You are Mine by Janeal Falor

A new dystopian book for lovers of The Hunger Games and The Divergent Series. An amazing book about a young girl fighting against the norms that society has placed around her. Serena just turned seventeen which is an exciting time for most young girls. However, Serena lives in a patriarchal society where at seventeen, girls are married off based on the magic flowing in their blood to birth powerful warlocks for their master since females cannot use the magic. Her father is one of the worst out there ready to marry her off to the highest bidder, and he does just that. Will Serena ever have a chance at deciding her own destiny and a chance at finding love?

The description of the book pulled me in, and I was not disappointed as I read this intriguing novel. I absolutely loved Serena's relationship with her family and especially her sisters. It brought depth to Serena's character as she made bold moves and decisions that could effect not only her future but each of her sisters' futures too. Seeing the world from Serena's point of view was at time ironic, hilarious, sad and/or crazy. Her worldview was so brainwashed and different from the way people view life in America nowadays, which was very realistic and eyeopening at the same time.

I actually found this book for free on amazon through bookbub.com. They are a free website service that email you about books from the genres that you pick when the books are on sale for cheaper than normal or completely free.  It is a great way to find new authors and series to read by trying an excerpt of their work for cheap before buying the rest.  Concerning, Janeal Falor, I will be looking to buy the rest of her books in the future.  It looks like this author is relatively new and her books are mostly online or ebooks. Let's change that; I want to see more print books out there! Share with your friends who love these types of novels.

The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Exciting and interesting children's book where you step into life within a library, literally. Viviani lives in the local library with her two older brothers and her parents. She learns valuable life lessons not only from her family and friends, but from the ghost of the library, all the while saving the day from the stamp thief.

I had a hard time adjusting to the didactic and narrative writing style in the first chapter, but after the first few chapters, I was hooked. I enjoyed the chapter headings that matched entries in a library catalog. It brought to life how the children live in a library and find adventure there everyday.  The vocabulary was also great for helping children grow in their reading ability while still catering to their reading level. I particularly loved how so many things said were profound, and I wanted to write them on my facebook as quotes.  I will be looking for this book for my personal and classroom collections.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.) 

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott

Adorable fantasy children's book perfect for bringing diversity to your classroom or school library. Jaxon is left with a woman called "Ma" when his mother abruptly drops him off with her one day. While trying to figure out who she is and what is moving in the box on her counter, he is met with time travel, invisible people, dinosaurs, magic, growing dragons, and a magical new land.

A book with simple structure and style fit for young readers in elementary school. Good challenging vocabulary found within the pages to help young readers grow. Loved the elements from Brooklyn that made the story come alive with real detail. Take a look if you are trying to find more fiction for your classroom, school, or personal library.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.) 

The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep

Adventurous Mercy and her older loyal friend Matthew are transporting gold for the British army between an area torn by a French and British war.  They are forced to take traitor Elias along who is to act as Mercy's husband; however, he has plans to not make it to their destination because other people are counting on him. Can Elias keep his secret hidden or will losing his heart to Mercy, one bent on never marrying, cause his downfall?

I had a hard time getting through this book because the real action did not start until after 60% into the book. It takes its time with setting up the story and developing the characters through minor interactions the first half of the book.  I also did not care for the title of the book as it really does not seem to fit the story line. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the action and twists to the plot once I reached that section.  Additionally, Mercy had a good transformation emotionally and internally.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

First Impressions by Debra White Smith

As a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I thought this book was spectacular. I absolutely loved the irony of how the main characters were involved in a community play of Pride and Prejudice acting as the character in the play they are modeled after. The story unfolded in a realistic way as the two stubbornest people battle offstage and onstage and try to deny their attraction while ultimately learning from their mistakes.

The use of point of view added much to the story. It switched between Dave and Eddi (playing the roles of Darcy and Elizabeth respectively from Pride and Prejudice) allowing readers to see the emotion and life in every chapter.  I was also glad that a few chapters were shown from Linda's  (Eddi's little sister) point of view and side of the story; Linda makes terrible life choices and has to live with the consequences. Linda's part of the story brought to life the relationships between the three sisters while adding depth to the main characters and their transformations by the end of the book. I recommend this to Pride and Prejudice fans and to those who are not familiar with it as many will enjoy it as the beautiful love story it is.

(The publisher gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson

This is the first book I have read by Melanie Dickerson, but it will not be the last. She has created an adorable romance novel set in a Medieval feeling background.  Aladdin is an orphan that has grown up in the local orphanage after moving there from a foreign country. Despite his difference in social status from Lady Kirstyn, the Duke's daughter, he has grown up with her and become fond of her.  He leaves her to find his fortune to one day come back for her; however, when she is kidnapped, his dream may not come to fruition.

The only part of the story that feels like Aladdin, since this is supposed to be a retelling of Aladdin, is how he starts out as a young boy stealing to survive. However, to be fair, the only experience I have with Aladdin is the Disney version.  Even without more of a connection, I was not disappointed with the story line but was also thrilled with the twists at the end. I found myself laughing at how childish the main protagonists were sometimes but loved the message of how no one is perfect. Overall, a fun read and beautiful cover art.


(The publisher gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a review; however, this is my opinion after reading the book for myself.)

Rise of the Fallen by Chuck Black

Chuck Black is a genius at writing so much meaning and heart into a small number of pages. I have read his Knights of Arrethtrae series which was intended for a young audience and felt more satisfied than reading some of the larger fantasy and adventure novels out there from other authors. The Rise of the Fallen is no exception to this.

Rise of the Fallen is the second book in a series of three. I still enjoyed and understood what was going on in the book even though I have not read the first book yet, but I plan to get my hands on it. The story follows the least of the angels from his creation, throughout history including the the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Jesus' birth and death, the Holocaust, and up to present times. The story switches between the past and present every few chapters as you get to know Validus. In the past, he rises through the ranks to become the warrior leader of North America in present times. However, the climax of the story centers around how Validus is resigned from protecting the whole continent to protecting one man. What is so special about one man?

This story is a masterpiece.  I absolutely loved the depth to the characters and the connection between the angels. Additionally, the author did a great job providing extra resources such as vocabulary definitions and timelines of history in the front of the book.  I also appreciated the section in the back explaining how pieces of the story connected to the Bible. He did a great job explaining how nothing is truth besides the Bible, but that he wrote a story to bring alive the spiritual battle that is going on based on Biblical evidence. I look forward to finishing the other two books in the series.

(I received a free ebook version of this from the publisher; however, this review is my opinion after reading the story for myself.)

Unwritten by Tara Gilboy

 I absolutely loved this childrens story with its unique take on storybook characters. Gracie and her mom are characters from a book that have escaped the harsh realities of their story and come to the real world. However, the real world is all Gracie has ever known. When she goes looking for answers, she get more than she bargained for and her world is turned upside down.

Tara Gilboy has something pretty unique here. While the story has a slow beginning, once the action picked up, I wanted to find out how the story would unfold. The more I read, the more I was pleasantly surprised with something different from classic story tales.  I am always looking for books with twists that take me by surprise which is hard after all the books I have read, and this book had exactly what I was looking for. The characters were interesting and relatable. The overall theme of choosing your own path no matter what anybody else tells you made this a worthwhile read. I will be looking to purchase multiple copies of this book, one for my classroom library and one for my personal library.


 (The publisher gave me a free ebook version of this book to review, but this opinion is my own after reading the book for myself.)

Last Descendants (Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants #1) by Matthew J. Kirby

I enjoyed reading this teen fiction story, which is usually a genre that has a hard time keeping my attention.  However, I bought this book at my school book fair and wanted to read it before putting it in my classroom library.  It helped that I enjoyed the Assassin's Creed movie that came out awhile ago.

Basically, the story is about a boy who wants to prove his dad's innocence of a crime even though his dad has already died in prison. An technology worker at his school allows him to get access to the Animus that allows people to go back into their ancestor's memories in a type of virtual reality. However, the boy and his friend find more than they bargain for when they come across something two agencies have been fighting over for hundreds and thousands of years.

Once I got past the first third of the book, the story took off. He did a good job setting and explaining the background; however, it kept him from starting the action and catching his readers' attention within the first few chapters of the book.  I also loved the historical detail present from real-life events; I could see this book or specific passages used in a middle school history class about the civil war.  He also did a good job incorporating diversity within his characters and story through race, disability and other prominent topics in adolescents and society. After reading it, I have decided to put it in my classroom library, but I almost kept it for my own book collection at home.

Egypt's Sister by Angela Elwell Hunt

A story about the journey Chava is set on after her best friend, Cleopatra, turns her back on her based on her unwillingness to worship other gods besides the one true God. It is about how their paths intertwine and are leading up to one critical moment.

Not much stuck out as unique within the plot except that the story definitely is set around the two girls and their relationship instead of a romance. I have read many similar stories about people going into slavery and coming back out again. However, the details from the time period brought the story to life especially around the historical figure Cleopatra.   The main characters were ones you were rooting for and wanted to see what ended up happening with each of them. Additionally, I would have liked to see some of the story from Cleopatra’s point of view since it was about both of them, which I understand would have been difficult with the amount of time that is covered in the story.  I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers.

(The publisher gave me a free paperback version of this book to review, but this opinion is my own after reading the book for myself.)

The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

The Atonement Child is a story of redemption, healing, and forgiveness. It concerns the aftermath of a girl who is raped on her way back to her christian college from work. The truth slowly comes out about her family’s past and guilt when she finally has to go home because of unfortunate circumstances. 

Francine Rivers covers a hard topic from a Christian point of view. I found the story very eye opening when it comes to the hypocritical nature of people.  The story showed the ugly side of people who call themselves Christians but do not act like they should; however, it also showed the power of friendship, family, and forgiveness as people who love you do not give up on you including God. Many moments were tense including an almost attempted suicide.  However, these are real side effects of women who have gone through similar events to the main character.  Additionally, the characters, situations, and details were realistic and relatable for anyone who has been hurt, lost, and guilty. I absolutely love Francine Rivers’ books and I will continue to keep my eye open for them. If you have not checked out Redeeming Love or A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers, they are two of my all-time favorite books. You will not be disappointed.

This Scarlet Cord by Joan Wolf

This book was a retelling of Rahab the Canaanite prostitute in the Bible.  Basically, Rahab protects the men from the Hebrew nation who come to spy in the city of Jericho before the ensuing battle.  She does this against her country in faith of the one true God.  God honors her by allowing her to be an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

I have a particular interest in seeing the stories in the Bible brought to life through various author’s eyes in their fictional retelling.   I love looking for stories that stay true to the heart of what can be found in the Bible, while adding detail that moves one emotionally. Rahab is a difficult tale to tell because of how little information is given in the Bible; therefore, I have respect for the author for building such a rich story with historically accurate details.  However, the story feels more like a modern romance with a complicated storyline of coincidences. It feels as if the Bible account was stretched to fit her imaging of what could have happened instead of keeping it simplistic and changing her story to fit what the Bible has.  The power of the forgiveness of sin is overlooked by the way she explains how Rahab is a “prostitute,” which did not sit well with me. Otherwise, it is a very cute romance novel even without being connected to the Bible.