Theodore Boone: The Abduction

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - When April, Theo's best friend, disappears, he starts investigating and searching different areas of town with the help of friends in hopes of locating her. But as time goes on, the stakes get higher and April seems to be slipping more and more from their reach. Will they find her? And who is Leeper, a man convicted of kidnapping who just escaped from prison and has been seen within town? Did he take her like everyone thinks?

Author - John Gresham

Publisher - Dutton Children's Books: And Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Age Group - 12 or 13 and up

Content - Theo searches for his friend diligently even when others are giving up. Unfortunately, he tells a big lie to his parents and doesn't even get a small lecture about it. He lies a few other times too. On a couple of other occasions, he also, technically, listens to a cop who is being unreasonable and seems to like throwing his weight around, but still gets done what he wants to do. One time it was going somewhere the cop told him not to go so, instead, he heads somewhere else and watches the area he is not permitted to go.

Personal Opinion - The book was pretty good. Because of the cover, I kept waiting for Theo to go somewhere alone at night but he never did which I was thankful for. Too smart for that I guess. One of my favorite parts, besides the exciting and mysterious mystery of the missing April, was the funny spot in middle of the book which broke up the tense situation. The story was well developed and the mystery progressed well, making you wonder what was going to and what did happen to his friend. Wondering if she was okay and if they would find her in time. Wished it had developed some side characters more, especially one boy because of how much this he was in the story, and had toned back on the lying. This book will interest more readers than just those who want to be lawyers with the exciting storyline it promises. The book leaves you with a hint of a third book, which, perhaps, will continue the mystery of the first book (maybe I shouldn't have said that. Gave too much away perhaps?).

Video -

Links - Learn more about the books and author at: http://www.theodoreboone.com/

Special Notes - Another book about Theodore Boone was published last year (you do not have to read that one to understand this one). You can read my review here: http://bookwormreading.blogspot.com/2010/09/theodore-boone-kid-lawyer.html

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Christy Awards

Being a Christian Reviewing blog, and loving Christian fiction, I have been excited about the Christy Awards since I was heard who was nominated a couple of months ago. I have heard and/or read several of the books that were up for the award. The ceremony to announce the winners was last night (I was there via Internet :). There was a link where you could read post by host and others watching only and hear what was going on at the dinner.) and thought I would share with you the winners. I'll give you a link so you can see who was nominated and who won for yourself. Perhaps you will also find something interesting to read with the stamp of good Christian fiction attached to it. Enjoy.

http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=9&Itemid=56

P.S. Snagged the picture of the award of the Christy Awards website under Resources under Downloads.

River of Time Series

"What do You do When Your Knight in Shining Armor Lives, Literally, in a Different World?" - Waterfall

"What if You not Only Fell Back Through Time... But Fell in Love, Too?" - Cascade

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline -  Book 1 - Waterfall - Gabi, her sister Lia, and their mom are going to be spending the summer in Italy. Unfortunately, it will be on a dig site and majorly laking in cute guys. But when Gabi accidentally gets transferred to the 14th century, she will have to figure out the customs of the time and find her sister who seems to have not been transferred with her. As battles are fought and politics flare, she will have to find a way to stay alive and get home. And not fall for the handsome, unavailable, prince, Marcello.
Book 2 - Cascade - The girls are back, with their mother in tow, but it hasn't gotten any easier in Italy. There are still land struggles and widows trying to make it on their own. When the Plague potentially hits, things spiral out of control and it will take everything the girls, and guys, got to fight off the Firenze. Will they make it through this again? Will the idea of trying to save their father from death make the girls leave the 14th century one more time?

Author - Lisa T. Bergren

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - Marcello wants to protect and honor his family. The men (at least the good ones) are very respectful of women and have many other admirable qualities such as defending those under their protection, assisting those who need a helping hand, and ready to sacrifice themselves for others. The girls also display good morals such as supporting and defending others and resisting the bad guys. Gabi wants Marcello to do the right thing by his betrothed but, for a while, kept wanting him to notice her. Eventually, he was ready to break his promises to his betrothed because he loved Gabi. There were also some intense scenes with the bad guys leering at the girls.

Personal Opinion - It was good. I liked the story and adventure . It was really exciting and I thought it was well put together but there were a couple of things that got to me while reading. I felt like Gabi changed her mind too much, going back and forth between wanting Marcello to see her and wanting him to do the right thing by his betrothed, and the constant use of the word "hot" to describe him got annoying. By the second book, I was thinking there were too many fight scenes. Actions scenes are good but reading the books back to back made it a bit much for me. Perhaps, if I had more of a brake between the two, it might have been okay but I still think it was a lot. It is always nice to have God and someones relationship with him brought into a book. Gabi and her family are not really strong Christians but she starts to turn to God as she spends time in the 14th century. Her journey to God isn't complete yet but she is praying more and asking for guidance which is a wonderful example for today's generation where religion and God are mostly not taught as the number one thing in our life. I don't know how much the average teen prays but it is great when you have a good role model who shows faith and guides readers down that path. I look forward to seeing more development in the girls' faith in God and the continuing adventure with their "knights in shinning armor". The books were well written and had good character development with different personalities among them and many good laughs from the character, Luca. I can't wait to read the last book, Torrent, and see how it all goes together. Definitely a series I will be recommending when someone asks about a good teen novel.

Video - Waterfall -

Video 2 - Cascade -

Links - Lean more about the books and the author here. I wrote a review for one of this author's children's books, which you can read here.

Special Notes - Book 3, Torrent, Review

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Updated - May 13, 2012

On the Runway: CIAO

"The Sweet Life Might Just Turn Sour."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Book 6 - Sisters Page and Erin are struggling with their personal lives as they continue to shoot their reality TV show, On the Runway. As they try to figure out if Page's fiance is cheating and Erin wonders about her own relationship with Blake, they have to go to Milan for their fashion week while trying to keep their hearts intact.

Author - Melody Carlson

Publisher - Zondervan

Age Group - 13 or 14 and up

Content- The sisters look out for each other, in there personal lives and fashion. When things got tough, they stood by one another or whoever it was who needed support. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that bothered me. They didn't handle some sensitive situations very well in my opinion. One seemed like blackmail and the other didn't seem like the right place or time and was humiliating to the people involved. Okay, they might have deserved it but it just didn't seem right. I also wished it had gone more into the Christian aspect of things and explained more why it is inappropriate to be with someone before marriage.

 Personal Opinion - I hadn't read the other books in the series when I read this one so some things that I wanted more info on might be more fleshed out in the other books but I still think it is good and I got the story pretty quickly. I'm kinda like Erin when it comes to fashion; lost. But, I think someone who is interested in fashion and/or reality TV would find this book cool in getting the behind the scenes glimpse on how it works and what it is like. Also, a fashion enthusiast would be very happy with the clothes descriptions. The thing that bugged me the most, though, was how the girls handled the serious situations they were in where the truth had to come out but the other characters made it seem that it was handled fine. I also wish it had gone into more detail about themselves (but, like I said, this might have been covered in previous books). This book was good but discussing different options the girls could have done in those situations I mentioned might be beneficial.

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher, Zondervan, through the Z Street Team.

Links - Learn more about the books and author at: http://melodycarlson.com/teens.shtml .

Video - Watch a trailer about the series below. It was with this trailer that I was able to understand, generally, what was going on in the series. That was helpful for me.

Special Notes - This is book 6 in the series On the Runway. The release of this book is in August 2011.

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A Place Called Blessing

"Where Hurting Ends and Love Begins"

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Josh and his two brothers are left orphans when their parents are killed in an accident. After going from foster home to foster home and a terrible accident, life becomes harder still for the boys. They even become separated. When Josh turns 18 and leaves the system, he has learned not to trust others and carries around much pain from his past. But, when he rents a room from a kind woman, Anna, she starts to break down the walls around his heart. Much is about to change for Josh.

Author - John Trent, PhD, with Annette Smith

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - Josh grew in God throughout the book and made positive choices (after a few mistakes). There was a lot of forgiveness in the book. How open the people were to forgiving each other and continue on and love one another was really wonderful. It seems people forget about that and feel they should hold a grudge or make someone pay and this book showed the opposite. A few mistakes were made but that is natural in real life.

Personal Opinion - What a moving story. A tear jerker but was so beautiful that it needs to be read. Uplifting even through the tears. The book is to show these five elements in a new way from another book by the auther, John Trent, called The Blessing, which I have not read. Some parts of the book might have meant more to me had I read it but I appreciate it for other reasons (you by no means have to read The Blessing to understand this book).  The forgiving of each other, no matter what, was very meaningful to me because it is not something often discussed and some people like to hold grudges (like I was saying before) and it is so good to forgive and love. Something this book really promotes. I thought there would be more of his story in his coming to God but it was still great. There are some discussion questions at the end for those who want to go deeper. Some issues were brought up and talked about in the book that makes this more appropriate for an older audience but teens could enjoy this as well. I think much can be learned from this book, for people who have been in Josh's (or one of the other people's) shoes and who haven't.

Awards - I think the authors have won some for other books but this one hasn't, yet.

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

Links - Learn more about the book and author at: http://theblessing.com/

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The Dragons of Chiril

"Before Dragonspell, on a Different Continent and in a Different Time, a Young Emerlindian's Desperate Decision Threatens to Disrupt the Foundation of the World."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Book 1 - After her father went missing fifteen years earlier, Tipper has kept her family and their estate afloat with selling off his art. But, when he suddenly reappears (along with two eccentric men from a country on the other side of the world), it becomes a life and death mission to find three statues that she had sold years ago. A ragtag team sets off to find and connect the statues before the world crashes in around them but there are obstacles that will make the journey difficult. Plus, something new is at work and the land of Chiril will soon come to know Wulder, a powerful being that holds everything in his hands.

Author - Donita K. Paul

Publisher - WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - The main characters stick together through the journey when it becomes difficult and they need one another. When in mortal danger, they defend one another. When it became difficult to get one of the statues, they didn't want to steal it because they knew it was wrong and didn't want to go against the teachings of Wulder. Unfortunately, they did lie a couple of times when they couldn't have the truth come out and Tipper doesn't listen or obey well and disobeys the others a few times.

Personal Opinion - When I originally got the book, I thought I would be jumping into the middle of a series and wondered how badly I would be confused. But then discovered that this book was The Vanishing Sculptor republished with a new name and cover. Surprised, but pleased, that I was actually at the beginning of the series, I read it eagerly.  I really enjoyed how some characters could talk in circles in their conversations which was funny and made me chuckle. They really did make your head swirl a little. There were also four drawings in the book and a map which I always love to have included and a helpful glossary at the end. I thought it would get into finding the statues quicker than it did but it was still entertaining all the way through, it didn't drag or lose me. I also thought there would be a little more to the ending and that there would have been more development in the Wulder business but there is a second book so, perhaps, it is setting you up for that. The Christian analogies were good but I still don't completely understand them all and am trying to piece them together. Perhaps when I read book 2 this will become clearer. Very entertaining and kept my interest well. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and will recommend this to my friends.

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Links - Learn more about the book and author at: http://www.donitakpaul.com/index.html . Read a sneak peek at the publisher's website at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2011/03/25/sneak-peek-the-dragons-of-chiril-by-donita-k-paul/ . You can also read the review I wrote of the book The Dragon and Turtle Go on Sufari, which is also by Danita K. Paul, here: http://bookwormreading.blogspot.com/2011/01/dragon-and-turtle-go-on-safari.html .

Special Notes - This book is a re-release of The Vanishing Sculptor with a new name and cover. There are two more books after this one, Dragons of the Valley and Dragons of the Watch, which is releasing later this year.


The reason for the email address in this rating system is because some people were rating reviews more than once. I never see or have access to the emails and they will be kept private. After you confirm or email (you only have to do that once), you will not receive anything more unless you leave the check mark for receiving updates from the publisher. I would very much appreciate you ranking my review.

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Human.4

"Alert:

Humanity has been upgraded.

You are now obsolete."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms



Storyline - Kyle just volunteered to help his friend with a hypnotizing demonstration at the town's talent show. What he didn't volunteer for was what happened when he woke up. Everyone was changed... Yet, they still looked the same. What happened and why did it happen?

Author - Mike A. Lancaster

Age Group - 13 or 14 and up

Content - The characters were good. Not as in well developed good (that too but there were a couple things that I wish had been developed more) but as in good behavior and morals. The main character paid for something when he could have easily just taken (this makes sense if you read the book). The main characters also look out for each other and help one another. One even mentioned trying to help this girl who had wanted to end her life. It mentioned God twice (and not in a derogatory teams) but it was kinda just in passing. The characters also came to realize what they had before 'the change' and saw how important it was. Not much bad stuff but they did lie once and said 'arse' but I think that is better than the alternative. Some people might be uncomfortable with the fact evolution kinda played a role in the book but I will discuss that in the "Personal Opinion" part.

Personal Opinion - So, I have always had this question. A question I never shared with anyone but always wondered about and this book answered that question. That question was... Do you dial the same number in an emergency as you do in America in another country or is it different? Okay, not a very important question but I have wondered about it. Anyways, back to the review. When I finished the book, it left me with kinda the feelings I had when I first saw Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I had a tingle up and down my spine and on my arms. By the way, this is a complement. I found the book interesting and it had a cool concept. I read it in two days. Unfortunately, I can't share too much about it because it was so entangled together I would give away too much of the story but it was full of adventure and mystery. It really made you wonder what was going on. The character were nicely created and the story put together well with back stories coming at good spots. I don't read to many futuristic stories (I usually just watch those) but this one had an original idea about the future and you get a taste of it in the little, grey boxes spread out within the text. I don't believe in evolution but the book had an interesting twist to it but, again, I would give away too much if I said much more. There still was a hint of a higher being but, unfortunately, it left you wondering how good they were. I really liked the book and look forward to reading book 2. Just some advise if you do read it though; read everything. All the little boxes in the text (which can be funny and show a little about how the 'future' will be like) and the Editor's Note in the beginning and the Afterwords in the end because they are all part of the story and you will miss something if you don't.
Links - Learn more about the book and author at: http://www.mikealancaster.com/

Special Notes - Another book coming out, 1.4 (That might be the title in Europe though). This book is under another title in Europe, 0.4. Also, if you try to look this book up on goodreads, it is easiest to find it if you type in the author's name instead of the book title. I would get stuff about the human body when I used the title but found it instantly when I used the author's name.

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