BONES OF A SAINT BY GRANT FARLEY | BOOK REVIEW
Bones Of A Saint by Grant Farley is a young adult historical fiction. The book tells us the is a coming-of-age story of the 15-year-old RJ Armante set against the backdrop of late 70's Northern California. RJ has lived his whole life in the hometown of Arcangel. The Blackjacks have ruled the town for years and force younger kids to do petty offenses for the gang. RJ lives with his mother, many siblings, and his differently-abled brother in a trailer park. The young boy has always been in troubling situations and finds himself at the center of a dangerous situation that forces him to work for the Blackjacks. He is…
THE CONDUCTORS (MURDER AND MAGIC #1) BY NICOLE GLOVER | BOOK REVIEW
The Conductors by Nicole Glover is the first book in the series Murder And Magic. The story is about a couple who works as conductors on the Underground Railroad helping slaves escape to the North. After the Civil War Hetty and Benjy settle in Philadelphia solving murders and mysteries the white authorities refuse to look into. During one of the cases, they discover the body of one of their friends. The brutal nature of the murder and the violated body raises questions that make them doubt their friends in the elite circles of Black Philadelphia. Secrets and lies start to surface during the course of their investigation making them question…
THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS BY J.J.A.HARWOOD | BOOK REVIEW
The Shadow In The Glass is a dark, gothic retelling of Cinderella by J.J.A.Harwood. The story is set in Victorian England and takes us through the truly terrible times women had to face on a daily basis. The story takes place in Grandborough House where Mrs. Pembroke took in the recently orphaned Eleanor known as Ella. She is treated like a daughter and grew up with all the privileges that a child would get. Mrs. Pembroke passes away and Ella is forced to earn her keep by the housekeeper. Mr. Pembroke is an alcoholic and is drinking away the wealth and the riches that Mrs. Pembroke had managed wisely. As…
A DANCE OF LIES (THE OUTLANDS PENTALOGY #4) BY REBECCA CRUNDEN| BOOK REVIEW
A Dance Of Lies is the 4th book in The Outlands Pentalogy. This series gets better with each book and I am all here for it. Each book focuses on a main character's POV taking us through their tumultuous lives as they fight against the oppression and tyranny of the heavily authoritarian Kingdom. A year of living in the Outlands hasn't resolved the issues building between Nate, Thom, Kitty, and the rest of the group. Their found family of people of the Kingdom and Radiants have found a routine to their lives, living day to day the best way possible. Not everyone is happy to flee from the Kingdom and…
THE FOUR WINDS BY KRISTIN HANNAH | BOOK REVIEW
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a historical, women's fiction that tells the story of a family's fight for survival during the Great Depression era and the Dust Bowl era. This story is set in Texas and we get to see how the drought and lack of rain damages and destroys the crops. On top of that dust storms ravaged the lands leaving more destruction behind. People in these states had to fight for their day-to-day survival against the war mother nature has waged. It's a family story, a woman's story that's going to burrow into your hearts and make you feel their fear, powerlessness, determination, and tenacity as…
WHY COUPLES FIGHT? BY MIRA KIRSHENBAUM | BOOK REVIEW
Why Couples Fight? by Mira Kirshenbaum is a fantastic book for anyone who is looking for a relationship or someone already in a relationship. The author is a relationship expert and she gives us the reasons why couples fight and how to resolve conflicts among couples. If you are looking to add tools to your life kit toolbox, this book will help you do that efficiently. It is accessible and easy to read with practical examples to help us understand the underlying issues that most couples face. I believe the book has accomplished what it had set out to do. Overall, this is a book everyone should read and apply…
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KOLOLO HILL BY NEEMA SHAH | BOOK REVIEW
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah is the debut Asian Ugandan literature set in 1970's Uganda that will captivate you with its human story of love, loss, and desperation of families who were thrown out of their homes and country. This was such a familiar story, yet so different and important to be read in these times of division, hatred, and otherisms. It is very relevant to the times we live as conversations of race, inequality, oppression, power, and devastation are at the forefront of our lives. Overall, this is a story that sheds light on the expulsion of Asian Ugandans during Idi Amin's oppressive regime. This is a lesser-known history…
DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT BY LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON | BOOK REVIEW
Daughters Of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a dark historical murder/mystery/thriller set in 1780's England. I recently found out after reading the book, that this actually has characters from her previous book Blood & Sugar. We are following Caroline Corsham, a wealthy woman who is determined to find the identity of the murderer of Lady Lucy Loveless. Initially, upon discovering the brutally attacked woman, Caro realizes the Lady's attack was planned, and before she could get answers, Lucy dies in Caro's arms. The investigation gets picked up by Bow Street Runners and they stop s it when they realize the real identity of the woman who was murdered. The mystery…
HYDE BY CRAIG RUSSELL | BOOK REVIEW
Hyde by Craig Russel is a police procedural style story that follows Captain Hyde who is investigating an unusual murder that resembles the three-fold death from the Celtic tales. The story is an intriguing take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and talks about the duality of the nature of man, the good and the evil, and with RL Stevenson appearing in both the prologue and epilogue was quite interesting to read. Hyde is a gothic horror story that is steeped in Celtic folklore and tales that creates a haunting atmospheric setting and is quite fascinating.
A BEAUTIFUL SPY BY RACHEL HORE | BOOK REVIEW
Rachel Hore's A Beautiful Spy tells us the story of an ordinary young woman from Edgbaston, who changes her destiny by working as a spy for the British Government. Young Minnie is expected to get married, start a family, and live happily in the role of a house-wife. But she has other plans. She doesn't want to live an ordinary life, with no excitement. So when a friend offers the chance to be something more and work for a cause, she jumps at the opportunity. Minnie is recruited by MI5 as a spy to monitor the activities of the communists in London. She works with all of her heart and…
