Is a Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Tanglewood for the opportunity to read and review Is a Worry Worrying you? by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz with illustrations by Marie LeTourneau! This book has simple but appropriate illustrations that convey the feeling of worrying while reminding us that it’s our choice whether we worry or not. There are many worries in life and this book gives ideas of how to get rid of worries in a fun, simple way. The worry is shown in each illustration. It’s drawn many different ways with its expression showing happiness to sadness, depending on whether the character on the page is letting the worry cause stress or making it leave. Very helpful to ease everyone’s worries, 5 stars!

 

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.  Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray! Noemi is a soldier for Genesis and she’s very loyal to her planet and her friend, Esther. Abel is a machine made by an Earth scientist to be the culmination of all other machines that have been created. The scientist, Mansfield, wants Abel to be as human-like as possible, including feeling emotions and having conscious thought. Esther is injured and Noemi finds the functioning but deserted ship, the Daedalus, not knowing that Abel is on board. Noemi wants to help Esther by getting to the ship’s sickbay. Abel does everything in his power to save Esther and he and Noemi become reluctant comrades while Abel treats Noemi as a commander. They are going together to destroy the gate between Earth and Genesis. On their trip they make discoveries about each other, such as integrity, loyalty and other values and skills. They also note each other’s intelligence. The mystery of Abel’s creation and purpose makes both of them more and more curious. They meet and befriend others while on their quest and the action and suspense continues to build. This story turned out better than I thought it would, since science fiction isn’t my favorite genre. Claudia Gray built a complex, futuristic world full of diverse and dynamic characters, 5 stars !

Fate’s Keep by T. Rae Mitchell

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Original Mix Media for the opportunity to read and review Fate’s Keep by T. Rae Mitchell! In this sequel to Fate’s Journey, Fate is not going alone to the realm of the Book of Fables. Her father, Eustace, her best friend, Jess and her book fans are going along for the adventure. While Sithias was an interesting and entertaining creature in book one, Faurok takes the role in this story. It takes cleverness on the author’s part to create Faurok’s dialogue because he mixes words up to make new ones. Finn is on his own in the realm and he’s trying to figure out how to get to Fate and he is bound and determined to reach her. I was so happy when Sithias made an appearance in this story because I missed him and his fun personality and his extra s’s on his words! Fate is being pulled in several directions while her allies become enemies and her enemies become allies and her story doesn’t end in this book. There’s a third book entitled Fate’s War, which is a good thing because Fate’s Keep ends with a cliffhanger. 5 stars!

The Book of Greens by Jenn Louis

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read and review The Book of Greens by Jenn Louis! The Book of Greens begins with a complete recipe list of vegetarian dishes, starters and snacks, salads and sides, soups; pastas, grains and dumplings ; fish and seafood; meaty mains; and drinks and sweets that are included in the book. Sections such as The Basics and How To Use This Book help get the most out of your greens. The section, Types of Greens in this book, lists the type, best method of cooking and specific greens to use in the recipes. A Seasonal Chart helps the reader know when certain greens will most likely be found for purchase. Bowls 101 shares four rules that will help in making great salads. The rules are “not all ingredients go together; ” don’t bog down your base green; less is more. There is also a rule for three components for a delicious bowl: flavor, texture and visual appeal. The system to make a delicious dish with greens follows these steps: 1-choose a base (type of green) 2-add variety (add veggies, fruit), 3-add texture (grains, nuts, popped corn, seeds or bread crumbs), 4-add protein (hard-boiled egg, cooked meat, beans), 5-add saltiness, 6- smooth it out with herbs, 7- sharpen it up and 8-dress it. Very detailed, color photos and an enormous selection of greens and the recipes to go with them. 5 stars.

True North by L.E. Sterling

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review True North by L.E. Sterling! True North continues with the the mystery of Lucy and Margot. I still enjoy the relationship between Lucy and Jared and the story’s mystery is being chipped away in this second book of the series. I don’t want to give anything away, but what is happening to Margot is disturbing and horrific. The series does not end with this book and I think I will re- read the entire series, one book after the other, once it’s completed. 4 stars for a creative dystopian world and character building!

The Silver Thread by Emigh Cannaday (Audiobook Version)

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I received an advance reader copy and an audiobook and volunteered to review the story.
The Silver Thread audiobook has the same great voice actor as The Flame and the Arrow! Talvi and Annika come together again but they discover that love takes work and they seem to have a lot more to deal with while they are staying with her brother and their friends. Being married and realizing they need to rely on and and share with each other is difficult for both of them. At times, I became annoyed at Talvi and even Annika because they didn’t seem to be trying to care for and be there for each other. Finn is amazing and selfless and he and his father straighten Talvi out. I thought the punishment Ambrose set for Talvi was priceless, including the conversation Ambrose conducted with Talvi while he was digging, not realizing that Annika was there the whole time overhearing everything, just as Talvi’s father planned. The cliffhanger ending is intense! 5 stars for the wonderful, flowing writing of Emigh Cannaday and for her creative fantasy world, prophecies and all!

Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray! Katie Ray has previously published works under the name of Katie Kacvinsky and her books have been popular with my library patrons. I believe that this new book of Katie’s will be a popular read also. Don’t Kiss the Messenger is a retelling of sorts. The story line is similar to the play, Cyrano de Bergerac where inner beauty overpowers outer beauty. This book is intelligent and eloquent in many ways, while still staying a young adult contemporary story! CeCe and Emmett take turns by alternating points of view throughout the book. CeCe has a scar on the right side of her face that she prefers to not be the focal point when she meets someone for the first time. Emmett is new to the school and a known high school football player. They both attend Honors Shakespeare class and are partnered on the first day. CeCe and Emmett share the trait of clever wit and they have tremendous similarities with their tastes in and knowledge of music and literature. They are both intense and dedicated athletes also; CeCe is the captain of the volleyball team and Emmett is the star quarterback. I love this book with its romantic gestures, self-esteem building thoughts and loyalty and friendship. 5 stars for this amazing realistic fiction read!

Incriminating Dating by Rebekah L. Purdy

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Incriminating Dating by Rebekah L. Purdy. Ayla’s point of view alternates with Luke’s point of view throughout the story. Ayla is a good student that minds her own business and doesn’t like to make waves. That changes when funds are being cut for drama and the school paper; the activities she participates in. Luke looks like a normal popular high school guy but he struggles with poverty and a dysfunctional family and he has only one true friend that he feels like he can confide in. Ayla decides to run for class office to make a difference but she’s taking on the entire school culture when she runs. Luke and Ayla build a relationship under interesting circumstances, but sometimes that’s the only way to find out who your true friends are. 4 stars for this realistic fiction story geared towards young adults who want to see fairness in the world a little more often!

The Castaways by Jessika Fleck

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Castaways by Jessika Fleck. Olive is relentlessly bullied by three girls she has named The Trio. She meets her friend Tawny at the pirate-themed traveling carnival after hours, so they won’t be bothered by anyone. They decide to go into the corn maze, which has a mysterious and dangerous past. Teenagers have gone missing and never come out of the maze. Olive ends up going into the maze alone and, while running from bullies, she ends up being transported to a secluded island where no one ages. This island is completely surrounded by ocean as far as the eye can see and seems to be inescapable. Olive meets people on the island that are considered missing in real time. These teenagers were born long ago and have stayed teenagers and only have memories from decades past. Such as sixteen-year-old Tilly, who is from Sheffield England, 1940 and fifteen year old Lewis from 1953 Memphis, Tennessee. Olive discovers each of their stories and secrets and she eventually shares her own. They all realize that they transported to the island because they were running from something and they work together to find out how to face their problems and give each other the hope of returning home someday. I fell in love with the island inhabitants and relished the relationship between Will and Olive. This book is so much more complex than I thought it would be when I first began reading it. The complicated story line and dynamic characters all come together to make The Castaways an interesting read and the cover is perfect for this story, in more ways than one. 4.5 stars for the fantasy realism and lovable characters!

Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tanglewood Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau. The Argyle Fox picture book is a beautifully illustrated story of a wind ruining a young fox’s imaginative play. After the warnings from the friendly animals and the frustration of his play being ruined, clever Argyle comes up with something wonderful that he can play with in the wind. I like the details in the artwork showing Argyle’s creativity and his comfortable home. 4 stars for a story that shows how well improvisation works!