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Brief summary (no spoilers): The setting is several hundred years after some nuclear showdown. The land is scorched and mostly abandoned. Fertility was greatly affected- all births are twins. One twin is the Alpha- healthy, strong, and with a complete body and mind. The other is the Omega- crippled in some way. Those that have no external abnormality have a mental one. Cass is the Omega, and she's a Seer- she has visions of the future. No one like Seers. Especially not Cass's twin, Zach. Category : Post-apocalyptic fiction, probably YA Why I chose this book : Recommended by Amazon My personal opinion : I enjoyed this book. The story was clean (language), the plot and premise were interesting, and the characters were lifelike. I do recommend it, but for people who are mature enough to handle death and discrimination. Warnings Language: none Violence: yes, some of it mildly graphic "Adult" situations: cuddling, kissing Death: yes, including main character(s) Movie

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): A large company attacks an illegal mining operating, with the intent of killing all witnesses, taking over the mine, and getting away with it. They mostly succeed- only a small fleet of spaceships escapes. But one of the ships is controlled by an AI, and it seems to take personal offense over the attack. To further complicate issues, the company released a virus that causes people to go crazy and attack each other, and crew members on one of the ships were infected. Category : Sci Fi Why I chose this book : Recommended on Amazon My personal opinion : I didn't really enjoy the book for several reasons. I did enjoy the plot line, I like the characters, the AI was credible, and I typically enjoy this genre. However, the language was not actually clean- it was redacted. There are black blocks that hide what the original word was, but my brain simply put the removed word right back in its place, so I don't feel like I was sheltered at all. Also, I'

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Every century, one person is chosen as the Bearer of the Godstone- a gem that lives embedded in the navel. Elisa is not the prettiest or most capable Princess in her family; that would be her sister. But because she's the Bearer, a nearby King arranges to marry her, with hopes that her blessing from God will save his kingdom from attack. Category : Fantasy, maybe YA fiction Why I chose this book : Recommended by someone My personal opinion : The premise is unique, and I like it. It had a little bit too much romance and reference to infidelity for my taste, but setting that aside, I really enjoyed the magic and the impressive improvement that Elisa goes through in the story. I do recommend this book for anyone mature enough to understand complicated relationships. Warnings Language: None Violence: Fighting "Adult" situations: References to physical attraction, private body parts, and infidelity, but nothing explicit Death: Yes, including major

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Neglected and eventually orphaned Mary Lennox is sent to live with her Uncle in  Misselthwaite Manor. Having been given all that she wants to this point she is spoiled and is constantly yelling and grumpy. However, as she begins to spend time outside and as she learns some of the secrets that  Misselthwaite Manor holds she begins to slowly find herself changing.  Category : Classics Why I chose this book:  It's a classic My personal opinion: I'm not sorry I read (well, listened) to this story; however, I don't think I'll be recommending it to anyone. The most beautiful and moving parts of the story were the descriptions of the garden coming alive and of Dicken's interactions with the animals.  But the parts about Mary's and Colin's upbringings and and their spoiled brat attitudes became rather annoying (although, I realize they have to start out with bad character traits in order to change throughout the book). The

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Benson Fisher receives a scholarship to Maxfield Academy, a private boarding school. As a resident of the foster system, he feels this will be his big break. But once he arrives, he realizes that there's more to the story. He and the other residents cannot leave- ever. Category : YA fiction Why I chose this book : Recommended, don't remember by whom My personal opinion : I really enjoyed the story. It had a couple rough moments of fighting, and it has a couple references to the word "sex", so I don't recommend it for anyone that isn't ready for those things. But the book was excellent. I love the plot twists! I never saw the middle coming, much less the end! Definitely worth owning (I am sure I will read and re-read this one). Warnings Language: None Violence: Fairly regular, and some graphic "Adult" situations: Kissing, holding hands, word "sex" mentioned Death: Yes, including major character(s) Movie rating e

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Kalinda lives with a group of women who are trained to fight and be claimed as the wives of the most powerful men in the empire. She and two others are claimed at the same time by the Rajah and one of his generals. Kalinda will become the Rajah's one hundredth Rani, after a final battle for position between the wives and courtesans. As if that weren't enough of a story, the empire is at war with the Bhuta, who have penetrated the empire to the highest levels. Category : Fantasy, fiction Why I chose this book : Amazon First Reads My personal opinion : I liked the story, it was different from what I normally read. It was clean, and I enjoyed that it described some practices of another culture. It will not make my List of Favorites of All Time (TM), but it was good enough that I might buy more of the series. I do recommend it for anyone mature enough to understand courtesans and polygamy. Warnings Language: None Violence: Frequent and moderately graph

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Hunter Braque is a "cool hunter," meaning his job is to roam the streets looking for the next "cool" thing. When a top client and friend goes missing, Hunter must use his skills (and the help of a friend) to find out what's going on.  Category: YA Why I chose this book:  Read other books by the author, sounded interesting My personal opinion: Skip it. I kept going because I kept thinking it had to get better. The first few chapters were an interesting social commentary about how ideas and innovations become popular or not and how they get transmitted through the ranks of society. Also, strewn throughout were interesting pieces of history and scientific stories, which I enjoyed. For example, I learned the history of the phrase "six degrees of separation." However, the story was ultimately very lame, the romance was awkward, and it just wasn't worth the time.   Warnings Language:  Lots, especially in the second hal

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Frey and Rafi are identical twins, however only a handful of people know that Frey actually exists. While Rafi has been bred to be the charming daughter, Frey exists only to protect Rafi, having spent her whole life in hiding and training. She only appears as her sister's body double in dangerous situations.  Frey has never actually been out on her own until their father sends her instead of Rafi during a dangerous political mission. On the mission Frey meets Col, the son of the rival rulers. He gets close enough to Frey to realize that she may not be who she says she is.     Category: YA Why I chose this book: Read other books by the author  My personal opinion: Interesting story of the body double idea. It's interesting to watch as Frey learns who she is outside of her father and sister's shadows. The technology that exists in this world is also pretty cool.  Warnings Language:  One or two Violence: Fighting, but mostly from a distance

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Arden and Dade could not be more different- Arden is from Undercity, and comes from a very poor background, while Dade is from one of the most influential families in the society, and lives in a sky tower. Everyone that does not live in a tower suffers from a vitamin D deficiency, and must take a supplement. The richest families, like Dade's, have complete control over distribution of that drug. And the drug can be re-fabricated into an addictive painkilling drug, which Arden and her family sell. Pretty classic "star-crossed lovers" story. Category : YA Fiction, Sci-Fi Why I chose this book : Amazon First reads My personal opinion : It was pretty good. Mostly clean in content, mostly interesting in the story. Fairly predictable (classic Romeo and Juliet story). It's good enough that I do recommend it to YA readers. I'm setting the movie rating at PG-13, though, because of the drug and romance references. Nothing explicit, just not kid

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  Kel has earned her shield and is given her first command. Though it isn't what she hoped it would be, Kel is determined to make the best of the situation.  Category: YA Why I chose this book:  Fourth in series My personal opinion: This was my least favorite of the set, but it is still good. Kel must take on the demands of leadership and balance that with her personal desires.  Warnings Language:  One or two maybe, or at least alluded to Violence: Lots of fighting "Adult" situations: Not really Death:  Plenty during the fighting, some favorite characters Movie rating equivalent: PG-13 - R depending on the degree of violence   Protagonist description:   In this book  we again see why Kel has the name Protector of the Small, as she defends those that her peers see as worthless.  Point of view of story:  Kel's point of view Book length:  Medium Story flow:  Fluid Grammar and spelling issues: Some weird place names, but nothing

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Kel gets a real chance to prove herself in the field as a squire when war breaks out in Tortall. Kel must also prepare for her Ordeal of Knighthood. Category: YA Why I chose this book: Third in the series  My personal opinion: I continued to enjoy the series. I like the man who is Kel's master and his way of training and teaching her.  Warnings: Language:  None that I remember Violence:  Fights with fists and weapons, nothing overly gory  "Adult" situations:  As Kel gets older she starts to notice and be interested in boys. She does get into a relationship and while they steal kisses in alleys at the market, it doesn't go anywhere. In fact, Kel talks about how she wants a family eventually, but right now she is working toward her shield. She talks with her Mother about relationships and decides to get a charm from a healer that wards against pregnancy. There is reference to relationships between other characters. As stated befo

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Everyone's searching for the Red Dragon. No one is telling the whole truth- ever. Category : Fiction, fantasy Why I chose this book : Recommended on Amazon My personal opinion : It's okay. The language is clean. The story line is interesting enough. The writing style is immature. Author: I recommend paying a proofreader. Don't read it if you don't like characters escaping peril by chance, or "just in the nick of time". It's not predicable, but it's also not thrilling. New powers, circumstances, and plans are introduced all the time- the happy ending is inevitable. Warnings Language: none that I recall Violence: fighting, some of it moderately graphic "Adult" situations: yes, bordering on graphic (usually interrupted before too much detail) Death: yes, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent : PG-16 (not R, but I won't let my 13-year old read it) Protagonist description : Row

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  Through fiery determination Kel has made it into her second year of training for knighthood. This book covers her second and third years as a page. She continues to fight against the same grueling schedule and prejudice as the previous years. Kel must deal with growing up, learning to conquer her fears, and decide what it means to be a leader.   Category: Juv/YA Why I chose this book:  Second in the series My personal opinion: I continued to enjoy this series immensely. I love Tamora Pierce's writing style and I love Kel as a character. This book does dive into the topics of Kel going through puberty, but as with other books by the author, I feel that Pierce does a wonderful job of being realistic without being graphic. These things do happen and do affect Kel's manner of dressing and training, but the descriptions are never excessive or overly awkward.  Warnings Language:  None Violence: Combat situations with fists and various weapons &q

  Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  Keladry of Mindalen is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that girls can train to be Knights in the realm of Tortall. Alana the Lioness became a knight 10 years ago and Kel wants to follow in her footsteps. However, because the training master, Lord Wyldon, doesn't believe girls should be knights, Kel is put on a one year probation, something that no male has ever had imposed on them. In addition, Keladry must deal with the usual hazing and grueling schedule of training for knighthood.     Category:  Juv/YA fic Why I chose this book:  Enjoyed other books by the same author  My personal opinion:  Kel is awesome. I loved going on the journey with her through her probationary year. And I love her title, Protector of the Small. It comes into play from the very beginning of her story.  Warnings Movie rating equivalent:  PG Language:  None.  Violence:  Kel gets into many fist fights "Adult" situations:  None

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Rowen is a half-blood, meaning her mother is a dragon (dragons live in human form most of the time), and her dead father is a human. Her stepfather is a Duke, and is intent on Rowen carving out a place of royalty for herself- by any means necessary. Rowen is not so sure about that approach. As a half-blood, she has some magical ability, but she hasn't fully explored what she can do, because practicing magic is against the law in the dragon realm. Category : Fiction, fantasy Why I chose this book : Recommended on Amazon My personal opinion : It's okay. There were a few scenes in which I was afraid that the lewdness would spill into the inappropriate realm, but it was mostly clean. The language is fine. The story line is interesting- I am curious to see how the main characters are developed. But the writing style is immature. Future books by the author will undoubtedly get better; I recommend paying a proofreader. This story line will not be added to

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Prince Jorg intends to be the king over the entire land by the time he's fifteen. And he will kill anyone that gets in his way- friend or foe. He's quite bright and strategic, so he just might accomplish his goal. Category : Fantasy Why I chose this book : Description sounded interesting My personal opinion : I am grateful that it was on sale when I bought it, because this was a waste of money. Bad language, graphic violence, and rape are present almost from the very beginning. Most of the bad language was spelled as it would be pronounced in a dialect, so I thought they were euphemisms. But no, the real deal came up later. I wish I could have finished this book. The story line sounded interesting- I really want to see if Jorg can actually pull off the revenge he wants. But I can't take the language, so I'm done. I don't recommend this to anyone. I'm also not reviewing the series, because I don't intend to continue it. Warnings

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Kate Moore lives in the US in the late 1920s. She has a rough background, and some serious baggage, but she's making good strides to improve her station. Category : Historical Fiction Why I chose this book : Amazon First Reads My personal opinion : I was excited to try this book. The story line was compelling. There's a "spooky", foreshadowing chapter right at the beginning (maybe even a prologue), and then the story jumps back in time to give the background and set the scene for some juicy intrigue. There are some vague references to immorality, but nothing explicit. And then there's a romance scene, with too much detail to ignore. I'm done. Could have been a good book. Probably is a great story, but I'll never know. Warnings Language: None Violence: Referenced, but not graphic "Adult" situations: Yes, references to prostitution, and a mildly graphic scene between husband and wife Death: Yes Movie rating equivalent

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Reece is a human on Earth who is attached by people from another dimension, and saved by yet another group of people from somewhere else. Her life was not as it seemed, even before her visitors arrived. Category : Fantasy, YA Why I chose this book : Don't recall My personal opinion : I tried really hard to like this book. Firstly, it features something like magic, and I am a sucker for that. Secondly, the trilogy was sold as a set, so I have books 2 and 3, and was hoping to read them all. And thirdly, the description made it sound very compelling. Unfortunately, it was slow, and the author maintained a white-knuckled control of every detail. I am positive that there will be absolutely zero "loose ends" at the end of the story. They will all have been double-knotted way before then. There is no scope for imagination in the story. Every detail is laid out explicitly. The story was positively boring, because I never had to imagine anything- I j

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Ingrid and Bjornar live with their 3 daughters in Norway, in a house that's too small for them. They are doing their best to raise their children and provide a nice living for them, but life just keeps getting in the way. Especially work life. Category : Fiction Why I chose this book : Amazon First Reads My personal opinion : I thought the story was charming and funny. I really enjoyed it- until I got about one third of the way through the book. Then there is a horrendous rash of terrible language, and I couldn't continue. I don't recommend this to anyone. It's too bad, because it looked like it was going to be a fun read. Not much of a plot, up to that point, but funny nonetheless. In all fairness to the author, this was translated to English, so the use of vulgarity may not have been her choice. Warnings Language: Yes, there are 5 f-words in just a page or two. There may be more after that point, as well, but I stopped there. Violence: No

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Yerin and Lindon are enlisted with the Skysworn, and are tasked by the Empire to secure something called a "pocket world", which contains treasures from a Monarch-level person. Eithan is also being kept busy, fighting against Underlord-level enemies from the Bleeding Phoenix. Mercy is along for the ride. Category Fantasy, maybe Sci-Fi Why I chose this book Next in series My personal opinion (the review) Fantastic book- fits right with the rest of the series. I love that the story line continues to be clean, gripping, and fun. I definitely recommend this series. There's a fair amount of fighting, blood, and gross creatures, so my wife won't like it, but I think my two teenagers will. Warnings Language: None Violence: Fighting, but not graphic "Adult" situations: None Death: Yes, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagonist description Lindon's growing by leaps and bounds Point of view of story Third p

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): All US children from 10 to 18 are affected. Either they die instantly, or they gain powers. Some can move things, some can create fire, some can read minds, some become geniuses, etc. The majority die. The rest of the world is horrified and afraid it will spread to them. The US descends into chaos, and the President tries his best to maintain order by becoming virtually a dictator. Other factions form, fighting against the government and either for or against the kids themselves. The kids are rounded up into concentration camps, and many are killed. It's a bleak story, for sure. Category : Fiction, almost post-apocalyptic Why I chose this book : Recommended by the library My personal opinion : It started out gripping. I really had a hard time putting it down. And then it started to drag. And then it got a little dirty (language, adult situations). So I really had to force myself through the last 10% or so. I don't recommend it. Maybe check out the

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): 100 people are sent to Mars to colonize it- build shelters, raise crops, and create a sustainable way for humans to live on the planet. Turns out there's a lot of drama in that endeavor. Category : Fiction, sorta sci-fi Why I chose this book : Sounded interesting, sounded sci-fi (it's not) My personal opinion : This book felt very similar to The Martian, but with less science and more drama about science. Like, fighting about which actions count as being scientific. I didn't really enjoy it- I couldn't really get into it, but I couldn't put my finger on the exact reason. And then, one third of the way through, the language got bad (not to the same degree as The Martian, but using the same bad word), so I'm done. I didn't finish it, and I don't recommend that anyone start it. Warnings Language: Yes, f-bombs Violence: The opening chapter includes a series of arguments and fights "Adult" situations: Fairly common, but

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Xander is an Official of the Society, and also a rebel in the Rising. He becomes an essential pillar of the medical community, fighting the plague. Cassia returns to Society as an infiltrator, continuing her job as a Sorter. She also works closely with the Archivists, because her treasure trove from the Carving library is invaluable. Ky is a talented pilot for the Rising, and works closely with Indie. Even though the three of them are completely separate for much of the book, they are growing closer to each other. Category : YA, dystopian, fiction Why I chose this book : Next in the series My personal opinion : The story was great and clean. It wasn't my favorite ending to a series, because the last few chapters felt like they were both rushed (to tie off loose ends) and grandiose (to end the epic story). But before that last bit, I really enjoyed the book and the series. Thank you, author, for the good, clean fun. That seems to be rare these days. W

Brief synopsis  (no spoilers): Cassia relocated to one of the border regions, in hopes of making it to the Outer Provinces to find Ky. Xander continues to help her. Ky is in the Outer Provinces, and is constantly in mortal peril. Things out there are not how the Society has portrayed. Category : YA, dystopian, fiction Why I chose this book : Next in the series My personal opinion : Sometimes, the second book in a series struggles with its identity, and the story kinda goes sideways. This is not the case with this book. The flow from the story of the first book, into the second book is natural and credible. I appreciate the author continuing to keep the story clean! Warnings Language: None Violence: None "Adult" situations: Attraction and kissing Death: Yes, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent : PG, maybe PG-13 Protagonist description : Cassia and Ky are still deeply in love, but they are becoming aware of the differences in their goals Point of view of stor

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Individuals who are eligible to be married are Matched to their optimal partner when they turn 17, at a special event. Some individuals are never Matched, for various reasons. But something goes wrong for Cassia- she is given information about two separate young men that could be her Match. And that one deviation from the normal situation causes Cassia to doubt the whole system. Category : YA, dystopian, fiction Why I chose this book : Library app recommended it My personal opinion : I liked the book. It was an easy read- fairly deep topic (dystopian), but it wasn't oppressive. I like how the author left the details hazy; there was plenty of scope for imagination. No violence or inappropriate behavior. Just good old silent rebellion. I do plan to continue the series. Warnings Language: None Violence: None "Adult" situations: Attraction and light kissing Death: Yes, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent : PG, maybe PG-13 Prota

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): A close-knit but eclectic group of travelers reunite in Solace after being apart for five years. But the Solace they find has changed a great deal, starting with occupation by a Draconian army. They add two barbarians to their group, and set off in search of answers about the magical staff one of the barbarians carries. One thing's for sure- by the end of the story, there will be dragons. Category : Fantasy Why I chose this book : I read it as a teenager, but don't remember much, so wanted to try it again. My personal opinion : This was a fun read. The story is interesting and the content is clean. I'm a sucker for magic and dragons, though, so it was pretty much a guaranteed thing that I'd like it. Warnings Language: None Violence: Fighting is frequent but not graphic "Adult" situations: Some reference to physical attraction, and a few references to the anatomical features of some women Death: Some, but not frequent Movie rating

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  A collection of comics from the Peanuts  Category: Comics/Graphic Why I chose this book:  Was part of the list of new books at the library, I've never read through the Peanuts comic series and wanted to do so. My personal opinion: A fun and quick read.  Warnings Language:  None Violence: None (other than maybe a few punches or falls to the ground) "Adult" situations: None Death:  None Movie rating equivalent: PG Protagonist description:    The gang's all here: Charlie Brown - the lovable wreck of a character   Linus - and his trademark blanket Lucy - Doling out not so helpful advice Sally -Charlie Brown's younger sister Snoopy - lovable dog who is always looking forward to suppertime The Red-Headed Girl - Charlie Brown's crush Schroeder - piano playing, Beethoven loving  Point of view of story:  3rd Book length:  Short Story flow:  Episodic as each page or few pages was a new s