Frostfire

"Hidden Deep in the Heart of a Snow-Covered Wilderness Lies the Secret Kingdom of the Kanin - A Magical Realm as Beautiful as it is Treacherous..."

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Having never been completely accepted among her kingdom because she is both Kanin and Skojar, Bryn dedicates herself in her work as a Tracker, who leaves the safety of the Trolls' home to find and return with the Changlings placed in our world as babies once they have grown old enough. But, when on a routine mission, she comes face to face with the man who tried to kill her father and stabbed her years ago, Konstantin Black. Unsure what he was doing following a Changling, Bryn tries to focus on events and duties at home but something is wrong. As Konstantin continues going after Changlings, she and the other Trackers have to keep the kingdom safe. Yet, while Bryn wants to bring Konstantin to "justice," there is something that isn't right. Mysteries and fantasy abound in this first installment of The Kanin Chronicles.

Author - Amanda Hocking

Publisher - St. Martin's Griffin

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Several characters have "romantic encounters" casually. Swearing every few pages. A diversity in gender preferences for relationships. Faithfull to country and protecting those in danger. Determination to do their duty. Wanting revenge but sees there might be more to the situation that can be seen.

Personal Opinion - Filled with intrigue, action, and mystery, Frostfire was one of the most engaging and captivating books I have ever read. Even though this is based off a fairy tale yet, it is so light and woven together so well, it is its own story. The life of Bryn is complicated and so are the morals and practices of the world, creating conflict. I like how it takes place in our world yet is hidden. The author is also Minnesotan, my home state, which is just cool and, in my opinion, give credibility for writing a world filled with snow and, later, a country with water, two major parts of MN. However, I did rate this at only 3 stars and my reasons for that is the morality presented in the novel. *May Be Spoilers* Within the first chapter, a character makes a video call and connects with another character who is just finishing a "nooner". While there was nothing explicit, all the while presenting this as no big deal, just their way of life, it felt like in appropriate material, this event and subsequent references or desires that were clearly hinted yet not detailed, for teens. People do have different ideas on appropriateness of this stuff but I was uncomfortable with it being in a book meant for this age group. That was my number one issue and is making me question if I will continue reading the books even though I want to know what happens next. Second, there were some laws broken in our world that the characters did in order to escape trouble and they have the philosophy of "the ends justified the means" going for them. There were lastly a few swear words every several pages which I can usually live with so this was not a make it or break it issue. I think I may continue reading the series, not only to see how the story goes and understand the mysteries set up but also to see how the morals of the characters and the practices of the society, the Changling practice which causes some friction between characters, is covered. I want to know if the world created still thinks these ways are still okay or if their way of thinking and seeing things change even though, right now, they are defending them.

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The Little Paris Bookshop

"A Warm and Charming Tale of
Love, Loss,
and the Power of Reading"

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.

(Summary copied from Amazon)

Author - Nina George

Publisher - Crown Publishers

Age Group - 18 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Love making and such is a popular topic (weather or not someone was already married didn't matter). Regret is struggled with as well as guilt. Searching for love and belonging is what the characters want most, romantically and otherwise. Jean helps others and sees what they need to give them the book that will help them heal.

Personal Opinion - I decided not to finish this book 32% into it because of all the pretty detailed "romantic" scenes in it. I can do without all those details in a book (or movie or TV show for that matter); I get what the characters did and I don't need to be there for it. It is something that makes me personally uncomfortable. Besides my personal feelings, the story also tended to be direct in the information it shared with the reader and some of it was repeated (I don't know how many times it went over each neighbor he lived with in the apartment and what they read). It tended to make the story longer and was summary in a way. Yet, the best thing about this book was when it was on the Literary Apothecary and talked about books and their healing properties. It is why I wanted to read this in the first place and it was beautiful. It is exactly how I think of books, perfectly creating an image of what books are in our world. The cover flap said this book was also about love and loss as well as how books affect us and it was doing a superb job of creating characters that were involved in all of that but I just didn't need that detailed of the "love."

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

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I Could Chew on This

"And Other Poems by Dogs"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

 

About - Dogs release their voices in this collection of poems that describe their joy, sorrow, and fears as they see them. Humor fills the pages as the dogs recount being left alone, running free, and playing games. See the world through your dogs eyes and appreciate them new.

Author - Francesco Marciuliano

Publisher - Chronicle Books

Personal Opinion - This collection of poems from a dog's point of view on various topics is charming and, at times, laugh out loud funny. They really get at the heart of the dog's brain and thought processes. Some of the funniness also comes from the dog not fully comprehending what is going on in the poem while the reader does. Even those who are not fond of poems could find these enjoyable. The only thing I did not like about these poems were to ones concerning sex. People who love dogs will be able to identify and enjoy these poems.  

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Breadcrumbs

"Once Upon a Time"
 

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

 

Storyline - Through her imagination and her best friend Jack who she has lived next door to most her life, Hazel survives the demands of school, the dislike of her peers, and her mother's pleas to grow up. But when Jack is suddenly no longer her friend, ignoring and insulting her, her world begins to fall apart. When Jack disappears, should she believe the reasonable answers given to her and remain in the real world or believe in a magical winter witch who took him to an enchanted world that is more dangerous than what she has read in her books?

Author - Anne Ursu

Publisher - Waldon Pond Press; an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

Age Group - 13 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* A creepy woman cuts Hazel's cheek. Hazel throws a pencil case at someone. Parental figures have no idea what is going on. Hazel makes sacrifices to help others even when it might hurt her. She loves her mom and wants to please her. She stands by her best friend even when he has turned his back on her. Hazel doesn't give up even when the journey becomes difficult.

Personal Opinion - Breadcrumbs retells the fairy tale The Snow Queen while mixing real life with fantasy and the struggles of growing up. Being let into Hazel's life, her family struggles, the loss of a friend, and being expected to grow up, was done perfectly and beautifully to reveal the change that overcomes someone when it seems they are leaving a part of themselves behind. Mixing the fairy tale elements to mirror this struggle, made it that much more insightful. The determination of standing by her friend when he was in trouble and facing the difficult journey is a positive one for others to learn to keep going and learn and discover what they should do even when things go wrong. While Hazel wasn't perfect, she tried to do the right thing and do what she thought was she should, even if it meant stop being herself. One thing that was interesting was, in the real world, she turned to fantasy to thrive; but, in the enchanted world, she turned to the real world to strengthen herself.

The ending was a bit confusing. I couldn't tell if she found a boundary between being her imaginative self and living in reality or if one won out over the other. Besides that, there were a few things I personally felt uncomfortable with. Some of the people Hazel meets on her journey are just creepy and she wasn't always respectful of authority figures but it is hard to be respectful when someone wants you to fit into a mold. While this novel is mostly based off The Snow Queen fairy tale, a couple other Hans Christian Anderson tales where also mixed in. This was interesting but almost had too much happening, especially when so much already happens in the main fairy tale. The last thing that made me uncomfortable, and this is purely personal, was the reference to The Golden Compass only because I have an issue with that book.

All and all, this story beautifully wove reality and fantasy together to reveal the struggles of growing up and being yourself as well as helping your friends and making sacrifices.

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Awards - Publishers Weekly Best Book
               School Library Journal Best Book
              Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
              Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
              NPR Backseat Book Club Selection
             

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The Patmos Deception

"An Ancient Island Holds

an Ancient Secret..."

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 3.5 Worms

Storyline - Carey travels to Greece only to find the Institute that had offered her a job has closed, leaving her stranded. Thankfully, Nick, a journalist in Paris and an old friend of Carey's offers her a job. An under the radar job seeking stolen antiquities. Dimitri is a local for-hire tourist boat guide on Patmos struggling to make ends meet in the troublesome economy of Greece. So, to keep his family's legacy alive, he agrees to some illegal work. Yet the job requires more than he bargained for. They are all in danger and it will take their knowledge, skill, and determination to survive.

Author - Davis Bunn

Publisher - Bethany House

Age Group - 16 or 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Each character is encouraged to turn to God for direction in their current situations as well as dealing with their past such as Dimitri previously being a womanizer and then a smuggler and Carey with overcoming bad relationships.

Personal Opinion - I liked the idea of an ancient secret affecting modern day lives and thought this would be a good adventure novel. The characters were diverse and had detailed histories about how they became who they are and where they are now. There's a lot of information concerning various islands (mostly Ephesus and Patmos), their history, a legend, and how they tied in with Biblical times. The novel also gave an in depth image of the economic crisis in Greece. For all the work of creating characters with various personalities and histories, the book did not emphasis the mystery that much. This made it highly character centered and made me think on several occasions "What is this book about again? Oh, right." In fact, the story could go several chapters about the characters' present and past, were they were going, or the island's history without even touching on what the main plot was. I prefer books that are more evenly character and plot centered then heavily one way or the other. While it had great information and characters, I found this book slow and not my particular taste.

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Bethany House Reviewers.

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Ruby's Tale

"A True Rags to Riches Story"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms

About - Ruby defies the stereotypes of pit bulls and shows the true nature of the breed. When adopted by her new home, she loves everyone she meets and goes on to host a radio show, perform in stage productions, and be a finalist in a Milk Bone competition. Her love abounds as she works as a service dog visiting others in nursing homes. Ruby might be a pit bull but she is not what someone would expect.

Author - Patrick Bettendorf

Publisher - Tasora Books

Age Group - 15 and up

Personal Opinion - With charm, humor, and honesty, Ruby's Tale is full of wonderful tales and lessons on dogs and their abilities. It made me laugh at her antics, happy at the change of people, and furious at the behavior of some people to dogs. Through her adventures, Ruby defies her breed's stereotype and inspires her owner and fans though her exploits on stage, radio, and service work. Ruby's tale is not the only one to grace the pages but also that of her owner, other dogs, and the experiences around them. This, though, at times made me wonder why Ruby's story was chosen to tell over one of the other dogs in their life and seemed to derail from what the point of the book was. But this is becoming one of my new favorite books and would gladly share it with friends and family.

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Awards - Indi Excellence Winner
                Book of the Year Finalist

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Awakening

"Kallie Andreas is a Mystery,

Even to Herself."

Bookworm's Ranking - 5 Worms

 

Storyline - Kallie is trying to remember her life prior to the last seven years but nothing is there. Happy with her life as a researcher for her museum until she tanks an important event. When an offer comes along to discover the secret to an ancient civilization, she doesn't have any reason to refuse. As she journey's across the glob, her discovery into herself, the real world, and the story she is writing are taking terrifying turns to meld together.

Author - Tracy Higley

Publisher - StoneWater Press

Age Group - 15 or 16 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Several attacks take place on the characters. Several are willing to put their lives at risk to save someone else.

Personal Opinion - One of the best Tracy Higley books I have read and I have enjoyed each book of hers. Taking place in modern times, this book looked at facing the past, finding truth, and loving others over ones self. Using ancient mythology and fairy tales through metaphors, the story captured the unrealness to the protagonist's point of view while also combining two stories of the ancient along with the present and their affects on each other. The twist to the story was excellent by leading up to it, almost suggesting it, but keeping the reader surprised. There was even a small discussion an differences in religion, which I usually dislike because they make the non-Christians like idiots, but this one was respectful to the different points of view even if they didn't agree with each other. There were a couple of times if felt the characters change their thought processes that seemed a little quick and the love story was highly emphasized. Not that romance is a bad thing but it got a little mushy-gooshy for my taste. Loved the strong female taking the lead, though. This book is a must read for those who like mystery, ancient civilization, and even a twinge of fantasy.

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free through Tracy's Caravan.

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Frames: 20 and Something

"27% of Young Adults 

Have Clear Goals

for the Next 5 Years"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms
 

About - Today, 20+ year olds are coming of age in a world different from their parents. As they complete their education and find their way in the world, their thoughts and feeling of the world abound. In 20 and Something, research is gathered to give insight into this group of people; how they see the world, value their education, and feel about their faith. This ever changing world will have to be ready for these different humans who are entering, and planning to change, everything around them. Watch out for their hope, determination, and dreams.

Author - David H. Kim

Publisher - Barna Group: Zondervan

Age Group - 18 and up

Personal Opinion - I found this book interesting because I am 20 and something. The research and numbers sometimes surprised me while others it was what I expected. I especially liked the interpretation of the results like we are dreamers who want to make the world a better place and have hope despite the mistrust of organizations. It was written almost like a textbook (but more interesting) and the colorful diagrams helped illustrate the results of the research on this demographic. I could also see, from experience, that these results hit close to the mark and gave me hope for the future of this group. Honestly, though, it was the conclusion that I was disappointed in. I also believe that Jesus and the Church is important for your life but the rest of the book had been objective and the argument for needing God was personal experience and reasoning with no numbers. It almost seemed preachy with no research to back up what it was saying unlike the rest of the book's reasoning. Still, I believe God is important to someone's life and He gives meaning and this world needs it, but the book didn't build well to that and almost seemed like a slap in the face with no real suggestions on how to bring God in our lives. Besides the ending needing to be stronger, the thinking and believes of 20+ are something I have seen within my generation.

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook.

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Unglued

"Making Wise Choices

In the Midst of Raw Emotions."

(Picture to Come)

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms

Abou - Ever blow up when stressed or angry? Stuff everything down so deep that no one knows what's worng yet it affects your relationships? Ever feel guilty for these things and your angry feelings? Lysa TerKeurst has felt the same way but is also learning how to make "imperfect progress" in overcoming these struggles. She wants you to come along on this journey and find God's healing and change into a better human being. Start learning to stop coming unglued today.

Author - Lysa TerKeurst

Publisher - Zondervan

Age Group - 18 and up

Personal Opinion - I enjoy TerKeurst's funny, insightful, and true to life writing so much. Not only is she engaging but also shares to true life examples that others can understand. Also, the Biblical answers are really good and make great impressions on the memory. I previously read her Devotional of this same book and found that it had a lot of the same information with only a couple differences. Not that that is a bad thing (I bet the same could be said about the Devotional). I did like how figuring out how you either explode or stuff was done differently in this book and how the information was more put together in a block than just a few pages a day. So I think this book is great but so is the Devotional. So I would recomend that if you like smaller sections at a time, read the Devotional. But, if you like more information at a time, read this book. But, if you want to read both, I wont stop you. :) 

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Other Reviews for this Author - Unglued Devotional - Review

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.

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Fairy Tale Novels: Books 4 & 5

"A Fairy Tale Retold"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4-5 Worms

Storyline -

The Midnight Dancers - Rachel's life is boring. Proper girl with no adventure and her parents strict on what she wears and behaves. Not only that, she has to share a house, and room, with eleven other sisters and live in a new house. But she is determined to have an adventure. So when she and her sisters are able to escape to the island across from their house and have parties with the owner's son, what else can they do but sneak out of the house, made increasingly difficult with their father's friend Paul hanging around. But the house that seemed like dream come true might just be a nightmare.

Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyber Thieves - Alex's family, who has struggled to make ends meet for years, finally came into some money, a million dollars worth. But something is up with it that only Kateri, Alex's girlfriend, seems to see. How on earth did a million dollars just show up in his mail? If that wasn't bad enough, his family decides to by hotel with the money, which Alex just has to give a job to Kateri as she struggles to find work. But when the owners of the money come looking, it will take all of Alex's and his families martial arts skills and intelligence as well as Kateri's sensibility and cunning to overcome the cyber thieves.

Author - Regina Doman

Publisher - Chesterton Press

Age Group - 16 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Girls disobey their parents and sneak out and lie. Fights against evil and those trying to hurt the ones they care about. Some computer hacking.

Personal Opinion - More great reads by Regina Doman. They retell classic fairy tales excellently and make the characters come alive and real. Each character struggles and each comes to see what is important and have a spiritual growth, changing them. The details in the novel are wonderful, seeing each location as clearly as on the TV (nothing graphic though). Something about Alex O'Donnell, though, felt like there could have been more. I can't place my finger on it but it needed... something. That one is still a fun story and the martial arts is just cool.

Reviews of Other Books by this Author - Fairy Tale Novels: Book 1-3

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Fairy Tale Novels: Books 1-3

"Once Upon a Time in New York City..."

Bookworm's Ranking - 5 Worms

Storyline -

Shadow of the Bear - Blanche and Rose are trying to fit into their new world of New York City after their father died a year ago. School, the city, and their mother at work are all new. Rose finds it magical while Blanche is frightened of it. So when a ragged, dread lock boy who calls himself Bear shows up on their doorstep, they both take different approaches to him. Slowly, they become friends. But as a deep secret of Bear's starts come into their lives, the girls investigate, mixing themselves up in the mess. But this mystery could cost them their lives.

Black as Night - Blanche is on the run and hiding with seven frier's to escape someone who wants her dead while Bear is overseas. Upon his return, Bear searches for Blanche and looks into what lead to her disappearance. As Blanche gets comfortable with the frier's, she looks into the mystery as attacks on her life continue. As Bear, Blanche, and the killer move in together, it will take all their courage to over face the evil plaguing them.

Waking Rose - Rose is starting college and trying to forget Fish, Bear's brother, who she desperately in love with. Fish, on the other hand, doesn't return the feeling, and is dealing with his own problems. As Rose settles in to her dorm, she makes new friends and gets to know these crazy boys who seem to have a lot in common with her. But then tragedy strikes and Rose ends up in a coma. As the months ware on, Fish starts investigating the accident... and starts to think that what happened was more than just an accident.

Author - Regina Doman

Publisher - Chesterton Press

Age Group - 16 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* The characters are unwilling to let the evil win and do fight for their friends and what is right. Their belief in God helps them to keep going. Adult issues come up in the books. Lots of fighting but not graphic.

Personal Opinion - Some of the best books I have ever read and some of the most believable characters and storylines. They are excellent retellings, showing how real life can reflect fairy tales. The girls, and guys, are great role models. The characters aren't perfect people but they do their best. They do their best to live Christian lives but make mistakes on occasion and have real struggles. I love how a bit of the fairy tale is at the beginning of each chapter so you can see how it is adapted. Regina Doman is the best and her books are worth the money.

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Special Notes - If you are thinking about reading this series, read Shadow of the Bear first. The books can be read individually but thing in previous books will be spoiled if read out of order.

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On Tour: The Backup Singer

"What is the Color of Friendship?"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Shanice's cousin, Tawny, and her brother have moved in for the summer and it is the last thing Shanice wants. Tawny makes a point of teaser her for acting "white" when she is "black" yet that is not how Shanice sees herself. But Shanice hopes to wade through the summer with minimal contact with Tawny by working with her band mates. Yet Tawny's teasing gets worse and starts to affect Shanice, making her doubt her friends. Will Shanice loose her friends? Is there something more to Tawny's teases and accusations? Is skin color really the problem?

 

Author - Barb Huff

Publisher. - Barbour

Age Group - 14 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Shanice is often angry and frustrate with her family for not listening to her and her cousin being spoiled. Tawny is often bringing down Shanice for "acting white" and looks down on white people. Issues of trust and race come into the book and the characters learn how to see the truth.

 

Personal Opinion -  This book was interesting in that respect and also because the was so much more to the situation than just skin difference. It takes a while but it seems there is more growing on with Shanice's cousin and her discouragement than just racial differences. I liked how there was more going on with her than just being a jerky girl, that there was a reason and a growth experience for the cousin. I could also understand the distance and the feeling of not being part of the group that Shanice feels at one point. One thing that did make it difficult to completely engage with the book was that Shanice started bitter and angry, not that I never read a book like that but it might have been too much with very little positive stuff for a while. Still trying to find the last book in this series and I'm looking forward to it.

 

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Other Book Reviews for this Author - On Tour: Books 3-4 - Review
 
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Lesson of the White Eagle

"Being a Friend Should Never

Mean Having to Hate Another"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Dusty is a typical teen, concerned with school, finding time away from his dad's shop, and hanging with his friends. But when one of those friends attacks an Indian and turns on him, Dusty is visited by the spirit of the Ponca Indian Chief White Eagle, learning lessons of the past and the trials the his people have suffered. As the lessons get tougher and Dusty has to face what has happened, he will have to decide if he will betray his friend or let an innocent person be punished for crimes he didn't commit.

Author - Barbara Hay

Publisher - The Road Runner Press

Age Group - 13 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* One swear word and the boys do some irresponsible and dangerous things. Dusty stands for the rights of Native Americans. Forgiving others after a great wrong is also a theme in the book.

Personal Opinion - Wow. I almost cried at the end of this book. It was a beautiful depiction of overcoming racism and being a true friend. Dusty's struggle and the conflicts he faces were realistic and believable. He doesn't know what to do at first but finds a way to do what is right and stand for what he believes in. Loved how some Native American spirituality came into play. The beginning was a bit long but, as soon as it got to the main conflict of the story, it picked right up and held me to the end, which was just lovely. Will be holding onto and sharing this book for a long time.

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Special Notes - This is the debut novel of Barbara Hay

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program.

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Starring Me

"Kara McKormick is Told She's Auditioning
to Star in a New Teen Variety Show.
It's What She isn't Told
that Could Change Her Life."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Kara gets the chance to finally chase her dreams when she's invited to audition for a new TV show. But as she gets to know her competition, she wonders if she has what it takes to make it in the world of acting. When tragedy strikes her family, she will have to choose how much she really wants to live her dreams and see if the God she has always denied is truly there.

Author - Krista McGee

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Catish girls willing to claw , lie, and back-stab others to get the part they are auditioning for. Kara is unwilling to stoop to that level but also wonders how she will make it in the acting world then. Chad is willing to listen to God and his parents even thought it might mean disrupting his dreams. Addy and Flora wants to share God and are kind and gracious as they do.

Personal Opinion - Another completely engaging book by Krista McGee. Had a hard time putting this down and enjoyed it the whole time. The characters were real and I liked how the author had Kara come to know God, which wasn't rushed and was pretty believable. Chad was a pretty cool guy and I appreciated seeing the story from his point of view too. God's complete love, no matter what, was a favorite message to me in this particular book and loved how Addy told Kara about it (Yes, we get to see how Addy and Jonathan are doing after First Date). The only thing I would have liked differently was having Kara and Chad interact more in the story. This is seriously a new favorite author and can't wait until I can get my hands on her next book.

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Special Notes - First Date - Review
                         Anomaly - Review

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A Winter Dream

"The #1 Bestselling Master

Of the Holiday Novel 

Reimagines the Classic Story of

Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors,

Presenting An Inspiring Modern Story 

Of Family and Forgiveness."

Bookworm's Ranking - 3.5 Worms

Storyline - Joseph is one of twelve brothers, is the favorite of his father, and doing well in the family's advertising agency. Unfortunately, this doesn't sit well with his brother and the first chance they get they coerce him into leaving home and never coming back. Joseph is heart broken but tries to make the best of it. Soon he is rising up in his new job and falling for a beautiful and kind waitress, April. But she hides a past and his boss's fiance is a bit flirtatious. When things begin to fall apart, Joseph is left reeling and it seems he is about to sink to the bottom. But his dreams are yet to be realized. Based of the Bible story of Joseph in the book of Genesis.

Author - Richard Paul Evans

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *Contains Spoilers* Joseph is angry at the situation but is willing to sacrifice for the ones he loves and keeps to his convictions even in the face of adversity (aka being tempted by another man's fiance). Joseph ultimately forgives and loves his family. April is from a polygamist colony and was treated unfairly. She is also very loving and sacrificial. About 2-3 swear words but this is better than some books I have read. The woman who tempted him tore open her dress and it mentions that he saw her under garments.

Personal Opinion - A pretty enjoyable read. I kept going back to it, wanting to know what would happen next even though I know the Bible story like the back of my hand. It is pretty accurate to the Biblical tale and how the author played with the names in keeping them accurate to the Bible story but believable for modern day was a fun, creative aspect to the story. They were quite fun actually, such as Timothy Ishmael, the names of the 12 sons (some the same, some different yet very similar), and Joseph Jacobson. It does require some knowledge of the original story but fun non the less. I also liked how the dreams where made for modern day and yet were accurate to the dreams Joseph had in the Bible. A couple of things don't sit well with me, though. First, very little to almost no mention of God throughout the entire book even though it is based of a Biblical story. The majority of God was a picture of Jesus hung in a girl's house as well as she once was mentioned as consulting her Bible and Joseph's father once mentioned "God's time." There were a couple of things I didn't completely understand after I finished as well so I'm still working through them. Might have to reread it but will save it for next year. The book does deliver what it advertises on the back, "An inspiring modern story of family and forgiveness" and I would like to add love and good coming from bad. Good in those aspects and fairly clean, just wish it had incorporated more of God in the story like in the Bible.

Video - This isn't a trailer but of the author talking about his book. Quite interesting.

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Links - Learn more about the book and author here.

Special Notes - The author has written multiple Christmas novels based off Biblical stories.

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Paper Angels

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

 

Storyline - Thomas's Christmas is looking bleak. Dealing with leaving his abuse father a year ago and bullies at his new school, Thomas tries to be positive and help his struggling family. But his mother signs him and his sister up for the Angel Tree program by the Salvation Army to receive gifts from complete strangers for Christmas because she can't even afford gifts and the issues with the bully escalate. What can one 16 year old do?

Kevin is watching the company he built coming down around him and the bills piling up. Not feeling much hope and not understanding why God is doing this to him, his wife insists on taking Angels from an Angel Tree but Kevin isn't so sure that is a good idea. As the days advance toward Christmas, will Kevin find the truth of what God is trying to tell him?

Author - Jimmy Wayne with Travis Thrasher

Publisher - Howard Books; A Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc

Age Group - 14-15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Thomas struggles with a bully at school and his family not having money, yet he is able to over come that and see others who need as well. Kevin doesn't understand why God is letting his business fail but finds the truth God is trying to share.

Personal Opinion - I was first interested in this book because I was familiar with the song of the same name by artist who is also the writer of this book. Beautiful song, highly recommend listening to it. Anyways, this book was beautifully told of what was really important, not only during Christmas, but all year around. God was a big character throughout and the characters were developed realistically as well as having believable stories of heart ache but ending with hope. Both the main characters went on a journey with God, seeing things for what they were and handling their situations honorably. They both made positive difference in their lives and other's. I enjoyed it and was engaged when I reading but part of me thought it could have gone a bit deeper into the characters. It could also be a bit slow at times. But it was still good, filled with reality yet hope as well as reminding what was really important and to trust in God.

Video - This is the music video "Paper Angels" performed by Jimmy Wayne.

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Links - Learn more about the book and author here.

Special Notes - The book is based off Jimmy Wayne's experience with the Angel Tree Program through the Salvation Army. I bet the song is too.

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A Breed Apart: Trinity: Military War Dog

"An Ex-Green Beret and His War Dog

on the Greatest Mission of Their Lives.

And Probably Their Last."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

 

Storyline - Heath Daniels only ever wanted to follow in his families footsteps and serve his country. But after a mission gone wrong, his dream to continue to serve is shattered by his inability to work in the field and has left him floundering for what God wants him to do. Left only with the one girl he could rely on, Trinity, his military war dog who could not function after he left the service, Heath receives an invitation to become part of the Breed Apart, a program ran by an old friend to inspire others. Soon they head to Afghanistan to speak at bases and troops. But Heath didn't expect to start falling for a beautiful girl, Darci, who he doesn't realize is an United States operative who is undercover. But when her past comes back to haunt her in the form of a man she played and betrayed in one of her missions, it is going to take Heath and Trinity to find and rescue Darci before she is killed or taken out of country. On the way, Heath and Darci are going to have to face God and learn what he wants for their lives.

Author - Ronie Kendig

Publisher - Barbour Publishing

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Heath works on trying to do what God wants but pushes for what he wants, ultimately coming to see that he needs God to lead and not him to lead God. Darci wonders about God after all the tragedies in her life. She also has regrets in her past but wants to help her country and do the right thing. Trinity is loving, caring, and protects the one she loves. Was totally dog ;). The antagonist is one vile man, beating and torturing happens when he is around, nothing is described but is understood.

Personal Opinion - What can I say? I was very pleased with this book. I loved Trinity. Some books have a synopsises that hints at animal involvement but then they are minimally in them. Not so with this book. Trinity was perfect. She had a real character and was completely realistic in her personality. The author would write a behavior and/or the human in the story would give something for the dog to say and each time I would see it in my mind because it was realistic. Just look at that cover for the cuteness. Trinity was the best... But I should probably say something about the people too. They and their struggles were realistic, with Heath trying to find God's path for him now that he is out of the Military and Darci being undercover and dealing with demons of her own past. They were people you could meet on the street. Each and every character, no matter how big their role in book, had a complex back story and were real people. My only complaints would be that there seemed to be scenes that were not needed and the info in them could have been transferred somewhere else. Trinity's personality, also, wasn't as prevalent towards the end. Lastly, maybe one or two too many plot twists for the story. But, Trinity all came together nicely and this is sure to be a book I will be recommending in the future and tossing peoples' way.

Video -

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Links - Learn more about this book and author here.
            Book 2, Talon - Review, Coming Soon
            Book 3, Beowulf - Review, Coming Soon

Special Notes - Book one in the A Breed Apart Series.

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The Mission League: The New Recruit

"Mission 1: Moscow"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms
 

Storyline - Spencer Garmond loves basketball more than anything and is willing to do anything to play. So when he is presented with either going to Military school or joining the Mission League, a group of Christians who think they are spies, he picks the churchers. Caring less about God, he puts up with these crazy Christians and goes on the mission trip to Russia. While in Moscow, Spencer meets Pasha, a boy with a strange tattoo and who is involved with a scary cult. As the summer continues and Arianna, a Mission League girl, tries to convert him and surrounded by other devote Christians, Spencer will have to make a choice about the gift God has given him and if he wants God in his life.

Author - Jill Williamson

Publisher - Marcher Lord Press

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Spencer swears but the actual words don't appear in the book but switches to substitute swear words when he can no longer use real ones. He has no interest in God or the Christian thing and thinks/says insults towards the other Mission League members but begins to see them differently and wants to learn about God by the end. There is a cult and it is wondered if demon possession is involved but non of the protagonists like it. A character in her past has had a hard life, there are no details but it is known that she was attacked and has a kid.

Personal Opinion - What first attracted me to this book was 1. Jill Williamson (fantastic author), 2. spies (can rarely go wrong with this kinda plot), and 3. Russia (have a strange fascination and obsession with Russia since the movie Anastasia. Even have a book in Russian yet I can't read a word of it). While reading The New Recruit, I enjoyed the opportunity, like many of my fellow reviews, to see from the point of view of someone who doesn't practice their Christian faith while surrounded by those who do. It gave it gave me, the reader and a practicing Christian, a chance to see my behaviors towards someone who doesn't think, or believe, like I do. Spencer did begin to change before the end of the book and will be digging deeper, I'm sure, in later books into who God is. The action in the story was good and the cult that Spencer and Pasha got mixed up in was realistic. ***SPOILER*** For a literature class, I read an author with similar ideas of looking inside yourself for power and truth as the cult in the book thought (I don't think there are any conection between the two). ***END SPOILER*** The beginning was a little slow to me and I thought I saw a couple of telling situations but that faded as the book went on and I found myself picking the book up when school needed to be done from curiosity as to what would happen next. Looking forward to the next books in this series and all the adventure and character journeys to come.

Video -

 
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Links - Visit the Mission League here. Visit Jill Williamson's webpage to learn about her other books and read her reviews. Read an author interview and enter the giveaway.

Special Notes - This is book 1 in the Mission League Series. Read about the others on The Mission League

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher/author through Team Novel Teen.

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Full Disclosure

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

 

Storyline - Paul Falcon has been hunting a lady shooter, now dormant, for years, waiting for a break in the case that could lead to her arrest. When Anne Silver, a homicide investigate and the MHI, enters his life and hands him the biggest lead to the case in years, not only is he wrapped up in the new lead but also in discovering more about the enigma of Anne. As Paul and Anne begin to get to know one another, mysteries to her past spring up, causing her to step back from considering a relationship with him, and the lady shoot case gets hot. As things climb with the case, politics, and Anne's pass, it will take strength and trust for Paul and Anne to find a life together.

Author - Dee Henerdson

Publisher - Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers*  Paul desperately wanted to protect Anne from anything he could, even her nightmares, and was willing to make big sacrifices for her. Anne helps others with no thought to herself or her own gain. Some intense cop cases that Anne deals with as the MHI are mentioned briefly. Paul was really pushy once to Anne.

Personal Opinion - I had trouble engaging this book until I was halfway through. In the beginning, I felt there was way to much little information in both the romance and mystery part. An example is when Paul was giving out orders to his team and I would have to read each order to all or most of the people I never got to know and the orders lasted at least a page. And it happened more than once. Both the romance and mystery were kept apart, almost never branching into each other for that first half so the abundance of little information was within both hemispheres. It didn't seem to tie into each other and bring it together as a whole. But, halfway through, Ann's past started taking a role in the book and I became engaged. I started to enjoy the mystery and romance more. The rest of the book developed well after that but I was disappointed in the ending. It had a nice twist but was too simple. I didn't think this book matched up to Dee Henderson's previous books but that wont keep me from recommending the O'Malley Series and the Uncommon Hero Series (this series was published by two different houses at two different times so it may go by a different name also) with a giddy heart.
 
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Links - Learn more about the book and author at the facebook page and webpage. Also, visit her author website.

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers.

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