The In Between by Catherine Converse

I would have loved to give this book four or even five stars and I would have been able to if the author had just hired an editor.
I loved the story - fantastic paranormal romance.
If you can dream about murders before they happen, can you stop them?
And if so, who would be interested in harnessing those powers?
Adie (Is that supposed to be Addie?) is recruited by the super secret intelligence agency - the IPA - Impire Peace Agency. What is Impire anyway? Is it a misspelling of the word Empire? If so, it is one of many misspelled words in the book along with grammatical errors and jumps in time and missing information.
The book is captivating and thrilling with plot twists and paranormal abilities and romance and danger and intrigue, but it really, really, really needs editing.

Chop, Chop by L.N. Cronk

Well written. Too sad though. This book follows David's life along with his friends Greg and Lacy from middle school through college. We see their growth in the Lord and their participation in their Christian youth group, their love for one another and how they react to tragedy. I think it was a lot of years to cover in one book. I also thought it was a bit stereotypically waspish. Still a good story but I am not sure if I will read any of the others because it is too sad. I think if you like Nicholas Sparks books you may like this series.

Timepiece - an hourglass novel by Myra McEntire

Totally excellent book! Except it is part two of a trilogy. AAAAHHHH!
Waiting for the last book now. Jack has messed with time repeatedly causing the time continuum to be messed up majorly, the rips are expanding and as Kaleb tells the story, we see his relationship with Lily strengthen as she learns of her abilities and they try to help to find the infinity glass - which apparently won't be found until the third book. AAAHHHH! Great frustration about the waiting. Totally excellent book and series.

Through The Hidden Door by Rosemary Wells

Barney has made friends with the trouble makers at his boarding school. In order to be their friend, he has done many things he knows to be wrong. Animal cruelty, however, is one he cannot go along with. Once ostracized from his former friends - now enemies, he befriends Snowy, a legally blind boy who is searching for something in a cave. Snowy needs Barney's help and together they unearth a fascinating discovery. In the midst of it all, Barney learns about honesty, loyalty and friendship. I did not like the ending of the book, but it is a good read.

Sweetly Seduced: Why We Can't Say No To Sugar by N.J. Rickman

This is an interesting report on the effects of sugar on our bodies.
Much of it I had read before, such as the fact that diet sodas cause weight gain - and the author explains that this is because the sweet taste tells our brain we should be getting a certain amount of calories and when we don't, we are hungrier and thus eat more of other things. One thing I was not aware of is that high fructose corn syrup is linked to high cholesterol.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Kind of creepy paranormalish romanceish story.
Delaney's best friend Decker saves her life after she falls through ice into a lake. She was in a coma for 6 days, then she woke up. Although her brain is damaged, she seems fine.
Except she can feel when people are dying.
Then she meets Troy, who shares her ability.
It gets creepier from there and there is also romance.
It will be interesting to find out what happens in the next book.

The Glass Apple by Robert J. Franks

After the death of their parents, 12 year old Jason, and his sisters Kylie - age 10, and Anna - age 4, go to live with their grandfather, who they had never met, from America. Gobwhistle, their grandfather is a strange, forgetful old man who can do magic. Along with him, and Etain, a magical being trapped for years as a Christmas tree fairy, and a green glass apple shaped ash tray, they travel back in time to try to change history - they think.

hourglass by Myra McEntire

This is truly a different type of time travel story. 17 year old Emerson lives with her older brother and his wife since their parents died in a horrific accident. She had been hospitalized for a year due to the stress of their death and the fact that she saw ghosts of people from the past. Then, her brother hires Michael, a fantastic looking guy who can also see the non-existent people from the past who she sees. Every time he touches her, she feels an electrical impulse - one that blows out light bulbs. Together, they can travel through time. Can they change the past without changing the present and future? Romance, intrigue, and unexpected plot twists abound in this excellent book. I can't wait to read the next one!

Threads of Grace by Kelly Long

I enjoyed this Amish romance.  It is more than a romance, including mystery and the Lord's healing work.  Grace has fled after her abusive husband died, only to be followed by his equally evil brother.  In order to save her autistic son from his Uncle, she marries handsome Seth Wyse, who has been smitten with her since she arrived in their community. She struggles with her torn feelings leftover from her first marriage as Seth tries to love her and help her to learn that she is lovable.  Seth bonds with Abel, her son and finds that they both enjoy painting, an activity forbidden to their group of Amish. I found the portrayal of her son Abel, who has autism, intriguing as well as the portrayal of Kate, a "mean girl" who Grace decides to befriend.  I read this book in a few hours today.  I found it captivating and interesting and a very good read.

Urban Preppers with Kids, Pets and Parents by James G. Mushen

While the author sounded a bit like a nut job at the beginning of the book, and while I do think some of his stuff is overboard, that is the norm for the prepper culture anyway, and after reading the book, I found it to be very comprehensive and well thought out. He covers survival skills for everything from power outages to tornadoes, drought, volcanoes, pandemics, terrorist hazards and more. He includes instructions for people with pets, children, and the elderly. I learned that in a pinch, you...more While the author sounded a bit like a nut job at the beginning of the book, and while I do think some of his stuff is overboard, that is the norm for the prepper culture anyway, and after reading the book, I found it to be very comprehensive and well thought out. He covers survival skills for everything from power outages to tornadoes, drought, volcanoes, pandemics, terrorist hazards and more. He includes instructions for people with pets, children, and the elderly. I learned that in a pinch, you can pour some olive oil in a bowl, float a wick in it and it will make a nice light source. There are a lot of links in the book and since I have it on my kindle, I found the links to be a bit frustrating because I kept accidentally opening them when I went to turn the page. On the other hand, I now know that there is a web site that lists all of the active volcanoes in the world. I am not near any of them. If you want a very comprehensive prepping book then this is the book for you.

More Than a Bucket List: Making Your Dreams, Passions, and Faith a Reality by Thomas Nelson Publishers

This is a fun inspirational book of interesting ideas for things to do for yourself and others. It is part lists and part inspirational stories with Bible verses and real life challenges. I enjoy reading bits and pieces of it each day. It includes sections titled "Live an Adventure", Go beyond the 'Burbs", "Love Your Community", and "Live Your Dreams".  Some of the suggestions in "Live with compassion" include "Help a young person jump-start their career.", and "Set aside one afternoon a month to write thank-you notes and love letters. Mail them."
The different suggestions range from inspirational to helpful to fun and fantastical. 
I think they can get you thinking and inspire you to look at and live life differently.                 

Godsmacked by Paul Sicchini

Charlie is an ordinary type B personality dull guy - nice, but not appreciating or enjoying life. Until he was sucked into a temporal vortex and landed on Heracles on Mount Olympus in outer space. Charlie and Herc become friends and Herc takes Charlie to many of the gods to try to get someone to help Charlie get back to earth. Each god is either unwilling, unable or hampered from helping them and as he tries to help Charlie, Herc grows in strength and size. This is a funny take on Greek mythology and a cute way to present the gospel.
I enjoyed it a lot and think other people will too.

Elephant Girl by Jane Devin

Wow. This story is raw and emotional as it tells about Jane's life as an abused child, teen living on her own and an adult living in poverty. Her thoughts and experiences are shared in a lyrical, gripping, emotional story that I could not put down.

           

Breaking Free: A Journey of Self Discovery by Chett Vosloo

This is an interesting book. Chett tells how he went from a partying college kid to travel the world, teach in Korea, bike ride around the world and spend lots of time in an Indian ashram under the tutelage of Amma, the hugging saint. He explores meditation as a way to try to cure himself of a skin disease that began when he was in college. His experiences as he toured the world are interesting as are his philosophical reasonings. I enjoyed reading this book.

Sway by Amber McRee Turner

I enjoyed this book and I think kids and adults will enjoy it as well.  It is beautifully descriptive and well written.  Ten year old Cass learns that her mother who she idolizes, is leaving her and her father.  Wanting to be a hero in her eyes, her dad takes her on a magical (or not so magical) journey of soap and miracles in an old RV that he fixed up.  A lovely story and I highly recommend it.

River Road by Suzanne Johnson

Apparantly this is the second book in a series. I have not read the first one - I think I may have to do so. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, where the storm has destroyed the border separating the Beyond, thus allowing preternatural creatures to cross easily into New Orleans and surrounding areas. DJ, a wizard with elven heritage, is tasked with stopping a war between two tribes of mer-people in the Mississippi river. Along with the historically undead pirate Jean Lafitte, her handsome shape shifting partner Alex, and his werewolf cousin Jake, DJ has a difficult job ahead of her.
Supernatural sleuthing, magical creatures warring, and a bit of romance make this a fun read!

Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn

Alex Flinn tackles the tough issues. This time it is that of a child whose mother is being abused. Michael's mom is married to a rich lawyer. A rich, mean lawyer who beats her. Sixteen year old  Michael quits the football team so he can be home with his mother at night so she won't be alone with her husband. But, that does not stop the abuse. This is a touching realistic story and I highly recommend it.

Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta by Shannon Duffy

This is an imaginative fantasy story for kids. Gabriel is 12 years old. His mother disappeared a year ago. After finding an unusual crystal, Gabriel and his friends are drawn into another world called Valta where an evil man is trying to take control and the world is dying and monsters roam at night. Gabriel is the only one who can save this world. He must be brave to do so. I think kids will like this imaginative book.

Diva by Alex Flinn

Uber fantastic, wonderful, terrific, amazing, incredible book!
Diva follows Caitlin's story after the book Breathing Underwater.
Caitlin applies to and gets to go to a performing arts school where she is able to shine singing opera music. She makes new friends, tries new things - like dancing - and blogs about her journey. Between her mother dating Doctor Toe Jam, and still avoiding Nick,and trying to fit in at her new school, she is pretty busy. While the last book made me cry, this one made me happy. Great story for teens!

Cat's Paw by L. A. Taylor

I got this book free to read on my kindle. It was surprisingly captivating. It held my interest well and I read it all today. Miranda's husband of 18 years, Alexi, a lighthouse keeper, has been gone for four months on a secret mission for the governor. He has not written to her in two months. Finally, she leaves her two teenage sons to man the lighthouse and sets off for the town where her husband's letters were sent from. An orange cat who has recently added himself to her family comes with her. Perplexingly, she is accused of practicing magic because the cat has extra toes. The Prefect for her town arrives and bails her out and encourages her to continue her search for her husband. Someone is following her, the police are not cooperating and she must find clues to his whereabouts on her own. Despite rumors of magic, which she believes does not exist and is a bunch of nonsense, and mysteries and lies, she continues her search to find her husband.
This is a great book and I really enjoyed it!

Roar and Liv (An Under the Never Sky story) by Veronica Rossi

This novella tells Roar's story and gives some background into his relationship with Liv, his love. With romance and sorrow, like the other books in the Under The Never Sky series, this book fills in more of the background and details these two characters. Rossi is an excellent author and I enjoy reading her descriptive stories.

Neverfall by Brodi Ashton

This short book tells the story from Cole's point of view and tells the story of his visit to the Delphinians to try to learn how Nikki survived the Feed. Being tortured in the Delphinian dungeon sounds pretty rotten. For those who enjoy the Everneath books, this one fills in a few more pieces of the puzzle.                  

Unbroken (Ruined #2) by Paula Morris

This is much better than her first book in this series. Parts of it are still kind of travel guide/textbookish, and I still don't think that the characters' development is as good as it could be, but the story is really good. Set a year after the first book, Rebecca has returned to New Orleans with her father who is there for business and her best friend Ling. Rebecca is looking forward to seeing Anton, and once again, she sees a ghost who needs her help. Anton tells her that Toby has a vendetta against her and we learn that Frank, the handsome ghost boy also has an enemy, and a ghostly girlfriend. Filled with action, romance, and of course, ghosts, this book is a winner and I recommend it highly to girls age 10 to 15.

Fire Prophet by Jerel Law

This is the second book in the Son of Angels series. Jonah and his sister Eliza and their brother Jeremiah are quarterlings - one quarter angel. In this adventure, the fallen angels are on the warpath against the quarterlings and Jonah and his siblings must go to a convent where they are trained along with some other quarterlings in how to use their angel powers. They meet a prophet, battle the Fallen, and trust in the Lord. Once again, I am a bit concerned that some Christian parents may not want their children seeing God and angels portrayed as superheroes, but I do like that prayer is the most effective weapon. I like the way the gifts are portrayed and I think that 7 year old Jeremiah's gift is great.
I enjoyed this book a lot and I think kids will enjoy it too!

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Wow! Talk about a twist in the plot! In this second imaginative book, Nikki goes to the Everneath to rescue Jack. Cole reluctantly helps her as they navigate the mazes in the circles of the realm - water, wind, and fire until they reach the center. There is action, intrigue, love, romance, more action, and did I mention major twists in the plot? Totally a must read and I hope the next book comes out soon. As an aside, though the cover on the book is beautiful, it really has little to nothing to do with the book. Nikki wears jeans - with pockets - and a shirt - not a black diaphanous dress.