Grimm’s Phoenix Fire is first in the Phoenix Cycle. Ava Elderson lives with a foster family. She hopes to be adopted, but too many disappointments in life means she doesn’t trust easy, and tends to push people away. One night, after an argument with her foster parents, she storms out of the house and […]
Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words is a delightfully illustrated tale about a lesser known incident in Lincoln’s life as a barrister. In response to tax changes that would affect the poorer folk rather harshly, Lincoln wrote a letter to the newspaper under the name ‘Aunt Rebecca’, which also called out rival James Shields. Two other ‘Aunt […]
~Review by Jonas Merricksson I’m terribly behind with this review… What starts as a game turns deadly in an instant. Olive enters what is supposed to be a simple corn maze. But this maze has a dark past. Olive ends up on a desolate island where a feud rates between two tribes of teens, […]
Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe is second in the Streets of Maradaine series, and the first of Marasca’s many Maradaine books that I’ve read. This story follows Asti and Verci Rynax as their crew of thieves continue to look into those behind the Holver Alley fire that destroyed many homes. Though they’ve already taken care of those […]
Lies that Bind is second in the Anastasia Phoenix series by Diana Rodriguez Wallach. Anastasia has found Keira, alive, and they have plans to go into hiding after they helped Marcus find his brother. Before they get the chance to disappear, though, Anastasia gets devastating news. Her best friend Tyson has been murdered in a […]
Wallach’s Proof of Lies is first in the Anastasia Phoenix series. Three years ago, Anastasia and her sister Keira became orphans when both parents died in a fiery car crash. Now Keira has been kidnapped, and the Boston PD believes she is dead. Anastasia doesn’t share that belief and begins digging into the case in […]
An ancient dragon and a young boy weave magic together to drive away bad luck and draw in the good. Once a year Shen Long, a great blue-scaled tian long luck dragon, is woken from his slumber to dance the dragon’s dance of luck and prosperity. Always before had it been Grandfather who danced with […]
Based upon a Chinese parable of similar name by Chuang Tzu, Dream of the Butterfly tells the story of Tutu, a young girl living in a school/facility for children. One morning she gets left behind after the kids and their caregivers head out to play in the snow. Tutu sneaks out on her own, and […]
The Joy of Mindful Writing by Joy Kenward was a most delightful read. Through several meditations, and writing exercises, Joy teaches baby writers, and seasoned ones alike, how to apply mindfulness to improve their writing. There are six chapters, detailing different writing aspects, such as fostering imagination, finding your voice, overcoming blocks, and playing […]
In Teenage Suicide Notes Williams elucidates a subject many prefer to ignore, to pretend it doesn’t exist. But exist it does, and it’s growing worse. And what is that subject? Teenage suicide. Williams makes an ethnographic study of several teens in New York who either committed suicide, or went through parasuicide rituals. Many of these teens […]
