The Holey Land by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an interesting read. The author weaves storylines together in much the same way that natives use finger-weaving. The past, the ancient past, and the present collide in this pleasant nod to native culture. Supernatural creatures interact with people in the southwest desert region of America. This is a must-read.
Knight On Edge by Alice Bienia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this series! Each book could totally be a stand-alone. The main character is a strong female private detective. She solves mysteries. She battles her own demons. She lives and loves whole-heartedly. She stands on a precipice. What choices will she make in her professional life? What choices will she make in her personal life?
Sarge: Going Deep by PhD Ledwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Return to the science fiction genre with the author’s latest installment in this series. Imagine that aliens exist. Imagine that people are kind to one another. Further imagine that humans and aliens work together. If you can do all that, you are in for a treat!
The Viper’s Bloodline Awakened: The Fifth Book in the Urban Fantasy series The Gods’ Scion by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The author’s latest installment does not disappoint. This series has fantastical and mythical creatures. It features warring families of the nobility. Family secrets abound, and they threaten to tear apart a world. Much like human family relationships, the complexities of the relationships in this book will enthrall readers.
Productivity is Power: Five Liberating Practices for College Students by Hillary Rettig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wish this book had been out when I was in college! I think this will definitely help new college students. The author gives new perspectives on both perfection and procrastination. She takes the shame away from learning how to manage your time. As a high school special education teacher, I might even purchase copies for my graduating seniors.
Good Things Take Time by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a sweet story that extols the virtue of patience. This is the story of how the title character got his forever family. I like this series of books because I have a senior dog named Buddy. Buddy is ten years old, and recently became a part of my family. I like to imagine that he has had adventures similar to the title character.
The Places We Call Home: A picture book to remind us that home is where all love begins. by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a children’s book about different kinds of living spaces. It covers living spaces for people and animals. The author includes people who live on their own. The author chose a pleasing rhyme scheme.
Decisions Matter: A picture book about learning right from wrong by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Readers are treated to a tail-wagging discovery: decisions have consequences. A loveable dog recounts a time when he did not get along well with a family member. Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? This dog has. How you react to a situation says a lot about you. Readers learn that the decisions they make when faced with a difficult situation can have lasting consequences.
Lapidius by Matthew Runals
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Is this story an allegory? A nation that has seen various wars over several decades. Starving families that are desperate to save their children. A military school stands in the gap, offering hope. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds learn to find their inner strength. Well, not learn to find, so much as they are taught to find this resilience
Murder in Prospect: An Eve Sawyer Mystery by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An aspiring journalist’s help is requested by one of her college classmates. Over their spring break, they look into the death of the mayor of a former mining town turned ghost town, which has ultimately become rebranded as a tourist destination. The history of the wild west is evident throughout the town. The young adults must sift through family secrets and old romances to uncover the truth. How far will someone go to stop them before the details come to light?
The Crown of Stones Complete Trilogy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the box set with all three books! I tend to binge read, so whenever I have a series all together like this, I’m in a happy place. Does this series take place in the far past, or the far future? Who cares! The emotions of the characters ring true either way. And then, there’s the magic, and all the lessons embodied in the control of such power.
Made to Love Her: Romantic Suspense Novella by Michele Sims
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novella is a great addition to its series, yet it can also be read as a stand-alone story. The tempo of the book resonates with echoes of current events. The main characters face extreme circumstances. They manage to infuse the situations with grace and courage. The author lets the reader travel the world through her characters.
Forever to Fall by Libby Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is part of a series, but it is truly a stand-alone book as well. I love the small town setting. The author certainly gets it right when she portrays life in rural America- especially the fact that many people have to commute to “good” jobs. The lifelong love of the main characters began in childhood, and took many twists and turns. The theme of family is featured strongly throughout this book.
Falling for a Star in the City by Krysten Lindsay Hager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m not athletic. And certainly I’m not featured on a media outlet. I loved reading this book! The two main characters are college students, in their late teens. This is an age when people are physically adults, yet their brain’s have not fully developed. Take a dash of grief, and sprinkle it with a dose of common, everyday heartbreak. You get a love story, you get this story, where the main characters have grown into love- not fallen into it like an icky mud puddle. Readers are taken on an amazing journey of personal and relational growth by the author.
Notebook Mysteries ~ Art of Deception by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Readers are transported to Chicago of the late 1800s/ early 1900s. The culture is different from our culture of today. Readers are treated to characters who strive to treat everyone with dignity. Readers learn about an historic confidence scheme. Characters learn about the statute of limitations, as well as restorative justice. As with all books in this series, family, (either born or chosen) features as an important theme.
The Veil by Karli Rush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hop on board for a futuristic ride. This is a tale that can reach readers where they are. It’s a tale of relationships. It’s a tale of choices and decisions. There are various fantastical creatures. Set among the stars and planets, there are enough scientific factoids to capture the reader’s imagination.
The Apothecary’s Curse by Barbara Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is not quite about time travel. Rather, it is about two people who have managed to evade time and its ravages. Although they have evaded the ravages of time, they have not fallen prey to the machinations of evil men. This book has so many twists and turns, it will keep you riveted to the very end. But make sure you pay close attention, lest you fall into the clutches of evil, yourself!
The Chaos Clock by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a collection of short stories. Each of the short stories centers on the theme of time/ space. Each story is set in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. It was a time when people were able to experience and begin to understand many wonderful inventions. Perhaps, readers may be meant to glean that humans are not meant to know everything, that some mystery must remain in the universe. The short story format allows readers to reflect upon what they have ingested.
From Darkness into Love by Sophie Bartow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a story of childhood love realized. The main characters grow into love. Through impetuous choices, they end up separated, thus the reference to darkness in the title. A hometown wedding puts them back into each other’s orbits, allowing them to reconnect. They each discover the other has grown and matured over the years, and they must choose to chase happiness and love together.
This Time Around by Kimberly Packard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is totally relatable to anyone who has been out of high school for at least five years. Lost touch with one of your best friends? Check. Still hung up on what could have been? Check. Regret how you behaved toward your parents sometimes during your senior year? Check. Your current relationship and your business are both imploding at the same time? Okay, this is where it starts to get interesting. Have a panic attack? Relatable. The panic attack sends you back in time to re-do your senior year? Is time travel real? The main character discovers new friendships as she learns to cherish the relationships she already has.
The Sins of Men: An American Revolutionary War Drama by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is excellent! It is set in one of my favorite eras. The author told the story from three different viewpoints. I enjoyed reading about the formation of the colonial navy. It’s an often overlooked topic. I enjoyed how the author developed the main character throughout the book. I look forward to reading more installments in this series!
The Fallen Man: A Heartwarming Holiday Romance Set in the 1990s by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Welcome back to a familiar family. Are they overwhelming? Absolutely. Are they intrusive? A little bit. Are they worth getting to know? Without a doubt. The main characters are a former priest and a “fallen woman.” This is a love story with both romance and redemption.
The Monkey Island Murder: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery by Rosalind Barden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sparky is a hilarious little orphan who solves crimes. She lives in Los Angeles. Formerly a street kid, she has been taken in by a group of interesting people. She is forced to go to school, or “the big house,” as she calls it. She champions the underdog, sometimes at her own expense. Don’t miss this latest of Sparky’s adventures!
Productivity is Power 2: For Creative, Business, and Other Professionals by Hillary Rettig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book offers hope for the productivity-challenged. It is arranged into manageable chunks. The author includes several exercises to help readers get through common obstructions to productivity. This is an easy read. Furthermore, it gives this reader a way through some of life’s stumbles.
Percy’s Brides: A Double Trouble Romance by Ivy Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh my stars! Have you ever been set up on a blind date by a well-meaning loved one? How about if you didn’t know you were going to be on a blind date? Have you told yourself to have a good attitude about the situation- it might work out, after all? What if, in the middle of this blind date, you realized a second loved one has also set you up on a blind date, but with another person? Did your momma and your sister ever set up dating profiles of you for an online dating service? This book is for anyone who has ever had anything remotely similar happen to them.
Murder by Moonlight by K.L. Montgomery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Welcome to a magical woodland. The cats are the stars of the show here. The vast diversity of characters is a welcome addition to any read. The ups and downs, twists and turns of this book are sure to delight most mystery readers. Will the cats help solve the mystery in time? Read to find out!
Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Music, and the power to heal hearts. Music, and its poetry. Music, in all its many and varied forms. I am a musician. Right now, living in this apartment with me, are two flutes, two keyboards, a trumpet, and a trombone. Music is the staff paper upon which my story will be written one day. This book brought me to my knees, and it brought me tears. It was amazing!
Purrfectly Framed: A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m not a cat person. I kind of like them, but I’m allergic to cats. I like to pet them, and I like when they purr. I liked reading a book with little cat detectives. They should get representation, and start a detective agency! The kitten antics are adorable. The human characters are entertaining as well. These are the kinds of people you find around you- whether it is in a small town or a social circle in a bigger city.
Murder a la Christie by Marilyn Levinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a fantastic mystery, and it features a book club! The book club meetings are plagued by tragic events. There is the possibility of a budding romance or two in the background. The main character must learn to separate logic from emotion. If she solves the case, is it a price worth paying?
The Boss of Centocelle: An Italian Murder Mystery (Book 6) by P. J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The main character is a detective in Italy who struggles to find a healthy work to life ratio. This is an issue with which many people of today certainly struggle.He loves his family and he excels at his job. This could be considered a cautionary tale, as he learns that the choices he makes in his professional life could have unpleasant win his personal life. Will he solve the crime? Will he still still have a family when he does so? Read on to find out.
