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Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. (Goodreads) Category Fiction, Sci-Fi Why I chose this book Stephenie Meyer My personal opinion (the review) The book is really good. Not amazing, but really good. The language is clean, the drama is interesting, the writing style is good, and the premise is gripping. I would probably buy this and read it again. Warnings Language: very minor, if any Violence: fighting, but nothing graphic "Adult" situations: romance, but nothing graphic Death: some, mostly minor characters Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagonist description Melanie is a very strong character, Wanderer is much more passive. But si...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):   Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic… forever. Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined — animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic. An Excisioner — a practitioner of dark, flesh magic — invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the v...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The recent High School graduates of a tiny, rural town compete for a cash prize that is enough to build a life outside the town. The game centers around mastery of fear. Any graduate can enter, but only one will win. Category Fiction, maybe YA Why I chose this book Sounded interesting from library summary My personal opinion (the review) The plot line is really good. The premise hooked me right away. Yeah, the characters are a bit flat, but they're also teenagers, so it might just be my "get off my lawn" perspective. But in general, the book is excellent. Also, the tigers were awesome! I'd like to ask the author a question: Why, oh why, was the use of foul language so necessary? If it weren't for the dozen or so f-bombs sprinkled throughout the book (just a couple in the first half, then getting progressively worse), this would have been my favorite book of the summer. It could have been awesome, but I cannot recommend...

Concept: Serve a complete meal, main dish plus 2 other dishes (side dish, dessert, salad, appetizer) for $10 or less. Each recipe has a price guide (1-5). If you choose a pricier main dish than do two cheaper sides. If the main dish is low cost then you can splurge on dessert, etc.   Author : Melissa d'Arabian won the show The Next Food Network Star and subsequently got her show "Ten Dollar Dinners." (Cool side story - in the final round of The Next Food Network Star the contestants had to create a dinner party for special celebrity guests. They had an unlimited budget and the best ingredients that money could buy and she won with her Potato-Bacon Torte, which costs about $0.50 per serving.)  I really like Melissa d'Arabian because she is down to earth. She has four kids of her own and works to find ways to feed her family that don't cost a lot. She also mentioned how every other Saturday in her home one parent gets to sleep in and the other makes breakfast wi...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  In each generation, for thousands of years, twelve Players have been ready. But they never thought Endgame would happen. Until now. Omaha, Nebraska. Sarah Alopay stands at her graduation ceremony—class valedictorian, star athlete, a full life on the horizon. But when a meteor strikes the school, she survives. Because she is the Cahokian Player. Endgame has begun. Juliaca, Peru. At the same moment, thousands of miles away, another meteor strikes. But Jago Tlaloc is safe. He has a secret, and his secret makes him brave. Strong. Certain. He is the Olmec Player. He's ready. Ready for Endgame. Across the globe, twelve meteors slam into Earth. Cities burn. But Sarah and Jago and the ten others Players know the truth. The meteors carry a message. The Players have been summoned to The Calling. And now they must fight one another in order to survive. All but one will fail. But that one will save the world. This is Endgame. Category : YA Why I chos...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):   Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.   Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.   It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.   But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.   There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and L...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Lauren is a recovering drug addict. Jeff is Lauren's devoted but wary husband. Bo is a mentally challenged young man that wanders the town. Annie is Bo's step-sister and protector. Bo goes missing, Lauren can't account for some of her time, Jeff's business is floundering, and Annie struggles with loss. Throw in some other minor characters, and a police investigation, and you've got yourself a thriller. Category Fiction, Thriller Why I chose this book Kindle First My personal opinion (the review) Due to the language component, I cannot recommend this book. But the story line was pretty good, the characters were believable, the plot twist was excellent- generally a really good book. Not great, but really good. I won't read it twice, but it was probably worth one read. Even without the language, it would have been really good still, not great. Warnings Language: yes, several F-words sprinkled throughout Violence: ref...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Lyra Belacqua, like all humans, has a shape-shifting animal companion called a daemon always by her side. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, and a mysterious woman named Mrs. Coulter are at the center of a revolution involving the government, stolen children, witches and armored bears. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book Controversy My personal opinion (the review) I heard a great deal about controversy when I considered reading this book, so I decided to read it for myself. A section of the Bible was changed. The Catholic church is accused of running the world. And original sin is touted as a major factor behind wars. So yeah, there's a bit of controversy. But really, let's keep our heads on tight. It's fiction I liked the book, and I'm looking forward to more in the series. No bad language, it's well written, the story line moves well, and the characters aren't flat. I'm a fan. Warnings Language: none ...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await. (Amazon) Category: YA dystopian Why I chose this book: Looked good on a display My personal opinion: I've figured out something about myself through reading so many dystopian novels. What I enjoy the most is learning why the society has come to this point and how they keep the people in their subjection....

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) : Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multilayered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after.  (Amazon) Category: YA Why I chose this book: Companion novel My personal opinion (the review): This book was really so-so at best. Lots of angsty-teenage-eness and drama. I also felt like several of the ideas were not really thought through. The idea of the portals out of the book seemed forced (though the writer's imagination part was cool). Also, the whole story with Edgar's mother isn't well researched and explained ...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers):  June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has.  (Amazon) Category:  YA Dystopian  Why I chose this book:  Third and final book in the series  My personal opinion:  There was less direct violence in this book compared to the...

Summary: Josefina is a 9 year old girl living on a Rancho in New Mexico in 1824. She, her three older sisters, and her father are learning how to cope after the death of their mother a year before the first story begins. Josefina has many adventures on the farm and with her family that help her grow into a responsible, nurturing young girl.  Attention Span/reading level: 8-12, small chapter books (But my 3 year old listens to the stories in the car and enjoys them)  Good uses for book in teaching: About different cultures/religious celebrations Favorite part:       Mine: All the Religious ceremonies and celebrations, that Josefina is honest and hard working.       Child: The baby goat, Sombrita  Least favorite part: None W arnings/negative feedback:  Josefina  and her sister run into town alone and get stopped by a man who is drunk, but they run away before anything happens.  Review: T...