romance – One Chapter

Jane and Dan at The End of the World by Colleen Oakley

5 stars Fiction

That was a fun read. I didn’t know what to expect at first but about ¼ of the way into the book, I was hooked and their night out eating was pure entertainment.

Extravagant and expensive, those are the words to describe the dinner that Jane and Dan were having tonight. It was their 19^th anniversary, and they were going all out. Only the well-to-do typically dine here but tonight the parents of Josh and Sissy find themselves a table here, a night they should have went somewhere else.

Dan is ready for a fun-filled night, but Jane is on edge. She’s been reading Dan’s phone messages and tonight is the night that she’s telling Dan that she’s done. She feels betrayed and lied to, amongst a host of other emotions and she’s ready to move on without him. Feeling that Dan by committing his affair, has already moved on without her, she wants to just officially get everything out in the open. Relief hits Jane as the words tumble out of her mouth leaving Dan stunned and surprised. What a way to celebrate an anniversary.

They rushed through the door, his voice was loud as he shouted, “Nobody move,” as the rest of his posse made their way into the restaurant carrying guns. Gathering up the patron’s cell phones, they laid out the rules. Sure, everyone would walk out safely through the front door at the end of this ordeal as they only want one thing tonight but as the minutes tick by, their plan was not going as they intended. Jane accepted the fact that the only book that she had written wasn’t a bestseller but as the night unfolded, it seemed that someone had read her book. There were too many similarities between her book and the drama unfolding around her. Could this really be happening?

I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. The tension between Jane and Dan escalates as the drama of the restaurant intensifies. They’re trying to understand their relationship, grasping the meaning of their own lives, and doing a reality check. With the restaurant seized by a group of muddled thieves, the outcome of the evening is anyone’s guess. 5 stars

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

4.5 stars Fiction

You can always dream. Lucy started to escape into the world of books at a small age. She needed this escape as she had nothing in her own home life to hold onto. Jack Masterson provided the world into which Lucy would crawl into. Soon, these worlds that Jack had created would become a part of Lucy. As a reader, I think Lucy’s connection with Jack and her escape resonates with many of us. The amazement and freedom to escape into the pages of a great book and leave our current world beyond, even for just a few moments, is priceless.

As a teacher’s aide, Lucy is drawn to a student in her classroom Christopher, who is in foster care. Lucy feels a connection with Christopher and this connection deepens throughout the year. Lucy would like to adopt Christopher, but her current situation is not ideal. Lucy heart is in the right place as she tries to find a solution to this problem, but her frustration grows. It’s an emotional story as Christopher and Lucy both struggle with the way life is and how they want it to be. Lucy introduces Christopher to the Jack Masterson books that she loved growing up and soon, they share this reading experience together.

Getting an invitation in the mail, Lucy is invited to a contest hosted by Jack Masterson. This could be Lucy’s “golden ticket,” her chance to change the current situation. Will it be enough to change Christopher’s life also? Will Lucy be the winner?

I enjoyed the contest hosted by Jack. It wasn’t a one chance winner but multiple chances so everyone who was invited got a chance to win points and be the winner at the end of the contest. This was a page-turner and one that touched my heart as I was drawn into the contest and the lives of Lucy and Christopher.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to me.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune

5 stars ++++ Fantasy

I loved, loved this book! Actually, I loved this series and I’m going to miss these characters. If you’re looking for something different, heck even if you’re not ready for something different, listen to the audio of this book/series. The characters in this book will make you laugh, think, and cry. Each one of them is unique and you will fall in love with how they made their world a better place.

This book took me on a magical journey. I left the status of my own world behind, and I stood beside them on Marsyas Island watching the new arrivals. Since book one, I knew that the government wouldn’t leave the island alone, but I didn’t expect Miss Marblemaw. She’s a strict one, that’s for sure, and when she meets the children, I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be ready for that. She’s there for a purpose just like Linus was but I really doubt that Miss Marblemaw will soften like Linus.

Linus is standing with Arthur now, as he has decided that Marsyas Island is now his home also. The children have welcomed him and like having them both there to watch over them. A child named David finds his way to the island and although deemed to be a monster, he’s the nicest monster that I know. I loved the relationships built and strengthened on the island. I loved how they looked out for one another and how they empowered each other. The characters themselves were unique and different yet together they achieved and conquered what they set out to do.

As Miss Marblemaw investigates the orphanage of magical beings and works at dissolving the relationships that have developed within it, what she does is just the opposite. This orphanage has evolved into a family. For “family” is more than blood. This family welcomes others, is hard-working, and committed, and is a host to a wide variety of other qualities. Can they change her mind? Will she leave? What will David decide to do? Definitely a 5 star read!!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

5 stars Fantasy

This book was so much fun! After reading this book, I went to the library and checked out the audiobook which I highly recommend. Putting actual voices to the characters made this book much more enjoyable and I can still hear each one of their unique personalities as Linus steps on the island so he can investigate the Marsyas Island Orphanage, home to six orphans which are supposed to be extremely dangerous.

Linus takes his job seriously, a job with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. When summoned by Extremely Upper Management, Linus is given a top-secret mission, a job he must leave immediately for. For one month, Linus must live on the island, assessing the orphanage and report his findings back to upper management. As Linus begins his reports, he’s very structured as he writes about the six orphans and Arthur, the individual in-charge of the orphanage but as his month comes to an end, his reports become more emotional in nature.

Arthur knows exactly why Linus has arrived and he’s protective of the individuals that he’s in-charge of. They’re not just orphans to Arthur; they are his family, and you can feel the love and commitment that Arthur has to these children. Linus, on the other hand, is a character who seems rigid and is one of those by-the-book, kind of individuals when he arrives but as he gets to know the children, he begins to soften. He starts to understand them and appreciates them for who they are. He likes what they have, he likes how he feels around them, and he notices things that he has never noticed before – it’s like Linus has finally woken up. His senses have finally woken up and everything is alive.

The children are a mixed bunch, a group of extremely dangerous individuals, they say. Do these individuals really know who these children are? I can’t tell you how many times I laughed at their comments and/or the things that they would do. I admit, they were a quirky and unique group of children, but they were “magical youths.” I liked how they accepted one another, and they acted like siblings. They each knew their place and were appreciative of each other.

It was an entertaining and fun read. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story. The world building and the characters were fabulous! 5 stars

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

5 stars Fiction

One year. Cassie had finally found her groove and now this. Her mother was asking Cassie to put her life on hold for one year so that she could help her out. This is the same mother who walked out on Cassie and her father when she was 16. After having just received a valor award for her outstanding job performance, Cassie packs up her bags to attend to her mother.

There was so much to love about Cassie, especially her attitude and energy. After the incident at the award ceremony and her initial meeting with her new boss at Lillian, I knew that Cassie would be a fireball. She can handle herself; that’s for sure but I started to wonder just how long she’d be able to control herself.

Cassie doesn’t want to standout at the firehouse, she wants to be accepted as one of them. She feels that she needs to prove to them that she’s not a girly-girl but someone who can handle anything that’s tossed her way. Cassie proves to the team that she tough and a few of the men are even intimated by her. With some laugh out loud moments, the firefighters welcome Cassie and initiate her into their firehouse with the traditional pranks. Cassie is feeling better about the move that she has made to help her mother because now she has a job, a job where she can be successful and feel good about herself.

Hello Rookie. Hello, Rookie! Not now…she doesn’t need this now especially after what her new boss told her. Since they’re the newest recruits, they’re always together so there’s no way she can ignore him. They start to share personal information while they’re together and all is lost…..what did the boss say? LOL. Cassie begins to accept her new life for what it is while a stalker has his eyes on Cassie.

This was the reality of life, tucked away secrets are brough to light as individuals adjusted to life in an ever-changing world. A book packed full of emotions, from laughter to tears and anything in-between, Cassie’s and those around her, lived a full life. 5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. #thingsyousavebook #tysiaf

Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar

4 stars YA

A kaleidoscope of colors lit up his world whenever he was close to Camelia. It happened the minute she walked into his life. This bright display of color awoke something within Elio, and he knew immediately that Camelia was “the one”. She said yes when he asked her to be his girl and things changed after that. Paco, his best friend hooked up with Laurette and now, the four of them hang out as couples.

In previous years, the boy’s only group chats centered around mundane subjects. But it’s now 8^th grade and with hormones churning, the boys are chatting it up about girls. Everything about girls is being discussed. I couldn’t believe how much Elio had fallen in love with Camelia already. He was infatuated with her. I was worried about their relationship, and I started to question where things were headed. I felt that Elio was smitten with Camelia, yet she acted like she wasn’t aware of his deep feelings, or she just wasn’t concerned with how he felt.

Pops suggests a new group to Elio, a group where they can discuss “manly things and indigenous Mexican” topics. Although Elio doesn’t like the sound of it, it might be exactly what he needs. With so much happening and his emotions running high, Elio needs an outlet. Elio was with Camelia, or at least he thought he was until Chava comes waltzing into the picture. Talk about drama! What is up with Camelia, is she blind? I was getting more frustrated with Camelia the longer and Chava……I just wanted to punch him. Elio needs to let them be but he can’t and its getting out of control…… the train is coming off the track………

What a book……lots of emotions and drama happening inside this book, told in verse. Elio is in love; it’s his first love and it’s everything. Nothing is sacred as he discloses his life. He hits on the physical, emotional, and “manly” side of things, a guy who tells it like it is. For older audiences, this book hits on some mature topics. I love a book that pulls intense emotions out of me. 4 stars

Dust by Alison Stine

5 stars YA

What if you lived your life without ______ every word that was spoken to ______? It’d be hard to fully engage _____ with others, as you’d have to either _____ what they said or just not ____ yourself in their conversation. Thea’s parents knew about her deafness, yet they did nothing to improve her situation. They had taught Thea to hide her impairment from others and so she had, missing out on bits and pieces of her life.

It’s her father’s rules that lands the family in the dust bowl. Her father saw opportunity, but did he really see the whole picture. It’s all around them……despair and dust. Every morning, the floor is coated before they give it a good sweep and the sandy pieces fall into every dish and surface, swallowing up their little house. Father wants them off the grid, he wants the family to be self-sufficient, but mother-earth has other plans. Experiencing her first dust storm, Thea becomes concerned with their new life and their future. Being isolated now, I liked how Thea began to take an active role in something, and she finally has something to focus on.

With money being tight, her father allows Thea and her mother to work outside the home. Thea’s boss sees a great opportunity and Thea meets Ray. Ray is a volunteer at the library, a wonderful guy, and is hearing impaired. To think that in this little dessert town, in the middle of nowhere, she meets someone like herself, Thea is thrilled! Thea begins helping Ray and Sam as they help others in the community. Thea just shines, as she finally starts breaking out of her shell with the help of Ray until her father gets wind of what Thea has been up to.

“My dads anger stuck to us, like dirt that would never wash off.”

I enjoyed the character of Thea as she grew inside the pages of this book. Her father tried to squash her; to mold her to his liking but she saw life outside his vision and wanted more. How can she have the best of both worlds: her family and the friends for which she has craved for her entire life? 5 stars

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

5 stars Fiction Fantasy

The more I listened to this book, the more I enjoyed it. I can understand those who started to read it and gave up on it, as they really didn’t give the book a chance. Once Lauren started to understand what her attic was capable of, she started to understand the complications and understand herself.

Imagine waking up and discovering you have a different life. Maybe it’s more glorious and maybe it’s not. If you had the chance, would you exchange your life for what’s behind a different door or would you continue to live your current life and make the best of it? For Lauren, this is the dilemma that she is facing. After a night out, she wakes up to discover that she’s married. Yep, that sounds like one crazy night out!

I was about ready to give up on this book as I wondered if I was just going to read about the highway that has now become the attic steps. Lauren has the power to send her male spouses marching as they answer her call and return to the attic only to never return. It was interesting the variety of spouses who arrived out of Lauren’s attic and soon, I found myself not wanting the chapters to end. It was comical at times as Lauren starts to fully understand the implications her attic is having. I enjoyed Lauren’s search, and I found myself talking about this book to everyone I knew. I had a variety of endings created in my mind as the pages started to flip faster. As I closed the book, it did not end like I had expected but it was perfect. What a fun, entertaining book! 5 stars

The Emperor’s New Clothes: a Graphic Novel by Stephanie True Peters

4.5 stars Graphic Novels Childs/Middle School

Almost perfect. Had it not been for the faces on the characters, I would have loved this book. I’ve been looking for a copy of this story which stays true to the original version without being too wordy or too childish and I think I might have found it. I found this graphic novel invigorating and entertaining, as it tells the fairy tale of the self-centered emperor.

In the faraway kingdom, there lived an emperor who cared more about the clothes that he wore than his own kingdom. He could and he would, change his clothes hourly and in fact, he never wore the same clothes twice. In fact, instead of inspecting his kingdom, the emperor liked to show off his clothes to his kingdom and would have his servant drive him through his kingdom so others could see him. While out one day, the emperor spotted some fantastic cloth that he had to have.

The weavers spun a tale so outlandish to the emperor, about a cloth that they could weave for him. This cloth would be so amazing that he absolutely had to have them come live with him in his castle, so they could create it for him. For this cloth was so magical, “only clever people can see it! To fools, it is invisible!” This was exactly the plan the weavers had in mind, for they were swindlers.

The emperor is smitten with pleasure as the weaver’s work. The weavers can’t believe their good fortune as they’re living their best life inside the castle watching their scheme unfold. The conversations taking place inside the castle made me laugh as both the emperor and the weavers are both pleased with the situation unfolding. The servant is running around trying to please everyone and he’s caught in the middle. The emperor’s new clothes are finally finished, but who can see it? The emperor’s apprehension grows, will he be able to see it? He loves to parade around his kingdom, but will that be a huge mistake this time?

I thought this would be a good read for my grandkids as I think it will keep their attention as the story moves quickly and the illustrations are interesting. I really enjoyed the color scheme of this graphic novel as it wasn’t bright and colorful but rather a dull and washed-out color palette which was perfect. The captions within some of the frames helped move the story along and were short in nature and easy to read. The speech and thought bubbles were easy to follow and read too. There are not a lot of characters to keep track of and their images made them easy to keep them distinct. As I said before, I was not a fan of the faces of the characters. They look clownish to me, and I didn’t like not seeing very many facial expressions in this story. 4.5 stars

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

5 stars Fiction

What a wonderful story. I felt there was so much going on within the story and there were many layers within it. The story began with a friendship, their circle becoming larger and extensive, yet the romance between them never made an appearance. This friendship had its ups and downs. They were business partners, they each had different goals, and I felt as if the drive and ambition between the two of them were at different levels. Had they been honest with one another from the beginning perhaps things might have been different.

I’m not a gamer. Put me in front of a video game in which I must make my way through a scenario moving left, right, up, and down and you will find me in a corner, stuck. Give me a video game in which the screen is stationary, or I can only move left and right, I might do okay and be able to finish the game. As I read this book, I was impressed with the talents of the characters and their ability to work through the stresses of the gaming world. Creating games, testing, and critiquing them, their time and commitment to the cause was motivating as they tried to find their place in the world, build relationships and inspire others in the process.

When Sadie first met Sam, I liked how carefree and innocent they were with each other. Their relationship was built upon that first meeting and even years later they still had that connection. Sam had his disability which he thought was bigger than it was, and I felt that Sadie was struggling to be heard and seen. Being a girl, Sadie felt that she was being overlooked in the gaming world which affected some of her actions and words. Then, there was Marx. He was a great character to add into the mix. Heck, all the characters were great. As the young duo becomes successful, they start to discover what success really is. They discover what success means to each of them.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I was worried about getting blogged down with the gaming portion of the book, but it was fine as the other aspects of the book were great and I learned about gaming along the way. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an honest opinion of the book. Thank you.