The People’s War is a historical fiction novel based on the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Jing is an inventory accountant at a local factory in China. He lives a few blocks away from the factory, on the outskirts of Tiananmen Square. He walks through the square on his way to work each morning and again on his way… Read more »
An Emerging Threat falls under the sword and sorcery, fantasy genre. There are also mentions of steampunk. I need to start by admitting that I am not a fan of fantasy. Why, because they all read the same and, An Emerging Threat did not disappoint me. There was absolutely nothing original about it. The two main characters, Oliver and… Read more »
Mobster’s Girl is said to be an Italian Mafia Romance story. I would also classify it as a Coming of Age Romance story. In either case, it is a very well written story that will capture your attention and hold it until the end. The two main characters are Antonio and Megan. One Italian (Antonio) and one Irish (Megan,… Read more »
Pencheval is a Silver Lion – the best of the best warrior and fighter. He has earned a reputation for hunting down bandits. However, he is now seeking a simpler life of solitude and peace. This takes him to the Emerald Refuge, famed for its serenity throughout the entire kingdom. However, his peace doesn’t last long as soon the… Read more »
This review is very difficult. If I were reading this book on my own, I likely would not have finished it. However, because I was asked to review it, I hung in there. In the end, I found it interesting but more as a textbook on forensic science, than a mystery. Fire Sign is a short novella, listed under women’s… Read more »
Seventeen-year-old Emma and her twin brother Charlie are expecting another boring summer vacation when the family travels to Balky Point. As much as they like the locals, it is a quiet, unassuming town where there’s not much going on. Charlie and Emma go exploring and the adventure all begins inside the lighthouse. They notice pictures there decades apart that… Read more »
I’m always pleased to give a good review: Especially when it comes on the heels of two, not so good, reviews. In this case, my review rating is not good; it’s absolutely outstanding. If I could, I’d give Everything We Keep a 7 out of 5 rating. 5 for being very good, 6 for outstanding writing and, 7 because… Read more »
Since “Summer of my Fourteenth Year” was clearly Jim Meaders’ first novel, I tried to cut it some slack. Despite its flaws, it had some clever ideas, funny scenarios and was overall a creative story. All of that seems to have been thrown away in the next installment of James’ whacky adventures, “Hitchhikers in Each Other’s Mind,” resulting in a… Read more »
This book was given to me for free in return for an honest review. “Gods Inc.” is a creative thrill ride with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged from start to finished, but its unstable world building and bland protagonist hold it back from being anything truly spectacular, which is rather unfortunate considering its potential. David Sands… Read more »
Something to Witch About is a witches and wizard’s suspense, mystery. It is also the fifth book in Amanda Lee’s Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery series. Because I love this series, I’ll be reading and reviewing all of the books in it and using the same format for each of the books. So, if my reviews look and sound… Read more »
“The Summer of my Fourteenth Year” is an odd little book with what seems like a simple premise until Meaders gives it the most unexpected and creative one-eighty. Meaders essentially takes Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” and has him narrate an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” As crazy as that sounds, it actually works. The end result is a zany… Read more »
Witching on a Star is a witches and wizard’s suspense, mystery. It is also the fourth book in Amanda Lee’s Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery series. While you certainly do not need to read the first three books in order to enjoy or follow Witching on a Star, reading them will certainly help put you in the right… Read more »
Induction and Asylum are the first two books in the Time of Death series by Shana Festa. They are what I hope are only the beginnings of a series that is possibly one of my all-time very favorite books. People who know me might find it a bit humorous that out of all the genres I’ve read that a series… Read more »
Doing It Over is a contemporary romance novel and the first in the Most Likely To series by Catherine Bybee. Making good on a promise to return for her ten-year reunion, Melanie, with her daughter Hope, are on their way to the small town in Oregon where Melanie grew up. Before they can make it into town, her junker… Read more »
Pilgrimage is a mature, thoughtful and surprisingly funny magical journey through the Australian Outback that brings something new to the Contemporary Fantasy genre. Roland has been living in a rundown motel for the past six months, spending his time drinking away painful memories and getting into bar fights. Griffith is on his way to Salem to find a powerful sorcerer… Read more »