and how God has gifted each of us—no matter how we might view our circumstances. It’s a tale of acceptance, forgiveness, and healing.

This book kept me turning pages late into the night. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I give this book FIVE stars and a big, fat zero on the blush-factor scale.

The Curse of Misty Wayfair released January 22.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Life After by Katie Ganshert – A Review

"22 Lives Lost.

One Survivor.

It could have been anyone.

Why her?"

Autumn Manning is far beyond survivor’s guilt. Her whole life’s purpose has become an obsession with the twenty-two passengers who lost their lives a year ago—the day a bomb blasted through the “L” train she boarded in Chicago. With no husband or children to need her, why did God choose to spare only her? And why was Autumn even aboard the late train? When she awakens in the hospital, she has no memory of the blast or the immediate hours before the disaster, nor does she know the reason she was even on that late train. Will Autumn be able to fill in the blanks and make sense of the situation?

As the one-year anniversary of Tragedy on the Tracks approaches, Autumn contacts a family member of one of the victims. That one regrettable action opens a Pandora’s box of emotions and events as grieving souls try to move forward with their lives.

Family members want their loved ones to be remembered—all but one. Paul Elliott wants to shield his children and safeguard his career and let the past stay in the past.

Such tragedies bring some closer to God, while others turn their backs to Him. Will Autumn and Paul be able to restore their weakened faith and return to a fulfilling life among the living?

This book has been on my want-to-read list since before it was released in April of 2017. I hadn’t got to it yet, so I’m glad it popped up on NetGalley’s site.

I’ve read a half-dozen of Ganshert’s books, so I expected good writing. I wasn’t disappointed. Kudos to the editors. The story moved along at a good pace. Ganshert did a great job of getting me into the characters heads, filling me with compassion for them. I wanted to read it straight through.

This book gives an authentic glimpse into PTSD and survivor’s guilt. You walk with the characters as they battle the demons birthed the day of the disaster. You cheer for them as they baby-step away from the chains that have bound them since that fateful day. You cry for joy as Autumn achieves each little success.

NO SPOILERS: The ending of the story was perfect. Not the happily-ever-after of a romance, but it’s oozing with hope and healing. This story has a very strong inspirational thread and rates a zero on the blush factor. A perfect read for a teen or her grandmother.

I give this book FIVE stars because that’s the max.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One Fatal Mistake by Tom Hunt - A Review

Joshua has a bright future ahead until the night he hits a stranger in the middle of the road. If only the guy would’ve been killed on impact.

Circumstances cause the teenager to cover-up the accident. But did he leave something behind?

Being at the wrong place at the wrong time quickly escalates into a fight for their lives as Joshua and his single-mom Karen are drawn into a life-or-death situation as their path crosses that of a pair of criminals on the run. How far is Karen willing to go to protect her son?

The pace of this story moved rapidly along like an action movie. The plot was a little far-fetched at times, but it is fiction, so I overlooked it. The descriptive writing was on point. The characters were well developed, ranging from sympathetic do-gooders to a downright evil monster. I even felt a bit of sympathy for one of the “bad guys.” And sometimes there’s a fine line between the good guys and the bad guys.

Overall, I enjoyed this page-turner, although it had a little too much foul language for my tastes. There was a bit of goriness too. I suggest a mature reader.

I give this book four* stars (with an asterisk for language and content.)

One Fatal Mistake releases on January 22.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks - A Review

Harriet has never left her four-year-old daughter with anyone, even though Charlotte, her only friend, has repeatedly offered to watch her. Now that Harriet has signed up for a class to hopefully land employment, she has no choice but to allow Charlotte to babysit. Charlotte plans to take Alice along with her own three children for a day of fun.

Charlotte only looked away for a few moments—and now Alice is missing. The young child seems to have vanished without a trace from a heavily populated school fair.

As the investigation into the child abduction evolves, the story digs deep into the twisted marriage of Harriet and Brian, and into the seemingly one-sided friendship between Charlotte and Harriet.

I sympathized with both women in this painful dilemma. Could I face my best friend knowing I was responsible for her only child being taken? Could I face a friend that I trusted with my flesh and blood, only to learn that her carelessness ended in the loss of my child?

The tension mounts quickly in this riveting psychological suspense. Secrets trickled out as this story threw me for a loop! Expertly descriptive writing pulled me into the scenes. Twists and turns I didn’t see coming kept me glued to the pages to the very end.

I give this book five stars. I particularly enjoyed the lack of foul language and explicit sex.

Her One Mistake releases on January 8.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Gallery Books via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace - A Review

For me, this book started off sensationally, but then came to a grinding almost-halt. The opening scene has the reader on the edge of her seat. After that, there seems to be a lot of whining about the character’s lousy mother. Granted, mom lives up to the reputation, but early on it reads more like a teen who’s mad for having to clean their room. But I hung in there. And it did pick up again. Still, the pace lags in many places.

Heads up: When reading about “the faction,” don’t wait for an explanation. It’s just what she calls her group of friends—nothing more.

The premise is good—a seventeen-year-old kills a bully, defending herself, and is then arrested for his murder. Except the details don’t add up. The author fails to make me understand why she would be charged in the first place. It seems highly unlikely based on the evidence. Still, it wasn’t so far-fetched that I stopped reading. (The whining almost achieved that effect, but not the criminal aspect.)

The writing is good, though I would have liked the supporting characters to be a little more developed. The main character is the underdog you want to root for. If you are bothered by foul language, same-sex attraction, and other mature (see warning below) situations, do not read this book. The first-person seemed an odd choice to me, as some of the narrative seemed beyond this high-schooler’s maturity level. But it worked quite well otherwise.

The entire story builds up toward the trial, so I found it rather strange that the actual trial seemed to run less than an hour long. I would have liked there to be more to the courtroom aspect. But then, this is not a legal drama. It’s the story of a victimized girl, who already was on the “lesser” side of society.

The ending was satisfying. No loose ends left hanging.

I give this book three stars* (with an asterisk for language and content.) Three seems a little low for the quality of the writing, but I just couldn’t go for four with this story. I would recommend this book for only mature teens or young adults. I think older adults would become bored with the pace and the prominent “high-school feel” of the story. A young reviewer would most likely give a higher rating.

Warning: Spoiler! There is an abortion in the book. I was uncomfortable with the details (though not graphic) of the procedure, but the author did a good job of portraying the character’s emotional state. And that event does play an important part in the later story.

My Whole Truth released on October 2.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from North Star Editions via

NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nine-Eleven - Two Anniversaries

Seventeen years ago. 

I can't remember many of the events from last week, but I remember almost every detail of that day.

I've written here about the events of that day. My memories. I don't need to revisit them right now.

I'm sad.

Incredibly sad.

I miss the "after".

Remember those days in mid-September when we weren't black or white, Republican or Democrat, pro or anti? We were just Americans. We cared for each other like never before in my lifetime. I wasn't around for "the big one". This was THE time when OUR country was under attack. And WE--WE THE PEOPLE--did what we could. We cried together. We went or we sent, or we just prayed. I wish we were that country again. 

2017. 

Irma.

See that blue dot on this weather image? That's our new home. We had just moved in mid-June. 

We had already planned to visit the family in Ohio, so we bumped our plans up a week and left before the proverbial s**t hit the fan. 

When we passed gas station after gas station with no fuel and people with flatbed trucks selling bottled water in exchange for your first born, it really started hitting us what our new neighbors—our new family—were in for.

And then the guilt set in. We truly felt bad for leaving them behind. We did leave our generator with a neighbor for anyone with a need to use.

And they did. September 10, they lost power. Irma settled in to our beloved community with a vengeance.

At some point, a small tornado ripped through our neighborhood. A piece of one neighbor’s house went into the bedroom wall of another. Some carports were ripped apart. The storm tore some siding from our new home.

We were blessed. Not only because we had such little damage, but because of the love we experienced through it all.

My Facebook memory feed is flooded with offers of shelter and/or parking for our RV.

Our community has a private Facebook page. We watched it constantly for news. We read post after post of neighbor offering whatever they had to others. Extra gas. Water. Whatever they had that someone else might need. A neighbor we had met, but really didn’t know well, brought a ladder over and fixed our house so water wouldn’t enter through the missing siding.

After THE Nine-Eleven, the country went back to normal. The bickering and choosing sides grew worse until we have what we have today. Fortunately for us, our community was before, was then, and continues to be that place. Neighbor helping neighbor. People truly caring about others. Let them find out there’s a problem, and they circle the wagons!

Oh, how I wish it was everywhere again.

Never forget.

Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson – A Review

This story is an enjoyable time-hop, and a great read for true book lovers. The MC in this story is co-owner (with her sister) of a charming little book shop. You know—the old-fashioned kind where there’s story-time. I loved picturing myself in this shop, browsing through the used classics and listening to Callie talk about her love of them.

She and her sister log all the odd things they find left behind in used books they acquire, hoping to reunite many of the items with their rightful owners. Approaching her birthday, Callie stumbles upon an old edition meant to be a surprise gift from her sister. The real surprise is what she finds inside the book.

The 1930s edition of Bambi once belonged to a young girl named Annika. The former shop owner/surrogate mother of the sisters helps translate the notes she finds written to match the text of the book. Callie is sucked into the mystery of the notes and the story of Annika. She enlists the help of a college professor to learn the secrets hidden in the messages.

The book moves back and forth from present day to 1930s Austria, at the time Hitler’s troops have advanced into Annika’s city. It details the changes that follow in the lives of the teenage friends as the Jewish population is being shunned and forced out of the only life they know.

You won’t get lost in this well-written time-hop. The pace is wonderful, and the settings delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense of Annika’s story—and of the present day characters. They were all well-developed and quite likable.

This story has a strong religious current, though not overpowering of the story itself. A clean and solid read, I gave this book five stars. Hidden Among the Stars is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it will not be my last.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison – A Review

Willa can’t move on. It’s been three years since her husband died unexpectedly while alone at their beach house. She feels her teenage son Jamie has lost both parents, as she failed to be the mom he needed to work through his own grief.

Finally deciding it’s time to sell the beach house, she returns to it for the first time since Ben’s death. Arriving alone, she is quickly visited by Ben’s ghost. Is he real? Or is she losing her last connection to sanity? Reluctantly, Jamie joins his mother to help prepare the beach house for sale. Her best friend Kristin, and daughter Kelsey, soon join them.

I love it when an author takes a supernatural situation and makes it totally believable. Harbison accomplished this wonderfully. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, or in an afterlife, your heart will break for Willa as she questions her sanity and sinks into her grief.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was top-notch. The characters were developed, and the settings were detailed. The ending was very satisfying.

There were F bombs, though it wasn’t overflowing with foul language as many of today’s reads can be. Overall, I wasn’t put off by the language, but prefer a clean read.

I give this book 5 stars (with an asterisk for language.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

St.Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Our House by Louise Candlish – A Review

Fiona Lawson’s fairy-tale life comes to a screeching halt in this story of betrayal and fraud. She returns home to find it isn’t hers anymore. Her house in the exclusive neighborhood—the one she shares with her estranged husband in a co-parenting arrangement—now belongs to someone else. And they claim she sold it to them!

This story is written in a unique contemporary style, with the MC telling a lot of the story via a podcast titled The Victim, complete with the typical twitter comments following each episode. A sign of the times? Add that to the Word document/suicide note penned by the estranged spouse, along with conventional chapters having POVs of the MC and of her husband, and you get quite an interesting read. Can’t say if I’d like to read this style a lot, but it was certainly fun.

The story centers around an unfaithful husband and his traffic citations. You read that right. Somehow this author manages to take a mundane topic like a speeding ticket and turn it into a full-length suspense that held my interest to the very “OMG” ending! And I mean that literally. The last three paragraphs of the book floored me! I can’t tell you the emotion I was feeling without spoiling the last twist, so I’ll just say, “Wow.”

There were places in the story where I thought it seemed a bit far-fetched, but then the author threw in a little back-story to make me buy it. Many of the twists and turns (and there were plenty) knocked me for a loop! I loved the way Candlish exposed the different characters’ motivations as the story unfolded.

The characters were developed, and the pace was good.

This is a British novel, not my favorite, but I tried to ignore that in my rating. I also tried to ignore the foul language. It’s hard to say if it was excessive. There was a lot, but it was true to character in those places. Structurally, I wasn’t crazy about the writing.

I struggled with how to rate this one but ended up giving Our House 4 stars (with an asterisk for language and content) because I really did enjoy reading it. Three didn’t seem like enough, and the ending alone was worth at least an extra half.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer by Susan Crandall– A Review

Tallulah James is a burdened middle-child in a beyond-dysfunctional family wrecked by mental illness. Her grandmother has taught her well to protect the family secrets and reputation above all else. What secret could be worth this pain of holding it in? Her older brother Griff promises to someday sweep her away to a better life in California, until a tragic event tears them apart and leaves Tallulah alone to hold together her imploding family.

When the family disintegrates, Tallulah heads out on her own, seeking the California dream she shared with Griff, only to find the ghosts of her childhood followed her. Unable to give herself fully to anyone, she pours her all into her career—until another crisis pulls her back to Lamoyne, Mississippi.

Returning to the place of her oppressive memories, will Tallulah break? Or will she finally be able to make peace with her past?

This story had me hooked from the first page. I felt Tallulah’s pain. Understood why she hid her heart behind a wall. I wanted someone to hold her and tell her it would be alright. I was totally invested in this character.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer belongs on a shelf with other classics. Not only is the story riveting—it is important. It features a bi-racial friendship in 1960s Mississippi. It tells—though briefly—the tale of those who fought for equal rights as well as those who didn’t understand. It discusses the devastation mental illness can heap on a family. It even rolls in a pot of corruption. There is far too much in this story to write in a review.

The quality of the writing is outstanding. Descriptions will have you dabbing the Mississippi sweat from your brow and smelling the dark waters of the alligator-infested river. The pace is excellent, and the story never lags. I will read more books by this author.

I give this book FIVE stars, only because that’s the maximum. There is the tiniest bit of foul language and sexual situations (nothing graphic), but I felt those areas made the story and the characters genuine and revealed an important layer to their personalities. I wouldn’t have a problem with my fourteen-year-old granddaughter reading it—and I’m cautious with what I expose my grandchildren to.

This book is the book by which all other summer reads will be weighed.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer released today, June 19.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.