Spindle by E.K. Johnston

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review Spindle by E.K. Johnston! Spindle is book two of the series, A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston, but it can be read as a stand-alone book. The story is told in a young man’s point of view, Yaasha. His mother is ill and wants him to leave her and travel onward. Yaasha travels with a few of his close acquaintances. He rescues Little Rose from a tower that she was locked in. The group tries to keep their freedom but are eventually captured. They grow very close and create strong bonds of friendship. The tone is dark and the evil Storyteller Queen is a demon who wants to destroy Little Rose; 4 stars for this fairy tale fantasy containing suspense, loyalty and the bonds of friendship!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I have finally gotten around to reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This book is monumental and legendary in how it faces life head on. The story contains everything from adolescence that defines us – teen angst, popularity or lack thereof, family struggles, dysfunctional families and the relationships that we form during this impressionable time that will help shape our futures. Empowering and overwhelming, this contemporary classic bears its soul for the world to see, learn from and to grow with- 5 stars!

Shadows of the Forest by Emma Michaels

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review Shadows of the Forest by Emma Michaels! A mystery is surrounding a set of twins. The story begins with their injuries and the brother sacrificing his life to save his twin sister so she can heal and live. This fantastically written story uses beautiful prose to bring “a pocket realm” alive in a forest full of mysterious creatures and their unknown tales. The twins have lived a tragic life and they just want happiness and what’s best for each other and they will sacrifice everything to help the other twin. This heartbreaking, enchanting tale of what it truly means to be family and share unconditional love brought tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart. I give this book 5 stars for dynamic characters and a beautiful setting!

But Then I Came Back by Estelle Laure

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review But Then I Came Back by Estelle Laure! Edna Jones almost drowned and was in a coma for over a month. Now she’s trying to regroup, regain strength and weight and get rid of the confusion that surrounds her. When Edna is released from the hospital, she doesn’t feel like she belongs back in reality and she’s completely exhausted. Joe brings flowers to Edna’s house and she feels the first sparkling of life again. Joe’s friend, Jasmine, is in a coma after a motorcycle accident and he’s her closest friend. So close that she made Joe her legal next of kin. Now, it’s on his shoulders to decide whether to keep Jasmine on life support or not. For some reason, Edna is still connected to the limbo she was in during her coma and supposedly that’s where Jasmine currently is. Joe is hoping Edna can talk to Jasmine and wake her up. A mix of strong personalities, a bit of psychic help, supernatural mystery and some romance brings the story together and I feel that I have learned from and have been inspired by this realistic fiction book. I rate But Then I Came Back 5 stars because I didn’t want the story to end!

Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out – and Never Say Diet Again by Rebecca Scritchfield. This book focuses on body kindness with the following four parts: what you do, how you feel, who you are, where you belong. The journal suggestion is genius and by writing The Body Kindness Manifesto as the first entry, it gives the reader/writer empowerment. The book contains amazing and simple visual ideas to reinforce positive choices and mindset, such as draw a spiral tornado: write one body kindness that makes you feel good and write down what you do and how you usually feel. Keep adding body kindness choices until the tornado is filled, building one positive choice feeling on top of the other. Reflect as you do this! The most helpful comment – “Choose to put yourself first.” Diet, exercise, sleep, emotions, fun, resilience, values, peace, self compassion, connections, inspiration and spirituality make this an invaluable book – 5 stars for the easy to read and follow format and also extreme helpfulness!

 

Fishbone’s Song by Gary Paulsen

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Fishbone’s Song by Gary Paulsen. This story is told in lyrical form and tells the tale of an orphan raised by a philosophical old man. True to the adventurous heart of Gary Paulsen, this book relates everything to nature and how to live it. 3 stars!

Eureka!: 50 Scientists Who Shaped Human History by John Grant

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Eureka!: 50 Scientists Who Shaped Human History! This book is full of insights into scientific pioneers both professional and personal. From B.C. to modern times, details explaining theories and interesting tidbits of each scientist fill this easy to read informational book – 4 stars!

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Marina dies after giving birth to Vasya, who is supposed to be special and mysterious in the same way Marina’s mother was. Years later, when Vasya is a young girl, she wanders into the forest and gets lost. She meets two strangers. The first one is told to sleep by the second man. Vasya bolts and is found by her brother, Sasha. Vasya’s father decides to find a new wife so Vasya can have a mother to raise her. Pyotr returns from Moscow with his new wife, Anna. Anna sees strangers just as Vasya does, but she treats Vasya cruelly even though they have this in common. Vasya’s nurse, Dunya, loves Vasya unconditionally. When Dunya dies, Vasya asks for the help of her brother Alyosha. Alyosha truly believes Vasya and helps her to rid the village of evil. After Vasya was threatened with being sent to a convent, Anna bargains with her. If Vasya will venture into the frozen woods and gather snowdrop flowers for Anna’s daughter, Irina, then Anna will let Vasya stay home. While Vasya is in the woods, she’s saved and taken by the stranger, Morozko the Frost Demon, on the white horse. Set in the Russian wilderness and based on Russian history and folklore, this debut novel is beautifully written and imagined. I give it 5 stars because this is the perfect book to read in the middle of a snowy winter.

A Bend in the Willow by Susan Clayton-Goldner

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to the author’s request for me to read and review A Bend in the Willow by Susan Clayton-Goldner! Maya Angelou opens the story with her quote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Robin Lee changed her name to Catherine years ago to escape her painful past, but her husband knows nothing about her past experiences. She fabricated a life story. Their son Michael is in an accident on his fifth birthday and while assessing his health, the doctor finds leukemia. The only hope he has for recovery is a bone marrow transplant from a matching relative. Catherine goes to her hometown and faces her past head on. She meets her brother Kyle and he doesn’t believe that she’s Robin Lee. She approached him too abruptly about her son instead of first trying to ease the pain from their past. The past keeps blowing up in her face and she struggles, and so do her family members, with trying to take care of Michael. The innocence of children brought tears to my eyes and this story is tragic and beautiful at the same time – 5 stars – for this adult realistic fiction novel with kudos to perseverance and unconditional love and compassion!

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett! Hawthorn’s personality makes the story comical, despite the dreary undertone. She’s blunt and practical and sometimes she can’t understand people’s reactions and the circumstances. Other times, Hawthorn feels like people are just ridiculous when all she is trying to do is understand the situation. Hawthorn loves to analyze logically and that is how she looks at the world. Hawthorn matures as the story unfolds and she has many different experiences and meets and gets acquainted with new people. The story has an overall depressing feeling, but as the reader I am supposed to learn from it. I did learn to not make assumptions and to keep my chin up because today doesn’t mean the end. I give this very unique book a 4 star rating!