The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski begins with Kestrel enjoying the city with her appointed escort and they are both doing things that they know are not allowed for them, such as gambling with the locals. They wander into the slave auction and a slave with blacksmith skills and singing talent comes up for bid. The slave is told to sing for the audience, but he refuses. Kestrel admires him for his pride and bids on him. She outbids everyone else at the steep price of fifty keystones and she’s told this is the Winner’s Curse. Kestrel spends time with Arin, her slave, and she’s not sure what to think about him or his background because he is strong like a slave with manners and knowledge like an aristocrat. Strange events began to happen and Kestrel is trying to figure out why. This story has espionage, intrigue and suspense and the romance is kind of a mystery all its own. The Winner’s Curse is an enjoyable read and it left me anxious to read the sequel – 4 stars!

The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen

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The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins confronts many difficult and possibly controversial circumstances. A young woman lives with her father, but they never stay in one place very long. Ariel loves her father when he isn’t drinking or being too overprotective. Other times he is abusive and angry. Ariel and her father finally stay in one place for an entire school year and she makes friends that she feels comfortable with. She is struggling with her sexuality because her father has always claimed that her mother is a lesbian. Ariel isn’t sure about what she wants or who she wants it with. Another story is being told alternately with Ariel’s. Maya also struggles with family situations and friendships. The stories of these two young women hold a strong, emotional mystery that knocked my socks off! In Ellen Hopkins standard writing, the mystery unfolds. 4 stars for an emotional book full of growth!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier opens as Gwyneth helps her cousin Charlotte get home after her first dizzy spell. The first sign of reaching the age and ability to time travel is feeling dizzy. The time travel ability runs in the family and begins around the age of sixteen. Gwyneth ends up traveling through time first, but soon after she lands back in time, she returns to the present. Gwyneth’s friend, Lesley, helps her with research and keeping her confidences. Before she gets the chance to tell her mother that she traveled back in time, Gwyneth takes another journey during the night. She time travels three times before she confides in her mother and her mother stresses and immediately takes Gwyneth to the time travel authorities. The chronograph controls time traveling if it has a record or sample of your blood. Otherwise, time traveling comes at random times and in spurts. Gwyneth learns of the history, chronology and ancestry of time travel and the prophecy/philosophy of the twelve. The Guardians take care of the chronograph and the time travelers. I give this book 4 stars because of the adventure and fun character dynamics!

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!

 

Salt by Danielle Ellison

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Salt by Danielle Ellison. Penelope, a young woman, lives with her sister and grandparents since their parents are deceased. The family members have magic, except for Penelope who lost her magic when her parents died. She’s testing to become an enforcer but she needs her sister close by so she can use her sister’s magic to help pass the tests. She meets Carter on the day she was struggling to kill a demon. Carter starts out as a mysterious stranger and becomes everything to Penelope as they work together to discover the truths about their backgrounds and family history. I rate this book 4 stars for suspense, action and dynamic characters!

Fishbone’s Song by Gary Paulsen

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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!

Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn

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Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn is based on Norse Mythology. What’s not to love!? After reading the dedication, I have complete respect for the author. She wrote a compassionate and helpful letter to victims of bullying! Freya is born into the Valkyrie world, but she doesn’t enjoy watching battles, dislikes warriors and humans and definitely doesn’t want to be a Valkyrie. That is her destiny, regardless of how she feels. She gets to know her first reaping, Tyrone, and she begins to see that human warriors have changed. Tyrone loves his family and makes Freya promise that she will go to Earth (Asgard) and check on their safety. Loki wants to help her travel to Earth, even though it’s forbidden and Freya is not sure she can trust him. Freya’s heart opens up to humans when she sees the good that most do, while she grows more angry at the evil in the world. This story, based on Nordic mythology, contains action, adventure, kindness, suspense and fun – 5 stars!

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

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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 Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman! Any book with the word library in the title is going to catch my attention, so I began reading with anticipation of awesomeness. Irene is part of a group of librarians who save literary works from everywhere – even alternate realms. The librarians search for library books and steal them to take to the Invisible Library. The books Irene searches for are important to language in some way and must be preserved. She is searching for Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm in this book. Invisible library workers travel throughout the world, throughout history and as I already mentioned, to alternate realities. The story shows true creative imagination through its details. A fantasy fiction with a bit of steampunk, this world contains dragons, vampires, library magic, much intrigue and (eww) skin in a jar – 4 stars for uniqueness!

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Book Group and Marvel Press for the opportunity to read and review Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl. This first book in the Black Widow series by Margaret Stohl brings to light Natasha Romanoff’s background, which was a lot darker than I would have guessed. Many surprises await as the story unfolds with heroines and heroes. I enjoyed the Russian dialogue and translations, as well as the humor that goes along with Marvel Avengers. A fun read for anyone wanting adventure with a touch of super hero added – 4 stars!